Disney has greenlit a spinoff of 2017's live-action Beauty and the Beast movie, but it's not what you might be expecting. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Disney is moving forward with a prequel series focused on Luke Evans' Gaston and Josh Gad's LeFou. The currently untitled series is billed as "a six-episode musical event" and will be exclusive to the Disney+ streaming service. In addition to playing LeFou, Gad will also write the series and serve as executive producer and showrunner alongside Once Upon a Time creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. THR also notes composer Alan Menken is currently in talks to return to the franchise and create new music for the series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-disney-live-action-remake&captions=true"] No other actors from the 2017 movie have signed on to return. Given that the series is a prequel, it probably wouldn't make much sense for Dan Stevens' Beast or the castle servants to appear. However, we could see the series making room for familiar faces from the village of Villeneuve, such as Kevin Kline's Maurice or Michael Jibson's Tavern Keeper. Interestingly, THR's sources indicate the prequel series came about in the wake of the canceled Disney+ series Muppets Live Another Day, on which Gad, Kitsis and Horowitz also collaborated. It's not hard to understand why Disney would want to return to the world of Beauty and the Beast. The 2017 film remains one of Disney's most successful live-action remakes. It was the second highest-grossing movie of 2017, topped only by fellow Disney release Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It's also one of only 46 movies to make a billion dollars at the global box office. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/26/disneys-mulan-stunt-featurette"] In other live-action remake news, Mulan is currently tracking to have the best opening weekend of 2020 so far, while Disney also recently announced live-action versions of Bambi and Lilo & Stitch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The Nintendo PlayStation prototype console was sold today in an auction for $360,000, making it one of the most expensive video game lots to be sold at an auction. The Nintendo PlayStation is a prototype that was developed as part of a potential partnership between Nintendo and Sony. The Super NES CD-ROM System would have been able to play both SNES cartridges and CD Games, but never entered mass production after Nintendo abruptly quit the partnership. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/07/the-most-expensive-collectibles-at-new-york-comic-con"] Terry Diebold purchased the Nintendo PlayStation in 2009 from a bankruptcy auction and after years of touring the system, decided to put the prototype up for auction in February 2020 at Heritage Auctions. Over the course of a month, the Nintendo PlayStation attracted the attention of serious collectors including Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, who tweeted about his desire to own the system for historical preservation. IGN spoke briefly with Heritage Auctions, the auction house that sold the Nintendo PlayStation, and while they’re still crunching the numbers they said they believe the system and the rest of the gaming collections that were sold would be “one of the most valuable” video game lots auctioned off. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/07/06/could-this-be-the-snes-playstation-prototype-ign-news"] Along with the Nintendo PlayStation, the auction sold rare video games like early copies of Super Mario Bros. Heritage Auctions also previously sold a record-breaking $100,000 copy of Super Mario Bros. for the NES back in February. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter. Image by Heritage Auctions.

Twitch streamer Carl "SoaRCarl" Riemer accidentally fired a gun on a livestream and has since been suspended from Twitch, and removed from his esports team. While live on Wednesday, Riemer racked his handgun twice believing the magazine was empty and then fired at a monitor next to him. He followed up the mistake with an apology video discussing the situation and how it's affected him. "I was clearly intoxicated. But, the fact of the matter is, whether I was sober or intoxicated, guns are not a toy. They are not to be messed with," Riemer said. "Even if I've had the gun for two years. You can still do something stupid like that. It went through a cup, bounced off the cup, and broke my $1000 f*****g monitor." [caption id="attachment_231464" align="alignnone" width="720"] Credit: Carl Riemer[/caption] The Twitch Community Guidelines rule that Riemer may have broken is a zero-tolerance violation that comes with an immediate indefinite suspension, "Brandishing lethal or harmful weapons, such as guns, knives, or explosives." The day after the stream occurred, the esports team SoaR Gaming that Riemer was a part of released a statement announcing his removal from the team. "We do not condone the actions on livestream by Carl last night. He has been removed from the SoaR Gaming roster effective immediately," the announcement read. Riemer thanked SoaR Gaming in his video and agreed that they did the right thing removing him. "SoaR has released me from the team, as they should. I just want to thank SoaR Gaming for just being a great team and great group of people. They did the right thing," he said. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-100-games-of-all-time-2019-update&captions=true"] Riemer continued in his apology video about how he purchased this gun for self-protection and that what he did was the "polar opposite of the reason I purchased that firearm." "It's a stupid mistake that could have cost somebody their life. I could have went to the hospital. I could have hurt one of my animals," he continued. At this time, it's unknown whether his Twitch suspension will be permanent or not. Last year saw the ban of prolific streamers like Dr. Disrespect over an E3 violation and an Apex Legends cosplayer. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Snakester95.

