Hitman 3 Steam owners will get a free upgrade starting today to make up for the game's shaky launch.

As revealed by developer IO Interactive in a community support post, fans who purchased the game on Steam following its launch on January 20 will be entitled to a free upgrade of the game. The developer admitted in its post that Hitman 3's Steam launch didn't exactly go as planned following a flurry of fan backlash over the topic.

"We were excited to bring HITMAN 3 to Steam with new content and we knew that anticipation and excitement levels amongst our Steam players was high, especially as the game had been an Epic exclusive for a year," read a statement from the company. "Ultimately, we didn’t meet our own expectations of a launch experience and we don’t like that our Steam community is beginning their HITMAN 3 journey in this way."

"So, here’s what we’re going to do: Everyone on Steam who has already bought HITMAN 3, or anyone that buys the game through to February 19th 2022, will be granted a free upgrade. Starting on January 27th 2022, this process will begin to automatically roll out via Steam entitlements. Simply launch your Steam copy of HITMAN 3 and the new content from your free upgrade will be waiting for you to enjoy."

The specific upgrade you'll be entitled to will depend upon which version of the game you have purchased. Fans who have paid for the standard edition of Hitman 3 will automatically be upgraded to the Deluxe Edition, while those who already own the Deluxe Edition or a copy of Hitman Trilogy will gain access to the Seven Deadly Sins Collection.

Anger over the launch of Hitman 3 began last week with fans largely taking issue over the game's pricing. Purchasing the standard edition of Hitman 3 on Steam will set you back $60 — the same amount that it launched for on Epic a year ago. Considering that the game has been out for a year (albeit an Epic exclusive) many fans felt frustrated that IO Interactive hadn't discounted the game when it came out for the second time around.

On social media, the outcry from fans led to the game's subreddit being temporarily closed down after some members of the community took steps too far and began targeting their harassment.

"This decision was due to targeted harassment, and a security breach which affected our ability to moderate the subreddit effectively and safely. IOI had no part in privating the subreddit, this was entirely the decision of the moderators, and we are just fellow fans like you who volunteer our time to help out," a moderator wrote.

The subreddit returned later the same day, though Mark was quick to address some basic ground rules stating that while "criticism is of course allowed", "harassment and vitriol is not."

For more from Hitman 3, make sure to check out this post detailing what you can expect from the game throughout 2022.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Hitman 3 Steam owners will get a free upgrade starting today to make up for the game's shaky launch.

As revealed by developer IO Interactive in a community support post, fans who purchased the game on Steam following its launch on January 20 will be entitled to a free upgrade of the game. The developer admitted in its post that Hitman 3's Steam launch didn't exactly go as planned following a flurry of fan backlash over the topic.

"We were excited to bring HITMAN 3 to Steam with new content and we knew that anticipation and excitement levels amongst our Steam players was high, especially as the game had been an Epic exclusive for a year," read a statement from the company. "Ultimately, we didn’t meet our own expectations of a launch experience and we don’t like that our Steam community is beginning their HITMAN 3 journey in this way."

"So, here’s what we’re going to do: Everyone on Steam who has already bought HITMAN 3, or anyone that buys the game through to February 19th 2022, will be granted a free upgrade. Starting on January 27th 2022, this process will begin to automatically roll out via Steam entitlements. Simply launch your Steam copy of HITMAN 3 and the new content from your free upgrade will be waiting for you to enjoy."

The specific upgrade you'll be entitled to will depend upon which version of the game you have purchased. Fans who have paid for the standard edition of Hitman 3 will automatically be upgraded to the Deluxe Edition, while those who already own the Deluxe Edition or a copy of Hitman Trilogy will gain access to the Seven Deadly Sins Collection.

Anger over the launch of Hitman 3 began last week with fans largely taking issue over the game's pricing. Purchasing the standard edition of Hitman 3 on Steam will set you back $60 — the same amount that it launched for on Epic a year ago. Considering that the game has been out for a year (albeit an Epic exclusive) many fans felt frustrated that IO Interactive hadn't discounted the game when it came out for the second time around.

