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GDC 2020 Shifts To All-Digital Event

The Game Developers Conference is shifting plans once again in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Though it had been postponed to the summer, organizers now say it will shift to an all-digital event in order to keep participants safe and best serve the community.

“As so many game developers embrace remote working arrangements and online collaboration, we’re inspired to adapt and deliver GDC in a digital format that will be available to everyone with an internet connection, and will work hard to deliver the high-quality content and networking opportunities GDC attendees have come to expect,” organizers said in a statement on the official site.

GDC usually takes place in San Francisco in March. As the global health situation became more pressing, organizers at first announced it would move ahead with extra precautions to stem the spread of the virus. Shortly after, it postponed to an indefinite time in the summer, and then in March it announced new dates: August 4-6. This new announcement references the event still taking place in August.

As opposed to consumer-facing shows like E3 and Gamescom, GDC is built for those who work in the industry to network and share insights. Details on how it will facilitate its usual slate of panels and other events digitally are still forthcoming.

Meanwhile, E3 2020 has been canceled and the ESA will not be hosting a replacement digital event, instead leaving it up to individual publishers to set their own events. Gamescom, which takes place in late August in Cologne, Germany, has announced plans to shift to an all-digital event.

Now Playing: E3 2020 Canceled – How Sony, Microsoft, & Nintendo Have Responded

John Wick Directors To Assist With Matrix 4 Choreography

Directors and former stuntmen Chad Stahelski and David Leitch announced today that they’re returning to The Matrix series to help coordinate the upcoming fourth instalment’s action scenes. In an interview with Collider, the pair discussed coming aboard not to assume full responsibility for guiding all of the movie’s action, but to assist director Lana Wachowski by lending a hand with “the creative concept” and “the choreography and some of the physical training for the guys.”

“I’m helping out a little bit for a sequence, I think Dave [Leitch is] helping out for a sequence,” Stahelski told Collider. “Lana’s come back with a lot of love to have a pseudo-family reunion, so that’s been a lot of fun. It’s been good to see a lot of the crew members again.”

As for what he thinks of the movie so far, Stahelski praises Wachowski for “directing her own action” and said “I think if you’re a fan of the original [Matrix] trilogy you’re gonna love this.” He adds that “from what I know of it, it’s incredibly fun” and that the series is “coming back with a vengeance.”

Stahelski and Leitch have a long history with The Matrix and star Keanu Reeves: both worked on the films’ stunts, with Stahelski standing in as Reeves’ stunt double. More recently, Leitch directed Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Deadpool 2, and Atomic Blonde. He was also an uncredited co-director on the first John Wick film alongside Stahelski, who continued as director for John Wick’s second and third instalments.

The overlaps between The Matrix and John Wick don’t stop there. Though the dates are unlikely to hold among so many other film delays, the fourth Matrix and John Wick were originally planned to share a May 21, 2021 release date. In mid-March, though, the coronavirus pandemic caused The Matrix 4 to halt production just before it was set to shift shooting locations from San Francisco to Berlin.

For more on The Matrix 4, check out a round-up of the details we’ve gathered to date, a set video captured before filming was postponed, and, just to help keep your expectations in check, an argument for why we should maybe be content with the Matrix trilogy as it already is.

If you’re looking for even more on the latest in entertainment, check out GameSpot’s weekly TV series and movies-focused podcast, You Should Be Watching. New episodes premiere every Wednesday and can either be watched as videos over on GameSpot Universe or listened to in audio versions on Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.

MagiCat on Steam: Free Keys for IGN Prime Subscribers

IGN Prime has partnered with TOGE Productions to bring you Steam keys for MagiCat, a side-scrolling platformer inspired by retro games from the 16-bit era.

MagiCat takes players on a quest to retrieve a stolen artifact and explore the astounding magical worlds of the MagiCat universe. Using the powers of dashing, high jump, and fireball, along with items that can be unlocked as the story progresses, players must help MagiCat regain the world’s lost relic. Players will indulge in a memorable adventure packed with excitement and addictive gameplay and game features.

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Click here to get your free key to MagiCat on PC. Keys are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Every month, the IGN Prime team provides members an opportunity to grab great games and goodies picked by the Prime team.

Free Yooka-Laylee Update Adds New 64-Bit Graphics Mode

It’s already a few years old but developer Playtonic Games has unveiled a new mode for Yooka-Laylee on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. You can now play the bubbly platformer in super-nostalgic 64-bit graphics for free.

Accessing the free update is easy: Talk to Vendi, the creepy-looking anthropomorphic vending machine, and she will give you the 64-bit tonic. Drink that up and get ready to take a trip back to the ’90s with blocky graphics reminiscent of Banjo-Kazooie, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Donkey Kong 64, Super Mario 64, and the like.

