Month: June 2020

DC is gearing up for the start of Joker War, an epic new crossover featuring what is said to be the final showdown between Batman and Joker. The Clown Prince of Crime knows Batman’s secret identity, and he’s finally ready to end their long dance and bring Gotham burning down around them. But he won’t be doing it alone. Joker has a brand new ally in the form of Punchline.

Thanks to the release of new books like Batman #92 and The Joker: 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, we now know much more about Punchline’s origin and how she fits into Joker’s grand plan. Read on to find out how this new Batman villain came to be and why she’s not just a replacement for Harley Quinn.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Batman #92, The Joker: 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, and Batman: Secret Files #3!

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Among the many stories featured in The Joker: 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular #1, one features writer James Tynion IV and artist Mikel Janin chronicling the origin of Punchline. This story reveals she was once a seemingly ordinary college student named Alexis, albeit one with an unhealthy fascination with the Joker. After her school holds a “Dress like your favorite hero” event in response to Joker’s latest crime spree, Alexis courts controversy by dressing like her role model. And when the school’s dean attempts to talk sense into her, Alexis lets her dark side spring free.

Alexis poisons the dean with her own homemade Joker toxin and reveals her desire to destroy the world and usher in a new era of chaos and anarchy. As it turns out, the Joker is hiding in Alexis’ closet and watching the whole performance. Now satisfied she’s worthy of being his partner, Joker officially welcomes her into the fold and agrees to make her part of his latest and greatest plot to destroy Batman. Thus, Punchline is born.

This story reveals two crucial differences between Punchline and Joker’s former flame Harley Quinn. Whereas Harleen Quinzel was a well-meaning psychiatrist corrupted through her sessions with Joker, Alexis was well on the path to villainy before ever actually meeting Joker. And while Harley was treated more as Joker’s sidekick and punching bag, Joker seems willing to accept Punchline as a true partner-in-crime.

What exactly are the two villains planning? As Batman Secret Files #3 reveals, they’re going after the money. A story by Tynion and artist Sumit Kumar flashes back a month before the events of the current “Their Dark Designs” storyline, as Joker and Punchline approach Deathstroke with an offer. Joker wants to steal the Wayne fortune and use it to fund his war on Batman. In exchange for his help, Deathstroke will receive the beneficiary trust Bruce set up for Dick Grayson.

Even as Deathstroke has been among the hired assassins working for the Designer, it seems Slade has had ulterior motives.

If Joker wants to steal the Wayne fortune, he may have to get in line. Batman #92 (by Tynion and artist Guillem March) serves as the penultimate chapter of “Their Dark Designs,” which deals with a villain called the Designer manipulating Batman, Catwoman, Riddler, and Penguin as part of a larger plot to rule Gotham. The Designer once showed Catwoman a way to steal the Wayne fortune and become Gotham’s richest resident, and now Selina is desperate to stop him from carrying out that plan himself. Unfortunately, she and her temporary partner Harley Quinn are stymied when they bump into Punchline, who’s also looking to do a little bank robbery. Needless to say, Harley isn’t amused by Joker’s biggest fan.

With only one issue remaining in this storyline, we’re getting a much better picture of how Joker plans to strike at his nemesis. If all goes according to Joker’s plan, Batman will find all his wealth and resources turned against him and wielded by an enemy who knows his secret identity.

Look for Joker War to officially begin in Batman #95, which is currently scheduled for release on Tuesday, July 8.

For more on the future of the Batman franchise, find out why Three Jokers is a spiritual sequel to Batman: The Killing Joke and which iconic Batman: The Animated Series villain is finally making their DC Comics debut. Then see which series and creators were included among the 2020 Eisner nominations.

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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

If you’ve been meaning to learn Spanish, or other languages, I have excellent news for you. Right now the Rosetta Stone Lifetime Membership is on sale, so you can take the Rosetta Stone Spanish course, learn Spanish online (or Japanese, or any of their other language packages).

“But how much does Rosetta Stone cost?” I hear you ask. Right now you can get a lifetime membership for just $199, which knocks a whopping $100 off the regular price.

Learn Japanese and watch anime or read manga in ways you never could before. Learn Spanish and open yourself up to friendships or business opportunities like never before. Once you finish the course for one language, move to another one at no additional charge. The choice is yours.

Rosetta Stone Lifetime Membership

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Brian Barnett writes wiki guides, deals posts, features, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian’s antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).

Sony announced The Future of Gaming, a digital conference that will finally give us a first look at some PS5 games. Initially scheduled for June 4 but delayed until June 11 at 1pm PT/ 4pm ET/ 9pm BST, the reveal event is expected to be about an hour long and is the first part of a series of updates Sony has planned for its upcoming console.

Thus far, we’ve learned about PS5 specs and hardware, the new DualSense controller, and a few confirmed next-gen titles. But this will actually be our first, truly dedicated look at games we can expect to play on PlayStation’s upcoming console.

