Cloud Gardens has been announced for Steam Early Access, and its creator describes it as a "chill game about using plants to overgrow post-industrial wasteland dioramas". To me, it looks like a game where you play as Mother Nature in The Last of Us. Created by Kingdom: New Lands developer Noio, the core game takes place across tiny stetches of ground, across which the player needs to spread nature across as much of the environment as possible. However, to earn the energy to grow those plants, they first need to 'decorate' the area with the scuzzed-up, broken down remnants of industrial civilisation. The result is a series of tiny, beautified slices of urban decay that look like voxel-ised versions of the landscapes in The Last of Us' overgrown apocalypse. I think it looks wonderful, and you can check out a trailer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/29/cloud-gardens-trailer"] The concept reminds me of my favourite element of last year's Concrete Genie, which saw you tasked with covering the walls of a grim, post-recession town with living paintings. You could just paint a boring line of flowers on there and be done with it, but I never did, because it was so much more satisfying and relaxing to spend the time creating mini-masterpieces across the game world. I imagine I'll have the same impulse here, prettying up my creations well after the game tells me I can move on. For those less interested in the 'campaign' aspect, however, there will be a full sandbox mode with no goals, where players can create for the sake of creation (and lovely screenshots). The game will come to Early Access later this year, and will stay in that state for around 3 months, allowing Noio to to modify the core loop using player feedback. "This might be an extensive rework, or a tuning modification," continues the Steam description. "We will fix bugs and polish the UI. As we work on those things, we also continue work on the remaining chapters that we did not include in the EA launch, and will release that along with the updates." You can wishlist the game now. We have Noio's breakout game, Kingdom, a 7.7 review, calling it "a gorgeous and addictive test of city management". [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.

The Outer Worlds publisher Private Division has announced that it's signed agreements to publish new games by Moon Studios (Ori & the Blind Forest), Roll7 (OlliOlli) and League of Geeks (Armello). Details about the games are scant: Moon Studios' game will be a "a compelling action RPG", League of Geeks will be announcing a new IP, and Roll7 will be taking "the next jump forward in their mission to create awesome, flow state games." Don't expect to be playing any of these games too soon, however – none of the studios have formally announced the projects, and the first of them won't arrive until parent company Take-Two's fiscal year 2022. All the new games are in early development, and announcements about each project will come "in the future". No specific platforms have been announced at this time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/10/ori-and-the-will-of-the-wisps-review"] “Developing the Ori series over the last decade has been a fantastic experience for our team, and we’re thrilled to now be aiming our sights even higher with a new action RPG,” said Moon co-founders Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol in a press release. “We attribute our success to the ‘iterative polish’ process we use at Moon Studios, and we’re continuing that style of development to create a new game that rises above anything we’ve created thus far.” Private Division was created by Take-Two as a publishing label for independent developers. So far, it's published The Outer Worlds, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, and Disintegration, as well as republishing Kerbal Space Program. [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.

Phil Spencer has said that news on backwards compatibility for Xbox Series X should be coming in August, sparking speculation that the previously-rumoured August Xbox event (and possible Xbox Series S reveal) event is legitimate. Speaking on iJustine's Same Brain podcast, Spencer discussed the work of the backwards compatibility team on Xbox Series X, and praised their work on optimizing older games for the next-gen console. He then added: "I'm encouraged to be able to talk more about it - should be August. I think August we'll have more to say on that." While Spencer is specifically referring to backwards compatibility news, many have connected the August timing to previous rumours about an Xbox event set to take place during the same month. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/interview-head-of-xbox-phil-spencer-unlocked-437"] Those rumours point to the formal announcement of Xbox Series S (or Xbox Lockhart), a lower-priced, lower performance version of the Series X. It's not too much of a speculative leap to imagine that the backwards compatibility news could apply to how older games will perform on the new console model. Earlier this week, we saw an image of a supposed white Xbox Series X controller surface, which added to the Lockhart buzz. If true, it would mark the second major Xbox event in two months, following the Xbox Games Showcase - we thought some of that show worked, and some didn't, so hopefully Xbox will be reacting to those concerns in any future events. [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.

