Yearly Archives: 2020
Sea Of Thieves Review (2020) – A Voyage Finally Worth Taking
It's 3 AM. Your two-person ship, a modest sloop, is anchored at Golden Sands Outpost while you sell off the loot from a five-hour voyage. You've been sailing as an emissary of the Gold Hoarders, and through questing for a lengthy stretch without your ship sinking, you managed to make it to rank 5. Now, every chest, trinket, and gem you sell is worth two and a half times its normal value, but there's a catch: Sailing with an emissary flag, particularly a high-level one, etches a giant red "X" on your back. Any player that sinks your ship and steals your emissary flag will get their own big payday, and pirates sworn to the new Reaper's Bones faction can even see you on their ship's navigation map if they rank up their own emissary flag high enough.
In an instant, your triumphant loot turn-in transforms into a disaster. Another duo's sloop rounds the corner behind your boat, positioning their cannons to lay waste to all your hard work. Adrenaline washes through your body like an icy tidal wave, but you saw them coming too late: An enemy player has boarded your ship with a dangerously explosive stronghold keg, which erupts as you hurl yourself from the deck. There's almost no way to recover from this onslaught; your entire boat is on fire, the hull is punched through with holes that gush water at an alarming rate, your mast is leaning uselessly to one side, your steering wheel is missing several pegs, the capstan (which raises your anchor) is half-broken, and the incoming cannonballs are knocking you around inside your own boat.
Somehow, incredibly, you and your crewmate repair the mast, raise the anchor, put out the fires on your deck, and lower the sails, all the while bailing water, hammering planks over the gouges in the hull, and using your trusty blunderbuss to fend off the other crew's continued attempts to board. By this point, your hands are violently shaking. You sail off and do the only thing you can: With the pursuing ship directly behind, you set your boat on a clear heading, jump off the back, and grab their ladders. Distracted as they are, you slay them both; in the interim before they respawn, you steer their boat onto some rocks, destroy their mast, lower their anchor, and use some handheld firebombs to light the whole thing up like a floating tinderbox.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNew-Look Xbox Store Design Leaked
A recent leak has given a look at a redesigned Xbox Store, codenamed Mercury, that very well may be the store that we will see on the Xbox Series X.
As reported by Thurrott, Twitter user @wincommunity posted the first screenshots of Mercury, which is a store app for Xbox One that is currently running on Windows 10.
Thurrott's Brad Sams also got his hands on the app for Windows 10 and showcased Mercury in action, which is pretty far along and allows for purchasing and searching and more.
The new store moves the navigation bar to the left side of the screen and the whole app utilizes Microsoft's Fluent Design.
There is no indication as to when this redesign would happen, or if the final version will look any different. However, it may be one of the announcements that Microsoft has planned for its Xbox 20/20 series that provides monthly updates on the future of Xbox.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/28/xbox-series-x-to-launch-with-thousands-of-games-ign-news"]
We are starting to learn more about this future of Xbox, especially the Xbox Series X. From the news that this newest console would launch with "thousands" of games to the reveal of the startup sound and first look at third-party games to the look of the box and controller, the picture is becoming clearer every day.
[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 who encourages everyone to play Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Thurrott's Brad Sams also got his hands on the app for Windows 10 and showcased Mercury in action, which is pretty far along and allows for purchasing and searching and more.
The new store moves the navigation bar to the left side of the screen and the whole app utilizes Microsoft's Fluent Design.
There is no indication as to when this redesign would happen, or if the final version will look any different. However, it may be one of the announcements that Microsoft has planned for its Xbox 20/20 series that provides monthly updates on the future of Xbox.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/28/xbox-series-x-to-launch-with-thousands-of-games-ign-news"]
We are starting to learn more about this future of Xbox, especially the Xbox Series X. From the news that this newest console would launch with "thousands" of games to the reveal of the startup sound and first look at third-party games to the look of the box and controller, the picture is becoming clearer every day.
[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 who encourages everyone to play Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.New-Look Xbox Store Design Leaked
A recent leak has given a look at a redesigned Xbox Store, codenamed Mercury, that very well may be the store that we will see on the Xbox Series X.
As reported by Thurrott, Twitter user @wincommunity posted the first screenshots of Mercury, which is a store app for Xbox One that is currently running on Windows 10.
Thurrott's Brad Sams also got his hands on the app for Windows 10 and showcased Mercury in action, which is pretty far along and allows for purchasing and searching and more.
The new store moves the navigation bar to the left side of the screen and the whole app utilizes Microsoft's Fluent Design.
There is no indication as to when this redesign would happen, or if the final version will look any different. However, it may be one of the announcements that Microsoft has planned for its Xbox 20/20 series that provides monthly updates on the future of Xbox.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/28/xbox-series-x-to-launch-with-thousands-of-games-ign-news"]
We are starting to learn more about this future of Xbox, especially the Xbox Series X. From the news that this newest console would launch with "thousands" of games to the reveal of the startup sound and first look at third-party games to the look of the box and controller, the picture is becoming clearer every day.
[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 who encourages everyone to play Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Thurrott's Brad Sams also got his hands on the app for Windows 10 and showcased Mercury in action, which is pretty far along and allows for purchasing and searching and more.
The new store moves the navigation bar to the left side of the screen and the whole app utilizes Microsoft's Fluent Design.
There is no indication as to when this redesign would happen, or if the final version will look any different. However, it may be one of the announcements that Microsoft has planned for its Xbox 20/20 series that provides monthly updates on the future of Xbox.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/28/xbox-series-x-to-launch-with-thousands-of-games-ign-news"]
We are starting to learn more about this future of Xbox, especially the Xbox Series X. From the news that this newest console would launch with "thousands" of games to the reveal of the startup sound and first look at third-party games to the look of the box and controller, the picture is becoming clearer every day.
