Nearly 30,000 people attended GDC 2025Over 1,000 speakers and 400 exhibitors took part in the eventImage credit: GDC News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 27, 2025 The organisers of this year's Game Developers Conference have revealed that almost 30,000 people were in attendance.This number matches 2024's figure, but there was an increase in exhibitors at San Francisco's Moscone Center from 325 to 400.Over 1,000 speakers took part in the event, which hosted 750 sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities.GDC 2025 also introduced the first annual GDC Nights after-hours event, which ran on March 17 and March 20, which welcomed more than 6,000 attendees."Seeing the engrossing lectures, the collective labour organising and the amazing performances at GDC Nights has been an affirming experience and helps reinforce the value of GDC's mission to connect developers through their shared passion for game development," said GDC event director Stephanie Hawkins."The past few years have seen increasing challenges for game developers the world over, but we're proud to see GDC continue to serve as a beacon."We look forward to seeing our friends here again, and hope that the connections and insights they gained will carry through to their next amazing game projects."The week-long event also saw two awards ceremonies take place, including the Game Developers Choice Awards with Balatro taking home the most accolades including the Game of the Year Award.As for the Independent Game Awards, Consume Me received the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for Best Independent Game, developed by Jenny Jiao Hsia, AP Thompson, Jie En Lee, Violet W-P and Ken 'coda' Synder.GDC is scheduled to take place from March 9, 2026 to March 13, 2026 at San Francisco's Moscone Center.

Nintendo has launched a new smartphone application called Nintendo Today to communicate directly with players.The app was announced by Shigeru Miyamoto during a bumper Nintendo Direct and is billed as a "new channel based on the concept of delivering information to [players] directly."Miyamoto said the application will function like a "daily calendar" that allows users to plan ahead for events such as Nintendo Direct presentations and game releases.It will also feature other content such as news, comics, wallpapers, and homescreen widgets spotlighting Nintendo characters and franchises.Following the Nintendo Switch 2 showcase on April 2, 2025, news about the upcoming console will be funnelled to users "daily and directly" through Nintendo Today.Nintendo Today will be available to download on compatible iOS and Android smart devices later today.It's an interesting move from Nintendo that could allow the company to establish and maintain a clear line of communication with consumers.Nintendo Today will be accessible to anybody with a Nintendo Account.Nintendo continues to experiment with how it can engage players and fans beyond the confines of the console ecosystem. Last year, the company debuted the Nintendo Music streaming application to let players listen to tunes from major series like Animal Crossing and Super Marioalbeit without proper crediting.Related:It also released an alarm clock dubbed 'Alarmo' in October 2024 to help those with a penchant for hitting snooze "wake up to a world of games."New virtual game cards will help Switch owners share digital titlesAs well as debuting new footage from Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokemon Legends: Z-A, and Rhythm Heaven Groove, Nintendo also unveiled the virtual game card.The new feature can be used to manage and share purchased digital titles in a similar way to physical releases. For instance, players who leverage the feature will be able to lend digital titles to another player or system tied to a Nintendo account."Similar in concept to moving physical game cards between systems, virtual game cards make it possible to 'eject' a purchased digital title from one Nintendo Switch system and 'load' it onto anotherwhether it belongs to a member of the same Nintendo Account family group, or a second system tied to your account," reads an explainer."This optional feature allows you to view virtual game cards or eject them from your system. The digital game can also be lent to a Nintendo Account family group members system via local wireless connection."Related:Games that have been lent to another family group member will be automatically returned after two weeks. Virtual Game Cards will be available on Nintendo Switch in April, but will also be heading to the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch.

