Preorders Are Live for Doritos 3D Crunch (Seriously)

Here’s some major news for those who enjoy salty snacks: Doritos 3D Crunch are now available to preorder on Walmart’s website. You read that right, Doritos has brought back the delightful ’90s snack, and Walmart has put 6oz bags of the things up for preorder. You can secure your very own bag of Doritos 3D Crunch in either Chili Cheese Nacho or Spicy Ranch flavors. Note that these have been extremely popular, so stock might not last long.

Preorder Doritos 3D Crunch

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Walmart says your preordered Doritos will ship on January 26. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the shipping cost before placing your order. Orders over $35 qualify for free shipping, so just stock up 12 bags and you’ll be good to go.

These Doritos actually hit store shelves in late December, so you may be able to find them in stock at brick-and-mortar stores that sell snack foods. But for those who don’t want to venture into stores during a pandemic to check to see if a bag of chips is in stock, ordering them from Walmart is a safer alternative.

PepsiCo says the Doritos 3D Crunch are being released in answer to a wave of online petitions and general social media clamoring. Originally released in 1998, Doritos 3D Crunch made a memorable impression on snack enthusiasts, but the company discontinued them a few years later.

If you have fond memories of crunching on these puffy chips two decades ago, you might find the new release doesn’t quite taste how you remember. While they have the same shape (and, presumably, crunch) this new release comes in two new bold “hot-and-spicy” flavors: Spicy Ranch and Chili Cheese Nacho.

From the official press release: “Doritos 3D Crunch is one of our most anticipated product launches ever. What’s exciting is that we didn’t just bring back the original — we’ve evolved it to reflect the snacking trends of a new generation,” said Rachel Ferdinando, SVP and CMO, Frito-Lay North America. “We’re thrilled to introduce a new version at a time when we all could use a small moment of joy.”

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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Zack Snyder Has ‘No Plan’ to Make More DC Movies After Justice League Snyder Cut

Director Zack Snyder says he has no plans to make more DC movies after the release of the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

In an interview with Comic Book Debate (via Collider), Snyder commented on the matter of future films, while leaving the door open for the future.

“Look, I never thought I’d be here doing this. I didn’t think I’d be finishing Justice League… The truth is, and it’s been widely reported, and I have no issue, this is an old movie. This is a years-old movie I’m working on. The DC universe has gone and branched off and done its own thing and that’s fine… As far as what I did and as far as what my vision for what I wanted to do with these characters and the journey I wanted them to go on, it’s well known that I planned on more movies — five movies or something — but I’m busy. I’ve got a lot going on. Is it cool that the fans have so much faith in the trajectory? Yes, it’s amazing, and I couldn’t be happier and I’m excited for them to see Justice League so they can really drink the entire elixir of Justice League. But would I continue? I have no plan to. But like I said, I didn’t think I’d be here, so who knows?”

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The long-awaited (and at one time seemingly mythical) Snyder Cut is reportedly due to release in March on HBO Max in four hour-long segments. Snyder says he is including 150 minutes of previously unseen footage, and won’t be using any of director Joss Whedon’s work on the film following Snyder’s original departure.

Snyder certainly isn’t the only one considering his future with DC. Cyborg actor Ray Fisher has said he won’t work with DC Films president Walter Hamada again after Fisher accused Hamada of enabling a toxic work environment under Joss Whedon.

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In the meantime, DC fans have the divisive Wonder Woman 1984 to watch on HBO Max. Thankfully, you can finally tune in on your PS5 and Roku.

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Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/cyborg for IGN.

Destiny 2 Slaying Dragons Quest Steps For Iron Banner Season 12

The recurring Crucible event in Destiny 2, Iron Banner, has returned once again. That makes this another chance for some high-level competition where your Power level matters, but it also makes for an opportunity to continue making progress on Slaying Dragons.

Obtained from Lord Saladin, this season-long quest involves grinding away at various Crucible objectives in Iron Banner matches, so you’re only able to work on it during the weeks where Iron Banner is active. As of the weekly reset on January 5, Iron Banner is available for the second time this season. Read on for a complete look at what to expect from each of the six steps that comprise the Slaying Dragons quest.

Completing each one will earn you an additional piece of Season 12’s Iron Banner armor–updated versions of the Iron Will set capable of using new mods. Certain objectives are also retroactive, allowing you to make progress on subsequent steps even before you reach them.