Games Workshop, the company behind the Warhammer tabletop miniature games and lore universes, has stated in its latest annual report that it aims for AAA Warhammer video games to be launched in the future, and is signing new development licences every few months. The report explains that “Our goal is AAA video games. We have signed multiple licences and we continue to negotiate many more, we will update you once they are announced. At the time of writing, we have 73 licences and are signing new ones every 2-3 months.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/warhammer-40k-darktide-announcement-trailer"] Warhammer video games are not in short supply, but Games Workshop’s goal of AAA games suggests that it is looking beyond what we’ve seen from the licence in recent years. Take one look at the Warhammer search results on Steam, and you’ll find that the many of the games based in the universes have mixed reviews, come from small studios, and look a little on the low-budget side. The Warhammer community in general is constantly wishing that big-budget titles in the guise of games like Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War and Space Marine - both developed by Relic in the 2000s - would be negotiated by Games Workshop. With Games Workshop entering into licence deals with new developers every 2-3 months, it appears that we may be getting multiple high-budget Warhammer video games in the future. There are currently a small selection of Warhammer licenced video games that we know are in active development. The Xbox Series X Games Showcase revealed Warhammer 40,000 Darktide, and recently Planet Coaster developer Frontier announced that it is creating an RTS in the Warhammer: Age of Sigmar setting. Then there are three games coming from Focus Interactive; two Warhammer 40,000 games from Streum On Studio and Saber Interactive, and an Age of Sigmar title from Gasket Games. Based on the histories of these studios, it seems sensible to assume that at least Frontier is working on a AAA game, while Darktide from Fatshark will certainly be closer to AAA than many other Warhammer games. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/09/25/the-first-19-minutes-of-total-war-warhammer-2"] The Warhammer universes - broadly split into two areas, the fantasy Age of Sigmar and the sci-fi Warhammer 40,000 - have become increasingly popular over the last few years, with the 2019/2020 financial year being Games Workshop’s best in its entire history. The expansive settings cover everything from dungeon crawling adventures to space battles to all-out planetary wars, and so are ripe for a multitude of video game genres. Hopefully we’ll see AAA games in the settings within the next few years. For some recent AAA Warhammer, check out our review of Total War: Warhammer 2. Or if you’re happy to play something with a more modest budget, why not try Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

The Boys and Star Trek star Karl Urban has revealed that he had a secret cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, confirming that he has ticked off another of his "life-long goals" by appearing in the epic space-opera franchise. In an interview with Digital Spy, Urban, who portrays vengeful vigilante Billy Butcher in Amazon's The Boys, shared some details about his mysterious role in The Rise of Skywalker, as he revealed that he suited up to play a stormtrooper in the final instalment of the Skywalker saga. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=31-celebrity-cameos-in-the-star-wars-sequel-trilogy&captions=true"] Urban highlighted the exact moment that he appears on the screen, revealing that he even has a line of dialogue in the scene. The actor confirmed that he says "Knights of Ren" as the enclave of masked warriors follow Kylo Ren on his journey to the desert world of Pasaana, passing by two stormtroopers on their way out. "I am one of those stormtroopers," Urban admitted. "I had the good fortune to go and visit JJ Abrams [the film's director] while he was shooting The Rise of Skywalker," he added, explaining the process behind his cameo. "While I was there, he put me in a stormtrooper uniform and we had a really fun day on set. It's been one of my life-long goals to be a stormtrooper, so I can tick that off now." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/08/whats-next-for-star-wars-after-the-rise-of-skywalker"] The Star Wars sequel trilogy is bursting with blink-and-you'll-miss-them celebrity cameos spanning all four corners of the galaxy, and Urban's brief appearance and voice cameo in The Rise of Skywalker is another fleeting moment in the saga, which could be so easily missed on first viewing of the 2019 film. In recent months, we have continued to learn behind-the-scenes details about The Rise of Skywalker. The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker book shed new light on axed storylines and a tank-like version of BB-8, while Anthony Daniels told IGN that C-3PO nearly had a bigger role in Episode IX. For even more on the final Skywalker Saga film, find out why we think The Skywalker Legacy documentary is essential viewing after The Rise of Skywalker. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Suikoden successor, Eiyuden Chronicle is coming to Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and any Nintendo next-gen console that may appear.

System requirements for the Horizon Zero Dawn PC port have arrived ahead of the game's launch next week. Revealed via the Horizon Zero Dawn Steam page, we can now see the minimum and recommended specifications necessary to play the game.

