Marcia Lucas, the film editor who won an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for Star Wars and was the ex-wife of Star Wars creator George Lucas, has died at age 80.

Variety reports that Lucas passed away from cancer Wednesday in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Her family issued the following statement:

“Marcia will be remembered as a brilliant storyteller, a trailblazer for women in film, a loving mother and grandmother, a generous host, and a loyal friend whose humor and sparkle filled every room she entered. Her influence on film is indelible, but those who knew her best will remember the way she made life feel more vivid, more beautiful, more fun, and more full of love. … Her work was known for its emotional intelligence, rhythm, and humanity — a rare ability to find the truth of a scene and bring heart, momentum, and clarity to the screen.”

Born Marcia Lou Griffin in Modesto, California on October 4, 1945, Lucas began her career as an apprentice film librarian before segueing into film editing. It was while working for esteemed film editor Verna Fields that she met a University of Southern California film student named George Lucas who had been hired as an assistant editor. They married in 1969.

Lucas worked as an assistant editor on Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rain People and Haskell Wexler’s Medium Cool before serving the same role on her then-husband’s feature film directorial debut, the sci-fi film THX 1138.

She then served as film editor on George’s follow-up film, American Graffiti, which became a box office smash and earned Lucas her first Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing. Lucas then worked with director Martin Scorsese on three films in a row – Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Taxi Driver, and New York, New York – before being enlisted by George to help edit his 1977 space opera Star Wars.

Marcia Lucas is widely seen as the editor who helped save Star Wars after George was unhappy with original editor John Jympson’s rough cut. George brought in Marcia as well as Richard Chew and Paul Hirsch to rework the movie. She edited the climactic Battle of Yavin/Death Star attack into the classic sequence that generations of Star Wars fans enjoy to this day. SFGate called Marcia Lucas “the secret weapon” of Star Wars in a 2021 article.

“My wife, Marcia, can normally cut a whole reel – all ten minutes of the film – in one week. I think it took her eight weeks to cut that battle. It was extremely complex and we had 40,000 feet of dialogue footage of pilots saying this and that,” George Lucas told Rolling Stone in 1977. “And she had to cull through all that, and put in all the fighting as well. Nobody really has ever tried to interweave an actual plot story into a dogfight, and we were trying to do that, however successful or unsuccessful we were.”

Lucas, Hirsch and Chew shared the Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 1977 for Star Wars. Her last Star Wars film – and her last film as a film editor, period – was Return of the Jedi, which she worked on with editors Duwayne Dunham and Sean Barton.

George and Marcia Lucas announced their divorce in 1983. Marcia Lucas then stepped away from the film industry to focus on her family. The USC School of Cinematic Arts named The Marcia Lucas Post Production Center after her.

In 2025, Marcia Lucas famously ripped into the J.J. Abrams/Kathleen Kennedy Star Wars sequels in her foreward to Howard Kazanjian: A Producer's Life, a book about the producer of Return of the Jedi.

"They don't get it," Lucas wrote. "And J.J. Abrams is writing these stories — when I saw the movie where they kill Han Solo, I was furious... Absolutely, positively there was no rhyme or reason to it. I thought, You don't get the Jedi story. You don't get the magic of Star Wars. You're getting rid of Han Solo? And then at the end of this last one, they have Luke disintegrate. They killed Han Solo. They killed Luke Skywalker. And they don't have Princess Leia anymore. And they're spitting out movies every year.”

Lucas even expressed her displeasure with George’s prequel trilogy: "I cried. I cried because I didn't think it was very good. And I thought [George] had such a rich vein to mine, a rich palette to tell stories with... There were things I didn't like about the casting, and things I didn't like about the story, and things I didn't like — it was a lot of eye candy. CG."

(Thumbnail photo credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage)

Longtime Woody actor Tom Hanks has said Toy Story 5 has "one of the most heartbreaking scenes" the Pixar movie franchise has seen in its 30-year history.

The star opened up about his feelings regarding the new film during a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. He said Pixar, which is already famous for its ability to generate tear-jerking moments, managed to come up with an especially sad scene for Woody and Buzz Lightyear's latest adventure, going as far as to describe the moment ahead of the movie's premiere.

Warning! Spoilers for Toy Story 5 follow.

"There's one of the most heartbreaking scenes I've ever seen in any of the Toy Story movies — when that little girl is getting her feelings hurt by what other people are texting about her, and she doesn't understand why," Hanks said. "She doesn't know what she did wrong, but it hurts, and that is a very prescient thing to have in a motion picture today about little kids and toys, don't you think?"

Toy Story is no exception when it comes to Pixar's track record for making its audiences well up. Toy Story 3, which features more than a few tearful goodbyes, might have the best examples of sad moments for the franchise so far. Even the series' original movie, which debuted as the Disney company's first feature film in 1995, fights against dry eyes when Buzz has the realization that he is, in fact, a toy.

For Hanks, it's Toy Story 5 that might have the saddest scene of them all. Audiences at home are waiting to see the new movie for themselves before ranking it amongst Pixar's best, but the actor said he has a special attachment to Woody and the gang.

"They always take me to some other emotional place that I'm both happy to [go] and mad that they're going to make me do this," he joked. "But [Tim Allen] and I have done this enough. When I saw the first scene where 500 Buzz Lightyears come up out of the water, I just said, 'Oh, Tim's gonna have a field day on this.' Thank goodness he has to voice 500 of these things, and I don't."

Toy Story will reunite Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and more of Bonnie's toys when it comes to theaters June 19, 2026. In the meantime, you can read about why some Taylor Swift fans think the pop star has a connection with Pixar's latest.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Tom Holland has seen the concern that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will pull its punches, but he says its version of the Punisher will be "authentic to the Frank Castle we know."

The Peter Parker actor tackled fears that the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movie will stray from the brutality the antihero is known for during an interview with Empire. He said that he, Punisher actor Jon Bernthal, and director Destin Daniel Cretton still worked to bring a version of one of Marvel's most violent characters to the big screen.

"I know that there are concerns about taking a sort of R-rated character and putting him into one of these movies," Holland said, "but the way that we’ve designed the world around him feels very authentic to the Frank Castle we know."

The "Frank Castle we know" that Holland referred to is one that Bernthal started playing when Daredevil Season 2 premiered in 2016. Since then, viewers have fallen in love with his version of the character, which is known to beat his foes to bloody pulps through two seasons of his own TV show, one season of Daredevil: Born Again, and, more recently, a one-off Disney+ special called The Punisher: One Last Kill.

This Punisher is routinely covered in the bits and pieces of anyone in his way despite also existing in an MCU that typically skews its stories for more family-friendly audiences. It's something Cretton was aware of, but it sounds like the Spider-Man: Brand New Day team found ways to get around that without compromising Frank Castle's character.

"There are fun ways to get around the fact that he swears all the time and kills people," Holland teased.

We know little about the role Frank Castle plays in Spider-Man's next story. The character has at least shown up in one trailer, and can be seen driving an armored truck through a busy New York City street before blasting Peter Parker off the hood of his car. Another scene shows his mouth getting webbed up before dropping an F-bomb.

Meanwhile, Bernthal had his own thoughts to share regarding the Punisher's next outing. He told Empire that his Frank Castle is "perfectly at peace in a world of darkness." In other words, don't expect him to be Spider-Man's friendly next-door neighbor, even if he "does care about Peter."

"He’s not looking for a buddy, he’s not looking for a friend, he’s not looking for a hand to pull him out of the hole that he’s in," Bernthal added. "He’s fine living in there. In fact, all he wants to do is dig deeper."

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will sneak around the Punisher's brutal methods of crimefighting when it premieres July 31, 2026. For more, you can check out a recent poster that revealed a closer look at the new Spidey suit.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

IGN Live 2026 is nearly here, and we’re so excited to present a two-day celebration of gaming and entertainment filled with celebrity panels, exclusive game reveals, trailers, live stage shows, hands-on demos, giveaways, and so much more.

