The Nagasaki Prefecture and Tsushima Island tourism associations have partnered with Sucker Punch's Ghost of Tsushima. The Tsushima City x Ghost of Tsushima website includes a brief history of Tsushima Island and its major landmarks, many of which appear in the game. As well as grounding Tsushima's location in relation to Japan, the helpful site offers some historical context for the Mongol invasions of Japan and the Komoda Beach event, which occurs during Ghost of Tsushima's prologue. There's also a fun section which contextualizes real-life landmarks from Tsushima Island, some of which also appear in-game. The website copy rounds off with a brief primer on Tsushima's culinary culture and the activities you can expect to take part in if you do plan a visit. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/14/ghost-of-tsushima-gameplay-exploring-tsushima"] One section contains a quote from Sucker Punch's development team about its in-game depiction of Tsushima Island. "In GHOST OF TSUSHIMA, the world of the game takes inspiration from the actual island of Tsushima and is therefore not a blueprint of the locale but rather portrays elements taken from reality. The ambitious challenge in store for us was how much of this realistic setting should be incorporated into the game, and what kind of story we want to tell," the statement reads. Our review of Ghost of Tsushima went live last week - we scored the game a 9, calling it an "excellent action game" with a "gorgeous" open world. In other Sucker Punch news, check out this leaked vertical slice of a cancelled IP codenamed Prophecy. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Extensive gameplay from a cancelled project worked on by Ghost of Tsushima developer Sucker Punch has leaked online, and is codenamed Prophecy. The leak first appeared on 4Chan and appears to stem from the portfolio of a Sucker Punch character artist, uncovered via Ghost of Tsushima's credits. The employee's portfolio has since been taken down, but not before fans managed to rehost a 10-minute vertical slice of a game called Prophecy, which can be viewed here. Just bear in mind that it will most likely be taken down in the near future. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/14/ghost-of-tsushima-gameplay-exploring-tsushima"] The footage combines cinematics with gameplay and looks fairly far along in development. It follows the protagonist, Abel Tvorah, something of an outlaw whose home city has been overrun by a masked enclave - they tear down a statue of its beloved king. The protagonist is looking for a secret chamber underneath the statue but is thrown into an exciting chase sequence after being branded a thief. The combat looks similar to Ghost of Tsushima, and you can see how some of the game's systems such as smoke bombs and crawling under buildings were tinkered to fit Sucker Punch's eventual release. The setting is totally different though, offering a steampunk vision of a medieval city. The protagonist eventually falls into a house after being tagged with an arrow and meets a shady side character, before Prophecy shows off what looks to be its defining graphical feature - a special powder used by the protagonist to burn through metal armour and iron grates. The demo ends with Abel donning the armour of the city's captors, reflecting on how he needs to find the chamber before they do. As well as the video, you can also check out some renders of the game's main protagonist and enemies, posted to ResetEra by user Oozer. According to Oozer, the game's files suggest the main character was called Abel, and the name and data tied to the vertical slice file suggest it was made (or first hosted) around five years ago, in 2015 or 2016. As we reported last week, Ghost of Tsushima could have been a game about Pirates, Rob Roy or the Three Musketeers - the development team toyed with a number of ideas before settling on the Mongol invasion of Tsushima. Perhaps Prophecy was one of them? [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The G.I. Joe Classified Series, Hasbro's modern 6-inch G.I. Joe collectible figure line, is introducing a new set of figures, including a Cobra Island Baroness with C.O.I.L. action figure and vehicle. Transformers, another Hasbro property is also getting a new figure by way of its Studio Series line: Leadfoot from Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Check out the new Joes and Transformer in the galleries below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gi-joe-classified-target-exclusives&captions=true"] [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=transformers-studio-series-leadfoot-figure&captions=true"] Unlike previous G.I. Joe Classified gems like the Profit Director Destro or the first wave, featuring Snake Eyes, introduced earlier in the year, the newest wave of figures is a Target-exclusive in the US, as well as the Leadfoot Studio Series Transformer. Preorders for the figures go live tomorrow at 9 am ET.

