The MCU got it all wrong: Black Widow is the source of the Hulk's gamma-induced transformation, not anger. (This is a joke.) While that might not be true in comics or on the silver screen, that's the case in space where scientists recently discovered the culprit behind mysterious gamma radiation in the Milky Way to be that of a Black Widow star, as reported by Science Alert. This source of radiation has been tracked since as far back as 1999, but scientists who determined the gamma rays were coming from a binary system that simply could not find the second star in the equation. The answer has now been found and it turns out the binary system is a Black Widow system, as reported by Science Alert and according to a scientific journal published on October 22. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] "In binary systems like the one we have now discovered, pulsars are known as 'black widows' because, like spiders of the same name, they eat their partners, so to speak," Colin Clark, astronomer at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester said. While the black widow answer might sound simple, it was anything but and that's due to how difficult it was to actually detect the black widow star. Scientists searched through gamma radiation data from the years 2008 to 2018 and used that data to pin down the location of the black widow star. "The binary star system and the neutron star at its heart, now known as PSR J1653-0158, set new records," Lars Nieder, Albert Einstein Institute Hannover astronomer said. "We have discovered the galactic dance of a super heavyweight with a flyweight: At slightly more than twice the mass of our Sun, the neutron star is extraordinarily heavy. Its companion has about six times the density of lead, but only about 1 percent the mass of our Sun." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/14/what-is-doctor-strange-2s-multiverse-of-madness"] Knowing how small the black widow star was compared to its larger companion star in the binary system, it's easy to see the difficulty in finding this unique black widow star. Scientists said this heavyweight-flyweight duo orbited every 75 minutes, which is faster than all other known similar binary systems. Scientists believed that the system they were looking for would have been produced by a gamma-ray pulsar and things heated up when in 2014, x-rays and other observations of the gamma radiation source led to an answer: a variable star with a 75-minute period. So scientists had discovered the smaller companion star but they couldn't find the larger neutron star at this point. The neutron star was thought to have been a pulsar star, which is a rapidly-rotating neutron star that beams radiation to and fro from its poles as it spins. From an observer's point of view, those beams, which are rotating due to the star's rotation, would appear like that of the spinning light found at the top of a lighthouse. Scientists looked into decades of gamma radiation collected by the Large Area Telescope of NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Two weeks of research led to the discovery of the pulsar star they were looking to find. This pulsar rotates extremely fast, more than 500 times a second. In fact, this polar is one of the fastest rotating pulsars ever seen. It's also in the bottom three for weakest magnetic fields ever detected in a pulsar star. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cosmos-possible-worlds-gallery&captions=true"] Scientists believe this pulsar star cannibalized its smaller, black widow, companion star that we mentioned earlier, leaving behind a remnant of what is thought to be a helium white dwarf star. "The remnant of a dwarf star orbits the pulsar at just 1.3 times the Earth-Moon distance in only 75 minutes at a speed of more than 700 kilometers per second," Nieder said. "This unusual duo might have originated from an extremely close binary system, in which matter originally flowed from the companion star onto the neutron star, increasing its mass and causing it to rotate faster and faster while simultaneously dampening its magnetic field." Basically, the smaller Black Widow star's matter continuously flowed to the larger neutron star while the two rotated through space together and the neutron star's mass grew as a result. Over time, the system became what it is today: a giant neutron star with a mass twice as large as our Sun's and a much smaller, Black Widow star that's about 1% the mass of our Sun. Maybe we'll learn more about this in Phase 4 of the MCU. In the meantime, catch up on some other space news like this story about possible signs of life detected on Venus and this story about the discovery of 139 new minor planets at the edge of our solar system. Read about how the moon is rusting after that and then read about this parallel universe discovered by scientists where time runs backward. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed again and will now be released on December 10. Although the latest delay marks the third time CD Projekt Red's ambitious cyberpunk RPG is pushed back, this latest delay caught many off-guard, particularly because the November 19 date seemed — until today — fairly ironclad. The official Cyberpunk 2077's Twitter account has been firm on the November release date for some time and based on tweets as recent as yesterday, the upcoming RPG seemed all set to hit the November 17 release date. Unfortunately, the existence of that tweet has become fodder for those disappointed by the latest delay news. And the official Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account now has to contend with the responses. "Would anyone notice if we delete this real quick?" the Cyberpunk Twitter account asked in response to another one of their tweets, this time from October 6 that says "No more delays are happening." Now, the social media team is putting out fires by responding to people on social media - sometimes with jokes, sometimes in earnest - about why they couldn't alert people earlier about the delay.

