Sure as sun follows rain, Assassin's Creed games will be shown off before Ubisoft want them to be, and today's seen another example for the perennially leaky series, with 30 minutes of gameplay footage making their way onto the internet. Marked with a clear "work in progress" tag (and seemingly uploaded in low resolution), the footage shows a player using the female version of lead character Eivor, and includes:  

• Open world exploration (which looks very similar to AC: Odyssey, although with a colour palette more familiar from The Witcher 3)
• Raven Sight (which reveals stats for Wealth, Mysteries and Secrets in the area)
• Longboat gameplay (with players bracing to mitigate damage)
• Combat amid a full castle siege (the player uses twin axes and a bow in this footage, has two ability wheels mapped to each controller trigger, and can use a battering ram to take down gates in their way)
• A boss battle that ends in a choice to either execute or spare the victim
• The game's skill menu (which takes the form of constellations, unlocks across multiple branches, and includes points to be spent on abilities or base stats)
• A look at the inventory menu (which heavily resembles those in both Origins and Odyssey, albeit seemingly without level requirements on equipment)
• A button to seemingly enter the game's Animus from the in-game menus (a seeming change from Odyssey's scripted out-of-Animus sections)
• A seemingly non-regenerating health bar (with the ability to eat berries from the environment to replenish it)
• A version of Odyssey's absolute best ability, the Spartan Kick, which I'm delighted about

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/30/assassins-creed-valhalla-trailer-breakdown-ign-rewind-theater"] The footage clearly isn't what Ubisoft would have hoped to be the first true gameplay shown to fans, particularly as it contains bugs that seem to affect cuts into and between cutscenes, as well as general visual issues throughout. Multiple versions of the footage have been uploaded and subsequently removed by Ubisoft since it first leaked. With the Ubisoft Forward conference coming this weekend, it seems likely we'll see the intended gameplay at the showcase. Ubisoft has not responded to requests for comment on the source of the footage, or whether it represents the game at its current stage of development. [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.

Flying Wild Hog and Devolver Digital have announced Shadow Warrior 3 for release in 2021. The latest addition to the first-person shooter-melee series sees antihero Lo Wang on the hunt to recapture an ancient dragon that he and sidekick Orochi Zilla have accidentally freed. You can watch a teaser trailer below, which features lots of violence, gratuitous use of a grappling hook, magic powers, and a very upset rabbit: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/06/shadow-warrior-3-announcement-teaser"] The game will arrive in 2021, but no specific release date has been announced as yet. The game will get a PC release, but no console platforms have been listed as yet. Gameplay for Shadow Warrior 3 will be revealed during this month's Devolver Direct broadcast, taking place on July 11. We awarded Shadow Warrior 2 an 8.6 review, calling it "an energetic shoot 'n' loot with great melee and ranged combat, co-op, and a pile of dirty jokes." [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 its showcase of Xbox Series X games, including first-party titles, will be broadcast on July 23. The livestream will begin at 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern / 5pm UK (that's July 24 at 2am AEST). We know the showcase will be games-focused, and will include showings of new games from the likes of Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and Obsidian. We know the show will also include Halo Infinite.

Xbox Games Showcase July 23rd 9am PT@SummerGameFest Pre-Show at 8am PT with @GeoffKeighley on @YouTubeGaming#XboxGamesShowcase pic.twitter.com/zGr5AnFwic

— Xbox (@Xbox) July 6, 2020

Recent rumours have also centred around the possibility of reveals for Fable 4 (potentially from Playground Games) and a new Perfect Dark (with speculation pointing to mysterious new 'AAAA' Microsoft studio, The Initiative). Those hoping to see the much-rumoured Xbox Series S may be disappointed, with rumours pointing to an August reveal. Xbox previously held a third-party focused showcase in May, which revealed the likes of Scorn, Second Extinction, and more. Some weren't happy with how that showcase played out, which Microsoft recognised, saying it "set some wrong expectations" - hopefully this new showcase has taken that feedback onboard. [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.

We're happy to announce that IGN is once again partnering with gamescom this year, where we'll be helping to recreate the show in its new digital form. gamescom 2020 runs from August 27-30, and kicks off with Opening Night Live. We'll be streaming that showcase and much, much more across every IGN platform, throughout the event.

