It's the end of an era. AMC has announced that The Walking Dead is ending after Season 11 - although fans needn't despair, since the the wider Walking Dead universe isn't going anywhere. While the flagship show will conclude with a supersized Season 11 consisting of 24 episodes (which will air over the course of two years, concluding in 2022), AMC has greenlit a spinoff series focused on fan-favorite characters Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier. The Daryl and Carol spinoff, which is set to premiere in 2023, will be overseen by The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang and was co-created by Kang and executive producer Scott Gimple. In addition to the Daryl and Carol spinoff series, AMC is also developing an anthology series set in The Walking Dead universe titled "Tales of The Walking Dead," which is described as "an episodic anthology with individual episodes or arcs of episodes focused on new or existing characters, backstories or other stand-alone experiences." The self-contained structure of the new standalone series theoretically paves the way for episodes that could be centered around backstories we've seen in the comics but not on the show, such as Robert Kirkman's "Here's Negan" origin story and "Negan Lives" sequel about Jeffrey Dean Morgan's potty-mouthed character, or introducing characters from ancillary content into the world of the show (Clementine, anyone?). AMC notes that they're also developing other projects set within the Walking Dead universe - and we still have the Rick Grimes movie to look forward to, as well as the launch of the two-season limited series The Walking Dead: World Beyond on October 4. Check out an exclusive new trailer for World Beyond below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-exclusive-trailer"] As announced at San Diego Comic-Con, The Walking Dead has also expanded its tenth season with six additional episodes - the episode that was initially intended as the Season 10 finale, "A Certain Doom," was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will also air on October 4 before World Beyond premieres. The six additional episodes will bring Season 10's total episode count to 22, making it the longest season yet. For those keeping count - those six new episodes in Season 10 plus the 24 episodes announced for Season 11 mean we still have 30 new episodes of The Walking Dead to watch before we say goodbye to the series. “It's been ten years gone bye; what lies ahead are two more to come and stories and stories to tell beyond that,” said Gimple in a statement. “What’s clear is that this show has been about the living, made by a passionate cast, team of writer/producers, producers, and crew, bringing to life the vision put forth by Robert Kirkman in his brilliant comic — and supported by the best fans in the world. We have a lot of thrilling story left to tell on TWD, and then, this end will be a beginning of more Walking Dead -- brand new stories and characters, familiar faces and places, new voices, and new mythologies. This will be a grand finale that will lead to new premieres. Evolution is upon us. ‘The Walking Dead’ lives.” “I look forward to digging in with our brilliant writers, producers, directors, cast and crew to bring this epic final chapter of Robert Kirkman’s story to life for our fans over the next two years,” said Kang. “The Walking Dead flagship series has been my creative home for a decade and so it’s bittersweet to bring it to an end, but I could not be more excited to be working with Scott Gimple and AMC to develop a new series for Daryl and Carol. Working with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride has been a highlight of my career and I’m thrilled that we get to keep telling stories together.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/24/the-walking-dead-cast-react-to-season-10-finale-fan-predictions"] Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride also weighed in on Daryl and Carol's impending spinoff. “Of course, I’ve always enjoyed working so closely with Norman throughout these many seasons," said McBride. "In playing Carol, and as a viewer of the show, I’ve also long been intrigued with ‘Daryl and Carol,’ and by what so early on between them, even then, felt somehow bound. Their shared history is long, and each’s own personal fight to survive, even longer – the more obvious aspect of what has kept them close and loyal. But there is also a rather mysterious aspect to their fondness for one another that I enjoy, and their playfulness when the world permits. I’m very curious! Angela has a way of shaking things up in great and unexpected ways. She’s like a kid playing with the dimmer switch! I’m very excited!” “I feel incredibly honored to be a part of The Walking Dead. This show changed my life and career and everyone involved has truly been a family for me over the last decade," said Reedus. "I’m thankful for AMC’s love and support and know there’s so much more story to tell and so much more to bring the best fans in the world. Daryl’s relationship with Carol has always been my favorite relationship on the show (sorry Rick). I love the way these characters interact and relate to each other on so many levels and can’t wait to see where their ride goes from here.” “The Walking Dead made television history, and is one of those rare creative works that has given life to an entire content universe that is still in the early stages of growing and entertaining both new and established fans,” said Ed Carroll, chief operating officer of AMC Networks. “We can’t wait to bring viewers this expanded final season of The Walking Dead over the next two years, and launch the fourth series in the history of the franchise, focused on the beloved Daryl and Carol characters, with the incredibly talented Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Angela Kang, and Scott M. Gimple.  There really is so much ‘walking’ ahead, in a number of very exciting directions, for this extraordinary creative universe we call ‘The Walking Dead.’” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-and-worst-walking-dead-time-jumps&captions=true"]