Bryant Francis, Senior EditorMarch 27, 20257 Min ReadImage via Square Enix.At a GlanceIn her GDC 2025 talk, game writer Alexa Ray Corriea explains why developers should embrace "babygirls, pookies, and himbos."Okay for this to make sense, I need you to understand what a "babygirl" is. A babygirl is, as writer and narrative designer Alexa Ray Corriea explained in her 2025 Game Developers Conference talk, a character that everyone can agree is "a little bit traumatized," but secure in their masculinity, attractive, sensitive, and vulnerable, but not weak. He's probably over the age of 25, and may have "soft reasons to make hard decisions." Corriea's example was Clive from Final Fantasy XVI.Still with me? Good, let's talk about a "woobie." A woobie refers to a villainous or morally grey character who fans are inspired to "care for or comfort" amid all the terrible things happening to them. Do not confuse a woobie with a "meow meow," as a meow meow refers to a more heroic character you might want to just give a big hug. If that one's confusing, think about the difference between Waluigi (woobie) and Luigi (meow meow).Oh no, there are so many phrases left to cover. A "girl failure" is a female character who seems to have their life together but absolutely does not (Misato Katsuragi from Neon Genesis Evangelion). Then there's the handsome older male characters you'd say are a "daddy" or "zaddy," and last but absolutely not least there's the handsome-but-well-meaning "himbo." These words all describe a new genre of character tropes defined by fans and popularized on platforms like Tumblr and Ao3.Related:Why should developers care about these magnificent words? Well let's get down to brass tacks. It's common knowledge that if you want players to give a shit about your game's story, you need strong characters. But after 40 or so years of great narrative games, a lot of the classic tropes have been well-worn out and we all get a bit exhausted when a narrative director pulls out his copy of Joseph Campbell's The Hero's Journey again.Corriea's argument is that these fandom phrases are the secret to juicing up your game. How? Some of it's about the dataand some of it's about freeing your creativity from a box of shame.Fans. Love. These. Tropes.Data-hungry developers deserve a little guidance here. Ao3 (which stands for "Archive Of Our Own"), for the un-indoctrinated, is a successor to fanfiction.net, and is now the de facto home of fanfiction in the world wide web. It is also, it turns out, a useful barometer for assessing which characters are most popular in a beloved video game. Corriea showed a list of the top "shipping" categories of 2024 (shipping, another fandom phrase, refers to pairing characters up in fanfiction whether they're a canon couple or not), and pointed out that five fanfiction romances from Larian Studios' Baldur's Gate 3 ranked in the top 100 of all submitted projects in 2024. Astarion and the player character clocked in at the fourth-most popular category, while the "Dark Urge" version of the player character and the villain Enver Gortash ranked at number 85, if you want a sense of the spread.Related:"These characters are like six years old," she said (referring to the 2019 Early Access launch of Baldur's Gate 3). "That lasting power really means something," she said. "Looking at how your fan base is consuming your game, or how your players are consuming other games you admire...can help with your own character ideation phase."She also revealed that an unexpectedly popular entry on the Ao3 2024 shipping rankings was...Soap McTavish and "Ghost" from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series. "When I was in the writer's room on Call of Duty, we wanted to make this canon, and they wouldn't let us," she said. "So thanks a lot Activision."Image via Ash Poprik.Image via Ash Poprik.But before you run off and start dumping all of Ao3's data into a spreadsheet to quantify the most potent pairing you could conceive (I know some of you are already trying this don't hide from me), take a quick breather. There is one side effect to this fandom-led phenomenon that has a nasty side effect: the perpetuation of "toxic fandom."Related:Developers are quite familiar with toxic fandom, as it unfortunately drives harassment across the business. But when swimming in these waters, fans sometimes develop unhealthy attachments to characters and may lash out at other players or developers if their favorite character isn't portrayed in the way you like. "I'm not telling you to listen to toxic fandom culture that's still a huge problem across our industry...this is about having a dialogue with your fandom, and not letting yourself being run by it."She also added that with younger generations of developers emerging from the primordial ooze of fandom, there are going to be more game industry professionals who speak this language. "You're going to start having these conversations a lot, hearing this kind of talk in your writer's room, because that's a part of our culture. Those fandoms brought us into this line of work, and it's good form to keep up and know how to meet them halfway."And pop culture has already nudged the shape of the game industry in small