On social media, the outcry from fans led to the game's subreddit being temporarily closed down after some members of the community took steps too far and began targeting their harassment.

"This decision was due to targeted harassment, and a security breach which affected our ability to moderate the subreddit effectively and safely. IOI had no part in privating the subreddit, this was entirely the decision of the moderators, and we are just fellow fans like you who volunteer our time to help out," a moderator wrote.

The subreddit returned later the same day, though Mark was quick to address some basic ground rules stating that while "criticism is of course allowed", "harassment and vitriol is not."

For more from Hitman 3, make sure to check out this post detailing what you can expect from the game throughout 2022.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ed Boon, the co-creator of Mortal Kombat and Injustice, will be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame this year.

As part of the 25th annual D.I.C.E. awards, Boon will join Bethesda's Todd Howard, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, Valve's Gabe Newell, Xbox's Bonnie Ross and other industry legends in the Hall of Fame. The award is given to "game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward."

Ed Boon began his career programming pinball machines, before moving into video game development and co-creating Mortal Kombat with John Tobias. The game stirred up controversy for its depiction of ludicrous ultraviolence, but has become part of the fighting game firmament over eleven mainline installments. Boon went onto create Netherrealm Studios, which added much-loved DC superhero series Injustice to its fighting game line-up.

"We are thrilled to have Ed be inducted into our Hall of Fame," says Meggan Scavio, AIAS president. "From his early work on pinball machines to his monumental achievements co-creating the Mortal Kombat franchise, Ed's dedication and perseverance to the craft and art of games has left an incredible legacy for fans and game developers alike."

The 2022 D.I.C.E. awards take place on February 24, and IGN will be the official media partner, meaning you'll be able to stream the entire event live right here with us.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is leading the pack with 9 nominations, with Deathloop, Inscryption, and It Takes Two following closely behind.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Ed Boon, the co-creator of Mortal Kombat and Injustice, will be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame this year.

As part of the 25th annual D.I.C.E. awards, Boon will join Bethesda's Todd Howard, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, Valve's Gabe Newell, Xbox's Bonnie Ross and other industry legends in the Hall of Fame. The award is given to "game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward."

Ed Boon began his career programming pinball machines, before moving into video game development and co-creating Mortal Kombat with John Tobias. The game stirred up controversy for its depiction of ludicrous ultraviolence, but has become part of the fighting game firmament over eleven mainline installments. Boon went onto create Netherrealm Studios, which added much-loved DC superhero series Injustice to its fighting game line-up.

"We are thrilled to have Ed be inducted into our Hall of Fame," says Meggan Scavio, AIAS president. "From his early work on pinball machines to his monumental achievements co-creating the Mortal Kombat franchise, Ed's dedication and perseverance to the craft and art of games has left an incredible legacy for fans and game developers alike."

The 2022 D.I.C.E. awards take place on February 24, and IGN will be the official media partner, meaning you'll be able to stream the entire event live right here with us.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is leading the pack with 9 nominations, with Deathloop, Inscryption, and It Takes Two following closely behind.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has been watching your reactions to that big reveal in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home!

During an interview with Deadline, the MCU's Peter Parker explained, “One of my favorite things to do at the minute is to go online and watch fans’ reactions to [Tobey and Andrew] coming in that one scene in particular. I don’t think I could ever have imagined it as being so well received by everyone.”

The scene Holland is referring to is when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield arrive from across the multiverse, each actor playing their own version of Peter Parker from previous Spider-Man movies.

In the movie they were known as Peter 2 and Peter 3, but a new look at the full Spider-Man: No Way Home script has revealed that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were also known as “Raimi-Verse Spider-Man” and “Webb-Verse Spider-Man”.