We have so much planned for IGN Live, and we wanted to provide an easy place to keep track of what's going on and how to watch all the fun. While we’ll be hosting IGN Live in-person in downtown Los Angeles at MAGIC BOX @ THE REEF on June 6-7 (Tickets are still on sale!), we’ll also be livestreaming the biggest moments!

To ensure you don’t miss a thing, you can check out everything you need to know about IGN Live below, and we encourage you to keep checking back as we will add new things (like the full schedule!) when it is revealed closer to the event!

When Is IGN Live 2026?

IGN Live will take place in downtown Los Angeles at MAGIC BOX @ THE REEF on June 6-7, and the event will be livestreamed each day at the following times;

• Saturday, June 6 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm BST
• Sunday, June 7 at 9:30am PT / 12:30pm ET / 5:30pm BST

How to Watch IGN Live 2026

Whether you join us in person at IGN Live or watch from the comfort of your own home, wherever in the world that may be, here are all the ways you can check out the livestream;

• IGN.com
• IGN's YouTube
• Steam
• Facebook
• Twitter / X
• Twitch
• IGN mobile apps
• Eurogamer
• VG247
• Rock Paper Shotgun

What to Expect From IGN Live 2026

We still have our full schedule to release and plenty of fun surprises, but we’ve begun revealing what fans can expect from IGN Live this year! For example, here are a few things we just announced earlier this week;

• Jackass: Steve-O, Poopies, Jasper, and Wee Man will be live in person at IGN Live
• Julie Chen Moonves will come by to celebrate the 1000th episode of Big Brother.
• A special look at the new Jason Universe x Dead by Daylight collaboration.
• WWE Superstar Bronson Reed will make a special appearance.
• Plus, IGN Live will include exclusive looks and some major upcoming movies and TV shows including:
  • Supergirl
  • The Vampire Lestat
  • The Walking Dead: Dead City

We’ve also shared some of our partners that will be part of IGN Live, and you can check those out below;

• Xbox will be on hand with multiple dev interviews and a showcase watch party
• Webtoon will present a special panel where they design new characters LIVE
• Poppy Playtime
• Avatar: The Last Airbender: Series stars Gordon Cormier, Miyako stop by along with Executive Producers Christine Boylan, and Jabbar Raisani stop by to talk about Season 2 of the Netflix show.
• Control Resonant: Creative Director Mikael Kasurinen will be on hand to share updates on one of this year’s most-anticipated games.
• Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed: Tatiana Maslany will be on hand to talk about her new show, premiering May 20 on Apple TV.
• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis: Alix Wilton Regan stops by to take us behind the scenes of her portrayal of Lara Croft in the upcoming game.
• Rick and Morty: Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden will join us to talk about the newest season of the fan-favorite Adult Swim series.
• WWE Superstar Kevin Owens will make a special appearance.
• Magic: The Gathering: The team from Wizards of the Coast will break down a new series of cards.
• A special Star Trek 60th Anniversary panel from IDW Comics.
• Aniimo
• Aether & Iron
• Arknights: Endfield
• Cronos: Lazarus
• D-topia
• Demi and the Fractured Dream
• Diablo Immortal
• Forever Ago
• McFarlane Toys
• Grave Seasons
• Kick
• Mexican Ninja
• Miltisioner
• My Adventures with Superman
• New Rockstars vs. IGN -
• OVER REQUIEMZ
• Where Birds Sleep
• Wilderlings: The Lost Spring
• A Sea of Ashen Tulips
• Alkahest
• Astro Burn
• Bellwright
• Breathedge 2
• Bus Simulator 27
• Carnival Hunt
• Cast Outs
• Dogpile
• Don't Kill Them All
• Flock Off!
• Frog Sqwad
• Gate Guard Simulator
• GNAW
• Into the Dead: Crimson Heights
• Leaf Blower Co.
• Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed
• Poke a Nose
• Rewilders: The Lost Spring
• Shark Dentist
• Smallands 2
• Soul Walker
• Tanuki
• The Death of Robin Hood
• The Expanse: Osiris Reborn
• Trench Tales
• Truck World: Australia
• Under Canopies
• Warframe - Jade Shadows: Constellations
• Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy
• Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader
• Roger Craig Smith (Sonic the Hedgehog, Batman, and more) and Patricia Summersett (Princess Zelda, Zyssyk from Star Wars Outlaws, and others) Gothic Remake from THQ Nordic
• Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced from Ubisoft
• The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 from Critical Role, Titmouse, and Prime Video
• PowerWash Simulator 2 from from FuturLab
• Cape Fear from Apple TV
• Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War – The Calamity from Fathom and Viz Media
• The Terror: Devil in Silver from AMC+ and Shudder
• Sung Kang will be on hand to talk about his new movie Drifter
• Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh from Hulu’s Deli Boys will stop by to talk about the show.
• ID@Xbox will be on hand with multiple playable games.
• 2K

NVIDIA

The art director of Control Resonant and two guests from NVIDIA will be on stage at IGN Live for a discussion about the game and how it takes advantage of the full range of NVIDIA features, like DLSS 4.5, frame generation, ray reconstruction, path tracing, and more. We’ll chat about how the two sides work together to make games the best they can be, how technical limitations affect the dev process, and where the future of video game graphics is headed.

Presented by NVIDIA

Evil Dead Burn

The latest film in the Evil Dead franchise arrives this summer, and if you think your family reunions are horrific, just wait until you see Evil Dead Burn. From producer Sam Raimi, Evil Dead Burn unleashes the franchise’s most savage and terrifying ride to date, as one family comes together after the death of one of its members. It’s one hell of a family reunion.

Presented by Evil Dead Burn, only in theaters July 10.

What are you most excited about for IGN Live? Let us know below! Until the show kicks off, we’d love you to check out all the biggest moments from IGN Live 2025 to get an idea of what else to expect!

Oh, and we wanted to remind you once more that tickets are still on sale if you want to join us in-person at IGN Live!

Have you read Max Evry's A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune? It's the kind of making-of movie book that's hard to come by these days - not just definitive, but also honest in a way that the Hollywood marketing machine does its best to smother whenever possible. Well, Evry (an occassional contributor to IGN) is back with another look at cinema of the past: Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

According to a press release from 1984 Publishing, Stranded on Earth, which hits this October, traces "the remarkable journey from Steven Spielberg’s abandoned alien horror project Night Skies to the creation of E.T. ... Part film history and part investigative chronicle, Stranded on Earth follows Spielberg’s fascination with UFOs and extraterrestrial storytelling from his teenage feature Firelight in the 1960s through the success of 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The book then dives into the ambitious — and ultimately doomed — production of Night Skies, a dark science-fiction horror film that gradually evolved into the heartfelt classic E.T."

The publisher promises that Evry has done extensive research on the topic and conducted new interviews with many Spielberg-adjacent folks, which sounds about right based on the extensive work the author did for A Masterpiece in Disarray. Said Evry: "As with my book on David Lynch’s Dune, the deeper I dug, the bigger — and wilder — the story became."

The cover of Stranded on Earth was created by artist Ian Fried (aka DarkMatter). He also contribued interior illustrations, like the one pictured above.

More from the release: "The book also examines how the DNA of the abandoned Night Skies project echoed throughout Hollywood, influencing genre-defining works such as Poltergeist and Gremlins while helping shape the explosion of sci-fi horror and fantasy storytelling throughout the 1980s and beyond."

It would seem that 2026 is a year for Spielberg aliens. The iconic filmmaker also has his new picture Disclosure Day coming out on June 12. That film tells the story of what happens when humanity finally learns that aliens are real.

You can pre-order Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at the link now.

Talk to Scott Collura @scottcollura.bsky.social, or listen to his Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3. Or do both!