Or course we are. This sucks - who enjoys letting fans & community down?

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) October 27, 2020

"Of course we are [gutted]. This sucks - who enjoys letting fans & community down," the Cyberpunk Twitter account responded after someone said the social media team seems as disappointed by the news as the community.

It was fine until up an hour ago.

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) October 27, 2020

"Yo socials guy how has your day been?" asked one Twitter user following the delay news. "It was fine until up an hour ago," the Cyberpunk team responded. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/27/cyberpunk-2077-delayed-for-a-fourth-time"] The numerous delays have also allowed some on the dev team to poke fun at themselves. One of the quest designers on Cyberpunk 2077, Patrick K. Mills, tweeted, "Even I'm starting to think the game isn't real, and I'm playing it right now."

Even I'm starting to think the game isn't real, and I'm playing it right now.

— Patrick K. Mills (@PKernaghan) October 27, 2020

It has been reported that the Cyberpunk 2077 dev team may have found out about the latest delay last-minute. Jason Schreier tweeted, "All of them found out at the same time we did - CDPR sent an internal email simultaneously with the public tweet." This could explain why the Twitter account was confirming the November release date as recently as last night.

All of them found out at the same time we did - CDPR sent an internal email simultaneously with the public tweet

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) October 27, 2020

Ultimately, the social media team at CDPR is keeping a stiff upper lip, especially since they have to deal with past tweets affirming there'd be no more delays. "We have a very nice community, a great social media team and you can't tweet pics of futuristic cars or bad puns all day. In the end we're still one company." You can read IGN's Cyberpunk 2077 hands-on preview here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Marvel Comics is celebrating the career of legendary X-Men writer Chris Claremont with a lavish hardcover collection called Marvel Made Paragon Collection: Chris Claremont Premier Bundle. This oversized collection will reprint many of Claremont's most iconic X-Men stories, but perhaps the biggest selling point is a brand new 20-page story from Claremont and X-Treme X-Men artist Salvador Larroca that acts as a prequel to 1981's "Days of Future Past." Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look inside this new hardcover set, and then read on for more details about what's being included and how you can acquire the set: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-made-paragon-collection-celebrates-legendary-x-men-writer-chris-claremont&captions=true"] As the name suggests, Marvel Made Paragon Collection: Chris Claremont Premier Bundle is exclusive to the new Marvel Made online platform. There is one catch, however. Marvel will only put the book into production if at least 1200 pre-orders are received. Once that initial goal is met, new stretch goals will be revealed for the final release. The book itself is a 448-page, faux-leather hardcover measuring 7.28” x 10.83”, contained inside a matte slipcase measuring 11.02" x 13.58". Each book is hand-signed by Claremont himself, along with one of four X-Men quotes. Here's a breakdown of all the stories and bonus materials included:

• Foreword by editor/X-Factor writer Louise Simonson
• Uncanny X-Men (1963) #94
• Uncanny X-Men (1963) #129–137 (The Dark Phoenix Saga)
• Uncanny X-Men (1963) #141–142 (Days of Future Past)
• Wolverine (1982) #1–4
• Uncanny X-Men (1963) #268
• X-Men (1991) #1
• Days of Future Past prequel story
• Original Days of Future Past notes and script by Chris Claremont
• Behind-the-scenes interviews
• 7" x 10.5" lithographs by Phil Noto, Salvador Larroca and other artists
• Wolverine (2020) #6 sketch cover variant by Olivier Coipel (exclusive to Marvel Unlimited Annual members)

