Gears 5 loads 4 times quicker on Xbox Series X than on Xbox One - without a single change to the game's code. Speaking to Windows Central about the benefits of the new hardware, The Coalition's technical director Mike Rayner quantified just how much the studio is already getting out of the upcoming console: "With the Xbox Series X, out of the gate, we reduced our load-times by more than 4x without any code changes." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-console-power-levels-compared&captions=true"] Rayner explained that, "With the new DirectStorage APIs and new hardware decompression, we can further improve I/O performance and reduce CPU overhead, both of which are essential to achieve fast loading." The gist of Rayner's comments - and the article as a whole - is that Microsoft's work on improved I/O performance, and how it affects loading times, is among the most important additions. "We have come to expect generational leaps in CPU, GPU, and memory performance with each generation", says Rayner. "Xbox Series X more than delivers against these expectations. As a game developer, one of the most exciting improvements that far exceeds expectations is the massive I/O improvements on Xbox Series X. " The next-gen version of Gears 5 Rayner mentions isn't just a tech test - it will be a launch game for Series X, and will be available as a free upgrade to those that already own it. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/16/xbox-series-x-loading-times-tech-demo"] We've already seen a demonstration of the base improvement on loading times from Xbox Series X (above), and that's one of several tech upgrades that Microsoft is touting for its next machine. Xbox Series X is scheduled to be released during Holiday 2020. Right now we know the Xbox Series X specs, we have an educated guess on its price based on those specs, and a full comparison with PS5. What we know far less about is Xbox Series X games, but we have a list of confirmed and rumoured titles for the next-gen console. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Red Dead Redemption 2 will be arriving on Xbox Game Pass for console on May 7, 2020, the same day Rockstar will be removing Grand Theft Auto V from Xbox's subscription service. Revealed on Xbox Wire, if you miss your chance to download and play GTA V in time, you will be able to get a 20% discount on the purchase of the game. Red Dead Redemption 2 was released in 2018 and was our Game of the Year Runner-Up behind PlayStation 4's God of War. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/25/red-dead-redemption-2-review"] Even though it didn't win our game of the year, it did earn one of our rare 10/10 scores. In our review of Red Dead Redemption 2, we said it "stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Grand Theft Auto V as one of the greatest games of the modern age. It’s a gorgeous depiction of an ugly period that’s patient, polished, and a huge amount of fun to play, and it’s combined with Rockstar’s best storytelling to date." [poilib element="commerceCta" json="%7B%22image%22%3A%7B%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F04%2F23%2Fxbox-game-pass-ultimate1587649801402.png%22%2C%22styleUrl%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fassets1.ignimgs.com%2F2020%2F04%2F23%2Fxbox-game-pass-ultimate1587649801402_%7Bsize%7D.png%22%2C%22id%22%3A%225ea19d0ee4b0cb6495c43516%22%7D%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fr.zdbb.net%2Fu%2Fbhoe%22%2C%22title%22%3A%22Get%201%20Month%20for%20%241%22%2C%22store%22%3A%22Microsoft%20Store%22%2C%22additionalInfo%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ourPick%22%3Afalse%7D"] As for Grand Theft Auto V, it was added to Xbox Game Pass in January 2020 and will be replaced by Red Dead Redemption 2 next month. Grand Theft Auto V, according to the NPD, was the best selling game of the decade from 2010-2019, a number that has been bolstered by the continuous support of Grand Theft Auto Online. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-rockstar-game-review-ever&captions=true"] This news follows the report that Rockstar is making changes to fix its crunch culture and is currently developing a new Grand Theft Auto. [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. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Bethesda is investigating a bug reported by players where Fallout 76's new NPCs are looting items from their corpses and keeping them. The strange glitch has been noted by several users on the Fallout 76 Reddit, with posters claiming that they've lost hordes of ammo and expensive weapons. Upon death, players are waking up to find the guns they were using and the ammo attached missing from their inventory. Later, they've noticed that the same gun they were using in combat is now in the hands of a nearby NPC, suggesting that it had been looted from the player's corpse upon death. Those NPCs can't be looted back. This is a major problem, as it means expensive and rare weapons that players have worked hard to purchase or unlock are being lost, with no clear means to recover them. One particular post mentions that a player lost an explosive machine gun that they spent "15k caps" on. A few posters have singled out the event missions Radiation Rumble and Riding Shotgun as being a particular source for the bug, so you may want to avoid them for the time being. This video from Dani Garcia gives us our best glimpse at the glitch in action (thanks, PC Gamer!) [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/09/fallout-76-wastelanders-launch-trailer"] A Bethesda Community Manager has responded to the strange phenomenon, writing that they will "investigate this immediately" under one of the offending Reddit posts. NPCs arrived in Fallout 76 as part of the Wastelanders update, a free overhaul anticipated by the fans who stuck with Fallout 76 after its troublesome launch. Wastelanders adds new questlines and infrastructure, as well as an improved reputation system. If you're thinking of jumping back into the apocalyptic fray, check out our article on whether you should return to Fallout 76 for Wastelanders. And if you've already made the leap, you may want to check out our walkthrough which will guide you through the new quests in Wastelanders. Just watch out for those event missions if you're fixing to keep your hard-earned loot! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/08/fallout-76-should-you-return-for-wastelanders"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A Crash Bandicoot mobile game has unexpectedly soft launched on Android in select regions. An endless runner, Crash Bandicoot Mobile comes from Candy Crush creators King and was teased earlier this week via a set of leaked Facebook ads. Soft launches allow developers to release the game in certain areas, allowing them to fix bugs and test server capacity before a full rollout. As of right now, there hasn't been any official word from King or the Crash Bandicoot Twitter account about the game, which means we don't have a full set of regions the game can be downloaded in, but you can see if the game's available in your area on the Google Play Store right now. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/29/crash-bandicoot-n-sane-trilogy-review"] The listing describes the gameplay, which will see Crash complete "awesome battle runs" to defeat Dr. Cortex's minions, a series of "mutagen henchmen" who are trying to "enslave all dimensions." It's set on Wumpa Island and will feature a number of fan-favourite characters like Coco Bandicoot, Uka Uka and Dingodile. There's also a persistent metagame beyond the endless runner gameplay where Crash can perform "collection runs" to scavenge for ingredients. These items allow the player to upgrade and expand Coco's base by unlocking buildings to "create an arsenal of weapons: serums, bombs and even rayguns!" In other Crash Bandicoot news, Activision noted in their Q4 2019 investor call that they plan to release "several remastered and reimagined experiences" in 2020, suggesting Crash could make another appearance following the popularity of Activision's remaster of the original trilogy. We reviewed another Crash spin-off, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled back in 2019, which we called a "kart racer worth playing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/23/crash-team-racing-nitro-fueled-accolades-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