Microsoft has confirmed it will "continue the precedent" by highlighting competing platforms during its upcoming 2026 Xbox Showcase, but don't expect to hear anything about the next-gen Helix device.

Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty set the stage during an appearance on the Official Xbox Podcast today. He told players to expect the company to be transparent about what platforms its games are coming to, meaning you'll probably see a PlayStation logo or two pop up when this year's summer Xbox Showcase happens in June.

"We'll be very clear about what platforms a game is coming to and want to continue the precedent," Booty said. "I think we've got a good system going, where we make it clear in Showcase."

Although Microsoft has signaled an interest in returning to Xbox exclusive titles, its ongoing multiplatform strategy has seen a number of titles in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 for years. It means you can still expect games like Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved to come to PS5, with the Showcase serving as an opportunity to double down on that promise.

As for Helix, Microsoft's mysterious next-gen console, it looks like Microsoft still wants to keep its cards close to its chest. Instead of providing details about the future of its Xbox strategy, the June event will focus on its games.

"We really want to focus on the teams and on the games, and this is not going to be a place where we're going to talk strategy, broadly. There are certainly some strategic things that are out there and things we want to bring clarity to, but the focus here is on the games. For the long term, we want to make the right decisions, not fast decisions.

"I can also say that there won't be Helix news, so Helix will not be in this Showcase. Again, we want to get everything about that right."

Microsoft announced a new gaming console was in the works back in June 2025 but didn't go on to give it its Helix codename until March of this year. Little about the device has been confirmed outside of the promise that it will be able to play both Xbox and PC games. For now, we can only expect to learn more later this year.

Microsoft will hold its Xbox Showcase and Gears of War: E-Day Direct June 7. For more, you can read about the company's decision to delay Fable's launch until 2027. You can also read about the "hard choices" promised by new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, and the steps Microsoft is taking to keep fan feedback in mind.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

StarCraft 2 players have lost their collective minds after Blizzard Entertainment announced major changes coming in a new update.

Fans of the 2010 real-time strategy sequel took to its website to see new gameplay adjustments for what was probably the first time in years today. Instead of only finding bug fixes or mentions of standard server maintenance, patch notes for public test realm (PTR) update 5.0.16 revealed a laundry list of balance changes that will fundamentally change how StarCraft 2 is played.

The impact of the update can be read in its first bullet point, which reduces the number of starting workers from 12 to eight. StarCraft 2 upped its starter worker count to 12 with the launch of Legacy of the Void in 2015 to speed up the pace earlier in matches. The years following the change have seen some players asking for an adjustment, and now, 11 years later, the change is here, and it's just one example in a page full of other tweaks.

"How is this real?" one Reddit user said regarding StarCraft 2 PTR update 5.0.16. "Some of these changes are wild, I am so curious how they will feel."

"Holy s**t they did it," another said in response to the change in starting workers.

StarCraft 2 received its final major content pack with Nova Covert Ops in 2016, and despite retaining a solid audience in the decade since, it has largely remained on the back burner for Blizzard since. Now, there are so many changes on the way that players aren't exactly sure if the patch will result in a better or worse experience.

We won't know how update 5.0.16 will be received until after it makes it out of its PTR build and into the public's hands at an unspecified point in the future. What players are focusing on now, though, is that the update serves as proof that Blizzard still cares about breathing life into its classic RTS…for some reason.

"Some absolutely bonkers changes to basic mechanics, especially for a game in maintenance mode with little to no ongoing development besides this," another Reddit user said. "Very excited to see how this plays out, and I hope that they maintain the scale of changes, even if they have to iterate on/change plenty.

"That is to say I hope they don't get discouraged by certain changes not panning out and end up walking most of this back. I love the potential for new strategies and interactions so far."

So, why is Blizzard making a splash in StarCraft 2 for the first time in years? Unfortunately, we really don't know. Some speculate the tweaks arrive as a result of the game developer's renewed interest in some of its existing titles. Others believe it could signal a specific interest in StarCraft, which is rumored to receive a first-person shooter spin-off sometime in the future.

Players will have to wait to see if the new update is a sign of things to come. In the meantime, you can read about the rumors suggesting Blizzard is taking pitches for the series from Korean game developers. Finally, you can check out the full PTR patch notes below.

StarCraft 2 Update 5.0.16 PTR Patch Notes:

We've tried to make this PTR focus on extending the early and mid-game experience, allowing players to remain competitive on one to three bases for longer periods. We’ve introduced changes to make non-warped Gateway play a more viable path, while also increasing overall strategic diversity across all three races.

In addition, a range of quality-of-life improvements has been implemented to enhance the overall player experience.

Economy

• Starting workers reduced from 12 to 8.
• Default Large Mineral patch resource count reduced from 1,800 to 1,600.
• Default Small Mineral patch resource count increased from 900 to 1,200.
• Total Default Minerals per base increased from 10,800 to 11,200.
• Default Vespene Geysers' resource count increased from 2,250 to 2,500.
• Total Default Gas per base increased from 4,500 to 5,000.
• Rich Vespene Gas Geyser harvest return value decreased from 8 to 6.

Zerg

• Supplies provided reduced from 6 to 4.

• Spread/Recede rate slowed from 0.45 to 0.55.

• Damage against Biological increased from 20 (+10 Biological) to 20 (+15 Biological).

• Level 1 cost decreased from 150/150 to 100/100.
• Level 2 cost decreased from 200/200 to 150/150.
• Level 3 cost decreased from 250/250 to 200/200.

• Microbial Shroud range increased from 9 to 12.
• Microbial Shroud can now be cast without requiring an upgrade from the Infestation Pit.
• Neural Parasite on builder SCVs will only expire at structure completion.
• Now has an auto-attack weapon.

• Abduct now considers Sieged Tanks a valid target.

• Speed without Pneumatized Carapace decreased from 0.9 to 0.7.
• Can now issue 'Load Nearby Units' commands.

• Changelings automatically inherit the current order queue of the casting Overseer.
• Changelings’ deaths are contagious to other nearby Changelings.

• Mutalisk Glaives now prioritize targets.
• Arc slop increased to 180.

Terran

• Supplies provided reduced from 15 to 13.

• Supply increased from 2 to 3.
• Health reduced from 125 to 100.
• Attack damage changed from 10 + 10 vs Light to 20.
• Attack range increased from 6 to 7.
• Steady Targeting:
  • Damage increased from 130 + 40 vs Psionic to 170.
  • Energy cost increased from 50 to 75.
  • No longer cancels upon taking damage.

• Can now issue 'Load Nearby Units' commands.
• Subgroup Priority:
  • Priority order updated from (Raven, Ghost, Battlecruiser, Marine, Marauder, SiegeTank) to (Ghost, Marine+Marauder, Raven, Battlecruiser, Siegetank).

Protoss

• Supplies provided reduced from 15 to 13.

• Warpgate Research moved to the Gateway from the Cybernetics Core.
• Warpgate Research speeds up Gateway unit production time by 35%.
• 'Transform to Warpgate' cost increased from 0/(0) to 50/(50).
• Warp-in Time is no longer determined by 'slow power fields'.
• Warp-in Time decreased to 3s (from 3.6s and 11.4s).
• Warpgate Cooldown Values:
  • Zealot: from 20 to 22.
  • Adept: from 20 to 22.
  • Stalker: from 23 to 22.
  • Sentry: from 23 to 22.
  • High Templar: from 32 to 35.
  • Dark Templar: from 32 to 35.

• Pre-Warpgate Production Time Values:
  • Zealot: from 27 to 28.
  • Adept: from 30 to 28.
  • Stalker: from 27 to 28.
  • Sentry: from 23 to 24.
  • High Templar: from 32 to 40.
  • Dark Templar: from 32 to 40.
• Post-Warpgate Production Time Values:
  • Zealot: 18.
  • Adept: 18.
  • Stalker: 18.
  • Sentry: 16.
  • High Templar: 26.
  • Dark Templar: 26.

