UPDATE: Disney has confirmed that Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will begin streaming two months early on Disney+ in celebration of May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day. In the Netherlands, however, the movie will launch on May 5 due to the Memorial Day holiday.

The complete Skywalker Saga, all in one place. Start streaming all 9 films, including Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, on May the 4th, only on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/qNNAHsrOkh

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 27, 2020

Disney+ will also honour the artistry of Star Wars with a week-long concept art takeover on the service, with the artwork for each movie and series from the franchise being updated on May 4 to feature original concept art from celebrated artists such as Ralph McQuarrie and Doug Chiang. In addition, the Star Wars brand tile on the Disney+ home screen will be upgraded with a new animation to commemorate the signature hyperspace jump. [poilib element="accentDivider"] ORIGINAL STORY: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has been added to the Disney+ app with a release date of May 4 (aka Star Wars Day). IGN captured a screenshot of the Episode IX placeholder on the US version of the Disney+ app, which states: "Due to existing agreements this title will be available on May 4, 2020." Disney+ is yet to announce the official release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on its streaming service. Therefore, it is currently unclear whether this title will be added to the platform on the same date in all available countries and regions. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-every-ship-bonus-feature] The Rise of Skywalker's prospective release date aligns itself with Star Wars Day, an annual celebration of the iconic space opera franchise. This year, the force is strong with fans of binge-worthy content, as there is a small batch of new original content due to arrive from the galaxy far, far away. Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, an eight-episode documentary series, will start streaming on Disney+ on May 4. The multi-part show is expected to offer fans of The Mandalorian a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the series. It will be released on the streamer on the same day as the highly anticipated Clone Wars Season 7 finale. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-star-wars-rotten-tomatoes-and-metacritic-review-score&captions=true"] These new additions come shortly after the digital and home release of The Rise of Skywalker, which was accompanied by "over two hours of bonus material," including a feature-length documentary titled, The Skywalker Legacy, which takes fans behind-the-scenes of the final chapter of the Skywalker Saga. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was released in theatres in late 2019 and earned $1.074 billion at the global box office, even though it ended up being one of the lowest-scoring Star Wars movies on Rotten Tomatoes. For an alternative comparison, find out how Episode IX performed on its opening weekend alongside the other Star Wars entries. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

A set of what seems to be major spoilers for The Last of Us Part II has leaked - watch what you're searching for, people. The spoilers have apparently emerged from leaked videos of major moments from the upcoming game, which have now been turned into lists of details. It's not totally clear at this point if the details are correct but we, of course, won't be printing them here. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-part-2-new-screenshots&captions=true"] In the past, bots on social media sites have sent spoilers as automated replies to posts including related terms - we haven't yet seen reports of this but, if you are trying to wait for release, it's likely worth paying extra attention to tweets containing the name of the game, or its main characters. What makes the situation worse is that we don't even know a release date for the game, after it was delayed indefinitely due to supply chain problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. For less ruinous Last of Us 2 content, we spoke to Neil Druckmann about Joel's role in The Last of Us Part II, why The Last of Us Part II isn't an open world game, as well as how dogs affect stealth and combat. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/02/the-last-of-us-part-2-delayed-indefinitely-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

