For all its monetary success with the Switch and Animal Crossing and even with the global pandemic, some fans were frustrated when yet another holiday season went by in 2020 with no whisper of Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, or Bayonetta 3. And it turns out, Microsoft may have been a bit perplexed as well. As part of the ongoing Epic v. Apple trial, a new document was published as evidence that included a rough outline of both "high-profile" Xbox One releases for the third and fourth calendar quarters of 2020, as well as the company's understanding of its competition's biggest upcoming releases. The presentation, which is from August 2020, reveals that at the time Xbox believed Nintendo's slate for October through December 2020 included The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Shin Megami Tensei 5 — none of which ended up coming out during that window. It also mentions a few other titles we know got pushed but that did end up launching in 2021, such as No More Heroes 3 and Bravely Default 2. And it has a big ol' redacted bar under a footnote about launch titles for the PS5, possibly indicating that Microsoft knew about an additional game originally planned for the PS5 launch which hasn't yet been shown. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/13/nintendo-needs-to-hop-on-the-fortnite-battle-bus"] Also interesting is Xbox's own strategy. Under their own release plan, Xbox has a total of three games redacted from its documents: one planned for the third calendar quarter of last year, and two from the first quarter. It also has huge swaths blocked off from the first quarter of this year, indicating that there are quite a few Xbox games that are either unannounced or with details that haven't yet been highlighted that the company had expected would have already been out for six months or more by this time. This data does include both first and third-party games, and as Xbox itself says in the document, its release dates are based on the information it's been given from its publishing partners. It adds that it expects to see "significant movement" both due to the first quarter typically being very changeable every year, but also due to COVID-19. It's worth noting is that there seem to be multiple typos as well across the document, notably conflating 2020 with 2021 in several places. Ultimately, all of this is just internal speculation based on publicly available data, with Xbox's knowledge of specific release windows likely less and less precise the further they are from the companies involved. But given Microsoft's position in the industry, it's interesting that their available knowledge as of last August had them planning their own release strategy around all three of those massive Nintendo titles coming by the end of the year. And critically, the entire presentation highlights both the constantly fluctuating release cycle of games, as well as at least some of the impact of COVID-19 on everyone's release plans. We currently have no release dates for Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, or Bayonetta 3, though Breath of the Wild 2 at least is expected to get some kind of news announcement "this year," as is Bayonetta 3. Metroid news is still quiet, though Epic v. Apple did offer a curious look at Epic Games' plans to put Samus in Fortnite (though it's still not clear if Nintendo will ever let them). We're also seeing other interesting tidbits from the trial, such as what Xbox thinks of The Last of Us Part 2. We'll continue to cover news from the trial as it continues over the next three weeks. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

For all its monetary success with the Switch and Animal Crossing and even with the global pandemic, some fans were frustrated when yet another holiday season went by in 2020 with no whisper of Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, or Bayonetta 3. And it turns out, Microsoft may have been a bit perplexed as well. As part of the ongoing Epic v. Apple trial, a new document was published as evidence that included a rough outline of both "high-profile" Xbox One releases for the third and fourth calendar quarters of 2020, as well as the company's understanding of its competition's biggest upcoming releases. The presentation, which is from August 2020, reveals that at the time Xbox believed Nintendo's slate for October through December 2020 included The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, Bayonetta 3, Metroid Prime 4, and Shin Megami Tensei 5 — none of which ended up coming out during that window. It also mentions a few other titles we know got pushed but that did end up launching in 2021, such as No More Heroes 3 and Bravely Default 2. And it has a big ol' redacted bar under a footnote about launch titles for the PS5, possibly indicating that Microsoft knew about an additional game originally planned for the PS5 launch which hasn't yet been shown. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/13/nintendo-needs-to-hop-on-the-fortnite-battle-bus"] Also interesting is Xbox's own strategy. Under their own release plan, Xbox has a total of three games redacted from its documents: one planned for the third calendar quarter of last year, and two from the first quarter. It also has huge swaths blocked off from the first quarter of this year, indicating that there are quite a few Xbox games that are either unannounced or with details that haven't yet been highlighted that the company had expected would have already been out for six months or more by this time. This data does include both first and third-party games, and as Xbox itself says in the document, its release dates are based on the information it's been given from its publishing partners. It adds that it expects to see "significant movement" both due to the first quarter typically being very changeable every year, but also due to COVID-19. It's worth noting is that there seem to be multiple typos as well across the document, notably conflating 2020 with 2021 in several places. Ultimately, all of this is just internal speculation based on publicly available data, with Xbox's knowledge of specific release windows likely less and less precise the further they are from the companies involved. But given Microsoft's position in the industry, it's interesting that their available knowledge as of last August had them planning their own release strategy around all three of those massive Nintendo titles coming by the end of the year. And critically, the entire presentation highlights both the constantly fluctuating release cycle of games, as well as at least some of the impact of COVID-19 on everyone's release plans. We currently have no release dates for Breath of the Wild 2, Metroid Prime 4, or Bayonetta 3, though Breath of the Wild 2 at least is expected to get some kind of news announcement "this year," as is Bayonetta 3. Metroid news is still quiet, though Epic v. Apple did offer a curious look at Epic Games' plans to put Samus in Fortnite (though it's still not clear if Nintendo will ever let them). We're also seeing other interesting tidbits from the trial, such as what Xbox thinks of The Last of Us Part 2. We'll continue to cover news from the trial as it continues over the next three weeks. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

