Episode 5 of Marvel’s Loki show on Disney+ saw Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief traversing the Void, a strange place at the end of time filled to the brim with danger, mystery, and, as it turns out, heaps of Marvel Easter eggs! We’ve combed through the episode, titled “Journey Into Mystery,” and rounded up all of the Easter eggs for your viewing pleasure.

Don’t forget to check out our review of Loki’s fifth episode.

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Journey Into Mystery

The title of Loki’s Episode 5 is “Journey Into Mystery,” which was the name of a long-running Marvel Comic book series that began in 1952. This episode in particular was likely given that name because the episode shows Loki venturing into the unknown and, more to the point, the Journey Into Mystery series eventually went on to star Kid Loki as the lead in 2011. 

Qeng Tower/Stark Tower/Avengers Tower

During the episode’s first look at the Void’s collection of destroyed buildings, you may think you saw a half-destroyed Stark Tower/Avengers Tower in the distance, but upon closer inspection, it’s actually Qeng Tower. In the comic book All-New, All-Different Avengers #1 from 2015, a company called Qeng Enterprises acquired Stark Industries. As it turns out, the head of Qeng is revealed to be none other than the time-traveling Marvel villain Kang the Conqueror.

Alioth the Usurper

The giant, smokey monster known as Alioth the Usurper is a Marvel Comics villain with ties to Kang the Conqueror, who just happens to be an upcoming MCU baddie set to appear as the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, played by Jonathan Majors. The creature first debuted in 1993’s Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective #1, starring Kang and his love interest Terminatrix. In the comics, Terminatrix is the alias of Ravonna Renslayer, who in the Loki show we know as a TVA judge.

Yellowjacket’s Helmet

There are numerous Marvel artifacts littered throughout the fields at the end of time in the Void. 

After Loki’s first chat with the four new Lokis, in the fields we see a massive version of Yellowjacket’s helmet. The yellow-and-black headpiece was worn by villain Darren Cross (Corey Stoll) in the first Ant-Man movie. He met his end when he shrunk down and exploded in a tiny spark. Given the colossal nature of the helmet in Loki, perhaps there was an alternate timeline where he grew to extraordinary size instead and had to be pruned by the TVA.

Thanos-Copter

As the Lokis approach their hideout, the infamous Thanos-Copter makes a brief appearance. This is a reference to the comic book Spidey Super Stories #39 from 1979 where Spider-Man and Hellcat battled Thanos, and the Mad Titan pursued the heroes in a yellow helicopter branded with his own name. It has since become a fan-favorite joke that has spawned memes, action figures, and now a place in MCU lore.

Frog Thor aka Throg Cameo and Mjolnir

As the Lokis descended into their underground bunker, the camera panned downward and offered a glimpse of Throg trapped in a jar trying to reach Mjolnir buried alongside it. The jar is labeled “T365,” a reference to Thor #365 where, after Loki turned Thor into a frog in the previous issue, the amphibian Odinson used Mjolnir to transform into Frog Thor. It appears this actually happened at some point in the MCU but this variant of Thor was deemed unfit for the Sacred Timeline by the Time Keepers and was pruned by the TVA. And honestly, what a monumental loss for all of us.

RoxxiWine

As the Lokis swap stories in their hideout, we see they’re sipping on some fine RoxxiWine. The company Roxxon (an evil corporation from Marvel Comics) was featured in Episode 2 when Loki and the TVA tracked Sylvie to a Roxxmart fated for destruction. Perhaps this RoxxiWine comes from that very store.

SHIELD Helicarrier

Crashed in a field of debris is a SHIELD Helicarrier. We can’t tell which one it is, but we’ve seen enough of these things crash that it’s frankly not a surprise to see another one has gone down.

Ronan the Accuser’s Ship the Dark Aster 

Also crashed in a field is Ronan the Accuser’s flagship Kree vessel known as the Dark Aster. 

