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Zack Snyder just loves his director's cuts, and he's got a couple of them coming, one for each Rebel Moon film he's released with Netflix. Director's cuts aren't all that common a thing these days. That's probably in part because Hollywood execs are just not that interested in giving filmmakers more money to work on a film that they've already paid and is already finished, and also because they don't want to give up control over their IP - after all, IP is king now. But Snyder at the very least got that opportunity with Justice League, thanks to a ****-inflated fan campaign, and he's trying to do it again with his pair of Rebel Moon films. The director has been hyping them up since even before the standard cut of the first one came out (which calls into question whether he even wanted you to watch that one or not). Now, on his own Twitter account earlier today, Snyder shared that the director's cuts of both parts of Rebel Moon will be coming to Netflix on August 2. They even both have new names now - Chapter One will be called Chalice of Blood, and Chapter Two will be called Curse of Forgiveness. Both sound slightly too edgy for more liking, but I'm a Shadow the Hedgehog fan, so what do I know about taste anyway? Read more View the full article

Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Free papercraft Warhammer 40k alternative slams mecha together Kidhammer is a ****-friendly indie answer to Warhammer 40k Warhammer 40k factions - all 40k armies and races explained View the full article

Recently Nightdive Studios had another two announcements of their remasters with The Thing: Remastered and ******** Time: Resurrected. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

The Inquisitor is back in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, as players will be able to set the appearance and major decisions of the previous protagonist before the start of the game. While the focus in Dragon Age: The Veilguard shifted away from Solas, the Dread Wolf is still expected to be a key factor in the narrative. His time with the Inquisition and his personal relationship with the Inquisitor have kept fans wondering if BioWare would bring back the Herald of Andraste in the next Dragon Age chapter. View the full article

What do you want from a survival game? Crafting. Difficult combat. Exploration. Building. One of the most popular genres on PC has been especially extant during the last 12 months, thanks to the arrivals of Sons of the Forest, Palworld, and Soulmask, to name but a few. Now, a gigantic new survival epic, currently ninth on the global Steam wishlist chart, has a new playtest, and after just a few days it's blowing up majorly. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: One of the most wishlisted games on Steam is hosting a huge playtest View the full article

XDefiant executive producer gives fans an update on Team Deathmatch, which is expected to launch into the game in a couple of weeks. After a few development delays, Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter XDefiant has been a big hit with players. The fast-paced, classic arena-style multiplayer game has seemingly filled a niche largely abandoned by the more modern shooters like Call of Duty. Better yet, the game continues to evolve with updates and grow through new content. View the full article

A live action movie adaptation of Cells at Work! has been announced. According to Oricon News, the new adaptation will feature Mei Nagano as the main Red Blood Cell character, and Takeru Satoh as the main White Blood Cell character. In the anime adaptation, these characters were voiced by Kana Hanazawa and Tomoaki Maeno respectively. […] Source View the full article

Ubisoft has unveiled the upcoming Skull and Bones content with a video showcasing future additions for Season 3, titled Into the Dragon's Wake, which includes a dragon, a PvP mode, and more. Additionally, the developer highlighted the new features in Skull and Bones Season 2: Chorus of Havoc, introducing new narrative arcs, bosses, and more. View the full article

Palworld players on official servers have lost days’ of progress after a “major issue” forced a rollback. A bug occurred on saved data with official Palworld servers, affecting all regions, which resulted in a four-day rollback—meaning anything achieved during that window has been lost. View the full article

As a Final Fantasy 14 newborn of just 200 hours, I've never been more excited for an expansion than I am for Dawntrail. The summer vacation vibes, new Viper and Pictomancer jobs, and party newcomer Wuk Lamat are making Tural an ideal 2024 getaway destination. I'm not just excited for the new stuff, though, as it looks like Square Enix, Naoki Yoshida, and company are making one massive quality-of-life change - here's hoping it sticks and even gets retroactively added to the rest of FF14. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: FF14 server status and maintenance times - is FFXIV down? As FF14 Dawntrail ups the challenge, Yoshida wants to help new players Ahead of FF14 Dawntrail Yoshida reveals the new jobs that got canceled View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Just in its introductory pre-season, I've been absolutely loving XDefiant - there are still a few areas for improvement, but Ubisoft's free-to-play shooter has been a joy so far. XDefiant Season 1 looks to ramp things up even further on Tuesday, July 2, with three new maps, three new weapons, Capture the Flag mode, and a fresh, Rainbow Six Siege-inspired faction. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Rainbow Six Siege director stamps out hope for Ubisoft FPS sequel Rainbow Six Siege Dread Factor release date, Fenrir, Consulate rework Rainbow Six Siege Y8S2 patch notes detail game-changing gadget for FPS View the full article