The latest internal documents revealed in the Epic vs Apple court case appear to be from Xbox, including an internal analysis Xbox conducted of The Last of Us Part 2, one of the biggest video game releases from its console rival, PlayStation. This analysis reads like a review and is the closest you'll get to see what Xbox thinks of PlayStation's major release. Companies often gather extensive data on their products, the video game industry is no different. While companies sometimes hold mock reviews of their own games, Xbox's documents show that it also analyzes rival games as well. So what did Xbox think of The Last of Us 2? For the most part, their analysis was overwhelmingly positive. Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 below [poilib element="accentDivider"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-naughty-dog-game-review&captions=true"] "The last of Us Part 2 is the exceedingly rare video game where what it accomplishes in moving forward the art of narrative storytelling in video games as a medium ultimately outweighs whether or not everyone 'likes' it or even if everyone has 'fun' playing it," Xbox writes in an internal analysis acquired by IGN from the Epic vs. Apple court trial. Xbox praises The Last of Us Part 2's gameplay as a "notable improvement" over the first game and calls the visual quality and attention to detail "absolutely best-in-class in basically every area, and the overall presentation is significantly ahead of anything that other teams have been producing on console and PC." The internal team at Xbox says they "were frequently stunned by the quality of the game's visuals, something that sadly seldom happens these days." As for the choice to split the narrative between Elli and Abby, Xbox says players have "every right" to their feelings on Naughty Dog's two protagonists and the game's "final contentious outcome," but ultimately for folks who care about "the evolution and expansion of what storytelling in interactive entertainment CAN BE [emphasis Xbox's], those things ultimately matter less than how incredibly well Naughty Dog has crafted and delivered the story that THEY [emphasis Xbox's] wanted to tell." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/27/8-minutes-of-the-last-of-us-part-2-gameplay"] Sounds like the team that analyzed The Last of Us Part 2 at Xbox was overall keen on Naughty Dog's major sequel. If there's one criticism, the team at Xbox says their biggest "gripe" was with the inventory system and the lack of any "quick switch" between items during moment-to-moment gameplay. Furthermore, Xbox was critical of the gun combat writing, "Naughty Dog still can't seem to make decent gun combat in any of their games, and this one is no exception." Ouch. Epic's court case with Apple continues to unearth a trove of internal documents, some of them confirming what we already knew like Sony's hesitance to enable cross-play. As the trial continues, check back with IGN for all the latest updates. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