Slaying Dragons Step 1 – Shaped By Iron

Things start out relatively simple, primarily requiring you to do fairly straightforward tasks in Iron Banner: capture zones and kill (or assist in killing) enemies. You’ll also need void ability kills, meaning you’ll need to get the last hit with your void subclass’s grenade, melee, or Super.

  • Defeat 30 Guardians
  • Capture 30 zones
  • Defeat 5 Guardians with Void abilities
Season 12 Iron Banner armor for Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans
Season 12 Iron Banner armor for Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans

Slaying Dragons Step 2 – No Games, No Sympathy

This again largely revolves around continuing to play Iron Banner matches, but you’ll want to make sure you’re relying heavily on your energy weapon of choice, whatever that might be.

  • Complete 6 Iron Banner matches
  • Capture 20 zones
  • Defeat 25 Guardians with an energy weapon

Slaying Dragons Step 3 – Paying Respects

The Guardian kills and zone captures continue here, but you’ll need to break out a scout rifle and put down 20 enemies with it to move on to the next step.

  • Defeat 100 Guardians
  • Capture 30 zones
  • Defeat 20 Guardians with a scout rifle

Slaying Dragons Step 4 – A Tower Rebuilt

This next step will involve shifting your focus from scout rifles to hand cannons. You’ll also want to ensure you have your deadliest Super equipped to ensure you make the most of each time you use it.

  • Defeat 15 Guardians with your Super
  • Capture 40 zones
  • Defeat 15 Guardians with a hand cannon

Slaying Dragons Step 5 – Raising The Banner

Here, you’ll need to make sure you’re going for headshots. Your best bet may be a sniper rifle, but whatever you’re able to consistently get precision kills with will do the job.

  • Capture 50 zones
  • Complete 15 Iron Banner matches
  • Defeat 10 Guardians with precision damage

Slaying Dragons Step 6 – From The Mountaintop

With all of the hard work out of the way, simply make your way back to Lord Saladin at The Tower to wrap up the quest.

  • Return to Lord Saladin

Bear in mind that, during each Iron Banner, you can also pick up a handful of weekly bounties to complete during Iron Banner matches. You’ll want to make sure you grab these at the start of each Iron Banner, as they tend to take quite a few matches to complete. Doing those will earn you Iron Banner tokens (used to trade in for Iron Banner gear from Saladin) and Pinnacle gear rewards.

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Call Of Duty: Warzone And Black Ops Cold War Add New Operator With A Giant Sledgehammer

The newest Operator for Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops Cold War has arrived, and he brings a hammer. The new Operator, Wyatt “Bulldozer” Jomes, is an American Marine who was born in 1955. He’s aligned with the NATO faction and his blood type is O+, in case you were wondering.

You can purchase Bulldozer through an eight-item bundle that also includes various items and extras, the most notable of which is a giant sledgehammer. The “Heavy Handed” legendary blueprint is the combat sledgehammer that features a rubber grip and the words “knock knock” written on sides of the business end of the hammer itself.

As you might have guessed, the hammer is the centerpiece of Bulldozer’s finishing move, which is called “Hammer Uppercut.” You can see it in action through the video below.

The bundle also comes with two other Legendary blueprint weapons, the Monstrous Envy rifle and the Headache shotgun, both of which use green tracer fire to stand out on the battlefield.

The “Demon Hammer” animated emblem and a weapon charm called “The Penetrator” are also included in the bundle. A wrist accessory called “Death’s Reminder” is also included, along with a parachute cord bracelet featuring a golden skull.

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With the start of Season 1, Black Ops Cold War and Warzone have merged, meaning guns from Black Ops Cold War are now in Warzone. The transition hasn’t been without its issues, and now players are reporting that the DMR 14 semi-automatic rifle from Cold War is too OP in Warzone.

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Best Buy’s Top Nintendo Switch Deals: Games, Accessories, and More

You could make a convincing case that the Nintendo Switch is the best console on the market. It might not have the computing power of the competition, but it makes up for it with the quality of the games and the convenience of its handheld/docked nature. If you’re looking for Switch deals at Best Buy, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’re tracking all the biggest discounts on Switch games, consoles, accessories, and more.

