Month: March 2020

Star Wars Director Announces New Movie, And It’s Completely Different

Star Wars director JJ Abrams is moving from outer space to the Wild West. The director’s first new movie since his Bad Robot label signed with Warner Bros. for $250 million is a supernatural thriller in a Western setting called “The Pinkerton,” according to reports.

The script was written by Daniel Casey and acquired by Warner Bros. for JJ Abrams and his team at Bad Robot to work on. It’s unclear what exact role Abrams himself has on The Pinkerton. There is also no word on who will star in the movie or when it will release; it’s very early days.

The official description of the film is being kept a secret, but The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline suggest that it will be a “supernatural revenge-western hybrid.”

The movie will presumably be related to the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, which is a group that played a major role in American law enforcement in the Wild West in the late 1800s. The US government hired Pinkerton agents to track down people like Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and the Sundance Kid. The Pinkertons also are said to have stopped a plot to kill Abraham Lincoln during his presidential run. The group still exists today, and they sued Rockstar Games over Red Dead Redemption 2’s depiction of them.

Daniel Casey is the writer of the Fast & Furious movie F9, which is due for release later t his year. He also has worked with Abrams before, as he helped out with a re-write for 10 Cloverfield Lane, which Abrams produced.

Bad Robot’s next big production is HBO’s Westworld Season 3, which premieres later this month. Bad Robot’s massive deal with Warner Bros. also includes video games, but none of these projects have been announced.

Abrams was working on a video game with Fortnite creator Epic Games called Spyjinx. However, there have been no recent updates on the game. In fact, the game’s Twitter account hasn’t posted in more than two years. It remains to be seen if Bad Robot’s new deal with WarnerMedia may impact Spyjinx. As of September 2019, however, Spyjinx was still in development.

New EA/Origin Access Game Joins The Vault Today

The latest game to come to EA Access and Origin Access is Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. That means subscribers on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC can play the game for free.

Playing the game through EA Access or Origin Access will get you the Animal Noseguard for the Acorn and the ability to redeem 30,000 coins each month from Rux’s Emporium. Origin Access Premier members will also get 200 Rainbow Stars every month and the chance to score the Lost Cat Lip for Oak and Acorn.

If you need a refresher on what EA Access is, it’s a gaming subscription service that allows you to play a “Vault” of EA titles on both the PS4 and Xbox One. The subscription costs $5 per month and the annual package runs at $30. Additional perks include a 10% discount on EA digital purchases and access to EA titles before they launch.

Origin Access is EA’s sister subscription that provides a similar service to PC players. It comes in a Basic tier and a Premier tier. Both Basic and Premier give access to the ever-evolving “Vault” of games and a 10% discount in the digital store. The Basic tier is $5 monthly and gives only 10 hours of early access to upcoming releases. Origin Access Premier runs at $15 monthly and includes new games’ extra content (like MTX bonuses and expansion packs) and full early access to upcoming games.

EA Access currently hosts some popular and well-known games like Anthem, Battlefield V, FIFA 19, and The Sims 4. In 2020, EA has added Madden NFL 20 and Sea of Solitude to both EA and Origin Access, Mable & The Wood to Origin Access Premier only, Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebounds and Worms W.M.D. to both Origin Basic and Premier. You can check out EA’s website for a full list of available games.

Now Playing: Plants vs. Zombies: Battle For Neighborville – New Turf Takeover Gameplay

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Watch a Clip From Episode 3 of The Clone Wars’ Final Season

Lucasfilm and Disney have released a clip from Episode 3 of the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, titled “On the Wings of Keeradaks.” The episode will make its debut on Disney+ on Friday, March 6, 2020.

Here’s how the streamer describes the episode: “Jedi Anakin Skywalker and the clones escape Wat Tambor’s trap and return to a local village to help defend the native people against a droid attack launched by Separatist Admiral Trench.”

Check out the clip in the video below or at the top of the page:

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Disney+ also revealed new images from “On the Wings of Keeradaks” showcasing Anakin Skywalker, the Bad Batch, Wat Tambor, and more. You can see the photos in the gallery below:

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For more on The Clone Wars, check out our Season 7 reviews of “The Bad Batch” and “A Distant Echo,” Ahsoka Tano explained, a new Clone Wars five-issue comic miniseries from IDW, and refresh your memory with a recap of The Clone Wars so far and guide to watching in chronological order.

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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Tomogunchi Virtual Pet Is Now Available

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Tomogunchi virtual pets are now available and allow players to wear a cute dog, panda, ghost, and more on their wrist that each have moods and can all evolve depending on how you perform in-game.

Revealed by Activision through a fictional Rothwynn Industries paid advertisement, these new Tomogunchi can be purchased in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare store for 1,000 CP or $10 USD, and must be equipped to use.

