Yearly Archives: 2020

No Time to Die: Latest Bond Movie Delayed Until November

No Time To Die, James Bond's latest film, has been delayed until November 2020 "after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace." The news was announced on the official James Bond Twitter account, with MGM, Universal, and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, all agreeing a delay was the best move. No Time To Die will now be released in theaters on November 12, 2020, in the U.K. and on November 25, 2020, in the US. More worldwide dates will be announced in the future. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/04/no-time-to-die-official-trailer"] This decision was likely due to global threat of COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus). Earlier this week, as reported by BBC, founders of MI6 Confidential and The James Bond Dossier, two of the leading James Bond fan sites, penned an open letter that states "it is time to put public health above marketing release schedules." This delay follows Disney's decision to cancel its plans for a red carpet gala for the launch of Disney+ in the U.K. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=james-bond-no-time-to-die-character-posters&captions=true"] The Coronavirus outbreak, as reported by THR, may cause a $5 billion loss in the global film industry. Theaters in China have been closed for weeks, and "the virus is beginning to heavily impact moviegoing in South Korea, Italy and even Japan, the world's third-biggest film market." This virus is not only impacting the film industry, as the gaming industry is also taking precautions, with events like GDC being postponed or cancelled all together. No Time To Die, when it is released later this year, will have its theme song performed by Billie Eilish and its score composed by Hans Zimmer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/no-time-to-die-big-game-spot"] No Time To Die stars Daniel Craig's Bond alongside Léa Seydoux's Madeleine Swann, Lashana Lynch's Nomi, Ben Whishaw's Q, Ana de Armas' Paloma, and Rami Malek's supervillain Safin. [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.

Former God of War Executive Producer to Head New Google Stadia Dev Team

Former God of War executive producer Shannon Studstill is set to lead a new Google Stadia Games and Entertainment studio in Playa Vista, California. Announced by Jade Raymond, VP Stadia Games and Entertainment, Studstill's studio will "focus on delivering exclusive games, using new gameplay mechanics, creative ways to play together and unique interaction models that we’re just starting to explore. While we’re not ready to share specific game plans yet, rest assured we are listening to what gamers want and adding our own Stadia twists to create new IP and experiences." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/31/should-i-buy-stadia"] "I’ve been a fan of Shannon’s for a long time, and have admired her award-winning work leading Sony’s Santa Monica Studio and the industry defining franchises like God of War that have won fans all over the world," Raymond said. "She has an extensive background in product development and creative leadership, but most importantly, she’s a visionary who, as the Studio Director, will lead and inspire the Playa Vista teams. We are thrilled to welcome her to the Stadia family!" Studstill has been in the games industry since 1995, where she was a model/texture artist for Agile Warrior F-111X. Throughout her career, she has also worked on such titles as Twisted Metal: Black, 2005's God of War, God of War II, God of War III, The Order: 1886, Journey, and many more. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=google-stadia-review&captions=true"] Prior to this announcement, she was the VP/Head of Santa Monica Studio and most recently worked on 2018's God of War, which won our Game of the Year for 2018. Studstill's studio joins such Raymond's first-party studio and another in Montreal that recently acquired the team behind Journey to the Savage Planet. [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.

Mystery Star Wars Game Seemingly Leaks on PSN

Star Wars: Project Maverick has seemingly leaked on the European PlayStation Network - and it appears to be an unannounced game. Posted by Twitter bot PSN Releases, and posted on ResetEra by user soulzonic, it appears a listing was created for the game on the European PSN backend, with a logo image attached (below). While that listing won't appear on the public store, its details can still be scraped by services like this bot - these "hidden" listings have also recently outed the likes of Resident Evil 3, ahead of their official announcement. We've never heard of Project Maverick before, and it appears this is an early listing for a completely unannounced project. ESQxtoWXsAA4Y4MThe presence of a tiny group of X-Wings flying towards a Star Destroyer in the logo image has led some to speculate that this is a dogfighting game in the vein of the classic X-Wing or Rogue Squadron games. Last month, we heard that EA had canceled a Star Wars game, codenamed Viking, in 2019, but that a "smaller, more unusual project" was still in the works at EA Motive in Montreal - it's possible this is Project Maverick. Star Wars games have been having a rough time in recent years: Amy Hennig & Visceral Games' project, codenamed Ragtag, was canceled. Its assets were then repurposed for a game at EA Vancouver, codenamed Orca - which was also canceled. Here's hoping Maverick avoids the curse. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News and, if this is a dogfighting game, he hopes they bring back ludicrously complicated cockpit controls. Follow him on Twitter.