For a broader view of the Switch deals available, check out our best Switch deals mega-post, which has discounts from all retailers.

Switch Game Deals at Best Buy

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Best Buy is one of the best retailers for finding discounts on Nintendo Switch games. But as with all things Nintendo, it’s important to keep in mind that first-party games only go on sale occasionally. Most of the time, you’ll have to pay $59.99 even for first-party games that are several years old. It’s bizarre, and it’s frustrating to deal-hunters, but it’s just the way it is with Nintendo.

That said, third-party Switch games go on sale often, and Best Buy offers a new batch of deals each week starting on Sunday. So if you’re looking for a discounted Switch game, this is a great place to start.

Switch Console Deals at Best Buy

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Just like Nintendo’s first-party games, Switch hardware rarely goes on sale. Actually, it almost never goes on sale anywhere. The best deal you’re likely to find is during special sale periods like Black Friday and… well, that’s about it.

Each Black Friday, Nintendo has been releasing a special Switch console bundle for the standard price of a Switch. During Black Friday 2020, for instance, Nintendo released a bundle that included a Switch console, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and three months of Nintendo Switch Online, all for $299.99. So while you still had to part with $300, you essentially got a game and online access for free. So if you can wait for Black Friday to buy a Switch, that’s probably the thing to do–though, we should also note those bundles sold out pretty quickly.

With all that in mind, if Best Buy is offering any discounts on Switch hardware, this is where you’ll find it.

Switch Accessory Deals at Best Buy

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What good is a game console without some accessories? Okay, you can totally enjoy a Nintendo Switch right out of the box, but accessories can make your experience better or offer you new ways to play.

When it comes to accessories, we’re talking about things like extra Joy-Cons, the Pro Controller, charging stands, carrying cases, and more. As for Switch accessory deals, you can often find Joy-Cons available for $69, which, believe it or not, is a $10 discount off the MSRP. Similarly, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller retails for $69, but you can often find it on sale for $59.

Regardless, if Best Buy is running a notable discount on a Switch accessory you might want to buy, you’ll find it here.

Switch Storage Deals at Best Buy

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Here’s an unfortunate fact anyone who enjoys buying digital Switch games is sure to learn before long: the Switch runs out of storage fast. It only comes with 32GB of onboard storage out of the box, and that can fill up fast, especially if you buy bigger third-party titles, some of which are too big to even fit on a Switch that doesn’t have extra storage.

Thankfully, it’s easy to expand your Switch’s storage by popping in a microSD card. Those teeny-tiny cards are also increasingly cheap as time goes on. While the high-capacity microSD cards can cost upward of $100, you can generally find 128GB and 256GB cards for much cheaper. See above for any Switch storage deals at Best Buy.

Switch Subscription Deals at Best Buy

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Nintendo Switch Online is a subscription service that’s required to go online with most Switch games. It’s quite a bit cheaper than the equivalent service on PlayStation and Xbox, but it’s also fairly limited compared to those consoles’ offerings.

That said, in addition to online access, NSO subscriptions let you save your data to the cloud, which comes in handy if something happens to your Switch. It also gets you access to over 70 NES and SNES games, including tons of bonafide classics like Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, and a whole lot more. This may appeal more to older gamers, but it also offers enterprising youngsters a chance to find out where their favorite series came from as well.

Best Buy’s Free Shipping Threshold

Best Buy offers free shipping on qualifying purchases of $35 and up. Note that not all items count as “qualifying purchases,” and that the total must be at least $35 after coupons and before taxes. The website mentions some items that don’t qualify toward the total, including “digital downloads, e-gift cards, special orders, scheduled delivery items, and items canceled or removed from the order.”

What Is My Best Buy?

My Best Buy is a membership program that’s free to join and offers a handful of benefits to frequent shoppers. You can sign up here.

What kind of benefits are we talking? You get reward points for every dollar you spend at the big blue retailer “on eligible purchases.” You also get early access to some of the sales, as well as exclusive deals that are only available to My Best Buy members.

If you spend enough money in a given year, you’ll be automatically upgraded to My Best Buy Elite ($1,500) or My Best Buy Elite Plus ($3,500). These tiers offer additional benefits, like more points per dollar spent, access to a special customer service line, and a longer window for returns and exchanges.