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Sony did not mention which games to expect to see or if we’ll finally get a glimpse of the official PS5 design. Either way, if you’re interested in what PlayStation has planned for the next-gen, you’ll want to make sure you don’t miss the show. Here’s what you need to know to catch the livestream, and some speculation about what we might see based on the what we know so far.

How to Watch the PS5 Games Reveal Event (June 2020)

The PS5 games reveal, also known as The Future of Gaming livestream, takes place on Thursday, June 11 at 1pm PT/ 4pm ET/ 9pm BST. You can watch it here with us or on one of the many IGN channels we have across several major platforms. For the sake of convenience, here is a list of all the places you can watch the PS5 games reveal event:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN’s Facebook Channel
• IGN’s Twitter
• IGN’s Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel
• IGN’s TikTok
• IGN’s Mixer
• IGN’s iOS App
• IGN’s Android App
• IGN’s PlayStation 4 App
• IGN’s Xbox One App
• Roku
• IGN App for Android TV
• IGN for Amazon Fire TV
• Apple TV
• IGN 1, Samsung TV Plus

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What Games to Expect at Sony’s The Future of Gaming Event

There’s no official word on which games we’ll see at The Future of Gaming livestream. All we know for certain is that Sony plans on revealing some of its up-and-coming titles at the event. That said, we can speculate a little bit about what we might see based on the list of games confirmed and rumored for the PS5 so far.

Following the reveal of Unreal Engine 5, Epic Games confirmed Fortnite as a launch title for the PS5. Rainbow Six Seige is yet another title confirmed for launch. Additionally, when speaking on the topic of PS5 backward compatibility, Sony says it intends to have the majority of PS4 titles available on its next system. Whether or not this is a feature we’ll see at launch like the Xbox Series X is still to be determined. Take a look at the list of confirmed games we might see at the PS5 reveal event:

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Holiday 2020)
• Battlefield 6 (2021)
• Chorus (2021)
• Cygni: All Guns Blazing (TBA)
• Destiny 2 (TBA)
• DiRT 5 (October 2020)
• Dying Light 2 (TBA)
• Fortnite (Launch)
• Godfall (December 2020)
• Gods and Monsters (Holiday 2020)
• Gothic Remake (TBA)
• Madden NFL 21 (TBA 2020)
• MicroMan (2021)
• Moonray (2021)
• Nth^0 Infinity Reborn (2021)
• Observer (Holiday 2020)
• Outriders (Holiday 2020)
• Psyhotel (TBA)
• Quantum Error (TBA 2020)
• Rainbow Six Quarantine (2020-2021)
• Rainbow Six Siege (Launch)
• Redo! Enhanced Edition (TBA 2020)
• Scarlet Nexus (TBA)
• Soulborn (2021)
• The Lord of the Rings: Gollum (2021)
• The Sims 5 (TBA)
• Ultimate Fishing Simulator 2 (TBA 2020)
• Untitled Game from The First Development Division/Square Enix (TBA)
• Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 (TBA 2020)
• Warframe (TBA)
• Watch Dogs: Legion (Holiday 2020)
• WRC 9 (TBA 2020)

Which games do you hope to see at The Future of Gaming event? For more, check out what we have planned for IGN’s Summer of Gaming and make sure to check out everything we know about the PS5 so far.

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Felicia Miranda is SEO Editor at IGN and you can find her on Twitter at @FeliciaVagabond.

IBM has announced that its company is no longer offering general-purpose facial recognition or analysis software, with the CEO calling for a “national dialogue” on whether and how the technology should be employed by law enforcement.

Arvind Krishna, the CEO of IBM, addressed the change in a letter to U.S. Congress members on Monday, in which he explained the company’s decision to exit the facial recognition business, and opposed the use of such technology for purposes of mass surveillance and racial profiling.

“IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any [facial recognition] technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consistent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency,” Krishna outlined in the letter. “We believe now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies.”

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This comes after several studies have indicated that some facial recognition systems demonstrate inaccuracies in the algorithms that analyse a subject’s face, which can produce bias along lines of age, race, and ethnicity.

IBM confirmed to The Verge that the multinational firm will also stop further development and research of this technology, as Krishna wrote his letter to encourage the use of other technologies that will bring “greater transparency and accountability to policing,” such as body cameras and modern data analytics techniques.

In the statement, IBM further expressed the company’s desire to work with Congress in pursuit of justice and racial equity, underscoring the need to reassess policy areas and police reform in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

IGN stands in solidarity with the black community, and condemns racism. We encourage those reading to donate to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and support the fight for racial justice.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Ikumi Nakamura has revealed that she is planning to pitch a new Okami game to Capcom

While answering fan questions during an interview with IGN Japan, Nakamura revealed that a new Okami game “is the project that she wants to make a reality the most.”

Nakamura told IGN Japan that she thinks the chances that the project might become a reality are pretty high, and that after quarantine lifts, she is planning to make a visit to Capcom to “propose the idea.”

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Through a translator, it was also revealed that Nakamura would want Hideki Kamiya to direct the project. Kamiya was the director of the original Okami, as well as Resident Evil 2 and Bayonetta.