Amazon listings have revealed the PS5 box art for five more games: Demon's Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Returnal, Gran Turismo 7 and Destruction AllStars. The art was posted to ResetEra by user Toumari, and appears to stem from Amazon Australia listings for upcoming  PS5 games, which can be viewed here. As well as box art that has previously been announced, we've now got our first look at the cover art for Demon's Souls, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Returnal, Gran Turismo 7 and Destruction AllStars, which you can check out in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-amazon-australia-box-art&captions=true"] Bear in mind that the box art for Demon's Souls, Gran Turismo 7 and Destruction AllStars has a little note attached stating that the art is not final, so it could be subject to change as we approach launch. The fact that the cover art for all of these games has been revealed already suggests that launch isn't too far away, though we're yet to receive official word on a release date for all of the titles mentioned above. Back in July, we got our first glimpse at the PS5 box art design via launch window title Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. In other PS5 news, check out this video comparing Nvidia's new GPUs to the PS5 and Xbox Series X. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Xbox Series S specs reveal a console that's almost identical to the Series X, just with less storage and a GPU scaled down to deliver 1440p instead of 4K.

Gears Tactics, the turn-based strategy game set in the Gears of War universe, will be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One on November 10, 2020. Gears of War on Twitter announced the news today alongside Microsoft's announcements that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will both also be released on November 10, 2020, and will cost $499 and $299, respectively. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/27/gears-tactics-review"] Gears Tactics, which will also be available on Xbox Game Pass, was released on PC on April 28, 2020, and, in our review, we said "Gears Tactics is an excellent turn-based tactics game that does a superb job of melding Gears’ famous style and action with the mechanics laid down by XCOM. It’s one intense and satisfying tactical battle after another, and it looks absolutely fantastic doing it." Now that Microsoft has revealed the launch dates of both of its next-gen consoles, other games are having their release dates revealed or moved to be available to purchasers on day one. Assassins' Creed Valhalla is one of these games, as its release date has been pushed up one week to November 10, 2020. Gears 5 will also be getting a free Xbox Series X | S upgrade when the new systems launch, and it will load four times faster than on Xbox One. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-gears-of-war-review-ever&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.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's release date has moved up one week to November 10, 2020, to match the launch of both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Revealed via Assassin's Creed on Twitter, Assassin's Creed Valhalla will also be released on November 10 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Google Stadia, and PC. It will be available as a launch title for PS5, but we still have yet to hear of its release date. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/12/assassins-creed-valhalla-hands-on"] Assassin's Creed Valhalla was originally scheduled to be released on November 17, 2020, but with the announcements of both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S' price and release dates, Ubisoft has decided to ensure fans with these new next-gen consoles will be able to play the latest entry in the Asssassin's Creed franchise on day one. In our hands-on with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, we said it "looks to be, as is the tradition of the series, an iterative update on its predecessors. If the new approach to RPG design and gear-based progression has put you off the series, this slice of the game indicates that you’ll likely be unconvinced by Valhalla’s barely altered direction. But the few changes it makes to those systems suggests developer Ubisoft Montreal may have a newfound confidence in its RPG abilities, and a willingness to embrace more of the genre’s toolset." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-ubisoft-forward-screenshots&captions=true"] As previously mentioned, this news is timed with the reveal that the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will both launch on November 10, 2020, and will cost $499 and $299, respectively. Pre-orders for both of Microsoft's next-gen systems will open on September 22, 2020. [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.

