Elden Ring Nightreign is now up to 3.5 million copies sold after five days on sale, with its Steam user review rating improving from 'mixed' to 'mostly positive.'Elden Ring was a massive hit, selling 30 million since going on sale in 2022, and it seems unlikely that Nightreign will come close to matching that success. For better context, the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion sold 5 million copies within three days of its release in 2024.FromSoftware’s multiplayer spin-off had launched to 2 million sales in just a day, but with a 'mixed' rating on Valve's platform.Much of the initial negative sentiment revolved around Nightreign’s brutal solo experience, its lack of duos co-op, lack of voice chat, and other archaic mechanics. That age-old multiplayer struggle to find enough friends to make up a coordinated three-player group is very much a part of the Elden Ring Nightreign experience, too.PlayAs explained in IGN's Elden Ring Nightreign review: "Let’s get the most important caveat out of the way first: if you are hoping to tackle Nightreign entirely solo, and are anything less than a hardcore Elden Ring player that actively seeks out ways to make that already difficult game even more challenging, Nightreign isn’t for you. Yes, there is technically a single-player option, but it is so poorly balanced that I would be shocked if it isn’t patched and adjusted within the first month of release. And this is coming from someone who lives and breathes these types of games."But on Monday, FromSoftware released a patch to make solo play much easier, and despite matchmaking problems over the weekend, sentiment has improved.Last week, producer Yasuhiro Kitao took to social media to comment on Elden Ring Nightreign’s early sales success and to thank players for giving the game a go despite its quirks.Every IGN FromSoftware Game Review“Nightreign has some peculiar aspects to its game design and is different from our recent titles in various ways,” Kitao said. “Nonetheless, many of you have bravely jumped into this world, and for that we're immensely grateful.“As with Demon's Souls or Sekiro, it may be confounding at first, but just like those games, Nightreign offers its own challenges and experiences. Once you overcome the initial hurdle, it'll surely provide a sense of accomplishment that's also its very own.“We hope you enjoy it.”So, what happens next? FromSoftware said that in addition to the DLC releasing later this year, new additions will be “gradually implemented,” including enhanced fights against existing Nightlords starting this month, as well as Duo Expeditions at a later date.”The addition of duos will come as some relief to players who have questioned its omission from launch. Elden Ring Nightreign drops players into the shifting lands of Limveld, exploring and fighting for survival either solo or in groups of three. There is no way to play two-player co-op.In IGN's interview with Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki, the Nightreign lead developer discussed the choice to lean on solos and trios as the core experience options. When asked why there's no option for a pair of players to drop in together without a matchmade third player, Ishizaki said it was overlooked."The simple answer is that this is simply something that was overlooked during development as just a two-player option, so we're very sorry about that," said Ishizaki. "As we said before, we set out to make this a multiplayer co-op game for three players, balanced for three players, so that was the main focus and it's at the core of Nightreign."Of course, I myself as a player understand that and often want times where I'm just playing myself, so this is something that we considered from the start," Ishizaki continued."And so we did put a lot of effort into creating this experience that was playable for solo players in as much as the rules and new systems allowed. So in putting all our efforts into that aspect, we kind of overlooked and neglected the duos aspect, but this is something that we are looking at and considering for post-launch support as well."This means that if you're playing with just your favorite duos partner, you have to accept a random third into your game. Playing trios is very much what Elden Ring Nightreign is built around.We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #elden #ring #nightreign #duo #expeditions

If you were wondering whether Mark Hamill might play Luke Skywalker once again as a Force ghost, think again. The legendary actor has ruled out a return to the world famous sci-fi franchise, saying it’s now time for Star Wars to move past legacy characters and focus on the future.In an interview with ComicBook.com to promote his new movie, The Life of Chuck, Hamill was asked about a potential return as Luke’s Force ghost in upcoming Rey-led Star Wars movie, New Jedi Order. His answer was loud and clear: no chance. After all, Luke left his robes behind in 2017's The Last Jedi.Mark Hamill first played Luke Skywalker in 1977's Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.“I am so grateful to Georgefor letting me be a part of that back in the day, the humble days when George called Star Wars ‘the most expensive low-budget movie ever made,’” Hamill replied.