[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 who encourages everyone to play Ori and the Will of the Wisps. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.2020 Eisner Award Nominees Revealed
The list of nominees for the 2020 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards has been revealed. Essentially the equivalent of the Oscars for the comic book industry, the Eisners highlight the best and most noteworthy releases of the past year.
This year's list of nominees includes some big names. The Immortal Hulk, which won IGN's Best Comic Book Series of 2019 award, is among those nominated for Best Continuing Series. Daredevil and Spider-Man: Life Story writer Chip Zdarsky is nominated in several categories, as is the ever-prolific Jeff Lemire (including being nominated twice for Best Limited Series). Other noteworthy honors include The Dreaming being nominated for Best Continuing Series and Best Penciler/Inker (for artist Bilquis Evely), Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora's Once and Future being nominated for Best New Series and Mariko Tamaki being nominated for Best Writer for her work on Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and Archie.
Normally, the Eisner Award winners are revealed during a ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con. Unfortunately, with Comic-Con being canceled for 2020, we're not sure when and how the awards will be presented. No doubt we'll learn more between now and July. Until then, scroll down to see the full list of this year's Eisner nominees.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-best-spider-man-comics&captions=true"]
Best Short Story
- “Hot Comb,” by Ebony Flowers, in Hot Comb (Drawn & Quarterly)
- “How to Draw a Horse,” by Emma Hunsinger, The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/how-to-draw-a-horse
- “The Menopause,” by Mira Jacob, The Believer, https://believermag.com/the-menopause/
- “Who Gets Called an ‘Unfit’ Mother?” by Miriam Libicki, The Nib, https://thenib.com/who-gets-called-an-unfit-mother/
- “You’re Not Going to Believe What I’m About to Tell You,” by Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal, https://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
- Coin-Op No. 8: Infatuation, by Peter and Maria Hoey (Coin-Op Books)
- The Freak, by Matt Lesniewski (AdHouse)
- Minotäar, by Lissa Treiman (Shortbox)
- Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
- Sobek, by James Stokoe (Shortbox)
Best Continuing Series
- Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)
- Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
- Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt (Image)
- Daredevil, by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto (Marvel)
- The Dreaming, by Simon Spurrier, Bilquis Evely et al. (DC)
- Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy José et al. (Marvel)
Best Limited Series
- Ascender, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen (Image)
- Ghost Tree, by Bobby Curnow and Simon Gane (IDW)
- Little Bird by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram (Image)
- Naomi by Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, and Jamal Campbell (DC)
- Sentient, by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta (TKO)
Best New Series
- Doctor Doom, by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)
- Invisible Kingdom, by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- Once & Future, by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora (BOOM! Studios)
- Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)
- Undiscovered Country, by Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Daniele Orlandini (Image)
Best Publication for Early Readers
- Comics: Easy as ABC, by Ivan Brunetti (TOON)
- Kitten Construction Company: A Bridge Too Fur, by John Patrick Green (First Second/Macmillan)
- The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems (Hyperion Books)
- A Trip to the Top of the Volcano with Mouse, by Frank Viva (TOON)
- ¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market, by Raúl the Third (Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
- Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea and Zachariah Ohora (Little, Brown)
Best Publication for Kids
- Akissi: More Tales of Mischief, by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin (Flying Eye/Nobrow)
- Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic Graphix)
- Guts, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
- New Kid, by Jerry Craft (Quill Tree/HarperCollins)
- This Was Our Pact, by Ryan Andrews (First Second/Macmillan)
- The Wolf in Underpants, by Wilfrid Lupano, Mayana Itoïz, and Paul Cauuet (Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group)
Best Publication for Teens
- Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh (DC)
- Hot Comb, by Ebony Flowers (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Kiss Number 8, by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw (First Second/Macmillan)
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (First Second/Macmillan)
- Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle (Top Shelf)
Best Humor Publication
- Anatomy of Authors, by Dave Kellett (SheldonComics.com)
- Death Wins a Goldfish, by Brian Rea (Chronicle Books)
- Minotäar, by Lissa Treiman (Shortbox)
- Sobek, by James Stokoe (Shortbox)
- The Way of the Househusband, vol. 1, by Kousuke Oono, translation by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)
- Wondermark: Friends You Can Ride On, by David Malki (Wondermark)
Best Anthology
- ABC of Typography, by David Rault (SelfMade Hero)
- Baltic Comics Anthology š! #34-37, edited by David Schilter, Sanita Muižniece et al. (kuš!)
- Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival, edited by Diane Noomin (Abrams)
- Kramer’s Ergot #10, edited by Sammy Harkham (Fantagraphics)
- The Nib #2–4, edited by Matt Bors (Nib)
Best Reality-Based Work
- Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations, by Mira Jacob (One World/Random House)
- Grass, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translation by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, by Lucy Knisley (First Second/Macmillan)
- Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight, by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (Hill & Wang)
- My Solo Exchange Diary, vol. 2 (sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness), by Nagata Kabi, translation by Jocelyne Allen (Seven Seas)
- They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)
Best Graphic Album—New
- Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second/Macmillan)
- Bezimena, by Nina Bunjevac (Fantagraphics)
- BTTM FDRS, by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore (Fantagraphics)
- Life on the Moon, by Robert Grossman (Yoe Books/IDW)
- New World, by David Jesus Vignolli (Archaia/BOOM!)