“This collection with Marvel Made is a beautiful new compendium of some of my best, plus a beautifully illustrated new story by Salvador Larroca. Here’s where fans get to see Nightcrawler and Bloody Bess save the world,” said Claremont in Marvel's press release. “Wanna find out how? Get this collection. I can’t wait to have this on my own shelf.” The Marvel Made Paragon Collection: Chris Claremont Premier Bundle is available to pre-order on the Marvel Made website until November 20. The set is priced at $199 (not including tax and shipping) and is expected to be released in March 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/02/06/x-men-days-of-future-past-explained"] In other X-Men news, the franchise is currently embroiled in the X of Swords crossover, an ambitious follow-up to last year's House of X and Powers of X. Find out how to read X of Swords, and learn more about how the crossover has dramatically revamped Apocalypse's history and motivations. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Facebook Gaming has launched multiple cloud-streaming games on the Facebook browser and app. In a blog post, Facebook explained a few details about its goals and expectations for cloud gaming. Currently, five games support cloud streaming through Facebook. The lineup includes Asphalt 9: Legends, Mobile Legends: Adventure, PGA Tour Golf Shootout, Solitaire: Arthur's Tale, and WWE SuperCard. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/16/sony-microsoft-partnering-to-improve-cloud-gaming-streaming-platforms-ign-now"] Facebook plans to roll out more games in the future, and the first addition will be Dirt Bike Unchained, which Facebook will add in the coming weeks. Starting next year, developers will have the choice to add in-app purchases in their cloud games. Facebook plans to focus on free-to-play games to begin with, since those are the experiences players are used to finding on the platform. At launch, all games will be playable with your touch screen, or a mouse and keyboard, since the service is launching with games designed for mobile. Apple users won't have access to Facebook's new gaming experiment. The company says it won't launch the service on iOS yet, saying, "While our iOS path is uncertain, one thing is clear. Apple treats games differently and continues to exert control over a very precious resource." Instead, the cloud games are launching in beta on Android devices and the web. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/13/apple-removes-fortnite-from-ios-app-store"] For now, the service is only launching in select parts of the United States. Access is rolling out across California, Texas, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Virginia and West Virginia, with plans to expand access in the coming months. Facebook said it believes mainstream cloud gaming has a long way to go, so the company isn't promising major breakthroughs anytime soon. Facebook Gaming's cloud service also won't be designed to replace your current gaming hardware. Instead, the goal is to add another option to quickly jump into playing games. Facebook and Oculus recently released the Oculus Quest 2, which we called, "one of the best VR headsets you can buy today" in our Oculus Quest 2 review. However, players will want to be careful, because you will lose all your Oculus games if you delete your linked Facebook account. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=oculus-quest-2&captions=true"] Story first reported by Gamasutra. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Blizzard legend Chris Metzen has created a tabletop gaming company with former Blizzard Vice President, Mike Gilmartin. Together the two opened Warchief Gaming, a small company that will focus on tabletop games, but neither are ready to say exactly what they're working on just yet. Metzen, a former Blizzard senior vice president behind the likes of Warcraft and Overwatch, and Gilmartin, the former vice president of quality assurance at Blizzard, spoke to VentureBeat about the excitement around Warchief Gaming and the joy of working on something much smaller than a Blizzard game.

Well, I guess retirement didn’t last as long as I thought it would... I’ve started a new career adventure! New worlds await! Come see what the hubbub’s all about!https://t.co/0uGACe0r0c#Warchiefgaming

