Month: September 2021

Pokemon’s 25th Anniversary Album Adds New Songs, Including One From Lil Yachty

As part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the Pokemon series, a new music album is on the way with the some big-name artists. Pokemon 25: The Album is launching October 15 from Capitol Records and Universal Music Group, featuring songs by Katy Perry, Lil Yachty, J Balvin, and Cyn. Post Malone’s cover of the Hootie and the Blowfish song “Only Wanna Be With You,” which he performed during the PS25 Music virtual concert back in February, is also featured on the album.

Everyone who preorders the album gets six songs right away, including “Electric” by Katy Perry, “Got ‘Em” by Vince Staples, “Wonderful” by Cyn, “Take It Home” by Mabel,” “Game Girl” by Louane, and the aforementioned “Only Wanna Be With You” Cover from Post Malone.

Pokemon 25: The Album releases in October
Pokemon 25: The Album releases in October

Lil Yachty, who is releasing a new track titled “Believing” for this album, said he has been a longtime Pokemon fan and jumped at the chance to be involved. “I hope it inspires my fans to chase their dreams,” he said of “Believing.”

As you would expect, The Pokemon Company is going big to celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary. In addition to the album, there are Pokemon-branded Oreos in stores now, a new Pokemon animated film for Netflix in October, and an eight-episode animated series focusing on different regions of the Pokemon universe that is airing now.

Pokemon 25: The Album Tracklist

  1. Katy Perry — Electric
  2. Jax Jones — Phases (with Sinead Harnett)
  3. Mabel — Take It Home
  4. Lil Yachty — Believing
  5. J Balvin — Ten Cuidado
  6. Cyn — Wonderful
  7. Vince Staples — Got ‘Em
  8. Louane — Game Girl
  9. Tierra Whack — Art Show
  10. Post Malone — Only Wanna Be With You (Pokemon 25 Version)
  11. Yaffle — Reconnect (feat. Daichi Yamamoto & AAAMYYY)*
  12. Mabel — Take It Home (ZHU Remix)*
  13. Cyn — Wonderful (ZHU Remix)*
  14. Vince Staples — Got ’Em (ZHU Remix)*

*Digital album only

Windows 10 Xbox App Now Lets You Stream Console Games from Console or the Cloud

Microsoft has rolled out a new update for the PC Xbox app, allowing Windows 10 PC owners to stream console games from either your Xbox console or through Xbox Cloud Gaming (aka xCloud).

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in 22 countries can now use the Xbox app on Windows 10 to access xCloud. A new “Cloud Gaming” section will appear by clicking on the Game Pass tab, showcasing all the titles that support Xbox Cloud Gaming. Previously, Windows 10 PC owners had to access Xbox Cloud Gaming by going to Xbox’s website through a browser, signing in, and playing the cloud gaming beta.

The new update also allows you to stream games from your Xbox Series X, Series S, or Xbox One onto your Windows 10 PC via Xbox remote play. This is the first time Microsoft has enabled Xbox remote play on Windows 10 PC for owners of either Xbox Series console. Microsoft also made some changes to remote play, such as the option to stream games at 1080 up to 60 frames per second and the ability to select Xbox 360 and original Xbox games.

The update to the Windows 10 Xbox app comes as no surprise from Microsoft as the company moves more and more in the direction of letting users play Xbox games on almost any device. In late August, during Gamescom 2021, the company announced that the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One are getting cloud gaming this holiday season. Microsoft is also planning to extend the Xbox One’s lifespan by bringing Series X/S exclusives to the older hardware through the cloud.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Marvel’s Wolverine Will Be Full-Sized And Mature In Tone

Insomniac has carved out a space for itself in the industry with two excellent Spider-Man games, an upcoming third entry starring Marvel’s wallcrawlers, and a future game based on the most violent member of the X-Men, Wolverine. While that game starring Canada’s finest export won’t be out for a few more years, Insomniac is confirming that it’ll be a full game with a mature tone.

Asked on Twitter if Marvel’s Wolverine will be a full-size game similar in scope to Marvel’s Spider-Man or if it’ll lean closer to the more compact size of the recent Spider-Man: Miles Morales game, creative director Brian Horton responded with a precise and brief tweet:

Now Playing: Marvel’s Wolverine | PlayStation Showcase 2021

A Wolverine game that shies away from mature themes wouldn’t do the mutant any justice, but that’s a theme that Insomniac applied to its Spider-Man games through the stories that it told. 2018’s Spider-Man mixed in some surprisingly emotional moments between its action sequences, while Miles Morales had his own set of complex situations to navigate while working to keep New York City safe.

