Wheel of Time Hasn’t Started Yet, But a Character Has Been Recast for Season 2

Amazon's Wheel of Time has recast one of its lead roles for the show's second season.

According to Deadline, Barney Harris, who is portraying Mat Cauthon in the first season of The Wheel of Time, will not be returning to his role for the show's second season. The reasons for Harris' departure are presently unclear, though a replacement is already being lined up, with The Witcher actor Dónal Finn reportedly tapped to take over the role.

Cauthon is one of five young heroes who will be travelling with Rosamund Pike's Moiraine on a "dangerous, world-spanning journey" in season one, which is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video this November. He'll be joined by Egwene Al'Vere (Madeleine Madden), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), and Rand Al'Thor (Josha Stradowski).

Although the first season hasn't premiered yet, Amazon ordered a second season of The Wheel of Time earlier this year. The early season renewal coincided with the first season wrapping production. Both seasons, co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, will be available to stream in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The first three episodes of the upcoming series, which is based on Robert Jordan's much-loved fantasy novels, will arrive on Amazon Prime Video on November 19, with a new episode dropping every Friday from thereon in, leading right the way up to the season finale on December 24. The first season has eight episodes in total, the same as the second season.

Amazon's The Wheel of Time follows a character called Moiraine, a member of the Aes Sedai, a powerful all-female organization of magic users, as she takes a group of five young people on a journey around the world, believing one of the five might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to save the world or destroy it.

Want to know more? Here's a guide to everything you need to know about The Wheel of Time.

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

Wheel of Time Hasn’t Started Yet, But a Character Has Been Recast for Season 2

Amazon's Wheel of Time has recast one of its lead roles for the show's second season.

According to Deadline, Barney Harris, who is portraying Mat Cauthon in the first season of The Wheel of Time, will not be returning to his role for the show's second season. The reasons for Harris' departure are presently unclear, though a replacement is already being lined up, with The Witcher actor Dónal Finn reportedly tapped to take over the role.

Cauthon is one of five young heroes who will be travelling with Rosamund Pike's Moiraine on a "dangerous, world-spanning journey" in season one, which is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video this November. He'll be joined by Egwene Al'Vere (Madeleine Madden), Perrin Aybara (Marcus Rutherford), Nynaeve (Zoë Robins), and Rand Al'Thor (Josha Stradowski).

Although the first season hasn't premiered yet, Amazon ordered a second season of The Wheel of Time earlier this year. The early season renewal coincided with the first season wrapping production. Both seasons, co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television, will be available to stream in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

The first three episodes of the upcoming series, which is based on Robert Jordan's much-loved fantasy novels, will arrive on Amazon Prime Video on November 19, with a new episode dropping every Friday from thereon in, leading right the way up to the season finale on December 24. The first season has eight episodes in total, the same as the second season.

Amazon's The Wheel of Time follows a character called Moiraine, a member of the Aes Sedai, a powerful all-female organization of magic users, as she takes a group of five young people on a journey around the world, believing one of the five might be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful individual prophesied to save the world or destroy it.

Want to know more? Here's a guide to everything you need to know about The Wheel of Time.

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

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits Review – Don’t Fear The Reaper

In Kena: Bridge of Spirits, everyday items are imbued with new, unseen emotional significance. A wooden mask is a link to the spirit of the person for whom it was made. Objects like a construction hammer or a box filled with food are tied to memories of people who have been lost. Locations that were once the sites of vibrant and happy times are scarred with the pain and trauma suffered within them.

Looking at common things with new eyes is a running theme of Kena, and that theme often applies to its gameplay as well. Though the game is filled with some fairly common action-adventure genre tropes--it has melee combat that feels akin to titles such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or even Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, climbing sections similar to Uncharted or Tomb Raider, platforming that recalls games such as Ratchet and Clank, and puzzles like what you might see in The Legend of Zelda--it manages to combine a familiar approachability with some fresh spins on the ideas. Combined with emotional, character-driven storytelling, some tough-but-excellent fights, and mechanics that make the world feel alive around you, Kena is an exciting, often heartbreaking journey that will make you want to explore every corner and crevice to see all that you can.

