The actor behind Lady Dimitrescu has revealed more about the motion capture process that brought the character to life – including a big, grumpy pole that was used to simulate her 9'6" eyeline in real life. Lady Dimitrescu actress Maggie Robertson has been delighting fans during Resident Evil Village's launch weekend by responding to fan art and complementing cosplays of the popular character, as well as providing a behind-the-scenes look at the game. In one post Robertson revealed "the grumpy stand-in," a giant pole with a soft head marked with a frowny face. According to Robertson, this was used during performance capture to "mark Lady D's actual size and eye lines" while on set.

How the sausage gets made part 2: This is what we used to mark Lady D's actual size and eye lines. Clearly, she's grumpy after chasing people around the castle all day. #thegrumpystandin #LadyDimitrescu #ResidentEvilVillage

(check out that hat tho. It's a look ) pic.twitter.com/I7g6f8K2L8 — Maggie Robertson (@maggiethebard) May 10, 2021

Lady Dimitrescu became an internet sensation before Village's release, not least because of her huge height – but it's easy to forget that in the age of AAA performance capture, that then causes potential trouble for real-life actors trying to simulate talking to a fictional, towering vampire lady. Capcom's lo-fi solution is a neat (and funny) way to get around the issue – and I now want modders to get to work on a grumpy stand-in model for the actual game. Robertson also shared another video that shows previsualizations and motion capture footage from some key scenes in the game, including when Lady Dimitrescu tastes Ethan's blood and throws her dressing table in a fit of rage.

For those of you wondering how the sausage gets made...https://t.co/fxXQz4b5EF

— Maggie Robertson (@maggiethebard) May 7, 2021

"I'm beyond grateful for how welcoming the entire Resident Evil community has been. Floored by all the love & support you all have given me over these past few days," Robertson said on Twitter. "Keep spreading all of that love around in the name of House Dimitrescu!" We spoke extensively to Capcom about the creation of Lady Dimitrescu, and how they reacted to her sudden popularity. I wonder how they've reacted to her being modded into a Thomas the Tank Engine hybrid... In other Resident Evil Village news, here are 17 brilliant little details, and a cut fan favourite character who could have made it into the game in a very unexpected costume. We scored it an 8 in our review, calling it a "genuinely engrossing and increasingly combat-heavy continuation of the Ethan Winters story." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/resident-evil-village-lady-dimitrescu-thomas-the-tank-engine-mod-gameplay"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Capcom has revealed that it has hit record-high profits for the fourth consecutive year, with much of that success coming down to Monster Hunter Rise and Resident Evil 3 sales. In a press release regarding its last fiscal year, Capcom announced net sales were up 16.8%, operating income was up 51.6%, ordinary income was up 51.8%, and net income to the parent company was up 56.3%. The developer of franchises such as Devil May Cry, Monster Hunter, and Resident Evil attributed much of the success to new entries in core franchises like Monster Hunter Rise (which shipped 4 million copies in its first weekend alone) and the remake of Resident Evil 3. However, it also recognised the continued success of previously released games and expansions like Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, which have seen gamers jumping in retroactively, no doubt down to new entries in the franchise bringing in new players. It also cites strong sales for next-gen versions of games like Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/30/natural-history-expert-reacts-to-monster-hunter-rise"] Not only did this lead to the fourth consecutive year of record profits, but also the eighth consecutive year of operating income growth. Despite receiving the pandemic-related boost that many video game companies have shown in the past year, Capcom's forecasting that it will beat its income and profit records again next year. That will clearly rely on the continuation of the company's strategy of releasing a combination of new titles and providing post-launch support for existing games. Capcom has clearly noticed the popularity of its games in Western markets, stating it saw “growth in overseas revenue due to realizing both expansion of its regional markets and longer product lives for its titles”. It also experienced strong results from digital promotion: “Capcom’s core Digital Contents business drove results with continued success in promoting digital sales”. This is likely a combination of the trend towards gamers purchasing more on digital storefronts, and also COVID-19 closing physical retail sites for much of the year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/05/resident-evil-village-review"] None of this is particularly surprising as Capcom’s games and franchises have been growing from strength to strength over the past few years. With Resident Evil Village launching last week, and upcoming games like The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin coming later this summer, the train shows no sign of slowing down just yet. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Liam Wiseman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @liamthewiseman