ways. The X (formerly Twitter) account called "Can you pet the dog?" launched hundreds of pettable animal video games in game development.Those were the "practical" takeaways from Corriea's talkthe kind you might bring into a big meeting when you have to convince leadership that you've only gone a little bit feral in your corner of the office. But if we only limit ourselves to the practical, we risk burying these tropes in the same graveyard as "the grizzled war veteran" or "the talented female sidekick who is somehow shown up by the main character."If you truly want to tap into the power of these tropes, you must learn to set yourself free.Embrace cringe, be vulnerable"For an artist to become overly cerebral is to become crippled. This is not to say that artists lack rigor, rather that artistic rigor is grounded differently than intellectual life usually admits."The above quote comes from Julia Cameron's 1992 book The Artist's Way, and is a quote Corriea said she regularly thinks about. When she thinks about it, she recalls advice from one mentor who told her to "write from the hip," slinging out ideas with the speed of a classic cowboy gunslinger. Another told her to "write the unhinged thing, because you never know who will identify with that." All three quotes are, in one way or another, a call for creatives to write deeply from their instincts. To do that, you need to fight your way past an emotion holding any creative person back: "cringe."The verb "cringe" has become popularized as a noun and adjective, describing an emotion mixing shame and embarrassment tied to social awkwardness. Lusting publicly for fictional characters can sometimes be "cringe." Telling your development peers about the hours spent making a playlist for your game's protagonist might be "cringe." Regularly waxing on at length about Star Wars on a B2B website read by game industry professionals might also be "cringe.""Embrace cringe," reads one of end of the internet. "Please, no more embracing your cringe," says another. "Climb cringe mountain," commanded Corriea. Whichever choice you make it's easy to agree that cringe is, one way or another, about emotions or actions someone else may perceive as awkwardor even laugh at you for expressing. If you're uncomfortable with being "cringe," you might revert to safer emotional behavior, something more familiar, something you think will keep people from laughing at you or mocking you.Sometimes that's a business-driven instinct. If you fear you're taking too many risks with a new type of gameplay, you'd be forgiven for thinking you need a conventional plot with conventional characters to not alienate the player.But that line of thinking can also be your undoing. The fear that no one will resonate with your strange ideas can be what makes your game not very interesting."The beautiful thing about art, and the thing that we so often forget when we're making art, is that people will find meaning in just about anything. When we are creating, what we are creating will resonate with different people on different levels. It's all valid," said Corriea.And if you can't be vulnerableor "cringe"around your collaborators, how will you help them make games that connect with those players? "This is all still fun," Corriea reminded the audience in her closing remarks."We make games. We need to remember that under all of this capitalism, we are still having fun."Read more about:GDC 2025FeaturesInterviewsTop StoriesAbout the AuthorBryant FrancisSenior Editor, GameDeveloper.comBryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA. He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios' upcoming 4X strategy game Zephon and Amplitude Studio's 2017 game Endless Space 2.See more from Bryant FrancisDaily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inboxStay UpdatedYou May Also Like

Audio-Technica is releasing four Star Wars-themed versions of its ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds. | Image: Audio-TechnicaAhead of Star Wars Celebration Japan getting underway on April 18th in Tokyo, Audio-Technica has announced four new limited edition versions of its ATH-CKS50TW2 wireless earbuds that originally debuted at CES 2025. Functionality is the same, but the earbuds have gotten a Star Wars-themed makeover with new colors and details inspired by R2-D2, Grogu, the Mandalorian, and Darth Vader plus custom audio alerts that play sound effects like Vaders ominous labored breathing or a sad whistle when the Artoo version disconnects from a device.The limited edition Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 are priced a bit higher than the standard versions: $179 up from $149. Theyll be available at Star Wars Celebration Japan but can also be pre-ordered through Audio-Technicas online store starting on April 21st with an expected release on May 4th, 2025.The earbuds still offer up to 40 hours of battery life with ANC turned on and a Magnetic Switch feature that automatically powers them off when the earbuds are attached to each other using magnets. They each feature several different unique sound effects, themed to each character, used to audibly indicate when different functions and features have been activated or turned off.

