Venom: Let There Be Carnage will indeed release in theaters on October 15, according to a new poster for the upcoming film.

New '#Venom: Let There Be #Carnage' poster showcases Cletus Kasady and Shriek pic.twitter.com/Ah9ad9fEXl

— Fandom (@getFANDOM) August 31, 2021

This comes after conflicting reports about Venom 2's release date that surfaced just last week. Multiple sources reported that the film could be delayed to January 21, 2022, before Variety reported that the news of a delay was inaccurate.

Venom 2 has already been delayed three times. It was originally set to premiere in June, before getting pushed back to September 17, September 24, and finally its current release date, October 15.

The movie was most recently delayed because Hollywood is still reacting to the Delta variant of COVID-19 surging across the United States. This has led to some movies bringing in below-average box office numbers.

Tom Hardy will reprise his role as Eddie Brock in Venom 2, and he'll face off against Woody Harrelson's Carnage, who was teased in the original's post-credits scene.

While you wait for the sequel, catch up on the first film by checking out IGN's Venom review. Or, you can watch the trailer for the other big Spidey film coming this year, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Over the last few years, Hearthstone has been steadily evolving. New modes like Battlegrounds and Duels have radically changed how players can interact with the game, essentially functioning as new standalone games within Hearthstone. The popular card-battler is more than just 30 card decks facing off against each other now, and is instead a platform.

This is a very deliberate approach by the development team, and the newest mode to reinvent what Hearthstone can be is Mercenaries. We got our first proper look at the mode today, and also found out that it’s not far off – Mercenaries will launch on October 12 in most of the world, and on October 13 everywhere else, such as ANZ.

So, what's the mode all about? Well, as the name suggests it's built around recruiting and building squads of mercenaries to do battle. The mode will have 50 unique mercenaries out of the gate, including iconic Blizzard characters like Sylvanas Windrunner, Ragnaros the Firelord and Diablo - yes, the Lord of Terror is coming to Hearthstone! - with more to come. Combat itself sees players choose mercenaries from their team to take part, then face off against a number of opponents on the other side of the board. Each turn they pick an action for each of their mercenaries; choosing an ability to use and an enemy to attack, while their opponent does the same. Once both sides have locked their actions in, combat for the turn plays out.

Anticipation is key, as mercenaries come in three different roles - designated by three different colours. They are: Fighter (green), Caster (blue) and Protector (red). Each role has different strengths and weaknesses, and at a basic level fit into a rock, paper, scissors system. While on offence, Fighters deal double damage to Casters; Casters deal double damage to Protectors; and Protectors deal double damage to Fighters.

As mentioned, each mercenary has upgradeable abilities to choose between for each turn. These can attack, cast spells, buff, heal and so on. Samuro, for instance, is all about attacking and doing damage, whereas Xyrella's abilities are more focused around healing and debuffs. (You can see all the abilities for both these Mercenaries in the slideshow below.) Mercenaries can even expand their abilities as a run progresses. After each battle, one of your mercenaries gets the chance to choose a treasure to further modify their capabilities.

Choosing which abilities to use each turn isn’t just about what those abilities do, it’s about how they fit into your team’s strategy and how they match up against the opponent’s. It’s also about how quickly they activate. Each ability has a speed rating and once all the abilities have been locked in, this is what dictates attack order. (If two mercenaries are using an ability with the same speed rating the one that goes first is randomised.)

Toss in tribal mechanics, spell school synergies, factoring in positional play, cooldowns on abilities, abilities that disrupt your opponent and a whole lot more, and it’s looking like Mercenaries’ gameplay will offer up a dense web of potential synergies and strategies for each squad you put together.

Mercenaries mode has both PVE and PVP gameplay. PVE is all about chasing bounties, with players fighting through a series of procedurally-generated encounters leading up to the bounty boss. This roguelike structure is then paired with the meta game of leveling up your mercenaries, who gain experience by defeating enemies, and grow in power up to level 30. PVP, meanwhile, has achievements and rewards to earn, and players can fight for a place on its leaderboard.