Spoilers ahead for Back to the Future, which you really should have seen by now since it turns 35 this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] An old fan debate about Back to the Future and one of its perceived plot holes was resuscitated via Twitter this week, a viral sensation which drew BTTF screenwriter Bob Gale into the debate to settle the question himself. The debate -- reignited by the trending list "5 Perfect Movies" -- was about why Marty McFly's parents didn't recognize him as Calvin Klein, the teen who engineered their romance back in the '50s, when he returned home to the 1980s. Surely, George and Lorraine McFly would recognize their son Marty as their high school acquaintance Calvin? Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn joined the debate to tweet: "Back to the Future SEEMINGLY could be imperfect (why don't Mom and Dad remember Marty?), but I would still argue it's a perfect film because there are reasons why this could conceivably be the case (time protects itself from unraveling, etc). Or maybe I'm in denial. Who knows." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-may-2020&captions=true"] Gunn's tweet spurred his Guardians star Chris Pratt to suggest, "Maybe they do remember him tho, not as Marty, as Calvin. When Marty returns to present day 1985, it could have been years since his parents would have perhaps originally noted the uncanny resemblance between their son and that kid from high school 20 years previous." Pratt's suggestion turned out to be in line with the reasoning then offered by BTTF screenwriter Bob Gale, who addressed the matter to The Hollywood Reporter. "Bear in mind that George and Lorraine only knew Marty/Calvin for six days when they were 17, and they did not even see him every one of those six days. So, many years later, they still might remember that interesting kid who got them together on their first date," Gale explained. "But I would ask anyone to think back on their own high school days and ask themselves how well they remember a kid who might have been at their school for even a semester. Or someone you went out with just one time," Gale said. "If you had no photo reference, after 25 years, you'd probably have just a hazy recollection." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/02/27/keepin-it-reel-crispin-glover-talks-back-to-the-future"] Gale added that most parents could scroll their high school yearbooks and see kids back then who look like their own kids do now. So does Gale's explanation settle this BTTF debate for you? Let us know in the comments!