- Reincarnation Stories, by Kim Deitch (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
- Bad Weekend by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
- Clyde Fans, by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Cover, vol. 1, by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack (DC/Jinxworld)
- Glenn Ganges: The River at Night, by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
- LaGuardia, by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- Rusty Brown, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
- Giraffes on Horseback Salad: Salvador Dali, the Marx Brothers, and the Strangest Movie Never Made, by Josh Frank, Tim Hedecker, and Manuela Pertega (Quirk Books)
- The Giver, by Lois Lowry and P. Craig Russell, (HMH Books for Young Readers)
- The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel, by Margaret Atwood, adapted by Renee Nault (Nan A. Talese)
- HP Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, vols. 1–2, adapted by Gou Tanabe, translation by Zack Davisson (Dark Horse Manga)
- The Seventh Voyage, by Stanislaw Lem, adapted by Jon Muth, translation by Michael Kandel (Scholastic Graphix)
- Snow, Glass, Apples, by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran (Dark Horse Books)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
- Diabolical Summer, by Thierry Smolderen and Alexandre Clerisse, translation by Edward Gauvin (IDW)
- Gramercy Park, by Timothée de Fombelle and Christian Cailleaux, translation by Edward Gauvin (EuroComics/IDW)
- The House, by Paco Roca, translation by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
- Maggy Garrisson, by Lewis Trondheim and Stéphane Oiry, translation by Emma Wilson (SelfMadeHero)
- Stay, by Lewis Trondheim and Hubert Chevillard, translation by Mike Kennedy (Magnetic Press)
- Wrath of Fantômas, by Olivier Bouquet and Julie Rocheleau, translation by Edward Gauvin (Titan)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
- BEASTARS, by Paru Itagaki, translation by Tomo Kimura (VIZ Media)
- Cats of the Louvre, by Taiyo Matsumoto, translation by Michael Arias (VIZ Media)
- Grass, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translation by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Magic Knight Rayearth 25th Anniversary Edition, by CLAMP, translation by Melissa Tanaka (Kodansha)
- The Poe Clan, by Moto Hagio, translation by Rachel Thorn (Fantagraphics)
- Witch Hat Atelier, by Kamome Shirahama, translation by Stephen Kohler (Kodansha)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
- Cham: The Best Comic Strips and Graphic Novelettes, 1839–1862, by David Kunzle (University Press of Mississippi)
- Ed Leffingwell’s Little Joe, by Harold Gray, edited by Peter Maresca and Sammy Harkham (Sunday Press Books)
- The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1916–1918, edited by R.J. Casey (Fantagraphics)
- Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)
- Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, by Violet and Denis Kitchen (Beehive Books)
- Pogo, Vol. 6: Clean as a Weasel, by Walt Kelly, edited by Mark Evanier and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
- Alay-Oop, by William Gropper (New York Review Comics)
- The Complete Crepax, vol. 5: American Stories, edited by Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
- Jack Kirby’s Dingbat Love, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)
- Moonshadow: The Definitive Edition, by J. M. DeMatteis, Jon J Muth, George Pratt, Kent Williams, and others (Dark Horse Books)
- Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
- That Miyoko Asagaya Feeling, by Shinichi Abe, translation by Ryan Holmberg, edited by Mitsuhiro Asakawa (Black Hook Press)
Best Writer
- Bobby Curnow, Ghost Tree (IDW)
- MK Reed and Greg Means, Penny Nichols (Top Shelf)
- Mariko Tamaki, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC); Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan); Archie (Archie)
- Lewis Trondheim, Stay (Magnetic Press); Maggy Garrisson (SelfMadeHero)
- G. Willow Wilson, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse); Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
- Chip Zdarsky, White Trees (Image); Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story (Marvel); Afterlift (comiXology Originals)
Best Writer/Artist
- Nina Bunjevac, Bezimena (Fantagraphics)
- Mira Jacob, Good Talk (Random House); “The Menopause” in The Believer (June 1, 2019)
- Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, Grass (Drawn & Quarterly)
- James Stokoe, Sobek (Shortbox)
- Raina Telgemeier, Guts (Scholastic Graphix)
- Tillie Walden, Are You Listening? (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
- Ian Bertram, Little Bird (Image)
- Colleen Doran, Snow, Glass, Apples (Dark Horse)
- Bilquis Evely, The Dreaming (DC)
- Simon Gane, Ghost Tree (IDW)
- Steve Pugh, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC)
- Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Painter/Digital Artist
- Didier Cassegrain, Black Water Lilies (Europe Comics)
- Alexandre Clarisse, Diabolical Summer (IDW)
- David Mack, Cover (DC)
- Léa Mazé, Elma, A Bear’s Life, vol. 1: The Great Journey (Europe Comics)
- Julie Rocheleau, Wrath of Fantômas (Titan)
- Christian Ward, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
Best Cover Artist
- Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image Comics)
- Francesco Francavilla, Archie, Archie 1955, Archie Vs. Predator II, Cosmo (Archie)
- David Mack, American Gods, Fight Club 3 (Dark Horse); Cover (DC)
- Emma Rios, Pretty Deadly (Image)
- Julian Totino Tedesco, Daredevil (Marvel)
- Christian Ward, Machine Gun Wizards (Dark Horse), Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
Best Coloring
- Lorena Alvarez, Hicotea (Nobrow)
- Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Middlewest, Outpost Zero (Image)