LET’S GOOOO! #gamescom2020 is gearing up: @IGN & Webedia Germany are confirmed as official partners and will produce our #gamescom live shows! @geoffkeighley and @SWAIM_CORP are also part and #up4gamescom! More information: https://t.co/sYJ5gAYleA pic.twitter.com/mbIdQNtia3

— gamescom (@gamescom) July 6, 2020

Every day, we'll be bringing you the gamescom Studio stream, including live gameplay demos, exclusive interviews with developers and publishers, and daily news. We'll also be bringing you a daily wrap-up show, an indie showcase, and an awards show:  

• August 28-29 - gamescom Daily Show: Presented by IGN's Michael Swaim, the gamescom Daily Show will wrap up the day's highlights, as well as covering the likes of cosplay, esports, and more.
• August 29 - gamescom Awesome Indies: In this showcase, we'll be showing off the most exciting games from smaller developers at the show, shining a light on some of the industry's most original projects, and talking them through with their developers.
• August 30 - gamescom Best Of Show: Closing out gamescom 2020, we'll be handing out the gamescom awards, as well as showing off the results of the yearly cosplay competition.

  This year's gamescom is an exclusively digital event, and will be completely free to watch, with no event tickets required. We'll have more info for you on how to watch the show as we get closer to the event. [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.

Spanish voice actors for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 have said their work on the game is done, perhaps indicating that the game is a significant way through its development cycle. Reported by Gamereactor, Marc Navarro (Revali) and Nerea Alfonso (Zelda) told the hosts of the Un Café Con Nintendo podcast that they had finished their work on the still-undated sequel, before questioning whether they should have revealed that information. As pointed out by VGC, localized voice acting is often one of the final tasks for game audio design departments. This doesn't necessarily mean that the game as a whole is close to complete, but it may indicate that Breath of the Wild 2 is a significant way through production. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/12/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild-2-e3-reveal-trailer-breakdown-ign-rewind-theater"] That idea's supported by the fact that Nintendo began hiring for a new Zelda project back in 2018 - if those job listings referred to Breath of the Wild 2, it implies the game has been in production for some time. Nintendo's been very quiet about the sequel since its announcement at E3 2019, but we know the team has been drawing inspiration from Red Dead Redemption 2, and that producer Eiji Aonuma won't deny that it could have a co-op mechanic, or that you could play as Zelda herself. There's far more we don't know about the game - but here's everything we've learned about Breath of the Wild 2 so far. [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.

Development on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 will "temporarily drop below 100% efficiency" due to remote working, but the game's creators are confident that it won't have a major long-term impact. In an interview with The Guardian, co-director Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase were asked about the effects of COVID-19 on the first part's release. Kitase explained that the "release of the game happening during this unprecedented situation has blindsided us." He went on to discuss how Part 2's development has been touched by the pandemic: "At this current time, the team are still making the next game via remote working. Our performance will temporarily drop below 100% efficiency because of this, but I do not think there should be a big impact in the long term." Previously, we've heard that the game's co-director Tetsuya Nomura would prefer to adapt smaller chunks of the orignal FF7 at a faster pace. Some will be hoping that means we hear more about a follow-up soon, with Square Enix set to announce new games in July and August. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/square-enix-will-announce-several-new-games-in-july-and-august-ign-news"] As for what that Part 2 will include, the developers are being understandably cagey. With some fairly major changes to Part 1's story, the developers were asked if the sequel will continue to veer away from the original game's storyline. "I am not able to tell you the answer to that now," explained Kitase. "I understand that there is a lot of speculation among the fans; that is what we wanted and we’ve really enjoyed seeing these theories and guesses of what the ending means. We wanted the fans to keep the discussion going on social media and keep their excitement high as we head towards the next game." What they will confirm is that, as expected, classic villain Sephiroth will be a major part of the next installment, after he made unexpected appearances in the first part: "In the original game, Sephiroth did not make an appearance in the section of the story told [in FInal Fantasy 7 Remake], but we changed it to have him appear from the start, in order to position him playing an important role over the whole of the Remake project. Sephiroth plays a major part in the ongoing story of the next game, so I am unable to reveal any more information about him here." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-reviewed-games-of-2020&captions=true"] FF7R's creators have previously implied that the next game will not drastically change the story fans already know, despite the notable differences in the first part. We awarded that first part an 8/10 review, saying that its "dull filler and convoluted additions can cause it to stumble, but it still breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own." For a list of recommendations on how best to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic, please read our resource guide. [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 Batman and Mission: Impossible 7 are amongst several film and television productions that are to be given the green light to resume filming this summer. The UK government announced on Sunday that a limited number of essential individuals working on major productions will be allowed to be part of an exclusive group who are exempt from quarantine rules, so long as those travelling to the country live and work in controlled "bubbled" environments, which only includes their production and accommodation locations, per The Hollywood Reporter. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/13/how-coronavirus-delays-are-impacting-2020-movies-ign-now"] The Batman had been filming for almost seven weeks when production was halted for an initial two-week period due to safety concerns amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, while the cast and crew of Mission: Impossible 7 were forced to postpone a shoot in Italy as the country went into lockdown to help reduce rising infection rates. "The world's biggest blockbusters and high-end TV shows are made in Britain," said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. "Our creativity, expertise and highly successful tax reliefs for our screen industries means that we are an in demand location that in turn delivers a great return for our economy. We want the industry to bounce back and exempting small numbers of essential cast and crew from quarantine is part of our continued commitment to getting cameras rolling safely again. This is welcome news not just for film lovers but the thousands employed across the screen industries and the sectors it supports." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Apart from The Batman and the Mission: Impossible sequels, other major film productions that were originally halted in the UK include the third Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them installment, Disney's live-action retelling of The Little Mermaid, and Universal's Jurassic World: Dominion, which is set to resume filming at Pinewood Studios this week after an almost four-month hiatus. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Turtle Rock Studios, the creator of Left 4 Dead, has shown off concept art for its upcoming co-op zombie game, Back 4 Blood. Revealed on Twitter, the image shows off a ramshackle human settlement, surrounded by fortifications and traps. Check it out below: When Back 4 Blood was revealed, Turtle Rock explained that the game will be a "next-gen cooperative FPS" where "you’ll be able to shoot up a lot of zombies like in Left 4 Dead," but with "a whole lot of new stuff in Back 4 Blood which makes it unique." The image could suggest a game in which defense is as important as escape, and where players will be attampting to force zombie hordes into traps as well as into firefights. However, Turtle Rock has offered no new details about the game, so this is all speculation for now. Back 4 Blood is scheduled for release on PC, Xbox One and PS4 (although in 2019, a release on other platforms was said to not be out of the question). No release date has been set. [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.  