For the first time ever, astronomers have reportedly spotted signs of a "spaghettified" star wrapping itself around a supermassive black hole. Space.com shared the findings of the study, published by the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society after a group of Dutch astronomers "successfully detected" filaments of material, similar to those of a yarn ball, coiled around a black hole. The authors of the paper believe the spaghetti-like strands belong to a star that has been torn apart by extreme gravitational pressure. The team looked at the spectral absorption lines being emitted from the black hole, which apparently only appear "when material that absorbs part of the electromagnetic radiation obscures the source" — in this instance, that would be the spaghettified star. Bursts of electromagnetic radiation have been spotted emanating from black holes before, but this is the first time observing the material ligaments. [caption id="attachment_2511240" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech[/caption] The image above serves to illustrate one such tidal disruption event, showing how a star can become gravitationally disrupted when passing within a certain distance of a supermassive black hole. The orange flare being emitted from the star demonstrates the way in which the stellar material is stretched and compressed in the process of being devoured by the black hole. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/10/scientists-have-revealed-the-first-photo-of-a-black-hole"] This research could lead to new insights about black holes and the properties of the powerful cosmic structures, which are so often the subject of scientists' studies. Just last year, Vice reported another astronomical phenomenon when an international team demonstrated how the ring surrounding the M87 black hole, the first body of its type ever photographed, "wobbles" in space and "glitters" in brightness. The team viewed older datasets of the M87 black hole, taken from radio telescopes between 2009 and 2017, to reconstruct the behavior of the cosmic behemoth and try to establish its rough visual history. The data revealed a simulation of how the black hole's outer ring appears to move and fluctuate in brightness due to the turbulence in the flow of the field, which impacts materials around it. "We want to understand the fundamental physics in the extreme conditions in the vicinity of a black hole and learn about how the black hole interacts with the matter in its environment," lead author Maciek Wielgus said at the time. "Studying the dynamics of the crescent-like appearance of a black hole is a way to probe this fascinating environment." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nasa-black-hole-gallery&captions=true"] Towards the end of 2019, NASA released a black hole simulation that showed how gravity warps light within a black hole, and then, a couple of months later, at the beginning of 2020, scientists detected the biggest explosion in the galaxy, believed to be from a supermassive black hole. For more on black holes, read about how one appeared to break the law of physics before being identified as an optical illusion. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Activision has said that it will no longer work with Call of Duty voice actor Jeff Leach after a series of sexist comments Leach has made surfaced on social media. Leach was responsible for the voice of Simon 'Ghost' Riley in 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty Mobile. As part of a Twitter thread from YouTuber NitroLukeDX, a video featuring some of Leach's past remarks has been circulating on social media. The video includes clips from Leach, across multiple streams, making explicit, sexual, and hateful remarks about women. The video below includes offensive language:

[1/3] Jeff Leach Misogynist?! @FacebookGaming Partner, Voice of @CallofDuty "Ghost" @Activision

Serious personalised intrusive sexism. Influence. Contempt. Violence! Serial offender! @TheZombiUnicorn Watch the clip RT! Respect Women! #GameOver4Sexism pic.twitter.com/jtNj3xy5sN — NitroLukeDX (@NitroLukeDX) May 7, 2021

