The Flash Announces Next Big Crossover Event
CW has revealed that its next big crossover event for The Flash is a five-part special called "Armageddon."
The Flash has tackled Crisis on Infinite Earths, brought back a Flash from the 1990s and more for its annual crossover events, and this year’s event will see the team battle to save the world, yet again.
Beginning November 16 at 8 p.m. EST, Armageddon will take place across five different parts and it will see the return of some fan-favorite heroes, too.
"Team Flash will widen its roster to include Javicia Leslie as Batwoman, Brandon Routh as The Atom, Cress Williams as Black Lightning, Chyler Leigh as Sentinel, Kat McNamara as Mia Queen, and Osric Chau as Ryan Choi," a press release from CW reads. "In addition, Tom Cavanagh and Neal McDonough return as the adversaries we love to hate – Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash and Damien Darhk."
Armageddon represents Leslie's first crossover appearance as Batwoman after she was cast to replace Ruby Rose as a new Batwoman last year. It also (kind of) marks the return of Williams' Black Lightning after CW's Black Lightning show came to an end after its fourth season.
Armageddon will kick off on November 16, marking the start of Season 8 of The Flash.
While waiting for that, check out how this crossover event was teased earlier this year and then read about Jordan Fisher's casting to play Bart Allen/Impulse in the series.
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Dr. Disrespect Says He’s Suing Twitch Over Ban
Guy Beahm, better known as Dr. Disrespect, was permanently banned from Twitch last June. Now, the streamer is suing Twitch over it.
Dr. Disrespect announced the news on his YouTube channel yesterday, according to Dot Esports, and said the reason he's suing the company is because of why he was banned.
He didn't quite reveal exactly why he was banned, and Twitch doesn't usually publicize its reasoning for bans like this, but he said "there's a reason why we're suing the f**k out of them."
"I can't talk about it, but a lot of people ask me, 'do you know the reason?' Yeah, I do know the reason why now," Dr. Disrespect said. "I've known for months now the reason why and I'll just say this right now champs, 'there's a reason why we're suing the f**k out of them.' I don't know how else to put it. The amount of damages and you just don't — nah, no, no."
Dr. Disrespect seems to become frustrated in talking about this in the video, which is why he seemingly cuts himself off before saying more. He also said that a year later, despite what people might think, he's making "a fourth, a quarter” of what he made on Twitch.
"The Twitch ban has really, really affected us not just from a financial standpoint but from a networking standpoint," he said on YouTube. "From all the relationships we built over the past five years in terms of Activision and EA, all the big sponsors and partnerships, they have to question, 'why did you get banned?'"
He continued and said "whether it's obvious or not, [the] blacklisting and shadowbanning" of him is happening.
"As well as you think we're doing and again, I think we're doing well enough, it's been extremely disheartening and it's been a rollercoaster of emotions and it f**king sucks," Dr. Disrespect said.
Dot Esports notes that at the time of Dr. Disrespect's permanent ban on Twitch, he had more than 23,000 subscribers and averaged just as many viewers as well. IGN reached out to Twitch at the time of his ban but the company did not comment specifically on the situation, instead opting to provide the following general statement:
"As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community."
Despite Dr. Disrespect stating he personally knows the reason why he was banned, that information is still not available to the public. However, the reasoning could come out in court, although that's not guaranteed.
Catch up on Dr. Disrespect's permanent ban that occurred last year and then read about how he won't be returning to Twitch and is "not interested" in an exclusive partnership. In other news about the streamer, Dr. Disrespect revealed last week that he's starting up a new game studio.
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Dr. Disrespect Says He’s Suing Twitch Over Ban
Guy Beahm, better known as Dr. Disrespect, was permanently banned from Twitch last June. Now, the streamer is suing Twitch over it.
Dr. Disrespect announced the news on his YouTube channel yesterday, according to Dot Esports, and said the reason he's suing the company is because of why he was banned.
He didn't quite reveal exactly why he was banned, and Twitch doesn't usually publicize its reasoning for bans like this, but he said "there's a reason why we're suing the f**k out of them."