Although the multiverse crossover was originally intended to be a post-credit scene, it ended up being a stunning moment that helped bring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy to an end in a truly spectacular fashion.

It went down well with the fans. “I mean, I guess I had an idea that people would love this movie,” he said. “But in no way, shape, or form could I have thought it was going to be as big as it has been.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home was a huge hit, and is now Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time. But No Way Home star Tom Holland still has no idea whether he will return to the role after the events of No Way Home.

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker, along with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their own versions of Spider-Man. They’re joined by Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jon Favreau.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has been watching your reactions to that big reveal in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home!

During an interview with Deadline, the MCU's Peter Parker explained, “One of my favorite things to do at the minute is to go online and watch fans’ reactions to [Tobey and Andrew] coming in that one scene in particular. I don’t think I could ever have imagined it as being so well received by everyone.”

The scene Holland is referring to is when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield arrive from across the multiverse, each actor playing their own version of Peter Parker from previous Spider-Man movies.

In the movie they were known as Peter 2 and Peter 3, but a new look at the full Spider-Man: No Way Home script has revealed that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were also known as “Raimi-Verse Spider-Man” and “Webb-Verse Spider-Man”.

Although the multiverse crossover was originally intended to be a post-credit scene, it ended up being a stunning moment that helped bring Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy to an end in a truly spectacular fashion.

It went down well with the fans. “I mean, I guess I had an idea that people would love this movie,” he said. “But in no way, shape, or form could I have thought it was going to be as big as it has been.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home was a huge hit, and is now Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time. But No Way Home star Tom Holland still has no idea whether he will return to the role after the events of No Way Home.

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker, along with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their own versions of Spider-Man. They’re joined by Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jon Favreau.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Spider-Man: No Way Home star Tom Holland doesn’t want to stop being Spider-Man - but he’s still not sure whether he’ll be back.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home!

During an interview with Deadline, the 25-year-old actor once again addressed whether or not he’ll return as the friendly neighborhood web-slinger, and gave a more non-committal answer than on previous occasions.

“The truthful answer — and I’ve done a whole press tour where all I do is lie — the truth is, and you’re not going to like the truth, I don’t know the answer to that question,” he said.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I know I love this character, and I know that I am not ready to say goodbye. But if it’s time for me to say goodbye, then I will do so proudly, knowing that I’ve achieved everything I wanted to with this character, and sharing it with these boys will be forever one of the most special experiences of my career. So, if it’s time, it’s time. If it’s not, it’s not. But at the moment, I don’t know.”

Whether or not Holland will return to the role has been a discussion since before No Way Home had even come out. Before release, Tom Holland says he and his co-stars were treating it as the "end of a franchise." Later, Holland said he didn't want to play the character past the age of 30 (he's 25 at time of writing), and said it might be time to make a Miles Morales film.

After that, producer Amy Pascal suggested that Tom Holland would return for another three Spider-Man movies. Now we seem to be back to square one – not knowing what's next for the MCU's Peter Parker.

Spider-Man: No Way Home was a huge hit, becoming Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time. But it looks as though Tom Holland still has no idea whether it will be his last time as Spider-Man. The latest movie brought Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trilogy to a close with a spectacular final act that saw the return of both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their own versions of Peter Parker.

Holland is glad he got to see that happen: “This film for me was as special as an experience could ever be,” he said. “Sharing the screen with these guys. Playing Spider-Man could be quite an alienating experience because, you know, we’re the only three blokes who have done it. So, to share that with [Tobey and Andrew], it’s been such a wonderful experience, of which I have such amazing memories.

Andrew Garfield has since said he would love to play Spider-Man again, but it looks as though Holland’s future as the webslinger is still in question.

“There definitely was a sense for me, as an actor, that this was the last time that I could potentially don the suit,” Holland added. “So, a lot of that emotion came from the act of saying goodbye, which is one of the biggest themes throughout this film.”