Activision provided a statement to CharlieIntel on May 8 condemning the actor's remarks, and cutting professional ties with him. "Sexism has no place in our industry, our games or in society,” Activision said. “Activision is no longer working with Jeff Leach. We strongly condemn these remarks. We are committed to delivering a fun and safe experience for all players.” Leach was previously banned from Twitch for comments made about streamer TheZombiUnicorn in 2017, and has since become a streamer on Facebook Gaming. Facebook has not commented at time of writing. TheZombiUnicorn has since posted a response to the new video of Leach, calling on platforms and sponsors supporting Leach to take action. Leach has not outwardly commented on the video, or Activision's decision to cut ties with him, but (seemingly due to fan backlash over the decision) tweeted to say that "anyone who sends threatening messages is not representative of me or my community and I do not condone this is [sic] any way." In replies on Twitter, Leach has been defending his actions on stream, saying that the later clips are responses to trolls in his chat and he was using his experience "as a professional comic" to "destroy them." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-warzone-season-3-the-story-so-far-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX will launch a satellite to the moon next year, which will be funded entirely by the cryptocurrency dogecoin. Geometric Energy Corporation shared news of the "DOGE-1 Mission to the Moon" on Sunday, with the SpaceX boss confirming in a follow-up tweet that he had accepted the meme-inspired cryptocurrency as full payment for the lunar mission. DOGE-1 is planned to launch in the first quarter of 2022, and will be responsible for delivering the "first crypto in space" and the "first meme in space," says Musk. The mission itself will see the SpaceX team attach a 40kg CubeSat to a Falcon 9 rocket, specifically designed to transport people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. According to the GEC, the miniaturized satellite will then proceed with its mission to "obtain lunar-spatial intelligence from sensors and cameras on-board with integrated communications and computational systems." [caption id="attachment_2511108" align="alignnone" width="720"] Image credit: Flickr/SpaceX - CRS-21 Mission[/caption] "This mission will demonstrate the application of cryptocurrency beyond Earth orbit and set the foundation for interplanetary commerce", SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Tom Ochinero was quoted as saying in the statement released by Canada's Geometric Energy Corporation this past weekend. "We're excited to launch DOGE-1 to the Moon!" The announcement of the DOGE-1 mission marks another major step towards cryptocurrency being accepted into mainstream business, as SpaceX's latest pursuit emerges as the first-ever commercial lunar payload in history to be financed entirely by dogecoin, which could potentially set a new precedent for future missions in outer space. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/06/spacex-successfully-test-launches-falcon-heavy-rocket"] "Having officially transacted with DOGE for a deal of this magnitude, Geometric Energy Corporation and SpaceX have solidified DOGE as a unit of account for lunar business in the space sector," Geometric Energy's Chief Executive Officer Samuel Reid said in a statement alongside the official announcement of the company's collaboration. The mission is also clearly inspired, at least in part, by the viral dogecoin meme that popularized the idea of taking the cryptocurrency to the moon. Musk previously adopted the "to the moon" mantra in a tweet that seemingly revealed the company's plans, albeit on April Fool's Day. "SpaceX is going to put a literal Dogecoin on the literal moon," he wrote. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] For more about SpaceX, take a look at the company's plans to race remote-controlled cars on the Moon this year and then read about how SpaceX is building NASA's new Lunar Lander. Also check out this story about SpaceX's successful launch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit and then find out about the SpaceX mission that used a Baby Yoda doll as a zero-gravity indicator last November. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier is getting a Closed Beta Test in June 2021 that will give those with Android devices a chance to try out the upcoming battle royale mobile game. The Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier Closed Beta Test will take place from June 1 - June 7, and the registration period for those interested is currently underway. Those with a 64-bit Android device with Android 7.1 or newer and at least 3GB of available memory can sign up here until May 27, 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/final-fantasy-vii-the-first-soldier-teaser-trailer"] This test will only be for those in the US and Canada, and game data and progress will not be transferred over to the full game when it launches later this year. However, Square Enix will let you stream the game should you be accepted into the Beta. Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier was announced alongside Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis - a "chapter-structured single player game covering the whole of the FFVII timeline - including the events of the original game and the FFVII compilation titles." This battle royale game takes place in Midgar 30 years before Final Fantasy 7. It looks to feature gunplay, close quarters combat, abilities, Summons like Ifrit, bosses like the Guard Scorpion, and much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/07/final-fantasy-7-remake-intergrade-final-trailer"] While there is no further release window other than 2021, those hoping to jump back into the world of FF7 will be able to do so on June 10 with the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade for PS5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Remnant: From the Ashes will be receiving a free next-gen upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 13, 2021. Announced on Remnant: From the Ashes' Twitter, this next-gen upgrade will allow for the game to run at 4K/30 FPS or 1080p/60 FPS on both PS5 and Xbox Series X. On Xbox Series S, just the framerate will be improved as the console is only capable of outputting resolution of up to 1440p. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/20/remnant-from-the-ashes-review"] As an added bonus, cross-play is being added between Xbox and Windows 10 Store players. Remnant: From the Ashes is a third-person survival action shooter that is set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by monstrous creatures. In our review, we said that it "is a co-op action-RPG that's punishing and grotesque, but exciting and beautiful all at the same time. Despite the occasional difficulty spikes and slightly disappointing gear system, the thrill of finally beating a boss that’s had your number for hours is unmatched." Remnant: From the Ashes was part of March 2021's PlayStation Plus games and was available until early April. If you missed it on PlayStation, it is currently available on Xbox Game Pass. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-soulslikes&captions=true"] For more, check out where Remnant: From the Ashes landed on our list of the best Soulslike games. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