No Caption Provided

The story and world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits center on a village beset by tragedy. Its inhabitants are all gone, wiped out by misfortune, and their pain has physically poisoned the once-vibrant land around it. That pain has drawn Kena, a young spirit guide, to seek out the trauma at its center and heal it. Her link to the spirit realm allows her to help the ghosts of the village find peace, and in so doing, she's able to push back the corruption that has gripped the land, restoring it to its former glory.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Kena: Bridge Of Spirits Review – Don’t Fear The Reaper

In Kena: Bridge of Spirits, everyday items are imbued with new, unseen emotional significance. A wooden mask is a link to the spirit of the person for whom it was made. Objects like a construction hammer or a box filled with food are tied to memories of people who have been lost. Locations that were once the sites of vibrant and happy times are scarred with the pain and trauma suffered within them.

Looking at common things with new eyes is a running theme of Kena, and that theme often applies to its gameplay as well. Though the game is filled with some fairly common action-adventure genre tropes--it has melee combat that feels akin to titles such as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or even Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, climbing sections similar to Uncharted or Tomb Raider, platforming that recalls games such as Ratchet and Clank, and puzzles like what you might see in The Legend of Zelda--it manages to combine a familiar approachability with some fresh spins on the ideas. Combined with emotional, character-driven storytelling, some tough-but-excellent fights, and mechanics that make the world feel alive around you, Kena is an exciting, often heartbreaking journey that will make you want to explore every corner and crevice to see all that you can.

No Caption Provided

The story and world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits center on a village beset by tragedy. Its inhabitants are all gone, wiped out by misfortune, and their pain has physically poisoned the once-vibrant land around it. That pain has drawn Kena, a young spirit guide, to seek out the trauma at its center and heal it. Her link to the spirit realm allows her to help the ghosts of the village find peace, and in so doing, she's able to push back the corruption that has gripped the land, restoring it to its former glory.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Prices for Fortnite’s Collaboration With Fashion Brand Balenciaga Will Make Your Eyes Water

Epic Games is no stranger to a Battle Royale-based collaboration, but prices for its latest clothing line deal with luxury fashion brand Balenciaga are likely to make even diehard Fortnite fans' eyes water.

The Fortnite x Balenciaga collaboration features a number of in-game cosmetics that fans can purchase from within the item shop. However, it's the price of Balenciaga's IRL clothing range that is sure to make heads turn. Take the hoodie worn in the Shady Doggo skin pictured below - that's the anthropomorphic dog dressed in white if you're less familiar with the game. As well as being able to purchase the skin in-game, fans can buy a physical version of the same hoodie from the Balenciaga store... so long as they have a mere $725 to spare.

It doesn't stop there though, the Balenciaga store is has a variety of Fortnite-branded products that you could remortgage your house to own. Weighing in on the lighter side of the range, fans can purchase a Fortnite branded Balenciaga hat for $395 dollars while fans really looking to spend top dollar on their merch can pick up a Fortnite branded denim jacket for $1290.

Luckily for some, the Balenciaga x Fortnite collaboration is far cheaper on the digital side of things. Between September 21 and September 28, fans will be able to unlock two free collaboration-based sprays in-game for completing challenges set by Shady Doggo. In addition, a number of Balenciaga based items and four unique collaboration-themed skins (Unchained Ramirez, Shady Doggo, Fashion Banshee and Game Knight) will be available for purchase in the Item Shop.

In other Fortnite collaboration news, Epic recently announced that Carnage would be the latest Marvel character to enter the Island. Joining as a part of the game's monster-filled eighth season, the famed Spider-Man foe and Venom 2 villain is currently unlockable through the game's Battle Pass.

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

Prices for Fortnite’s Collaboration With Fashion Brand Balenciaga Will Make Your Eyes Water

Epic Games is no stranger to a Battle Royale-based collaboration, but prices for its latest clothing line deal with luxury fashion brand Balenciaga are likely to make even diehard Fortnite fans' eyes water.

The Fortnite x Balenciaga collaboration features a number of in-game cosmetics that fans can purchase from within the item shop. However, it's the price of Balenciaga's IRL clothing range that is sure to make heads turn. Take the hoodie worn in the Shady Doggo skin pictured below - that's the anthropomorphic dog dressed in white if you're less familiar with the game. As well as being able to purchase the skin in-game, fans can buy a physical version of the same hoodie from the Balenciaga store... so long as they have a mere $725 to spare.