- Matt Hollingsworth, Batman: Curse of the White Knight, Batman White Knight Presents Von Freeze (DC); Little Bird, November (Image)
- Molly Mendoza, Skip (Nobrow)
- Dave Stewart, Black Hammer, B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know, Hellboy and the BPRD (Dark Horse); Gideon Falls (Image); Silver Surfer Black, Spider-Man (Marvel)
Best Lettering
- Deron Bennett, Batgirl, Green Arrow, Justice League, Martian Manhunter (DC); Canto (IDW); Assassin Nation, Excellence (Skybound/Image); To Drink and To Eat, vol. 1 (Lion Forge); Resonant (Vault)
- Jim Campbell, Black Badge, Coda (BOOM Studios); Giant Days, Lumberjanes: The Shape of Friendship (BOOM Box!); Rocko’s Modern Afterlife (KaBOOM!); At the End of Your Tether (Lion Forge); Blade Runner 2019 (Titan); Mall, The Plot, Wasted Space (Vault)
- Clayton Cowles, Aquaman, Batman, Batman and the Outsiders, Heroes in Crisis, Superman: Up in the Sky, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (DC); Bitter Root, Pretty Deadly, Moonstruck, Redlands, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Reaver (Skybound/Image); Daredevil, Ghost-Spider, Silver Surfer Black, Superior Spider-Man, Venom (Marvel)
- Emilie Plateau, Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin (Europe Comics)
- Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
- Tillie Walden, Are You Listening? (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
- Comic Riffs blog, by Michael Cavna, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/comics/
- The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, RJ Casey, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
- Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
- Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, edited by Qiana Whitted (Ohio State University Press)
- LAAB Magazine, vol. 4: This Was Your Life, edited by Ronald Wimberly and Josh O’Neill (Beehive Books)
- Women Write About Comics, edited by Nola Pfau and Wendy Browne, www.WomenWriteAboutComics.com
Best Comics-Related Book
- The Art of Nothing: 25 Years of Mutts and the Art of Patrick McDonnell (Abrams)
- The Book of Weirdo, by Jon B. Cooke (Last Gasp)
- Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe (Dark Horse)
- Logo a Gogo: Branding Pop Culture, by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
- Making Comics, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Screwball! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny, by Paul Tumey (Library of American Comics/IDW)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
- The Art of Pere Joan: Space, Landscape, and Comics Form, by Benjamin Fraser (University of Texas Press)
- The Comics of Rutu Modan: War, Love, and Secrets, by Kevin Haworth (University Press of Mississippi)
- EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, by Qiana Whitted (Rutgers University Press)
- The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life, edited by Andrew Blauner (Library of America)
- Producing Mass Entertainment: The Serial Life of the Yellow Kid, by Christina Meyer (Ohio State University Press)
- Women’s Manga in Asia and Beyond: Uniting Different Cultures and Identities, edited by Fusami Ogi et al. (Palgrave Macmillan)
Best Publication Design
- Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe, designed by Ethan Kimberling (Dark Horse)
- Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, designed by Anna-Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)
- Logo a Gogo, designed by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
- Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, designed by Paul Kopple and Alex Bruce (Beehive Books)
- Making Comics, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Rusty Brown, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
Best Digital Comic
- Afterlift, by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo (comiXology Originals)
- Black Water Lilies, by Michel Bussi, adapted by Frédéric Duval and Didier Cassegrain, translated by Edward Gauvin (Europe Comics)
- Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin, by Tania de Montaigne, adapted by Emilie Plateau, translated by Montana Kane (Europe Comics)
- Elma, A Bear’s Life, vol. 1: The Great Journey, by Ingrid Chabbert and Léa Mazé, translated by Jenny Aufiery (Europe Comics)
- Mare Internum, by Der-shing Helmer (comiXology; gumroad.com/l/MIPDF)
- Tales from Behind the Window, by Edanur Kuntman, translated by Cem Ulgen (Europe Comics)
Best Webcomic
- Cabramatta, by Matt Huynh, http://believermag.com/cabramatta/
- Chuckwagon at the End of the World, by Erik Lundy, https://hollowlegcomics.tumblr.com/chuckwagon
- The Eyes, by Javi de Castro, https://www.javidecastro.com/theeyes
- Fried Rice Comic, by Erica Eng, https://friedricecomic.tumblr.com
- reMIND, by Jason Brubaker, https://is.gd/T7rafM
- Third Shift Society, by Meredith Moriarty, https://www.webtoons.com/en/supernatural/third-shift-society/list?title_no=1703
2020 Eisner Award Nominees Revealed
The list of nominees for the 2020 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards has been revealed. Essentially the equivalent of the Oscars for the comic book industry, the Eisners highlight the best and most noteworthy releases of the past year.
This year's list of nominees includes some big names. The Immortal Hulk, which won IGN's Best Comic Book Series of 2019 award, is among those nominated for Best Continuing Series. Daredevil and Spider-Man: Life Story writer Chip Zdarsky is nominated in several categories, as is the ever-prolific Jeff Lemire (including being nominated twice for Best Limited Series). Other noteworthy honors include The Dreaming being nominated for Best Continuing Series and Best Penciler/Inker (for artist Bilquis Evely), Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora's Once and Future being nominated for Best New Series and Mariko Tamaki being nominated for Best Writer for her work on Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me and Archie.