Microsoft has shown off the first gameplay footage from Xbox Series S, showing previously announced Series X games on the lower-powered console, and footage comparisons to Xbox One. In a video explaining Xbox Series S features, footage from Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Dirt 5, Watch Dogs Legion, Outriders, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Call of the Sea, Tetris Effect: Connected, The Medium was shown, all of which was being displayed on Xbox Series S. You can check out screenshots from games running on Series S below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-s-game-screenshots&captions=true"] We also saw current and last-gen games shown, including Gears 5 (which will run multiplayer at 120 FPS on Series S and Series X), The Outer Worlds (which was shown to load dramatically faster on Series S), Skate 3, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Minecraft Dungeons, and Black. We saw an extended montage of Quick Resume, switching between four different current-gen and past-gen games almost instantly. System architect Jason Ronald explained that development on next-gen games has been made "as easy as possible" so that games can be built seamlessly for Series S and X. He added that developers will typically optimise their game for Series X first and then scale down rendering resoluton for Series S, but keeping all of the new consoles' next-gen features. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/inside-the-xbox-series-s"] Ronald also explained how Series S will resemble and differ from Series X, explaining that they both include the same CPU architecture running at 3.6GHz, but have separate GPUs. The Series S GPU is designed specifically for a 1440p output, at up to 120 frames per second (with upscaling for 4K TVs). However, all next-gen features should be otherwise the same. Series S was formally announced yesterday at a $299 / £249 price point. Xbox Series X was today announced at a $499 price point, and pre-orders for both consoles will open on September 22, ahead of a November 10 release. Xbox All Access has also expanded to 12 countries, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate now includes a bonus EA Play subscription. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Xbox has announced that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will also include EA Play, the EA subscription service, for no additional cost, starting this Holiday season. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=23-best-xbox-game-pass-games&captions=true"] The announcement on the Xbox Wire website explains that Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC members will get EA Play at no additional cost, starting from this holiday. Game Pass Ultimate users will be able to access EA Play games on all Xbox consoles plus Windows 10 PCs, while Game Pass PC members - naturally - just get access to the PC version. Xbox also notes that some EA Play games will also be available for Game Pass Ultimate users to play on Android devices through xCloud. EA games supported by the streaming service have not yet been anounced. An EA Play membership - previously known as EA Access and Origin Access on PC - unlocks full access to over 60 EA games, including FIFA 20, Titanfall 2, Need for Speed Heat, Battlefield V, the Mass Effect games, and The Sims series. It also provides free trials of up to 10 hours for brand new games not currently part of the membership, including the upcoming FIFA 21, as well as some members-only challenges and rewards. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/ea-play-with-xbox-game-pass-ultimate-official-trailer"] The news comes at the same time as the full reveal of the new Xbox line up, including prices and launch dates for both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.  We've repeatedly called Xbox Game Pass one of the best deals in gaming, and the Xbox Series consoles will seemingly make it even better, with all Microsoft Studios games launching on the service, and Game Pass bridging console generations. This month, Game Pass Ultimate members will also get access to the xCloud game streaming service as part of their subscription. For now, here's our rundown of the best Xbox Game Pass games you can get as part of your membership today. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Series X will retail at $499 USD / £449, and that both Xbox Series consoles will be released on November 10. Pre-orders will open on September 22. Both consoles will join the Xbox All Access program (a subscription service that gets you a console and an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership), with Series X coming in at $34.99 / £28.99 a month, and Series S at $24.99 / £20.99. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and will also now include an EA Play membership from this holiday season. Ahead of September 22, make sure to check out our Xbox Series X pre-order guide.

