Disney’s Jungle Cruise Sequel Confirmed

A Jungle Cruise sequel is confirmed to be in development just as the newest Disneyland ride-turned-movie crosses $100 million at the box office.

The Hollywood Reporter says Disney is moving forward on another Jungle Cruise movie with stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt reprising their roles as Frank Wolff and Dr. Lily Houghton respectively.

In fact, much of the same crew is expected to return for the sequel including director Jaume Collet-Serra and co-writer Michael Green.

Jungle Cruise is an adventure film based on a ride of the same name found at several Disney theme parks. The premise of the ride is that park-goers get on a ship as they’re navigated through a jungle while guided by a skipper who shares fun facts about the locale.

Disney recently made some changes to the Jungle Cruise rides over outdated, and in some cases, racist references.

The film adaptation takes the core premise of a cruise navigating the Amazon river but wraps it in a classic, pulp adventure story.

Jungle Cruise was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access and though it was a slow build, Jungle Cruise eventually proved to be a box office hit. Meanwhile, Disney is currently engaged in a lawsuit with actress Scarlett Johansson over a pay dispute resulting from Black Widow’s similar hybrid release.

IGN praised Jungle Cruise as a “joyous summer romp rooted on by a fun script and some completely captivating chemistry” between Johnson and Blunt.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Every Video Game Adaptation Coming to Netflix – State of Streaming 3.0

There are more streaming networks than ever before, so if you have questions about the future of streaming, then you’ve come to the right place. All week long, IGN’s State of Streaming 3.0 initiative is featuring reviews and in-depth analysis about current streaming providers like Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and more!

While it still offers an extensive library of full seasons of network shows and classic films, Netflix’s biggest weapon in the streaming wars has been its original content. Netflix is spending $17 billion on original shows and movies that you won’t be able to see without paying them $8.99 to $17.99 a month, while also scooping up exclusive licenses to plenty of media made outside the U.S. These productions run the gamut from soap operas to documentaries, but one area the streaming giant has been seriously investing in is video game adaptations.

That’s no surprise, as Netflix’s rivals are also hoping that games will become the new comic books, providing a built-in devoted audience who will tune in to see their favorite characters brought to life in a new way. HBO is spending a ton of money on its adaptation of The Last of Us and the creators of Westworld are working on a Fallout show for Amazon. But Netflix is showing its power as the first major streaming service by staying ahead of the trend by producing an enormous slate of video game adaptations.

Netflix has already earned huge success with its adaptation of The Witcher, which draws inspiration from both Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels and the CD Projekt Red video game series. The streaming service has also supplemented its extensive selection of anime with animated adaptations of Castlevania and Resident Evil. Video game projects in various stages of production at the streamer include a movie releasing this month, various series, and titles that haven’t even been named yet (and could be stuck in development hell). Here’s everything we know about the many video game adaptations coming to Netflix.

Pokémon Master Journeys: The Series

Release Date: Sept. 10, 2021

While this isn’t actually a Netflix original, the continuation of the Pokemon Journeys anime will be exclusively available on Netflix in the U.S. The show will follow Ash as he fights through the World Coronation Series accompanied by Goh, who is on a quest to catch one of every Pokemon.

The Witcher: Season 2

Release Date: Dec. 17, 2021

Henry Cavill’s Geralt found his destiny in Princess Cirilla at the end of Season 1, and this season will show her training among the other witchers of Kaer Morhen while also learning to harness her powerful magical abilities. The story transitions between Sapkowski’s short story collection The Last Wish and his first Witcher novel Blood of Elves, starting with an adaptation of the tale “A Grain of Truth,” which is a riff on Beauty and the Beast.

Angry Birds: Summer Madness

Release Date: TBA 2021

Building on the success of the 2016 and 2019 films based on the popular mobile game, Netflix announced in 2020 that it was working on an Angry Birds animated series. The family-friendly show will follow teenage versions of Red, Chuck, Bomb, and Stella and their adventures at Camp Splinterwood in what sounds like Angry Birds meets Wet Hot American Summer.