The Living Tribunal

Another relic in the fields is an odd statue head bearing three faces draped in a cloth. This is a cosmic entity in Marvel Comics known as the Living Tribunal, a powerful being that works to maintain balance across the infinite realities of the Multiverse. 

Vote Loki

A Loki looking like he’s ready to run for office makes a surprise appearance in the middle of the episode. This variant is a reference to the Vote Loki comic from 2016 that featured Loki attempting to take the White House.

Pizza Delivery Car “GRN-W1D” License Plate

The pizza delivery car Owen Wilson’s Mobius drives bears the license plate “GRN-W1D.” This is a tribute to Marvel Comics legend Mark Gruenwald who not only worked on concepts and characters used in the show (the TVA, Alioth the Usurper, etc.) but whose likeness was used as inspiration for the look of Mobius in the comics and his mustachioed countenance was carried over to the Loki show. Gruenwald was among the Marvel Comics creators given a special thanks in the Loki credits.  

USS Eldridge

There’s more to the sudden appearance of the USS Elridge than a fun (and horrifying) action sequence. The US Navy warship is tied to a conspiracy theory involving a government cover-up and aliens. In a story that has since become an urban legend known as the Philadelphia Experiment, a man named Carlos Miguel Allende alleged that the USS Elridge was transported to another dimension and its crew was killed by vicious aliens. So you can see where the Loki writers picked up the ball and ran with it. 

Oswald and the Martians

An old movie theater sign lists a film called Oswald and the Martians. Those familiar with Disney company history will remember Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as the character who pre-dated Mickey Mouse and very well could have become the face of Disney had Universal not claimed the character in a legal dispute. It seems in the alternate, pruned timeline from which this sign came from, Oswald went on to be the face of Disney and Mickey Mouse was, presumably, never created. The title “Oswald and the Martians” refers to the real-life cartoon called Mars where Oswald traveled to the red planet and met aliens.

Loki’s Sword

The short sword Kid Loki summons and gives to Loki has significance in both Marvel Comics lore and Norse mythology. The weapon Lævateinn was used by Loki in Norse mythology, and its Marvel Comics version Laevateinn can be magically summoned by Loki at will.

Chronopolis

The mysterious building seen at the end of Loki Episode 5 may very well be Chronopolis, home to Kang the Conqueror in the comics. We’ve already seen Kang supporting characters Alioth the Usurper and Ravonna Renslayer, plus Qeng Tower, and this may be his signature city, so perhaps the mystery of the creation of the TVA will all lead to Kang in Episode 6. As the name implies, Chronopolis is a city, but we see just a single building–what appears to be an old estate–in Loki, so either Kang’s base was redesigned for the show, or it’s something else entirely…

What other Easter eggs were in Loki Episode 5? Let’s discuss in the comments!

The longtime showrunner for The Simpsons, Al Jean, has shared his thoughts on Conan O’Brien’s departure from late-night in a recent interview with IGN. O’Brien was a writer and producer for The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993.

In an IGN interview with Jean about the new Simpsons Marvel crossover short with Tom Hiddleston voicing Loki, we asked Jean about his thoughts on Conan O’Brien ending his long-running late-night show.

O’Brien is a late-night veteran, but also a well-known veteran on The Simpsons. He is most famous, probably, for his work on the episode ‘Marge vs. The Monorail.’

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“The thing I would say for people to see what we always saw in Conan: When he was hired, and everybody was going, ‘Who is this guy?’ I said, ‘No you’re going to be surprised how great he is,’” Jean recalled.

Jean went on to praise O’Brien’s work, especially during the pandemic. “I would look at his TBS things — like his trip to the American Girl store, or he visited the Israeli army, or went on Grindr and Tinder — those things are as fall-down funny as anything anybody has ever done.” 

He calls O’Brien a genius and praised how his late-night tenure lasted 28 years “which is only exceeded by the two best: Carson and Letterman,” Jean says.

O’Brien ended his show, Conan, after 10 years on TBS. For his final guest, O’Brien booked Jack Black but had a week of farewell guests that included Patton Oswalt, Martin Short, JB Smoove, Mila Kunis, Bill Hader, and more.

