Stephen King has revealed that he once wanted to write a book from the perspective of Jason Voorhees, the hockey-masked murderer from the Friday the 13th franchise. Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the legendary storyteller confessed that he had considered writing "Jason's side of the story" as a first-person narrative from the fictional character's point of view, though he noted that the story is unlikely to ever now hit the shelves. King suggested that the table-turning tale, called "I, JASON," would see the titular character subjected to a "hellish fate" of perpetual death at Camp Crystal Lake, the summer camp that Jason stalked in the Friday the 13th film series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/10/13/jason-voorhees-plays-friday-the-13th-on-friday-the-13th"] "The best novel idea I never wrote (and probably never will) is I JASON, the first-person narrative of Jason Voohees, and his hellish fate: killed over and over again at Camp Crystal Lake," King tweeted. "What a hellish, existential fate!" "Just thinking about the legal thicket one would have to go through to get permissions makes my head ache," King explained in a follow-up tweet. "And my heart, that too. But gosh, shouldn't someone tell Jason's side of the story?" "Blumhouse could do it as a movie," he wrote as a final suggestion. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=horror-movie-franchises-that-never-stopped-being-entertaining&captions=true"] The first movie in the Friday the 13th franchise was released in 1980 and told the story of a group of counsellor's at Camp Crystal Lake, who are continuously eliminated by an unknown assailant while attempting to re-open the abandoned site. The most recent film to be released in the slasher series was 2009's Jason reboot, also called Friday the 13th, starring Jared Padalecki and Derek Mears, who played Jason, the motivated killer with speed, strength, vision and a revenge streak that runs blackheart-deep. In our review of the film, we said, "fans of these movies should rejoice at this treatment of their hallowed franchise, and should be psyched to discover that this film leaves the possibility of a sequel wide open. Movies that take on a legacy are always hit-or-miss, but this Friday the 13th -- ahem -- kills." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Sony finally revealed the console design for the PlayStation 5, but there’s still plenty about the console that’s being kept under wraps. This includes the PS5 UI, which had a very brief teaser during the PS5 showcase. Now, a PlayStation exec has revealed that the PS5 UI will be a “100 percent overhaul of the PS4 UI.” As reported by The Verge, PlayStation VP of UX design Matt MacLaurin answered some questions about the PS5 on LinkedIn (since deleted). There, MacLaurin revealed that the new UI for the PS5 is a “very interesting evolution of the OS.” “As it’s UI it’s practical first, but it’s a whole new visual language and a complete rearchitecting of the user interface,” says MacLaurin. He describes the OS as “more subtle than flashy, but no pixel is untouched.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=playstation-5-console-dualsense-and-accessories&captions=true"] The PS5 UI and OS still haven’t been revealed other than a very brief teaser during the PS5 stream. The teaser featured an ethereal aesthetic similar to the one in PS4 and PS3. But other than that Sony didn’t show any of the menus or other UX features. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series X will likely keep the same dashboard as the Xbox One according to The Verge’s Tom Warren. “Microsoft is adding some additional stuff for the console features, but the UI and dash will be the same. Speed and [performance] will also be improved.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/full-playstation-5-future-of-gaming-event-ps5-reveal"]

For more, check out IGN’s PS5 and Xbox Series X comparison chart. Do you prefer a new updated UI, or would you rather keep a similar design as current-gen games? [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Heroes of the Storm will add Overwatch's Mei as a new hero, alongside a new event and a new Nexus Anomaly, all to celebrate the Blizzard MOBA's 5th anniversary. All of the above is available to play on the game's PTR now, and will go live in the core game from the week of June 23. The ice-firing climatologist has been transformed into a tank for her MOBA debut, built for crowd control, mobility and survivability. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/heroes-of-the-storm-mei-reveal-trailer"] She can throw a snowball that slows and blinds enemies, cause a blizzard that damages and slows enemies (with an extra burst of damage when it ends), can skate across ice (with a burst of knockback damage as it ends), and can encase herself in ice to withstand damage and gain shields. Her first heroic ability is a giant snowball that trap enemies and explodes, and her second allows her to create an ice wall that can help block lanes, and trap enemies in its path. Alongside Mei, the game will kick off the Nexomania 2 event, which applies a wrestling theme to several heroes, as well as adding new quests and rewards. Check out a trailer below. Finally, a Nexus Anomaly, Climate Phenomena is coming to the game, adding weather disturbances to your matches. Each battleground has its own phenomena, including rain storms, snow flurries, or foggy mists, all of which last for a few minutes. Heroes can gain unique buffs from each weather type. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/heroes-of-the-storm-nexomania-2-trailer"] If you haven't been keeping up with Blizzard's cross-franchise MOBA recently, we recently wroter about why Heroes of the Storm is far from dead. [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.