Arcane

Released Date: Fall 2021

The limited-run series based on League of Legends will be Riot Games’ first TV adaptation. It will share the origin stories of sisters Vi and Jinx, two champions from the game, with the action alternating between the oppressed underground of Zaun and the utopian Piltover.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Released Date: 2022

Building on the partnership with CD Projekt Red that led to The Witcher adaptations, Netflix announced in June 2020 that it will release an anime set in the universe of Cyberpunk 2077. Rather than following the game’s plot, the 10-episode limited series will focus on a street kid turned mercenary. Kill la Kill’s Hiroyuki Imaishi will direct the series with Studio Trigger providing the animation and Silent Hill composer Akira Yamaoka writing the score.

Sonic Prime

Released Date: 2022

Sonic the Hedgehog will be going on an epic adventure through the multiverse in this 24-episode animated series. The Blue Blur will also be on a journey of “self-discovery and redemption,” according to Netflix. Man of Action Entertainment will helm the project. It’s unclear whether the show will be released before Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which will star Idris Elba as Sonic’s frenemy Knuckles.

Assassin’s Creed

Release Date: TBD

Netflix and Ubisoft announced in October that they had inked a deal to develop a genre-bending live-action adaptation of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, which will reportedly be written by Jeb Stuart. Like it has with The Witcher, Netflix will be using Assassin’s Creed as the basis for multiple projects that will be both live action and animated.

Beyond Good & Evil

Release Date: TBD

Detective Pikachu director Rob Letterman is working on a film adaptation of Ubisoft’s adventure game that will blend live action with animation. There hasn’t been any news about the project since it was announced in July 2020, so it’s still unclear who the writers will be and how closely the plot will follow the game about an investigative journalist in the year 2435 working with an underground resistance movement on a remote mining planet.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix

Release Date: TBD

Netflix announced this anime adaptation of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon in June. The six-episode project will be helmed by Castlevania’s Adi Shankar, animated by Bobbypills, and directed by Mehdi Leffad. Netflix also used the announcement to share that a second Far Cry anime will also come to the streaming service, but it’s unclear what game it will be based on.

Expanded Castlevania Universe

Release Date: TBD

The current Castlevania series ended its four-season run in May, but before that Netflix announced that it would be streaming a new series set in the same universe but focusing on different characters.

The Cuphead Show!

Release Date: TBD

Wayne Brady plays King Dice, the main antagonist of the animated series that follows the adventures of the impulsive Cuphead and his cautious brother Mugman. While it will share the 1930s animation style of the 2017 game, the show will have an original character-driven comedic story.

Devil May Cry

Release Date: TBD

Shankar is developing an anime based on the Capcom game for his Bootleg Multiverse. This project shouldn’t be confused with the 2007 Japanese show Devil May Cry: The Animated Series.

The Division

Release Date: TBD

Rawson Marshall Thurber will direct The Division film starring Jake Gyllenhall and Jessica Chastain, with Ellen Shanman writing the adaptation. Thurber replaced original director David Leitch, who stepped down due to scheduling conflicts. Like the Ubisoft game it’s based on, the movie follows a group of civilians trying to save what remains of New York’s population after a devastating virus spreads through the city through money spent on Black Friday. This promises to be a pretty messed up Christmas movie.

DOTA: Dragon’s Blood – Season 2

Release Date: TBD

The first season of the animated show based on the MOBA was released in March and Netflix confirmed in April that a second season is coming.

Dragon’s Lair

Release Date: TBD

In March 2020, Ryan Reynolds was reported to be in talks to play the heroic knight Dirk the Daring in a live-action adaptation of the 1983 arcade game, but there haven’t been any updates since.

Pokemon

Release Date: TBD

Lucifer co-showrunner Joe Henderson will write and executive produce a live-action adaptation of Pokemon that aims to build on the success of Detective Pikachu. The series is in early development, with no plot or cast announcements to date.

Resident Evil

Release Date: TBD

Lance Reddick will play the mad scientist Albert Wesker in a live-action series set nearly three decades after the release of the T-virus. The show is currently in production and other cast members include Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, and Paola Núñez.

Splinter Cell

Release Date: TBD

John Wick creator Derek Kolstad will be writing the animated series based on the Ubisoft franchise. Kolstad said each season will be self-contained aside from developing the hero — who will presumably be black ops agent Sam Fisher — and that he’s drawing inspiration from Westerns.

Tomb Raider

Release Date: TBD

Tasha Huo will write and executive produce the anime series set after the events of Crystal Dynamics’ recent game trilogy. Legendary Entertainment, which worked with Netflix on the Lost in Space remake, and Sonic the Hedgehog film producers dj2 Entertainment will also be part of the project.