• Hallucinations automatically inherit the current order queue of the casting Sentry.

• Psi Storm total damage reduced from 110 to 100.

• Now has a 'phantom attack' weapon.

• Can now issue 'Load Nearby Units' commands.

Bug Fixes & Quality of Life Updates

• Fixed an issue where Carrier Interceptors owned due to a player casting Neural Parasite would not inherit the opponent's upgrades.
• Fixed an issue where EMP visuals did not provide clear visual indication of effect radius/affected units.
• Fixed an issue where Motherships would warp in adjacent to the Nexus rather than overtop.
• Fixed an issue where Guardian Shield visuals would persist even after loaded into a transport.
• Fixed an issue where melee units targeting builder SCVs would lose their attack order when the SCV moved through the structure.
• Fixed an issue where SCVs could not have build orders queued sequentially onto structures already being constructed by another SCV.
• Fixed an issue where Guardian Shield visuals would not update player color post-initialization.
• Fixed an issue where the KD8 Charge could knock back immobile targets during Recall.
• Fixed an issue where the KD8 Charge lacked a placement model and AOE effect radius cursor indicator.
• Fixed an issue where the KD8 Charge would be thrown in front of a target unit rather than at the targeted cast point.
• Fixed an issue where some units' spells would not trigger Protoss shield-damage graphics (Purification Nova, Corrosive Bile, KD8 Charge).
• Fixed an issue where units with burrow move would lose their current orders when told to burrow.
• Fixed an issue where 'Zerg Rocks' were lacking polish. (Now uses correct wireframe, has a Zerg building armour icon, and uses animation state to communicate health level).
• Fixed an issue where a variation of large diagonal rocks still did not receive an attack command if certain portions of the rock were within vision but not others.
• Fixed an issue where attack commands with Adept Shades in the selection behaved erratically (Example: finishing a shade caused the attack target to be lost if the command was not issued by smart command/right click, units could unexpectedly move command etc.)
• Fixed an issue where the Nexus had no indication Nexus Recall nor Energy Recharge abilities' cooldowns were global. Command card now displays charge counters and minimap displays all Nexus range radius.
• Fixed an issue where the Nexus Energy Recharge ability range radius actor would display permanently rather than when the ability was being targeted.
• Fixed an issue where Lurker Attack Spike sounds could be heard through the Fog of War.
• Fixed an issue where Lurker eggs lacked polish during creation/destruction. Eggs now take less time to appear due to faster birth animation and play a death cry to communicate when destroyed early.
• Fixed an issue where the Warp Prism would not display an unload visual model indicator.
• Fixed an issue where the Warp Prism would not display a load range radius actor when the ability was being targeted.
• Fixed an issue where the Warp Prism movement was highly variant/ sluggish if ordered to queue pickup orders or pick up units slightly out of immediate range.
• Fixed an issue where Banelings in splash range of enemy units but killed by enemy units would not spawn an audio cue indicating splash damage had been dealt.
• Fixed an issue where non-disguised Changelings would not play their full birth animation.
• Fixed an issue where commanding Oracles to build Stasis Wards in areas inside their range could result in slower execution than being commanded to build outside their range.
• Fixed an issue where Oracles would teleport short distances if told to build a Stasis Ward while overlapping with other air units (such as other friendly oracles).
• Fixed an issue where Stasis Wards lacked a distinct audio cue for their death.
• Fixed an issue where players attempting to attack a Stasis Ward could easily accidentally move command underneath it instead.
• Fixed an issue where Colossus could not be created/unloaded in space an air unit already was (this mostly affects the predictability of colossus drop positioning due to collision with the warp prism).
• Fixed an issue where Voidray Prismatic Alignment lacked a termination audio cue.
• Fixed an issue where Immortal Barrier lacked a termination audio cue.
• Fixed an issue where beam attack visuals would not terminate if targets were picked up by transports or teleported away (Sentry, Void Ray).
• Fixed an issue where the Sentry's beam attack visuals were misleading due to being significantly delayed during creation and termination. They should now feel much more responsive to control.
• Fixed an issue where the Cyclone basic weapon was unable to damage friendly cloaked/buried units.
• Fixed an issue where the High Templar's basic weapon's visuals and sounds were not proportionate in size/volume to its impact.
• Fixed an issue where Vespene Geysers did not update their model to tolerate shaders if players' shader graphics settings changed mid-match, allowing for re-enabling of the higher graphics option.
• Fixed an issue where Phoenix would not face their channeled Graviton target.
• Fixed an issue where killing a Viper prior to its Abduct tongue connecting with a target would not cancel the abduct.
• Fixed an issue where Nexus would still play Blinding Cloud visuals (despite no longer having Photon Overcharge).
• Fixed an issue where Planetaries lacked or had misleading visual and audio indicators (splash damage impact visuals, sound).
• Fixed an issue where Archons lacked several visual and audio indicators (birth sound, splash damage impact visuals, movement sound, attack physics).
• Fixed an issue where Disruptor Purification Nova cooldown/firing status was difficult to discern. Ability status should now be much more obvious due to increased colour states.
• Fixed an issue where friendly Disruptor Purification Nova range radius actors were displayed permanently, even if the unit was on cooldown, causing unnecessary clutter as unit count increased.
• Fixed an issue where Swarm Host range radius actors were displayed permanently, even if the unit was on cooldown, causing unnecessary clutter as unit count increased.
• Fixed an issue where Swarm Hosts lacked an equipment (weapon) display indicator for the Locust.
• Fixed an issue where Microbial Shroud's appearance happened gradually and unnoticeably due to lacking a sufficient impact model for the cloud.
• Fixed an issue where Hellbat walk animation speed was faster than expected.
• Fixed an issue where casting Generate Creep would only affect a subselection of Overlords or Transport Overlords rather than both variations.
• Fixed an issue where Creep Tumors lacked placement and placeholder models when spreading themselves.
• Fixed an issue where it could be difficult to distinguish if a research structure was active (Twilight Council, Fleet Beacon, Armory, Evolution Chamber).
• Improved an issue where injecting Queens 'shuffle'. Allowed re-issuing inject during ongoing cast so orders are not offloaded to others queen. Long-range orders are invalid if another queen is nearby the target hatchery.
• Improved an issue where units with their primary attack order on a changeling would lose their order if the Changeling subsequently disguised itself.
• Improved an issue where gather orders were clunky for workers. Workers adjacent and move commanding to a geyser now update their command to a gather order if a refinement structure gets built.
• Xel'naga towers can now be selected through the Fog of War. Xel'naga Towers now show their vision range radius when selected.
• Active Creep Tumors will now take selection precedence over Inactive Tumors.
• Active Creep Tumors in a control group at the time of exhausting their charge will now transfer control group membership to the spread tumor.
• Critters and destructible neutral objects have been standardized to share similar targeting/selection/collision values. They will no longer collide with/block player structures or units.
• Larva/Eggs will no longer collide with/block player structures or units.
• Locusts that were previously uncommandable during their swoop animation are now also unselectable (if already selected they will stay selected).
• Neural Parasite will now add the target unit to the current selection if the selection only contains one infestor.
• Protoss structures now generate additional 'damaged' graphical models.
• As larva increases, they will now spread further upwards around the sides of the hatchery. Larva will still start from the bottom of the hatchery.
• Music selection for spectator players has been adjusted to feature a greater pool of suitable tracks for spectating. Duplicate entries have also been removed.
• Slightly polished Oracles' Revelation and Build animation transitions.
• High Templar and Ravagers are now less likely to aggro towards faraway targets.
• Adjusted Warp Prism and Raven visual fly height to minimize clipping inside other models and reduced Warp Prism shadow size on low graphics to minimize shadow-casting on unloaded units.
• Commands to unsiege Warp Prisms will now be issued to all Warp Prisms in the selection.
• Healing Shrine visuals/sounds have received a minor polish pass.
• The Warp Prism will now attempt to immediately siege when instructed rather than prioritizing deceleration.
• Mapmaker support tools now include proper Worker-Only-Path indicators, No-Resource footprints, air unit height modifier doodads, and variable rock reduction units.
• Mule Repair is now set to auto-cast by default (Mules with a harvest order still do not attempt to repair units).

