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Valheim Developer Reveals How Next Four Updates Will Shape The Viking Simulator

Nordic multiplayer game Valheim has had a terrific start so far, and developer Iron Gate is looking towards the future. Speaking to PC Gamer, Iron Gate co-founder Henrik Törnqvist revealed more of the game’s current roadmap and how Valheim will grow through Hearth and Home, Cult of the Wolf, Ships and the Sea, and Mistlands updates.

Hearth and Home will be focused on the house building aspect of Valheim, with players able to outfit their dwellings with new building pieces. You’ll also be able to spend more time in the kitchen, with the addition of more food recipes.

Törnqvist didn’t have too much to say about the second update, Cult of the Wolf, but he did mention that it “will be an update that focuses on exploration and combat with hopefully some new fun and different encounters for the players.”

Ships and Sea will bring more attention to the ocean biome and ship customization, which Törnqvist said will feature more stuff to do on the less-populated ocean.

Mistlands is the final update for Valheim that is currently planned and will introduce a brand new biome to explore. “So it will be new enemies, new items, a new boss, new resources, everything, and that’s what we have planned for this year. So yeah, that’s quite a big task, but we will accept the challenge, so to speak,” Törnqvist said.

By the time Valheim is finished, each new biome added to the game will contain its own boss and players will also have a chance to encounter a few mini-bosses while out exploring. From a technical standpoint, Iron Gate is still examining how new biomes will impact the procedurally generated worlds of Valheim, and if these new sections will end up overwriting locations that have already been visited.

The exact dates for the big updates haven’t been announced yet, as Iron Gate’s short-term priority is to begin fixing bugs in Valheim before moving on to developing the more substantial content. No small feat, for a studio that only has five people working on a game that has seen achieved over two million sales in just two weeks and has seen upwards of 300,000 concurrent players on Steam at its peak.

If you’re just starting out in the Viking survival game, be sure to head on over to our Valheim beginners guide for essential tips and tricks.

Now Playing: The Valheim Viking Guide For Beginners

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Mortal Kombat Movie’s First Trailer Is Bloody And Violent

The first red band trailer for the new Mortal Kombat movie has been released. The latest movie adaptation of the classic video game hits theaters and HBO Max on April 16.

The trailer sets up the plot and introduces characters that will be very familiar to fans. There’s Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, Josh Lawson as Kano, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Lewis Tan as Cole Young, and Chin Han as Shang Tsung. The trailer certainly delivers all the expected action, violence, and bloodshed that has been promised from this R-rated movie, and it looks like the film will use many of the moves and fighting styles from the games. Check it out below:

The trailer arrives slightly earlier than originally announced, following the leak of a version earlier today, which had a voiceover in Russian.

Mortal Kombat is directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by Aquaman director James Wan. It was previously set to be released in January, but was moved back to April. Like all other Warner movies in 2021, it will be released in theaters and made available to HBO Max subscribers in the US on the same day. It will then stay on HBO Max for a period of one month before moving to regular On Demand platforms.

This is the third Mortal Kombat movie. The first was released in 1995 and was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, who would go on to make the Resident Evil series. The movie made more than $120 million worldwide, but its 1997 sequel, Annihilation, was a disappointment by comparison with only $51 million. An internet video series called Mortal Kombat Legacy ran from 2011-2013, and there have been two animated movies.

Premium Ghostbusters Afterlife Ecto-1 Toy Gives Us Closer Look At Upcoming Movie

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife has been pushed back again until November 2021, recent releases of posters and trailers have given fans some insight into the upcoming movie. Now, Hasbro’s Plasma Series ECTO-1 collectible showcases what the car will look like in Afterlife.

Currently on sale at Target for $50, this ECTO-1 collectible comes in at 14-inches long and 6-inches tall–to the tallest point on the car. The side doors and back door open up, and the inside of the car is just as detailed as the exterior. Of course, because Ghostbusters: Afterlife is delayed, it’s going to be a long time until fans of the franchise get to finally see it. However, you can get a closer look at what the ECTO-1 will look like with the pictures below.