The Witcher: Blood Origin

Release Date: TBD

The Witcher and Iron Fist writer Declan De Barra will serve as showrunner for this live-action, limited series set 1,200 years before the events of the main show. The story follows the creation of the first Witcher and the cataclysmic events that brought the worlds of elves, humans, and monsters together. Sarah O’Gorman and Vicky Jewson each direct half of the six-episode series which stars Michelle Yeoh, Sophia Brown, and Laurence O’Fuarain.

What Netflix video game adaptations are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments section!

Daily Deals: WD Black SN850 1TB SSD: The Best PS5 Console Storage Upgrade Option Is Back in Stock

If you’re looking to upgrade your PS5 console’s internal storage, then you’re in luck. The WD SN850 M.2 SSD complete with a low-profile heatsink is back in stock from Western Digital direct. It’s the most recommended SSD option for the PS5, but it has also been sold out everywhere for a while. It’s currently back in stock at Western Digital, but probably only for a short while. In other deal news, save on the lightest wireless mouse that Logitech sells, an incredible pair of Sony noise cancelling headphones, the newest Apple iPad Air, and powerful Lenovo gaming laptops during the Intel Gamer Days Sale event.

Back in Stock (Including 1TB Model): WD Black SN850 M.2 SSD with Heatsink

The Western Digital official storefront has all models of the SN850 SSD with heatsink in stock right now, and that includes the extremely hard to find 1TB model. This is currently the most popular (and probably the best) SSD to get for your PS5 storage upgrade. It’s blazing fast drive with transfer speeds rated at up to 7,000 MB/s and a PCIe Gen4 interface and it comes preinstalled with a heatsink. It’s also confirmed by Western Digital themselves to be compatible with the PS5.

WD EasyStore 1TB Portable SSD

Portable SSDs have several advantages over traditional hard drives. Since there are no moving parts, they’re more likely to survive scrapes and drops. Because SSDs are so fast, maximum speed is usually limited by the connection; fortunately this EasyStore SSD boasts transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s over USB 3.0. It’s compact, lightweight, and doesn’t need any additional power other than what’s provided from the USB port.

Logitech G Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse (Lightest Logitech Wireless Mouse)

This is the mouse I currently use for gaming and I highly recommend it. Wireless mice usually weigh more than wired mice because of the battery. The G Pro Wireless bucks that trend by being far and away the lightest wireless mouse that Logitech sells at only 2.8 ounces. As a comparison, the wireless MX Master 3 weighs 5 ounces, the wireless G503 weighs 6 ounces, even the popular wired G502 Hero weighs 4.2 ounces without any of its adjustable weights.

Razer Core X eGPU Enclosure

If your laptop has a Thunderbolt 3 port, you can supercharge its gaming capabilities by adding this external GPU enclosure. No video card is included, so you can add your own. Desktop video cards are far more powerful than their mobile variants; stick an RTX 2060 in here and it will be faster than any gaming laptop on the market. It’s normally $400, but today there’s a hefty 30% off discount that drops it down to only $280.

$2,100 Off Lenovo ThinkPad 15″ 4K RTX 3080 Laptop

Lenovo ThinkPad laptops are known for their best-in-class ruggedness and reliability, and even if it ever breaks down, Lenovo offers the best customer service in the business. Usually, that level of build quality and support usually comes at a steep price. Add an RTX 30 series video card to the mix and you’d expect a cost that most people would balk at. Take this laptop for example. It’s retail price is nearly $5,000. However, there is a coupon today that drops the price way down to under $2900. If you’re looking to purchase a ThinkPad that’s got the power to do some serious gaming, you won’t find a price like this anytime soon.

Lenovo Intel Gamer Days Sale: Save on Legion Gaming Laptops and Desktop PCs

Lenovo’s “Legion” series of gaming PCs and laptops offer the latest and greatest gaming performance at a very reasonable cost. They’re equipped with the newest RTX 30 series video cards, which offer huge speed gains compared to the previous generation’s RTX 20 series cards, along with new technology like DLSS 2.0 (very useful) and ray tracing (not as much). Alongside these new GPUs are your choice of either AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series or Intel’s Rocket Lake/Tiger Lake processors. Lenovo also offers one of the best customer service experiences compared to other prebuilt PC makers, which is especially important if you haven’t built the PC yourself. Lenovo’s sale events can be hard to navigate, so we’ve conveniently rounded up a list of the best Legion deals going on right now.