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When you first join a match with the Tomogunchi equipped, it will appear as an egg ready to hatch. Shortly thereafter, a new baby Tomogunchi will emerge as your new best friend. By taking care of its needs, you will be able to grow it into a Child, a Teen, and a full Adult. Rothwynn also teases there may be “multiple pet forms and options to discover.”

Pressing the d-pad up or the up-arrow key will allow players to use the “Watch Interact” gesture and check up on your Tomogunchi. By doing so, you will be able to see its four faces that represent its emotional states – Hungry, Dirty, Unruly, and Sleepy.

These faces will only appear when your one of your pet’s needs must be met. Kills, Objective Scoring, Killstreaks, and Wins all lead to a happy Tomogunchi. However, failing to do so can cause your friend to go “from happy to neutral, to sad, and finally… to the grave!”

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Underneath your Tomogunchi is a “bonus charge” meter and represents “a bonus method of evolving your pet more quickly than normal.” Each pet requires either Capture, Killstreaks, Plants, or Top Three Wins to fill the meter.

For more on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, check out the latest rumors on its rumored battle royale mode potentially called Warzone and our review of the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Unboxing the Final Fantasy VII Remake Cloud vs Sephiroth TCG Starter Set

With the upcoming release of the Final Fantasy VII Remake game, the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game showcases some of your favorite characters in the latest Cloud Vs Sephiroth Two-Player starter set. That’s right! The set has two new decks, so you can duke it out Final Fantasy-style with a buddy. What’s great about this starter set is that it has some rare cards that will be great for the upcoming competitive scene when the 11th set, Soldier’s Return, releases. It won’t be tough to find those cards with this set, so the barrier to entry is a little easier. A nice touch to this starter set is the inclusion of one full art card of Cloud and Sephiroth that are only available through the starter set.

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In addition to Cloud and Sephiroth, the starter set features characters from the Final Fantasy 7 universe like Azul (Dirge of Cerberus), Kadaj (Advent Children), and Zack (Crisis Core) among other popular 7 characters.

The Final Fantasy TCG Cloud vs Sephiroth Starter Set comes with:

  • Two 50 Preconstructed decks (Cloud & Sephiroth)
  • Two starter guides

Cloud Deck (Fire/Earth)

  • [11-136S] Cloud x 3
  • [11-135S] Vincent x 3
  • [4-075H] Vincent x 3
  • [4-076R] Wedge x 2
  • [4-082C] Jessie x 3
  • [5-082C] Miner x 2
  • [8-085C] Marlene x 2
  • [6-075R] Titan x 3
  • [11-131S] Barret x 3
  • [11-132S] Red XIII x 3
  • [1-016C] Tifa x 3
  • [10-007H] Zack x 3
  • [10-009C] SOLDIER: 3rd Class x 3
  • [1-003C] Red Mage x 3
  • [1-010C] Black Mage x 2
  • [2-005C] Sage x 3
  • [3-020H] Phoenix x 3
  • [11-139S] Aerith x 3

Sephiroth Deck (Ice/Lightning)

  • [11-138S] Sephiroth x 3
  • [11-137S] Azul x 3
  • [3-099R] Angeal Penance x 3
  • [1-121C] Red Mage x 2
  • [4-120R] Restrictor x 2
  • [8-110R] Reno x 2
  • [9-098C] Reeve x 2
  • [7-103C] Ramuh x 3
  • [11-134S] Don Corneo x 3
  • [11-133S] Cait Sith x 3
  • [3-040C] DGS Trooper 1st Class x 3
  • [3-041C] Deepground Soldier x 3
  • [3-042C] Deepground Soldier x 3
  • [10-034H] Sephiroth x 3
  • [4-030C] Black Mage x 3
  • [7-028C] Black Mage x 3
  • [8-032R] Shiva x 3
  • [11-140S] Kadaj x 3

The Final Fantasy TCG Cloud vs Sephiroth Starter Set is available now. With the always unique starter cards and other competitive rare cards, this dual pack is a great way to jump into the game. If you’re looking for a Final Fantasy tabletop fix in the meantime, Chocobo Crystal Hunt is out now as well as the Chocobo Party Up! board game.

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Mike Mamon is a Syndication Editor at IGN and loving FFXIV Shadowbringers. Follow him on Twitter @xpmnms

Altered Carbon Season 2 Spoiler Review

The first season of Netflix’s Altered Carbon presented viewers with a fascinating futuristic world that was dense with detail. For those looking to throw themselves into a fresh sci-fi universe, Altered Carbon was packed with world-building and explored genre tropes in an interesting way. For Season 2, the show has traded Joel Kinnaman for Anthony Mackie, but that’s not the only thing that has changed.

