Anytime writer Rick Remender is launching a new series, it's an event worth watching. Remender crafted modern superhero classics at Marvel Comics like Uncanny X-Force and Uncanny Avengers, and he's been delivering one hit after another at Image Comics thanks to books like Seven to Eternity, Black Science and Death or Glory. And now Remender is veering into the weirdly specific sub-genre known as comedy espionage for his latest creator-owned project, The Scumbag. The Scumbag is a comedy anthology series that pairs Remender with a rotating team of artists like Lewis LaRosa (Punisher MAX), Eric Powell (The Goon), Tula Lotay (Supreme: Blue Rose), Yanick Paquette (Wonder Woman: Earth One) and Dave Johnson (Superman: Red Son). The series follows a foul-mouthed, drug-addicted biker named Ernie Ray Clementine, a man who becomes the world's most in-demand super-spy after stumbling his way into gaining superhuman strength. IGN can exclusively debut two new variant covers for the first issue of The Scumbag, one drawn by Lotay and the other by Paquette and both colored by Nathan Fairbairn. Check them out, along with some previously revealed interior art, in the slideshow gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-scumbag-exclusive-preview-of-rick-remenders-comedy-espionage-series&captions=true"] Paquette's cover spotlights another key character named Sister Mary, whom Remender describes as a proper, James Bond-esque spy to contrast Ernie's... looser approach to the job. Remender told IGN, "The spectacular Tula Lotay (with help from delightful designer Erika Schnatz) gives us a look at Agent Scumbag living in a pulpy Robert McGinnis world where he, yet again, fails to fulfill another mission. Oh, Ernie Ray Clementine, you're a rascal. This delightful cover will be available only to the best and brightest among you and will ship 1:10. Yanick Paquette and Nathan Fairbairn give readers their first look at Ernie's partner, and the actual 007 of this world, Sister Mary. They are up to some hijinx against the nationalist terrorist group Scorpionus, another adventure botched by Ernie's love of smoking meth. Silly Ernie, meth and espionage don't mix! This delightful image is the first appearance of Sister Mary and will ship 1:25. Get to your comic shop early to get a copy and hurt anyone who gets in your way! Not really!" The Scumbag #1 will release in print and digitally on October 21. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/23/superman-man-of-tomorrow-dc-fandome-panel"] If you crave more exclusive comic book art, IGN recently debuted several pages from Mike Mignola: The Quarantine Sketchbook and Dark Horse's video game tie-in Cuphead Vol. 2: Cartoon Chronicles & Calamities. And be sure to check out all the biggest news and reveals from the recent DC FanDome event. [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.

In the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered, Geoff Keighley opened up about his famous friendship with legendary video game creator, Hideo Kojima. Ryan McCaffrey sat down with Keighley to discuss Kojima in the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered, along with details on Keighley's storied history with awards shows, his thoughts on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the cancellation of E3, what the 2020 Game Awards will be like, and much, much more. When asked about how his friendship began, Keighley said, "The origin of the friendship with Kojima, I think, stems back from when I did The Final Hours of Metal Gear Solid 2, back in 2001. I went over to Tokyo. It was right after 9/11. I remember flying on a 747 and there was like no one on the plane." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/25/geoff-keighley-talks-game-awards-hideo-kojima-xbox-vs-ps5-and-more-ign-unfiltered-53"] "I went over and visited him, and wrote a story about the making of that game, and we just kind of hit it off. I think he's always... he's been interested in Western culture, and Hollywood, and L.A., and entertainment, and I think we just have a common love of... movies, and entertainment, and talent, and we got to talking about things. "So I did that with him and, for years, we didn't really do a lot. Then, as [the Video Game Awards] started to become a thing, he was one of the very early supporters of doing big game announcements at VGAs. We did Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, I remember, which was like... trauma, because that game leaked out of Mexico the day of the show. "The same year we announced The Last of Us, we also did a Metal Gear Rising thing with him, so he's just always been super supportive of my stuff... I find him to just be... you know... a really intellectual person, but deeply human and emotional in how he thinks about things. You know, we don't really speak the same language, so it's fascinating that we have this sort of kinship with each other. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/11/the-game-awards-2019-livestream"] "I've always been a fan of his games, and how he thinks of pushing the medium forward and respecting how much he works to publicize his games, and travel the world, and meet with fans, and understand other cultures. I think there are a lot of Japanese developers that, they don't think about how their games will do in the West or around the world and he's always... he's just so curious. His eyebrows are always raised, just learning about things. I love that he hears about a new band and he gets excited about learning about them, or new pieces of culture." Keighley then added that he is also friends with many other developers, and that Kojima's prominent presence on social media could be the reason their relationship gets more attention. "People know about my friendship with him because he's so public on social media, but I have so many great friends in this business, from designers to developers to honestly, even the executives and the publicists that I've known for decades. So Kojima is one of my more public friends, but it doesn't mean that I'm any less friends with Neil Druckmann at Naughty Dog or the guys at id Software, or elsewhere." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/12/death-stranding-mind-of-kojima-video"] He also addressed the question of his friendship influencing The Game Awards, reiterating that he does not take part in the vote. "Sometimes people think, 'Oh, he's going to throw the awards for Kojima,' but I actually loved a lot of the games last year, and I'm friends with lots of the developers. That's, honestly, the hardest thing for me with the awards, and that's why I keep myself out of it. It's tough for me, when you see people at the after-party of The Game Awards and they lost Game Of The Year, and it's a great game, it just didn't get selected. People in the gaming industry are naturally competitive because games are competitive, so it's always a difficult thing." For more interviews with the best, brightest, most fascinating minds in the games industry, check out be sure to check out every episode of IGN Unfiltered, which includes talks with Master Chief co-creator Marcus Lehto, 343's Bonnie Ross, Valve's Robin Walker & Chris Remo, Respawn's Stig Asmussen, and many, many more.