“We never expected it to become a permanent franchise and a part of pop culture like that. But my deal is, I had my time. I’m appreciative of that, but I really think they should focus on the future and all the new characters.“And by the way, when I disappeared in, I left my robes behind. And there’s no way I’m gonna appear as a naked Force ghost.”PlayRey, however, is set to return to the world of Star Wars in the Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy-directed sequel to the universally panned Star Wars: Episode 9 - The Rise of Skywalker. It will tell the story of Rey as she looks to rebuild the Jedi Order roughly 15 years after the events of that film.We know next to nothing about New Jedi Order. In January 2024, speaking to AlloCiné, Ridley teased a little more about her new film: "Once I knew what the story was and everything, I knew that it was something I really wanted to do," she said. “I think it's a really fantastic exploration of the Star Wars world. It's a really cool way of taking the story on in a bit of a different direction."In the shorter term, The Mandalorian and Grogu is due out 2026. Star Wars: Starfighter, Shawn Levy's Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, is due out in 2027.Every Upcoming Star Wars Movie and TV ShowAt 2023's Star Wars Celebration, Lucasfilm announced three new Star Wars feature films: a Dave Filoni-directed New Republic film set in his Mando-verse, a Dawn of the Jedi movie led by James Mangold, and the aforementioned New Jedi Order.There is still so much that can and will change when it comes to upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows. But what we can be sure of is Mark Hamill playing Force Luke won’t be a part of them.Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #luke #skywalker #actor #mark #hamill

FromSoftware has acknowledged matchmaking issues on Elden Ring Nightreign during its first weekend, and offered suggestions to players affected.Today, May 31, FromSoftware tweeted to address players who were struggling to find other players when launching an expedition in the multiplayer Elden Ring spin-off. If you do, try restarting the matchmaking process, FromSoftware suggested. That’s not a great help, admittedly, but at least we know the developer is aware of the problem. “Thank you for your patience and understanding,” it added.FromSoftware followed that social post with another, this time acknowledging issues on PlayStation consoles specifically. Those on PS4 and PS5 who are having difficulty matchmaking should check their NAT type, FromSoftware said. “NAT type 3 may affect matchmaking on PSN,” it explained.Check your NAT type with the following steps:Home > Settings > Network > Connection Status > Check Connection StatusThere is no specific advice for Xbox at this time.PlayYesterday, producer Yasuhiro Kitao took to social media to comment on Elden Ring Nightreign’s early sales success.“Nightreign has some peculiar aspects to its game design and is different from our recent titles in various ways,” Kitao said. “Nonetheless, many of you have bravely jumped into this world, and for that we're immensely grateful.“As with Demon's Souls or Sekiro, it may be confounding at first, but just like those games, Nightreign offers its own challenges and experiences. Once you overcome the initial hurdle, it'll surely provide a sense of accomplishment that's also its very own. “We hope you enjoy it.”Every IGN FromSoftware Game ReviewSo, what might this tweet be about, specifically? Well, Nightreign is still on a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, with much of the negative sentiment revolving around its brutal solo experience, its lack of duos co-op, lack of voice chat, and other archaic mechanics. That age-old multiplayer struggle to find enough friends to make up a coordinated three-player group is very much a part of the Elden Ring Nightreign experience, too. A patch to make solo play easier is due out next week.As explained in IGN's Elden Ring Nightreign review: "Let’s get the most important caveat out of the way first: if you are hoping to tackle Nightreign entirely solo, and are anything less than a hardcore Elden Ring player that actively seeks out ways to make that already difficult game even more challenging, Nightreign isn’t for you. Yes, there is technically a single-player option, but it is so poorly balanced that I would be shocked if it isn’t patched and adjusted within the first month of release. And this is coming from someone who lives and breathes these types of games."We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #elden #ring #nightreign #matchmaking #not