"I can't talk about it, but a lot of people ask me, 'do you know the reason?' Yeah, I do know the reason why now," Dr. Disrespect said. "I've known for months now the reason why and I'll just say this right now champs, 'there's a reason why we're suing the f**k out of them.' I don't know how else to put it. The amount of damages and you just don't — nah, no, no."
Dr. Disrespect seems to become frustrated in talking about this in the video, which is why he seemingly cuts himself off before saying more. He also said that a year later, despite what people might think, he's making "a fourth, a quarter” of what he made on Twitch.
"The Twitch ban has really, really affected us not just from a financial standpoint but from a networking standpoint," he said on YouTube. "From all the relationships we built over the past five years in terms of Activision and EA, all the big sponsors and partnerships, they have to question, 'why did you get banned?'"
He continued and said "whether it's obvious or not, [the] blacklisting and shadowbanning" of him is happening.
"As well as you think we're doing and again, I think we're doing well enough, it's been extremely disheartening and it's been a rollercoaster of emotions and it f**king sucks," Dr. Disrespect said.
Dot Esports notes that at the time of Dr. Disrespect's permanent ban on Twitch, he had more than 23,000 subscribers and averaged just as many viewers as well. IGN reached out to Twitch at the time of his ban but the company did not comment specifically on the situation, instead opting to provide the following general statement:
"As is our process, we take appropriate action when we have evidence that a streamer has acted in violation of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. These apply to all streamers regardless of status or prominence in the community."
Despite Dr. Disrespect stating he personally knows the reason why he was banned, that information is still not available to the public. However, the reasoning could come out in court, although that's not guaranteed.
Catch up on Dr. Disrespect's permanent ban that occurred last year and then read about how he won't be returning to Twitch and is "not interested" in an exclusive partnership. In other news about the streamer, Dr. Disrespect revealed last week that he's starting up a new game studio.
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Breaks 24-Hour Viewing Records
The trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home has broken the record for most global views in 24-hours.
The official trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home was viewed over 355.5 million times within 24-hours, a new record beating the previous record-holder Avengers: Endgame and its 289 million views.
The record comes even after a rough early version of the No Way Home trailer (which was filmed on two phones) was leaked the weekend before. But that seemed to only make audiences want to watch the finished trailer when it finally premiered.
The trailer for the third Tom Holland Spider-Man film is exciting for more than just the chance to see Doctor Strange and Spider-Man team-up. Phase 4 instead keeps messing with the multiverse and it all seems to come to a head in No Way Home when both Doc Ock and the Green Goblin from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies appear in the trailer.
That’s not all. Jamie Foxx’s Electro is also confirmed for the movie meaning Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man universe is also involved with these shenanigans. And though not confirmed, fans are convinced they see Sandman and Lizard in this trailer as well.
IGN has a full rundown of the easter eggs and comic inspirations for the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, but you can check out the record-breaking trailer above.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Trailer Breaks 24-Hour Viewing Records
The trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home has broken the record for most global views in 24-hours.
The official trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home was viewed over 355.5 million times within 24-hours, a new record beating the previous record-holder Avengers: Endgame and its 289 million views.
The record comes even after a rough early version of the No Way Home trailer (which was filmed on two phones) was leaked the weekend before. But that seemed to only make audiences want to watch the finished trailer when it finally premiered.
The trailer for the third Tom Holland Spider-Man film is exciting for more than just the chance to see Doctor Strange and Spider-Man team-up. Phase 4 instead keeps messing with the multiverse and it all seems to come to a head in No Way Home when both Doc Ock and the Green Goblin from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies appear in the trailer.
That’s not all. Jamie Foxx’s Electro is also confirmed for the movie meaning Andrew Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man universe is also involved with these shenanigans. And though not confirmed, fans are convinced they see Sandman and Lizard in this trailer as well.
IGN has a full rundown of the easter eggs and comic inspirations for the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, but you can check out the record-breaking trailer above.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.
My Hero Academia’s Third Move Gets An English Release Date and a Theatrical Release
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, the third feature film release for the popular anime, officially has an English release date. Funimation revealed today that the third My Hero Academia film will be out in the U.S. at the end of October.