On this week's episode of IGN's weekly PlayStation show, Podcast Beyond!, host Jonathon Dornbush is joined by Brian Altano, Max Scoville, and Lucy O'Brien to discuss the biggest news in the world of PlayStation. And with a recent report suggesting PS5's price point, and a limited supply of PS5 at its holiday launch date, the cast dives into what it might look like if it's tough to get a PS5 this holiday season, as well as how PS5 launch games could factor into sales, and much more. We also address more of the latest PS5 news and rumors, including a strange new PlayStation patent, and much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/22/will-ps5s-be-tough-to-get-this-holiday-beyond-episode-641"] Have a That One Thing or Memory Card story to share? Write in to beyond@ign.com! Download or listen to the show on these platforms: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-evolution-of-the-playstation-controller&captions=true"]

• Direct Download

• YouTube

• Apple Podcasts/iTunes

• Spotify

• Stitcher

• PlayerFM

• Podbay

• TuneIn

• Podbean

• Feedburner

Podcast Beyond! is live every Wednesday at 3 p.m. PT. For the latest on PS5, check out the PS5 full specs list, why we're excited about PS5's 3D audio focus, an analysis of what teraflops really mean for the PS5 and Xbox Series X, and check out images of the allegedly PS5 dev kit and controller. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Earlier today a 2017/2018 source code for Valve’s Source Engine supposedly leaked online; prompting fears that this could lead to security vulnerabilities in games like Team Fortress 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Valve confirmed that the code appears to be a repost of a 2018 “limited CS: GO engine code depot” leak and it should not be a threat to Valve’s multiplayer games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-modern-pc-games&captions=true"] In a statement to IGN Valve said, “We have reviewed the leaked code and believe it to be a reposting of a limited CS: GO engine code depot released to partners in late 2017, and originally leaked in 2018.” Valved added, “From this review, we have not found any reason for players to be alarmed or avoid the current builds (as always, playing on the official servers is recommended for greatest security). We will continue to investigate the situation and will update news outlets and players if we find anything to prove otherwise. In the meantime, if anyone has more information about the leak, the Valve security page describes how best to report that information.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2014/06/19/team-fortress-2-love-and-war-cinematic"] The Twitter account @SteamDB posted this morning that the Source code for CS: GO and Team Fortress 2 dated 2017/2018 was leaked to the public today. Players online began worrying about potential security vulnerabilities the leak could open up, and users urged others to avoid Valve multiplayer games out of precaution. The primary fear from TF2 and CS: GO players were potential exploits from the source code including remote code execution bugs which programmers could use to compromise Valve's online servers. This includes the potential to make a target's PC execute commands remotely. Despite some posts on social media, attacks on either CS: GO or Team Fortress 2 haven’t been verified, and Valve’s statement seems to suggest that there is no vulnerability in either game presently. At least on Valve’s official game servers. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. If you know anything about the leak send tips to newstips@ign.com

Here's everything we know about what the franchise has in store, from a new movie from Taika Waititi to a Disney+ series from the co-creator of Russian Doll.

Netflix is bringing back some great classic films and new series to its lineup for May 2020. To get things started, Netflix is debuting a new series from Emmy-winner Ryan Murphy, titled Hollywood (May 1). The series "follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood's Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day," according to a synopsis from Netflix. The streamer is also launching Oscar-winner Damien Chazelle's new musical drama, The Eddy (May 8). On the movie front, Netflix in May will be home to Back to the Future I and II (May 1), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (May 1), and The Lovebirds (May 22), starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. The Lovebirds was originally set to premiere in theaters on April 3, however, Paramount decided to debut its romantic comedy on Netflix, after theaters around the world closed their doors due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a spotlight of some of the most notable May Netflix offerings, followed by the full list (U.S. Netflix only): [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-may-2020&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Avail. 5/1/20

• All Day and a Night -- NETFLIX FILM
• Almost Happy -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Get In -- NETFLIX FILM
• Go! Go! Cory Carson: The Chrissy -- NETFLIX FAMILY
• The Half Of It -- NETFLIX FILM
• Hollywood -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Into the Night -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Medici: The Magnificent: Part 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Mrs. Serial Killer -- NETFLIX FILM
• Reckoning: Season 1 -- Exclusively on Netflix
• Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
• Back to the Future
• Back to the Future Part II
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Cracked Up, The Darrell Hammond Story
• Den of Thieves
• For Colored Girls
• Fun with Dick & Jane
• I Am Divine
• Jarhead
• Jarhead 2: Field of Fire
• Jarhead 3: The Siege
• Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
• Masha and the Bear: Season 4
• Material
• Monthly Girls' Nozaki Kun: Season 1
• Sinister
• Song of the Sea
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Heartbreak Kid
• The Patriot
• Thomas & Friends: Marvelous Machinery: A New Arrival
• Thomas & Friends: Marvelous Machinery: World of Tomorrow
• Thomas & Friends: Thomas and the Royal Engine
• Underworld
• Underworld: Evolution
• Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
• Urban Cowboy
• What a Girl Wants
• Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Avail. 5/4/20