The latest internal documents revealed in the Epic vs Apple court case appear to be from Xbox, including an internal analysis Xbox conducted of The Last of Us Part 2, one of the biggest video game releases from its console rival, PlayStation. This analysis reads like a review and is the closest you'll get to see what Xbox thinks of PlayStation's major release. Companies often gather extensive data on their products, the video game industry is no different. While companies sometimes hold mock reviews of their own games, Xbox's documents show that it also analyzes rival games as well. So what did Xbox think of The Last of Us 2? For the most part, their analysis was overwhelmingly positive. Spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 below [poilib element="accentDivider"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-naughty-dog-game-review&captions=true"] "The last of Us Part 2 is the exceedingly rare video game where it accomplishes in moving forward the art of narrative storytelling in video games as a medium ultimately outweighs whether or not everyone 'likes' it or even if everyone has 'fun' playing it," Xbox writes in an internal analysis acquired by IGN from the Epic vs. Apple court trial. Xbox praises The Last of Us Part 2's gameplay as a "notable improvement" over the first game and calls the visual quality and attention to detail "absolutely best-in-class in basically every area, and the overall presentation is significantly ahead of anything that other teams have been producing on console and PC." The internal team at Xbox says they "were frequently stunned by the quality of the game's visuals, something that sadly seldom happens these days." As for the choice to split the narrative between Elli and Abby, Xbox says players have "every right" to their feelings on Naughty Dog's two protagonists and the game's "final contentious outcome," but ultimately for folks who care about "the evolution and expansion of what storytelling in interactive entertainment CAN BE [emphasis Xbox's], those things ultimately matter less than how incredibly well Naughty Dog has crafted and delivered the story that THEY [emphasis Xbox's] wanted to tell." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/27/8-minutes-of-the-last-of-us-part-2-gameplay"] Sounds like the team that analyzed The Last of Us Part 2 at Xbox was overall keen on Naughty Dog's major sequel. If there's one criticism, the team at Xbox says their biggest "gripe" was with the inventory system and the lack of any "quick switch" between items during moment-to-moment gameplay. Furthermore, Xbox was critical of the gun combat writing, "Naughty Dog still can't seem to make decent gun combat in any of their games, and this one is no exception." Ouch. Epic's court case with Apple continues to unearth a trove of internal documents, some of them confirming what we already knew like Sony's hesitance to enable cross-play. As the trial continues, check back with IGN for all the latest updates. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

It’s going to take a minute for longtime Rugrats fans to get used to the new animation style if the latest trailer is anything to go by.

Nickelodeon and Paramount+ released a new trailer for their upcoming Rugrats series. The trailer features reimagined, 3D versions of Tommy Pickles and the crew making their way through a series of adventures — including encountering a dinosaur that doesn’t exactly look like Reptar. Older fans of the show should be happy to see the entire crew, including Angelica, present.

“Rugrats is one of the biggest and most influential TV hits among kids and parents ever, and we can’t wait for the all-new series to debut on Paramount+,” Ramsey Naito, president of Nickelodeon Animation, said in a press release.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/rugrats-reboot-official-first-look-clip-from-paramount"]

Nickelodeon’s new Rugrats series will debut on Paramount+ beginning on May 27th. The first set of episodes will be available to stream at once, with more episodes rolling out at a later date, according to Nickelodeon. The first episode, “Second Time Around,” is a one hour premiere. It features Tommy leading “the babies on a daring adventure to help Chuckie after his big attempt to be brave goes horribly wrong,” according to the company.

Rugrats first premiered in 1991 as a 2D cartoon. It has become one of Nickelodeon’s most recognizable cartoons, alongside The Wild Thornberry’s, Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Spongebob Squarepants, and Rocket Power to name a few. Rugrats spawned three theatrical movies, and ran for nine seasons over 13 years.

Paramount+ is ViacomCBS’ new streaming service that launched in March. Alongside originals, like the upcoming Halo live-action series, it’s also home to a huge library of Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS, BET, Comedy Central, and other series and films.

It’s going to take a minute for longtime Rugrats fans to get used to the new animation style if the latest trailer is anything to go by.

Nickelodeon and Paramount+ released a new trailer for their upcoming Rugrats series. The trailer features reimagined, 3D versions of Tommy Pickles and the crew making their way through a series of adventures — including encountering a dinosaur that doesn’t exactly look like Reptar. Older fans of the show should be happy to see the entire crew, including Angelica, present.

“Rugrats is one of the biggest and most influential TV hits among kids and parents ever, and we can’t wait for the all-new series to debut on Paramount+,” Ramsey Naito, president of Nickelodeon Animation, said in a press release.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/rugrats-reboot-official-first-look-clip-from-paramount"]

Nickelodeon’s new Rugrats series will debut on Paramount+ beginning on May 27th. The first set of episodes will be available to stream at once, with more episodes rolling out at a later date, according to Nickelodeon. The first episode, “Second Time Around,” is a one hour premiere. It features Tommy leading “the babies on a daring adventure to help Chuckie after his big attempt to be brave goes horribly wrong,” according to the company.