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Brian Barnett writes wiki guides, deals posts, features, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).

The free PS Plus games for September 2020 have been announced by Sony, and it's a one-two punch of Street Fighter V and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.

PUBG: PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Street Fighter V are your PS Plus games for September: https://t.co/3otBukLFBf pic.twitter.com/oVFf5DpvVB

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) August 26, 2020

Street Fighter V is the original version of the arcade fighter, rather than the newer Arcade or Champion Editions, but still provides one of the most compelling fighting game experiences around. PUBG was the first of the battle royale games to really cause a scene on PC, which paved the way for the Fortnite phenomenon and BR craze. If you've never seen this version of battle royale before, then it's well worth the download; without re-spawns or extra mechanics, it's a comparability stripped back but tense and tactical fight for survival. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/02/16/street-fighter-5-launch-trailer"] As announced on the PlayStation Blog, both games will be available from September 1. The blog post notes that Street Fighter V PS4 tournaments are starting on September 4 in the US and Canada, so it's a good time to get into the game. Both SF5 and PUBG will be available until October 5, and the current PS Plus games - Fall Guys and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered - will be available until August 31. For more, check out our reviews of Street Fighter V and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, the popular 2018 game from Funcom (which itself was based on the decades-old Swedish tabletop RPG), is being given a full-length CG animated film treatment. The movie, which is being rendered using the Unreal Engine, is produced by Pathfinder and HaZ Films, and will be directed by Hasraf 'HaZ' Dulull, the indie filmmaker behind The Beyond and 2036: Origin Unknown. Watch the first sizzle reel for the film below. HaZ explains the story of the film as follows, if you're not familiar with Mutant Year Zero: "The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where civilization is rebuilding itself via The Ark , we follow a group of mis-fits, anthropomorphic mutants on a mission to locate the engineer of the Ark who has mysteriously gone missing, and they believe he holds the key to a mystical place of salvation known as Eden.  But the deeper they venture, the more they discover that things are not what they seem outside the Ark, and soon they begin to question their existence as mutants." He adds, "This is an action adventure movie with the core theme of Hope as the beating heart of the story." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/mutant-year-zero-road-to-eden-official-movie-trailer"] HaZ says he was attracted to the film because "I fell in love instantly with the characters of Dux and Bormin, I remember playing the game and just smiling throughout all the cool character moments they had including some hilarious quips, reminding me of moments I love in the great buddy cop style movies." On the use of the Unreal Engine to render the film, he explains, "We have spent many months (before COVID) developing a unique and efficient pipeline that streamlines the way we produce our animated films with Unreal Engine powered by Nvidia’s Quadro RTX graphics." The director concluded by saying, "I am excited to say there is going to be some pretty insane, edge of the seat, wall to wall action like you have never seen before, driven by emotionally charged and extremely witty characters throughout, whilst having a strong story that is full of twists and mystery.  We are going to laugh out loud with the banter and quips between our characters and be emotional moved with the heart felt moments and then gripped with tension and thrown into a rollercoaster of action." Look for more on the Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden movie soon. If you missed our review of the game, give it a look. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