Normally, the Eisner Award winners are revealed during a ceremony at San Diego Comic-Con. Unfortunately, with Comic-Con being canceled for 2020, we're not sure when and how the awards will be presented. No doubt we'll learn more between now and July. Until then, scroll down to see the full list of this year's Eisner nominees.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-best-spider-man-comics&captions=true"]
Best Short Story
- “Hot Comb,” by Ebony Flowers, in Hot Comb (Drawn & Quarterly)
- “How to Draw a Horse,” by Emma Hunsinger, The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/how-to-draw-a-horse
- “The Menopause,” by Mira Jacob, The Believer, https://believermag.com/the-menopause/
- “Who Gets Called an ‘Unfit’ Mother?” by Miriam Libicki, The Nib, https://thenib.com/who-gets-called-an-unfit-mother/
- “You’re Not Going to Believe What I’m About to Tell You,” by Matthew Inman, The Oatmeal, https://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe
Best Single Issue/One-Shot
- Coin-Op No. 8: Infatuation, by Peter and Maria Hoey (Coin-Op Books)
- The Freak, by Matt Lesniewski (AdHouse)
- Minotäar, by Lissa Treiman (Shortbox)
- Our Favorite Thing Is My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, by Emil Ferris (Fantagraphics)
- Sobek, by James Stokoe (Shortbox)
Best Continuing Series
- Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Greene (Image)
- Criminal, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
- Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt (Image)
- Daredevil, by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto (Marvel)
- The Dreaming, by Simon Spurrier, Bilquis Evely et al. (DC)
- Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy José et al. (Marvel)
Best Limited Series
- Ascender, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen (Image)
- Ghost Tree, by Bobby Curnow and Simon Gane (IDW)
- Little Bird by Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram (Image)
- Naomi by Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, and Jamal Campbell (DC)
- Sentient, by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta (TKO)
Best New Series
- Doctor Doom, by Christopher Cantwell and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)
- Invisible Kingdom, by G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- Once & Future, by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora (BOOM! Studios)
- Something Is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera (BOOM! Studios)
- Undiscovered Country, by Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Daniele Orlandini (Image)
Best Publication for Early Readers
- Comics: Easy as ABC, by Ivan Brunetti (TOON)
- Kitten Construction Company: A Bridge Too Fur, by John Patrick Green (First Second/Macmillan)
- The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! by Mo Willems (Hyperion Books)
- A Trip to the Top of the Volcano with Mouse, by Frank Viva (TOON)
- ¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market, by Raúl the Third (Versify/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
- Who Wet My Pants? by Bob Shea and Zachariah Ohora (Little, Brown)
Best Publication for Kids
- Akissi: More Tales of Mischief, by Marguerite Abouet and Mathieu Sapin (Flying Eye/Nobrow)
- Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic Graphix)
- Guts, by Raina Telgemeier (Scholastic Graphix)
- New Kid, by Jerry Craft (Quill Tree/HarperCollins)
- This Was Our Pact, by Ryan Andrews (First Second/Macmillan)
- The Wolf in Underpants, by Wilfrid Lupano, Mayana Itoïz, and Paul Cauuet (Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group)
Best Publication for Teens
- Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh (DC)
- Hot Comb, by Ebony Flowers (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Kiss Number 8, by Colleen AF Venable and Ellen T. Crenshaw (First Second/Macmillan)
- Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell (First Second/Macmillan)
- Penny Nichols, by MK Reed, Greg Means, and Matt Wiegle (Top Shelf)
Best Humor Publication
- Anatomy of Authors, by Dave Kellett (SheldonComics.com)
- Death Wins a Goldfish, by Brian Rea (Chronicle Books)
- Minotäar, by Lissa Treiman (Shortbox)
- Sobek, by James Stokoe (Shortbox)
- The Way of the Househusband, vol. 1, by Kousuke Oono, translation by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)
- Wondermark: Friends You Can Ride On, by David Malki (Wondermark)
Best Anthology
- ABC of Typography, by David Rault (SelfMade Hero)
- Baltic Comics Anthology š! #34-37, edited by David Schilter, Sanita Muižniece et al. (kuš!)
- Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival, edited by Diane Noomin (Abrams)
- Kramer’s Ergot #10, edited by Sammy Harkham (Fantagraphics)
- The Nib #2–4, edited by Matt Bors (Nib)
Best Reality-Based Work
- Good Talk: A Memoir in Conversations, by Mira Jacob (One World/Random House)
- Grass, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translation by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos, by Lucy Knisley (First Second/Macmillan)
- Moonbound: Apollo 11 and the Dream of Spaceflight, by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (Hill & Wang)
- My Solo Exchange Diary, vol. 2 (sequel to My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness), by Nagata Kabi, translation by Jocelyne Allen (Seven Seas)
- They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott, and Harmony Becker (Top Shelf)
Best Graphic Album—New
- Are You Listening? by Tillie Walden (First Second/Macmillan)
- Bezimena, by Nina Bunjevac (Fantagraphics)
- BTTM FDRS, by Ezra Claytan Daniels and Ben Passmore (Fantagraphics)
- Life on the Moon, by Robert Grossman (Yoe Books/IDW)
- New World, by David Jesus Vignolli (Archaia/BOOM!)
- Reincarnation Stories, by Kim Deitch (Fantagraphics)
Best Graphic Album—Reprint
- Bad Weekend by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)
- Clyde Fans, by Seth (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Cover, vol. 1, by Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack (DC/Jinxworld)
- Glenn Ganges: The River at Night, by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn & Quarterly)
- LaGuardia, by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
- Rusty Brown, by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
Best Adaptation from Another Medium
- Giraffes on Horseback Salad: Salvador Dali, the Marx Brothers, and the Strangest Movie Never Made, by Josh Frank, Tim Hedecker, and Manuela Pertega (Quirk Books)
- The Giver, by Lois Lowry and P. Craig Russell, (HMH Books for Young Readers)