Warner Bros. has confirmed what Mortal Kombat 1 fans feared after the recent launch of the Definitive Edition: no new DLC characters or story chapters will be released for the game.Mortal Kombat 1 has sold 5 million copies, with the franchise now up to 100 million. Mortal Kombat 11 became the best-selling game in the franchise by passing Mortal Kombat X's nearly 11 million units sold worldwide soon after launch. By 2022, Mortal Kombat 11 had sold more than 15 million copies worldwide. Clearly, Mortal Kombat 1 has underperformed compared to previous games in the series.In a tweet on the official Mortal Kombat social media account, Warner Bros. acknowledged the disappointment the news will cause players, "but our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can.”Warner Bros. failed to say what this new project is, but current speculation points to Injustice 3, a continuation of NetherRealm’s DC fighting game series.PlayHere’s the statement in full:We are hearing players’ requests for continued game support of Mortal Kombat 1, and, while we will continue to support Mortal Kombat 1 through balance adjustments and fixes, there will not be additional DLC characters or story chapters released from this point on.We understand this will be disappointing for fans, but our team at NetherRealm needs to shift focus to the next project in order to make it as great as we possibly can.March 2025's release of the T-1000 guest character, which came a year-and-a-half after the release of Mortal Kombat 1 itself, now goes down as the game’s final major content drop. For context, in July 2021, NetherRealm announced it had started work on its next projectand, as a result, there would be no further DLC for Mortal Kombat 11. That announcement came two years and three months after the release of the game. Today’s announcement comes one year and eight months after the release of Mortal Kombat 1.Players are already bringing up prior comments from NetherRealm development chief Ed Boon, who had promised fans years of support. Indeed, many are now pointing to a September 2024 tweet from Boon, who at the time moved to reassure fans already concerned that the studio had moved onto its next game by saying: “NetherRealm is still fully committed to supporting Mortal Kombat 1 for a long time to come.”Mortal Kombat 1 enjoyed something of a resurgence in January with the secret fight with Floyd, the pink ninja developer Boon had been teasing for years. That sparked a fun community-wide effort that breathed new life into the game. But that was a rare bright spot for what has, overall, been a disappointing release for many core Mortal Kombat fans.What now for Mortal Kombat? Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has indicated that it still believes the gory fighting game franchise has a future. In November, CEO David Zaslav said that on the games side of things, the company plans to double down on just four titles, one of which was Mortal Kombat. Movie adaptation Mortal Kombat 2 is due out later this year.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #confirmed #mortal #kombat #wont #get

Relic has announced Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition, a modernized version of its 20-year-old RTS classic.Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition, due out on PC via Steam and GOG later this year, presents the original gameplay as fans will remember it, but optimized for modern hardware. IGN has an exclusive interview with design director Philippe Boulle where we run through all the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition details — it’s well worth a read if you’re into Dawn of War in any way.PlayFans have long-called for a revival of the Dawn of War franchise, and the first game in the series, which is considered one of the best if not the best Warhammer 40,000 games ever made, is a potential first start. The hope is of course that Relic uses this release as a platform for the creation of a brand new Dawn of War game; Dawn of War 4 perhaps.The Definitive Edition includes all the Dawn of War and standalone expansion content. There’s 4K support, upscaled textures, and image-based lighting for a higher level of fidelity while retaining the classic experience. World lighting, unit reflections, and shadows have all been improved, and new unit gloss and emissive lighting “will faithfully enhance the moment-to-moment action.”The camera now lets you pull back further to see more on-screen, and the HUD and screen layout have been optimized for widescreen viewing. Dawn of War has also been upgraded to a 64-bit platform to support the ongoing efforts of the modding community and will be compatible with over 20 years of community mods upon release.Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition Screenshots“The Definitive Edition celebrates the original Dawn of War and preserves the legacy of this landmark Warhammer 40,000 title for years to come,” said Justin Dowdeswell, CEO at Relic Entertainment.“Warhammer 40,000 is more popular than ever, and we want new players to experience where the classic Dawn of War franchise began, while providing a platform for our long-time fans to relive it in its entirety.”Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition was announced during the Warhammer Skulls 2025 broadcast. In case you missed it, check out all the announcements and trailers from the show.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #039cleanse #purge #kill039 #warhammer #dawn