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Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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Dark Nights: Death Metal Ending Explained

Dark Nights: Death Metal #7 is now in stores, capping off a long, sprawling superhero epic that unfolded for much of 2020. But even as this issue caps off the Death Metal saga, it also lays the foundation for everything DC is doing in 2021 and beyond.

If you’re not sure what the finale of Death Metal means for the DCU or how DC continuity has been affected, worry not. We’re here to break down all the big twists in this issue and how Death Metal is lighting the way for Future State and what comes next.

Warning: this article contains full spoilers for Dark Nights: Death Metal #7!

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The DC Multiverse Reborn

The DC multiverse is a complicated and often downright confusing concept. In the old days, there were an infinite number of alternate worlds featuring their own incarnations of our favorite heroes. 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths consolidated everything into one Earth, while subsequent stories established a more limited multiverse of 52 worlds. And that’s not even getting into concepts like Hypertime, the Dark Multiverse and the DC Metaverse introduced in Doomsday Clock. What makes Death Metal different from past crossovers like Crisis is that it doesn’t seek to streamline or simplify DC cosmology. Rather, it celebrates this vast, complex history and the idea that “it all matters.”

The final issue of Death Metal chronicles a titanic battle between Wonder Woman and the Batman Who Laughs, both of whom have been amplified with godlike powers and cosmic awareness. The Batman Who Laughs wants to destroy the multiverse and the beings who created it, and he tries to bribe Diana with the promise of a single, idyllic world where she and her friends can live in peace. But ever the selfless heroine, Wonder Woman saves the multiverse and its creators, even at the cost of her own world. Moved by this act of selflessness, one of these higher-dimensional beings communicates with Diana and offers to restore the multiverse as it once was. Not one Earth or 52 Earths, but a limitless number of Earths.

Not only is the DC multiverse back, but it’s officially part of a DC Omniverse. The Omniverse is formed from multiple multiverses. Basically, picture DC’s comic book multiverse existing in a cosmic superstructure alongside another multiverse comprised of DC’s many animated movies and TV series and a third multiverse formed from the various live-action DC universes. Every DC story ever told matters, and they all have a place as part of a larger, never-ending tapestry.

There is one notable change to the structure of DC’s multiverse. Where Earth-0 used to be the center of the multiverse, now there are two opposing poles that form the backbone of the multiverse. Earth-0 is one of those poles, while the other is a mysterious new planet dubbed Elseworld. “Elseworlds” is the branding DC once used for its various alternate universe stories like Gotham by Gaslight and Batman: Red Rain, so that probably gives us some indication of what to expect from this planet.

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The New (Old) DC Timeline

When the dust of Death Metal settles, life on Earth-0 is more or less getting back to normal. Wonder Woman herself is missing (more on that later), but the rest of the Justice League are embracing a newfound sense of hope that comes from saving all of existence. While DC’s heroes and villains seem to remember the events of Death Metal, reality is restored to how it was before Perpetua and the Batman Who Laughs attempted to rewrite existence. Characters who died during the course of Death Metal are restored to life (including Batman, who had become an undead Black Lantern).

Issue #7 even teases other long-dead characters have been restored to life, though it remains to be seen which ones have been given a new lease on life. Alfred Pennyworth seems a likely candidate, as we already saw Batman raise him from the dead with his Black Lantern ring.

More important than any resurrections, though, is the fact that the inhabitants of the DCU now remember everything that ever happened in the DC timeline. The Justice Society of America has been reestablished as the world’s first superhero team. Our heroes remember the world as it existed before the first Crisis, how it changed after the Crisis, how it changed again during the New 52, and so on. As reality sorts itself out, our heroes are even catching glimpses of possible alternate futures and pasts, which is where the Future State crossover comes in. Not only has the DC multiverse been restored; now Hypertime (basically a multiverse of alternate timelines as opposed to a multiverse of alternate universes) is back in play.

Once again, the theme of everything mattering is at the heart of Death Metal. DC no longer seems overly concerned about wrangling its vast comic book history into a coherent, streamlined narrative. Heading into 2021, the publisher is instead celebrating that giant tapestry and encouraging fans to embrace what appeals to them. In that sense, the DC Comics line isn’t so different from WarnerMedia’s live-action DC multiverse.

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What Happened to Wonder Woman and the Batman Who Laughs?