Spider-Man: No Way Home stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker, along with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their own versions of Spider-Man. They’re joined by Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Jon Favreau.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Greg Russo, one of the writers behind last year's Mortal Kombat movie reboot, is officially on board to write and direct the upcoming System Shock TV series.

In addition to writing and directing the live-action adaptation of System Shock, Russo will serve as an executive producer on the series alongside Binge producer Allan Ungar, who helmed the viral Uncharted fan film a few years back, and executive producers Stephen Kick and Larry Kuperman from Nightdive Studios.

"I'm honored to have the opportunity to work alongside the fantastic team at Binge and Nightdive Studios to bring the iconic System Shock franchise to life," Russo said of his next undertaking, which also marks his first outing as a director. "I've been waiting for the right opportunity to make my directorial debut, and I finally found it."

Russo has been involved with several video game adaptations in the past, having been a scribe on Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City as well as New Line Cinema's Mortal Kombat, which proved to be a streaming hit for HBO Max. He's also attached as a writer on the long-gestating Space Invaders movie as well as the Saints Row film adaptation.

"Greg is a superbly talented screenwriter who possesses an unmatched knowledge and passion for gaming," Ungar said of the new addition to the team. "His artistic approach to storytelling and his deep understanding of the source material will undoubtedly get fans excited about this new franchise. We're thrilled to be bringing him on board and can't wait to share his vision with audiences worldwide."

The live-action System Shock series will be released exclusively on Binge, an all-new streaming platform dedicated to delivering premium entertainment for gamers. Binge's streaming service will launch this year with a library of original series and shows inspired by popular video games that will stream for free on any internet-connected device.

System Shock joins Binge's original content slate, which also includes an adaptation of the Driver video games that will "focus on undercover agent and ex-racecar driver John Tanner as he tries to take down a crime syndicate." That series is being produced by Ungar and Binge's Vincent Talenti, with a team of executive producers hailing from Ubisoft Film & Television.

A live-action adaptation of Hunt: Showdown is also on the way, with Crytek co-founder and CEO Avni Yerli, co-founder Faruk Yerli, and CryEngine director Pascal Tonecker attached as executive producers alongside producers from Binge. The series is in active development but there has been no further information about casting or release date announcements as of yet.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Vampire Survivors is the latest hit game to take Steam by storm and at a very reasonably priced $2.99, the internet has clearly decided it can't really go wrong.

As per data from the game's SteamDB profile, Vampire Survivors has quickly amassed a small army of players. Currently the 27th most played game on the platform (at time of writing), the indie title has seen heights of over 37,000 concurrent players during the last 24 hours and audiences of around 139,000 viewers on Twitch.

Created by indie developer poncle, the gothic horror game comes with a number of roguelike elements and about as much chaos as you can confidently fit onto a monitor. While the game theoretically plays out as a twin-stick shooter, your character automatically attacks, which makes your job as a player to stay alive, collect XP in the form of gems, and unleash bullet-hell onto anything that moves. Don't believe us? Check out this clip below, and the accompanied keyboard taps, to see what we mean.

@CrikMaster In honor of your one minute video of Vampire Survivor I recorded my own, and first, video. Complete with background fan, keyboard taps and even a sigh! It was also my favorite run so far. pic.twitter.com/WEyJJjSDOV

— Ron (@AnteilTogar) January 27, 2022

Within the game, players can choose from a number of different starting characters that each come with their own ability. After leveling up, you can then look to manage your weapons and upgrades before setting out to once again rid the land of anything and everything that moves. It's a common loop, but Vampire Survivors' quick pace and descent into madness seem to be the factors that have caused a number of fans on the internet to become addicted.

Over the past few days, social media has been flooded with fan reactions to the game, with some members of the community announcing that they've become completely addicted to Vampire Survivors gameplay. In honour of the game's recent success, we've picked out a few of our favourite reactions to this sudden Vampire-mania.

This entire day has disappeared because of that dang Vampire Survivor game gosh!! How is it MIDNIGHT?