First released in Japan back in August, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission sees Deku and his friend Rody get falsely accused of a crime — part of a nefarious plan to eliminate all the world's Quirks. It's up to Deku and his friend to put a stop to Humarise's plans before it's too late.
The film was ultimately very successful in Japan, earning more money than any film in the series to date. Like Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, it has succeeded despite COVID-19, which has impacted the box office numbers for even major blockbuster releases.
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission's English release will also include a theatrical run in more than 1,500 theaters across the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Tickets will go on sale on October 1.
It comes on the heels of the launch of the series' fifth season on Funimation. The third film film will feature the same cast and creative team as the first two moves, with Justin Briner playing Izuku Midoriya and David Matranga playing Shoto Todoroki.
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission arrives in North America on October 29, with a streaming date still to be revealed.
My Hero Academia’s Third Move Gets An English Release Date and a Theatrical Release
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, the third feature film release for the popular anime, officially has an English release date. Funimation revealed today that the third My Hero Academia film will be out in the U.S. at the end of October.
First released in Japan back in August, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission sees Deku and his friend Rody get falsely accused of a crime — part of a nefarious plan to eliminate all the world's Quirks. It's up to Deku and his friend to put a stop to Humarise's plans before it's too late.
The film was ultimately very successful in Japan, earning more money than any film in the series to date. Like Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, it has succeeded despite COVID-19, which has impacted the box office numbers for even major blockbuster releases.
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission's English release will also include a theatrical run in more than 1,500 theaters across the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Tickets will go on sale on October 1.
It comes on the heels of the launch of the series' fifth season on Funimation. The third film film will feature the same cast and creative team as the first two moves, with Justin Briner playing Izuku Midoriya and David Matranga playing Shoto Todoroki.
My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission arrives in North America on October 29, with a streaming date still to be revealed.
How The Mandalorian Hid Its Secret Cameo Using Jedi Master Plo Koon
SPOILERS AHEAD for the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian!
A brand new Disney+ special focused on the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian has shared a behind-the-scenes look at how the team brought back Luke Skywalker and kept him secret using Jedi Master Plo Koon as fake-out.
This special episode of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is available to all subscribers on Disney+ right now and gives a fascinating look into the making of the show’s latest finale that saw Grogu/Baby Yoda leaving Din Djarin (aka The Mandalorian) to go with Luke Skywalker. Hearing from both the crew and Mark Hamill himself on how they made this ending possible was both heartwarming and fascinating.
For example, keeping the reveal of Mark Hamill returning as Luke Skywalker was one of the hardest things for the team to do, and it came with as much hard work as trying to keep Grogu from leaking out early.
One of the main ways they did this was putting Jedi Master Plo Koon in the script where Luke was actually supposed to be. This meant many of the cast and crew assumed Plo Koon was the Jedi who Grogu reached out to.
For those who are unfamiliar, Plo Koon was one of the Jedi who did not survive Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith, which takes place after the events of The Mandalorian. He was also heavily featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well.
The reason Plo Koon was chosen was in part due to the fact that the Kel Dor Jedi Master is Dave Filoni’s favorite. This fake-out would protect the secret from those on the cast and crew and would throw off fans who would think he would be a logical choice if it were to leak to the public.
Not only was Plo Koon put into the script, but there was concept artwork made of him for the scene in question instead of Luke, certain dailies would have the Jedi Master’s face digitally placed on a body, and much more.
The special also revealed that executive producer Jon Favreau and director Peyton Reed took Grogu over to Mark Hamill’s house to help convince him to return to that galaxy far, far away. Luckily, Hamill didn’t need much convincing.
Hamill talked about how he was contacted by Jon and Dave, who invited him to share his opinion on something in The Mandalorian. He said that the request “should have been a giveaway.”
“When they went from the original trilogy to the sequels, obviously there is a huge gap in time where there are these untold stories, but I just assumed they’d get an age-appropriate actor,” Hamill said on the thought of him returning as Luke. “I didn’t really think about it all that much, I thought, ‘Oh, if they wanted to tell stories of Luke post-Return of the Jedi, I wonder who they’d get.’