Sony has revealed an upcoming PlayStation 5 and PC game called Mukti, which it signed as part of its Sony India Hero Project.Mukti is a first-person story exploration game set in an Indian museum. According to developer underDOGS Studio, Mukti “delves deeply into a critical social issue that demands our attention: human trafficking.”Check out the gameplay video below:PlayHere’s the official blurb:In Mukti, players embark on a journey of discovery as they navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the museum, uncovering the harrowing truths and hidden narratives behind the scourge of human trafficking. Through rich storytelling and immersive gameplay mechanics, Mukti invites players to confront the realities faced by victims and survivors alike, shedding light on this pressing global issue.Drawing inspiration from authentic narratives and meticulously researched historical contexts, Mukti aims to raise awareness, provoke thought, and inspire action. Each interaction within the game is designed to provoke empathy, spark dialogue and ignite change.underDOGS Studio said it's working closely with PlayStation to ensure haptics and adaptive triggers — key features of Sony’s PS5 DualSense controller — are "tuned to enhance the experience such subtle vibrations during moments of quiet puzzle-solving."In addition to this, underDOGS Studio has also revealed the tentative specifications for the PC version of Mukti.Mukti PC SpecificationsMinimum● Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system● OS: Windows 10● Processor: Intel Core i5-9400F or better or AMD Ryzen 5 3500 or better● Memory: 8 GB RAM● Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650or AMD Radeon RX 570or RX 6400● Storage: 40 GB available spaceRecommended● Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system● OS: Windows 11● Processor: Intel Core i7-12700K or better or AMD Ryzen 7 7700 or better● Memory: 16 GB RAM● Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Tior AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT● Storage: 40 GB available spaceThe Steam version of Mukti will also support achievements, family sharing, and will have full controller support to boot.In a post on the PlayStation Blog, Vaibhav Chavan, founder and game director at underDOGS Studio, said the indie developer was “proud” to be backed by Sony.“Mukti is proud to be part of the prestigious Sony India Hero Project, being selected for this program not only gave us the fuel to bring our vision to life, but also reaffirmed our belief that Indian stories belong on the world stage,” Chavan said.“After over a year of working closely with the fantastic folks at Sony, the journey has been nothing short of insightful and full of learning. Now, we’re thrilled to finally give you a glimpse of what we’ve been crafting behind the scenes.”Sony has a number of Hero Project initiatives across the globe as it hunts for the next big externally developed hit for PlayStation. As part of the deal, Sony offers studios development support, publishing support, and marketing and promotion. Lost Soul Aside, for example, is an upcoming China Hero Project game.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #sony #signs #deal #mukti #firstperson

NBC Universal has released the final trailer for Jurassic World Rebirth, showing off key elements of the film as well as a good look at old and brand new dinosaurs.Jurassic World Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali, sees an extraction team race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind. It’s directed by Gareth Edwardsfrom a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.PlayHere’s the official blurb:Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.Academy Award nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.So, what do we see in this final trailer? Highlights include the river raft scene from Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. In January, Koepp discussed a sequence from the first Jurassic Park novel that didn’t make it into 1993’s seminal Jurassic Park movie. Koepp said he re-read Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park novels to get back in the game, given there’s no source novel to draw on for this sequel. As a result, Koepp “did take some things from them,” and one of those things is a sequence from the first novel that went unused until now. “There was a sequence from the first novel that we’d always wanted in the original movie, but didn’t have room for,” Koepp revealed. "We were like, ‘Hey, we get to use that now.’ "Can a T-Rex swim? Yes, it turns out.Elsewhere, we get a look at a number of new dinosaurs, as well as a closer shot of the ‘D-Rex,’ officially named Distortus Rex. This is a new mutant dino created for Jurassic World Rebirth that’s a bit like a cross between a T-Rex and a Rancor from Star Wars. “It’s kind of like if the T-Rex was designed by H.R. Giger, and then that whole thing had sex with a Rancor,” Edwards told Empire earlier this month.This is the Distortus Rex, aka the D-Rex. Rancor vibes?Also in the trailer we see winged Mutadons, “a combination of a pterosaur and a Raptor,” Koepp has said.Jurassic Park always has a terrifying raptor scene. This time, there are Mutadons.Jurassic World Rebirth hits theaters July 2. For more, check out everything we know about Jurassic World Rebirth, and our biggest burning questions.Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #final #trailer #jurassic #world #rebirth