This is the tweet...

Xbox Series X: $499 (ERP) Xbox Series S: $299 (ERP) Release date: November 10 Pre-order starts September 22: https://t.co/Dz5bRsAuwQ | #PowerYourDreams pic.twitter.com/MadZl4OOKJ — Xbox (@Xbox) September 9, 2020

Xbox All Access has also now expanded to 12 countries, which you can see below (with the retailers offering the service):

• Australia at Telstra
• Canada at EB Games
• Denmark at Elgiganten
• Finland at Gigantti
• France at FNAC
• New Zealand at Spark
• Norway at Elkjøp
• Poland at Media Expert
• South Korea at SK Telecom
• Sweden at Elgiganten
• UK at GAME and Smyths Toys
• United States at Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Microsoft Store, and Walmart

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] After a series of leaks yesterday, Microsoft confirmed that Xbox Series S will arrive on November 10 at a $299 / £249.99 price point. The less powerful of the Xbox Series consoles will be feature no disc drive, 1440p / 120FPS output, support raytracing, and include a 512GB custom SSD. Microsoft has made much of how powerful the Series X will be - you can see how it stacks up against the competition in our PS5 vs. Xbox Series X comparison chart. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/09/xbox-all-access-official-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Daisy Ridley has spoken about how Rey's parentage changed multiple times during the course of the creation of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and at one point there was even a link to the Kenobi family. Spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker follow. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/18/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-review"] The reveals came while Ridley was talking to Josh Gad on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Asked if she knew Rey's parentage from the beginning of Episode 7, Ridley was blunt: "No. At the beginning there was toying with an Obi-Wan connection, and then- there were, like, different versions. And then it really went to that she was no one. "And then it came to Episode 9, and J.J. pitched me the film and was like, 'Oh yeah, Palpatine's your grandaddy,' and I was like, 'Awesome.' And then two weeks later he was like, 'Oh, we're not sure'. So it kept changing, so then [audio cuts out] filming and I wasn't sure what the answer was going to be." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-best-star-wars-movie-moments&captions=true"] Gad followed up by asking who Rey's grandmother is, to which Ridley replied: "You tell me, Josh". Clearly there's no canon answer to the question that was left on the writer's room floor, at least to Ridley's knowledge. The interview also posed the question of if Ridley would like to reprise to the role of Rey. "I'd say never say never, but to me Rise of Skywalker was tied up with a bow," she said. Ridley isn't the only Star Wars cast member looking back at the series. John Boyega recently discussed the sequels in a much more negative light, criticising the way the films sidelined Finn. If the future of Star Wars is more your speed, then take a look at what's in store for The Mandalorian Season 2. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Nintendo is reportedly asking developers to make 4K-ready games, which could suggest that a new, higher-resolution console is on the way A Bloomberg report about Nintendo's plans to boost Switch production includes a brief mention of Nintendo's apparent request. Third-party developers have reportedly been asked "to make their games 4K-ready," which implies the company is at least considering a model of the console that can output at a higher resolution than Switch is currently capable of. That report comes shortly after we heard rumours of a new Nintendo Switch model with a better display. Those rumours say the console is currently in production, and is due for release in Q1 2021. Rumours of a Switch Pro have been bubbling for some time, with numerous reports arriving in January suggesting that the console would launch later in 2020. Nintendo was quick to bat away these rumours, noting that they had "no plans" to launch a new Nintendo Switch model this year. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-25-nintendo-switch-games&captions=true"] As for the current Switch models, Bloomberg notes that, after recovering from the effects of the Coronavirus on its supply chain, Nintendo has apparently increased production of the console once again to meet demand, with 30 million units set as the new goal for this fiscal year, according to the report's sources. In other Nintendo news, demand for the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection has made it the second best-selling game of 2020 on Amazon, coming in just behind Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The Nintendo Switch eShop also just received a series of customer-friendly improvements, such as being able to cancel pre-orders without payment up to a week before release. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.