Plasma Series ECTO-1
Plasma Series ECTO-1

Gallery

The ECTO-1 is very beaten up and has been rusting for quite some time. As we’ve seen in the recent Ghostbusters: Afterlife trailer, it’s been sitting in a barn for who knows how long–probably a couple decades at the least. The attention to detail on this car is tremendous, as Hasbro as given this iconic automobile a lot of wear and tear.

As you can also see above, most of the doors on the car open up–aside from the driver’s side back seat because that’s where the Ghostbuster’s equipment would normally stay. On the passenger side, the seat slides out, so someone could slide out to bust ghosts. And while there are other Plasma Series action figures already available, those are six-inches tall and not to scale with the car. Regardless, the ECTO-1 is a fine collector piece for any Ghostbusters superfan.

That’s not all Hasbro has coming out for Ghostbusters. If you love the movie franchise and Transformers, the two are reuniting once again. The Ghostbusters Transformers Generations Ectotron Ecto-1 is on sale at Target for $60, and it’s an Autobot that turns into the ECTO-1. Additionally, last fall, Hasbro released the Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand, which was incredibly high-end, but was made to look poorly-constructed.

Nvidia Slashes Crypto Mining Performance On Gaming Cards Ahead Of RTX 3060 Launch

To curb continuing stock issues for its latest RTX 30-series, Nvidia is launching a brand-new line of GPUs focused entirely on Ethereum mining, while drastically reducing the effectiveness of GeForce-branded hardware.

Ahead of the launch of the RTX 3060 on February 25, Nvidia has announced that it will push out drivers for the GPU that halve its potential effectiveness at mining Ethereum. This is achieved by identifying certain hashing algorithms used when mining the cryptocurrency and reducing the card’s performance programmatically.

To make up for the change, Nvidia is launching a whole new line of GPUs specifically designed for mining, with the latest Cryptocurrency Mining Processor (CMP) range. These cards won’t have any video outputs, feature lower peak core voltages and frequencies, and improved airflow to help densely packed data centers get as much performance as they can from mining racks.

These cards will be sold by authorized partners, which doesn’t immediately make it clear if they will be specialty items like Nvidia’s Quadro products. There are four cards in total in the range so far, with the 30HX and 40HX expected in Q1, while the more powerful 50HX and 90HX will arrive in Q2. Pricing was not announced at this time.

What it does mean is that for the regular PC gamer, cryptocurrency mining on the side might just be done for now. But it also means that large mining companies will no longer have their eyes set on GeForce GPU releases, which could mean that the RTX 3060 will have a much better launch than every other 30-series product yet.

Gorgeous Japan Exclusive Crayon-Shin Game Could See Western Release

Japan had its own Nintendo Direct last night, and one of the major differences from the western version was the announcement of a beautiful looking Crayon Shin-Chan game. After disappointed fans asked after a potential release, a developer on the project said he would do his best to release a western version.

The Japanese version of last night’s Nintendo Direct offered a trailer for Crayon Shin-chan: Ora to Hakase no Natsuyasumi – Owaranai Nanokakan no Tabi (roughly translated: Crayon Shin-Chan: Me and the Professor’s Summer Holiday – The Endless Seven-Day Trip), which sees the mischievous tyke exploring a tranquil small town, where he can fish, catch bugs, take baths and meet dinosaurs.

The game, due to be released in Japan this summer, mixes cel-shaded characters and more realistic backdrops to create a beautiful aesthetic – you can check out the trailer below:

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/18/crayon-shin-chan-official-japanese-trailer-nintendo-direct”]

Shin-Chan fans were disappointed that the game appeared to be exclusive to Japan, but developer Kaz Ayabe (who previously made the similarly tranquil Attack of the Friday Monsters for 3DS) has teased a potential western release.

“I will do my best to release the European version,” Ayabe tweeted, in response to a message asking about whether the game would be releasing in Europe. A European release for a Japanese game usually means a North American release isn’t too far behind.