A month after launch, a small percentage of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered players have completed the main questline. But for a game like this, that’s not particularly surprising — fans are saying they’re way too busy doing other stuff.I’m one of those fans! I’ve been playing and enjoying Oblivion Remastered since it shadow-dropped on April 22, and upon leaving the sewers and handing over the Amulet of Kings to Jauffre at Weynon Priory, I’ve done everything BUT the main questline. I’ve joined the Fighters Guild, explored Cyrodiil, and completed loads of side quests. I’ve even tried to brute force my way out of the map, as one player managed to do.Why? Well, the side quests in Oblivion are brilliant fun, but I'm also trying to avoid the main questfor the time being while keeping leveling up to a minimum.PlaySo, I’ve decided to enjoy Oblivion until I get bored enough to play the game properly. Although there is no properly with a Bethesda game like this one, is there? That’s why they’re brilliant. You do what you want whenever you want, and the game still works.It seems a lot of other players are doing the same thing. “I'm BUSY doing OTHER STUFF like hunting for SLAUGHTERFISH in Lake Rumare,” the wonderfully named redditor MrCrispyFriedChicken said in response to the percentage completion stats for finishing Oblivion Remastered’s main questline.“I spend 160 hours in already and Kvatch is still waiting for me,” added Roffear. “I'm one of those weirdos who actually likes the Oblivion gates so I purposefully don't finish the main quest until I've found all 60 gates in my world and closed them,” said Ellert0. “44 hours and an actual in-game year, and I haven't even been to Weynon Priory,” said PlayaHatinIG-88. “Those poor Kvatch city guards never stood a chance.”At the time of this article’s publication, a paltry 2.97% had completed Oblivion Remastered's main questline on Xbox and a slightly better 4.4% had on Steam. Why the difference? I presume that’s because Xbox factors in Game Pass, which will have seen a number of players dip their toe into Oblivion Remastered before bouncing. Steam players are all in, of course, because they actually bought the game outright.     Either way, it’s still a low percentage for Oblivion Remastered, which has so far seen over 4 million players. But in truth most video games have a surprisingly low campaign completion rate, whether it’s an epic, 100-hour open-world fantasy role-playing game like Oblivion Remastered or a five-hour story like Call of Duty. Indeed, a lot of games have a surprisingly low percentage of players who stick around after an hour or so or continue playing after the tutorial. Such is the fickle nature of the gamer.For Oblivion Remastered, the stats may be skewed further because it’s a remaster of a beloved game many of its players finished back in the day. If you completed Oblivion's main quest 20 years ago, perhaps you’re less inclined to do it again now, and would rather focus on all the pretty new visuals and upgraded bits and bobs. Or, as one player has done, spend seven hours lining up books to get a Dominoes chain reaction just right.Thaddeus122 said they were almost 100 hours in and hadn’t even completed three of the main quests. They have, however, completed the Arena and the Mages Guild. And the rest of the time? “Leveling, getting money for homes, closing all the Oblivion gates, the Nirnroot quest, a bunch of little quests. To be fair, also don't fast travel anywhere.”Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #elder #scrolls #oblivion #remastered #achievement

The director of Thunderbolts* — now officially renamed The New Avengers — has explained why one character in particular had to die early on in the movie, and how conversations with the actor who played the character went.Warning! Spoilers for Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers follow:Early in Thunderbolts* / The New Avengers, Taskmasteris killed by Ava Starr / Ghost, unceremoniously shot in the head as the assassins come to blows within a covert O.X.E. facility. Taskmaster dies in her first and only scene in the movie.PlayWhile Marvel’s Thunderbolts* promos had inserted Taskmaster into shots later on in the movie to make it look like the character would make it at least a decent chunk of the way through, her fate had been called into question when the character appeared to be removed from certain shots in pre-release trailers.Making matters even more obvious, Kurylenko was the only member of the Thunderbolts* not to appear in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal. So, for MCU fans who were paying attention, Taskmaster’s death wasn’t exactly a surprise. But for many it will have come as a shock, especially so early in the film.So, why did Taskmaster have to die? In an interview with The New York Times, director Jake Schreier said the idea came about as a result of the movie feeling “a little bloodless,” and a desire to have a “real tension” between characters who were capable of killing people.