CD Projekt has announced a new augmented reality mobile game set in the world of The Witcher. The Witcher: Monster Slayer will be released on Android and iOS devices and will use location data to power its gameplay. Developed by CD Projekt studio Spokko, The Witcher: Monster Slayer will be free-to-play and ask players to explore the real world to track, study, and fight monsters in augmented reality. The game uses time of day and real-life weather conditions to determine certain aspects of gameplay. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/the-witcher-monster-slayer-official-announcement-trailer"] “Preparation is key in order to defeat tougher enemies, as players will need to brew powerful potions and oils, craft bombs and monster bait, and upgrade their character before putting these beasts to the sword and signs in first-person AR combat,” explained CD Projekt. Killing monsters will allow you to take trophies as proof of your conquest, akin to Geralt in The Witcher. Monster Slayer features story quests based on narratives from the mainline series, so it will presumably be a little more lore-focused than something like Pokemon Go. However, like Pokemon Go, Monster Slayer does use a real-life map of your local area as the basis for the gameplay, with a fantasy like skin. Monster battles also look similar to the Niantic game's catching mechanic, albeit with a big sword. A release date for the game has yet to be announced, but will be revealed later this year. You can sign up for details at The Witcher: Monster Slayer website. For a different kind of mobile Witcher, check out our review of The Witcher 3 on Switch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Giancarlo Esposito has confirmed that he carried out all of his own stuntwork while portraying the villainous Moff Gideon on Season 2 of The Mandalorian. In an interview with Collider, Esposito offered up some more details about his expanded role in the upcoming season of the Disney+ Star Wars series. In particular, he spoke about his recent experiences on the set, as he explained that he was responsible for performing all of his own stunt scenes, including those that featured the ancient Darksaber. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/27/why-the-mandalorian-works-better-than-the-movies-opinion"] "I don't want you to have any spoilers, but I did all my stuntwork on my own, without a lot of rehearsal, even though it's a fairly big budget, technological piece with the volume and all the things that are going on," Esposito shared with the outlet. "Sometimes that leaves less time to pay more attention to, and the stuntwork, by the way, has been with an Emmy nomination as well, to do that." The Mandalorian's season finale was filled with several big surprises, leading right the way up to the closing shots that showed Esposito's character carving a segment out of his crashed TIE Fighter and emerging from the wreckage with the famed black-bladed lightsaber in his possession, which illuminated the fact that Gideon is likely to become a greater physical threat in the next season. "Having a lightsaber, I have a couple different ones, because of the technology that's involved," the actor said of his lightsaber training. "They sometimes put the saber in and I have to have a handle only. But in working with that handle, I have to remember that there's four and a half, five feet more of that saber. So it's the way you handle it, so I had to practice. And sometimes I have a full saber that lights up." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/star-wars-lightsaber-color-meanings-explained"] "I hope I'm not giving too much away in regards to the technology of it," he added. "It was a bit complicated, and I have to laugh because I don't hold back. And so, some of our stuntwork in this season... I remember the props guy coming to me and saying, 'Okay, this is our last lightsaber,' because you gotta pull your hits... but you want it to look real." The Darksaber is considered to be one of the most important artifacts in Mandalorian culture. The weapon was created by a warrior named Tarre Vizsla, and over time it has come to serve as a symbol of power. In fact, whoever wields the blade is viewed by Mandalorian traditionalists as the rightful ruler of Mandalore, and defeating the blade's owner in ritualistic combat is seen as the rightful path to power. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-mandalorian-the-best-aliens-weapons-and-tech&captions=true"] Esposito previously reflected on his character's possession of the Darksaber and what it symbolizes to him. In fact, he hinted that Moff Gideon might be a Force-sensitive villain whose physical powers extend far beyond the abilities of the weapon, as he explained how the saber being in his hands "creates the possibility that he is one of the ones." We'll find out more when The Mandalorian Season 2 debuts on Disney+ in October. Until then, we invite you to dig through the archives and learn more about the history of the Darksaber by reading our Star Wars wiki guide on the ancient lightsaber, find out about an unexpected connection between the series and The Rise of Skywalker, and see our breakdown of all the notable cameos in The Mandalorian so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Strictly Limited Games and Factor 5 have announced that a project celebrating Turrican's 30th anniversary will be revealed as part of Gamescom's Opening Night Live. In a press release, Strictly Limited Games said "After three decades in dormancy, we welcome the return of a true legend. Developed by one of Europe’s greatest independent studios of all time, Factor 5’s Turrican series became one of the most acclaimed and well regarded video games of all time shortly after its release in 1990. Now, teaming up with the original development team, Strictly Limited Games is excited to bring back this legendary IP.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/19/gamescom-2020-what-you-need-to-know"] If you weren't alive back then or your memory is a little fuzzy, Turrican is a German game originally released on Commodore 64 by developer Rainbow Arts. It was ported to Amiga by Factor 5, the developer working with Strictly Limited on this new release. Turrican is a Metroid-like game, featuring non-linear level exploration and the ability to morph into a ball. It's unclear if this will be a remastered re-release of the 30-year-old original, or something smaller/larger, but we'll find out exactly what it is during Opening Night Live on August 27. More details and a trailer are promised. For more on Gamescom, check out our comprehensive Gamescom schedule, which details how to watch all the shows and reveals coming as part of the digital version of Europe's big games convention. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Nintendo has surprise dropped a new Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase that features such games as Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend, and more. You can find a breakdown of each announcement below, as well as the full video of the Nintendo Direct Mini: Partner Showcase! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/nintendo-direct-mini-partner-showcase"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory Gets a Release Date