In other February 2021 Nintendo Direct news, here’s everything that was announced during last night’s western version of the show, including The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD. One of the other games revealed during the show was Mario Golf Super Rush, a new sports game from Camelot with a fully-fledged story mode.

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

WandaVision Episode 7 Clip Teases Episode That’s A Lot Like Modern Family

The popular Marvel TV show WandaVision returns for its seventh episode on February 19, but you don’t have to wait until then to get a first look at it.

Marvel has published a new clip from the episode titled, “We’ve All Been There,” in which Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda talks about the world collapsing around her. Something very strange is going on, and as usual, all is probably not what it seems. The clip appears to pay homage to the TV show Modern Family. Check it out below:

This will be the seventh of nine episodes for WandaVision season one, with the freshman outing scheduled to wrap up with the finale on March 5.

For more on the latest episode of WandaVision, check out GameSpot’s breakdown of 24 Easter eggs, references, and everything else you missed. You can also check out our full rundown of WandaVision season one.

While WandaVision season one may be coming to an end soon, Marvel’s next show–The Falcon and the Winter Soldier–premieres its six-episode mini-series on March 19. Before that, Marvel will debut a new documentary series called Assembled on March 12, with episodes taking viewers behind the scenes of Marvel Cinematic Universe television shows and movies.

HBO Max’s Animated Aquaman Show Gets First Image

The first image from the upcoming animated DC show Aquaman: King of Atlantis has been released. It comes from a video announcing the rebranding of family content on HBO Max and Cartoon Network under the title Redraw Your World.

The Aquaman: King of Atlantis artwork reveals animated versions of Aquaman–aka Arthur Curry–and Mera, getting ready for action. The art style is in a hand-drawn style that’s clearly aimed at younger viewers–check it out below:

Aquaman: King of Atlantis
Aquaman: King of Atlantis

Aquaman: King of Atlantis will be released on HBO Max and is expected later this year. It’s a three-part show that is executively produced by James Wan, who helmed the hit movie Aquaman. The series will focus on Arthur as he takes over as ruler of the undersea world and has to deal with a range of problems, from ancient evil threats to his half-brother Orm who is looking to overthrow him.

HBO’s Redraw Your World rebranding will bring together more than 300 hours of original series, specials, and acquisitions on HBO Max and Warner’s Cartoon Network channels. As well as the Aquaman show, upcoming series include the Gremlins prequel Gremlins: The Secrets of the Mogwai, a Teen Titans Go! Spin-off show titled The Night Begins to Shine, and a series of Ben 10 specials.

In terms of live-action Aquaman, Wan will direct the sequel to his 2018 blockbuster. Aquaman 2 is currently set for a December 2022 release, with Jason Momoa and Amber Heard returning to their roles of Arthur and Mera.

Fall Guys Is Coming To Xbox This Summer

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, a battle royale game unlike any other, is coming to Xbox this summer. It will be available on Xbox One, as well as Xbox Series X|S, but a specific release date or price has not been announced yet.

Lead game designer Joe Walsh from developer Mediatonic made the announcement on the Xbox blog. “Our whole team cannot wait to welcome Xbox players to the Blunderdome for all sorts of bean-based mayhem. It’s certainly been a while coming, but we’re here and couldn’t be happier,” Walsh said.

Fall Guys coming to Xbox is no big surprise, as Microsoft previously said on social media that it was happening, but the game is not coming to Xbox Game Pass.

This is just the latest expansion for Fall Guys, as Mediatonic announced during the February Nintendo Direct that Fall Guys is also coming to Nintendo Switch this summer.

Developer Mediatonic seemingly had a deal with Sony to keep Fall Guys exclusive to PS4 on console, but that pact is now coming to an end. Fall Guys was free on PS4 at launch in August 2020 for PS Plus subscribers. The game is also available on PC.

In Fall Guys, up to 60 players compete across a variety of minigame modes to be the last jellybean-thing standing, and the silly randomness and ragdoll physics further differentiate Fall Guys from the military- and shooting-focused battle royale games on the market.