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Before Conan, O’Brien hosted Late Night with Conan O’Brien before a turbulent stint hosting The Tonight Show in 2010. The comedian’s next project will be a weekly variety show for HBO Max, but he will also produce additional content like podcasts through his production company.

Be sure to check out our full interview with Al Jean about “The Good, The Bard, and The Loki,” or check out our coverage of Disney Plus’ Loki series.

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Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor.

Neither Disney’s Marvel Studios nor Warner Bros.’ DC Films will be at Comic-Con@Home, meaning you shouldn’t expect any news from Marvel’s Eternals or Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Deadline reports that both of the pop culture heavyweights will be skipping this year’s event, which is scheduled for later this month.

Instead, Comic-Con@Home will spotlight movies like Snake Eyes and shows like Bob’s Burgers. Batman: The Long Halloween, Part 2 will also be featured at the event, so it won’t be totally bereft of superheroes. And as Deadline points out, this news doesn’t totally rule out Sony, which could still make some sort of appearance with Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius.

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Warner Bros., for its part, has recently found success with its own DC Fandome event, where it debuted Suicide Squad’s full cast, the Justice League Snyder Cut teaser trailer, and lots more. The MCU, meanwhile, continues to dominate streaming with popular MCU shows like Loki. Both have managed to make their own way without the help of the hype generated by San Diego Comic-Con.

This is the second year that Comic-Con will be an all-digital event. Like many other shows, Comic-Con took to streaming amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with panels being hosted on Youtube. There’s no telling when the in-person Comic-Con event will return.

In the meantime, this year’s Comic-Con@Home will run from July 23 to July 25. Keep an eye on IGN for all the biggest news as the big event gets underway.

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Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.

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July 7 is the annual Bungie Day, a holiday created by fans and adopted by Bungie as a day to celebrate the community. It’s also Bungie’s 30th birthday this year, and Destiny players can get the free Spicy Ramen emblem, an homage to Cayde-6’s ramen coupon, when they sign into their Bungie account and redeem the code: YRC-C3D-YNC.

Although a free emblem for all players, it ran into a bit of controversy last month after it was leaked. Bungie warned fans about purchasing the emblem because it would soon be a gift to the community.

If you’re looking to get more emblems, you can acquire them by donating to the Bungie Foundation’s Giving Campaign from July 7 through July 20. Donating $10 gets you last year’s The Bungie Foundation emblem, and $25 or above gives the Circadian Guard emblem. Large donations reward other items such as the Exotic Buoyant Shell Ghost shell for $50 and the Exotic Tiny Tank emote for $75.

The studio is also holding a sale for select merchandise from the Bungie Store that will go till the end of the month. Purchasing from the store will give fans another Bungie Day exclusive emblem.

Additionally, the Bungie Day post shared news about the upcoming Destiny 2 Showcase landing on August 24 for the Witch Queen expansion.

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Warning: Full spoilers follow for Loki: Episode 5.

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With only one more episode of Marvel’s Loki left, the need for answers has reached a critical point!

Good thing there’s Slackin’ Off, the feature where we share our own harebrained theories and guesses about what’s going to happen next, straight from IGN’s own Loki Slack channel. Just causal questions and speculation about the next big plot twists on this super-duper Doctor Who-style series.

In the absolutely overflowing with Easter eggs Episode 5 of Loki, “Journey Into Mystery,” Loki found himself in the Void, a place where “pruned” realities wind up, waiting around to be consumed by a massive smokey Zuul-type beast called Alioth. It’s also a realm that just so happens to have more Loki Variants than anyone else because, well, Lokis tend to survive. No matter what.

Together, with a gang of only slightly devious versions of themselves, including an alligator, Loki and Sylvie figure out a way to double-enchant Alioth in order to get through it and over into the world beyond – a world seemingly being protected by the monster and which houses a huge space mansion. But who lives within those walls? Who is behind the TVA’s curtain?