Broomstick League was released on Steam yesterday, on March 5, and it's quite reminiscent of a famous wizarding sport. One part clearly inspired by Harry Potter's marquee sport, Quidditch, and another part inspired by Psyonix's Rocket League, Broomstick League is already reviewing positively among the Steam community with a total of 35 reviews. Check out the launch trailer below to get a look at what you'll be doing in Broomstick League. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/06/broomstick-league-launch-trailer"] As you can see in the trailers, two teams, one Red and the other Blue, of three will be facing off against fellow wizards while flying through an arena on broomsticks. You can already see where the Quidditch comparison comes into play. The game takes it one step further by giving each wizard a wand they'll use to capture a glowing purple ball flying around the arena with a mind of its own. The wand can be used to pull the ball in, hold the ball, and throw the ball into the opposing team's goal. The purple ball is more Harry Potter quaffle than it is a golden snitch or bludger. The Rocket League comparisons come into play because, unlike Quidditch, your singular goal is to get the ball on the field into the opposing team's goal, just as you would in soccer, the game of inspiration for Rocket League. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-harry-potter-characters&captions=true"] From what we can gather in the trailer, the arenas will vary in terrain some arenas being icy, others grassy and another sandy. The game is available on Steam now for a special launch promotion of $13.49 and after March 12, the price will return to its regular $14.99. The last we heard of Quidditch in the video game space was 2003's Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, which we thought was good, giving it a 7.2 in our Quidditch World Cup review. For more on the wizarding world, check out some the latest info on the alleged leaked gameplay from a Harry Potter RPG. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN that loved Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup and desperately wants to play again. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ March release is just around the corner and, while plenty of questions remain, we’ve learned a lot from Nintendo’s presence at E3 2019, the hands-on Treehouse presentation, various interviews, the September Nintendo Direct, recent online listings, our hands-on preview, the February Direct, and much more. Here’s everything we know about Animal Crossing: New Horizons so far.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Release Date

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was delayed during E3 2019 from a 2019 launch window to March 20, 2020. It’s even getting its own special edition Nintendo Switch a week before the game is out. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=animal-crossing-new-horizons-limited-edition-nintendo-switch&captions=true"]

No Cloud Saves But a Bit of Hope

Animal Crossing: New Horizons does not support cloud saves but if your Nintendo Switch gets lost or stolen you may have a way to recover the data. There are no guarantees, though, so you’ll want to be careful. The Animal Crossing: New Horizons store page on the official Nintendo UK website has two recently added disclaimers. They are:

• This game does not support the Save Data Cloud functionality of Nintendo Switch Online. However, the ability to recover Animal Crossing: New Horizons save data from the server in the event of console failure, loss or theft will be available to Nintendo Switch Online members sometime in the future.
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons does not support the ability to transfer your save file from one Nintendo Switch console to another.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Multiplayer

Animal Crossing: New Horizons multiplayer allows for both local and online play, but there are some limitations. Here’s what you can expect:

• Up to 8 players can live on an island. You can only have one island per Nintendo Switch console. It does not matter how many copies of the game you have, as written on the Australian listing. This could pose a problem for you if you share a Nintendo Switch because, while you can still create your own character, you'll have to share the island.
• Up to 8 players can play together on one player’s island via online multiplayer or local wireless.
• 4 players of the same island can play together, at the same time, on a single system. This couch co-op setup is known as Party Play.
• There's an application on the NookPhone (an in-game app), named Call Islander, that lets you do Party Play Multiplayer. This is exclusive to those who have multiple islanders living on their island (i.e you have to be sharing an island with another player).
• There is no split-screen gameplay so the camera will default to whoever is “the leader” but you can quickly change the leader whenever you want, to whoever you want.
• You need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to access any online multiplayer features.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Amiibo and Amiibo Card Support

In their last Direct, Nintendo confirmed Amiibo and Amiibo Cards are supported but didn’t provide specifics. According to Nintendo Japan, as translated by GoNintendo, all Amiibo and Amiibo cards are supported but they have different functions and won't all be available at launch. You will be able to use all 16 Animal Crossing Series Amiibo and the Animal Crossing Super Smash Bros. Amiibo like the Villager and Isabelle Amiibo. In terms of Amiibo Cards, you can use Animal Crossing Amiibo Cards (Series 1-4), Animal Crossing Welcome Amiibo Cards, and Animal Crossing Welcome Amiibo Cards (Sanrio collaboration). According to the translated table, it seems some Amiibo can be used to take pictures within Photopia, an area designated for photoshoots with them. Other Amiibo will allow you to invite a villager to a campground on your island, but campground details haven’t been revealed yet. You can check out the full breakdown of Amiibo and Amiibo Card Functionality here.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Free Updates and Holiday Events

Like previous Animal Crossing games, New Horizons has Holiday Events. However, these will be rolled out in a series of free updates. The first update will add an April event called Bunny Day. This means you likely won’t be able to change your Nintendo Switch’s system clock to jump ahead to Christmas, and its unique items, if you’re in (real world) July.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Gameplay

Animal Crossing: New Horizons seems to maintain a lot of its core pillars but this time there’s a heavy focus on crafting and an even bigger emphasis on customization - in terms of your character and your island.

Crafting and More With NookPhone Apps

NookPhone Apps can be accessed from the smartphone Tom Nook gives you at the beginning of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Over the course of the game you'll get new apps, similar to how the design feature worked in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. So far, the following apps have been confirmed:

• DIY Recipes: View crafting recipes for tools, furniture, nature-based accessories, and other items made completely from scratch. DIY recipes can be unlocked by taking DIY workshop lessons at resident services, finding new items, purchased with Nook Miles (an in-game currency), getting them directly from villagers, finding them via messages in bottles, and more. You can also further customize your items by taking customization workshops at resident services or using your own patterns via the Custom Designs app.
• Custom Designs: Used to decorate and customize your furniture, clothing, and other items with your own unique designs and patterns.
• Nook Miles: Nooks Miles are a new currency earned by completing challenges that appear in the Nook Miles app. These miles can be exchanged for items and activities, such as a Nook Inc. uniform, DIY recipes, and other services that are part of Nook’s rewards program.
• Passport: An identification card that can be customized with titles you unlock by completing Nook Miles challenges.
• Rescue Service: If you get stuck or lost on the island this will bail you out by transporting you back to your home.
• Island Designer: Once the island is "fully decked out," you'll get a permit that lets you do construction work. Freely pave your own paths with the pattern of choice and unlock other permits to modify rivers and cliffs so that you can customize the terrain itself.
• Camera: This opens a photo mode featuring filters. You can also select an emotion to express before snapping the photo.
• Nook Shopping: Presumably an easy way to shop on the go.
• Best-Friends List: Mark some friends as Best Friends to give them access to all tools when visiting your island. Other friends and players will be restricted so there’s no risk of them ruining your island.
• Call Islander: Allows you to do co-op party play with those sharing your island.
• Map: View the map.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Characters

Isabelle joins your island once you reach a certain progression point. You can look forward to over 100 other new and returning characters in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. All previous animal types are confirmed to reappear in New Horizons and no new animal types have been revealed. You can see all confirmed characters on our wiki page or view them in the slideshow below. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=animal-crossing-new-horizons-new-villagers&captions=true"]