“That was a tough one because it’s a character that matters to a lot of people and we don’t want to take that lightly,” Schreier said.“That idea came after the strike when it just felt like the movie at that point was a little bloodless. It’s not rated R, but if we were trying to tell a story that had real tension about people who killed people for a living, you needed to depict that in a way. Obviously, we could have introduced a new character and then gotten rid of them, but then it wouldn’t have the resonance or potentially the shock of doing it to Taskmaster.”The Most Surprising Avengers and Marvel Characters Not Announced for DoomsdaySchreier admitted it wasn’t easy to tell Olga Kurylenko, who played Taskmaster in Black Widow, that she’s return for Thunderbolts* only to be killed off early on.“It’s like in sports: players want to play,” Schreier said. “Olga’s a great actress and of course that’s a hard conversation to have, but she was an absolute pro about it and willing to show up, and I’m very grateful for that.”Earlier this month, Schreier told Entertainment Weekly that the team behind Thunderbolts* felt they needed to kill Taskmaster early “so that you didn't really know who was going to make it.""The decision to do it when we did it, we went through a lot of different versions of that, and we thought very carefully about it," Schreier added."And it felt like, while it would've been very nice — and Olga is a wonderful actress — to have her on the team for longer, that death would've kind of reverberated a lot harder and made it harder to find our tonal balance if it had happened later in the film."And it would've occupied such a kind of more emotional space that would've stepped on what we really need to be building. And we have so little narrative real estate to do it, which is the connection between Yelena and Bob, and the movie is really going to hinge on that. And so in order to keep our tone and to build that team together, it actually felt best, even if it feels a little cold-blooded, to have that happen early."According to the film’s co-writer Eric Pearson, Taskmaster was originally intended to have a much bigger part in the movie, and she was meant to have an important connection to Ghost.“That's one of the biggest changes from my final draft, because in the last version that I did,lived out the whole movie and there was a pretty big subplot of her and Ava connecting as two characters that were raised in labs and being controlled by other people,” Pearson told IGN.So, that’s that for Taskmaster, but of course the other Thunderbolts*, that is, The New Avengers, live on, and will appear in Avengers: Doomsday alongside, or potentially in conflict with, theAvengers. Check out IGN's Thunderbolts Ending Explained: What Happens in the Post-Credits and How Does It Affect the MCU? for more.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #thunderbolts #new #avengers #director #explains

The director of The Fall Guy is in talks to take on Netflix’s Gears of War movie.The Hollywood Reporter said David Leitch, who also directed Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw, and Bullet Train, is in negotiations to direct Gears of War, the adaptation of Microsoft’s explosive third-person action game.Leitch and Kelly McCormick are said to be producing alongside Gears developer The Coalition. Jon Spaihtsis reportedly writing the script.PlayIt’s been two-and-a-half years since Netflix picked up the rights to Gears of War, but it sounds like the gears are finally in motion now. An adult animation series is reportedly also in the works and set to follow the movie. Pending the adaptations’ success, even more Gears would follow.The big question is of course who will play Gears protagonist Marcus Fenix? Wrestler turned actor Dave Bautista has made it extremely clear that he the seal of approval from Gears co-creator Cliff Bleszinski.It’s boom time for video game adaptations, withThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, A Minecraft Movie, and the Sonic movies all breaking records. Beyond that, there’s the Uncharted movie, the Mortal Kombat movie, Resident Evil movies, and plenty more.Upcoming New Video Game Movies and TV Shows: 2025 Release Dates and BeyondIn March, Microsoft gaming chief Phil Spencer said the failure of the TV adaptation of Halo hadn't put Microsoft off more adaptations of its video games. Microsoft had learned from Halo, Spencer said, and was gaining confidence in the space. And so, expect more to come. "We’re learning and growing through this process, which is giving us more confidence that we should do more,” Spencer said. “We learned from doing Halo. We learned from doing Fallout. So all of these build on themselves. And obviously we’ll have a couple that miss. But what I’d say to the Xbox community that likes this work is, ‘You’re going to see more, because we’re gaining confidence and we’re learning through this.’ ”Back in video game land, The Coalition is working on prequel Gears of War: E-Day. It does not have a release date.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me. #sounds #like #netflixs #gears #war