In addition to this new character model for the bat-chameleon duo Yooka and Laylee, Playtonic also added in the Yooka 64 model from the 2D side-scrolling spin-off Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair.

Yooka-Laylee originally launched in 2017 for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The platformer later joined Xbox Game Pass in October 2019, the same month the side-scrolling spin-off dropped. We scored both Yooka-Laylee and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair a 6/10 in our reviews.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

May 2020 Game Releases: Minecraft Dungeons, Maneater, and More

We’re well into the second quarter of 2020, and the game releases show no signs of stopping. While April had a pair of heavy-hitters with Resident Evil 3 and Final Fantasy VII Remake, May is looking a little quieter. But just because there aren’t as many blockbusters heading our way doesn’t mean we’ll have a lack of new releases. Here’s a look at the biggest video games coming out in May 2020.

Minecraft Dungeons

minecraft-dungeonsRelease Date: May 26

What if Minecraft, but dungeon crawling? I have to assume those were the exact words that popped into the mind of whoever came up with this game. But it’s no cheap Diablo knockoff. It has a number of smart ideas of its own. Check out our Minecraft Dungeons preview for more.

Maneater

maneater

Release Date: May 22

You take control of a shark in this open-world game that lets you evolve your predator from a young fish into a vicious, uh, man-eater. Read our Maneater preview to get an idea of how it all works.

Saints Row: The Third Remastered

saints-rowRelease Date: May 22

The Saints Row series has proven that the GTA formula works just fine when you crank up the comic absurdity to 11. This remastered edition features improved graphics and over 30 pieces of DLC. Check out our Saints Row: The Third Remastered preview for more info.

2K Collections on Switch

bioshockRelease Date: May 29

  • BioShock: The Collection: Amazon
  • Borderlands Legendary Collection: Amazon
  • XCOM 2 Collection: Amazon

If you’re a Switch-owning fan of 2K games, mark May 29 on your calendar. The publisher is dropping three collections of its popular games on the hybrid device all at once.

Other May 2020 Game Releases

Forza Street (May 5)

Someday You’ll Return (May 5)

Void Bastards (May 7)

Super Mega Baseball 3 (May 13)

Those Who Remain (May 15)

  • PS4 | Xbox One

The Wonderful 101: Remastered (May 19)

Total Tank Simulator (May 20)

Arcade Spirits (May 22)

Star Wars Episode I: Racer (May 26)

  • Switch

Shantae and the Seven Sirens (May 28)

  • PS4 | Xbox One | Switch | PC

Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (May 29)

Ninjala (May 27)

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus (May)

For a broader look at 2020, check out the rest of the games announced for this year.

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Chris Reed is IGN’s shopping and commerce editor. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.

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3 New Baby Yoda Funko Pops Revealed–Check Them Out

The first Baby Yoda Funko Pop, which finally releases next month, quickly became the best-selling Funko Pop of all time. Unsurprisingly, Funko has already created a few new Baby Yoda Funko Pops that you can pre-order now. While we have to wait until this fall to watch Baby Yoda’s next appearance in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, at least his new Pop figures look back at some of his most adorable moments from Season 1.

Check out the trio of new Baby Yoda Pops below, two of which release in July, while the deluxe Television Moment set (featuring a cameo from Mando) arrives in September.

Baby Yoda with Frog | $11

Baby Yoda enjoying a mid-afternoon snack
Baby Yoda enjoying a mid-afternoon snack

Baby Yoda is a small little Force-wielder, but he doesn’t mess around when it comes to food. This Pop commemorates the moment when we learned that Baby Yoda’s favorite snack is live frogs. You can pre-order Baby Yoda and the poor froggy for $11 now ahead of its July release.

Baby Yoda with Cup | $11

Baby Yoda minding his own business with a hot cup of soup
Baby Yoda minding his own business with a hot cup of soup

Baby Yoda sipping soup is a glorious meme that has spread far and wide across the internet. It makes total sense that you can soon own the meme in vinyl figure form. This Pop releases in July and is available to pre-order for $11.

The Mandalorian and Child Pop Vinyl Television Moment | $30

Mando and Baby Yoda going on an adventure

Funko’s movie and TV “Moments” collection is filled with some of the cooler Pop vinyls, mainly because they typically come with custom stands that distinguish themselves from regular Pops. The Mandalorian and Child Television Moment features a normal-sized Mando next to a tiny Baby Yoda in his bassinet gliding across the dusty barren terrain on an adventure.

Now Playing: Baby Yoda’s Best Moments In The Mandalorian

Anne Hathaway Showed Up to Her Catwoman Audition as Harley Quinn

Anne Hathaway says that she went on her audition for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises prepared for a totally different DC Comics femme fatale: Harley Quinn.