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/kingdom-hearts-melody-of-memory-official-trailer"] Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a rhythm game that celebrates the music and worlds of Kingdom Hearts and it will arrive on Nintendo Switch on November 13, 2020. A new gameplay video showed some of the Kingdom Hearts and Disney worlds players will be traveling to. There will be a story archive that will allow you to unlock and view scenes from Kingdom Hearts history. There will also be online and local multiplayer options, a Free-For-All mode that is exclusive to Nintendo Switch and supports up to 8-player local play. As previously revealed, it will also feature a brand new chapter in the Kingdom Hearts story.

Fuser Shows Off Collaborative Multiplayer and Reveals New Songs

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/01/fuser-new-gameplay-reveal-trailer"] Harmonix showed off collaborative multiplayer in its upcoming Fuser, and revealed three more songs coming to the game - Ghosts N Stuff by DeadMau5, Dance Monkey from Tones and I, and Blinding Lights by The Weeknd. Additionaly, it also showcased a new stage in the gameplay demo.

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack Arrives on Nintendo Switch

Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure Pack brings together both Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythmic Adventure 1 and Rhythmic Adventure 2. These games will allow players to take part in two time-traveling RPG adventures with Don-chan as they try to save the world from "strange incidents." Recruit monsters, form a powerful party, and enjoy over 130 songs this Winter.

World of Tanks Blitz Arrives on Nintendo Switch Later Today

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/world-of-tanks-blitz-launch-trailer"] World of Tanks Blitz is a free-to-play online multiplayer game that features over 350 unique and exclusive combat vehicles, including historically accurate vehicles, experimental tanks based on blueprints of famous engineers, and armored monsters from popular alternate universe. World of Tanks Blitz launches on Nintendo Switch later today.

Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions Arrives on Nintendo Switch in Spring 2021

Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions allows you to rise through the ranks of this game that features iconic characters like Rocky Balboa, Adonis Creed, and Viktor Drago. There will be story-driven interactions, a way to hone your skills in classic Rocky training montages, and much more. Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champion will arrive on Nintendo Switch in Spring 2021.

Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend Arrives on Switch on December 15

Originally released on Game Boy, the first three titles in the SaGa series - Final Fantasy Legend, Final Fantasy Legend II, and Final Fantasy Legend III - will arrive on Nintendo Switch in one package on December 15, 2020. Explore fantasy worlds, fight monsters, customize your characters, explore towns and dungeons, and more, all while taking advantage of a high-speed mode and other helpful features to make these classics hold up a bit more in modern times.