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Series Changes

Animal Crossing’s Switch debut comes with plenty of new features, big and small. Here’s everything we’ve spotted so far:

• Life on the island - You've joined existing towns, been the mayor of your own town, and now you're off to a deserted island.
• Nook Inc featuring Resident Services - Similar to other jobs Tom Nook has had, Nook Inc. is the company responsible for getting you and your new friends to the deserted island in the first place. The Resident Services tent, which is run by Ton Nook, is equipped to help Islanders settle. It has a workbench where you can craft materials and take workshop lessons to unlock more crafting and customization options. Island facilities expand based on your progression. Resident Services will also have a
• Shopping without shops - You can purchase items without visiting a physical Nook shop storefront. For example, in the Resident Services tent you can buy from Timmy directly. A menu will pop up showing that day's items. This is in contrast to previous games where you'd walk up to the items you'd like to purchase.
• Dodo Airlines Flight - You kick off the game via plane this time!
• Character customization - Your character’s appearance is no longer done through cryptic quiz questions -- you’ll get to directly customize it! It's better for players but makes the plane ride less exciting. You can change these features at any time. You can take a look at those features in our character customization guide.
• Character customization isn’t restricted by gender - There's no longer a distinction between masculine and feminine customization features.
• Choose home and building locations - Before residents choose a spot for their home they’ll check with you to see if it’s okay. If you don’t like where they settle down you can tell them you don’t want them to build in that particular spot and move their house location to wherever you see fit. The same goes for shops!
• Residents start off just like you - Everyone on the island starts off in tents and are in debt to Tom Nook. How the mighty have fallen.
• Residents will upgrade their homes over time - This does not seem to be affected by your own progression speed.
• You only start with 2 other residents.
• Furniture can go outside! - Put a sofa on the beach, put a campfire in your living room! Furniture can go anywhere. You don’t need Public Works Projects to do this.
• Your house can be on the beach.
• You can move furniture by half units - Just like in Happy Home Designer, furniture can be moved in half units. This allows for more flexibility.
• Multiplayer allows up to 8 players - Increased from 4, multiplayer now supports up to 8 for local wireless or online play. Be sure to check out our How to Play Multiplayer page for all the details.
• Wind blows through the trees - Is wind a new environmental concept in the Animal Crossing universe or could you just not see it before? Doesn't matter! Because now you can see the wind shaking the leaves on the trees.
• Real-life seasons are reflected in the game... even for players in the Southern Hemisphere! - Seasonal changes are a staple in the Animal Crossing series but before New Horizons this was limited to those playing in the Northern Hemisphere. Now even Southern Hemisphere players will get to enjoy this feature to its full capacity.
• You can change your skin tone - This feature was introduced in Happy Home Designer but it's new to the mainline series. No tanning required!
• There will be new hair and facial features to choose from.
• Crafting plays a huge role - You can still buy tools from shops but now you can also craft them. Check out our DIY Recipes page for more info.
• You can use bait while fishing - You can craft bait! One type of bait comes in the form of clams that you can dig up on the beach. Just look for the water spouts in the sand.
• Nook Miles are a new currency - It's still all about the bells, but Nook Miles can be exchanged for items and activities, such as a Nook Inc. uniform, DIY recipes, and other services. So even something as simple as picking up weeds serves multiple purposes: it makes your island "prettier," they can be sold for bells, you can use them to make a DIY recipe item, and picking a certain amount gives you Nook Miles via the Weed Eater challenge which brings us to another new feature.
• Weeds can be collected, sold, or used for crafting.
• NookPhone connects you to everything with various apps (as described above).
• There are new ways to improve friendship with Island Residents (previously known as Villagers), such as gifting them crafted items.
• You can cross rivers by vaulting over them - Bridges are still cool but they're ultimately unnecessary when it comes to crossing rivers. Just use the Vaulting Pole to get over it.
• Voice chat can be done through the Nintendo Switch Online app.
• Trees are replantable.
• Trees can be hit multiple times (for wood) without them becoming completely "chopped down."
• You can eat apples (and other foods, presumably) to make work go more quickly - Eat an apple and instantly dig up a tree... seriously!
• You can make dirt paths using a trowel - This is an alternative to just putting a bunch of patterns on the ground.
• You can adjust the camera from a centered to a more top-down view (revealed at Pax East via GameXplain) - This isn’t exactly new but it has been absent for a while and is returning in New Horizons.
• Autosave is now a feature.