The fate of Wonder Woman is easily one of the most pressing questions coming out of Death Metal. Her whereabouts are unknown by the end of the series, though Superman and his friends seem aware that Diana saved the multiverse and has now embraced a larger destiny. Wherever Diana has gone, she appears to have been tasked by the higher-dimensional creators of the DC Omniverse with protecting this new reality.

It’s not clear when we’ll find out where Diana has gone or what exactly her role is now, but we can definitely say she’s not dead. An older Diana is the main protagonist of Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman, so we know at some point in the future she emerges from hiding. DC will also continue publishing a monthly Wonder Woman comic after Future State, though it’s unclear if that book will take place prior to the events of Death Metal or pivot to focus on another character like Donna Troy or Yara Flor. Meanwhile, Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez’s Justice League series will feature Queen Hippolyta taking over for her daughter as the League’s resident Amazonian warrior.

What about the Batman Who Laughs? As far as we can tell, this villain was destroyed in his final battle with Wonder Woman – the ultimate triumph of Justice over Doom and Anti-Crisis over Crisis. But between the fact that the Batman Who Laughs had become a fourth-dimensional being and that reality has been more or less reset to its pre-Death Metal state, it’s not much of a stretch to imagine this twisted version of Bruce Wayne cheating death once again. He’s a popular character, and DC may want to keep him in the rotation as a recurring Batman or Justice League antagonist.

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What Is the Totality?

Both Death Metal and the Justice League series that preceded it have dealt heavily with the Totality, a cosmic energy source that contains all knowledge and was used to forge the multiverse itself. The reborn multiverse is no longer surrounded by the Source Wall that used to seal off reality from threats beyond. Now, the Totality itself has formed a shield-like fortress to help guard humanity from the even greater threats to come. As Wall West discovers, that fortress exists at a much higher vibrational frequency, making it invisible to all but a select few heroes and villains.

This tease seems to be setup for a new series featuring Wally joining forces with various other heroes and villains to help defend the multiverse from dire threats. The team lineup is a mix of brilliant scientists like Mister Terrific and Lex Luthor and immortals like Vandal Savage and Hawkgirl who have centuries of experience in confronting the weird and unnatural. As a speedster who briefly wielded the powers of Doctor Manhattan and Metron, Wally is a natural fit for that team.

For more on DC in 2021, find out why Joker is getting his first solo comic in decades and which superstar creative team is taking over Nightwing.

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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.

Apex Legends Fight Night Update Makes Welcome Ring Closure Change

The latest event in Apex Legends, Fight Night, is now live. The new limited-time event adds a Pathfinder-themed town takeover to Olympus, a brand-new mode, over two dozen legendary and epic cosmetics, and makes several quality of life adjustments to the in-match meta. Of note, there’s a particularly interesting adjustment to how ring closure works.

In order to address the chaotic nature of the last few fights in a match, developer Respawn is tweaking how the ring closes for rounds five and six. Ring 5 is now a bit bigger, expanded from a 1500 unit radius to a 2000 unit radius, though it still closes at the same rate. And Ring 6 is now the final ring of every match, closing over the course of 100 seconds.

This change completely removes Rings 7 and 8, which were traditionally only seen in a handful of matches anyway because most squads were killed off and a winner decided by Rings 5 or 6. But when multiple teams did manage to survive that long, those final rings were always a cluster of character abilities and shotgun/submachine gun fire–any squad with a surviving Caustic and his ultimate ability at the ready was practically guaranteed to take the win.

Granted, Ring 6 is still somewhat small and it regularly accomplishes its task of pushing the remaining squads into a final fight. But it still allows room for some strategic movement and skill beyond spray and pray, so stopping ring closure here is a welcome change. For context, Ring 6 usually provides a safe area with a diameter of 40m, while Ring 7 was 4m, and Ring 8 was less than 1m.

The ring closure is the most notable quality of life change in the new Fight Night update, but there are a few other shout-outs as well in the full patch notes. The long-asked for button to remove all the red dots from your menu has been added–simply press “Mark All Seen” when in the Legends or Loadout tabs. Additionally, pinging a respawn beacon will now mark the closest beacon even if that beacon is outside the next safe zone, but only provided your teammates can reach the beacon and respawn you before the next ring engulfs it.