— Chris Metzen (@ChrisMetzen) October 27, 2020

"The basis of our friendship and having done this (gaming) club over the last couple of years, to me it felt like a very safe foundation," Metzen said in regard to the friendly tabletop gaming club he's enjoyed being a part of since he left Blizzard in 2016. "There was no version of me going back to some big game company. There was no version of me going back to Blizzard, as much as I love it, and I truly do. I don't have that in me anymore. I don't want to be a giant corporate officer. I don't want to direct giant teams anymore. Maybe one day, but I'm not that guy today." Metzen is instead happy directing considerably less people alongside Gilmartin at Warchief Gaming. He said that even after his "glorious" Blizzard experience, it's the intimate scale of tabletop gaming that he comes back to and that tabletop gaming is his path forward for now. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/06/6-amazing-overwatch-skins-based-on-other-blizzard-games"] He'll tread that path with his new company, Warchief Gaming, although he told VentureBeat that he and Gilmartin aren't ready to say what the tabletop gaming company is specifically working on just yet. The former Blizzard vice president said he's more interested in his own ideas at this point in his life as opposed to the ideas of a larger company like Blizzard. "But in this phase in my life...I'm interested in owning my own ideas," Metzen said. "I'm interested in being able to develop them the way my gut tells me I should, without oversight of people I don't know. That's a big theme for me, that ownership and authorship." Warchief Gaming takes Metzen back to the period he experienced before Blizzard became the massive company it is today. He said there's a purity to be found in the smaller scale projects like that of Warchief Gaming and that this new scale is "so much more freeing and simplified." Metzen continued and said that at this smaller sale, he has a more balanced work-life relationship, something he considers "an absolute gift." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/05/warcraft-3-reforged-review"] "We've been on big stages and now we're back in a garage, playing punk rock that we played as kids," Metzen said. "It feels awesome...For all my nervousness, I know we're on the right track. We're going to come out and make some cool s**t." There aren't any Warchief Gaming games for you to pick up just yet but there are plenty of other tabletop games to play in the meantime. Check out our list of the best fantasy board games and then check out our list of the best classic board games. If you're looking to jump into the world of tabletop gaming for the first time, here's a list of the 11 best board games for beginners. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Kate Winslet's role in Avatar 2 is still shrouded in mystery, but now we know that she had to wear wings underwater while filming. Anyone that's kept up with Avatar 2 knows that the movie is tackling water in a big way. Concept art shown for the movie puts a lot of focus on Pandora's water features, new underwater crabsuit vehicles were developed for the film, and Winslet's character, Ronal, is a part of the planet's "sea people." Now we know that Winslet had to wear a wing-like contraption while filming underwater after the official Avatar Twitter posted a picture of the actress on October 26.

From Kate Winslet's recent interview in @THR: “I had to learn how to free-dive to play that role in Avatar, and that was just incredible. My longest breath hold was seven minutes and 14 seconds, like crazy, crazy stuff.” pic.twitter.com/ZYAmZdNgHS