- The Handmaid’s Tale: The Graphic Novel, by Margaret Atwood, adapted by Renee Nault (Nan A. Talese)
- HP Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, vols. 1–2, adapted by Gou Tanabe, translation by Zack Davisson (Dark Horse Manga)
- The Seventh Voyage, by Stanislaw Lem, adapted by Jon Muth, translation by Michael Kandel (Scholastic Graphix)
- Snow, Glass, Apples, by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran (Dark Horse Books)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material
- Diabolical Summer, by Thierry Smolderen and Alexandre Clerisse, translation by Edward Gauvin (IDW)
- Gramercy Park, by Timothée de Fombelle and Christian Cailleaux, translation by Edward Gauvin (EuroComics/IDW)
- The House, by Paco Roca, translation by Andrea Rosenberg (Fantagraphics)
- Maggy Garrisson, by Lewis Trondheim and Stéphane Oiry, translation by Emma Wilson (SelfMadeHero)
- Stay, by Lewis Trondheim and Hubert Chevillard, translation by Mike Kennedy (Magnetic Press)
- Wrath of Fantômas, by Olivier Bouquet and Julie Rocheleau, translation by Edward Gauvin (Titan)
Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
- BEASTARS, by Paru Itagaki, translation by Tomo Kimura (VIZ Media)
- Cats of the Louvre, by Taiyo Matsumoto, translation by Michael Arias (VIZ Media)
- Grass, by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translation by Janet Hong (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Magic Knight Rayearth 25th Anniversary Edition, by CLAMP, translation by Melissa Tanaka (Kodansha)
- The Poe Clan, by Moto Hagio, translation by Rachel Thorn (Fantagraphics)
- Witch Hat Atelier, by Kamome Shirahama, translation by Stephen Kohler (Kodansha)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
- Cham: The Best Comic Strips and Graphic Novelettes, 1839–1862, by David Kunzle (University Press of Mississippi)
- Ed Leffingwell’s Little Joe, by Harold Gray, edited by Peter Maresca and Sammy Harkham (Sunday Press Books)
- The George Herriman Library: Krazy & Ignatz 1916–1918, edited by R.J. Casey (Fantagraphics)
- Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, edited by Alexander Braun (TASCHEN)
- Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, by Violet and Denis Kitchen (Beehive Books)
- Pogo, Vol. 6: Clean as a Weasel, by Walt Kelly, edited by Mark Evanier and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)
Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
- Alay-Oop, by William Gropper (New York Review Comics)
- The Complete Crepax, vol. 5: American Stories, edited by Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
- Jack Kirby’s Dingbat Love, edited by John Morrow (TwoMorrows)
- Moonshadow: The Definitive Edition, by J. M. DeMatteis, Jon J Muth, George Pratt, Kent Williams, and others (Dark Horse Books)
- Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: The Complete Grasscutter Artist Select, by Stan Sakai, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
- That Miyoko Asagaya Feeling, by Shinichi Abe, translation by Ryan Holmberg, edited by Mitsuhiro Asakawa (Black Hook Press)
Best Writer
- Bobby Curnow, Ghost Tree (IDW)
- MK Reed and Greg Means, Penny Nichols (Top Shelf)
- Mariko Tamaki, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC); Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan); Archie (Archie)
- Lewis Trondheim, Stay (Magnetic Press); Maggy Garrisson (SelfMadeHero)
- G. Willow Wilson, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse); Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
- Chip Zdarsky, White Trees (Image); Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story (Marvel); Afterlift (comiXology Originals)
Best Writer/Artist
- Nina Bunjevac, Bezimena (Fantagraphics)
- Mira Jacob, Good Talk (Random House); “The Menopause” in The Believer (June 1, 2019)
- Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, Grass (Drawn & Quarterly)
- James Stokoe, Sobek (Shortbox)
- Raina Telgemeier, Guts (Scholastic Graphix)
- Tillie Walden, Are You Listening? (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
- Ian Bertram, Little Bird (Image)
- Colleen Doran, Snow, Glass, Apples (Dark Horse)
- Bilquis Evely, The Dreaming (DC)
- Simon Gane, Ghost Tree (IDW)
- Steve Pugh, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass (DC)
- Rosemary Valero-O'Connell, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Painter/Digital Artist
- Didier Cassegrain, Black Water Lilies (Europe Comics)
- Alexandre Clarisse, Diabolical Summer (IDW)
- David Mack, Cover (DC)
- Léa Mazé, Elma, A Bear’s Life, vol. 1: The Great Journey (Europe Comics)
- Julie Rocheleau, Wrath of Fantômas (Titan)
- Christian Ward, Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
Best Cover Artist
- Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image Comics)
- Francesco Francavilla, Archie, Archie 1955, Archie Vs. Predator II, Cosmo (Archie)
- David Mack, American Gods, Fight Club 3 (Dark Horse); Cover (DC)
- Emma Rios, Pretty Deadly (Image)
- Julian Totino Tedesco, Daredevil (Marvel)
- Christian Ward, Machine Gun Wizards (Dark Horse), Invisible Kingdom (Berger Books/Dark Horse)
Best Coloring
- Lorena Alvarez, Hicotea (Nobrow)
- Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Middlewest, Outpost Zero (Image)
- Matt Hollingsworth, Batman: Curse of the White Knight, Batman White Knight Presents Von Freeze (DC); Little Bird, November (Image)
- Molly Mendoza, Skip (Nobrow)
- Dave Stewart, Black Hammer, B.P.R.D.: The Devil You Know, Hellboy and the BPRD (Dark Horse); Gideon Falls (Image); Silver Surfer Black, Spider-Man (Marvel)
Best Lettering
- Deron Bennett, Batgirl, Green Arrow, Justice League, Martian Manhunter (DC); Canto (IDW); Assassin Nation, Excellence (Skybound/Image); To Drink and To Eat, vol. 1 (Lion Forge); Resonant (Vault)
- Jim Campbell, Black Badge, Coda (BOOM Studios); Giant Days, Lumberjanes: The Shape of Friendship (BOOM Box!); Rocko’s Modern Afterlife (KaBOOM!); At the End of Your Tether (Lion Forge); Blade Runner 2019 (Titan); Mall, The Plot, Wasted Space (Vault)
- Clayton Cowles, Aquaman, Batman, Batman and the Outsiders, Heroes in Crisis, Superman: Up in the Sky, Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (DC); Bitter Root, Pretty Deadly, Moonstruck, Redlands, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); Reaver (Skybound/Image); Daredevil, Ghost-Spider, Silver Surfer Black, Superior Spider-Man, Venom (Marvel)
- Emilie Plateau, Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin (Europe Comics)
- Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (IDW)
- Tillie Walden, Are You Listening? (First Second/Macmillan)
Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