Call of Duty: Mobile’s Zombies Mode Being Removed as It’s Not Good Enough

The Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Mobile is being removed on March 25 due to it not meeting the quality standards of the game's developer.

"We had always mentioned it was limited but with no explicit end-date," writes the Call of Duty: Mobile developer in the latest community update. "We wanted to see the reception, see the feedback, and see how we can potentially shape the mode for the future. However, the mode just didn't reach the level of quality that we desire."

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The developer goes on to say that the the Zombies mode may return to Call of Duty: Mobile in the future, but only when it's of a "high enough quality." If and when it does return, it may also arrive with the global release of the mode's second map, Nacht Der Untoten.

For now, the Call of Duty: Mobile developer is looking to focus on the game's multiplayer, battle royale, and ranked modes. As such, a new Battle Pass arrived on March 1 that lets you earn new character Soap (from Call of Duty 4), along with new weapons and new equipment.

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There's also a new multiplayer map called Cage, which is designed for close-quarters combat, and while being a three-lane map has a verticality to it that can give risk-taking players an advantage. The developer has also confirmed that Hardpoint will now be a permanent game mode rather than just a limited-time mode.

Until March 11, you can also earn the new operator skill, H.I.V.E. Straight from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, H.I.V.E. lets you place trap pods that release a deadly swarm of nano-drones when triggered by enemies.

In our Call of Duty: Mobile review we gave it a 7.7 and said that it "plays well but not great" and comes "with a substantial multiplayer package that includes an exciting, condensed take on Blackout’s battle royale."

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

The Batman Reportedly Casts Teen Wolf’s Max and Charlie Carver

Teen Wolf stars Charlie and Max Carver have reportedly dropped down into Gotham City to feature in Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman, alongside Robert Pattinson's caped crusader. According to a recent report from The A.V. Club, the twin actors have been confirmed as the latest stars to join the extensive cast of the DC movie reboot, with production "keeping any other details under the cowl for now." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/13/the-batman-camera-test"] While the report indicates that Max and Charlie have been cast in unspecified roles, speculation has been rife over which characters they could potentially portray, with suggestions ranging from Max and Min, the twin henchmen employed by Two-Face, to Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the two supervillains modelled on the bumbling brothers from Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland tale. Others have proposed that Max and Charlie, who have previously starred together in Desperate Housewives, Teen Wolf, and The Leftovers, could emerge as the Trigger Twins, a pair of gunslingers who first appeared in 1951's All-Star Western #58 before being reimagined and reintroduced as a dangerous criminal duo, known as Tom and Tad Trigger, in 1993's Detective Comics #667. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-batman-cast-every-actor-and-character&captions=true"] If the Carvers are confirmed to be antagonists, they will be joining a rogues gallery of villains already announced for the movie, alongside Zoë Kravitz' Selina KylePaul Dano's Edward NashtonJohn Turturro's Carmine Falcone, and Colin Farrell's Oswald Cobblepot. For more on The Batman, check out the set photo from the first day of filming, find out how fans reacted to the new Batsuit, and read up about Robert Pattinson's Batman voice inspiration. Alternatively, check out our complete roundup of the cast, release date, plot, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Is Now Available on Mobile

PlayStation classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night has been released on mobile all of a sudden and completely without warning.

The iOS and Android port costs $2.99 / £2.99 and comes with touchscreen controls, with revamped menus to boot, but is said to be fully compatible with controllers. It also has a new continue feature - which probably means you don't have to wait an age every time you die as you're sent back to the title screen.

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It seems this mobile port is based on the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 4 versions of Symphony of the Night, rather than the original PlayStation 1 version. That means it has a completely new script and voice acting that, unfortunately, doesn't have the iconic line, "What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets!"

It also has extra familiars, new credits music, a boss fight against Maria, and Maria is playable. Everything else is pretty much the same as the 1997 original. The timing of this couldn't be better as Castlevania Season 3 arrives on Netflix on March 5.

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If you don't know, in Symphony of the Night you play as Alucard - the white-haired vampire in the Netflix series - as he tries to stop the evil that has overtaken Dracula's castle. We gave it a 9 in our Castlevania: Symphony of the Night review from way back in 1997, saying that it's "one of the finest 2D platforms game yet seen."

One of the directors of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Koji Igarashi, went on to make a spiritual successor to the game recently in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.