Microsoft is planning to improve the startup speed of its Office apps, starting with Word in May. The launch times of Office apps will improve thanks to a new scheduled task that will run silently when you boot your PC to make sure Word and eventually other Office apps open quickly.We are introducing a new Startup Boost task from the Microsoft Office installer to optimize performance and load-time of experiences within Office applications, explains Microsoft in a message to IT admins. After the system performs the task, the app remains in a paused state until the app launches and the sequence resumes, or the system removes the app from memory to reclaim resources.Word will be the first app to get this Startup Boost starting in May, and Microsoft says support for additional applications will come in future updates. Startup Boost will only be available for PCs with at least 8GB of RAM and 5GB of available disk space. Startup Boost will also be disabled when Energy Saver mode is active.You can disable the new Startup Boost inside Word and other Office apps. Image: MicrosoftIf you dont want Office apps to start quietly in the background at boot then there will be an option inside Word to disable this behavior. You can always delete the scheduled task too, but Microsoft notes that the Office installer will recreate the task when it applies an update, so IT admins will have to manage this through the in-app setting instead.Microsoft uses a number of scheduled tasks to run Windows tasks silently and optimize the operating system, but theyre not used regularly by most app developers. Google uses a scheduled task for its Chrome updater, and many OEMs use tasks to update drivers and other system components, but most other apps like Adobe Creative Suite run startup processes in the regular startup section of Windows, where they can easily be disabled.See More:

Awesome Free Game Development Tools / News, Resources / March 27, 2025 / Applications, Free, ToolsToday we look at some of the amazing free game development tools available in 2025. We start of quickly with the most commonly used applications, then we move into perhaps more obscure but no less awesome and FREE tools available to game developers.In the video we also mention to excellent Ovani Sound bundles that are currently available Infinite Echoes and the Spring Into Development bundles. Using our links to purchase these bundles helps support GFS (and thanks so much if you do!).Better Known Free Game Development ApplicationsBlenderGodot EngineO3DEKritaGIMPAudacityTiled Map EditorLesser Known But Still Awesome GameDev Apps:PixeloramaDPaintJSGraphics GaleMaterial MakerUcupaint for BlenderMagica VoxelSculptGLLDtk Level EditorYou can learn more about all these amazing and free game development tools in the video below.

We bet you didn't have a game like this on your BINGO card for this week. Blue Scarab (made up former Helldivers 2, Battlefield, World of Warcraft, and Star Stable developers) has announced Equinox: Homecoming, the trailer for which (you can watch it above) will take you on quite a ride (no pun intended). It's in development for PC.So what is it? As the team at describes it, "Equinox is an open-world MMORPG for fans of murder mysteries, cozy escapism, and horses! Saddle up and charge into a mysterious adventure. Every trail leads to wonder and intrigue while uncovering an occult murder mystery." The first screenshots are in the gallery below.Equinox: Homecoming - First ScreenshotsWe're very excited to see what people make of Equinox. Weve had faith throughout development that there is an audience out there for different and interesting experiences, said Craig Morrison, the Studio Creative Director. Yes, there is definitely a risk, but we're in a position where we can take this shot and try to provide players with a truly unique world and story.Yes, there are cozy woods beautifully scenic hillsides to peacefully ride through, but there's also the mystery of the sudden disappearance of your mother that needs to be solved. You'll bond with your horse and with your friends as you uncover the occultish mystery. Wishlist Equinox: Homecoming on Steam if you're interested.Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Dreams and fears define Tel'aran'rhiod, which continues The Wheel of Times strong third season by pushing characters to confront their weaknesses and limitations. It demonstrates how much some characters have grown over the course of the show while also pointing out the issues they still need to address to move forward on their journeys.Characters in Robert Jordans books regularly describe channeling as almost addictively euphoric, and Rosamund Pike very clearly conveys that in the opening of Telaranrhiod, as Moiraine tests out the powerful sa'angreal she stole from Rhuidean. Lan can read those feelings through the Warder bond, but what he really wants to know is what she experienced in the trial. Fortunately, she learned a lesson from pushing Lan away last season and opens up to him. His stoicism is a perfect antidote to her despair as they just share some terrible booze and enjoy each others company, solidifying their commitment to face, as a united front, whatever will come.Rand may have proven himself in Rhuidean, but that doesnt automatically earn him