EA has announced that lead development of the Need for Speed games is moving back to UK studio Criterion.

EA told GI.biz the reason for this is because it's struggled to find the right talent for the series in Gothenburg, where current Need for Speed developer Ghost Games is situated. Criterion is based in Guildford, one of the UK's hot spots for game developers, so EA is hoping to have more luck there.

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"With a strong history and passion for racing games and vision for what we can create, the Criterion team is going to take Need for Speed into the next-generation," EA said.

Criterion is known for the Burnout games and for making 2010's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and 2012's Need for Speed: Most Wanted. However, Criterion was downsized in 2013, and the development of Need for Speed games was moved to Swedish studio Ghost Games.

Now the reverse is happening. After making the past four Need for Speed games on console, Ghost Games will see its engineering team dispersed to support other EA projects and especially help out on matters regarding the Frostbite Engine. Some of the studio's creative team will move to the UK to continue their work at Criterion.

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However, EA says there are about 30 roles at Ghost Games that are at risk. "Outside of the engineers and those that we plan to transfer to other positions, there would be 30 additional staff in Gothenburg, and we would hope to place as many of them as possible into other roles in the company," EA said.

Ghost Games made Need for Speed: Rivals, No Limits, the 2015 reboot, and most recently Need for Speed Heat, which got an 8 in our review. Meanwhile, Criterion has been providing support on EA games including Star Wars: Battlefront II and Battlefield V.

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

Thanks to the ever-increasing mainstream popularity of Dungeons and Dragons, tabletop role-playing games are cooler than ever - and so are TV shows about them. Following in the footsteps of series like Critical Role and HarmonQuest, IGN can exclusively reveal that DC Universe has greenlit a new unscripted anthology gaming miniseries, DC Universe All Star Games, which will feature famous DC fans playing a variety of different games (and inevitably making you wish you could ditch your friends and join their party instead). Executive produced by Freddie Prinze Jr. (most recently heard reprising his Star Wars Rebels role of Kanan Jarrus in The Rise of Skywalker) and Sam Witwer (soon to be heard reprising his role as Darth Maul in the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars), and directed by by Jon Lee Broady, Season 1 will also feature Clare Grant, Vanessa Marshall, and WWE’s Xavier Woods as they embark on a retro adventure blending two distinct genres. Watch these famous D&D fans (including the Russo brothers, Joe Manganiello, and Deborah Ann Woll) explain why the game has become so popular again: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/02/why-is-dd-so-popular-again"] Utilizing the classic '80s role-playing game DC Heroes, the story featured in Season 1 of All Star Games is described as a "nostalgic role-playing adventure, The Breakfast League ... Set in the same '80s era as when the game was first published, the five participants role-play as a group of high schoolers stuck in Saturday detention. As they improv their way through a variety of situations familiar to fans of beloved movies from that time period, they soon discover their destinies as the world’s greatest super-heroes." A mash-up of classic '80s teen comedies and DC heroes? That's our kind of crossover. Episode 1 of the five-part freshman season will hit DC Universe on February 28, with new episodes debuting exclusively on the digital platform every Friday. “DC Heroes was the first RPG I ever played as a kid. It was also my introduction to the DC Universe, its heroes and, most importantly, its rich pool of villains,” said Prinze in a statement “I had a blast making this series and I hope all of you love it as much as I do.” Check out the official logo for DCU All Star Games below. For more from DC, check out our review of the animated Harley Quinn series and watch the trailer for the upcoming animated movie Superman: Red Son below. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/16/superman-red-son-exclusive-trailer"]

Researchers in Canada have identified a new species of tyrannosaur that roamed North America around 80 million years ago. Palaeontologists from the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrell Museum in Canada recently dusted off some fossilised skull fragments, found by John De Groot, a farmer and palaeontology enthusiast, who stumbled upon the relics while hiking near Hays, Alberta.