— Avatar (@officialavatar) October 26, 2020

"I had to learn how to free-dive to play that role in Avatar, and that was just incredible," the tweet reads. "My longest breath hold was seven minutes and 14 seconds, like crazy, crazy stuff." Considering Winslet is playing one of the movie's sea people, it's not too imaginative to think that her character will be underwater for most, if not all, of the movie. This especially makes sense now knowing that Winslet learned to free dive and hold her breath underwater, presumably while filming, for over seven minutes. What's odd about all of this is that like every other character in Avatar 2, Winslet's Ronal will likely be CG so it begs the question if all of this underwater filming and breath holding is fully necessary. We'll all learn how her underwater work translates to her character, Ronal, when Avatar 2 hits theaters on December 16, 2022. The sequel to Avatar wrapped filming back in September and director James Cameron said Avatar 3's shoot will be almost done around that time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/09/28/avatar-2-concept-art-revelead-ign-news"] For more Avatar 2, be sure to check out some new plot details revealed earlier this year and then check out Edie Falco's General Ardmore from Avatar 2. If you're curious about Winslet's Avatar 2 role, read about how she insisted upon doing all of her own water work while filming underwater. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Netflix has announced that it plans to produce more anime content after noting an exceptional uptake in anime streaming on the platform. Variety reports that Netflix's investment in anime has been going well in terms of viewership, with its mainstream popularity bringing new audiences to the medium in bigger numbers than ever before. According to new statistics, over 100 million households globally watched at least one anime title on the platform between October of last year and September of this year, which is a noted increase of more than 50% on the previous year's figures. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/25/top-10-best-anime-series-of-all-time"] With anime titles appearing in top ten lists in almost 100 countries so far this year, the streaming giant has revealed its intentions to expand its anime content by recently signing new production deals with Anima & Company, Science SARU, and MAPPA from Japan, together with Studio Mir in Korea. On the back of these new partnerships, Netflix has announced five new original anime projects to join the 11 other projects that are already in various stages of development. The latest wave of anime projects includes Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure, a stop motion series directed by Kobayashi Masahito; Thermae Romae Novae, a new adaptation of the popular manga by Yamazaki Mari; High-Rise Invasion, a survival story based on the manga by Miura Tsuina and Takahiro Oba; Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, a four-episode series based on a story by Hirohiko Araki; and The Way of the Househusband, a new series spun from the award-winning manga by Kousuke Oono. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-anime-series-on-netflix-right-now&captions=true"] Netflix has been investing in original anime programming since 2017, allocating significant portions of their content budget to work with high-profile studios like Production I.G in a bid to "be the most compelling and attractive home for anime fans, creators and production studios." In 2020, it has pushed this commitment further by partnering with even more influential creators to produce new shows under the Netflix Originals banner. With dozens of new shows each season and a robust back catalogue that's yet to be fully explored, anime has quickly become one of the streaming market's most popular content categories. For more on the ever-changing streaming landscape, read all about why we think anime is the next streaming frontier and what this could mean for the future of these services. Also, be sure to check out our picks for the five best new anime of 2020 so far.  [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Cyberpunk 2077 will be delayed again by 21 days, with a new release date set for December 10, 2020. CD Projekt Red announced the news in a statement on Twitter citing the immense task of shipping Cyberpunk 2077 across nine consoles and two generations of hardware. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=100-new-cyberpunk-2077-screenshots-gangs-characters-and-playstyles-revealed&captions=true"] "The biggest challenge for us right now is shipping the game on current-gen, next-gen, and PC at the same time, which requires us to prepare and test 9 versions of it," CD Projekt co-founders Adam Badowski and Marcin Iwinski said in a statement. The launch platforms for Cyberpunk 2077 include Xbox One/X, Xbox Series S/X, PS4/Pro, PS5m PC, and Stadia. Badowski and Iwinski also confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 was "almost a next-gen title" during development and so releasing the RPG across different generations requires effort for "every version" to run smoothly. "We're aware it might seem unrealistic when someone says that 21 days can make any difference in such a massive and complex game, but they really do," the founders say.

We have important news to share with you pic.twitter.com/qZUaD6IwmM

— Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) October 27, 2020

CD Projekt Red also addressed the news that Cyberpunk 2077 reached gold master a few weeks ago, but explained that "going gold" is not the end of development. "On the contrary, this is the time where many improvements are being made which will then be distributed via a Day 0 patch. This is the time period we undercalculated." This is the third delay for Cyberpunk 2077. Originally set to be released on April 16, the date has since been pushed to September 17, then November 19, and now once again to December 10. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/01/cyberpunk-2077-rtx-showcase-trailer"] The 21-day delay and additional development time will likely further raise questions about crunch culture at CD Projekt Red. In September it was reported that developers were required to work mandatory overtime to meet its November release date, and Badowski confirmed that employees would be "well compensated" for their time. In the meantime, check out IGN's Cyberpunk 2077 hands-on preview. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Critical Role, the company behind the beloved livestreamed D&D show, has branched out in numerous ways over the last year, and is doing so yet again with a brand new board and card game publishing brand, Darrington Press. Darrington Press, of course sharing a name with Sam Riegel's Taryon Darrington from the Vox Machina campaign, is set to launch four new games in 2021, one a quarter, with a host of game types and themes planned. Some games will be set within the world of Exandria, the home to Critical Role's campaigns, while others will stretch outside that established world. Darrington Press will be run by Ivan Van Norman, and creative advisor (and Critical Role CCO and Game Master) Matthew Mercer.   Here's a breakdown of all four newly announced games:

Uk’otoa 

(Q1 2021) is the first game from Darrington Press, and will cost $29.99 and be recommended for 3 - 5 players, ages 12+. Featuring estimated 30-45 minute gameplay sessions, Uk'otoa is "A battle for life and death on the high Lucidian seas! This flagship title from Darrington Press is a tactical game of semi-cooperative card play as factions of sailors vie to be the last claimed by the raging sea leviathan Uk’otoa. As the ship slowly falls into the ocean, you’ll have to run, push, and sacrifice others to win! Fans of Critical Role know Uk'otoa as the ex-patron of warlock Fjord (played by Travis Willingham). Who could say whether these tales hold any truth? Fjord isn’t telling." The game was created by Jeb Haven (Burrows, Mother Sheep, You Don't Know My Life!), with additional game design by Gabriel Hicks (Roll20, Paizo, Mythic Grove), art by Critter Hannah Friederichs, as well as Uk’otoa Sculpt by Niklas Norman (Runewars, Imperial Assault, Fallout: The Board Game) and layout by Vee Hendro (Good Society: A Jane Austen RPG, Visigoths vs Mall Goths, and Lost Roads).   Speaking to IGN via email, Ivan Van Norman, the head of Darrington Press, explained that Jeb Havens' idea for the game concept actually came about long ago, and the two finally found an ideal home for it in Critical Role. "I was holding onto the game design that would become Uk’otoa for years, as I first found the game when I was going to Google Game Nights and met Jeb Havens there (fun fact: originally the sea monster was a giant squid). Jeb had been playing this game with his co-workers for a while, and I loved it so much we made a deal shortly afterwards to let me pursue the opportunity of making it a game," Van Norman said. 'Years later, when we started talking about the games in our first lineup, I brought up this concept to both Matt and our development team - and before the pitch was even out of my mouth we all collectively said ‘Uk’otoa!’ After everyone had a chance to play it, it was a done deal from there." As for why it's the first game in the linup, Van Norman said "It’s a quick-to-play, tactical card game that spotlights an amazing character in the world of Critical Role, but still serves a very relatable theme (giant sea serpent smashing boats and eating sailors) for gamers. It really does help us give people a taste of the world, while at the same time providing a fun game that Critters (and non-Critters) can play with their friends and family. "Also, who doesn't want to paint a 52mm sea serpent miniature for their games?"  

Critical Role Adventures

Critical Role Adventures (Q2 2021) is the second game from Darrington Press and will put players in the shoes of Vox Machina themselves. The official description reads: "Embark on your own journey through Exandria with Critical Role Adventures! Play as the upstart adventurers Vox Machina and overcome treacherous challenges. This cooperative legacy-lite campaign game uses a unique narrative social, and combat mechanic, luring you back session after session. Within this enormous box, you'll find a host of hidden treasures and a rich storybook to guide you through thrilling combat, dynamic character growth, and tales worthy of the name Vox Machina." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/04/critical-role-the-legend-of-vox-machina-animated-special-trailer"] Van Norman explained that CRA is still "heavily in development" and so not too much can be said about what players can expect beyond the announcement info. But he did confirm that "the focus will be on exploring new stories, instead of just 'playing through Campaign I.'" And as for replayability, Van Norman said "As a legacy lite game, we want folks to both have a narrative rewarding playthrough, but also feel comfortable playing with a new group of friends should they want to."

Syndicult

Syndicult (Q3 2021) is "an original modern magic roleplaying game designed by Matthew Mercer in which mob families jealously guard secrets and battle it out for power on the city streets. Featuring a simple storytelling dice mechanic, Syndicult is a low magic world where all bets are off." Van Norman said Syndicult will mark the first game outside of Exandria for Darrington Press, but it is "still within the comfortable, familiar mind of Matthew Mercer."

Guardians of Matrimonia

Guardians of Matrimonia (Q4 2021) "is a cooperative card game where players have pre-built decks that are pitted against a deck of monsters (party crashers). If your deck runs out, everyone loses. But if you battle your way through the entire party crasher deck, everyone wins!" The announcement of Darrington Press is only the latest step in Critical Role's impressive expansion efforts. Last year, the team created a record-breaking Kickstarter that has now led to a Critical Role animated series coming to Amazon Prime. The team also furthered its philanthropy with a new fundraising organization, Critical Role Foundation, and announced the continuation of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, the comic book series based on Campaign I. And if you want to explore even more of Critical Role beyond the company's weekly shows, you can also dive into the official Dungeons and Dragons Explorer's Guide to Wildemount book. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

This week in Red Dead Online, chase after a new Legendary Animal, claim massive discounts, and participate in the Dead of Night Featured Series.