Horizon Zero Dawn - Minimum Specs

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 64-bits
• Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K@3.3GHz or AMD FX 6300@3.5GHz
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 (3 GB) or AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB)
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 100 GB available space

Horizon Zero Dawn - Recommended Specs

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 64-bits
• Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K@3.5GHz or Ryzen 5 1500X@3.5GHz
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
• DirectX: Version 12
• Storage: 100 GB available space

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/03/horizon-zero-dawn-complete-edition-pc-features-trailer"] Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition will launch on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on August 7th, 2020. We included Horizon's setting in our article running through the best open worlds in video games - check out what else made the cut. A sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn was revealed during the PS5 Showcase in early June. The game, titled Horizon: Forbidden West, will see Aloy encounter new robot fiends and friends on the West Coast of America. It seems unlikely we'll see that sequel on PC anytime too soon, given PlayStation chief Jim Ryan wants to make PS5 exclusives that make the most of the new console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Activision has announced the full lineup of new songs that will be in the upcoming Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. This includes 37 songs that range from old-school 90s rap to ska punk. The developers previously announced that only five songs from the combined original soundtracks of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 will be missing from the remake. This was due to licensing issues that may have expired. Those tracks are:

• "Cyco Vision" - Suicidal Tendencies (THPS1)
• "Committed" – Unsane (THPS1)
• "Bring the Noise" - Anthrax and Chuck D (THPS2)
• "B-Boy Document ’99" - The High & Mighty featuring Yasiin Bey & Mad Skillz (THPS2)
• "Out With The Old" - Alley Life featuring Black Planet (THPS2)

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/12/tony-hawks-pro-skater-1-and-2-remake-gameplay-details"] Tonky Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 kept iconic tracks like “Superman” by Goldfinger as well as the rest of the original soundtrack lineup. But Activision will also be adding 37 new tracks to the remake as announced via Noisey’s YouTube channel. See the full list of new artists being added below:

• A Tribe Called Quest
• A. Swayze & the Ghosts
• Alex Lahey
• All Talk
• American Nightmare
• Backchat
• Baker Boy
• Billy Talent
• Black Prez ft. Kid Something
• CHAII
• Charlie Brown Jr.
• Cherry Kola
• Chick Norris
• Craig Craig ft. Icy Black
• Crush Effect ft. KARRA
• Destroy Boys
• DZ Deathrays
• FIDLAR
• JunkBunny
• Less Than Jake
• Machine Gun Kelly
• Merkules
• MxPx
• Pkew Pkew Pkew
• Reel Big Fish
• Rough Francis
• Screaming Females
• Skepta
• Spilt Milk
• Strung Out
• Sublime
• Super Best Frens Club
• The Ataris
• Token
• Tyrone Briggs
• Viagra Boys
• Zebrahead

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 is a remake that will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Epic Game Store on September 4, 2020. You can check out IGN’s in-depth Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater preview for gameplay details, new info, and screenshots. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-tony-hawk-game-review&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Universal Pictures and AMC Theaters have reached a deal that shortens the time between when a movie premieres in theaters to when it’s able to move to other platforms like digital VOD. The new deal makes it so that Universal can move its films after just three weeks in theaters. Traditionally, movie distributors and cinemas agreed to let a movie run in theaters for 90 days before getting the option to make films available in homes. As reported by The New York Times, the new deal shortens this time considerably to just 17 days. After which films have the option to be distributed via premium video-on-demand services. Universal will also be able to control whether a film plays in theaters longer than 17 days, meaning it can choose to keep movies like Fast and Furious and Jurassic World in theaters for longer if need be. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] “The partnership we’ve forged with AMC is driven by our collective desire to ensure a thriving future for the film distribution ecosystem and to meet consumer demand with flexibility and optionality,” says Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley in a statement. AMC and Universal previously were in a dispute just a few months ago. The theater chain announced it would no longer show Universal Pictures releases in cinemas after Universal released the animated film Trolls World Tour on VOD while theaters were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This new agreement overturns AMC’s decision. Theaters have been left particularly vulnerable to the pandemic as social distancing rules become the norm. Highly anticipated films like Tenet have been delayed repeatedly, and will now premiere first in international theaters where Covid curves have been flattened, before premiering in the U.S. This deal has potentially seismic implications for other movie distributors as the film industry continues to find a way forward during the pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Marvel’s Avengers offers a globetrotting – and as we’ve seen in some trailers, off-globe – adventure that will send Earth’s mightiest heroes out to any number of locations at launch and in the future. Built to last, Avengers will introduce new locations for free to players as post-launch content is introduced, but the campaign and launch War Zone missions will let players have a chance to dive into this new take on the Marvel team. With that new take on a beloved team came the opportunity to explore familiar and new settings, and as part of our IGN First coverage, developer Crystal Dynamics ran us through some of the decisions the team made in order to make a world worthy of its heroes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-character-combat-breakdown&captions=true"]