• Cobra Island Baroness - $39.99 (Target Exclusive)
• Road Block - $19.99 (Target Exclusive)
• Cobra Trooper - $19.99 (Target Exclusive)
• Beach Head - $19.99 (Target Exclusive)
• Transformers Studio Series Leadfoot - $19.99 (Target Exclusive)

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is Executive Editor, IGN Commerce, and rabid '80s kid who just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.  

HBO has begun the casting process for its Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon. House of the Dragon was ordered straight to series by HBO last October, though word on the series has been quiet since then. Much like the rest of the TV industry, this series likely saw its production scheduling reshaped in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but casting has now commenced, according to Entertainment Weekly. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=game-of-thrones-every-major-characters-first-and-last-appearance&captions=true"] House of the Dragon is a prequel set in the universe of HBO's Game of Thrones series, based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood book. Both the book and the HBO series are based on Martin's Game of Thrones book series. The Game of Thrones TV show ended last year and House of the Dragon will be the first venture back into Westeros since that controversial finale. Fire & Blood is a book about the history of House Targaryen and it's set 300 years before Game of Thrones. It covers over 100 years of Targaryen history and sees many a leader rise to fame and fall from grace within it. EW reports its sources say that the famous Dance of Dragons, a civil war between Targaryens, will be a part of the show at some point. It's possible the series could center around Aegon's Conquest, a destructive war that saw Aegon Targaryen usher in the reign of House Targaryen, something frequently referenced in Game of Thrones. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/13/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-prequel-series-in-development-ign-now"] Ryan Condal, best known for writing the TV series Colony and 2018's Rampage, will serve as the showrunner alongside Miguel Sapochnik, who directed some episodes of Game of Thrones. He will direct the pilot and an unspecified number of episodes afterward. HBO has ordered 10 episodes for the series. It's expected to premiere in 2022. House of Dragons will be the first Game of Thrones prequel series to hit HBO but not the first one announced by the company. An Age of Heroes-focused prequel starring Naomi Watts was set to happen but has since been cancelled. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Sideshow Collectibles' massive booth displays are always one of the highlights of San Diego Comic-Con. And though there isn't a physical Comic-Con this year, Sideshow is keeping tradition alive by hosting a virtual "Sideshow Con" from July 20-25. In addition to various sales and giveaways, Sideshow is offering a new glimpse at some truly amazing collectibles in the works. From a long-awaited new Silver Surfer statue to the triumphant return of the Star Wars Mythos line, check out the slideshow gallery below to see all the new reveals from Sideshow Con. We'll continue to update the gallery as more announcements are made. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sideshow-con-all-the-new-marvel-dc-and-star-wars-collectibles-revealed&captions=true"] The Silver Surfer Maquette is easily among the most heavily anticipated Sideshow pieces in a long time, This is Sideshow's first time revisiting that character since the Silver Surfer Comiquette released in 2009. The long-running feud between Marvel and Fox over the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties no doubt played a part in that long drought, but at least Sideshow is making up for lost time now. Sideshow and Hot Toys are clearly focusing a great deal on The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian when it comes to future Star Wars releases. Sideshow recently revived the Mythos line of 1:5 scale statues, and now we've gotten our first glimpse of the new Obi-Wan Kenobi statue. Whereas the previous Obi-Wan Mythos statue and 1:6 scale figure were inspired by his time on Tatooine, this new statue depicts Master Kenobi in his Clone Wars armor. Sideshow is hardly the only company teasing some major new releases during Comic-Con. Recently we've also gotten a glimpse of a massive Marvel Legends Sentinel figure and a hilarious Hot Wheels tribute to an iconic Avengers: Endgame scene. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/20/build-supermans-gaming-pc-whats-inside-henry-cavills-beastmode-gaming-rig-ign-news"] Be sure to check out our breakdown of the 24 coolest exclusive collectibles at this year's Comic-Con. [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.