Rugrats first premiered in 1991 as a 2D cartoon. It has become one of Nickelodeon’s most recognizable cartoons, alongside The Wild Thornberry’s, Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom, Spongebob Squarepants, and Rocket Power to name a few. Rugrats spawned three theatrical movies, and ran for nine seasons over 13 years.

Paramount+ is ViacomCBS’ new streaming service that launched in March. Alongside originals, like the upcoming Halo live-action series, it’s also home to a huge library of Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS, BET, Comedy Central, and other series and films.

Marvel has announced that Loki will stream on Wednesdays rather than the Friday slot established by WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This shift will bring the season's start date forward to June 9. It was originally set to launch on June 11. Check out the announcement video below:  [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/05/marvel-studios-loki-announcement-video"] This move will mean our dose of the MCU is no longer the signal of the start of the weekend, but instead a mid-week treat. The show will, of course, feature Tom Hiddleston's charismatic Loki, alongside Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, and Richard E. Grant. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/05/marvel-studios-loki-official-trailer-2"] Like WandaVision, Loki is said to have a connection to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It will be the next MCU project on Disney+, following The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which recently concluded its six-episode run. Loki is also set to run for six episodes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Marvel has announced that Loki will stream on Wednesdays rather than the Friday slot established by WandaVision and The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. This shift will bring the season's start date forward to June 9. It was originally set to launch on June 11. Check out the announcement video below:  [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/05/marvel-studios-loki-announcement-video"] This move will mean our dose of the MCU is no longer the signal of the start of the weekend, but instead a mid-week treat. The show will, of course, feature Tom Hiddleston's charismatic Loki, alongside Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, and Richard E. Grant. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/05/marvel-studios-loki-official-trailer-2"] Like WandaVision, Loki is said to have a connection to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It will be the next MCU project on Disney+, following The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which recently concluded its six-episode run. Loki is also set to run for six episodes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

The first images from the set of House of the Dragon have been revealed. The photographs, taken at a beach location, show five of the key cast members. Sporting the instantly recognisable hair of the Targaryen family are Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen. The second duo photograph is of Alicent Hightower and Otto Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke and Rhys Ifans. Finally, standing on his lonesome is Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, a character known as "The Sea Snake". [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=house-of-the-dragon-first-images-from-the-game-of-thrones-prequel&captions=true"] Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is the king’s first-born child and a dragonrider. Prince Daemon Targaryen is her uncle, and younger brother of King Viserys. An heir to the throne, he is said to be a peerless warrior and a dragonrider. Otto Hightower is the hand of the king, who believes Daemon Targaryen is the largest threat to the realm. Alicent is his daughter, and was raised in the Red Keep close to the king's inner-circle. Finally, the Sea Snake is the Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. He's a famed nautical adventurer and head of a family richer than even the Lannisters. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/30/game-of-thrones-prequel-series-house-of-the-dragon-coming-to-hbo"] For more, be sure to check out our House of the Dragon explainer to learn exactly what HBO's Game of Thrones prequel will explore. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

The first images from the set of House of the Dragon have been revealed. The photographs, taken at a beach location, show five of the key cast members. Sporting the instantly recognisable hair of the Targaryen family are Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Prince Daemon Targaryen. The second duo photograph is of Alicent Hightower and Otto Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke and Rhys Ifans. Finally, standing on his lonesome is Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, a character known as "The Sea Snake". [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=house-of-the-dragon-first-images-from-the-game-of-thrones-prequel&captions=true"] Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen is the king’s first-born child and a dragonrider. Prince Daemon Targaryen is her uncle, and younger brother of King Viserys. An heir to the throne, he is said to be a peerless warrior and a dragonrider. Otto Hightower is the hand of the king, who believes Daemon Targaryen is the largest threat to the realm. Alicent is his daughter, and was raised in the Red Keep close to the king's inner-circle. Finally, the Sea Snake is the Lord of House Velaryon, a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. He's a famed nautical adventurer and head of a family richer than even the Lannisters. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/30/game-of-thrones-prequel-series-house-of-the-dragon-coming-to-hbo"] For more, be sure to check out our House of the Dragon explainer to learn exactly what HBO's Game of Thrones prequel will explore. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.