- Comic Riffs blog, by Michael Cavna, www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/comics/
- The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, RJ Casey, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)
- Hogan’s Alley, edited by Tom Heintjes (Hogan’s Alley)
- Inks: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, edited by Qiana Whitted (Ohio State University Press)
- LAAB Magazine, vol. 4: This Was Your Life, edited by Ronald Wimberly and Josh O’Neill (Beehive Books)
- Women Write About Comics, edited by Nola Pfau and Wendy Browne, www.WomenWriteAboutComics.com
Best Comics-Related Book
- The Art of Nothing: 25 Years of Mutts and the Art of Patrick McDonnell (Abrams)
- The Book of Weirdo, by Jon B. Cooke (Last Gasp)
- Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe (Dark Horse)
- Logo a Gogo: Branding Pop Culture, by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
- Making Comics, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Screwball! The Cartoonists Who Made the Funnies Funny, by Paul Tumey (Library of American Comics/IDW)
Best Academic/Scholarly Work
- The Art of Pere Joan: Space, Landscape, and Comics Form, by Benjamin Fraser (University of Texas Press)
- The Comics of Rutu Modan: War, Love, and Secrets, by Kevin Haworth (University Press of Mississippi)
- EC Comics: Race, Shock, and Social Protest, by Qiana Whitted (Rutgers University Press)
- The Peanuts Papers: Writers and Cartoonists on Charlie Brown, Snoopy & the Gang, and the Meaning of Life, edited by Andrew Blauner (Library of America)
- Producing Mass Entertainment: The Serial Life of the Yellow Kid, by Christina Meyer (Ohio State University Press)
- Women’s Manga in Asia and Beyond: Uniting Different Cultures and Identities, edited by Fusami Ogi et al. (Palgrave Macmillan)
Best Publication Design
- Grunt: The Art and Unpublished Comics of James Stokoe, designed by Ethan Kimberling (Dark Horse)
- Krazy Kat: The Complete Color Sundays, by George Herriman, designed by Anna-Tina Kessler (TASCHEN)
- Logo a Gogo, designed by Rian Hughes (Korero Press)
- Madness in Crowds: The Teeming Mind of Harrison Cady, designed by Paul Kopple and Alex Bruce (Beehive Books)
- Making Comics, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)
- Rusty Brown, designed by Chris Ware (Pantheon)
Best Digital Comic
- Afterlift, by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo (comiXology Originals)
- Black Water Lilies, by Michel Bussi, adapted by Frédéric Duval and Didier Cassegrain, translated by Edward Gauvin (Europe Comics)
- Colored: The Unsung Life of Claudette Colvin, by Tania de Montaigne, adapted by Emilie Plateau, translated by Montana Kane (Europe Comics)
- Elma, A Bear’s Life, vol. 1: The Great Journey, by Ingrid Chabbert and Léa Mazé, translated by Jenny Aufiery (Europe Comics)
- Mare Internum, by Der-shing Helmer (comiXology; gumroad.com/l/MIPDF)
- Tales from Behind the Window, by Edanur Kuntman, translated by Cem Ulgen (Europe Comics)
Best Webcomic
- Cabramatta, by Matt Huynh, http://believermag.com/cabramatta/
- Chuckwagon at the End of the World, by Erik Lundy, https://hollowlegcomics.tumblr.com/chuckwagon
- The Eyes, by Javi de Castro, https://www.javidecastro.com/theeyes
- Fried Rice Comic, by Erica Eng, https://friedricecomic.tumblr.com
- reMIND, by Jason Brubaker, https://is.gd/T7rafM
- Third Shift Society, by Meredith Moriarty, https://www.webtoons.com/en/supernatural/third-shift-society/list?title_no=1703
EA PC Games Have Been Added to Steam, EA Access Coming Soon
A selection from EA's PC catalog is now available on Steam.
To everyone's surprise and with no official announcement from EA, many of the company's PC catalog is now available for purchase on Steam, including Dragon Age 2, Crysis 3, Unravel, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, and Need for Speed Heat. In addition, these games are also available at steep discounts.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=kingdoms-of-amalur-re-reckoning-screenshots&captions=true"]
Games like Dragon Age Inquisition and Mirror's Edge Catalyst - previously only available on EA's Origin service - are 50% off right now, while others like Need for Speed Heat have a steeper 60% cut. Many EA titles that have always been on Steam - due to launching before EA began its Origin exclusive approach - are also discounted, including Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and Dragon Age: Origins Ultimate Edition at 75% off, and the original Mirror's Edge cut by 90%.
Not all of EA's older titles are available at a discount though. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - which is due to be remastered soon - is still being sold at its full price, as are several Command & Conquer games and the first two Mass Effect games.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/08/need-for-speed-heat-review"]
Notably missing from the group of new additions right now are the latter Mass Effects- Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect Andromeda - as well as Anthem and Respawn's Titanfall and Apex Legends. DICE's last few Battlefield games and its Star Wars: Battlefront series have also yet to make the leap.
While EA has not made an announcement about these games, the company did state last year that EA PC games would be coming to Steam, starting with the release of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. It appears that this is the first wave of previously EA Origin exclusive games making their way to Valve's platform.
In addition, on many of the Steam store pages for EA's games, there is now an advert for EA Access. As seen in the screenshot below, EA's subscription games service will soon be coming to Steam.
This move makes sense considering EA is working to get its games available in more storefronts. The company announced last month that it plans to bring more games to the Nintendo Switch. It also announced last month that it had renewed its multi-year partnership with the NFL to create more Madden games.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
This move makes sense considering EA is working to get its games available in more storefronts. The company announced last month that it plans to bring more games to the Nintendo Switch. It also announced last month that it had renewed its multi-year partnership with the NFL to create more Madden games.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.Valorant Cheaters Remain Banned After Beta
Valorant is officially available for everyone, but some players who were caught cheating during the beta were disappointed that they’re still banned in the public release version of Riot’s new shooter.