The VALORANT console beta may launch with limited maps and modes compared to the game’s PC version, but players on PlayStation and Xbox will have first ****** at a feature that should have been added a while ago. As part of a revamped training/tutorial program, VALORANT console beta players will have access to a new **** training match, where players can warm up in a match with AI controlled bots teammates. This is designated as an “optional” match designed for new players, as it is only playable on Haven in a full Swift Play match. View the full article

Huge news for Mac gamers dropped during Apple's WWDC event, as the Game Porting Toolkit 2 (GPT2) was revealed, alongside 14 games that are getting official Mac ports thanks to its release. No Apple Mac is among the best gaming PCs, but this new level of support for developers is part of a much longer process to change how gaming on a Mac product is viewed. This new GPT2 feature builds upon the initial release and brings AVX2 support which is set to expand the number of Mac ports that are now possible. Read the rest of the story... View the full article

Confirming what anyone remotely familiar with AMD's recent graphics card naming conventions would have suspected, AMD's upcoming new flagship RDNA 4 graphics card will sport the classic XTX suffix, if a recently leaked shipping manifesto is anything to go by. The card, which will be AMD's next attempt to gain a top spot on our best graphics card guide, has long been rumored but this new transport document adds a touch more detail to the overall picture. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: AMD's new Ryzen 5 9600X CPU just got benchmarked in this ***** AMD's "even better" Ryzen X3D CPUs could be here in just three months Stop what you're doing, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D just dropped to $329 View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

During this year's Computex event, PowerColor showed a new technology prototype that could theoretically bring NPUs and GPUs together for better performance and power efficiency. Edge AI, as the technology is known, uses the specialized silicon components hidden inside an NPU to optimize how a discrete GPU uses power to... Read Entire Article View the full article