Universal's Jurassic World: Dominion will resume filming the week of July 6 in the UK after production was shut down in March due to the coronavirus outbreak. It will be the first major Hollywood production to go back in front of cameras in the UK, with Universal reportedly spending $5 million on new on-set safety measures. “The plan is for us to be shooting early-mid July,” a Universal production insider told Deadline. Stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, who returned to the US once production shut down, will fly back to the UK and be quarantined for two weeks per government rules. Jurassic World: Dominion was four weeks into a 20-week shoot when production was shut down. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/20/jurassic-world-may-feature-dinosaurs-in-the-snow-for-the-first-time] According to Deadline, the $5 million Universal is spending on safety protocols "will see the production carry out thousands of tests during the remainder of filming. All cast and crew will be tested before returning to set and then again multiple times during filming." Universal is also implementing a private medical facility for the production. As Deadline explains:

"The safety measures will include the commission of a private medical facility called Your Doctor to manage the entire production’s medical needs; Covid training for all cast and crew; on-site doctors, nurses and isolation booths; 150 hand sanitizer stations; nightly anti-viral ‘fogs’; more than 1,800 safety signs put up around Pinewood; and ‘Green Zones’ for shooting cast and crew. Masks will be obligatory other than for actors while performing."

While the UK allowed film and TV productions to resume filming last month, it's not as simple as just going back to work. There are considerations ranging from insurance to safety to logistics that need to be worked out. The Batman is among the other UK-based shoots waiting to resume production. Directed and co-written by Colin Trevorrow, Jurassic World: Dominion unites the casts of the Jurassic World and Jurassic Park films, including Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Omar Sy, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"]

Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn has confirmed that Vol. 3 will "probably" be the last entry that he directs, and the final one with the "current team" of space-faring superheroes. Screen Rant reports that Gunn, who helmed the first two entries in the Guardians franchise, hosted an impromptu Q&A with fans on Instagram over the weekend, in which he suggested that a fourth instalment would likely be piloted by a new filmmaker and a new roster of Marvel characters if it were to ever happen. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/25/james-gunn-and-elizabeth-banks-respond-to-ign-comments"] When asked whether the next movie will be "the last one" in the franchise, Gunn responded by saying that it "probably" be the final volume with him in the director's chair and "probably be the last with the current team," though he cautiously added that "you never know." This isn't the first time that Gunn has indicated that he is stepping away from the series after the third film is released; he previously shared his intentions to make a trilogy "if the first one worked" with audiences, which implies that the current team's arc will be wrapped up by the end of the third film. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-phase-4-official-lineup&captions=true"] Rocket's past is reportedly a "big part" of Guardians Vol. 3, with Gunn also not completely ruling out a possible Drax and Mantis spinoff. Since production has yet to begin, Guardians Vol. 3 currently has no official release date, but it sounds like it could be worth the wait, as Karen Gillan, who plays Nebula in the MCU, claimed the script is the best of the trilogy. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The Guerrilla Collective is a new online digital festival that is hosted by Kinda Funny Games' Greg Miller and is produced by Media Indie Exchange (The MIX) with Kinda Funny Games Showcase. This new digital festival is three days long, and we are gathering each and every announcement and reveal in these roundup articles. We've already gathered all the games from Day 1 and Day 2, now, check what Day 3 has in store below:

Iron Harvest 1920+

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/iron-harvest-1920-guerrilla-collective-story-trailer"] Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Iron Harvest is a real-time strategy game that is set in the alternate reality of 1920+, just after the Great War. Players can control giant dieselpunk mechs in epic single-player and co-op campaigns and multiplayer. Europe is still recovering from the brutal battles of the war and the era of the Iron Harvest has begun. Farmers are beginning to uncover the remains of these walking machines that once fought on the battlefields. However, a new threat appears that can put Europe's very existence at risk. The third day of the Guerrilla Collective gave fans a new trailer and an extended gameplay demo with developer King Art Games. Iron Harvest 1920+ is set to be released on September 1, 2020. A demo will be available from June 16 - June 22 on Steam.

Say No! More

Platforms: Windows, iOS [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/say-no-more-guerrilla-collective-story-trailer"] Say No! More is a "One-Button-Game" that is all about saying "No!" to anything and everything. Oh, and also it's about a stolen lunchbox that must be found. Players must defend themselves from mean colleagues and bosses, find mixtapes, discover the "Power of Friendship", and learn to well... say "No!" more. You start as someone who was also a "yes"-puppet, but when you find a self-help tape titled Say No! More, your life is changed forever. The release date is sometime in 2020, but the developer hopes to release it on NOvember 9, 2020. German speakers may know why that would be the perfect choice!