Logic has signed a deal to stream exclusively on Twitch. Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, the rapper known as Logic and in some cases, Bobby Boy and Young Sinatra, has announced in an interview with The Verge that he has signed a deal with Twitch just days after announcing his retirement from rap. Logic has been streaming on Twitch for a couple of years and in that time, has amassed over 65,000 followers and more than 1.5 million views. Twitch is seemingly banking on those numbers to go up. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/26/twitch-wants-streamers-to-sing-more-to-their-audience"] "I'm blessed enough to have millions of fans and followers," he said. "So it is a great partnership. I'm going to bring new eyes to their service, they're going to bring new money to my bank account, and — I'm just kidding." Jokes aside, they are bringing new money to his bank account in the form of seven-figures he said. This deal comes just days after Logic announced his retirement from rap. You can check out the announcement below.

Officially announcing my retirement with the release of “No Pressure” executive produced by No I.D. July 24th...

It’s been a great decade. Now it’s time to be a great father. Art by @SamSpratt pic.twitter.com/stgSU6dMBt — Bobby No Pressure (@Logic301) July 16, 2020

While it's easy to perceive Logic as a celebrity jumping into one of the most popular video game streaming platforms in the world, fans of him likely already know that he's a self-proclaimed nerd. His 2016 release, Bobby Tarantino, features a song called "Super Mario World" that sounds similar to the tunes of the game of the same name. That same song features a shoutout to Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4. Logic believes Twitch to be a tool to connect fans of his music to his love of gaming. "I think it's a powerful platform that allows me to connect with my fans in the best way possible," he said. "This is the place where if you want to interact with me, you're going to do it here. I'm not going to be on Twitch, having political debates. I'm going to be on Twitch, helping people smile after they've had a day of protesting or political debates, unwind and laugh and smile." He said his music is there if you're looking for his views of the world, something seemingly off-limit on his Twitch channel. His first stream as a new partner of Twitch will happen on July 21 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET. Logic will be premiering his new and supposed final album, No Pressure, there before it debuts elsewhere on July 24. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

After becoming a surprise hit during Sony's PS5 reveal event, the Bugsnax theme song — "ooOoo! Talkin' 'bout Bugsnax" — will be released on vinyl later this year. Performed by the British indie pop group Kero Kero Bonito, "It's Bugsnax!" comes on a custom seven-inch vinyl record in a strawberry-scented scratch-n-sniff jacket. Preorders cost $12 USD on iam8bit, with shipments going out in Q4 2020. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="573"] Bugsnax on vinyl. (Image: iam8bit)[/caption] The earworm of a theme song debuted alongside Bugsnax during the PS5 event in June. Developed by Young Horses (Octodad), Bugsnax takes players to Snaktooth Island, home to bug-snack hybrid creatures, like the googly-eyed strawberry seen on the album art above. The game itself is a first-person adventure in which you study the behaviors of various Bugsnax, according to Young Horses president Philip Tibitoski. The developer has yet to show off gameplay, though Kevin Geisler, a programmer on Bugsnax, lists Ape Escape, Viva Piñata, Pokemon Snap, and Dark Cloud among its inspirations. Bugsnax will be released on PS5, PS4, and PC this holiday. Head to IGN's PS5 wiki for the full list of confirmed games coming to Sony's next-gen system. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/bugsnax-announcement-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

