Monthly Archives: October 2021

Xbox Games With Gold for November 2021 Announced

Microsoft has revealed the Games With Gold lineup for next month. The lineup includes Moving Out, Kingdom Two Crowns, Rocket Knight, and Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes.

Moving Out is a wacky co-op game that takes cues from Overcooked. However, instead of cooking crazy dishes, you're moving furniture out of homes. In our Moving Out review, we said, "Provided you’ve got at least one friend in tow to share the load and the laughs, Moving Out is an absolute blast."

Rocket Knight and Lego Batman 2 were both originally Xbox 360 titles that are available through backwards compatibility. In Rocket Knight, the hero from Sega's Sparkster series returns for a retro action game experience. In Lego Batman 2, the caped crusader is joined by classic Justice League allies like Superman and Wonder Woman. And, Kingdom Two Crowns is a sidescrolling strategy/resource management game with a pixel art aesthetic.

Moving Out will be available the entire month, while Rocket Knight will be free from November 1 to 15, and the other two games will be available from November 16 to 30.

You still have a chance to grab some of the October Games With Gold lineup, including Resident Evil Code: Veronica X.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Xbox Games With Gold for November 2021 Announced

Microsoft has revealed the Games With Gold lineup for next month. The lineup includes Moving Out, Kingdom Two Crowns, Rocket Knight, and Lego Batman 2 DC Super Heroes.

Moving Out is a wacky co-op game that takes cues from Overcooked. However, instead of cooking crazy dishes, you're moving furniture out of homes. In our Moving Out review, we said, "Provided you’ve got at least one friend in tow to share the load and the laughs, Moving Out is an absolute blast."

Rocket Knight and Lego Batman 2 were both originally Xbox 360 titles that are available through backwards compatibility. In Rocket Knight, the hero from Sega's Sparkster series returns for a retro action game experience. In Lego Batman 2, the caped crusader is joined by classic Justice League allies like Superman and Wonder Woman. And, Kingdom Two Crowns is a sidescrolling strategy/resource management game with a pixel art aesthetic.

Moving Out will be available the entire month, while Rocket Knight will be free from November 1 to 15, and the other two games will be available from November 16 to 30.

You still have a chance to grab some of the October Games With Gold lineup, including Resident Evil Code: Veronica X.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Roblox’s Servers Are Down And Fans Are Blaming Chipotle

Roblox is experiencing major server issues, and some fans are blaming Chipotle for the outage.

A Roblox Status Twitter account said that as of last night, over 3 million players were impacted by the outage. The official Roblox account addressed the outage this morning, saying they are working hard to get things back to normal.

While fans are waiting to get back online, some are poking fun at a Chipotle promotion within Roblox, saying it's to blame for the outage. The promotion, called the Chipotle Boorito Maze, is an official crossover with the fast-casual food chain where Roblox players can dress up in a Chipotle-inspired costume, and visit a cashier for a free burrito that can be redeemed at a Chipotle restaurant in real life.

The promotion kicked off on October 28 at 3:30 p.m., and just a few hours later, Roblox Status reported the outage impacting millions of players. We don't know exactly why the Roblox servers are down, but the timing is causing some fans to connect the two events.

The Chipotle Boorito event is only running until Sunday night, so hopefully, the servers get back up so people can grab their free burritos.

For more on what's happening in the world of Roblox, check out the Squid Game knockoffs blowing up on the platform,

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Roblox’s Servers Are Down And Fans Are Blaming Chipotle

Roblox is experiencing major server issues, and some fans are blaming Chipotle for the outage.

A Roblox Status Twitter account said that as of last night, over 3 million players were impacted by the outage. The official Roblox account addressed the outage this morning, saying they are working hard to get things back to normal.

While fans are waiting to get back online, some are poking fun at a Chipotle promotion within Roblox, saying it's to blame for the outage. The promotion, called the Chipotle Boorito Maze, is an official crossover with the fast-casual food chain where Roblox players can dress up in a Chipotle-inspired costume, and visit a cashier for a free burrito that can be redeemed at a Chipotle restaurant in real life.

The promotion kicked off on October 28 at 3:30 p.m., and just a few hours later, Roblox Status reported the outage impacting millions of players. We don't know exactly why the Roblox servers are down, but the timing is causing some fans to connect the two events.

The Chipotle Boorito event is only running until Sunday night, so hopefully, the servers get back up so people can grab their free burritos.

For more on what's happening in the world of Roblox, check out the Squid Game knockoffs blowing up on the platform,

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Ana De Armas In Talks to Star in John Wick Spinoff

Ana De Armas is reportedly in talks to play the lead role in the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina.

As reported by Deadline, the Knives Out and No Time To Die actress could be set to star in the film, which will centre around a young female assassin who is motivated to seek out the people responsible for killing her family and bring them to justice.