Boyfriend Dungeon

Platforms: Windows, Nintendo Switch [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/13/boyfriend-dungeon-guerrilla-collective-trailer"] Boyfriend Dungeon task the players with clearing dangerous creatures in "the dunj", however, this is anything but an ordinary dungeon crawler. This dating sim/dungeon crawl features weapons that can transform into potential boyfriends who are all BEAUTIFUL. You can choose who you want to hang out with and who you want to fight with, and platonic relationships are also a viable option! There is no definite release date, but Boyfriend Dungeon's Steam page says its planned "when weapons are beautiful enough."

30XX

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/14/30xx-guerrilla-collective-dev-walkthrough"] A sequel to 2017’s 20XX, 30XX will give players another chance to experience a game that combines all the best elements from Mega Man X, roguelike titles like Binding of Isaac, Enter the Gungeon, and Dead Cells, all while allowing for co-op play with friends. Players wake up a thousand years after 20XX and realize the world that needed you is gone. This was all changed by the rise of the Synthetic Mind and a human race that's "lost the will to reach for the stars." Day 3 of the Guerrilla Collective saw developer Batterystaple Games play through a live demo of 30XX. No release date has been given, but its Steam page hints that it will be "the year 30XX, probably." Let's hope they can push that up a bit. However, a demo is available now!

West of Dead

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/13/west-of-dead-guerrilla-collective-trailer"] Platforms: Windows, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch West of Dead is a dark western set in 1888 in Purgatory, Wyoming that stars Hellboy actor Ron Perlman. Mystic enemies, dark powers, and the desert sun all come into play in this gritty western twin-stick shooter that strongly recommends using it tactical cover system. The shifting, chaotic world is shaped by the memories, culture, and/or beliefs of the souls that pass through it. You awaken as a once-dead man named William Mason who lost all of his memory except for one of a figure in black. West of Dead is set to be released on June 18, 2020, and has a Beta on Steam. Developing...

Cobra Commander, leader of the global terrorist organization Cobra and arch-nemesis of the freedom-fighting G.I. Joe military operative force, is joining the G.I. Joe Classified line-up. Take a look at the gallery below to see Cobra Commander in his newest form. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gi-joe-classified-cobra-commander&captions=true"] The 6-inch line already has figures of Snake Eyes, Roadblock and Scarlett, and at the end of March Hasbro introduced the incredible Destro G.I. Joe Classified figure coming next month. Hasbro said the Cobra Commander figure is basically the classic design "updated to bring the iconic Cobra leader into the modern era." It includes "multiple points of articulation" as well as his "signature sword." I managed to snag the special edition Snake Eyes Classified Series during its first round of availability and I can attest to the quality of the G.I. Joe Classified line. It's one of my favorite figures. If you want to get your hands on the Cobra Commander figure, you can get it only "through a special drop" on NTWRK June 18, 2020 at 8pm ET/5pm PT. If you don't mind waiting, it comes to "most major toy retailers" September 15.  