“When they said they were going to use the de-aging process they used in the Marvel movies, I was just gob-smacked. I didn’t answer right away, I mean I had to think about it. The more I thought about it, I thought, ‘This is like really an opportunity that was completely unexpected but was almost a responsibility.’ In other words, if they are saying they want me to do this, how could I say no?”
Peyton Reed then shared the story about how, in December 2019, he and Jon Favreau went to Hamill’s home with the episode’s script, Luke Skywalker’s wardrobe, and the Grogu puppet. Reed and Favreau were a bit worried because they had to wait while Hamill read the script in his office in real-time when they got there.
Reed then said that Hamill came out and “he was thrilled, and I think a huge weight was lifted off of Jon’s shoulders when that happened.”
“When you have those feelings, where it feels really compelling, you know that you’re onto something,” Favreau said of this journey. “We knew that if we could pull this off it would represent so much to so many people. Especially to Mark, it will let him come in there and show Luke at this moment and let it be a celebration, and also a culmination of the two-season arc about the journey of this little child.”
As to how they made this de-aging magic happen, the team explained how it was accomplished with a combination of exploring Deep Fake technology and other de-aging techniques that utilized countless amounts of photos, film footage, interviews, and much more of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker to make this dream come true. They ended up utilizing the de-aging technology and learned a lot along the way.
While Mark Hamill was on set in full Jedi gear that was purposefully reminiscent of what he wore in Return of the Jedi, there was also another actor named Max Lloyd-Jones who physically resembled a younger Hamill that was used to fully create the Luke we see on screen. Hamill himself couldn’t believe how much Lloyd-Jone looked like him, saying “he looks more like me than me!”
“He’d watch me do the scenes, I’d watch him do the scenes, so we’d try to match each other,” Hamill said. “I would look at the monitor and, of course, the image is small, but I thought, ‘oh my gosh, he looks more like me than me!’ It was just uncanny... this guy… and he’s a good actor!”
To help make this younger version of Luke Skywalker, the team used a combination of the “de-aging magic” and footage of Hamill and Lloyd-Jones on set and in a lighting rig called the Egg that would let them get proper lighting and resolution to use in creating the final image.
Hamill’s likeness wasn’t the only thing that had to be recreated, however, as his voice was also synthesized using an application called Respeacher. This application is a neural network that used archival material like clean recorded ADR from the original films, a book on tape Hamill had done from that time, and Star Wars radio plays from that time to recreate his voice for this new performance.
While the tech behind bringing Luke Skywalker is impressive, it isn’t that alone that lends to the magic of that final scene. In addition to hiding Luke’s face and letting the scene build before the reveal, music also played a big part. In fact, Luke’s appearance is the first time we hear John Williams’ music from the original trilogy in the episode.
All of this builds up to a moment that is meant to mean something for fans of all ages. Filoni summed that sentiment up by saying that is what Star Wars is all about, giving the world a good and uplifting feeling, which they hope they accomplished with Luke and Mark Hamill’s return.
“You see your crew just staring at Mark, and you realize they are remembering what it meant to them,” Filoni said. “And you realize that you’ve been a part of constructing something that is giving that experience to people... this good feeling. Which fundamentally, Star Wars should deliver a good feeling, an uplifting feeling in you and your family.”
While we don’t know when/if Hamill and Grogu will return, The Mandalorian will return for a third season. According to star Giancarlo Esposito, production is set to begin soon now that filming for The Book of Boba Fett is now complete.
For more, check out our review of The Mandalorian’s second season and how Mark Hamill has done secret voice cameos for every Star Wars movie since 2015.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
How The Mandalorian Hid Its Secret Cameo Using Jedi Master Plo Koon
SPOILERS AHEAD for the Season 2 finale of The Mandalorian!
A brand new Disney+ special focused on the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian has shared a behind-the-scenes look at how the team brought back Luke Skywalker and kept him secret using Jedi Master Plo Koon as fake-out.