The IGN audience's most-anticipated game is joining our summer showcase.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds developer PUBG Corp is adding bots to public matches on consoles in order to address the growing gulf between the skill levels of new players and proficient PUBG veterans. “While PUBG veterans continue to hone their skills and improve, we’re seeing more often that many newer players are being eliminated early with no kills – and oftentimes with no damage dealt,” explained lead project manager Joon H. Choi in a blog post published on PUBG.com. “In an effort to provide more ways for players to hone their skills and be able to fully enjoy what PUBG has to offer, we’ve decided to introduce bots with Update 7.1.” Choi went on to detail the three main priorities the PUBG team considered when building the console bots, including carefully laying out navigation meshes across the entire map “in a way that prevents bots from throwing themselves off of a cliff”, a “carefully balanced” shooting system that allows players to avoid fire using authentic evasive action, and ensuring bots concentrate on seeking out, looting, and arming themselves with the most appropriate gear during each phase of the game. “While there were many other factors that went into programming PUBG’s bots, these were the three we felt carried the most potential impact on a match,” wrote Choi. “We hope that introducing bots will help players get more shooting practice and kills, a higher average survival time, and maybe even that first exciting chicken dinner. Basically, the full battle royale experience.” Choi also qualified that this is just the first iteration of bots in PUBG on console. Bots will be monitored for improvement over the coming months. Experienced players with high matchmaking ratings will be less likely to encounter bots in their games. Competitive, ranked PUBG will not feature bots. Serving to lower the barrier of entry to the cutthroat genre, bots are already in a feature in PUBG on mobile and were added to battle royale rival Fortnite in an update in October 2019. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/10/pubg-cross-platform-party-play-trailer] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

Avengers: Infinity War screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have unveiled a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange clad in Tony Stark’s Iron Man armor. The scene was reportedly shot as an alternative version of the sequence where Iron Man and Spider-Man rescue Strange from the clutches of Thanos minion Ebony Maw. Markus and McFeely revealed the shot during a Watch Party viewing of Avengers: Infinity War for ComicBook.com, musing while there were “other versions” of the rescue, “[s]ome were just too awesome (and long) to keep.”

So, there were other versions of this rescue. Some were just too awesome (and long) to keep. But still, one can dream... #Infinitywar #QuarantineWatchParty -SM pic.twitter.com/ZToVfWpnHg

— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) April 27, 2020

While this costume change ultimately got the chop, Marvel undoubtedly has plenty more memorable Doctor Strange moments up its sleeve in the upcoming sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – which was recently confirmed to have Spider-Man and Evil Dead director Sam Raimi at the helm. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/14/what-is-doctor-strange-2s-multiverse-of-madness"] Release date upheaval on account of the global coronavirus pandemic has seen the Doctor Strange sequel shift to March 25, 2022. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo also recently discussed their keenness to bring the dramatic conclusion to the MCU’s Infinity Saga – Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame – back to cinemas for an encore performance (once they’re open again, that is). [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-phase-4-official-lineup&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.

It's been one year since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters -- back on April 26, 2019 -- and the Russo Brothers, who helmed four massive MCU movies, including Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War, would love nothing more than to bring audiences back to theaters with re-releases of their franchise films. The Russos, who now have an action-packed film on Netflix starring Chris Hemsworth called Extraction (read our Extraction review here), recently appeared on CinemaBlend's ReelBlend podcast and discussed the possibility of re-releasing both Infinity War and Endgame once theater chains start to reopen and accept crowds. "The theatrical experience is a community experience," Joe Russo explained. "Perhaps the most touching moment of our entire careers was a few weeks ago when the lockdown started, and Endgame was trending on social media because everyone was posting videos of opening-night screenings in their theaters with audiences really emotionally connected to the material." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] "For us," he added, "that's really the strength of the theatrical experience is that it combines audiences, and it combines you globally. To have been a part of movies that did that, on that scale with that level of emotional connection from the audience, was really very touching, and will be the highlight of our careers. So, using those films to get people back into the theaters? We would be ecstatic. I mean, any opportunity for people to go back and share in those stories together is one that we would support." Meanwhile, just a few weeks after announcing a massive changeup to their upcoming theatrical release slate, Disney has set new 2022 dates Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At the same time, Sony Pictures announced new release dates for their forthcoming sequels to Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/disney-gallery-star-wars-the-mandalorian-official-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Who can pass up a chance to not only contribute to a worthy cause, but also own a piece of cult cinema history? A24, the independent production house that's been creating glorious low-budget content for almost a decade, and most recently found fame with the likes of Moonlight, Room. Midsommar, Uncut Gems, Eighth Grade, and The Lighthouse, is holding an online auction benefiting New York City’s workers and families impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Bidding on these items gives movie fans a chance to own a piece of film history. At A24 Auctions, folks can now bid on notable props and costumes from Ari Aster's Midsommar and Hereditary, Uncut Gems, Jonah Hill's Mid90s, Eighth Grade, Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse, and HBO's Euphoria. Auction proceeds will be donated to one of four charities helping New York City's hardest-hit communities and frontline workers: FDNY Foundation; Food Bank For New York City; NYC Health + Hospitals; and Queens Community House. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=a24-auction-items-midsommar-hereditary-uncut-gems-and-more&captions=true"] Yes, fans have a chance to own the Bear Headdress and May Queen Dress from Midsommar, the Furby from Uncut Gems, the Mermaid Carving from The Lighthouse, and many more cool pieces of A24 movie paraphernalia. You can check the website for the official start dates for each item, though the entire auction ends on May 8, 3pm ET. On the horizon, A24 looks to unleash both chilling horror acquisition Saint Maud and David Lowery's retelling of the Sir Gawain myth, The Green Knight. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/13/the-green-knight-official-teaser-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