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

Ben Affleck Confirms McDonald’s Monopoly Movie Is Still in the Works

Ben Affleck has confirmed that McScam, his McDonald's Monopoly movie, starring Matt Damon, is still in development following last year's Disney-Fox merger. In an interview with Collider, Affleck shared an update on the long-gestating project, which has been in the works since 2018, explaining that a new draft of the script had just recently landed on the table. [ignvideo url="http://www.ign.com/videos/2018/03/13/matt-damon-and-ben-affleck-to-add-inclusion-rider-in-all-future-producing-projects-ign-news"] "We've gotten a new draft. That's really good," he told the outlet. "Hollywood's a weird place, because the person who was running the studio when they bought that script, just left that job. And the studio that was going to make it got bought by another studio. "So there's these moments where things sort themselves out, and you sort of see 'Is this still a priority, or are they really interested in different kinds of movies?' And I'm not sure whether or not, McScam, what kind of priority it is. We really like it. We're still developing the script." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=fox-movie-and-tv-show-properties-possibly-headed-to-disney&captions=true"] The original script for the movie, reportedly penned by Deadpool scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, was said to be based on a Daily Beast report by Jeff Maysh chronicling an FBI operation to uncover an underground criminal ring run by "Uncle Jerry." The ex-cop worked as a security officer at the firm that printed the McDonald's Monopoly game pieces and was able to defraud the annual promotion of $24 million in prize money over several years. However, the project seems to have suffered setbacks in the aftermath of the huge deal between Disney and 21st Century Fox, in which Disney acquired not only Fox's Marvel characters but also Fox's movie and TV studios, meaning that many more franchises and properties ended up falling under the Disney corporate umbrella, causing some shifts and delays in the process. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Hideo Kojima Shows Off Death Stranding Photo Mode

Hideo Kojima has provided a first look at the photo mode that will be available as part of the PC version of Death Stranding.

He shared footage of the photo mode in a Twitter video that, unfortunately, isn't of the greatest quality. What can be seen in the low-res video is that Death Stranding's photo mode will work much like many other photo modes in other games.

You'll be able to pause the game at any moment and then move the game camera around to get the shot you want. You'll also be able to tweak the brightness, the depth of field, change the aperture, and add filters. If you want, you can even make protagonist Sam Bridges pull different expressions and poses, or remove him from the shot entirely. It seems you may also be able to put themed frames around photos as well as turn them into posters.

In another tweet, Kojima mentioned that he'd like to hold photo contests for Death Stranding "by letting users send the photo that they took with the in-game camera." He's referencing a Metal Gear Solid 2 competition that rewarded players for creative use of the camera in that game.

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Finally, around the same time as the tweets about Death Stranding's photo mode, Kojima brought up the fact that, in Metal Gear Solid, he hid a number of his staff members in the game as ghosts. The only way you could see these ghosts were to take photos in certain places using the in-game camera. In fact, most of the Metal Gear Solid games had ghosts hidden in them that can be found through this method.

Kojima doesn't make any direct connection between the Metal Gear Solid ghosts and Death Stranding. However, given that he mentions it around the same time as posting this video, it could mean that there's something hidden in Death Stranding that can be revealed with the new photo mode. Maybe it'll be something related to Kojima Productions' next project, or perhaps even a Silent Hill tease?

Death Stranding comes to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on June 2. As well as the photo mode, it'll have higher frame rate caps, ultra-wide screen support, and Half-Life content. There's no word yet on whether any of these new features will be added to the PlayStation 4 version of Death Stranding.

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

Watch a Clip From Episode 3 of The Clone Wars’ Final Season

Lucasfilm and Disney have released a clip from Episode 3 of the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, titled "On the Wings of Keeradaks." The episode will make its debut on Disney+ on Friday, March 6, 2020. Here's how the streamer describes the episode: "Jedi Anakin Skywalker and the clones escape Wat Tambor’s trap and return to a local village to help defend the native people against a droid attack launched by Separatist Admiral Trench." Check out the clip in the video below or at the top of the page: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/03/star-wars-the-clone-wars-season-7-on-the-wings-of-keeradaks-clip"] Disney+ also revealed new images from "On the Wings of Keeradaks" showcasing Anakin Skywalker, the Bad Batch, Wat Tambor, and more. You can see the photos in the gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-the-clone-wars-final-season-gallery&captions=true"] For more on The Clone Wars, check out our Season 7 reviews of "The Bad Batch" and "A Distant Echo," Ahsoka Tano explained, a new Clone Wars five-issue comic miniseries from IDW, and refresh your memory with a recap of The Clone Wars so far and guide to watching in chronological order. [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.