Considering the rich history behind Logan from long before he even established his Wolverine persona, it’s easy to see just how much nuanced and emotional material Insomniac has to draw from for a game that can easily be more than just a violent brawler starring a hero with built-in forearm dinner knives.

It has been a long time since Logan headlined his own game, with the last notable instance being an official tie-in to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a fun game based on a terrible film.

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Fortnite Season 8: IO Outposts And IO Guard Locations

In Fortnite Season 8, the Imagined Order (IO) has been usurped by the mysterious cubes, but you can still find IO guards and new IO outposts on the island in a few specific places. This is crucial information for several quests in Charlotte’s questline, as she is investigating the IO all season long. Here’s where to find IO guards and IO outposts.

Fortnite Season 8 IO Guard Locations

Though all but one dish station was left untouched by the Mothership crash, the IO has abandoned its monitoring stations in favor of new outposts. They still want to have a presence on the island, but it seems they no longer need their satellite dishes as all current threats are at ground level.

You’ll find a pair of IO guards at every IO outpost–provided other players didn’t get there first–and we’ve found several of these outposts across the island so far. It’s possible the IO will continue to expand their presence as the season and storyline go on in Fortnite Season 8, but for now, here’s where you can find IO outposts:

Fortnite Season 8 IO guard locations and all IO outposts
Fortnite Season 8 IO guard locations and all IO outposts

From the left, they are:

  • On a road southwest of Holly Hedges
  • Just west of Apres Ski
  • East of Pleasant Park along the river
  • On a hill southeast of the central Aftermath
  • On the east coast between Steamy Stacks and Dirty Docks

While these small outposts will offer IO guards to take down, a speedy IO car, and a few chests, they don’t seem to offer IO tech weapons. However, those weapons are still on the map this season. You’ll find them by returning to any IO dish station and opening IO chests. If you want a Pulse Rifle, Recon Scanner, or Rail Gun, they’re now much rarer, but still obtainable at the dish stations first seen in Season 7.

These outposts aren't as fancy as the dish stations, but they're the only places you'll find IO guards.
These outposts aren’t as fancy as the dish stations, but they’re the only places you’ll find IO guards.

There’s more to learn about the new season. Be sure to catch the details on the Fortnite Season 8 battle pass, the Fortnite season 8 map changes, and the new Fortnite Season 8 weapons.

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These Perfect PS5 M.2 SSDs Are On Sale in the UK

Have you heard the news? The long-awaited PS5 M.2 SSD update is launching on September 15, which makes this the perfect time to invest in some expandable storage for your console. To make things a little easier for you, we’ve listed all the perfect M.2 SSDs available and on sale right now in the UK.

PS5 M.2 SSDs On Sale in the UK (With Heatsink)

PS5 M.2 SSDs On Sale in the UK (Without Heatsink)

Compatible M.2 2280 SSD Heatsinks

You’ll need a heatsink if your SSD doesn’t come with one, here are some good PS5 compatible options from Amazon.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

After Criticizing HBO Max, Christopher Nolan Ditches Warner Bros. For Universal With Next Movie

After acclaimed director Christopher Nolan blasted WarnerMedia for its decision to release its 2021 slate on HBO Max simultaneously with theaters, many wondered if Nolan would stick with the studio for his next project. Now we know he will not.

Nolan’s next movie, a World War II film about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the creation of the atom bomb, will be made for Fast & Furious studio Universal, according to Deadline.

Universal has greenlit the film, and it will start production in the first quarter of 2022, the report said. It’s not a total surprise that Nolan is ending his relationship with WarnerMedia, as it was previously reported that he was shopping his next movie around to multiple studios.

It’s an end of an era for Nolan, who made his biggest and most successful films–Inception, the Batman trilogy, Interstellar, and Dunkirk–with Warner Bros. Nolan’s latest movie, Tenet, released in the middle of the pandemic–in theaters exclusively.

Netflix boss Scott Stuber previously said he would do everything in his power to convince Nolan to make his next movie with the streaming giant, but that’s not happening. Deadline said Universal, MGM, and Sony were the real contenders, with Universal winning out.