Meanwhile, Judge Renslayer also claims to be after this mystery manipulator. But how much of the truth is she really telling? Is she truly in the dark about the TVA’s creation or does she know exactly who’s in that castle? With only the finale remaining, it’s time to crack open “Journey Into Mystery” and muse about where it’s all headed. Here are some of our thoughts and theories. Oh, and be sure to drop your own take on Loki’s premiere in the comments — and don’t forget to vote in our poll at the bottom of the page!

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Leftover Question: What Is Ravonna Renslayer’s Deal?

We asked this in a slightly different way last week, but what’s the Judge’s angle here? We expected Sylvie to enchant her this week and learn all of Renslayer’s secrets, but that didn’t happen. So when did Renslayer figure out the TVA was a giant con (or in the very least that the Time Keepers were now, if not always, robots)? Does she know who’s behind it, or is she actually after the shadowy puppet master just like Sylvie is? Last week, she basically presented Loki and Sylvie to the robots so that they could be killed and it seemed like she had no plan at all. How was she ever going to find out the truth if she was just going to execute those two like normal?

So because so much of her story doesn’t quite line up, and she was caught lying to Sylvie this week, we don’t know where she stands. Or even if she’s actually Renslayer. Maybe there’s a Polyjuice Potion situation happening here and Renslayer’s in that mansion!

Theory: The Cosmic Castle Being Guarded by Alioth Is a Prison… for Kang

The show has us, and our main heroes, believing that Alioth was guarding that castle because the show’s Big Bad lives there.

And while that’s a great theory, and might still be true, Alioth could have been blocking passage to that zone because the person in there is being held captive. And because of this, Loki and Sylvie may actually be about to accidentally release someone they’re not supposed to. As in, Alioth was helping contain a destructive force, and the TVA is actually an expansive galactic mechanism that was created to keep some extremely powerful tucked away.

Like Kang the Conquerer. If Kang was the villain in the first Multiversal War then the TVA may have been made to keep him locked up.

But it could go the other way too. Loki and Sylvie could stumble upon a prisoner who’s being held by a bad guy. By a Kang-type character. It stands to reason that these two heroes, who have good intentions, are going into a situation they’ve misread. Naturally, like we’ve been wondering for a few weeks now, the overall controller here could still be some sort of Loki. Especially if we’re willing to entertain that Renslayer isn’t actually who she claims to be. Heck, maybe Kang himself IS a Loki Variant of some sort.

But yeah, we’re still ringing the Kang bell. Not only will he definitely be part of the MCU when Ant-Man 3 rolls around, but this week added a whole new Kang-connected character in Alioth. And that big fortress could be his Castle Limbo.

Theory: Kang Will Be an Uneasy Ally

Okay, so maybe Kang’s coming, even as soon as next week, but… he’s not the villain.

We’re all so eager to pick out the next Thanos for the franchise, but maybe it’s not Kang (as multiverse and time travel-tethered as he is). Maybe Kang is an important, but lesser, villain. Maybe he’s a sort of chaotic neutral ally. Or a villain who becomes an ally – like Loki once did in the MCU. Or even an ally who winds up becoming a villain, or a problem, later on. So if Kang isn’t the next Thanos…who might it be?

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Theory: That’s Castle Doom

Look, it’s hard to know that the Fantastic Four is on the MCU horizon and somehow not be on the lookout for Fantastic Four clues. It’s what excited minds do. Just like how we wondered if the engineer who Monica Rambeau contacted in WandaVision was Reed Richards (that was never answered, by the way).

So, suffice to say, it’s challenging to see a medieval-styled palace, as we head toward the likely reveal of a new major character, and not wonder if it’s Victor von Doom. If we’re theorizing about big Marvel characters who someone would either want to lock up at the end of time and space, or who’s simply lording over all reality at the end of the universe, Doctor Doom is a natural go-to.