While Season 1 grapples with moral greys and heavy questions to do with the identity and existence of a person, Season 2 aims to be a more personal story about protagonist Takeshi Kovacs. It’s also more driven by action and set-piece moments. But how does this come together and will fans of the first season be into it? That’s exactly the questions we answer in our video review.

Lucy and Tamoor were big fans of Season 1 and, in the video above, talk about how they feel about the follow-up. They highlight the highs and lows, and deliver their overall impressions. They also discuss whether there should be a third season. If you need to get prepared for watching the second season, we have an explainer on the many technical terms and weird concepts, as well as a recap of Altered Carbon Season 1. Once you’ve finished watching the show, make sure to check out our article explaining the Altered Carbon Season 2 ending.

WWE Gets Edge-y When Beth Phoenix Gets An RKO

At 2020’s Royal Rumble, WWE hall of famer Edge returned to the ring after retiring in 2011 due to a neck injury. On the episode of Raw the night after his return, he was reunited with his former tag team partner Randy Orton who turned on him, “injuring” Edge again. On the March 3 episode of Raw, Edge’s wife Beth Phoenix came out to give an update on her husband, and Orton decided to attack her as well.

Before Orton attacked Phoenix, he gave an explanation for the attack. He said he wanted to attack Edge before someone else did, trying to make a name for themselves–and possibly, putting Edge in a wheelchair for life. Yes, logically, that thought process is bizarre and hilarious. Orton went on to say Phoenix enabled Edge and his dreams to return. This eventually resulted in a slap and then a kick from Phoenix to Orton, and to retaliate, Orton RKO’d the former women’s champion and WWE hall of famer, which you can see below.

Sure, the reasoning behind the attack is a bit comedic if you think about it, but that’s what Orton does. His character isn’t all there at times, and he acts on impulse. It’s pretty obvious that WWE is working the angle to build a match between Edge and Orton for Wrestlemania 36. It will be the first time we’ve seen Edge in one-on-one competition in nine years. More than likely, this match will be booked after Elimination Chamber, taking place on the WWE Network on Sunday, March 8.

While this is a good start to building this match, what about Beth Phoenix? She’s a well-accomplished WWE wrestler based on her own merits. Why not let her duke it out with Orton in the ring? If WWE wants to push the boundaries and have Orton attack her, let Phoenix retaliate. Because she’s one of the larger female wrestlers–nicknamed The Glamazon–she’s faced men in the past, including her inclusion in the 2010 men’s Royal Rumble match. Why not let her go one-on-one with Orton herself?

Chances of that happening are slim-to-none; however, we’ll see how this plays out in the upcoming weeks, as we traverse the road to Wrestlemania. Make sure to come back to GameSpot on March for live coverage of Elimination Chamber and on April 5 for Wrestlemania.

Get This Free PS4 Theme For Pre-Ordering Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Hyped Final Fantasy fans can pick up a free PlayStation 4 theme if they own Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers and pre-order Final Fantasy VII Remake ahead of its April 10 launch.

Those are the only two requirements you need to meet, though it does matter which version of FFVII Remake you pre-order. While there are three available, you must choose either the Standard (Digital) Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition. In either case, you will receive the Chocobo Chick Summoning Materia DLC as a pre-order bonus. You can check out the theme in the tweet below, and see our Final Fantasy VII Remake pre-order guide for more information on the game’s editions and pre-order bonuses.

As you can see, the free dynamic theme transitions between various screens from both games, first starting with the re-imagined Midgar, before capping off with the warrior seen in Shadowbringers’ March 2019 trailer.

Despite the brief delay from March 3 to April 10, FFVII Remake is gearing up for its imminent PS4 launch. Developer and publisher Square Enix surprised fans with the release of a demo, which is available to download and play right now. Running through the demo will award you a separate free theme, which you can pick up when the full game launches next month.

We were able to check out a substantial slice of Final Fantasy VII Remake, experimenting with all the different abilities, party members, and Materia we could get our hands on. Editor Edmond Tran said in his impressions of the game’s first three hours that he felt “much better about letting [himself] be very excited about Remake’s impending release” after getting to spend some time with FFVII Remake’s more complex systems.

Now Playing: Final Fantasy 7 Remake – Official Opening Movie

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Best Xbox One Deals and Bundles for March 2020

The console wars are about to heat up once again, but if you want to snatch some incredible values ahead of the release of the next-gen Xbox Series X, there has never been a better time.

Not only are Xbox One X console bundles on sale for a mere $299, there is still a fantastic deal to be had on 3-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription cards.

Best Xbox Deals and Bundles

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