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has discussed having no control over her character Daenerys Targaryen's storyline, dialogue or eventual fate — including in the series' polarizing finale.

Speaking to Variety, Clarke said she "didn't have any creative input" on her role, though hadn't sought out any either, believing she was "not qualified." Still, she noted that the series' showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss had been "fastidious" that actors stuck to their scripts, with retakes necessary for even small differences — such as if she said "it's" instead of "it is."

"Aside from what I brought as an actor, I didn't have any creative input, nor did I want any," Clarke said, answering again with a flat "no" when asked if she could have altered Daenerys' ultimate fate — an ending that many fans disliked.

Game of Thrones' final episodes see her character suddenly turn from a hero — who has just defeated an undead army and looks set to save the Seven Kingdoms from Lannister rule — to a city-burning conqueror. In a tragic twist, she is ultimately stopped by her lover Jon Snow. Her lifeless body is then carried away by her dragon — and that's that.

[Benioff and Weiss] were "fastidious about us saying the lines exactly as they’ve written them," Clarke continued. "I was given the seasons, and I, to the best of my ability, empathized and understood and tracked every choice she made so it felt like mine. I felt like that was what my job was."

Clarke's former Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington previously said that mistakes were made in the show's controversial ending, but he was "not sure there was any alternative" as the series' cast and crew were exhausted following almost a decade of production. "I think if there was any fault with the end of Thrones, is that we were all so f***ing tired, we couldn't have gone on longer."

Ultimately, Clarke said that she was now "grateful" for the experience of playing Daenerys, which catapulted her to stardom and has since landed her roles in numerous other TV series and movies.

"I have gone through every circuitous route to get to the place that I am now, which is finally being able to be very grateful for everything that Game of Thrones did and has given me," Clarke concluded. "I no longer feel trapped in it, or trapped in the result of being in it. I feel just really lucky that it happened to me — even luckier that I've had time to understand what that was, and now I feel firmly on the other side."

In January, Clarke admitted feeling "really pissed" at the expert who developed Game of Thrones' fictional languages, after reading that he thought her Dothraki pronounciation "sucked." David J. Peterson, who HBO hired as a full-time linguist on its hit fantasy show, subsequently responded to Clarke's comments, saying that the actress had misunderstood what he meant, and that she "never had to be good at it," as his intention had never been that Daenerys Targaryen would speak Dothraki flawlessly.

The same month, Clarke said she was likely finished working on fantasy projects after spending nine years as Daenerys, telling the New York Times it was "highly unlikely" viewers would see her "get on a dragon, or even in the same frame as a dragon, ever again."

Image credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Xbox has announced a delay to its upcoming Fable reboot, which will now launch in February 2027.

The long-awaited RPG had been due to launch this fall on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, though Microsoft had not set a specific date for its arrival. Now, due to Xbox's busy release schedule (and a certain game named GTA 6), it's coming next year instead.

"This year is packed with incredible games for Xbox players to enjoy, from Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 to Control Resonant, Star Wars: Galactic Racer and Grand Theft Auto VI," Xbox wrote in a post on social media.

"In order to plan our game launches through the holidays, in a way that works best for players, we’re moving Fable to February 2027 so it can have the dedicated moment it deserves. We’re excited to be giving players a major new look at Fable, as well as our broader lineup, at Xbox Games Showcase on June 7."

The news follows speculation last month that Microsoft had delayed Fable internally — something that the official Fable social media account stepped in to deny, pointing instead to its previously announced fall launch window.

Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reported last month that there had been concern at Microsoft about Fable potentially running up against the behemoth that is GTA 6, which now appears to be locked in to its November 19, 2026 release date.

"I'll say that I’ve heard that Fable has been pushed internally," Grubb said. "That doesn’t mean that it’s coming out next year. Apparently, they’re still trying to get it out this year, but they are worried about the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6. And so if it's getting delayed beyond the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, that could push it into December, which might make it a prime candidate to get delayed into 2027. So while Xbox will have a lot of games coming out this year, that’s one that there's still a big question mark around."

Microsoft still has many other release dates to solidify, such as for Halo: Campaign Evolved and Gears of War: E-Day. Fans will undoubtedly get a clearer idea of Microsoft's release plans during its Xbox Games Showcase. Fable and Gears of War: E-Day will definitely be there, and perhaps we'll see more of InXile's Clockwork Revolution, Undead Labs' State of Decay 3, and maybe even Hideo Kojima’s OD.

Yesterday, the Microsoft-owned Activision announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which will launch on October 23.

Earlier this year, IGN spoke with Fable developer Playground Games about its bid to bring back the beloved British role-playing series, and we learned that not only are there 1,000 fully voiced NPCs, but you can marry every single one of them.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

HBO has released its lengthy final trailer for House of the Dragon Season 3, which features explosive sequences from the series' biggest battle to date.

House of the Dragon will being streaming new episodes weekly from June 21 onwards, and pick up the action with the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet — an event that showrunner Ryan Condal this week dubbed as "arguably the craziest episode of television ever made."

"To try to tell this story without doing the Gullet would be trying to film Lord of the Rings without doing the Battle of Helm's Deep," Condal told Entertainment Weekly, noting that the sequence had taken four years to fully realize. "If we were gonna do it, we had to do it right. And that meant dragons and ships and multiple theaters of conflict."

Well, today's trailer certainly teases some of that, with numerous dragons aflight, wooden boats alight, and Rhaenyra coming under pressure from friend and foe alike. It's available to watch over on YouTube.

Season 3 sees the return of Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, alongside numerous others, including famous faces such as Spider-Man: No Way Home's Rhys Ifans, Happy Valley's James Norton, Assassin's Creed Origins' Abubakar Salim, and Fantastic Beasts' Dan Fogler.

House of the Dragon is expected to wrap up its story with a fourth and likely final season, due in 2028. Next year will see the return of A Knight of the Second Kingdoms for its second season, meanwhile. HBO owner Warner Bros. is currently going hard on its Game of Thrones franchise with a big-budget movie also in the works, Game of Thrones: Aegon’s Conquest.

In January, HBO was said to be in "very early development" on a Game of Thrones spinoff starring Arya Stark, following the collapse of a previous sequel idea that would have featured Jon Snow. A new Game of Thrones prequel is set to dramatize the events of Robert's Rebellion, and debut on the UK stage this summer.

Meanwhile, George R.R. Martin himself has said there's no plan if he dies before completing Winds of Winter, and the Game of Thrones series simply "won't be finished."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 publisher Focus Entertainment has teased new content coming to the game in its third year, including the promise of a new class in 2027.

The hugely successful third-person co-op action game has seen one new DLC class so far — the Techmarine — and fans had wondered if more were on the way. In a community post, Focus said the new class is planned for the first half of 2027, so we can expect it before the end of June.

But what is it? Focus wouldn’t say, but did stress it’s been “highly requested by the community.” There are a number of potentials, including the Apothecary, the Judiciar, or, at a push, the Chaplain. My money’s on the Apothecary as a heavy duty support class with a powerful healing ability, perhaps even with unique gameplay around harvesting Gene-seed.

“As we did with the Techmarine, this new Class will receive its own special Champion Skin after its release,” Focus added.

That’s exciting enough for fans, but throughout Year 3, Space Marine 2 will also receive five major updates (Patches 15-19). “Once again, there’ll be plenty of free content for everyone, including new weapons, missions, and more,” Focus said. “On top of that, there’ll be a Season Pass packed with Chapter cosmetics and Champion skins.”