Nolan strongly criticized WarnerMedia’s decision to release the studio’s 2021 theatrical films day and date on HBO Max, and specifically for how the movie giant apparently did not give a heads up to directors and talent. Recently, it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that WarnerMedia paid stars and talent $200 million to make up for shifting movies to HBO Max. For what it’s worth, this strategy will not continue in 2022, as WarnerMedia has signed 45-day exclusive windows with multiple movie chains in the US.

Dying Light 2 Delayed to Early Next Year

Techland, the developer behind Dying Light 2, has announced an update on the development process for the game – which has been delayed until February 4, 2022.

The studio shared a statement surrounding Dying Light 2: Stay Human on the game’s official Twitter account and pointed toward the ambitious nature of the project as one of the main reasons for its delay.

“The team is steadily progressing with the production and the game is nearing the finish line,” said Techland CEO Pawel Marchewka. “It is by far the biggest and the most ambitious project we’ve ever done. Unfortunately, we’ve realized for us to bring the game to the level we envision, we need more time to polish and optimize it,” he continued before announcing that the team had decided to move the game’s official release date back to February.

This isn’t the first time that Techland has announced a delay for the zombie survival game. With an initial release date of Spring 2020, the studio announced in January of last year that it was delaying the game indefinitely. Earlier this year, a subsequent report surrounding the title’s delayed development suggested that a toxic working environment at the studio had been one of the factors that had hindered the project. The game’s December 2021 release date was then later announced in May alongside the title’s new name, Dying Light 2: Stay Human.

Elsewhere in the statement, Marchewka apologized for the title’s most recent delay. “We are sorry to keep you all waiting a little longer, but we want the game to meet your highest expectations on release and we don’t want to compromise on this,” he said.

The CEO then went on to confirm that content creators will still be getting their hands on both PC and console versions of the game next month – meaning that fans won’t need to wait too long before they can see more of what the title has to offer. He then finished by explaining that the company is gearing up towards sharing some further details about Dying Light 2: Stay Human later this month.

Techland’s announcement of Dying Light 2 at E3 2018 revealed a number of exciting features in the game. The developer said that the survival title will present players with meaningful choices that come with real consequences and that you’ll only see 50% of the game’s full content in a single playthrough. More recently, further gameplay has shown off how the game’s parkour elements, both in its use during combat and as a tool to traverse the title’s rugged environment.

For more on Dying Light 2, make sure to check out the game’s official Welcome to Villedor gameplay trailer below.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Netflix’s Maya and the Three: Exclusive Clip and Release Date Reveal

Netflix has announced the release date for its upcoming animated series, Maya and the Three, which is set to premiere globally on Friday, October 22, 2021.

IGN can exclusively reveal a clip featuring Zoe Saldaña’s Maya, which you can watch in the video below, or at the top of the page. Here’s how director, executive producer, and co-writer Jorge R. Gutiérrez describes the scene:

“This clip is from the first time our Eagle Warrior Princess Maya (Zoe Saldaña) faces Acat (Chelsea Rendon), the goddess of tattoos, in our epic fantasy world. Inspiration for this fight came from everything like Street Fighter 2, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill, Ninja Scroll, and a chola fight I saw in Tijuana.”

Gutiérrez went on to talk about what inspired him to create the series. “Maya and the Three was very much inspired by the warrior women in my life (my wife, sister, and mother) and my love of fantasy films, books, and video games,” Gutiérrez told IGN. “I always dreamt that if the camera went a bit more south they would eventually get to people that looked like us. Our event series is all these fantasy dreams coming true for me.”

Here’s how Netflix describes Maya and the Three: “In a fantastical world, where magic turns the world and four kingdoms rule the lands, a brave and rebellious warrior princess named Maya is about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday and coronation. But everything changes when the gods of the underworld arrive and announce that Maya’s life is forfeit to the God of War — a price she must pay for her family’s secret past. If Maya refuses, the whole world will suffer the gods’ vengeance.”

Be sure to stream Maya and the Three when it debuts on Netflix on October 22, 2021. And for more Netflix, check out everything new to Netflix in September, our review of Lucifer Season 6, and the biggest fall TV titles dropping later this year.

David Griffin is the TV Streaming Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Major Xbox Update Lets You Stream Games In New Ways

A new update for the Xbox App on Windows PCs introduces new functionality that allows users to stream console games from their home console or the cloud.