Introducing the first new species of tyrannosaur discovered in Canada in 50 years. Meet Thanatotheristes degrootorum, the ‘reaper of death’! Read all about it on our blog: https://t.co/hIQZkxdACk #Thanatotheristes #ReaperOfDeath #RTMPResearch pic.twitter.com/WYNmsMuUFY

— Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (@RoyalTyrrell) February 10, 2020

Scientists analyzed the unique features of the fossil skull fragments from the toothy tyrant to identify the new tyrannosaur species, which is thought to be 2.5 million years older than its closest relative. "Thanatotheristes can be distinguished from all other tyrannosaurs by numerous characteristics of the skull, but the most prominent are vertical ridges that run the length of the upper jaw," said Jared Voris, a University of Calgary PhD student, and lead author of the study. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/05/10/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-a-look-inside-featurette"] The predator has been officially named Thanatotheristes degrootorum; the first word is inspired by the Greek god of Death and "theristes", which translates to reaper, awarding the dino the fearsome "Reaper of Death" nickname. The second part of the name honours the De Groot family. "This discovery is significant because it fills in a gap in our understanding of tyrannosaur evolution," concluded Dr. François Therrien, Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/06/07/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-ending-explained"] This new research comes shortly after a study found that Earth may have been contaminated with high levels of mercury long before a giant asteroid struck the planet, spelling the end of dinosaurs. In this case, researchers examined fossilized marine mollusk shells across the globe to discover what appeared to be "a global signal of both abrupt ocean warming and distinctly elevated mercury concentrations" associated with the massive volcanic eruptions of the Deccan Traps in western India. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-deaths-in-the-jurassic-park-movies&captions=true"] Dinosaur extinction was just one of the many topics covered in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which has a sequel coming in June, 2021. While there has been no official word on the plot for Jurassic World 3, an all-new short film, titled Battle at Big Rock, was released online in September to help to bridge the story between Fallen Kingdom and the next instalment in the franchise. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Many signs that seem to point towards a battle royale mode coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare have emerged since season 2 was announced yesterday, including a look at what appears to be the whole map.

The first indicator of battle royale can be seen in a new option has been added to the main menu if you download the Season 2 update for Modern Warfare, which currently reads "CLASSIFIED". This is seems very likely to be a new game mode.

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Further evidence that it could be a battle royale mode starts with the opening cinematic that plays when you first boot up Season 2. At the 1:20 mark in the cinematic, soldiers are seen jumping out of a plane onto what appears to be a much larger map than usual, which is surrounded by clouds of green gas.

Given that battle royale modes usually involve jumping out of a plane, have huge maps, and usually have a deadly zone moves towards the centre of the map and shrinks the play space, all of this points towards a battle royale mode.

Further evidence comes from the fact that the map seen in that cinematic seems to have been found inside the game. YouTuber Prestige Is Key claims that you can find it by starting a private match on the Atlas Superstore map and switching to the COD caster spectator mode.

If you go to Atlas Superstore in a private match and become the COD caster you can explore the entire map. It is all low quality because you don't see it in regular gameplay. I flew all the way up in the sky to get the overview :) pic.twitter.com/QpiVaBd7Un

— Ryan B. (@PrestigeIsKey) February 12, 2020

A large map that matches the one in the cinematic can then apparently be viewed in its entirety, though it is in low resolution. A Redditor also posted a video of them flying high above that same map.

There's no official word on whether Modern Warfare is getting a battle royale mode and, if it is, when it might arrive. But given that this seems to be a battle royale map that's become accessible since Season 2 arrived, it could be that it will arrive soon.

Season 2 of Modern Warfare was leaked before it arrived too. Its new maps, skins, and guns were discovered before Activision was able to make the official announcement.

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

First details on the competitive first-person shooter for PC being made by League of Legends developer Riot Games have emerged after a recent playtest.

Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro HenryG tweeted his impressions of the game, currently codenamed Project A, after he spent a day playing it at Riot's European offices.

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He reports that the game is most similar to CS:GO, being that it's a 5v5 round-based tactical shooter. HenryG got to play a 12-round search and destroy mode, with A and B bombsites, and which had attackers and defenders swapping places at half time.

Where Project A differs from CS:GO is by having characters with unique skills tied to them. HenryG says the abilities are diluted in their power compared to those in Overwatch and Apex Legends. This means your shooting skill and tactics on the map are more important than using an ability to turn the tide of battle.

In my opinion, these aforementioned classes and their own unique 'abilities' should be seen as tactical utility instead of potentially overpowered spell/ultimate combinations that other class-based games suffer from.

— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020

He reckons you shouldn't rely on them but adds that "there's nothing more satisfying dropping a successful combo of movement mechanics abilities that isolates your opponent to buy space before pulling the trigger on the killing blow."