It doesn't stop there though, the Balenciaga store is has a variety of Fortnite-branded products that you could remortgage your house to own. Weighing in on the lighter side of the range, fans can purchase a Fortnite branded Balenciaga hat for $395 dollars while fans really looking to spend top dollar on their merch can pick up a Fortnite branded denim jacket for $1290.

Luckily for some, the Balenciaga x Fortnite collaboration is far cheaper on the digital side of things. Between September 21 and September 28, fans will be able to unlock two free collaboration-based sprays in-game for completing challenges set by Shady Doggo. In addition, a number of Balenciaga based items and four unique collaboration-themed skins (Unchained Ramirez, Shady Doggo, Fashion Banshee and Game Knight) will be available for purchase in the Item Shop.

In other Fortnite collaboration news, Epic recently announced that Carnage would be the latest Marvel character to enter the Island. Joining as a part of the game's monster-filled eighth season, the famed Spider-Man foe and Venom 2 villain is currently unlockable through the game's Battle Pass.

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

Halo: Infinite Will Hold Two Multiplayer Weekend Tests Back-to-Back

Halo: Infinite will hold two more multiplayer tech previews with the first one starting this weekend. The latest Inside Infinite has been published on the Halo website with details on the upcoming tests.

A Halo: Infinite test will take place at select times from Thursday, September 23 to Sunday, September 26. This beta will only be open to Halo Insiders who registered before September 13. Emails will be sent out to players to know if they are eligible.

The second test takes place at select times from Thursday, September 30 to Sunday, October 3 and will be open to more players than the first test. More specific details on who is eligible for the second weekend test are promised by next week. A Halo: Infinite livestream with more beta test details is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22 on the Halo Twitch and YouTube channels. A new look at the 12v12 Big Team Battle mode will also be shown off.

The tests will not be open for multiplayer during the entirety of the scheduled days. Players will only have access to multiplayer from 10 a.m. PST to 2 p.m. PST and 5 p.m. PST to 9 p.m. PST on Friday through Sunday during both weekends. Training Mode, Weapon Drills, Battle Pass, and Customization are the only modes available from Thursday throughout the whole weekend.

"[The Halo: Infinite tests'] matchmaking will only be up for a set amount of time each day in order to help us test our servers against the highest concurrency possible," the blog post reads. "While this does mean shorter time for players to go hands on, it’s critical to our primary goal of ensuring that our online services are ready for launch."

On Friday, September 24 at 10 a.m. PST, the 4v4 Arena mode will be available. The second beta test will include the 4v4 Arena mode and the 12v12 Big Team Battle mode.

It's possible we will get more Halo: Infinite details at the Xbox presentation at Tokyo Game Show 2021. If you're excited for Halo and looking for games to hold you over on Xbox then check out Xbox Games with Gold for September 2021.

Halo: Infinite is currently set for a December 8 release.

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Halo: Infinite Will Hold Two Multiplayer Weekend Tests Back-to-Back

Halo: Infinite will hold two more multiplayer tech previews with the first one starting this weekend. The latest Inside Infinite has been published on the Halo website with details on the upcoming tests.

A Halo: Infinite test will take place at select times from Thursday, September 23 to Sunday, September 26. This beta will only be open to Halo Insiders who registered before September 13. Emails will be sent out to players to know if they are eligible.

The second test takes place at select times from Thursday, September 30 to Sunday, October 3 and will be open to more players than the first test. More specific details on who is eligible for the second weekend test are promised by next week. A Halo: Infinite livestream with more beta test details is scheduled for Wednesday, September 22 on the Halo Twitch and YouTube channels. A new look at the 12v12 Big Team Battle mode will also be shown off.

The tests will not be open for multiplayer during the entirety of the scheduled days. Players will only have access to multiplayer from 10 a.m. PST to 2 p.m. PST and 5 p.m. PST to 9 p.m. PST on Friday through Sunday during both weekends. Training Mode, Weapon Drills, Battle Pass, and Customization are the only modes available from Thursday throughout the whole weekend.

"[The Halo: Infinite tests'] matchmaking will only be up for a set amount of time each day in order to help us test our servers against the highest concurrency possible," the blog post reads. "While this does mean shorter time for players to go hands on, it’s critical to our primary goal of ensuring that our online services are ready for launch."

On Friday, September 24 at 10 a.m. PST, the 4v4 Arena mode will be available. The second beta test will include the 4v4 Arena mode and the 12v12 Big Team Battle mode.