The character that the spinoff will follow has actually previously been seen in the franchise before. As the anticipated spinoff's title suggests, the film will be based on the ballerina briefly seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum who at the time was training to become an assassin.

If De Armas is to play the ballerina in the spinoff it will mark a change in actor, since American ballet dancer Unity Phelan portrayed the character in John Wick 3.

Ballerina was first rumored to be in the works in 2017 when it was reported that Lionsgate had come out on top in the race for the rights to make the movie. As part of Deadline's article, the outlet suggests that the budget for the film could be somewhere between $50-80 million, though notes that it's still unclear as to whether Keanu Reaves will make a cameo appearance.

As previously reported by Deadline, the film is set to be directed by Les Wiseman, while its script is being written by Shay Hatten. The American screenwriter has an impressive resume behind him, having already worked on John Wick: Chapter 3 as well as Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead.

Ballerina isn't the only John Wick spinoff currently in the works. Lionsgate is also expanding the franchise through The Continental - a prequel series set 40 years before the events of the movies. It was recently reported that The Continental will be a limited series with three 90-minute specials. While fans' hopes for the show remain high, the series sparked discussion on social media recently as it was reported that controversial actor Mel Gibson would play a starring role.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ana De Armas In Talks to Star in John Wick Spinoff

Ana De Armas is reportedly in talks to play the lead role in the upcoming John Wick spinoff, Ballerina.

As reported by Deadline, the Knives Out and No Time To Die actress could be set to star in the film, which will centre around a young female assassin who is motivated to seek out the people responsible for killing her family and bring them to justice.

The character that the spinoff will follow has actually previously been seen in the franchise before. As the anticipated spinoff's title suggests, the film will be based on the ballerina briefly seen in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum who at the time was training to become an assassin.

If De Armas is to play the ballerina in the spinoff it will mark a change in actor, since American ballet dancer Unity Phelan portrayed the character in John Wick 3.

Ballerina was first rumored to be in the works in 2017 when it was reported that Lionsgate had come out on top in the race for the rights to make the movie. As part of Deadline's article, the outlet suggests that the budget for the film could be somewhere between $50-80 million, though notes that it's still unclear as to whether Keanu Reaves will make a cameo appearance.

As previously reported by Deadline, the film is set to be directed by Les Wiseman, while its script is being written by Shay Hatten. The American screenwriter has an impressive resume behind him, having already worked on John Wick: Chapter 3 as well as Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead.

Ballerina isn't the only John Wick spinoff currently in the works. Lionsgate is also expanding the franchise through The Continental - a prequel series set 40 years before the events of the movies. It was recently reported that The Continental will be a limited series with three 90-minute specials. While fans' hopes for the show remain high, the series sparked discussion on social media recently as it was reported that controversial actor Mel Gibson would play a starring role.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

The First Photo Of Meta / Facebook’s Apple Watch Rival Has Leaked

Photos of what appear to be Meta's smartwatch has leaked, featuring what looks to be a front-facing camera and a rounded screen.

As published by Bloomberg, the image of the device shows a watch with a large display that makes it look more like an Apple Watch compared to fitness trackers like Google's Fitbit and Garmin. A front-facing camera is at the bottom of the watch's display, and a control button on the right side of it.

The image, according to Bloomberg's report, was found inside an app called Facebook View that controls smart glasses that have been made as part of a collaboration with Ray-Ban and Meta (formerly known as Facebook). App developer Steve Moser discovered the image and shared it with Bloomberg.

The front-facing camera differentiates this potential Meta smart watch from other competitors, and suggests that it will be used for taking pictures or for videoconferencing. Given the announcement of Facebook's rebrand into Meta yesterday and its commitment to building out the Metaverse, it certainly makes sense for the watch to have these kinds of features.

Bloomberg's sources say that Meta is planning to launch its first smart watch in 2022, but the decision hasn't been finalized yet. Three generations of the smart watch are reportedly being developed to release at different time frames.

In other Facebook/Meta news, the next Oculus VR headset is in development and currently known as Project Cambria. And in the future, Oculus headsets won't require a personal Facebook account to use. Meanwhile, the new Apple Watch Series 7 is available for pre-order.

The First Photo Of Meta / Facebook’s Apple Watch Rival Has Leaked

Photos of what appear to be Meta's smartwatch has leaked, featuring what looks to be a front-facing camera and a rounded screen.

As published by Bloomberg, the image of the device shows a watch with a large display that makes it look more like an Apple Watch compared to fitness trackers like Google's Fitbit and Garmin. A front-facing camera is at the bottom of the watch's display, and a control button on the right side of it.