This year’s Xbox Games Showcase was a bit of a treat for fans of chainsaws and chest-high cover. Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel set during the earliest days of the Locust invasion, is set to throw us back into the boots and bandana of original protagonist Marcus Fenix. It’s an interesting direction; we’re coming up on the fifth anniversary of Gears 5, meaning it’s been nearly half a decade since Kait’s story was left on a cliffhanger. But throwing back to the era of the original trilogy has me thinking that developer The Coalition is taking the chance to look backwards as much as it does forward for what comes next. With E-Day, I hope Gears of War can rediscover its '80s and '90s summer blockbuster-style sense of fun. Epic Games’ original Gears of War trilogy thrived on being the video game version of Predator’s muscle-bound “son of a ******” handshake. So butch it was actually camp, Gears dripped with the kind of outrageous machismo that flowed like sweat through the back catalogue of ‘80s action heroes. Led by a ********* of WWE-likes clad in LED-accented armour panels, there was nothing too absurd for the game that bolted a chainsaw to an ******** rifle. The contrasting personalities of gruff Marcus, loyal Dom, sarcastic Baird, and energetic Cole ensured continuous, enjoyable bickering throughout the three campaigns. Meanwhile, a perpetual ******* to one-up whatever came before resulted in escalating set-piece grandiosity. Gears of War had ambition in many areas of game design, but the place it really delivered was in sheer Hollywood blockbuster fun. Combine Predator, Terminator 2, and Aliens, make it playable, and you have Gears of War. The Coalition’s sequel trilogy (I can only assume it’ll be a trilogy, considering the story’s structure thus far) is a different ******. While strongly adhering to the original mechanical pillars of weighty combat and squelchy dismemberment, the storytelling and campaign design in Gears 4 and 5 have progressively moved further and further away from Epic’s formula. In an effort to establish a fresh identity for its instalments The Coalition has opted to tell a more serious story. But in chasing that new angle, I feel the studio has traded Gears’ personality for something more trendy (and, as a result, less memorable.) Treading the same ground as Hollywood’s current obsession with ‘legacy’ sequels, The Coalition’s Gears games feature a new roster of young protagonists that work alongside the heroes of the original trilogy. At the centre of them is Kait Diaz, a former outsider who finds herself working for the COG government military despite her reservations. It’s a genuinely good story; I particularly like how it examines the lives of those attempting to live outside the COG’s boundaries, and the reasons why some would opt for the safety of an authoritarian regime. Gears of War thrived on being the video game version of Predator’s muscle-bound “son of a ******” handshake. Linking her to the original trilogy is JD, son of Marcus Fenix. Following the template ***** down by the Star Wars sequels, JD needs to pull Marcus back into action when old threats reappear. But JD and Marcus’ relationship is strained, resulting in a story that neatly slots into the ‘sad dad’ section of the library alongside The Last of Us and **** of War. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good stuff, but it all feels a bit, well…. PlayStation. Both Kait and JD’s stories are deeper and smarter and more accomplished in a way that makes them feel a bit homogenised among current rival console exclusive trends. I sort of can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish that Gears was a bit dumber. That self-seriousness can be found in the mechanical design of The Coalition’s campaigns, too. Gears 5 made the wise decision to push beyond the linear structure of its predecessors, opting for freely explorable hub worlds filled with side quests. But while I like the idea in principle, in practice the open world feels quiet and lonely. Piloting the Skiff between locations is uneventful, and the core objectives feel very grounded. Compare this to ‘Intestinal Fortitude’, the chapter of Gears of War 2 set entirely in the digestive tract of a Riftworm, and it’s night and day. Delta Squad has to navigate rivers of bile, chomping teeth, and networks of intestines in a battle to reach the hearts of a giant rock-eating worm that sinks entire cities. The chapter concludes as a blood-soaked Marcus uses a chainsaw to tear apart the creature’s colossal cardiovascular system. It’s this kind of outrageous nonsense that makes Gears what it is, and there’s sadly nothing that rides the same high in Gears 4 or 5. There’s similar restraint in The Coalition’s ****** and encounter design, too. The newly reborn Locust ‘Swarm’ initially comes with the brilliant Snatcher, a monster capable of quite literally kidnapping you. It brings a new, alien intensity to any encounter it appears in, especially in co-op when it’s down to other players to ***** the Snatcher before it can run away with you. But this ****** has been the highlight for two games now, with the majority of Gears 4 and 5’s ****** forces being made up of returning or minorly adjusted Locust types. While rewinding time is a minefield for the lore, I’m still hoping that E-Day will be able to introduce something as outlandish as the Lambent; the drugged-up, tentacle-sprouting explosive freaks that made Gears of War 3 such an energetic conclusion to the original trilogy. Perhaps an early, incredibly aggressive faction of Locust that will be wiped out before the events of Gears of War? There’s a sign that things are set to change, though. Hivebusters, the DLC campaign for Gears 5, is a near ideal blend of The Coalition's storytelling strengths and the Schwarzenegger vibe of the Epic era. It shifts the perspective to Team Scorpio, a trio that genuinely does feel like an ‘80s action movie ensemble reinvented for the 2020s. I’m particularly fond of Mac, a snappy-mouthed Scotsman who reluctantly joined the COG as part of a ******** mission to avenge his child. His background touches on themes similar to those explored in Kait’s story, but does so without sacrificing the humorous bravado that made the original Gears what it was. That extends to the campaign design, which features wilder, more exciting set pieces than those in Gears 5’s main story. Riding down a river of molten lava on a huge melting vault door may be restrictively linear, but it’s much more fun than The Coalition’s use of open world hubs thus far. The Coalition has made a couple of great games in Gears 4 and 5. They’re mechanically strong with superbly crunchy combat, and while the hub world design hasn’t fulfilled its potential yet it’s still a worthwhile experiment. Those worlds are threaded with much more human stories, providing a better examination of what the COG and the Locust means for a more ‘on the ground’ group of characters. But I don’t think these great ideas have to come at the expense of the humorous absurdity that made the original Gears trilogy such a Xbox 360 flagship. Hivebusters is a *****-sized indication that there may be a way to combine the wild Hollywood blockbuster flavour of Epic’s original trilogy with the richer, more thoughtful elements so clearly valued by The Coalition. While the trailer for Gears of War: E-Day is just as moody and serious as ever, there’s already a good sign that things are looking up. In a recent Xbox blog post, creative director Matt Searcy said: “[This is] us revisiting the tone and the feeling of what makes Gears great, but we’re tapping into new techniques, new processes, and new technology that’s going to make the gameplay feel better than ever.” That’s as good a sign as any that things are being put in place to ensure the next step in Gears’ journey is as rip-roaringly fun as it is emotionally resonant. Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor. View the full article For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

If you’re familiar with every ***** and cranny of League of Legends Summoner’s Rift map, give LoL Guessr a shot. LoL Guessr is a variant of GeoGuessr, which shows players any random geographical location in the world and asks them to identify the area based on visual cues in the picture. If they determine the location accurately, they get a point, or they must start again from scratch and try their luck in other places. View the full article

Age of Mythology: Retold has officially been confirmed for release this year. This is a ground-up remake of the original Age of Mythology, first released in 2002. It's a strategy game, a spin-off of the popular Age of Empires series, incorporating concepts and creatures from world mythologies for a more imaginative experience. Players each choose a major **** that determines their playstyle, and compete to progress through four "ages" of history across several different game modes. View the full article

Coming from Arpentor Studio, Dawnmaker is a turn-based city building and deckbuilding game that feels like playing a board game. Read the full article here: [Hidden Content] View the full article