Players can collect mercenaries either by opening special Mercenaries packs, or by spending Mercenary Coins (which are earned through bounties and other tasks) to craft them. It’s worth underlining here that Mercenary Coins aren’t a general currency, they’re specific to a particular mercenary. So you can redeem Mercenary Coins to “craft” that mercenary if you don’t own it, but if you do, coins can then be used to upgrade their abilities or equipment. (Each mercenary can have one piece of equipment – which augments one or more abilities – equipped at a time.)

Much like traditional Hearthstone cards, mercenaries also come in different rarities - Rare, Epic and Legendary, which presumably factors into how likely you are to get them in packs. Speaking of packs, they can be earned or purchased, and each contains five mercenary items. This can include new Mercenary cards, Mercenary Coins or Mercenary portraits. (Each pack has a guaranteed Mercenary card or Mercenary portrait.) Portraits, incidentally, are cosmetic variants of mercenaries.

Everyone who completes the introductory missions after Mercenaries launches will be rewarded with eight "well-rounded" mercenaries - enough to put together a party. Completing the Prologue and starting on a bounty will also reward players with a new mount for World of Warcraft - Sarge, from Hearthstone's tavern.

Mercenaries isn't just a new button in Hearthstone's UI, either. It actually has its own central hub within the wider game - the Village. Here, you can manage your collection of mercenaries, collect rewards, head to the shop and take on bounties.

For those that are keen to hit the ground running, there will be three Mercenaries pre-purchase bundles available. The Diablo bundle includes a Diamond Legendary Diablo Mercenary Card and 50 Mercenaries packs. The Lich King bundle includes a Diamond Legendary Lich King Mercenary Card and 50 Mercenaries packs. The Sylvanas bundle includes a Golden Legendary Sylvanas Mercenary Card and 30 Mercenaries packs.

While we really need to go hands-on with this mode to get a proper feel for it, Mercenaries looks like a lot of fun, and we're looking forward to diving into it along with the rest of the Hearthstone player base on October 12.

Cam Shea has worked at IGN since the before times, and has played more Breath of the Wild than just about any other game. He's barely on Twitter.

No Time To Die will mark the end of Daniel Craig's fifteen-year tenure as British secret agent, James Bond, and the film's final trailer teases a conclusion of epic proportions for the actor's last outing as 007.

The latest trailer for No Time To Die, which was released via the 007 YouTube channel on Tuesday (August 31), opens with various clips from across Craig's time in the role. Beginning with this culmination of events, the trailer points the current Bond in the direction of the saga's endgame through interjecting snippets that read, "In the beginning, he became 007, and every mission, every sacrifice, has led him to this." The short teaser then continues by showing off snippets of the film's plot which show an aging Bond on the back foot as he attempts to foil the devious plots of yet another power-driven nemesis.

From what we know about No Time To Die so far, the film sets out with an out-of-active-service Bond once again drafted into a life of high-octane missions and global threats. Amidst cinematic shots of London and scenic vistas, the highlight of the latest trailer comes in the form of 007 grappling with the saga's latest villain, Lyutsifer Safin.

Played by Oscar-award-winning actor Rami Malek, Safin looks as if he'll make his mark on Bond's world in nefarious style. The villain draws a number of parallels between the pair as he looks to set himself up as a true rival for the British agent. "James Bond. License to kill. In love with Madeleine Swann. I could be speaking to my own reflection." says Safin as the trailer builds. "Only your skills die with your body and life is all about leaving something behind, isn't it?" he concludes.

The trailer then climaxes with a number of action shots not only showing Bond's iconic bulletproof Aston Martin DB5 soaking up damage from a torrent of machine-gun fire, but also 007 dropping out of the back of a cargo plane in a folding glider alongside Secret Intelligence Service operative Nomi.

The world premiere for No Time to Die will finally debut in the Royal Albert Hall on September 28 following a number of delays due to the global pandemic. The film will then feature its theatrical release in the UK on September 30 before releasing in the US on October 8 and in Australia on November 11. You can follow a range of the latest news and clips surrounding the film on our dedicated No Time To Die IGN page.