“All cheating account bans are permanent for the account,” says Valorant’s Anti-Cheat Lead Paul Chamberlain in a statement to IGN. “Most cheating account bans also come with a hardware ban, meaning we track their souls through time and space and ban them again when they try to re-enter the game with a fake mustache.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=gameplay-screenshots-of-valorant-closed-beta&captions=true"]
Riot has made anti-cheating a key pillar in Valorant's development. Along with strict anti-cheat policies, Riot’s anti-cheat system Vanguard goes further than a lot of other anti-cheat software by making it more difficult to start up or even create cheats for Valorant. The company also offered a bounty of $100,000 for hackers who can find weaknesses in Vanguard.
Chamberlain did reveal that while all bans on Valorant are permanent by default, they can be reversed.
“I can’t reveal too much here, but I will say that not all of these bans are permanent, and we do periodically review them to lift specific ones. At release, we have reviewed all existing hardware bans and unbanned some of the less egregious offenders. We are not planning to remove any more hardware bans until our next periodic review.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/6-minutes-of-valorant-gameplay"]
Valorant is Riot’s new team-based shooter with hero elements. The free-to-play, 5v5 shooter had an extended beta but is now freely available for anyone who wants to play. You can check out IGN’s Valorant review for our take on Riot’s newest title.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Rockstar Temporarily Shutting Down GTA Online and Red Dead Online to Honor George Floyd
Rockstar has announced that it will be shutting down GTA Online and Red Dead Online today for 2 hours, to "honor the legacy of George Floyd".
Both games will have access closed between 11am - 1pm Pacific / 2pm - 4pm Eastern / 7pm - 9pm UK / 4am - 6am AEST.
Rockstar followed up its initial message by asking players to support victims of racial injustice by supporting a list of civil rights-based charitable organisations. It's unclear at time of writing if Rockstar will itself be making donations to the causes it highlights.Black Lives Matter. To honor the legacy of George Floyd, today, 6/4/20, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. ET, we will be shutting down access to our online games, Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online.
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) June 4, 2020
IGN stands in solidarity with the black community, and condemns racism. We encourage those reading to donate to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and support the fight for racial justice. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Black lives matter.Following the memorial, we hope you will join us in further honoring the many victims of America's racial injustices by supporting their families, black-owned businesses, those marching on the streets, and coalitions through the organizations listed here: https://t.co/yIQu2R1pJb
— Rockstar Games (@RockstarGames) June 4, 2020
Alien: Ridley Scott Says Prequel Film About Xenomorph Eggs Is the ‘Next Idea’
Acclaimed director Ridley Scott has shared his thoughts on the future of the Alien franchise, particularly his idea for a third prequel film.
Speaking to the LA Times in a recent interview, Scott spoke openly about a prospective return to the 40-year-old sci-fi franchise, saying that he would like to see the next Alien film explore the secret origins of the Xenomorph eggs from the original 1979 classic.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/05/13/alien-covenant-why-the-xenomorphs-were-created-spoilers"]
"I still think there's a lot of mileage in Alien, but I think you'll have to now re-evolve," he admitted. "What I always thought when I was making the first one [was] why would a creature like this be made and why was it travelling in what I always thought was a kind of war-craft, which was carrying a cargo of these eggs. What was the purpose of the vehicle and what was the purpose of the eggs? That's the thing to question - who, why, and for what purpose is the next idea, I think."
In the first Alien movie, Ripley and the other crew members of the Nostromo stumble upon the mysterious hive of eggs inside the abandoned Space Jockey ship on LV-426. In the decades since then, we have seen an entire franchise of seemingly unstoppable, acid-bleeding, double-jaw chomping xenomorphs burst from the chest of this original concept to breed a whole host of new storylines, with some mixed results.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-xenomorph-and-alien-from-the-alien-movies&captions=true"]
Alien: Covenant opened to an estimated $36 million in the U.S. in 2017, a figure that was down 34 percent from Prometheus' opening weekend in 2012. Further to this, Covenant suffered a severe 71 percent drop in its second weekend at the box office. Despite performing below some prior expectations, Covenant still had one of the Alien franchise's strongest debuts, unadjusted for inflation.
In the past, Scott, who helmed the original Alien film for Fox in 1979, as well as the two recent prequels, has revealed his intentions to make two further sequels to Covenant, with the last film planned to lead directly into Alien. However, it appears that the now-infamous Disney/Fox merger that took place in 2019 has put those sequels on hold for now.
For more on the ramifications of that acquisition, find out what Disney's rebranding of their Fox properties could mean for the future of those franchises.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 Delayed to Allow Team to ‘Focus on Their Communities’ Amid Worldwide Protests
Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 3 has been delayed, with the new season now launching on June 17th, with developer Epic explaining that the move is due to current outcry and protests in the US.
"Recent events are a heavy reminder of ongoing injustices in society, from the denial of basic human rights to the impact of racism both overt and subtle against people of color. We're acutely aware of the pain our friends, families, team members, players, and communities are experiencing," begins a statement from the Fortnite blog published earlier today.
"We believe in equality and justice, diversity and inclusion, and that these fundamentals are above politics," Epic Games adds. "The team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families and their communities."
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) June 3, 2020An in-game live event, 'The Device', that is set to occur at the end of the current season has also been moved to June 15th. The delay comes in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and the protests against police brutality and racism that have subsequently taken place worldwide. Chapter 2 Season 3 has been delayed twice previously, first in April in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and then last week - it was originally set to launch on June 11th. Earlier this week, Sony revealed that it was postponing its PS5 conference to "stand back and allow more important voices to be heard." IGN stands in solidarity with the black community, and condemns racism. We encourage those reading to donate to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and support the fight for racial justice. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Black lives matter.