Question: Was President Loki Losing His Hand to Alligator Loki a Star Wars Reference or a Peter Pan Reference?

Given that most MCU movies contain a Star Wars reference in them, it’s fun to assume that President Loki losing his trusty backstabbin’ hand was a nod to The Empire Strikes Back. But given that the hand was lost in the chompy maw of Alligator Loki, on the orders of a kid, makes it feel more like Peter Pan.

Either way, it’s Disney, right? And hilarious.

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Question: Do the Real Life Mysteries Included on the Series Like the USS Eldridge Mean Anything?

In the first episode of Loki, we found out that famous ’70s plane hijacker “D. B. Cooper” was actually Loki himself. And that he wasn’t somehow arrested by the TVA for this crazy stunt. Loki being D. B. Cooper was apparently part of the Sacred Timeline.

But in Episode 5, the USS Eldridge and its entire crew wound up in the Void. This ship was part of a purported 1940s naval military event called The Philadelphia Experiment, where the vessel turned invisible thanks to cloaking technology. In our reality, the whole thing turned out to be a hoax, but the show is certainly playing around with these yesteryear conspiracy stories. This USS Eldridge, however, violated TVA protocol and got reset to the Void. So apparently that wasn’t meant to happen.

Do these bizarre American myths mean anything or are they just included for good fun? Will we ever find out what the bet was between Loki and Thor that made Loki go down to Earth and become a vanishing criminal?

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Do you have any remaining questions or theories? Share them below, and vote in this week’s poll too! And for more on the show, check out the Loki release schedule, find out if there are Loki post credits scenes each week, and learn about how Loki evolved from Marvel villain to agent of chaos.

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The two-episode premiere of Monsters At Work is currently available to watch on the Disney+ streaming platform.

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Ever wonder what life in Monstropolis was like after Sulley and Mike Wazowski toppled the villainous CEO, Henry J. Waternoose III, and transferred Monsters, Inc.’s power source from the children’s screams to children’s laughter? No? Oh. Well, this is awkward, because Disney has made an entire cartoon series on that premise, called Monsters At Work. Regretfully, that is just the first in a series of curious choices revealed in its two-part series premiere. 

“Welcome to Monsters, Incorporated” begins with a familiar scene: a scare lab, where a robot child in a prop bedroom serves as a training tool for an aspiring scarer. It’s a bit that this franchise had fun with in Monsters, Inc. and its prequel Monsters University. However, this time it’s given short shrift, used to rush us back through the door into this world of monsters who scare because they care (about bringing power to their hidden city of chipper creatures). It’s also employed to introduce us to the next could-be great scarer. Tylor Tuskman (Ben Feldman) is big, broad-shouldered, and bright purple with two long wildebeest horns. He cuts an imposing figure, and his professor says he has even greater potential than “the great James P. Sullivan.” It’s no surprise that Tylor’s gotten his dream job right out of Monsters U to be a scarer at Monsters, Inc. There’s just one problem: on his first day, he learns the whole company model is shifted and now he’ll have to retrain to become a “jokester.” 

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Like Mike and Sulley in Monsters University, his dreams of becoming a great scarer go up in a puff of smoke. But there’s no fraternity competition that can give him a second chance. The entire scarer industry is obsolete. So–like Mike and Sulley at the end of Monsters University–Tylor must start at the bottom at Monsters, Inc. That’s no longer the mailroom—presumably because the show’s writing team couldn’t conceive of wacky adventures sorting envelopes. Here, the bottom means MIFT: Monsters Inc. Facilities Team. It’s a motley crew of misfits in charge of fixing whatever goes awry, and naturally Tylor’s not thrilled to go from promising rookie to just another schmo toiling away, deep, deep, deep below the scare floor. Sorry, “laugh floor.” 