This special episode of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is available to all subscribers on Disney+ right now and gives a fascinating look into the making of the show’s latest finale that saw Grogu/Baby Yoda leaving Din Djarin (aka The Mandalorian) to go with Luke Skywalker. Hearing from both the crew and Mark Hamill himself on how they made this ending possible was both heartwarming and fascinating.
For example, keeping the reveal of Mark Hamill returning as Luke Skywalker was one of the hardest things for the team to do, and it came with as much hard work as trying to keep Grogu from leaking out early.
One of the main ways they did this was putting Jedi Master Plo Koon in the script where Luke was actually supposed to be. This meant many of the cast and crew assumed Plo Koon was the Jedi who Grogu reached out to.
For those who are unfamiliar, Plo Koon was one of the Jedi who did not survive Order 66 in Revenge of the Sith, which takes place after the events of The Mandalorian. He was also heavily featured in Star Wars: The Clone Wars as well.
The reason Plo Koon was chosen was in part due to the fact that the Kel Dor Jedi Master is Dave Filoni’s favorite. This fake-out would protect the secret from those on the cast and crew and would throw off fans who would think he would be a logical choice if it were to leak to the public.
Not only was Plo Koon put into the script, but there was concept artwork made of him for the scene in question instead of Luke, certain dailies would have the Jedi Master’s face digitally placed on a body, and much more.
The special also revealed that executive producer Jon Favreau and director Peyton Reed took Grogu over to Mark Hamill’s house to help convince him to return to that galaxy far, far away. Luckily, Hamill didn’t need much convincing.
Hamill talked about how he was contacted by Jon and Dave, who invited him to share his opinion on something in The Mandalorian. He said that the request “should have been a giveaway.”
“When they went from the original trilogy to the sequels, obviously there is a huge gap in time where there are these untold stories, but I just assumed they’d get an age-appropriate actor,” Hamill said on the thought of him returning as Luke. “I didn’t really think about it all that much, I thought, ‘Oh, if they wanted to tell stories of Luke post-Return of the Jedi, I wonder who they’d get.’
“When they said they were going to use the de-aging process they used in the Marvel movies, I was just gob-smacked. I didn’t answer right away, I mean I had to think about it. The more I thought about it, I thought, ‘This is like really an opportunity that was completely unexpected but was almost a responsibility.’ In other words, if they are saying they want me to do this, how could I say no?”
Peyton Reed then shared the story about how, in December 2019, he and Jon Favreau went to Hamill’s home with the episode’s script, Luke Skywalker’s wardrobe, and the Grogu puppet. Reed and Favreau were a bit worried because they had to wait while Hamill read the script in his office in real-time when they got there.
Reed then said that Hamill came out and “he was thrilled, and I think a huge weight was lifted off of Jon’s shoulders when that happened.”
“When you have those feelings, where it feels really compelling, you know that you’re onto something,” Favreau said of this journey. “We knew that if we could pull this off it would represent so much to so many people. Especially to Mark, it will let him come in there and show Luke at this moment and let it be a celebration, and also a culmination of the two-season arc about the journey of this little child.”
As to how they made this de-aging magic happen, the team explained how it was accomplished with a combination of exploring Deep Fake technology and other de-aging techniques that utilized countless amounts of photos, film footage, interviews, and much more of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker to make this dream come true. They ended up utilizing the de-aging technology and learned a lot along the way.
While Mark Hamill was on set in full Jedi gear that was purposefully reminiscent of what he wore in Return of the Jedi, there was also another actor named Max Lloyd-Jones who physically resembled a younger Hamill that was used to fully create the Luke we see on screen. Hamill himself couldn’t believe how much Lloyd-Jone looked like him, saying “he looks more like me than me!”
“He’d watch me do the scenes, I’d watch him do the scenes, so we’d try to match each other,” Hamill said. “I would look at the monitor and, of course, the image is small, but I thought, ‘oh my gosh, he looks more like me than me!’ It was just uncanny... this guy… and he’s a good actor!”
To help make this younger version of Luke Skywalker, the team used a combination of the “de-aging magic” and footage of Hamill and Lloyd-Jones on set and in a lighting rig called the Egg that would let them get proper lighting and resolution to use in creating the final image.