Fall Guys is currently in its third season, which has a wintery theme. The first season started just after the game launched and ran through October 2020, while the second season, which introduced medieval-themed costumes and new maps, ran from October to December 2020. Season 3.5 is currently going on now.

There is no word yet on if there will be cross-play support between the new console editions of Fall Guys when they release this summer. We also don’t have specific release dates for Xbox or Switch yet, beyond “Summer.”

It’s a good time to get into Fall Guys, as the base game is a lot of fun and lots more content is planned for the future.

Dave Bailey, the co-founder and CEO of Mediatonic, said the team has only “just scratched the surface” of what’s possible for the battle royale title. The original pitch for the game was to create the “greatest game show on Earth,” and Mediatonic plans to deliver on that ambition.

“When you think about it in that way, there’s a million different ways we can take this and I hope people will see that come through in future,” Bailey said.

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Sea Of Thieves Just Had Its Biggest Month Ever, 35 Months After Release

Microsoft’s swashbuckling pirate game Sea of Thieves is bigger than it’s ever been. Developer Rare has announced that January 2021 was the game’s biggest-month ever in terms monthly active users. Executive producer Joe Neate commented in video about the “incredible” achievement that the game has reached, nearly three years after it launched in March 2018.

Neate also revealed that Sea of Thieves just recently saw the highest concurrent user figure ever since the game’s initial launch period.

“To be nearly three years into the journey of Sea of Thieves and to be in that position is just incredible,” he said. “So thanks to everyone who has been here since the start or has joined us more recently. It’s an amazing moment in time for us.”

Looking ahead, Neate predicted that 2021 will be the biggest year ever for Sea of Thieves. The launch of the new Seasons schedule–whereby new content and activities are released every few months–is just the beginning. There is a lot more to come, Neate said.

To support Sea of Thieves’ growth, Rare has ramped up its staffing. Right now, the company employs more people than ever before on the Sea of Thieves project, and the growth in headcount is meant to reflect and support the growth in players, Neate said.

Additionally, Neate said Rare continues to work with external development partners to support the continued scaling of Sea of Thieves. “We want to make Sea of Thieves as big as it can be,” he said.

The next update for Sea of Thieves arrives today, February 18, introducing a series of quality-of-life improvements. There is a new accessibility feature that allows players to select mono versus stereo. Additionally, Sea of Thieves will connect more seamlessly with Steam’s framework to support things like inviting friends to your match and joining them.

There is also now Japanese localization in the game, while a new in-game charity campaign has kicked off to help support a local children’s hospital. Check out the video above to catch up with everything that’s new in Sea of Thieves.

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The Matrix 4 Star Neil Patrick Harris On How The Movie Felt “Intimate” To Film

Actor Neil Patrick Harris has described his experience filming the upcoming sci-fi movie, The Matrix 4. Speaking to Variety, Harris said the production felt “intimate” despite being a large-scale, big-budget action movie.

“It didn’t feel large because it felt like she was in her sweet spot, which was filming on the fly, filming using natural light,” he said of director Lana Wachowski (via Collider).

Harris said there were times where the cast would sit around for an hour as they waited for clouds to clear to help get an ideal shot. “And then you’d quickly film,” he said. For a movie with the scale and ambition of The Matrix 4, Harris said he was expecting something different.

But he remarked that Wachowski may have wanted to mix things up with The Matrix 4 after filming the original trilogy in a particular way.

“You’d film pages at a time in 30 minutes and then be done… You would think that a giant movie would be 100% storyboarded, animatics, and we’d be checking off shots,” he said. “I think she lived that before three times over, and I would suspect that she wants to do things her own way now. It wasn’t often that you felt that you were doing something gigantic because she made it feel very intimate.”

The Matrix 4 is reportedly called “Resurrection,” and for obvious reasons. It brings back Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss from the original trilogy, with Priyanka Chopra and Jonathan Groff among the new cast members alongside Harris and others.

The film is set to release on December 22 in theaters and on HBO Max, where it will be available to subscribers at no extra charge for one month.