For more on Animal Crossing: New Horizons be sure to check out our wiki guide.

Konami announced that the release of the TurboGrafx-16 mini has been delayed due to COVID-19, also known as Coronavirus. The TurboGrafx-16 mini, known as the PC Engine Core Grafx mini in Europe and the PC Engine mini in Japan, was scheduled to launch on March 19, but Konami said that production issues caused by the COVID-19 outbreak will lead to a delay. "Regarding the PC Engine Core Grafx mini console and its peripheral accessories, the manufacturing and shipping facilities in China have encountered an unavoidable suspension due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak," Konami said in an official statement. "As a result, the delivery of all PC Engine Core Grafx mini products, which was originally scheduled for March 19th, 2020, will be delayed until further notice." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=turbografx-16-mini-coming-from-konami&captions=true"] Konami said it is trying to deliver the new mini console as soon as possible, and the company will provide further details when a new launch window is confirmed. Shortly before Konami released that statement, the company said that customers who made preorders by March 5, 2020, would still receive their consoles on March 19. The most recent statement makes it clear that all orders have now been delayed. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/the-outer-worlds-switch-version-delayed-due-to-coronavirus"] This is the first new console release delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been impacting the video game industry in a number of ways. Also on the hardware side, the Animal Crossing special edition Switch console suffered production delays last month. TwitchCon recently became the latest event cancelled because of the outbreak, while the Entertainment Software Association is evaluating its E3 plans "daily" after Los Angeles declared a state of emergency. You can read the full list of video game events impacted by Coronavirus. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

TwitchCon Amsterdam has been cancelled to protect the health of attendees and employees.

Update: Capcom confirmed that Nemesis will not be able to enter designated safe rooms, according to GamesRadar. The story that Nemesis would be able to breach safe rooms, which previously were impenetrable to monsters in the game, came from a preview that reported Nemesis attacking Jill in a room with a save spot. Capcom says that there will be certain save points that aren't considered to be safe rooms. The music will a big indicator for which are which. So while there is a chance Nemesis can attack you in an area you can save in, safe rooms will still be a nice respite you can relax in without fear. Original story follows: [poilib element="accentDivider"] Nemesis is able to break into safe rooms in the Resident Evil 3 remake, meaning you’ll never feel at ease again. The latest issue of Official Xbox Magazine revealed the terrifying new detail after a hands-on session involved the sprinting, tentacle-fisted menace breaking into a room where the player had been attempting to enjoy a moment of respite. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/14/resident-evil-3-nemesis-trailer"] Historically, safe rooms in Resident Evil games have been calm areas of guaranteed safety. Even when enemies have been chasing you, ducking into a safe room would cause them to walk away. This was especially useful in the remake of Resident Evil 2 when the relentless Mr. X would pursue you through the Racoon City police building. Nemesis, who is effectively Mr. X on steroids with far more terrifying armaments, will be able to barge into safe rooms, meaning you never know if you’re truly out of danger. This is a little reminiscent of Alien: Isolation, where using a save machine was no guarantee of safety from the stalking Xenomorph. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-3&captions=true"] For more, check out our own hands-on preview of Resident Evil 3, as well as the news that a demo is on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