West Coast Avengers...Sort Of

While The Avengers are primarily associated with New York City, Marvel’s Avengers sees the team expanding to the west coast of the United States, with a new San Francisco HQ. Rather than being a riff on the West Coast Avengers team of the comics, Creative Director Shaun Escayg explained how this new home reflects the current state of this Avengers team. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-how-ms-marvel-is-the-games-unexpected-hero-ign-first"] “We wanted to have the Avengers start at their peak. Arrogant. Overzealous. This expansion was a symbol to their commitment to a world protected by heroes. Terrigen was the new energy source that powered the Chimera and an energy source that could change the world for the better,” he explained. “They were even willing to risk displaying this untested technology despite not knowing enough about Terrigen and its source, to reaffirm this commitment. This was their mistake and it cost them everything; their good name, and their Captain.” And as we’ve seen from the A-Day intro to the game, Captain America seemingly meets his end in a massive explosion that also causes an end to the Avengers, at least for now. Years pass and the team disbands, giving way to a world that George Tarleton, aka MODOK, and the scientists at AIM seek to rule and keep order over using science, rather than a team of heroes.

The Aims of AIM

Those years between A-Day and where the rest of Marvel’s Avengers story picks up allows AIM to proliferate its reach over the world. Crystal Dynamics wanted to offer a unique look to these AIM facilities. “AIM facilities are based on a brutalist approach to architecture, featuring the contrast of simple material surfaces and intricate mechanical components. We adopted the idea of the AIM hex icon from the idea of a hive mentality, using bees and their uniform honeycomb structures as a jumping off point,” Art Director Brenoch Adams explained. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvels-avengers-outfits&captions=true"] “The hex pattern, as well as a dominating percentage of the color yellow, is often used as a theme throughout the architecture in terms of layout and identification. Whether in dense forests or sprawling cities, AIM makes a visual statement with their palette and bold presence in the world.” And that presence is something players will be fighting against, either alone or with friends, across the globe, accessing new missions from the Helicarrier that will serve as a hub both during the main game and in the future.

Around the World

Because the Helicarrier’s mission structure allows for Crystal Dynamics to essentially make any location around the world a possible level, there’s plenty of variety the developers can instill in this adventure. As Adams explained to us, though, particularly when it comes to authored, campaign missions, the team strived to make sure that every level worked well for the hero or heroes that would be present in those missions. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-combat-breakdown-black-widow-captain-america-hulk"] “Each space, interior and exterior, was designed for all heroes to utilize their specific skill sets. With a character as large as Hulk, the sets need to remain open and able to accommodate his larger than life moves, and still let heroes such as Black Widow or Ms Marvel use their combat and traversal mechanics appropriately,” Adams said. And with War Zone missions, where players can choose whichever hero they want to play as, that both means the team needed to make spaces that allowed for every hero to shine, but were also still fun regardless of what hero a player chooses. “Having enough open space for the heroes to move comes with its difficulties. Environment sets must have a size and shape that balances plausibility, and character metrics, which was a substantial challenge. We never want to restrict any of the heroes from feeling mighty and powerful, so the environment designs are built for brutal destruction, and lend players the opportunity to fulfill the fantasy of being their favorite hero no matter the location.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-avengers-preview-playing-as-thor-and-ms-marvel"] The variety of locations also stems from a few opportunities the team seized on — namely, integrating both a host of real-world and fictional Marvel locations, as well as wanting to explore the juxtaposition of rural and urban settings to allow for a host of different levels. “One of the things we explored in this title was the contrast of rural and urban settings, and how they provide the feeling of variety and global stakes throughout the narrative. There are a number of important Marvel landmarks nested in real world locations that were must-haves,” Adams said. “Some of these locations have been augmented to fit the world state in our story. In New York, Avengers tower is reclaimed by AIM after the catastrophic events of A-day. In Jersey City, we have a location that Kamala Kahn fans will most certainly recognize. In San Francisco, Avengers West Coast Headquarters dominates the city skyline on Treasure Island. There are many more landmarks to discover and players must keep sharp, because while some of these landmarks are larger than life, many are hidden and require an attention to detail.” For more on our IGN First Marvel's Avengers coverage, check out our combat explainer for the playable Avengers, read up on how Marvel and Crystal Dynamics assembled for Marvel's Avengers, and check out the Avengers beta dates to know when you'll get to jump into the game's pre-launch beta.