The image, according to Bloomberg's report, was found inside an app called Facebook View that controls smart glasses that have been made as part of a collaboration with Ray-Ban and Meta (formerly known as Facebook). App developer Steve Moser discovered the image and shared it with Bloomberg.

The front-facing camera differentiates this potential Meta smart watch from other competitors, and suggests that it will be used for taking pictures or for videoconferencing. Given the announcement of Facebook's rebrand into Meta yesterday and its commitment to building out the Metaverse, it certainly makes sense for the watch to have these kinds of features.

Bloomberg's sources say that Meta is planning to launch its first smart watch in 2022, but the decision hasn't been finalized yet. Three generations of the smart watch are reportedly being developed to release at different time frames.

In other Facebook/Meta news, the next Oculus VR headset is in development and currently known as Project Cambria. And in the future, Oculus headsets won't require a personal Facebook account to use. Meanwhile, the new Apple Watch Series 7 is available for pre-order.

Amy Hennig and Skydance’s Unannounced Game Is a New Marvel Project

Remember Amy Hennig's big AAA, story-driven project with Skydance Media announced back in 2019? Good news: it's a Marvel game.

Skydance announced the collaboration with Marvel Entertainment today, though it's not ready to reveal further details about which Marvel characters might be involved in their endeavor. All we know is that it is being marketed as a "narrative-driven, blockbuster action-adventure game" and "a completely original story and take on the Marvel Universe."

“I can’t imagine a better partner than Marvel for our first game,” said Hennig. “The Marvel Universe epitomizes all the action, mystery and thrills of the pulp adventure genre that I adore and lends itself perfectly to an interactive experience. It’s an honor to be able to tell an original story with all the humanity, complexity, and humor that makes Marvel characters so enduring and to enable our players to embody these heroes that they love.”

Hennig's partnership with Skydance has been running for a few years now, working alongside EA veteran and executive producer Julian Beak to kick off a brand new interactive division for the company. Skydance has historically been a movie production company responsible for films such as the Mission: Impossible franchise, Star Trek, Top Gun: Maverick, and Terminator: Dark Fate. But it's also had one relatively successful video game launch with VR title The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.

Skydance's new division is in experienced hands with Hennig, who is best known as writer and director of the Uncharted games at Naughty Dog and for her work on other franchises like Jak and Daxter, Legacy of Kain with Crystal Dynamics, and others. She departed Naughty Dog in 2014 to work on a Star Wars project at Visceral Games until the studio was closed in 2017.

Beak, meanwhile, brings their own impressive resume with credits at Disney Interactive, Radical Entertainment, United Front Games, and six years at EA working on franchises like Battlefield and Need for Speed. He worked alongside Hennig on Visceral's canceled Star Wars project.

Both Hennig and Beak are joined by a team that, per Skydance, includes developers with decades of AAA experience in action and adventure games, alongside a diverse team of consultants from across film, TV, and comics.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Amy Hennig and Skydance’s Unannounced Game Is a New Marvel Project

Remember Amy Hennig's big AAA, story-driven project with Skydance Media announced back in 2019? Good news: it's a Marvel game.

Skydance announced the collaboration with Marvel Entertainment today, though it's not ready to reveal further details about which Marvel characters might be involved in their endeavor. All we know is that it is being marketed as a "narrative-driven, blockbuster action-adventure game" and "a completely original story and take on the Marvel Universe."

“I can’t imagine a better partner than Marvel for our first game,” said Hennig. “The Marvel Universe epitomizes all the action, mystery and thrills of the pulp adventure genre that I adore and lends itself perfectly to an interactive experience. It’s an honor to be able to tell an original story with all the humanity, complexity, and humor that makes Marvel characters so enduring and to enable our players to embody these heroes that they love.”

Hennig's partnership with Skydance has been running for a few years now, working alongside EA veteran and executive producer Julian Beak to kick off a brand new interactive division for the company. Skydance has historically been a movie production company responsible for films such as the Mission: Impossible franchise, Star Trek, Top Gun: Maverick, and Terminator: Dark Fate. But it's also had one relatively successful video game launch with VR title The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners.

Skydance's new division is in experienced hands with Hennig, who is best known as writer and director of the Uncharted games at Naughty Dog and for her work on other franchises like Jak and Daxter, Legacy of Kain with Crystal Dynamics, and others. She departed Naughty Dog in 2014 to work on a Star Wars project at Visceral Games until the studio was closed in 2017.

Beak, meanwhile, brings their own impressive resume with credits at Disney Interactive, Radical Entertainment, United Front Games, and six years at EA working on franchises like Battlefield and Need for Speed. He worked alongside Hennig on Visceral's canceled Star Wars project.

Both Hennig and Beak are joined by a team that, per Skydance, includes developers with decades of AAA experience in action and adventure games, alongside a diverse team of consultants from across film, TV, and comics.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.