A Destiny 2 player has solved one of the game’s puzzles two years after the mystery was first added. User Javano posted the solution to Twitter, which they discovered with the help of another player, Bachmanetti. The puzzle in question is part of the Rasputin ARG that was added as part of the Warmind expansion. The puzzle features six icons that, when deciphered, provides three cipher keys that help decode a message which reveals a real-world location. That location has (or rather, had) a stash of Destiny goodies, which have long since been looted because the ARG was solved ages ago. Well, sort of. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/05/13/destiny-2-warmind-review"] Two of the cyphers were discovered, but the final one - the world ‘MECHANIZED’ - was worked out through dogged determination and trial-and-error by the Destiny community. And so while the ARG was solved, one part of the puzzle was never truly answered. Until Bachmanetti figured it out, that is. Javano posted a transcript of his IM messages with Bachmanetti on Twitter, showing them backtrack from the answer in hope of discovering the true solution. The only clue they had was the icon - a diamond - and the suggestion that it was related to a weapon. They had a hunch that it was the Sleeper Stimulant, presumably because it’s a Rasputin pattern exotic introduced in Warmind.

A 2-year-old Destiny puzzle was JUST solved with the help of @bachmanetti.

A single puzzle from the Warmind ARG had its solution ("Mechanized") bruteforced, but the puzzle itself was never properly solved… until today. The answer is found when aiming the Sleeper at this wall. pic.twitter.com/p8Kco3Xrre — Javano (@Javano_) March 5, 2020

Bachmanetti quickly realised that the diamond icon in the puzzle is identical to the reticle of the Sleeper Stimulant’s sight, and then made the connection with a warning sign seen on the wall of one of the Mars environments. The community believed the sign was part of the puzzle, as other clues on the map led to it. Within the next five minutes of making the connection, Bachmanetti jumped into the game, took the Sleeper Stimulant to the sign, and solved the puzzle. By lining up the scope with an identical diamond shape on the sign, the calibration lines on the edge of the reticle underlines letters, which when rearranged spell out MECHANIZED. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-most-addictive-online-games&captions=true"] Bachmanetti and Javano may not receive a prize for their discovery - the real life stash of Warmind engraved coins was discovered in May 2018 - they have finally found the missing piece of a two year old puzzle. For more on Destiny 2, check out our regular podcast Fireteam Chat, as well as the news that Bungie will remove paid-for loot boxes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

The creative director of E3 2020 has decided to step down from being involved in this year's show.

Merchandise and event production company Iam8bit has resigned from its position as creative director "with mixed emotions" as revealed in a tweet, but the reason why hasn't been given.

It’s with mixed emotions that @iam8bit has decided to resign as Creative Directors of what was to be an evolutionary #E32020 floor experience. We’ve produced hundreds of gaming + community events and it was a dream to be involved with E3. We wish the organizers the best of luck.

— iam8bit (@iam8bit) March 5, 2020

 

Iam8bit was originally brought on to "reinvigorate the show and, frankly, to shake things up," as it said in the announcement earlier this year.

The idea at this year's E3 was to create a showfloor that "celebrates gaming culture in exciting new ways." This would be shared with the world through new streaming and digital programming.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/13/playstation-will-not-be-at-e3-2020-ign-now"]

While Iam8bit isn't giving any explanation of why it has resigned from its position, the organiser of E3, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), has given a statement to GI.biz.

"We can confirm that Iam8bit is no longer part of the inter-agency group working on E3 2020. We greatly value their passion for the video game industry and the contributions they brought toward our vision for this year's show," the ESA said to GI.biz.

"We have an innovative and experienced team in place including Endeavor's creative agency 160over90, event innovators Mat+Lo and longtime E3 partners, GES, Dolaher Events and Double Forte -- all collaborating to bring to life an exciting and authentic experience for fans, the media and the industry."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=e3-2020-confirmed-companies-attending-the-show&captions=true"]

The ESA has confirmed that it still plans to go ahead with E3 2020 despite the city of Los Angeles declaring a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Many of the game events meant to be happening in the first half of this year have already been cancelled due to concerns surrounding the spread of the virus.

The ESA released a list of companies that still plan on attending E3 2020, but one of the big companies that has dropped out is Sony. E3 Coliseum host Geoff Keighley also said he won't be attending this year.

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Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.