— Aevs! (@Aevsivs) January 27, 2022

Vampire Survivors is the best 2€ you will ever spend on a game.
Game is so good xD pic.twitter.com/oH0XpBDKfz

— G2 Lothar (@LotharHS) January 27, 2022

The 20 minutes I just spent playing Vampire Survivors is some of the most ludicrous 20 minutes I've spent playing a game in a while. Very fun. pic.twitter.com/nsw2ldviFg

— Patrick Klepek (@patrickklepek) January 24, 2022

I have started playing Vampire Survivor.
I have decided to stop the pursuit of all other worldly endeavours.
Pants are from now on optional. pic.twitter.com/fKP9fQmbcy

— Nikolas Lundström Patrakka (@PhilipUbik) January 21, 2022

To check out Vampire Survivors yourself, make sure to head on over to the game's Steam store page. Or for more stories on Steam's weird and wonderful hit titles, make sure to check out this article about the Gas Station simulator that quickly became a popular success on the platform last year.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

A new version of Fight Club released in China has changed the film’s ending, but author Chuck Palahniuk says it’s ended up closer to his book's conclusion – and pointed out the irony of decrying censorship when his books are banned in many US institutions.

During an interview with TMZ, the 59-year-old author of the original novel said that, unlike many movie fans, he isn’t mad about the new Fight Club ending.

“The irony is that the way the Chinese have changed it is they’ve aligned the ending almost exactly with the ending of the book, as opposed to Fincher’s ending, which was the more spectacular visual ending,” he said. “So, in a way, the Chinese brought the movie back to the book a little bit.”

Have You Seen This Sh*t?
This is SUPER wonderful! Everyone gets a happy ending in China!

https://t.co/saVA2yro9B pic.twitter.com/20UzTi1nyI

— Chuck Palahniuk (@chuckpalahniuk) January 25, 2022

David Fincher’s original film ending shows Edward Norton’s narrator killing off his dangerous alter-ego, Tyler Durden (played by Brad Pitt), with a well-placed gunshot to his own head. He is then seen watching bomb explosions that collapse several skyscrapers as The Pixies classic 'Where is My Mind' plays, signaling the toppling of the global economy as the headquarters of international banks are turned to rubble.

The new movie ending can be found on the Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video, which replaces some of the final scenes with a text-only screen reading: “The police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding,” it reads. “After the trial, Tyler was sent to lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012.”

“Tyler and the gang were all arrested,” the author said in a substack newsletter about the change. “He was tried and sentenced to a mental asylum. How amazing. I’d no idea! Justice always wins. Nothing ever exploded. Fini.”

Palahniuk's original ending is amusingly similar, albeit without the involvement of the authorities. The novel ends with Tyler vanishing from the narrator's head, and the bombs malfunctioning and failing to go off. The narrator attempts to shoot himself, but wakes up in a mental hospital – he believes he's in heaven, but is approached by two hospital employees who are part of Project Mayhem, and are expecting Tyler's return.

Palahniuk finds the outcry from some American fans to be more than a little ironic:

“What I find really interesting is that my books are heavily banned throughout the U.S.,” said Palahniuk. “The Texas prison system refuses to carry my books in their libraries. A lot of public schools and most private schools refuse to carry my books. But it’s only an issue once China changes the end of a movie? I’ve been putting up with book banning for a long time.”

Additionally, having his ending changed is nothing new. “A lot of my overseas publishers have edited the novel so the novel ends the way the movie ends,” added Palahniuk. “So, I’ve been dealing with this kind of revision for like 25 years.”

It’s unclear whether government censors in China ordered this new alternative ending, or whether other factors were involved in the abrupt change. Tencent Video is yet to comment on the edit.

Fight Club, which IGN names one of the most ‘90s movies of the 1990s, was directed by David Fincher, with a script from Jim Uhls based on the original novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Edward Norton and Brad Pitt star in the movie, alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, and Jared Leto.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.