Alongside Verdansk '84, Call of Duty: Warzone looks to be continuing the celebration of the 1980s as it is teasing the arrival of both John Rambo and Die Hard's John McLane. A few days ago, the Call of Duty Twitter account asked if anyone knew "SURVIVORJOHN#1009062?" Their #WarzoneReport is pretty impressive as it shows they have 552 kills, and infinite K/D ratio, 0 deaths, 5 games played, 5 wins, and 7 hours played. By doing a bit of digging into the history of Rambo, you will find that there have been five Rambo films (5 games played and 5 wins) - which all have a combined runtime of 7.8 hours (7 hours payed) - and Rambo has not yet died in his films (0 deaths) and has killed, according to Fandom.com, exactly 552 people (552 kills). John McClane's tease is a bit more involved, as there is a brand new website - NakatomiDuctCleaning.com - that hints at his arrival. On Twitter, Call of Duty said "Air ducts are a complicated network of danger. If yours are in need of repair, call the best business at Nakatomi Duct Cleaning." For those unaware, Nakatomi Corporation was where McClane's estranged wife worked. Upon reaching Nakatomi Plaza, the events of Die Hard kick off and McClane eventually finds his way into the aforementioned air ducts, hence the name. The Nakatomi Duct Cleaning website features more nods to McClane, including "Say Yippee Ki Yay to Dust" and a Schedule An Appointment button that automatically tries to send an e-mail to john@nakatomiductcleaning.com. While no further details have been revealed, these 1980s' action heroes arriving in Call of Duty: Warzone would mark the first time characters from another pop culture property make their way into the free-to-play battle royale. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/29/call-of-duty-black-ops-cold-war-warzone-season-3-the-story-so-far-trailer"] For more on Warzone, check out where it ranks on our list of the 10 best battle royales and all the details on Verdansk '84. [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

In honor of Goku Day, Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama revealed today that a new Dragon Ball Super film will be released in 2022. While not much was revealed about this second Dragon Ball Super movie, Toriyama did share a message to fans and let them know to "be prepared for some extreme and entertaining bouts, which may feature an unexpected character." "An all new movie since "Dragon Ball Super: Broly" is currently in the making! Just like the previous movie, I'm heavily leading the story and dialogue production for another amazing film," Toryiama said." I really shouldn't talk to much about the plot yet, but be prepared for some extreme and entertaining bouts, which may feature an unexpected character. "We'll be charting through some unexplored territory in terms of visual aesthetics to give the audience an amazing ride, so I hope everybody will look forward to the new movie!" In our review of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, we said that it "delivers in terms of awesome action, but more than that, it uses the fathers of Goku, Vegeta, and Broly to link back to the late-1980s and early-1990s heyday of the series to add a relatable and thoughtful subtext. It’s a humorous movie that bounds into the world of imagination and is gripping to the end." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/05/dragon-ball-super-broly-review"] This should come as no surprise as Dragon Ball Super: Broly had Funimation's biggest ever U.S. box office opening in 2019. The movie has earned over $120 million in the worldwide box office. For more, check out why we called Dragon Ball Super: Broly the ultimate Dragon Ball action experience and our explainer of the ending of the 2015 film. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=power-ups-and-transformations-in-dragon-ball&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.

In honor of Goku Day, Toei Animation and Akira Toriyama revealed today that a new Dragon Ball Super film will be released in 2022. While not much was revealed about this second Dragon Ball Super movie, Toriyama did share a message to fans and let them know to "be prepared for some extreme and entertaining bouts, which may feature an unexpected character." "An all new movie since "Dragon Ball Super: Broly" is currently in the making! Just like the previous movie, I'm heavily leading the story and dialogue production for another amazing film," Toryiama said." I really shouldn't talk to much about the plot yet, but be prepared for some extreme and entertaining bouts, which may feature an unexpected character. "We'll be charting through some unexplored territory in terms of visual aesthetics to give the audience an amazing ride, so I hope everybody will look forward to the new movie!" In our review of Dragon Ball Super: Broly, we said that it "delivers in terms of awesome action, but more than that, it uses the fathers of Goku, Vegeta, and Broly to link back to the late-1980s and early-1990s heyday of the series to add a relatable and thoughtful subtext. It’s a humorous movie that bounds into the world of imagination and is gripping to the end." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/05/dragon-ball-super-broly-review"] This should come as no surprise as Dragon Ball Super: Broly had Funimation's biggest ever U.S. box office opening in 2019. The movie has earned over $120 million in the worldwide box office. For more, check out why we called Dragon Ball Super: Broly the ultimate Dragon Ball action experience and our explainer of the ending of the 2015 film. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=power-ups-and-transformations-in-dragon-ball&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] 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.