“Originally there was a lot of Okami that has not yet been told – there is still a lot to tell in that universe,” Nakamura added, before rallying Okami fans to get behind a petition and show Capcom that a new Okami game is in demand. Nakamura rounded off the section by noting that she doesn’t mind what part she might play in the project, as long as it gets made.

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This isn’t the first time Nakamura has expressed a wish for a new Okami; last year she rallied fans behind the idea of an Okami sequel.

In other Okami news, the game launched in HD on Nintendo Switch back in August of 2018. You can check out our original review of the game’s HD port here, which we called “staggeringly pretty.”

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

A new Legendary Pokemon has arrived in Pokemon Go. Reshiram, the cover monster from Pokemon Black, is appearing in five-star Raids until June 16, making this your first chance to capture one in Niantic’s hit mobile game. Even a seasoned Pokemon Master needs a little assistance now and then, however, so we’ve rounded up some tips to help you battle and catch Reshiram below.

Reshiram Raid Hours

Reshiram will periodically appear in Gyms as a five-star Raid boss until 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on June 16. These Raids can occur at any time, but you’ll receive a notification before a nearby one is about to begin, so you shouldn’t have much difficulty tracking a Raid down.

Niantic will also hold a handful of Reshiram Raid Hour events on Wednesday evenings. From 6-7 PM local time during these events, nearly every Gym will host a Reshiram Raid, giving you a much better chance to find the Legendary. You can see the Reshiram Raid Hour schedule below:

• June 10 — 6-7 PM local time

Reshiram Weaknesses And Counters

Reshiram is a Dragon/Fire type, which gives it a handful of common weaknesses that you can exploit. Thanks to its Fire typing, Reshiram is vulnerable to Rock and Ground Pokemon like Rhyperior, Groudon, Rampardos, and Terrakion, making any of those great choices when battling the Legendary.

Reshiram is also weak to other Dragon Pokemon. Rayquaza, Haxorus, Salamence, and Dragonite can all dish out a ton of damage against it, although be aware that they will take super-effective damage in return from Reshiram’s Dragon-type attacks.

Remote Raids

Thanks to Remote Raid Passes, you no longer need to physically travel to a Gym to join a Reshiram Raid. If you have a Remote Raid Pass, you can join any Raid Battle that’s listed on your Nearby screen, letting you challenge the Legendary without leaving home.

There are a few caveats to keep in mind when using Remote Raid Passes, however. First, only a maximum of five players can join the same Raid remotely. Second, Pokemon used by remote players have lower attack power than those used by players physically at the Gym. You can learn more about how to get and use Remote Raid Passes in our guide.

June is officially here, and for players in the Northern Hemisphere, it marks the start of summer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Along with a new assortment of bugs and fish to catch, you can find a new type of crafting material called summer shells washed up on the beach in your town and on Mystery Islands.

Summer shells are a distinct blue color, and much like the cherry blossom petals you could collect in spring, they are used in crafting special seasonal DIY recipes. As before, these recipes will only be available for a limited time, from June to August (or December to February in the Southern Hemisphere). Acquiring them also relies quite a bit on chance, as you’ll primarily need to shoot them down from balloons or find them washed up in bottles.

Since the summer shell recipes are only around for a brief period, you’ll want to get your hands on them while you can. To help you out, we’ve rounded up all the summer shell DIY recipes we’ve found–along with the materials you need to craft them–below.

That’s not all that’s happening in Animal Crossing: New Horizons right now. Wedding Season is also underway. Until June 30, you can visit Harv’s Island and help Reese and Cyrus celebrate their anniversary. Take photos for the couple and you’ll be rewarded with a special currency called heart crystals and sometimes a piece of wedding furniture.

Summer Shell DIY Recipes

Underwater Flooring

• Summer Shell x3
• Coral x3

Underwater Wall

• Summer Shell x3
• Coral x5

Starry Sands Flooring

• Summer Shell x3
• Sandy-Beach Flooring x1

Tropical Vista

• Summer Shell x5

Water Flooring

• Summer Shell x6

Shell Wreath

• Summer Shell x1
• Sea Snail x1
• Sand Dollar x1
• Coral x1
• Giant Clam x1
• Cowrie x1

Shellfish Pochette

• Summer Shell x6
• Giant Clam x2

Shell Wand

• Summer Shell x3
• Star Fragment x3

PlayStation has announced an official The Last of Us podcast series.

The eight-part series, hosted by writer and stand-up comedian Christian Spicer, will explore the development of both The Last of Us and its Part 2 sequel. The first episode is available now, and will be released weekly on Tuesdays.

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Episode one features interviews with Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann and Anthony Newman, who discuss the first few hours of the original game. Future episodes will include chats with Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker, as well as developers, composer Custavo Santaolalla, and notable fans of the series.

From July 7, the episodes will begin to discuss The Last of Us Part 2, providing a deep dive into the new game’s creation.

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For more from Naughty Dog, check out Druckmann’s thoughts on what game he’ll make next. You can also read or watch our latest The Last of Us Part 2 preview, which takes a close look at combat without spoiling the story.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.