There is room in this setup to grapple with some poignant issues, like what happens when your dream definitely won’t come true. But even with episodes that are a little over twenty minutes long, no time is made for such reflection or emotion. Tylor’s low point is instead chattered over by a crew of more clamoring characters, like plucky college dropout Val (Mindy Kaling), kindly father-figure Fritz (Henry Winkler), no-nonsense Cutter (Alanna Ubach), and the power-hungry Deputy Supervisor, Duncan (Lucas Neff). Though they are all introduced in the first episode, the second–“Meet Mift”–allows us to get to know this calamitous crew a smidge better. Still, it feels like a rehash of the Monsters University dynamic of Oozma Kappa (OK), a bunch of weirdo underdogs determined to prove their worth. Except no one at Monsters, Incorporated is questioning MIFT’s value. It’s just a less glamorous gig than scarer. (No monster is collecting trading cards of the maintenance team.) So, the stakes feel so low they’re basically non-existent. 

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Further detracting from what is the main arc of Monsters At Work is the Mike and Sulley subplot. Yes, Billy Crystal and John Goodman are back as the charming odd couple. They bring a comforting familiarity and undeniable verve to their performances. But the Mike and Sulley story is a snooze. With Waternoose out, they’ve been put in charge of the company, and must figure out how to reorganize and retrain their entire workforce to make kids laugh instead of scream. This thread allows the show to loop in previously established scarers, like the still-shaved George Sanderson and Carla “Killer Claws” Benitez, as well as silly side characters like the scowling Roz, the cooing Celia, and the goofy duo of Needleman and Smitty, who holler at each other in the style of a vaudeville act. However, whether Sully is strategizing or Mike is offering classes on comedy, there’s little fresh fun in any of this. It just feels like deleted scenes padded into a clumsy cartoon.

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Perhaps the problem is that neither Pete Docter nor Dan Scanlon (directors of the first two films respectively) have been brought on board. Instead, the “creator” of Monsters At Work is Roberts “Bobs” Gannaway, who is not credited on either movie, but has produced Disney spinoff series, including The Emperor’s New School, Timon & Pumbaa, and Lilo & Stitch: The Series. Gannaway has experience in translating the characters and aesthetics of a popular movie into a cartoon series. But in this translation, he’s lost what made the Monsters, Inc. movies feel special: the bond between Mike and Sully. 

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Here the harried heroes who made this franchise wild fun are relegated to glorified cameos. Sadly, Sully has been neutralized. The pathos and vulnerability hidden beneath a confident veneer and fluffy blue fur is eradicated with straight man/stooge setups that allow Mike to get all the laughs. Sure, kids will giggle at Crystal’s verbal explosions. But they could do that with the first two movies while actually getting a story worth watching. As if there’s no room to reflect in an emotional moment. Two episodes in, Monsters At Work on Disney+ feels more like a rerun that misses the big moments that made this beastly franchise roar.

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DICE LA is changing its name to Ripple Effect Studios, EA announced today, completing a rebranding that has been in the making for more than a year. It will be a new start for the former support studio as it sets out to develop a “yet-to-be announced project” that will follow Battlefield 2042. It will remain under the oversight of Respawn Entertainment founder and Group GM Vince Zampella, with Christian Grass continuing in his role as studio general manager.

Ripple Effect’s new name, which was chosen following a team vote, is the latest in a long legacy of rebrands dating back to the late ’90s, when EA first acquired DreamWorks Interactive. DICE LA was founded in the wake of the closure of Danger Close Games, which in turn was a rebranded version of EA Los Angeles. Since opening its doors in 2013, DICE LA has mainly provided support for various iterations of Battlefield. At the moment, Ripple Effect is taking the lead on one of Battlefield 2042’s new modes, which is set to be revealed at EA Play later this month. But behind the scenes, the studio is staffing up aggressively as it prepares to lead development of its own games.

Grass has been involved with several of the studio’s most recent iterations. He moved to Los Angeles in 2009 after eight years with DICE, where he worked on the Medal of Honor reboot with Danger Close. Following Danger Close’s closure in 2013, Grass transitioned to DICE LA, where he was eventually promoted to General Manager in 2017.