the loyalty of all the Aiel. But considering the difficulty of the path hes been walking, its nice that he gets a tiny chance to have some fun and play with kids. Its another sad reminder for Egwene of the family they once wanted to build together shes immediately reminded that her power has pulled her in another direction.The Dreaming training reminded me of Inception, with an anchor back to the waking world in the form of a pin set in a melting candle. Its a precaution that saves Egwenes life when her natural ambition leads her away from the safety of her trainers and into Lanfears hands. If she and Rand were talking more rather than putting off their breakup Rand would have a better sense of who Lanfear really is. Hes so full of fear and self-loathing that hes seeing the best in Lanfear and the worst in himself, believing they deserve each other. Im looking forward to the fallout of Egwene seeing Rands dream next week.The Wheel of Time Season 3 GalleryThe White Tower is embroiled in a power struggle between Siuan Sanche and Elaida. The latter can leverage almost as much authority as the Amyrlin Seat thanks to her seniority and her regality she is advisor to the queen of Andor, after all. Siuans humble roots are so core to her identity that she rarely gets through a conversation without making some reference to fish or fishing, and the contempt this provokes in Elaida shows just how strong she thinks her position is by comparison. Shohreh Aghdashloo and Sophie Okonedo trade their characters passive aggressive barbs and outright hostility with perfectly even tones, the mix of formal politeness and seething hatred further deepening the tension.It would be so convenient for Siuan if Elaida were Black Ajah. But the trap she and Verrin lay actually proves her rival is one of the few Aes Sedai she can be sure isnt working for the Shadow. That should make them allies for the greater good, but really just solidifies how far both will go to undermine the other. Thats a problem, because Siuan is quickly running out of allies.Egwene warning Moiraine about the dangers of dreaming shows just how much things have changed for the character. She started as an awestruck girl with full reverence for an Aes Sedai, and is now a woman confident enough to guide Moiraine on her mission (despite the peril). But the plots real emotional power comes from concluding the complicated love story between Siuan and Moiraine, a relationship built on and torn apart by their unrelenting commitment to preparing the way for the Dragon Reborn. The Wheel of Times cycle of reincarnation is a burden but also a blessing, a chance for their stories to someday find a happy ending. But it wont be happening in this life, and Ill miss the strong chemistry Pike and Okonedo had together. Their beautifully raw farewell provides a poignant contrast to how the Amyrlin has to guard herself and everyone else in the Tower while allowing Moiraine to expand on the emotional vulnerability she was able to share with Lan earlier in Tel'aran'rhiod. People achieving more together than they could apart is a thread that runs throughout Tel'aran'rhiod and The Wheel of Time as a whole.In the Two Rivers, Alanna and her warder Maksim have gotten over their grief enough to tease each other about how theyre not cut out for village life. But the wound still festers. Their big fight is cathartic, explaining the ethos of the Green Ajah and why Alanna will risk her life to help the Two Rivers but not to pursue vengeance against Liandrin. Luckily Maksim is still a good Warder and comes to bail Alanna out when she needs it. Watching the two of them kill 10 Whitecloaks is an impressive testament to how much more they can accomplish together than apart thats a thread that runs throughout Tel'aran'rhiod and The Wheel of Time as a whole.Nynaeve continues to try to be the village wisdom, acting as a moderator in the fighting between Elayne and Mat when shes not puking her guts out on the ship to Tanchico. The opportunity to escape that dynamic is enough for Mat to finally forgive Min for almost selling him to the Forsaken last season, even if that arrangement is quickly soured by seeing a sketch of her visions.The Wheel of Time Season 3 Character PostersPoor Mat. The show has made his already difficult arc harsher than it was in the books by changing his dad from a successful horse trader to a poor man who neglects his own family. And now Whitecloaks kill his mom? Mats dream of being respectable and wealthy enough to support his family is so simple and already impossible. It seems pretty clear that his mom was just covering for one of her daughters channeling the fact that theres another potential Aes Sedai in the village supports Alannas notion that the people of Two Rivers would be quite the army.The Sea Folk using the One Power to speed their passage is beautiful an arresting combination of dancing movement and aurora borealis-like visuals. It makes a big impression on the Aes Sedai, too. Tel'aran'rhiod is a reminder of just how big and rich Jordans world is, and that the Aes Sedai dont have all the answers theyre just very good at pretending to. The Sea Folk philosophy of abandoning control might be helpful in Nynaeves quest to get over her block, even if it will be very hard for her to actually do.