• Arctic Dogs

Avail. 5/5/20

• Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill -- NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL

Avail. 5/6/20

• Workin' Moms: Season 4 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 5/7/20

• Scissor Seven: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ANIME

Avail. 5/8/20

• 18 regali -- NETFLIX FILM
• Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt -- NETFLIX FAMILY
• Dead to Me: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Eddy -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• The Hollow: Season 2 -- NETFLIX FAMILY
• House at the End of the Street
• Restaurants on the Edge: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Rust Valley Restorers: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Valeria -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 5/9/20

• Charmed: Season 2
• Grey's Anatomy: Season 16

Avail. 5/11/20

• Bordertown: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Have a Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics -- NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
• Trial By Media -- NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

Avail. 5/12/20

• True: Terrific Tales -- NETFLIX FAMILY
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs. the Reverend -- NETFLIX INTERACTIVE SPECIAL

Avail. 5/13/20

• The Wrong Missy -- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 5/14/20

• Riverdale: Season 4

Avail. 5/15/20

• Chichipatos -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• District 9
• I Love You, Stupid -- NETFLIX FILM
• Inhuman Resources -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Magic for Humans: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 5 -- NETFLIX FAMILY
• White Lines -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 5/16/20

• La reina de Indias y el conquistador -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Public Enemies
• United 93

Avail. 5/17/20

• Soul Surfer

Avail. 5/18/20

• The Big Flower Fight -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 5/19/20

• Patton Oswalt: I Love Everything -- NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL
• Sweet Magnolias -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Trumbo

Avail. 5/20/20

• Ben Platt Live From Radio City Music Hall -- NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
• The Flash: Season 6
• Rebelión de los Godinez -- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 5/22/20

• Control Z -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• History 101 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Just Go With It
• THE LOVEBIRDS -- NETFLIX FILM
• Selling Sunset: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL

Avail. 5/23/20

• Dynasty: Season 3

Avail. 5/25/20

• Ne Zha
• Norm of the North: Family Vacation
• Uncut Gems

Avail. 5/26/20

• Hannah Gadsby: Douglas -- NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL

Avail. 5/27/20

• I'm No Longer Here -- NETFLIX FILM
• The Lincoln Lawyer

Avail. 5/28/20

• Dorohedoro -- NETFLIX ANIME
• La corazonada -- NETFLIX FILM

Avail. 5/29/20

• Space Force -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Somebody Feed Phil: Season 3 -- NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

Avail. 5/31/20

• High Strung Free Dance

Coming Soon (Exact Date TBD)

• Blood & Water -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Kenny Sebastian: The Most Interesting Person in the Room -- NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL
• Mystic Pop-up Bar -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
• Supergirl: Season 5

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/lets-cast-the-tiger-king-movie"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

A new female-led Star Wars series is in the works at Disney+ from Russian Doll co-creator Leslye Headland, Variety reports. Details are sparse, but sources tell Variety "it will be a female-centric series that takes place in a different part of the Star Wars timeline than other projects." Headland is reportedly attached as showrunner and writer on the new series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] Disney+ is currently home to The Mandalorian, which will release its second season this October, and the final season of animated hit Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The streaming service is also developing live-action Star Wars projects centered around Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Rogue One's Cassian Andor (Diego Luna). While Disney boss Bob Iger recently revealed that Star Wars movies would be taking a pause in favor of the franchise's TV slate, there are still a number of Star Wars films still rumored to be in various stages of development, including Rian Johnson's trilogy, a concept from Marvel mastermind Kevin Feige, and a mysterious movie from Sleight director J.D. Dillard and Luke Cage writer Matt Owens. Headland served as the showrunner, executive producer, director and writer on Netflix's Emmy-nominated Russian Doll (which IGN gave a 10 in our review) which she co-created alongside star Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler. She previously worked on FX's Terriers, Starz's Blunt Talk, and Showtime's SMILF and Black Monday. Check out the final trailer for The Clone Wars below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/14/star-wars-the-clone-wars-official-final-season-7-teaser-trailer"]