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By Grass’ own admission, DICE LA has been “pretty anonymous” since opening its doors. The rebrand is part of an effort to position Ripple Effect so that it can attract talented developers. “We’re coming out with our new social media and media presence. We’re going to talk a lot more about who we are. We’re growing,” Grass tells IGN. “We feel like we have a good culture. There’s always room for improvement, of course, but we’re going to continue to drive that. So in that sense it’s the next step on a journey, but sort of from an external point of view, it does feel like […] maybe a fresh start or a bigger start.”

Ripple Effect’s rebranding has been in the works since at least January 2020, when Zampella — who has taken a larger hand in the EA’s overall business since the success of Apex Legends — told the Los Angeles Times that the time had come to rethink DICE LA’s role

“We want to give it a new image,” Zampella said at the time. “We want people to say, ‘This is a destination you can go and make new content.'”

The change is one part of a broader restructuring at EA that includes the recent hiring of former Call of Duty general manager Byron Beede, who will articulate Battlefield’s overall development strategy going forward. Ripple Effect, meanwhile, will be going its own way when its work on Battlefield 2042 is complete.

“The experience that we are building for Battlefield 2042 […] is sort of setting us up in a way so when it’s revealed you can see there is a new future for Ripple Effect,” Grass says.

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Grass won’t confirm one way or another whether Ripple Effect will continue making shooters, but acknowledges that it’s a studio “comprised of shooter veterans” who have been working on Battlefield for a very long time. “So of course what we want to do is tap into the strengths of the studio and kind of focus on that.”

In particular, Grass talks about spearheading the Community Test Environment for Battlefield 4, which allowed players to playtest new features before they were added to the full game. Indeed, as DICE LA, Ripple Effect played a large role in rehabilitating Battlefield 4 following its rocky launch, leading the development of several expansions. These days Battlefield 4 is considered a beloved classic. “So that’s another thing that we’re really passionate about, which is working very closely with community,” Grass says.

If Ripple Effect does indeed end up making a shooter, it will be an odd historical echo. It was a little more than 10 years ago when EA opted to rebrand EA Los Angeles as Danger Close Games, tasking it with working on a reboot of Medal of Honor. The studio was closed in 2012 following the poor reception afforded Medal of Honor: Warfighter, with some of its employees transitioning over to the newly-formed DICE LA. Now it’s DICE LA trying to chart its own course under a new name.

Grass won’t say much about this period, only that he learned “a lot of things, good and bad” from Danger Close that he says he has infused into Ripple Effect. “I want a studio where everything you do is quality. We have a high-quality development process, we’re really good at leadership, we really focus on how to act and behave because that’s important. We focus on the smallest details and make sure that we drive that high quality,” Grass says. “And of course, in order to constantly improve things, you need to make mistakes. You need to see things not working well so you can learn from them. You also need to get other inputs from diverse points of view so that you can improve quality. You need to find research that drives some of those improvements.”

At the moment, Ripple Effect is preparing to move into a new office close to the current one, which Grass says is an “empty shell right now.” Grass says it is being designed with a hybrid work setup in mind — a consequence of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in which some employees will prefer to continue working from home. Grass also wants to embrace “flexibility and work location,” with an eye toward hiring developers based in other cities across North America.

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“We are on an aggressive path to grow the studio,” Grass says. “So we’re looking for every type of craft and we are going to grow so that we increase our capacity and our capabilities to do more.”

In the near term, Grass and Zampella will take part in a panel titled The Future of FPS hosted by IGN’s Stella Chung, in which they will discuss Battlefield, Apex Legends, and more alongside DICE General Manager Oskar Gabrielson and Apex Legends Director Chad Grenier. It will kick off July 8 at 10am PT.

When EA Play arrives on July 22, it will be a coming out party of sorts for Ripple Effect, which will be eager to make a positive first impression with its work on Battlefield 2042. As the heir to so many fresh starts, Ripple Effect understands better than most the power of a good first impression. Battlefield 2042 launches October 22 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

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Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.