Project A also has an economy system like CS:GO does according to HenryG. That means each player will start with a set amount of currency and can earn more by scoring kills and completing objectives. That currency is spent on weapons and abilities at the beginning of each round.

Similar to CS:GO, with the economy system, you could partially invest into rounds with less-fire power to take a gamble on a round and enter with basic abilities/utility.

— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020

HenryG adds that the range of weaponry will be familiar to CS:GO players too, and generally speaking, a bullet to the head from a rifle will kill an enemy. This means the shooting appears to be about as fast as CS:GO and so you'll have to be very careful of where you're positioned, peeking around corners to survive most of the time.

Other impressions from HenryG on Project A is that the map design stood out for him. He says it feels very similar to CS:GO, with lanes and choke points, and there's a focus on gameplay over "flowery aesthetics." He also had this to say:

I will leave you with this bombshell: #ProjectA is the best game I have played since CS:GO.

— HenryG (@HenryGcsgo) February 11, 2020

All that was known about Project A previously was that it's not connected to League of Legends, it takes place on a near-future Earth, and has character-based play. With these first impressions we know quite a bit more. There will be more official details on Project A to come throughout 2020 and perhaps even a name.

Riot is also working on a Legends of Runeterra, a card game, and a fighting game. It also announced Riot Forge recently, in which it's teaming up with third-party developers to create more games set in the League of Legends universe.

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

Scientists have picked up on a strange radio signal coming from outer space which seems to repeat in a noticeable pattern. The Independent reports that although these aren't the first fast radio bursts scientists have observed, they may well be the most unusual thanks to the regular and predictable pattern in which they occur. Fast radio burst is a term used in radio astronomy to describe very short transient radio bursts, usually under a few milliseconds long. They are said to be caused by unknown, extreme, and unusual places in space. These oddly regular bursts were picked up by the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, which looks specifically for fast radio bursts to determine their origin. In a paper, the scientists described the repetition and pattern as "an important clue to the nature of this object". They repeat in a 16-day cycle, appearing frequently for four days, occurring at least every hour, and then dropping quiet for the other 12. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/05/terrifying-sounds-are-coming-from-outer-space"] While researchers aren't sure exactly what's causing it, they have narrowed the signal down to likely be emanating from the edge of a huge spiral galaxy around 500 million light years away. It is also likely to be from a binary system and could potentially be being disrupted by a black hole, based on previously detected objects with similar characteristics. Other theories for sources of fast radio bursts even include potential communications from far away alien races, though probably unlikely. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] In other cool space news, while signs of liquid on water on Mars have been confirmed for years, a new study has shown a lake on Mars held salty, mineral filled water. [poilib element="accentDivider"]Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Two SNES game never before released in the United States are being added to the Nintendo Switch Online lineup for February 2020. According to Business Wire, the two SNES games coming to Nintendo Switch Online on February 19 - Pop'n TwinBee and Smash Tennis - have never had official releases in North America before now. They will be joined by two NES titles - Shadow of the Ninja and Eliminator Boat Duel. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/nintendo-switch-online-february-2020-game-updates"] Pop'n TwinBee is a vertically scrolling top down shooter developed by Konami which released in 1993 in Japan and then also in PAL regions but never made it to the United States. Smash Tennis also released in 1993, but was under the name Super Family Tennis in Japan and made by Namco. It gained the title Smash Tennis when it released in Europe in 1994. These two titles bring the number of SNES games available on Nintendo Switch Online to 52 since they became available back in September 2019. This makes it a grand total of 78 games on the service which include other cool unreleased games like Star Fox 2, which came out in last December's offering. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=15-big-nintendo-switch-games-coming-in-2020-and-4-guesses&captions=true"] If you haven't looked into a Nintendo Switch Online membership yet, you can find out how to set up the most cost-effective membership for multiple people here. [poilib element="accentDivider"]Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Pokemon Home, the cloud-based Pokemon storage service, is now live on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. Pokemon Home allows trainers around the world to manage their collection of Pokemon across multiple games, trade with others, participate in Wonder Box and the Global Trade System, and much more. After downloading the free Pokemon Home App on either Nintendo Switch, iOS, or Android, users will also be given the option to upgrade to a Premium Plan for $2.99 (£2.69 on Switch / £2.99 on smartphones) for one month, $4.99 ($4.49 on Switch / £4.99 on smartphones) for three months, or $15.99 (£14.49 on Switch / £15.99 on smartphones) for 12 months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/28/pokemon-home-price-features-and-bank-comparison"] The Premium Plan allows for transferring of Pokemon from Pokemon Bank to Pokemon Home, raises the deposited Pokemon limit from 30 to 6,000, lets users place 10 Pokemon in Wonder Box instead of 3 and have 3 Pokemon in Global Trade System instead of 1, allows for players to host in addition to participate in Room Trade, and gives the ability to utilize the Judge function. It's also important to note that there are differences between the Nintendo Switch version and mobile phone versions. The Nintendo Switch version of Pokemon Home does not allow for trading, receiving Mystery Gifts, and checking Battle Data and News. The mobile version, on the other hand, does not let trainers move Pokemon from Pokemon Sword, Pokemon Shield, Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu!, and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee! or exchange Pokemon Home Points for BP (Battle Points). [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pokemon-home-price-and-features&captions=true"] Pokemon Home will not be compatible with Pokemon GO at launch, but that functionality is currently being worked on. Unfortunately, there is no time table for its release. Pokemon Home will essentially replace the need for Pokemon Bank, and to learn more, be sure to check out our Pokemon Home Wiki Guide. [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.