Fight Night continues until January 19 and the Season 7: Ascension battle pass will be available until January 26. Season 7 will conclude alongside Year 2, with Season 8 kicking off Apex Legends Year 3.

Now Playing: Apex Legends Fight Night Collection Event Trailer

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New Era Of Star Wars Stories Begins With “High Republic” Launch

Star Wars is opening a new era for storytelling with the arrival of the “High Republic” series, a trans-media setting that will span new books, graphic novels, and a Disney+ series. Here’s everything you need to know about this new Star Wars setting.

What is the “High Republic” era?

The High Republic era is a golden age in the Star Wars universe, described as a time of peace and prosperity set roughly 200 years before Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. It’s said to be an “era of ambition, of culture, of inclusion, of Great Works.”

While many familiar Star Wars tropes are present in the High Republic era, they’re slightly different than you may recognize. As opposed to the prequel era, when the Republic had grown corrupt and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the High Republic is led by a well-respected and benevolent chancellor and the public feels that their voices are heard. The Jedi Order is less dogmatic and stilted, and Jedi Knights are seen as honorable peacekeepers. Even the sci-fi technology, like starfighters and transport vessels, are described as clean and sleek–a far cry from the dingy, broken-down aesthetic of many later movies.

In short, the High Republic is a more optimistic era for the Star Wars universe, centuries removed from the Skywalker Saga that detailed the collapse into the Galactic Empire, the ensuing fight for freedom, and then the long recovery from Palpatine’s influence. During this time period, the Outer Rim–which is usually represented as something of a wild west in later Star Wars incarnations–is more of an unexplored wilderness.

But while the time period precedes most recognizable characters by decades or even centuries, there is one notable exception. Yoda, the Jedi Master who said he had trained Jedi Knights for 800 years as of the time he met Luke Skywalker, obviously would’ve been well into his Jedi-training career during the High Republic era. Lucasfilm has shown off pieces of concept art of this younger version of Yoda, who looks very recognizable but stands noticeably more upright.

High Republic Yoda concept art by Iain McCaig
High Republic Yoda concept art by Iain McCaig

Wait, What About Knights of the Old Republic?

Star Wars fans may recognize that the series has already ventured into periods before the Phantom Menace, most notably with Knights of the Old Republic, which was set a whopping 4,000 years before the Galactic Empire. It’s unclear how much of KOTOR is still considered canon, however.

When Disney acquired the Star Wars property, it essentially wiped the canon slate clean aside from a few special exceptions. Since then, it’s been slowly re-adding bits and pieces as it sees fit, such as recent references to Grand Admiral Thrawn. A visual compendium published by Lucasfilm references Revan, the protagonist of Knights of the Old Republic, so we know that the character exists in Star Wars history. But it’s unclear if the Old Republic era represented in those games still stands as the same, or how exactly it relates to this new High Republic era.

In a novel timeline included with the first High Republic novel, the High Republic era is the earliest recorded history.

What’s Included in the High Republic?

So far the High Republic only consists of a handful of books and comics, aimed at a variety of different ages. Light of the Jedi is the first adult novel, written by Charles Soule. A Test of Courage is a YA novel from Justina Ireland. Finally, The Great Jedi Rescue is a book for young readers by Cavan Scott. A Marvel comic series, simply called Star Wars: The High Republic, is debuting this week as well, also written by Scott featuring art from Ario Anindito.

In February, a second YA novel called Into the Dark by Claudia Gray will release, along with a second comic series called Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures from IDW. That second comic series is said to prominently feature Yoda.

Will There Be High Republic Movies or Shows?

So far Disney and Lucasfilm have confirmed one High Republic show, titled The Acolyte. The series from Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is described as “a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era.”

The promotional material so far has stated that the company intends this to be an interconnected story spanning the next several years. The first phase of The High Republic, called Light of the Jedi after the debut novel, is said to last through 2022. The second and third phases have been named Quest of the Jedi and Trials of the Jedi, respectively. Given that The Acolyte takes place near the end of the High Republic, it would stand to reason that it’s probably coming in the third phase.

Dexter Revival TV Show Casts Clancy Brown As The Main Villain

Actor Clancy Brown has been cast in a major role for the new Dexter TV show that’s coming to Showtime. It has been announced that Brown will play the primary villain in the revival series.