In a new interview with BBC Radio 1 (via Batman-News), Hathaway explains that she dressed in the style of Harley Quinn when she met with Nolan assuming that was the role he had in mind for her only to discover in the middle of it that she was up for Catwoman.

“I came in and I had this lovely Vivian Westwood kind of beautiful-but-mad tailoring top with stripes going everywhere,” Hathaway recalled. “And I wore these flat Joker-ey looking shoes. And I was trying to give Chris these crazy little smiles.”

This went on for some time before Nolan dropped a bombshell on her.

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“About an hour into the meeting he said ‘Well, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but it’s Catwoman,’” Hathaway said. “And I was shifting into a different gear. ‘Now ok, we’re slinky. We’re slinky. And I hate my shirt. I love my shirt, but I hate it right now. We’re slinky.’”

Given how notoriously secretive Nolan is about his projects, Hathaway can be forgiven for not knowing which character she was up for before she went in. And considering his previous Bat-film, The Dark Knight, featured Joker, perhaps Hathaway assumed the sequel would somehow bring in his shrink-turned-girlfriend Harley Quinn.

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In the end, Hathaway played Catwoman in Nolan’s final Bat-film and Margot Robbie went on to bring Harley Quinn to life in Suicide Squad and Birds of Prey.

Hathaway also recently sent well wishes to the screen’s next Catwoman, Zoe Kravitz, who will play Selina Kyle in next year’s The Batman.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow Animated Movie Cast Revealed

With Justice League Dark: Apokolips War coming to digital next week, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has revealed exciting new details on their next animated DC Universe Movie, Superman: Man of Tomorrow.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the film sees “Clark Kent working as an intern for the Daily Planet and learning on the job how to save the city of Metropolis.”

Darren Criss (Glee, Midway) has been cast in the lead role of Clark Kent, while Star Trek and Heroes’ Zachary Quinto will voice his foe, Lex Luthor.

Criss is no stranger to DC Comics adaptations, having appeared on The CW’s Supergirl and The Flash as the supervillain known as Music Meister.

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The voice cast ensemble of Superman: Man of Tomorrow also includes San Andreas and True Detective’s Alexandra Daddario as Lois Lane, Brett Dalton (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as cosmic bounty hunter Lobo, Ryan Hurst (The Walking Dead) as the supervillain Parasite, and Ike Amadi (Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge) as Martian Manhunter.

Jonathan and Martha Kent will be played by Neil Flynn and Bellamy Young, respectively.

The film’s creative team includes director Chris Palmer, screenwriter Tim Sheridan, and supervising producer Butch Lukic.

Superman: Man of Tomorrow is due out this summer on digital, 4K Ultra combo pack, and Blu-ray combo pack.

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This year also saw the release of another Man of Steel animated movie from WBHE, Superman: Red Son. In our positive review of the film, we praised it as “one of the stronger additions to DC’s animated movie library in recent years.”

New Transformers Movie Announced, Toy Story 4 Director On Board

Beginning as a toy brand in 1984, which then spun-off into a cartoon series, Transformers has had seven theatrically-released Transformers movies–one of which was the 2018 spin-off Bumblebee. Now, there’s another Transformers movie in the works, but this one will take the audience back in time. No, not like how 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight showed Transformers hanging out with King Arthur and Merlin.

The next Transformers film will be an animated feature, and Deadline is reporting that Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley is being tapped to helm the film. The script comes from Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man & The Wasp).

This story will be very different from past Transformers films, as it will take place on Cybertron and will follow the relationship between Megatron and Optimus Prime, before the war between Autobots and Decepticons made them enemies.

There’s no release date set for the animated feature nor information if this is going the classic 2D animated route or 3D. While many movies are seeing delays, an animated feature may be easier to complete during social distancing, since everyone working on the film don’t have to work in close-quarters during production.

Additionally, Netflix is producing a Transformers TV series called Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy. The first trailer arrived back in February, and the show will consist of six, 22-minute long episodes. The series will also take place on Cybertron, following the battle between Autobots and Decepticons.

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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: First In-Game Images Revealed

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla was fully announced today with a CGI trailer, but the press release also included the first in-engine screenshots of the game.

While almost certainly composed, rather than taken during regular gameplay, they give a sense of what the first next-generation Assassin’s Creed game will look like. Check them out in the gallery below:

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The images include a castle-based battle scene, possibly a siege, a group sailing in a longship, and a verdant countryside scene. The latter two images show off the female version of main character, Eivor.

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla was teased in a lengthy stream yesterday, and subsequently revealed as a current- and next-gen game, coming this Holiday 2020.

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Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.