Marvel made waves yesterday with their five-and-a-half-hour-long announcement video where they very, very slowly revealed the actors involved in 2026s Avengers: Doomsday. They listed 27 performers, which crazily enough doesnt compare to the near-40 actors who were announced ahead of Avengers: Infinity War. Still, there are some interesting surprises there with the names. We see for example which characters survive Thunderbolts*, including Lewis Pullman, who many believe is playing Sentry. Tom Hiddlestons Loki, aka the current load-bearing god of the multiverse, will also be there. Even Channing Tatums Gambit is going to return and finally make a name for himself.Something truly interesting, though, is how it ties into a set of alleged concept art leaks that appeared on the internet earlier this month. While these images from trusted illustrator and frequent Marvel Studios collaborator, Mushk Rizvi, were not confirmed by the casting announcement, the disparities between her images and the cast who has (so far) been announced in Doomsday paints a striking picture. If Rizvis work is as credible as it appears, we are starting to have a pretty good idea of how both Avengers: Doomsday and its 2027 follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars are going to play outA Secret Wars History LessonBefore we go further, for the sake of context, its worth doing a quick review of Secret Wars in the comics. The first Secret Wars was a 12-issue miniseries released from 1984 to 1985 by Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton. One of the earlier massive crossovers in Marvel Comics, it had an unseen entity known as the Beyonder throw a bunch of heroes and villains onto a makeshift planet called Battleworld for the sake of fighting it out. As Team Hero and Team Villain traded blows, Doctor Doom schemed his way into stealing the powers of both Galactus and the Beyonder, becoming nigh omnipotent. As these things tend to go, he was defeated, lost his powers, and everyone went back home.There were a couple sequels with nothing of note, other than Spider-Man teaching the Beyonder how to use the toilet. Decades later, Jonathan Hickman started a run on Fantastic Four that led into a run on Avengers, which culminated in a new miniseries even called Secret Wars in 2015, with art by Esad Ribic.In the lead-up, it was revealed that the multiverse was experiencing entropy in the form of alternate Earths crashing into each other. These incursions would lead to both universes being eradicated unless one Earth destroyed the other before the collision. Even then, it was only a short matter of time before the next incursion. Doom, aided by Doctor Strange and Molecule Man, found the source of the problem and came out of the adventure more powerful than ever. As God Doom, he rebuilt what remained of the multiverse into a makeshift planet called Battleworld where various realities were reduced to chaotic countries under Dooms rule. Eventually, the heroes of Earth-616 helped pull off an uprising and Reed Richards was able to defeat Doom while finding a way to rebuild the multiverse.Miles Morales Spider-Man also fed Molecule Man the grossest cheeseburger ever, but a lot of stuff happened in that series. It was a good time.Mushk Rizvis Leaked Concept ArtMushk Rizvi is an illustrator who has been doing concept art for various companies, but most notably Marvel Studios. From her Instagram, you can see her work on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Ms. Marvel. In early March, she released a big pile of concept art on her ArtStation page, which has since been wiped. The art included various designs for the Serpent Society that didnt get used for Captain America: Brave New World, lots of art from Fantastic Four: First Steps, an Ultron-esque Jocasta design presumably for Vision Quest, and a lot of fascinating art dealing with at least one Avengers movie.Admittedly, not all concept art is used in a finished film, as indicated by Rizvis work on the Serpent Society not making it to the final version of Brave New World. And sure enough, the Russo Brothers, who are directing the two upcoming Avengersacknowledged the concept art and downplayed its existence, but Joe claimed, that artwork was not from Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars, while Anthony said there were no spoilers.Thats not our concept art.Are they being truthful? Are they lying for the sake of saving face and trying to keep some surprise to the project? Or is this another situation, much like the Serpent Society pics or Daniel Craig as Balder the Brave where so much has changed that the original images are no longer accurate?The Leaked Contents ExplainedThe images were taken down, but we can at least go over some of the juicier aspects of the artwork. First off, one drawing reveals what is essentially a Hulk village. Banner Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), both dressed in medieval garb, are met with another wounded Hulk who has a beard and long hair. This is most likely Hulks son Skaar, introduced in the finale of She-Hulks show. There are various green and bulky villagers going about their business behind them.