A newly discovered species of green pit vipers has been given a very magical, and very apropos, name by team of researchers from India. In the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, the research team calls the species, which can be found throughout East and Southeast Asia, Trimeresurus Salazar - after Harry Potter-verse pure-blood wizard Salazar Slytherin. One of the four founders of Hogwarts -- along with Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Godric Gryffindor -- Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth (he could speak snake) and a Legilimens (mind reader). He was the noble founder of House Slytherin. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-harry-potter-characters&captions=true"] Trimeresurus Salazar, as one of the 48 species of this genus found in the region, is notable due to the orange-reddish stripe found on the side of the head in males. The researchers use "Salazar's pit viper" as a nickname. [caption id="attachment_234299" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Salazar's Pit Viper from Zoosystematics and Evolution.[/caption] Speaking of the Potter-verse, Fantastic Beasts actor Dan Fogler said that the third installment of the prequel series will feature some "epic battle scenes." The production on the third movie however, like every other movie and TV show shoot right now, has been delayed due to the pandemic. This production halt is not Fantastic Beasts 3's first schedule setback. Filming was postponed in 2019 after it was determined additional pre-production for the movie needed. That's when the movie's new release date of November 12, 2021, was announced. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/09/harry-potter-the-open-world-rpg-made-in-minecraft"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

SNL's second installment of its "At Home" format brought in Brad Pitt as an unofficial host. The series, which now features its cast performing skits and segments via video while in self-isolation, has started a trend of keeping its host and musical acts a secret until airtime. So while he not announced at the host of the episode, Pitt opened the show as Dr. Anthony Fauci and then later introduced a musical performance by Miley Cyrus (who performed an acoustic cover of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"). And introducing the musical guest is falls under duties of an SNL host, right? RIGHT? Anyhow, here's Pitt doing his skit as Dr. Fauci and then thanking our brave first responders and health care workers.

And now, a message from Dr. Anthony Fauci. #SNLAtHome pic.twitter.com/LYemNAWaAT

— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) April 26, 2020

Last week, Tom Hanks hosted the first SNL at Home. The episode spoofed Tiger King and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Looking for shows to binge during these quaran-tainment times? Here are some IGN-recommented series to take in...

• The Magicians Is a Modern Heartfelt Fantasy for Adult Nerds
• Secret Wars Is Marvel's Answer to Dune and Game of Thrones
• Cowboy Bebop's Still Worth the Trip Even After 20 Years
• Why Fans of Friends and The Office Should Watch Cheers
• Misfits Will Fill That Dysfunctional Superhero Hole in Your Heart
• The Deuce Is a Perfect Chaser for Fans of The Wire
• Farscape's Legacy Is That It's One of the Best Sci-Fi Shows Ever

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=what-the-casts-of-star-trek-are-binging&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Redeem this new Shift Code and get 10 Golden Keys in Borderlands 3 right now.