“We’ll also continue placing a strong focus on improving the user experience and fixing bugs throughout Year 3, making the game smoother, more stable, and more enjoyable for everyone,” Focus continued.

The Year 3 roadmap will be revealed alongside the Second Anniversary Update, which is slated for this September.

The tease comes hot on the heels of the release of Patch 13, dubbed the Purgation Update. It added a new PvE mission, a major update to Siege Mode, a new weapon (the Bolt Carbine Sidearm), and the Iron Hands Chapter Pack. There’s also a new Practice Arena in the Battle-Barge.

Space Marine 2 continues to receive new content following its blockbuster sales success, with over 12 million players since its 2024 launch. The breakout success of Space Marine 2, set in the grimdark far future universe of Games Workshop’s tabletop war game, cannot be understated. Tim Willits, development chief of developer Saber Interactive, told IGN soon after the game came out that Space Marine 2 had changed everything for the studio as sales exploded — and they’ve increased at a steady pace since. Space Marine 2’s recent addition to subscription services PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass has only boosted player numbers further. It wasn’t long after Space Marine 2 came out that Space Marine 3 was announced, although we’ve yet to see or hear anything meaningful about it.

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.

Bungie's issues with its storied sci-fi shooter, Destiny 2, began around the time of the last summer's Edge of Fate expansion, which reportedly underperformed. The decision to pull the plug was allegedly made "earlier this year" after it decided not to relaunch the franchise as "Destiny Infinity."

That's according to Forbes, which said the Sony-owned studio began discussing different scenarios about "what the future of Destiny 2 would look like" after December's Renegades, its Star Wars-themed crossover expansion, "did even worse [than Edge of Fate] and didn't change sales or retention trajectory."

Destiny Infinity would have been a relaunch alongside a return to the one big expansion model Destiny used to have, but the idea fell by the wayside after it was allegedly decided that the costs and risks were too high, especially in the context of support for Marathon.

Destiny 3 "was considered, as ever, but things didn't swing that way," and there has been no behind-the-scenes hints that a third Destiny game is coming, with the cost of the game's production cited as the key issue. Interestingly, it's thought Marathon's subjective success or failure was "not the tipping point of all of this."

The revelations come a week after Bungie confirmed content updates for its live service shooter would end on June 9, nearly nine years after launch. The studio behind Halo, which recently released extraction shooter Marathon, said Destiny 2 will remain playable despite active development ending.

Destiny 1 launched on September 9, 2014 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. It enjoyed enormous commercial success, but met with a mixed response from critics. As part of a high-profile publishing deal with Call of Duty company Activision, Destiny expansions and updates followed.

Destiny 2 launched on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 6, 2017, with a PC version following a month later. Behind the scenes, however, tension between Bungie and Activision emerged, and the two companies officially parted ways in January 2019, ending their 10-year publishing deal five years early.

With Destiny in its own hands, Bungie self-published the game, but it couldn't escape financial troubles and layoffs as Destiny 2 expansions failed to hit the mark and the player base dwindled. Sony bought Bungie in early 2022 in a deal valued at $3.6 billion, although Sony has admitted the acquisition has yet to pay off, and it recently reported a $765 million impairment loss due to underperformance of Bungie specifically.

Extraction shooter Marathon launched early March, with a reported budget of more than $250 million. It too, according to analysts, has failed to meet sales expectations.

Destiny fans distraught over Bungie's decision to end support for the franchise are planning to try and "crash the servers" to demonstrate that there's still huge interest in the game. In a lengthy thread on reddit, Destiny fan w1nds0r issued a call to arms for all Destiny players to return on June 9, when the game's final ever content drop arrives.

"We need to at least smash Marathon's all time high to show them they made the wrong decision," w1nds0r wrote, suggesting that this would show Sony that Destiny remains "a franchise worth continuing to invest in... It's our last chance to send a message the franchise is still valuable." (Marathon launched in March with a Steam peak of 77,358 players. Its daily peak is now hovering around 10,000 players.)

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Antony Russo have issued a fresh tease for their upcoming Marvel blockbuster — and even though it's just a single color, fans are still racing to work out what it all might mean.

Over on Instagram, the Russos' official account has uploaded a plain green image, tagged with the official accounts for Marvel Studios, The Avengers franchise, Robert Downey Jr., their production company AGBO Films, and the SXSW London fan event, which takes place next week.

The Russos are no stranger to posting cryptic Instagram teases, having previously posted blurry, black-and-white photos from the Avengers: Doomsday set that fans have analyzed in minute detail. But this image, however, is proving a little more tricky.

Being just a single color, fans are looking to clues based on the shade of green's Hex color values, with many suggesting the numerical code could point to a trailer date, or hint at new information. But there's also general disagreement over what the actual shade of green is, which isn't helping.

"The RGB values of this color are 113, 127, and 91," wrote Marvel fan lorenzocpl, before launching into a tactic fans have previously used to scour for clues in past Marvel films. "If you check those timestamps in Avengers: Endgame, something interesting happens: at 1:53, it's the Natasha and Clint scene; at 2:07, Hulk uses the stones; and at 1:31, the time-travel sequence is happening." It's unclear what this is supposed to mean, however.

On a surface level, this color green is almost certainly supposed to reference Doctor Doom, who wears a green cloak and hood. But surely there's more to it than just that?

"I think Dr Doom is going to be green," wrote one fan. "Shrek will return in Avengers Doomsday," quipped another.

We’ll learn more about Doom when Avengers: Doomsday arrives on December 18, 2026. But could we see him again beforehand? It's worth remembering that Marvel plans to re-release Avengers: Endgame this September with new footage added in.

Image credit: Marvel.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

As the fight for Managed Democracy rages on, Arrowhead has just dropped a new Helldivers 2 patch that makes some long-awaited improvements to performance.

From upscaling technologies and latency-reduction features to "various optimizations and stability fixes," patch 6.2.5 is designed to help players stay on "target when the battlefield gets chaotic," Arrowhead explained. The patch notes, from Steam, are below.

This is the "slightly delayed" patch from Wednesday (May 27) following an "unexpected submission bug outside of [Arrowhead's] control." The update, developed alongside Nixxes Software, adds support for upscalers (FSR 3.1.5, DLSS 4.5, and XeSS 3.0), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support for PS5 and PS5 Pro, and Variable Rate Shading (VRS) for supported devices, among other performance improvements designed to smooth out the gameplay experience.

It's also worth noting that the patch fixes an issue where Helldivers were unable to manually climb small obstacles and ledges without auto-climb. The hope is this means vaulting in Helldivers 2 is finally fixed.

Don't forget that Helldivers 2 is also getting a Warhammer 40,000 Legendary Warbond later this year, finally making one of its most-requested crossovers a reality. Helldivers 2 game director Mikael Eriksson said the two worlds “fit perfectly together,” and that Arrowhead is “full of die hard Warhammer fans.”

Helldivers 2 update 6.2.5 patch notes:

Added support for upscalers:

• FSR 3.1.5
  • GPUs that support it will run FSR 4.0.3
• DLSS 4.5
• XeSS 3.0
• Added Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support for PS5 and PS5 Pro
• Added Variable Rate Shading (VRS) for supported devices
• VRS can help improve performance by reducing shading rates on certain areas of the image, resulting in less work for the GPU for similar looking close pixels
• Added support for DRS on PC and PS5
• With the introduction of DRS on all platforms we have also upped the resolution on Xbox Series X and PS5 to 1440p in the Performance preset
• We have also upped the resolution in PS5 Power Saver mode to 1440p
• Added NVIDIA's Reflex for NVIDIA GPUs
• Added AMD's Anti-Lag 2 for AMD GPUs

Fixes

• Fixed an issue where Helldivers were unable to manually climb small obstacles and ledges without auto-climb.
• Fixed multiple rendering issues and improved performance and image quality across all platforms.
• Added additional resolution options in the display settings for monitors with a wide range of available resolutions.
• Improved the performance of the high reflection setting.
• Improved VRAM management on PC to improve performance on systems with limited VRAM.
• Inviting non-friends via the social menus recent-tab will now send a PSN system invite if both are on PSN

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

007 First Light has got off to a strong start, selling 1.5 million copies in its first 24 hours. It’s the fastest-selling game in developer IO Interactive’s history, which means it sold faster in its first 24 hours than any Hitman game.