While the fans and critics have all weighed in on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to divisive results, there are many who have been waiting to hear what The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson thinks of the film. Now, the wait is over. Johnson spoke to MTV while walking the red carpet for the 2020 Academy Awards and shared how he felt after watching JJ Abrams complete the Skywalker Saga. “I had a blast, man,” Johnson said. “Made me so proud and seeing the heart and soul that JJ put into it. And seeing my friends who were in the movie just like, bring the whole thing to a conclusion. Yeah, for me as a Star Wars fan, it was a really special experience.” Johnson clearly enjoyed himself watching the film, although he didn’t get into any specifics. If anything, Johnson would have reason to be miffed at how The Rise of Skywalker unfolded because it seemed to contradict, ignore, and outright retcon numerous things he did in The Last Jedi, from Rey’s parentage to the restoration of the Skywalker saber. Much has been made about how Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio’s story went out of its way to “fix” things that certain fans didn’t like about The Last Jedi, but Johnson seems unbothered by any of that. Johnson also seems unbothered by the fact that Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico, a character he created and introduced in The Last Jedi, was only given 90 seconds of screen time in The Rise of Skywalker. Regardless, Johnson has been enjoying the success of Knives Out, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and has just received the green light for a sequel starring Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc. And despite rumors to the contrary, Johnson is still working on a series of new Star Wars movies for Disney. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

The Sonic the Hedgehog movie, which is tracking to open with over $40 million during Presidents' Day weekend, not only boasts a fan-driven redesign but Oscar nominee Jim Carrey as the villainous Dr. Robotnik - a video game baddie who's been badgering Sonic for almost 30 years! So how did Carrey go about bringing the very unique-looking Robotnik to life? Well, hair styling, both on the head and face, were paramount. "First of all, we have to give a shout out to Anne Morgan who did my hair," Carrey told IGN. "She cut a swath through my hair. A nice thick part, so it could be seen from outer space." One of Robotnik's most striking features is - yup - the 'stache! "That mustache was the beginning of, you know, the first manifestation of evil." Carrey said. "An outward manifestation. With the curled up edges and stuff. It goes back to Dudley Do-Right and the old cartoon villains. The old movies and stuff. That little waxed edge of the mustache that just says 'I've just tied some girl to a railroad track. For no apparent reason.'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=148938&captions=true"] Famously, Robotnik, originally named Dr. Eggman in Japan (but localized to Dr. Robotnik for America), is egg-shaped. A rotund mad scientist with a much different body type than Carrey's wiry frame. Though when asked if he'd considered gaining weight for the role, Carrey played coy. "Well, we all have our ideas." he said. "I've had many many ideas about where we might go with all that. So it's an evolution. It's evolution, baby." From the sound of things, we might leave the film with Robotnik in a state of change. "He ended up on the mushroom planet," Carrey explained, "and you never know what can happen on a mushroom planet." "Robotnik has not reached his apotheosis," Carrey teased. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/16/5-things-from-the-sonic-games-we-want-in-the-sonic-the-hedgehog-movie"] [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.