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

RockLove Jewelry has revealed its latest Star Wars collaboration, which is none other than new Ahsoka Tano jewelry pieces for the Star Wars X RockLove Ahsoka Tano Collection, which launches today at 9am PST on RockLove.com. The pieces were in collaboration with Founder of Her Universe, Ashley Eckstein, who voices the role of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels.

IGN spoke with RockLove CEO and Designer, Allison Cimino, about the new reveals, what it was like working with Eckstein again, and if there are any other upcoming Ahsoka Tano pieces she can tease to us.

The new pieces for the Star Wars X RockLove Ahsoka Tano Collection include:

Ahsoka Tano Rebels Ring ($99 USD) - This ring was inspired by the Star Wars Rebels series and is a design of Ahsoka’s iconic montrals. It has the word “SURVIVOR” engraved inside the band. The first 1,700 pieces will include an authenticity card autographed by Ashley Eckstein.

Ahsoka Tano Hoop Earrings ($135 USD) - The earrings were inspired by the Star Wars Rebel series as well, and show Ahsoka’s Lekku hanging in a three-dimensional V-shape, with her montrals going upward. The first 900 pieces will include an authenticity card autographed by Ashley Eckstein.

“Ahsoka’s grey-blue and white montral pattern is both whimsical and sophisticated – any Star Wars fan will immediately recognize it while a casual observer will liken it to a classic animal print,” Cimino said while describing the styles. “This new Rebels Ring is inscribed SURVIVOR, a quote personally chosen by Ashley. The earrings include many levels of homage to the more mature Ahsoka: both montral tips frame the hinged ear wire, the body of the hoop depicts her left and right lekku, and the overall curved V-shape silhouette is reminiscent of the head-tail that goes down her back.”

The newest Ahsoka Tano pieces are the third collaboration between RockLove and Her Universe, with previous years being limited to a specific number of units, and selling out quickly. This year, they decided on some changes.

“Ashley Eckstein and I chose for each 2019 and 2020 series to be capped by quantity, as each piece was created by hand and included an authenticity card autographed by Ashely herself,” Cimino explained. “They sold out immediately, which was so exciting! We would have loved to make more though deeply agreed that we would not rerelease Numbered & Limited-Edition designs. This new 2021 drop will again be Limited Edition (as there are only so many pieces RockLove can handcraft, and Ashley can sign before all our fingers go numb) but with the option to replenish if fans request. However, this time, only the first 1,700 Ahsoka Tano Rebels Ring and the first 900 Ahsoka Tano Hoop Earrings include an authenticity card autographed by Ashley Eckstein!”

The new Ahsoka Tano ring has visual similarities to the original, which launched in 2019 at San Diego Comic-Con and was limited edition to 1,000 units. It was the first collaboration between Cimino and Eckstein. “This was our inaugural year with Star Wars, and I wanted to create something truly unique to honor one of my favorite role models, Ahsoka Tano. Standing at the booth, I burst into tears when we realized the quantity on the RockLove.com website sold out in a mere four minutes,” Cimino said.

“Since then, so many fans have begged for the rerelease of that first ring – the RockLove brand was new, and they hadn’t heard of us yet,” Cimino continued. “The site sold out so quickly, fans couldn’t secure theirs in time. International fans couldn’t be at the Con for a chance to purchase in-person inventory. Ashley and I knew that while we wouldn’t rerelease the original, Ahsoka’s headdress changes in Star Wars: Rebels and her lekku become more intricate. This new Rebels Ring is an homage to an older, wiser Ahsoka Tano and the mentor she has become to us all!”

Along with these two jewelry pieces, Star Wars X RockLove recently released the Ahsoka Tano Lightsaber Earring and Necklace set, which, unlike these enamel pieces, are made of sterling silver and have a minimalist aesthetic. “I’m very excited to be creating more Ahsoka pieces, expanding beyond my meditation on montrals,” Cimino said.