It's possible we will get more Halo: Infinite details at the Xbox presentation at Tokyo Game Show 2021. If you're excited for Halo and looking for games to hold you over on Xbox then check out Xbox Games with Gold for September 2021.

Halo: Infinite is currently set for a December 8 release.

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Marvel’s Next TV Series Is About an Incredibly Violent Monkey, and It’s Out Soon

Marvel's Hit-Monkey was given a release date, character details, and a teaser trailer in a press release on Monday. Hit-Monkey will premiere on Hulu on November 17, 2021. All 10 episodes will premiere at once, according to an article on Marvel.com.

The series is created by Will Speck and Josh Gordon. The pair previously directed the Will Ferrell movie Blades of Glory and the Jason Bateman comedy Office Christmas Party.

Hit-Monkey is about Monkey, a Japanese snow monkey who teams up with the ghost of an American assassin named Bryce to battle the Yakuza. Monkey will be played by Fred Tatasciore and Bryce will be voiced by Jason Sudeikis.

Actors George Takei, Ally Maki, and Nobi Nakanishi will also be featured in the series along with Office Christmas Party actress Olivia Munn. Takei plays Shinji, an honest politician who used to be a servant that had to take up new responsibility after a tragedy. Shinji's niece, Akiko, will be played by Munn. Akiko is the future Prime Minister of Japan who recently returned to Japan from the west with new, dark ideas.

Maki plays Haruka, a cop who recently came to Tokyo on a mission to clean up the city. Her partner, Ito, will be played by Nakanishi. Ito is described as the laughing stock of the Tokyo Police Department with a drinking problem to boot. But he's the only one who believes Hit Monkey is on the good side.

This is the fourth Marvel TV show to premire on Hulu following the MCU live-action series Runaways and Helstrom and the non-MCU animated MODOK. Hit-Monkey does not take place in the MCU.

Check out our list of evey upcoming MCU movie and TV show to keep track of the franchise. Other new animated TV shows coming from Marvel that also aren't in the MCU include a Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series for Disney Channel and a Baymax series for Disney+.

Marvel is currently airing the first season of the animated MCU series What If...? on Disney+. IGN's review of the recent Killmonger What If...? episode said, "Michael B. Jordan’s return to the MCU as Killmonger succeeds thanks to a story that makes good use of the character’s strengths and skillset."

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Marvel’s Next TV Series Is About an Incredibly Violent Monkey, and It’s Out Soon

Marvel's Hit-Monkey was given a release date, character details, and a teaser trailer in a press release on Monday. Hit-Monkey will premiere on Hulu on November 17, 2021. All 10 episodes will premiere at once, according to an article on Marvel.com.

The series is created by Will Speck and Josh Gordon. The pair previously directed the Will Ferrell movie Blades of Glory and the Jason Bateman comedy Office Christmas Party.

Hit-Monkey is about Monkey, a Japanese snow monkey who teams up with the ghost of an American assassin named Bryce to battle the Yakuza. Monkey will be played by Fred Tatasciore and Bryce will be voiced by Jason Sudeikis.

Actors George Takei, Ally Maki, and Nobi Nakanishi will also be featured in the series along with Office Christmas Party actress Olivia Munn. Takei plays Shinji, an honest politician who used to be a servant that had to take up new responsibility after a tragedy. Shinji's niece, Akiko, will be played by Munn. Akiko is the future Prime Minister of Japan who recently returned to Japan from the west with new, dark ideas.

Maki plays Haruka, a cop who recently came to Tokyo on a mission to clean up the city. Her partner, Ito, will be played by Nakanishi. Ito is described as the laughing stock of the Tokyo Police Department with a drinking problem to boot. But he's the only one who believes Hit Monkey is on the good side.

This is the fourth Marvel TV show to premire on Hulu following the MCU live-action series Runaways and Helstrom and the non-MCU animated MODOK. Hit-Monkey does not take place in the MCU.

Check out our list of evey upcoming MCU movie and TV show to keep track of the franchise. Other new animated TV shows coming from Marvel that also aren't in the MCU include a Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series for Disney Channel and a Baymax series for Disney+.

Marvel is currently airing the first season of the animated MCU series What If...? on Disney+. IGN's review of the recent Killmonger What If...? episode said, "Michael B. Jordan’s return to the MCU as Killmonger succeeds thanks to a story that makes good use of the character’s strengths and skillset."

Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.