Hamill’s likeness wasn’t the only thing that had to be recreated, however, as his voice was also synthesized using an application called Respeacher. This application is a neural network that used archival material like clean recorded ADR from the original films, a book on tape Hamill had done from that time, and Star Wars radio plays from that time to recreate his voice for this new performance.
While the tech behind bringing Luke Skywalker is impressive, it isn’t that alone that lends to the magic of that final scene. In addition to hiding Luke’s face and letting the scene build before the reveal, music also played a big part. In fact, Luke’s appearance is the first time we hear John Williams’ music from the original trilogy in the episode.
All of this builds up to a moment that is meant to mean something for fans of all ages. Filoni summed that sentiment up by saying that is what Star Wars is all about, giving the world a good and uplifting feeling, which they hope they accomplished with Luke and Mark Hamill’s return.
“You see your crew just staring at Mark, and you realize they are remembering what it meant to them,” Filoni said. “And you realize that you’ve been a part of constructing something that is giving that experience to people... this good feeling. Which fundamentally, Star Wars should deliver a good feeling, an uplifting feeling in you and your family.”
While we don’t know when/if Hamill and Grogu will return, The Mandalorian will return for a third season. According to star Giancarlo Esposito, production is set to begin soon now that filming for The Book of Boba Fett is now complete.
For more, check out our review of The Mandalorian’s second season and how Mark Hamill has done secret voice cameos for every Star Wars movie since 2015.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
How Park Beyond’s ‘Impossification’ Pushes Past the Limits of Real Life Rollercoasters – Gamescom 2021
Park Beyond was announced earlier today at Gamescom 2021’s Opening Night Live, and the trailer introduced us to the idea of “impossification”. But what exactly does that mean? IGN sat down with the developers at Limbic Entertainment to find out more about Park Beyond’s larger-than-life roller coasters.
“Impossification for us means to push things beyond boundaries and make the impossible actually possible,” said Stephan Winter, CEO at Limbic. “You will meet it in all parts of our gameplay.”
So far, we’ve seen how impossification applies to ride and roller coaster designs. The trailer shows off a carousel ride that is multi-tiered, like a mechanical spinning wedding cake. Then there’s a kraken; a huge animatronic sea monster tossing visitors around like juggling balls. “We simply had the idea to dream really big,” said Winter. “Let’s be the guy who pushes beyond the limits of nowadays, defies a bit of reality and gravity, and does something truly amazing.”
Winter also offered a description of another ride we can expect to see, in which visitors are slingshotted into the sky and then caught and rolled into a tunnel. “It looks so crazy,” he said. “100% no way we’re ever going to see this in real life, but it’s one of the coolest, crazy rides.”
Park Beyond appears to be heavily focused on allowing players to create rides that are simply beyond the capabilities of real-life engineering. The team at Limbic want these creations to be within reach of everyone, no matter your creative abilities.
“All of the pieces are totally modular, so you can create exactly what you are envisioning,” said Park Beyond’s Game Director, Johannes Reithmann. “You can build your coaster around the environment, looping it around bridges, building it around other rides. All these modules, and as many as you like.
“There are also prefabs [pre-built rides], which support and help you to get going faster at the beginning. But as you get more and more experienced with the editor, you open up more and more freedom and opportunities to build the coaster you always wanted to.”
Building the park is just one side of Park Beyond, though. Like the genre original, Theme Park, or more recent games like Planet Coaster, managing the park and its staff is as important as creating the rides. But Limbic recognises that some players will be more adept at the creativity layers, while others will want to focus more on the financial management. As such, there are assists to help both types of players.
“You go all-in on creativity, or you can fully enjoy the deep management systems, and it’s up to you to decide what you want to mainly use,” said Winter. “So if you are more a creative person, you let the assistance system take over everything financial and management related. If you are more of a management player, then just use the prefabs we build for you, and easy-to place rides and coasters.”
Park Beyond is planned to release sometime in 2022 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Until then, for more from this year’s big summer games event, be sure to check out our Gamescom 2021 schedule.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