According to Variety, Brown will play the character Kurt Caldwell, who is the main antagonist of the new Dexter show. “Caldwell is described as the unofficial mayor of the small town of Iron Lake. He’s realized the American dream by going from driving big rigs, just like his father did, to now owning several trucks and the local truck stop,” reads Variety’s description. “Powerful, generous, loved by everyone–he’s a true man of the people. If he’s got your back, consider yourself blessed. But should you cross Kurt, or hurt anyone that he cares for, God help you.”

The Caldwell character has big shoes to fill as a villain in the Dexter universe, as John Lithgow’s character from the original show, the Trinity killer, was a high point for the series.

Brown voices Mr. Krabs on SpongeBob Squarepants. He also played one of the guards in the Stephen King movie Shawshank Redemption and had a role in the video game movie Warcraft, while more recently appearing in Showtime’s Billions.

In the world of video games, Brown lent his voice and likeness to the Quantic Dream PS4 game Detroit: Become Human, in which he played the detective Hank.

10 episodes of the new Dexter series are coming to Showtime. The show is slated to premiere this fall, so filming is likely due to begin soon.

Clyde Phillips, who was the showrunner for Dexter for seasons 1-4, is coming back for the revival series. And Michael C. Hall, who played Dexter, is coming back as well.

Just recently, Hall spoke about the divisive ending to the original Dexter, what convinced him to return, and why he thinks it’s the right time for a Dexter revival.

How To Get Escape From Tarkov Twitch Drops This Week

The last day to get Twitch drops from Escape From Tarkov’s New Year event on Twitch is fast-approaching. The event, which began on December 28, will conclude on Friday, January 8. On that day, all Twitch streams for Escape From Tarkov will have drops activated. However, if you’re looking to get Twitch drops from Escape From Tarkov right now, you’ll need to seek out specific streamers with active drops.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to link your Escape From Tarkov account to Twitch, how to enable Twitch drops, and which streamers to watch to start earning rewards.

How to link your Tarkov and Twitch accounts

If you don’t already own a copy of the game, head to our Escape From Tarkov preorder guide and learn the difference between each edition. When you’re ready to make your purchase, you can do so on the game’s official website. If you purchase one of the lower-tier editions, you can still purchase a more advanced version for a discounted price later and receive all the associated bonus items.

How to link your Escape From Tarkov and Twitch accounts to earn drops.
How to link your Escape From Tarkov and Twitch accounts to earn drops.

Once you have an active copy of Escape From Tarkov, head back to the website and find your Profile page on the top right. There will be a list of options listed in a column to the right. You should see the option to Link Twitch Account highlighted in purple. Once selected, you will be redirected to Twitch and prompted to authorize the connection. Congratulations! Your Twitch and Tarkov accounts are now linked and you are ready to start earning drops.

How to enable drops on Twitch

If you want to get drops for Escape From Tarkov by watching streams, skip down to the next section for a list of streams with active drops. However, if you want to enable drops on your own stream on January 8, when drops will be activated for all streamers, then continue reading.

To activate drops on your own stream, follow the steps above to link your Tarkov account. Then head to Twitch, click on your profile in the top right corner, select Creator Dashboard from the dropdown menu, navigate to Preferences in the column on the left, and click Channel from the dropdown menu. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page. Under the section for Raids should be a section called Drops. Toggle the button to opt-in.

How to toggle drops on your own Twitch stream so your viewers can earn rewards.
How to toggle drops on your own Twitch stream so your viewers can earn rewards.

Unless you are one of the pre-selected streamers listed below, your viewers will only be able to earn drops from your Escape From Tarkov stream on January 8. Learn more on the game’s official website.

How to earn drops from Escape From Tarkov streams

If you want to earn drops by watching Escape From Tarkov streams, make sure your accounts are linked up and consult the list below for which streams to watch on which day. Drops are random, but according to Battlestate Games, “you will be guaranteed to receive 1 in-game item at certain intervals.” This includes weapons and weapon mods, gear like armor and backpacks, and items like keys and cases.

Head to any of the following Twitch streams on the designated day to receive drops:

January 5

January 6

January 7

January 8

On January 8, drops will be activated on all streams in the Escape From Tarkov category on Twitch. This means you can earn drops by watching any Escape From Tarkov stream, but you can also provide drops for your viewers by streaming the game yourself. Find out how to participate as either a viewer or a streamer in our guide above.

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