RockLove recently launched its Kyber Crystal Capsule Collection by partnering with, “the finest crystal manufacturer in the world to produce custom-colored crystals in the signature hues of attuned kyber crystals.” Which then match to part of a lightsaber handle that's turned into a necklace.

RockLove has officially confirmed to IGN that Ahsoka Tano will be included in the next set launching for the Kyber Crystal Capsule Collection.

For more on RockLove Jewelry, check out our previous interviews with Cimino for past launches, such as Star Wars at SDCC, Thor, Spider-Man, and Captain America for the Marvel Collection, and most recently RockLove's Doctor Strange Collection.

Jessie Wade is Homepage Manager at IGN. You can chat with her on Twitter about everything Star Wars and RockLove @jessieannwade.

We already knew that Microsoft was planning to release Windows 11 this year. And today, the tech giant announced that the next iteration of Windows will arrive on October 5.

As noted in the press release, on October 5, Windows 11 will launch as a new operating system. The new OS will be available as a free upgrade for eligible Windows 10 PCs, and new Windows-powered devices will ship with the latest OS pre-loaded.

As for the free Windows 11 upgrade, Microsoft announced that it will begin rolling out on October 5, but the process will be "phased and measured with a focus on quality." The company notes that new devices eligible for the upgrade will take priority first, with support for older devices rolling out in the following weeks and months. Microsoft previously said that Windows 10 devices already in use would begin to receive the OS upgrade next year.

If your device is eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade, the Windows Update tool will let you know when your free upgrade is available. If you are unsure whether or not your device meets the required criteria, you can check via Windows Update, through an overview post that details Windows 11's specifications, or if you are a member of the Windows Insider Program, you can check using the PC Health Check app.

If your device is not compatible with Windows 11, don't worry. Microsoft confirmed that it will support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. The company did not specify whether or not there will be any major updates for Windows 10 before that date.

Microsoft announced Windows 11 in June as part of its "What's Next for Windows" event. As you would expect from a new operating system, Windows 11 will introduce many interesting features. This includes the new OS running and supporting Android apps via the Windows Store. Microsoft is also touting Windows 11 as the best operating system ever for gaming and will include several gaming-focused features, such as Auto HDR and the Xbox Game Pass app built directly into the newest iteration of Windows.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

DC FanDome will return this year on October 16. The second-annual virtual event will showcase all the new projects in the works at DC including a new trailer for The Batman, plus looks at Black Adam, The Flash, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

DC FanDome is a fully virtual event with all the latest news and updates from DC across movies, TV, games, and comics. The first DC FanDome was hosted in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and featured the first trailers for The Batman and Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.

In a press release, DC has shared what viewers can expect at this year’s FanDome alongside the date for the event.

• On the film side, there will be new looks at many of last year’s big announcements. The most exciting of the lot is a new trailer for The Batman, which after a few delays, will premiere on March 4, 2022. Plus updates on Black Adam, The Flash, Aquaman 2, and Shazam 2.
• For TV, Warner Bros. Television has new looks for Batwoman, The Flash, Superman & Lois, and Sweet Tooth along with a farewell tribute to Supergirl which is set to end after six seasons. There are also plans to celebrate DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Naomi, and Stargirl.
• Warner Bros. Games will showcase new reveals for Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
• DC Comics will focus heavily on Wonder Woman showing three new books: DC Black Label miniseries Wonder Woman Historia, plus a look at Nubia and the Amazons and the original graphic novel Wonderful Women of the World.
• There are also plans to show more of the Batman/Fortnite comic crossover, Batman: Fear State, the Black Manta miniseries, and the return of Milestone Universe.
• HBO Max will show off the Suicide Squad spinoff Peacemaker and limited event series DMZ, plus returning shows like Titans and Doom Patrol.
• Warner Bros. Animation will present Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Young Justice: Phantoms, Batman: Caped Crusader, and a new look at the next season of Harley Quinn.
• And finally, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment will reveal the first look at the Injustice animated movie and Catwoman: Hunted.

DC FanDome premieres on October 16 at 10 am PT/1 pm ET. Check out IGN for all the latest trailers, news, and announcements from the show.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

A modder has added seven Mario Kart tracks to Microsoft Flight Simulator.