Ennio Morricone, the Italian film composer whose symphonic scores spanned across all genres, including spaghetti westerns, romance and thrillers, has died aged 91. Morricone died early Monday in a Rome hospital after suffering complications from a fall that caused a hip fracture, his lawyer Giorgio Assumma told Italian news agency ANSA, per Variety. The musical maestro composed more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as over 100 classical works. He first rose to prominence in the 1960s while collaborating with director Sergio Leone on his spaghetti westerns. Together, they created timeless masterpieces, with Morricone's score to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly still considered to be one of the most influential soundtracks in history. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2011/06/01/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-gunfight"] Over his long-spanning career, Morricone was nominated six times for Oscars in the Best Original Score category for his work on Days of Heaven, The Mission, The Untouchables, Bugsy, Malena, and The Hateful Eight. In 2007, he was presented with the Academy Honorary Award in recognition of "his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music." In 2016, he received his first competitive Academy Award for his score to Quentin Tarantino's film The Hateful Eight, for which he composed 50 minutes of original music. His additional achievements include three Grammy Awards, three Golden Globes, and six BAFTA Awards, amongst many other accolades that he collected for his glittering filmography, which includes over 70 award-winning films. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/12/07/the-hateful-eight-my-life-story-clip"] Shortly after the sad news of Morricone's death broke, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte tweeted: "We will always remember, with infinite gratitude, the artistic genius of the Maestro Ennio Morricone. It made us dream, feel excited, reflect, writing memorable notes that will remain indelible in the history of music and cinema." In a further tribute to the prolific composer, director Edgar Wright wrote on Twitter: "Where to even begin with iconic composer Ennio Morricone? He could make an average movie into a must-see, a good movie into art, and a great movie into legend. He hasn't been off my stereo my entire life. What a legacy of work he leaves behind. RIP." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The developer behind LA: Noire The VR Case Files is once again working with Rockstar on a new open-world VR game. In a Linkedin announcement, Australian developer Video Games Deluxe said “Having finished the critically well received L.A.Noire: The V.R. Case Files we are now gearing up for a new project, a AAA open world title in VR for Rockstar,” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/01/10/la-noire-the-vr-case-files-review"] “2020 marks our 7th year of working exclusively for Rockstar in Sydney and we are excited to taking on this ground breaking project,” it added. The announcement promotes the opening of several different job vacancies, including senior programmers, engine programmer, designer, and animator, all at the company’s Sydney studio. Each one refers to an “open world AAA VR project”, although the details in the listings does not give away any further details. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-rockstar-game-review-ever&captions=true"] With only these limited details, it’s unclear if Video Games Deluxe is working on a VR version of an existing Rockstar game, as it did with L.A. Noire, or if this will be an original IP. With GTA 5 recently announced for PS5 there’s demonstration that Rockstar is interested in further expanding the reach of their current Grand Theft Auto. Perhaps VR could be that avenue. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.