In its announcement, Microsoft said this might be useful if someone else in your home is using the TV or if you’re traveling somewhere and don’t have your Xbox. In a nod toward Microsoft’s longer-term vision, the company said this solution is also aimed at people who don’t have an Xbox–or don’t want one–but still want to play Xbox games. This new streaming solution allows people to play Xbox games without an Xbox, and that’s part of Microsoft’s long-term plan to reach 2 billion gamers.

Xbox Cloud Streaming now has more features and functionality
Xbox Cloud Streaming now has more features and functionality

The latest Xbox App update for Windows 10 PCs allows users to play Xbox Game Pass titles from the cloud and play games that are on their local Xbox console over the cloud.

The big benefit of streaming to a PC is that, because the game is running somewhere else–on Microsoft’s servers or your local Xbox–the PC it’s being streamed to doesn’t need to be very powerful. There is also no local download required, so you can get started faster.

This functionality is live now for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers in 22 countries. Before this, the Xbox Cloud Gaming service worked on phones, tablets, and PCs through a browser, but now it’s baked directly into the Xbox App.

To get started, open the Xbox App, click the “cloud gaming” button, and then choose a title. You will also need an Xbox controller. More details can be found on the Xbox Cloud Gaming website.

For streaming games from your home console, Microsoft says this is “essentially a way to mirror your console gaming experience on another screen.” This happens through the Xbox Remote Play feature inside the Xbox App for Windows 10 PCs.

“This marks the first time we’ve enabled Xbox Remote Play on PC for Xbox Series X|S owners. We’ve also made additional upgrades from previous iterations of Remote Play, such as general stability updates, allowing for games to stream at 1080p up to 60fps, and adding the ability to play select Xbox 360 and Xbox Original games, which has been one of the most highly requested features,” Microsoft said.

More information about Remote Play streaming can be found on Xbox’s website.

Microsoft has a big and bold ambition to grow the reach of Xbox Game Pass and streaming, and in the future, the company will create its own streaming stick and work with TV manufacturers to put the Xbox experience directly into TVs. But this effort is not seemingly coming at the cost of the traditional home console experience, as Microsoft has said it will continue to make dedicated Xbox gaming consoles in the future.

Fortnite Season 8: How To Complete A Sideways Encounter

In Fortnite Season 8, you’ll need to complete a Sideways encounter to finish off Torin’s questline in your punch card menu. This challenge has left some players stumped–and probably for a few different reasons. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what you need to know about completing this challenge, as well as why you might be stuck waiting a while to even try.

Fortnite Sideways Zones Versus Anomalies

As we broke down in our Season 8 map changes guide, the biggest differences are the creation of Sideways Anomalies and Sideways Zones. You’ll easily spot the Zones in your travels because they’re the enormous opaque orange bubbles that flare up in randomized POIs with every match. These Zones stay put all game long and players can enter and exit them as they desire. Think of Sideways Zones as places where this monster-filled dimension spills into the island’s native dimension.

Anomalies, on the other hand, are portals to The Sideways. This is where loopers can instead travel to The Sideways. In an Anomaly, there is a defined beginning (when you enter) and end (when you defeat the waves of enemies). You can track your progress with the progress bar at the top of your screen that appears during every Anomaly encounter.

To complete a Sideways encounter, only an Anomaly will do.
To complete a Sideways encounter, only an Anomaly will do.

Taking down enough monsters will eventually spawn a humanoid boss with her own Sideways weapons. She’s cloaked in otherworldly attire and it’s not clear whether she’s there as an enemy of the monsters too, but she shoots at you, so she’s your enemy at the very least.

Eliminating this masked woman and enough monsters along the way will end the Sideways Anomaly and it’s this specific task you’ll need to perform in order to complete a Sideways encounter. This isn’t something you can do in the bubbly Zones because Zones don’t have an ending.

Fortnite Sideways Anomaly Bug

Sadly, Anomalies were deactivated just a few hours into Fortnite Season 8 due to unnamed issues the team at Epic was having. Thus, some Party Quests, including several of Torin’s quests and Dark Jonesy’s final quest, can’t be completed right now and will be unobtainable until Anomalies return to the game.

Epic has not mentioned a timetable for a fix just yet, but usually these things are resolved in just a few days at most. A major seasonal highlight such as this will surely be a priority, and we’ll update this post when Anomalies return to the game.

In the meantime, get caught up with everything else you need to know about Fortnite Season 8, including the Fortnite Season 8 battle pass characters and the Fortnite Season 8 new weapons. We’re in for another eventful season.

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