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!The medieval theme is later eschewed, however, for something a little more early modern inside what appears to be Dooms royal court. There Robert Downey Jr.s ruler passes judgment on someone bound in chains (possibly Reed?). Doom is on his throne, surrounded by Sue Storm (as his queen), her son Franklin, and Doctor Strange. A woman watching over the prisoner resembles Yelena Belova. All of it has more than a whiff of the aesthetic of Marvel 1602, an interesting (if now problematic) text that created an alternate Marvel universe where all these characters existed during the end of Elizabeth Is reign in Tutor England.There are also various sketches of Chris Pratts Peter Quill and Paul Bettanys White Vision sitting together on a couch, enjoying TV together as Vision holds the remote. Quill appears far more expressive and friendly than his companion, but Vision seems to be enthralled by watching television. Dollars to donuts says its a sitcom.Quill also pops up in a tavern of some kind, sitting with Wong (Benedict Wong) and the Young Avengers. This clearly includes Kate Bishops Hawkeye (Hailee Seinfeld), Wiccan (Billy Maximoff), Speed (Tommy Maximoff), Stature (Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang), and Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellanis delightful Kamala Khan). Ms. Marvel looks especially enthralled in whatever Wongs saying. In an even bigger curveball, Doop of all characters is floating next to them.For those of you who dont know Doop, imagine if Slimer joined the X-Men and smoked a lot of crack. No, for real, Disneys going to make so much merch money off this guy.Finally, we see various designs for TChanda, the Black Panther of World War II. Curious.What Does This Mean for Avengers: Doomsday?While the Russos can claim the images to be no longer valid for the movies theyre making, comparing these characters to who was announced for Avengers: Doomsday speaks volumes. While most of the heroes in Rizvis work are not A-listers, they arent ones to simply be forgotten about either. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 told us that we had not seen the last of Star-Lord. The Marvels, which is super important to Doomsday considering its post-credits scene (though its odd how Teyonah Parris was not announced in the Doomsday cast list), made it apparent that Ms. Marvel is building a new Avengers team for the future. Hell, the two big themes in the MCU post-Endgame have been the multiverse and the building of legacy. The Young Avengers have to become players sooner rather than later.The release date for Vision Quest has not been revealed outside of it being in 2026. One could speculate that Vision Quest will be the Ant-Man and the Wasp to this pair of Avengers movies: that unrelated side-story thats released in-between but will be treated as important to the latter AvengersWandaVision and Agatha All Along, one thing that seems to be certain is that Billy will indeed be reunited with his long-lost brother Tommy.When the heroes lost in Infinity War, the follow-up was about the half who survived recovering and fighting back. This time it will be different. Three worlds of heroes are going to literally be colliding. Maybe they want to work together instead of going to war, but either way, when its over it appears that Doom is going to be supreme, having forced his own solution on the multiverse. Doom is going to stand tall over these heroes, like Thanos did years before, ruling over a Battleworld resembling the one from the 2015 comic. He might even take Vanessa Kirbys Sue Storm as a queen and force everyone to wear silly Elizabethan costuming!This time, the solution will not be a celebration of the past, but a celebration of the future. A story where the youth stands up and picks up the slack to avenge those who came before them. Yes, Reed Richards will likely be the face of Dooms final downfall, but Kamala and her team are going to get the ball rolling and bring closure to this entire Multiverse Saga.Though hopefully they can fit in a moment for Thor to hold Deadpool and cry. It would be a crime not to pay off that plot thread.

Weve got a sneak peek to share from Marshmallow, a throwback horror film in the vein of Watcher in the Woods.At a secluded summer camp, Morgan, a shy and introverted 12-year-old, is thrust into a living nightmare when a legendary campfire tale becomes real. As a mysterious figure begins stalking the camp, Morgan and his newfound friends must embark on a perilous journey that will force them to confront their deepest fears and question the very nature of their existence.Buy ticketsCompared to the popularity of Surging Sparks, the latest Pokmon TCG set Journey Together seems more like an afterthought.Since the launch of November 2024s set, Surging Sparks, the popularity of the 30-year-old collectible card game exploded, which in turn drew the attention of scalpers, which has rendered the products almost impossible to buy ever since. Journey Together, officially releasing Friday 28 March, is such an anticlimactic set that it almost feels designed to try to calm the waters.Read more at KotakuAlthough Naughty Dog has pushed back the release date of Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Neil Druckmann of The Last of Us fame promises, Its incredible.Like The Witcher 4, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will be released in 2027 at the earliest Its a pretty long wait, but speaking to IGN on the red carpet ahead of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere, Druckmann said that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is not only playable right now, but really good.Read more at IGNDaredevil: Born Again will be wrapping up soon, but not before bringing back two fan-favorite characters if the latest trailer is to be believed.Were now already two-thirds of the way through the season, with just three episodes left. Those three episodes may, however, be the most pivotal, as Marvel has released a mid-season trailer teasing the seasons big conclusion But the biggest reveals are a look at Frank Castle fully suited up as the Punisher after fanboy cops co-opted his identity, and a peek at Bullseye, whos showing his face again after murdering Foggy Nelson.Join our mailing listGet the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!Read more at InverseHarlan Cobens horror adaptations have become a legitimate phenomenon on Netflix, but what (or who) is behind the chain of successes?Harlan Coben novels are always an experience. But when the bestseller author works with three long-time friends and creative collaborators to move their setting from the U.S. to the U.K. and adapt his stories for the screen, they are looking to make them into an entirely different experience altogether.Read more at The Hollywood Reporter