I’ve always loved the art of the Metal Slug series of side-scrolling shooters, so I’ve been keeping a keen eye on the fetching grid strategy antics of Metal Slug Tactics ever since it was first announced. For as long as I’ve been excited, I’ve also been worried. It’s been a polarising experience, like being alternately fed delicious sandwiches and those inedible rotlogs they sell at Subway. Still, I’ve remained cautious: is all this great pixel-art just a shroud pulled over a ***-hum tactics game to rescue it from naffness? It’s with this in mind I hungrily dove into the Steam Next Fest demo, as one might hungrily ***** into a bin to eat literal garbage if their only other option was Subway. Read more View the full article

Rats are often overlooked as ugly pests, but they're smart, determined, and in Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, capable of soulslike combat. This sequel to the beloved Tails of Iron has the rats taking on armies of bats, with the flying foes adding a new level of difficulty to the already tough fights. Think Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, but with a supremely stylish rodential twist. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: One of the best indie soulslike games is back with a frosty sequel View the full article

*****: The Dark Ages may not be out for another year at least but that doesn't mean fans can't take the game's coolest new ******* for a spin thanks to the infinite potential of mods. Serving as a fantastic appetizer for Xbox's June Showcase, the trailer for The Dark Ages includes a standout moment that sees The ***** Slayer equip a "Saw Shield" that's revved up and used to eviscerate a small army of demons. The ******* itself is impressive, allowing for quick charges, ranged ******, and damage blocking, so it makes sense that fans would want to try it early. View the full article

I remember when Cities Skylines 2 was first being publicized, worrying that I wouldn't be able to handle the enormous amounts of financial responsibility. When the city building sequel landed, it brought a lot of challenges - the normal burdens of garbage disposal, road management, and sensible zoning - but I also felt like it was cheating me somehow, like no matter what I did, the Cities Skylines 2 economy was designed to unfairly catch me out. It's been one of the worst problems in CS2, besides performance - the economic simulation feels somehow broken, especially in regards to rents. But now Colossal Order has a big plan to fix things. Read the rest of the story... RELATED LINKS: Cities Skylines 2 has just been totally transformed by Colossal Order The Cities Skylines 2 economy is being completely rebuilt by CO The 12 best Cities Skylines 2 mods View the full article

Netflix's animated League of Legends adaptation Arcane is getting a physical release, and it's all thanks to GKIDS. One of the most frustrating aspects of Netflix is that most of what it produces never releases on DVD or Blu-ray. It's obviously because the streaming service wants as many people to subscribe as possible, but it does make preserving certain series a bit of a ball ache. I do have some good news when it comes to physical media of Netflix shows, though, as GKIDS announced yesterday that it had acquired the global home entertainment rights to Arcane season 1. In a press release (via Polygon), GKIDS didn't offer too many details, but it did say it plans to release "a full product array later this year, ranging from digital to premium editions, including a 4K version exclusive to the home entertainment release." This is obviously great news for fans of the first season, as it means they can easily play it on loop without having to worry about having a stable internet condition, or, you know, paying for Netflix every month. In a statement, GKIDS founder and CEO Eric Beckman also said at the Annecy International Animation Festival "We are MONSTER fans of [Arcane]. Our team is having a blast collaborating with the creatives at Riot and Fortiche to put together an amazing package for the fans. This project was dreamt up on the lawn by the lake at Annecy, so we are extra happy to be able to announce this collaboration at the festival and true home of animation." Read more View the full article

With the release of hotly anticipated Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree less than two weeks away, publisher Bandai Namco has reminded fans they need to get a move on and prepare for its launch by defeating one of the original game’s optional bosses. In a recent interview with ********* magazine Famitsu, Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki said players access the DLC content when they've defeated Starscourge Radahn and then optional boss Mohg, Lord of Blood. Miyazaki revealed the entrance to the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is the withered arm hanging from the cocoon in the Mohg, Lord of Blood boss ****** area. Publisher Bandai Namco re-tweeted a post by streamer Cohh Carnage that highlighted that Steam achievements indicate the majority of Elden Ring players on Valve's platform have yet to defeat Mohg. Friendly PSA for all those looking forward to #ELDENRING Shadow of the Erdtree. You have less than 2 weeks to prepare! [Hidden Content] — Bandai Namco US (@BandaiNamcoUS) June 11, 2024 As Cohh Carnage points out, just over 60% of Elden Ring players will not be able to play Shadow of the Erdtree because they haven't defeated Mohg. It’s a similar case on PlayStation and Xbox, with around two thirds of players having ******* to defeat Mohg on each platform. Thankfully, IGN has a guide on how to prepare for the Shadow of Erdtree DLC. For more, check out IGN’s impressions of Shadow of the Erdtree, which launches June 21. For more on FromSoftware’s action RPG hit, you can read our 10/10 review of the base game. And be sure to check out IGN's Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree interview with director Hidetaka Miyazaki from earlier this year. Wesley is the *** News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at *****@*****.tld. View the full article