As spotted by VGC, modder Illogicoma added seven tracks from Mario Kart 8 to Microsoft Flight Simulator, which he then proceeded to showcase on Twitch. The mod begins at Mount Wario before taking players through a range of other tracks including Moo Moo Meadows, Rainbow Road, Mute City, Cloudtop Cruise, Shy Guy Falls, and Bowser's Castle.

On Twitter, Illogicoma explained that he thought adding the tracks to Flight Simulator would be a fun idea. They went on to explain that the "rough" custom mod was built using ripped tracks available on The Models Resource and a Blender addon that allows for the creation of custom 3D assets for Flight Simulator.

So anyway I thought mario kart 8 tracks would also be fun when you play them in flight simulator so I put mario kart 8 tracks in flight simulator and played them and it was true. pic.twitter.com/Gbn5kRfg92

— Illogicoma (@Illogicoma) August 29, 2021

During the stream, Illogicoma also opened up on the construction of the track. He said, "Fun fact, I tried to get collision working on this and it did not because the plug-in was the Blender version and I don't think it works." This can be seen a number of times across the showcase where the plane flies through sections of the environment undeterred. Despite a lack of solid objects, the modded tracks do include guidance markers. Added in the form of fly-through rings, these provide checkpoints to help navigate through each of the courses' winding twists and turns.

Whilst some viewers commented that the plane's slow speed looked a little sluggish, there's something to be said for watching the relaxing world of Microsoft Flight Simulator being forcibly inundated with Mario Kart's eclectic courses. Later this year, Flight Simulator is set to release a Top Gun expansion. Whilst it isn't entirely clear exactly what the expansion will entail, we'd certainly love to see Maverick's F14 Tomcat take on the sharp twists of Rainbow Road.

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

The Suicide Squad director James Gunn has revealed that one character who many presumed dead actually showed signs of life if you looked close enough.

During a virtual watch party for the movie on Monday night, Gunn took to Twitter to share some behind-the-scenes secrets and tidbits of trivia about The Suicide Squad that fans may have missed on their first viewings of the film. In one tweet, the filmmaker encouraged fans to look out for a very important detail surrounding the supposed death of Nathan Fillion's T.D.K.

Important to note if you look at the life signals in the Comms hub TDK isn’t dead. @NathanFillion #TSSWatchParty

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 31, 2021

"Important to note if you look at the life signals in the Comms hub TDK isn't dead," Gunn tweeted during the watch-along. T.D.K. actor Nathan Fillion retweeted the director's note, adding in his own thoughts. "I noticed that very loudly when I saw this in the theater," he quote-retweeted in response. "Apologies again, for the disturbance."

Early on in the movie, T.D.K., aka The Detachable Kid, is called into action during Task Force X's beachhead assault on Corto Maltese. He detaches his arms, which hover across the beach to slap around the rebel gunmen. Needless to say, his slaps prove ineffective and the armless T.D.K. finds himself riddled with bullets, but that might not be the end for him after all.

At another point during The Suicide Squad watch party, Gunn was asked how many of The Suicide Squad characters will show up in his upcoming Peacemaker series on HBO Max. The director reeled off a list of names, including the most obvious one, John Cena's Peacemaker, together with "Emilia Harcourt, John Economos, and, well, heck maybe one more."

This prompted fans to speculate over which character Gunn may be alluding to in his tweet, with some now citing T.D.K. as a potential candidate for a return. Fillion reteamed with Gunn for The Suicide Squad after appearing in a cameo role in Guardians of the Galaxy as well as starring in Slither and co-starring in Super, all of which were helmed by the director.

It remains to be seen whether they have reunited again for HBO Max's Peacemaker. The series is set to debut in January 2022, with Danielle Brooks in the cast as Leota Adebayo, with Robert Patrick as Auggie Smith, Chris Conrad as Vigilante/Adrian Chase, and Nhut Le as Judomaster alongside Jennifer Holland's Harcourt and Steve Agee's Economos.

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