The impressive sales milestone was achieved without the aid of the Nintendo Switch 2 version, which is due out this summer.

The James Bond adventure is also the highest rated IOI game ever, with an 87 on Metacritic. IGN’s 007 First Light review returned a 9/10. We said: “Demonstrably obsessed with bringing the Bond fantasy to life in a way no one has ever managed before, 007 First Light is the best Bond game I’ve ever played.”

“The milestone of 1.5 million units sold in 24 hours reflects overwhelming global enthusiasm for 007 First Light and represents a significant achievement for IO Interactive,” the developer said. “With an 88 OpenCritic rating and 87 Metacritic score, 007 First Light has been embraced by both critics and players alike, already establishing itself as one of 2026's most successful gaming releases. The sales recorded across all platforms underscore the game's broad appeal and the successful execution of IO Interactive's vision to honor Bond's legacy in gaming.”

Rhys Elliott, head of market analysis at Alinea Analytics, said 007 First Light had sold an estimated 500,000 copies on Steam alone, generating around $25 million in revenue on Valve’s platform.

“The Steam performance really stood out for this one,” Elliott said. “It’s the latest example of a traditionally ‘console’’ game doing fantastic numbers on Steam.” About a third of 007 First Light players on Steam have also played Hitman, Elliott added.

“For Amazon, which owns the Bond rights and licensed IOI to make this game, the early signs are bloody good,” he continued. “The franchise hasn’t had a quality adaptation in decades, and IOI has now delivered one that looks like a serious commercial proposition.”

So, the first 24 hours are strong for 007, but it will be interesting to see how sales develop over the coming weeks and months. To put its performance into context, Crimson Desert sold 2 million in its first 24 hours back in March, and went on to sell 5 million in less than a month.

Clearly, IOI hopes for enough success to continue 007 First Light’s story with a sequel. Indeed, the developer has said it wants to make a trilogy of James Bond games.

Our 007 First Light Guide has all the Essential Tips and Tricks you need to survive your first assignments, plus 6 Tips for Mastering Stealth so you can stay out of sight. There are plenty of achievements to unlock and collectibles to get your hands on, so check our guide to All Collectible Locations to make sure you don’t miss out. For a helping hand with your missions, head to our in-progress Walkthrough, and our guide to all the Safe Combinations and Keypad Codes.

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.

Ubisoft is cooking up a fresh version of its brilliant platformer Rayman Legends for launch later this year, leaks suggest.

Rayman Legends Retold, as this new version will be known, is reportedly set to arrive on October 1, with a physical version available for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2.

That's according to Dealabs' ever-reliable billbil-kun, who has suggested that the game should be revealed at some point next week. Other leaks have suggested the game could pop up in Sony's big State of Play presentation, scheduled for June 2.

According to N1Up, Ubisoft's 2.5D platformer has been expanded with several 3D sections, as well as character crossovers that are set to feature friendly faces from Astro Bot and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Four-player co-op will also now be available online, after previously being a local-only option.

Price-wise, Rayman Legends Retold is reportedly set to launch at $39.99 — an attractive cost for one of the best side-scrollers ever made, even counting all those with Mario. Released back in 2013, it is the final mainline Rayman game directed by the character's creator Michel Ancel, and a demonstration of his former Ubisoft Montpellier studio at the height of its powers.

We'll be keeping a close eye out for full confirmation of Rayman Legends Retold next week — be sure to join us for live coverage of PlayStation's big State of Play event on June 2 for all the announcements. Here's everything we expect to be there — it's looking like it'll be a good show.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

CD Projekt's newly-revealed The Witcher 3 expansion Songs of the Past will help set the stage for the upcoming The Witcher 4, the developer has suggested.

While telling a standalone story starring Geralt set after the events of The Witcher 3, the new adventure will also act as a sort-of prologue to CD Projekt's next big blockbuster, according to the company's joint CEO Michał Nowakowski.

Speaking to investors, Nowakowski was questioned on how the expansion is being positioned in the franchise, why it is now launching in 2027 (after previously being expected this year) and whether any of CD Projekt's new trilogy of The Witcher games will also receive expansions, as The Witcher 3 has (don't hold your breath).

"First and foremost, we really wanted to deliver a great experience to the fans, a really cool expansion that's going to make people happy that they can come back to The Witcher 3 setting," Nowakowski said, discussing why Songs of the Past was being made.

"Of course, indirectly, yes, it is a reminder [of the franchise for fans]. It is, in a way, a prologue, although it's not a prologue in a verbatim way of [being] a prologue for the actual The Witcher 4. Yes, you can look at it as it's a way to maintain certain chatter on The Witcher 3. All of those are side effects, additional side effects. The core thing for us, from our perspective, is really delivering a high-quality, fun experience to the existing fans of The Witcher."

During a livestream yesterday aimed at The Witcher fans, CD Projekt gave a few further hints on the expansion's focus, teasing the importance of Geralt's new third sword — as glimpsed in a recent piece of artwork released to celebrate a springtime festival. Geralt's bard buddy Dandelion is also present.

"We had a moment where our plans assumed that Songs of the Past would be released this year," Nowakowski said, when questioned why the expansion was launching later than expected.

"We decided together with the development team, that the game will be launching in 2027, to be honest, to achieve the best possible result from the consumer standpoint, which in the end, frankly speaking, is the only ultimate thing that really matters."

CD Projekt's latest financial results show the company reported Q1 revenue of 191 million PLN ($52.5 million), up year-on-year, and net profit of 106 million PLN ($29 million). "These results stem from solid sales of our key titles and the revenue from their inclusion in the subscription catalogues," said CD Projekt CFO Piotr Nielubowicz.

The company currently employs 975 people, a headcount that has grown by more than 40 since February. The vast majority of its staff (now over 500) are working on The Witcher 4, while 163 people are assigned to Cyberpunk 2. Around 80 people are working on multiplayer Witcher spinoff Project Sirius, while 24 are building the studio's new IP codenamed Hadar.

There's still no word on when The Witcher 4 might arrive, but CD Projekt has an extremely ambitious plan to launch it plus The Witcher 5 and 6 all in a six-year time period. It's this plan which essentially rules out the possibility of further expansion content being made anytime soon, Nowakowski concluded.

"The plans are pretty ambitious," Nowakowski acknowledged. "It would be difficult, to be very honest, for us to add an expansion to the upcoming trilogy. This is where we are here and now with this particular issue."

Separately, CD Projekt also celebrated the fact that its Cyberpunk Trading Card Game campaign raised $28 million via Kickstarter, making it the platform's most successful gaming project ever, and the third-largest Kickstarter campaign of all time.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Asha Sharma, the new boss of Xbox, has reportedly warned staff that “hard choices” are ahead as Microsoft works to rebuild its gaming brand in the eyes of core fans while growing revenue.

Sharma, who replaced Phil Spencer as boss of Xbox earlier this year, has spent her first few months in the job making a number of significant changes as Microsoft works to win back the hearts and minds of its core gaming fans. Among them was the end of the controversial ‘This is an Xbox’ marketing campaign, as well as quickfire new Xbox console features.

The Verge (paywall) reported on an internal memo sent to Xbox staff that discussed the recent efforts to rebrand Xbox (officially it’s XBOX now, not Xbox). And in doing so said Microsoft would be more “delibrate” in what it’s doing in gaming.