After becoming a surprise hit during Sony's PS5 reveal event, the Bugsnax theme song — "ooOoo! Talkin' 'bout Bugsnax" — will be released on vinyl later this year. Performed by the British indie pop group Kero Kero Bonito, "It's Bugsnax!" comes on a custom seven-inch vinyl record in a strawberry-scented scratch-n-sniff jacket. Preorders cost $12 USD on iam8bit, with shipments going out in Q4 2020. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="573"] Bugsnax on vinyl. (Image: iam8bit)[/caption] The earworm of a theme song debuted alongside Bugsnax during the PS5 event in June. Developed by Young Horses (Octodad), Bugsnax takes players to Snaktooth Island, home to bug-snack hybrid creatures, like the googly-eyed strawberry seen on the album art above. The game itself is a first-person adventure in which you study the behaviors of various Bugsnax, according to Young Horses president Philip Tibitoski. The developer has yet to show off gameplay, though Kevin Geisler, a programmer on Bugsnax, lists Ape Escape, Viva Piñata, Pokemon Snap, and Dark Cloud among its inspirations. Bugsnax will be released on PS5, PS4, and PC this holiday. Head to IGN's PS5 wiki for the full list of confirmed games coming to Sony's next-gen system. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/bugsnax-announcement-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Mario Kart Tour is finally getting a landscape mode. Nintendo's mobile games have been met with financial success but that doesn't stop them from receiving their share of criticism. Since the launch of Mario Kart Tour, players have been wondering why a landscape mode doesn't exist and in turn, asking for one to be implemented. Just two months shy of its original launch day, the game is finally getting a landscape mode. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/26/mario-kart-tour-charges-you-money-to-play-as-mario"] "Here's a sneak peek at some of the content that's planned for the next #MarioKartTour update," a tweet from the official Mario Kart Tour account reads. "Players will have the option of racing in either the existing portrait mode or the new landscape mode!" You can check out the new viewing mode in action below.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the content that's planned for the next #MarioKartTour update. Players will have the option of racing in either the existing portrait mode or the new landscape mode! Landscape mode includes a new control layout, so find your favorite way to play! pic.twitter.com/KchRRfnGtj

— Mario Kart Tour (@mariokarttourEN) July 20, 2020

As you can see, the landscape mode will come with a unique control layout to make it feel right at home when playing horizontally. The original vertical portrait mode will still exist for players not looking to switch up the game's controls. Landscape mode will come with the game's next update which is scheduled to hit Android and iOS devices on July 21. For more Mario Kart Tour, read about how the game's last big update brought multiplayer to the game. We updated our thoughts on the game after that update and you can read about that in our Mario Kart Tour review. Despite the apparent financial success of Nintendo's mobile games, it hasn't been enough for the company which is why it's reportedly moving away from the mobile market. If you're jumping into Mario Kart Tour for the first time, be sure to check out the official IGN Mario Kart Tour Wiki Guide. It's filled with how-to guides, things the game doesn't tell you, a guide to all of its challenges and so much more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. He wrote the Mario Kart Tour guide! You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Mario Kart Tour is finally getting a landscape mode. Nintendo's mobile games have been met with financial success but that doesn't stop them from receiving their share of criticism. Since the launch of Mario Kart Tour, players have been wondering why a landscape mode doesn't exist and in turn, asking for one to be implemented. Just two months shy of its original launch day, the game is finally getting a landscape mode. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/26/mario-kart-tour-charges-you-money-to-play-as-mario"] "Here's a sneak peek at some of the content that's planned for the next #MarioKartTour update," a tweet from the official Mario Kart Tour account reads. "Players will have the option of racing in either the existing portrait mode or the new landscape mode!" You can check out the new viewing mode in action below.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the content that's planned for the next #MarioKartTour update. Players will have the option of racing in either the existing portrait mode or the new landscape mode! Landscape mode includes a new control layout, so find your favorite way to play! pic.twitter.com/KchRRfnGtj

— Mario Kart Tour (@mariokarttourEN) July 20, 2020

As you can see, the landscape mode will come with a unique control layout to make it feel right at home when playing horizontally. The original vertical portrait mode will still exist for players not looking to switch up the game's controls. Landscape mode will come with the game's next update which is scheduled to hit Android and iOS devices on July 21. For more Mario Kart Tour, read about how the game's last big update brought multiplayer to the game. We updated our thoughts on the game after that update and you can read about that in our Mario Kart Tour review. Despite the apparent financial success of Nintendo's mobile games, it hasn't been enough for the company which is why it's reportedly moving away from the mobile market. If you're jumping into Mario Kart Tour for the first time, be sure to check out the official IGN Mario Kart Tour Wiki Guide. It's filled with how-to guides, things the game doesn't tell you, a guide to all of its challenges and so much more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. He wrote the Mario Kart Tour guide! You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.