Just Dance 2021 Dances Its Way to Switch This November

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/just-dance-2021-announce-trailer"] Just Dance 2021 is the latest entry in the long-running dancing franchise, and this version features 40 new tracks, including Don't Start Now by Dua Lipa and Feel Special by TWICE. Just Dance 2021 will be released on Nintendo Switch on November 12, 2020.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 Brings a New Puzzle Adventure to Switch This December

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/26/puyo-puyo-tetris-2-announcement-trailer"] Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is the second entry in the series that mashes together two legendary puzzle games, and this sequel includes all the modes from the original game and a new Skill Battle mode that introduces character-based skills and item cards that can be equipped to power up the team and quickly turn the tables on opponents. There will also be a new Adventure mode with a full story that has players traversing space and dimensions , an expanded online mode, and more. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 arrives on Nintendo Switch on December 8, 2020.

Minecraft Dungeons Creeping Winter DLC Adds New Missions, Weapons, and More

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/27/minecraft-dungeons-review"] This DLC for Minecraft Dungeons provides new missions with the goal of defeating the Wretched Wraith at the center of the storm. Find the source of corruption, discover new weapons, armor, and artifacts, and more when this new content drops in September 2020.

Jump Force - Deluxe Edition Punches Its Way to Nintendo Switch on August 28

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/14/jump-force-review"] Jump Force - Deluxe Edition will be released on Nintendo Switch on August 28, 2020. Choose from over 50 fighters from One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, and More to battle in various modes, including online modes and a local tag team mode that is exclusive to Nintendo Switch. Jump Force - Deluxe Edition will also include the Characters Pass 1.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions Brings Arcade Soccer to Switch Tomorrow, August 27

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/captain-tsubasa-rise-of-new-champions-online-features-trailer"] Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is an arcade soccer game that features powerful offensive and defensive moves to gain the advantage over your opponents. Customize characters, build a dream team, play soccer online or locally, and more beginning tomorrow.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Arrives on Switch Tomorrow, August 27

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/31/final-fantasy-crystal-chronicles-remastered-edition-pre-order-trailer"] Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition brings the 2003 GameCube Classic to Nintendo Switch on August 27, 2020. This Final Fantasy entry is a 1-4 player RPG that follows the Crystal Caravans, a group of adventurers on the hunt for a previous and rare liquid known as myrrh that can cleanse and maintain a "crystal that protects them, and their world, from a poisonous gas." [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.

Puyo Puyo and Tetris are teaming up again this holiday with Puyo Puyo Tetris 2. Sega announced the sequel to its puzzle crossover will arrive with a brand new story mode and puzzles. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a sequel to Sega’s popular action puzzle game which combines the classic gameplay of Tetris with Puyo Puyo, a popular puzzle series from Japan. There are a variety of modes in Puyo Puyo Tetris that combine the two series such as a head-to-head vs. mode and a fusion mode that combines elements from both series into a single, frantic puzzle match. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=puyo-puyo-tetris-2-screenshots&captions=true"] With Puyo Puyo Tetris 2, Sega is introducing a new Skill Battle mode that introduces character-based skills and equippable item cards to add new layers of strategy. There’s also a new adventure mode which tells a new story set in the cute Puyo Puyo Tetris universe with both returning and new characters. Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 will be released for Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PS4 on December 8; and holiday 2020 for PS5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Sony has announced that Fall Guys is the most downloaded PS Plus game of all time.

As of today, @FallGuysGame is the most downloaded PS Plus game of all time on a global basis. Congrats to @Mediatonic! pic.twitter.com/jgXK8JGhFc

— PlayStation Europe (@PlayStationEU) August 26, 2020

Posting the news on Twitter, the PlayStation Europe Twitter account congratulated developer Mediatonic on its achievement. The stats takes into consideration the entire world, so Fall Guys is globally the most downloaded PS Plus game, not just in certain territories. This is a pretty significant achievement for the small indie, and means it has garnered significantly more attention than more typically prolific games featured on PS Plus, including the likes of the Call of Duty games. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/06/fall-guys-ultimate-knockout-review"] For more, check out our written Fall Guys review or watch it in the video above. You can also watch our video where we pitch our own ideas for levels to the Fall Guys developers and see how they react. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.