Microsoft has offered further details about Smart Delivery, the system that automatically upgrades your Xbox One games to Xbox Series X versions if you play them on the next generation console. Explained in an Xbox Wire news post, Smart Delivery will be available for all Xbox Game Studios games, and third party developers are able to take advantage of it should they wish. The system automatically takes care of recognising what console you are on, which data to install, and brings across your save games, too. So, for example, if you’ve been playing Gears 5 on Xbox One, if you buy an Xbox Series X and install Gears 5 on it, the system will automatically install the upgraded, optimised version of the game, and you can continue the campaign from where you last saved on your Xbox One. Check out an exclusive interview with Xbox Series X developer Jason Ronald, below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/xbox-smart-delivery-in-depth-with-microsofts-jason-ronald"] Currently announced games that support Smart Delivery are Halo Infinite, Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Destiny 2, DiRT 5, Scarlet Nexus, Chorus, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, The Ascent, Call of the Sea, Gears 5, Second Extinction, and Metal: Hellslinger. It should be noted that not all games will have Smart Delivery, and those that do won't all have it from day one. For example, Cyberpunk 2077 releases in September, but CD Projekt Red will not have an upgraded Series X version of the game ready for the console’s release. However, when it does, the standard Xbox One version of the game installed on your Series X will be automatically updated with the enhancements. It’s basically all designed to be as hassle free as possible. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/xbox-series-x-xbox-smart-delivery-trailer"] Microsoft also points out that when a game upgrades, it doesn’t mean you lose the original version. You can have both versions as they are considered as just one game in the system. So for example, if you have both generations of consoles in separate rooms, you’ll simply select whatever game to download - say, Halo Infinite - and the system will download whichever version of the game is appropriate, rather than asking you if you want the original or Series X upgraded version. Smart Delivery is notably different to backwards compatibility, in that it’s about making your old games better on the new console, rather than just supported. Xbox Series X will also continue to support backwards compatibility, meaning the console will have thousands of games available to play from launch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] For more, see our look at how the pressure is all on Microsoft to reveal its first party games after the PS5 reveal, an insight from a developer on the differences between Xbox Series X and PS5, and further evidence that there is a second version of the next-gen Xbox called Lockhart. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has confirmed that Season 2 will drop the show's "controversial" multi-timeline format in favour of a linear story, though it will still feature flashbacks and flash-forwards. In an interview with The Wrap, Hissrich discussed some of the changes that have been made for Season 2 of the hit Netflix show, as she promised that the next chapter would be much more streamlined, especially now that the characters' individual stories have intersected to exist on the "same timeline." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/20/henry-cavill-talks-magic-in-the-witcher-and-the-adaptation-for-fans"] For the majority of Season 1, we watched three separate stories unfold - those of witcher Geralt (Henry Cavill), sorceress Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), and princess Ciri (Freya Allan). It wasn't until Episode 4, "Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials," however, that we came to realize that those stories were not happening at the same time. Ciri's was playing out more closely confined, in the "present," while Geralt and Yennefer's arcs were happening decades in the past, leading to some confusion for viewers. "Obviously, it was one of the most controversial parts of Season 1 and I didn't expect it to be as controversial as it was. But it's something I still stand behind, in terms of storytelling," Hissrich said, adding that the "goal was to get to know each of these characters individually, and the only want to do that was to separate their timelines." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/the-witcher-season-1-ending-explained"] Despite defending the decision, Hissrich confirmed that Season 2 does not include multiple timelines for its characters, making the story easier for audiences to follow and understand, even though there will still be some fun challenges with time. "What's great though is [the characters] have intersected now. So what we'll see in Season 2 is that all of our characters are existing on the same timeline," she explained. "What that allows us to do storywise though is to play with time in slightly different ways. We get to do flashbacks, we get to do flash-forwards, we get to actually integrate time in a completely different way that we weren't able to do in Season 1." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-explaining-all-the-characters-and-who-plays-them&captions=true"] Production on season two of The Witcher shut down back in March due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, however, it was recently reported that the show had been given the "green light" to start filming again. The Witcher season 2 is currently expected to premiere in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

EA has formally announced Star Wars: Squadrons, a first-person space dogfighting game set after the events of Return of the Jedi, and coming to PS4, Xbox One and PC (via Origin, Steam and Epic Games Store). It will be released for $39.99 USD on October 2. Developed by Motive Studios, the game will include both a single-player story and multiplayer modes (with cross-play support across all platforms), and can be played in VR on PS4 and PC. EA will premiere gameplay at EA Play Live on June 18 (which you can watch as part of IGN's Summer of Gaming). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/star-wars-squadrons-official-trailer"]

Star Wars: Squadrons Story Mode Details

Squadrons will feature a single player story mode set after the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the Death Star II. Alternating between two customisable pilots, the story will feature brand new characters, and cameos from familiar faces. The two pilots you play as will show you both sides of the game's conflict – one flies for the New Republic's Vanguard Squadron, and the other for the shattered Galactic Empire's Titan Squadron. In a press release, Ian Frazier, creative director at Motive says: “Through the collaboration of the teams at Motive and Lucasfilm, we’ve been able to create a high-fidelity starfighter experience with an authentic storyline that invites Star Wars fans to explore never-before-seen corners of the galaxy in their own ship. We’re excited to show all this in action this week at EA Play Live.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-squadrons-7-images&captions=true"]

Star Wars: Squadrons Multiplayer Details

Multiplayer will take the form of 5v5 battles, with two modes announced. Fleet Battles will task each team with destroying the opposing teams flagship, while Dogfights will simply ask each team to destroy as many opponents as possible. Locations will be both known and unknown, with Yavin Prime and the shattered moon of Galitan announced so far. The announcement press release makes clear that squadron composition will be important, implying multiple ship classes to experiment with. EA also confirmed that, while Star Wars: Squadrons will include cosmetic and gameplay-related customisation, all upgrades will be earned solely through playing the game. Playing through the game will earn you weapons, hulls, engines and shields to allow you to tweak your starfighter into whatever you want it to be, while cosmetics will alter your cockpit, ship exterior and pilot. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-star-wars-game-review&captions=true"]

Star Wars: Squadrons Release Date and Price

Star Wars: Squadrons will be released on October 2 as both a physical and digital product, for $39.99 USD (other pricings unavailable at time of writing). EA Access and Origin Access Basic subscribers can play 10 hours of the game for free at launch, and will get 10% off if they choose to buy it. Origin Access Premier subscribers will be given the full PC game on release. [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.