"We are building a stronger XBOX,” Sharma reportedly said. “That means making hard choices about what we build, where we invest, and what kind of company we need to be going forward. That is part of what you are starting to see in the shift from Xbox to XBOX. It reflects a decision to be deliberate in how we show up for the players who care most about this brand."

But what does this mean, exactly? It seems unlikely that it signals a reversal in Microsoft’s next-gen console push, given the company talked about Project Helix as recently as earlier in May. To me, it sounds more like Microsoft is thinking about making difficult decisions on video games it’s building and the studios making them. Microsoft has a vast network of first-party developers, even before you factor in all the Bethesda and Activision Blizzard studios. Could those "hard choices" have to do with cancelations?

Whatever the case, Sharma insisted that recent changes to Xbox Game Pass have moved the needle. Microsoft cut the price of the subscription after raising it last year, and stripped out Call of Duty as a day-one launch title, instead adding in new Call of Duty games, such as this year’s Modern Warfare 4, 12 months later.

“Growth slowed down and subscriber loss accelerated after the pricing and SKU changes last year,” Sharma said. “Since our price reduction we have seen acquisitions grow and retention improve, which is a good first step.”

Could "hard choices" have to do with exclusives? Earlier this month, it was reported that Sharma was “treading carefully” as she worked out what to do with exclusive games. But Microsoft has said it will “reevaluate our approach to exclusivity,” a tantalizing tease particularly for core fans who feel Xbox consoles have been devalued amid the company’s multiplatform push in recent years. Indded, a return to Xbox exclusives topped the recently launched ‘XBOX Player Voice’ platform.

Microsoft is set to reveal what’s coming next from Xbox at the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7. There we will get a look at Gears of War: E-Day, the DMZ mode in Modern Warfare 4, and hopefully a lot more. We’ll have a much better idea of Sharma’s plan following that showcase, as the current generation of consoles heads towards its sixth birthday.

Image credit: Microsoft.

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.

Warning! Spoilers for 007 First Light follow below.

007 First Light is finally here, and it's clear that IO Interactive is already planting the seeds for Bond's future. The story of the game is very twisty, constantly revealing new villains and their evil plots. The game keeps you guessing up until the very end and doesn't even fully resolve every single thread, which may come as a surprise to some fans.

The story of 007 First Light sees James Bond unravelling a conspiracy revolving around a Minority Report-esque AI that belongs to MI6. The AI, known as Theia, is supposed to help give MI6 vital intel so it can stop evildoers, but it turns out the machine is heavily flawed and compromised. To the surprise of no one, its creator, Nicolas Webb, uses the technology for his own personal gain, jeopardizing the credibility of MI6 and the government at large. Of course, Bond saves the day and stops the baddies, but there's one lingering thread: a mysterious woman named Isola.

Bond frequently crosses paths with Isola throughout the story, though her true intentions and identity remain a mystery. MI6 is unable to identify her even with their wealth of resources, and Bond fails to pinpoint her origins, as Isola denies any involvement with other agencies like the CIA. She ends up betraying Bond by killing Webb and stealing the core from a mirror version of his AI machine known as Hyperion. Although she has a soft spot for Bond and isn't out to directly harm him, their goals clearly conflict.

The game ends with M and Bond discussing the mysterious organization that is operating in the shadows and how it could pose danger to the world. M also grants Bond the 007 codename and the signature gunbarrel sequence plays out before the words "James Bond will return" hit the screen, confirming a sequel is in the cards for IO Interactive. So, where does that leave us? Well, Isola will almost certainly return as well. IO Interactive placed great importance not only on her but also on her employer.

Although the game doesn't provide anything concrete one way or another, it seems highly probable that she works for Spectre, the shadowy organization that Bond frequently contends with in other media. Many of Bond's greatest foes have worked for Spectre or been prominent leaders for the crime syndicate/terrorist organization, so it only makes sense for them to have a role in future 007 games. With Isola having the core of a powerful AI technology, it will likely allow Spectre to cause significant harm to the world.

As of right now, it's unclear when IO Interactive will return to Bond. The developer previously told IGN that it is hoping to make a trilogy around 007, but of course, that will only be possible if First Light is a success. 007 First Light is getting glowing reviews so far, with IGN's review-in-progress noting that it's the "it’s the best Bond has been since GoldenEye."

One has to imagine that if the game sells well, both IOI and Bond owner Amazon MGM will be interested in getting a sequel out the door as quickly as possible. However, IOI is also working on a fantasy game and has aspirations to return to the Hitman series in the future. Only time will tell how Bond works into that plan, but IOI is an efficient team, so hopefully it won't be too long of a wait for 007's next adventure.

Amazon MGM may also crave some synergy as it begins to reboot James Bond for the big screen. Casting is currently underway for the next Bond and is expected to be Denis Villenueve's next film after he finishes work on Dune Part 3, which is due out this December. For those holding out hope for Idris Elba as the next Bond, the actor recently noted that he's never been in the race for the part. Amazon MGM is expected to tap a younger actor to play the role, partially for the sake of longevity.

Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN's news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.

The Outer Worlds developer, Obsidian, has apologized for any "confusion" after players complained that the studio reneged on a prior update stating that anyone with the base game in their libraries before May 27 could upgrade to the Spacer's Choice Edition for free.

At the beginning of the month, seven years after it launched — and almost six months after its sequel was released — The Outer Worlds developer Obsidian confirmed it would "be pushing a couple of updates to The Outer Worlds" — the first since June 2023 — before revealing that, from May 27, the base game edition of The Outer Worlds would be delisted, leaving just the Spacer's Choice Edition.

The team was quick to assure players that while this wouldn't impact anyone who already owned the base edition, it did mean that anyone looking to pick up the game on current-gen systems after May 27 will only get the newer edition. To sweeten the deal, though, those with the vanilla game on PC (Steam, GOG, or EGS), PS5, or Xbox Series X/S could upgrade to the Spacer's Choice Edition for free between now and May 27. The offer was also extended to legacy systems, although to upgrade to the Spacer’s Choice Edition from the base game on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, you will need to own the base game and both DLCs for The Outer Worlds.

On the day the offer was supposed to go live, however, Twitterer/Xer Dominruro01 called out Obsidian publicly, writing "in the statement you posted on April 30, it said that if you only had the base game before today, they would give you the Spacers Choice version, and I bought it on May 13, and now it's asking me for the DLCs. I bought the digital PS4 version on PS5." Another player confirmed the same thing happened on Xbox, too.

Responding to the query, Obsidian wrote on Twitter/X: "Apologies for the confusion. Due to unforeseen platform limitations, Xbox One and PS4 digital owners will need to own both DLCs to be eligible for the upgrade. Please feel free to reach out to our support team for additional assistance."

"This is considered a bait & switch in the U.S. and is absolutely illegal. But let’s be real, accountability doesn’t exist anymore," commented one unhappy player on a thread entitled "Obsidian lied about the free upgrade for The Outer Worlds." It has generated hundreds of comments and over two and a half thousand upvotes.

"That is a class action just hanging off the tree," opined someone else.

In a statement to IGN, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "The Outer Worlds Spacer’s Choice Edition upgrade was intended to say 'thanks' to anyone who purchased The Outer Worlds base game by providing them a free upgrade to the newly improved version. However, due to various entitlement restrictions and backend issues, we weren’t able to provide this as smoothly as we wished and our players are, rightfully, upset.

"If you purchased the base game on Xbox One or PlayStation 4 between 4/30 and 5/27, or have any issues with the upgrade, please contact our support team and we’ll work with you to make it right. Sorry again for the frustration around this."

Furthermore, the upgrade will "continue to be free to PC players if they own the delisted base game." Due to how entitlements work on the consoles, however, digital owners on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will need to own the base game and the DLCs or the expansion pass to be eligible for the upgrade moving forward."

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.