Gigabyte Aero 4K OLED RTX 3060 Gaming Laptop

An RTX 3060 laptop for $1299 is already a pretty solid deal. Gigabyte goes one step further by adding in a gorgeous 4K AMOLED display. These powerful 15″ laptops weigh only 4.4lbs and are paired with the newest 11th gen Intel Core i7 processors and plenty of RAM and SSD storage. The video card is rated at 105W TGP. There’s a similar deal available at Newegg for $50 less, but you’d have to apply for a mail-in rebate and you get less SSD storage.

Sony WH-1000XM3 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

This is close to the lowest price ever for these highly rated Sony headphones. There is a newer model out (the XM4 vs the XM3) but it currently costs $348, almost double the price for negligible improvement. This is easily one of the best headphones under $500, both in terms of acoustic performance and effective noise cancellation. It’s also very comfortable to wear, has a huge 30-hour battery life, and even features a USB Type-C charging port.

$100 Off the Newest Apple iPad Air

The 4th generation Apple iPad Air released in 2020 is still the newest model out. It’s one of the most powerful tablets on the market and considerably less expensive than an iPad Pro. Thanks to its slim bezels, it has a larger screen size (10.9″ vs 10.2″) compared to the iPad without noticeably increasing the overall footprint. The iPad Air’s display also boasts better image quality, thanks to Tru Tone and P3 Wide Color (gamut). It connects via USB Type-C cable, which is much more convenient than the proprietary Lightning cable.

Forza 5 Limited Edition Xbox Controller

This wicked looking Xbox controller went up for sale yesterday for $74.99. Today, it’s on sale at Walmart for $69, although we doubt it will last very long at this price. There’s also of detail given to this controller, like the transparent yellow finish with candy colored splatter, custom-colored, visible rumble motor and lighting effects, color shifting hybrid D-pad, asymmetrical thumbsticks in different bold colors, and textured controller grips. This is one of the best new Xbox controllers out on the market.

Xbox Elite Series 2 Wireless Controller

This is the controller to get if you want the most precise and customizable Xbox controller on the market. This professional-grade controller features adjustable tension thumbsticks, shorter hair trigger locks, wraparound textured grips, interchangeable thumbsticks and paddle shapes, custom profiles saved on your controller itself, and included USB Type C cable with charging dock. It boasts up to 40 hours of battery life and is compatible with the Xbox Series S|X, Xbox One, and PC.

New Release: Oculus Quest 2 VR Headset with More Storage, Same Price

The Oculus Quest 2 has so far been the best value when it comes to VR gaming. It’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than its competitors, it has phenomenal tracking, it doesn’t need to be tethered to a PC, and it boasts a huge library of games (even Half Life: Alyx is easily playable on the Quest 2). It’s also the best VR headset for Beat Saber. Now, Oculus has re-released its Oculus Quest 2 VR headset with double the storage (128GB vs 64GB) for the exact same price. There’s even less of a reason now to pick something else.

Amazon Prime Student Members Get 3 Months of Free Audible Premium Plus

If you’re an Amazon Prime Student member, you get a lot of pretty amazing perks like 6 months of free Amazon Prime membership followed by 50% off your Prime membership for up to 4 years, Amazon Music Unlimited for $0.99/mo, and more. Now, there’s yet another perk exclusive to Amazon Prime Student members; get 3 free months of Audible Premium Plus (normally $14.95/mo). If you’re a current student or faculty, you’re eligible for an Amazon Prime Student membership.

Video Game Deals

More Daily Deals for August 30

Streamer DrLupo Announces Deal To Stream Exclusively on YouTube Gaming

Professional streamer Ben Lupo, known as DrLupo, announced he will begin live streaming exclusively on YouTube Gaming. His first YouTube livestream will take place tomorrow, August 31.

Twitch tweeted following DrLupo’s announcement, wishing him all the best as he moves on from the platform.

On Twitch, DrLupo has 4.5 million followers. He’s gained popularity streaming games including Fortnite, Destiny, Escape from Tarkov, and more. He also famously streamed with Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat, in what was dubbed as a “Battle for Global Supremacy.” DrLupo is also known for his charity streams, which have raised millions of dollars for St. Jude.

He’s moving over to YouTube, where he currently has about 1.7 million followers. DrLupo says the move to YouTube will allow him to expand his philanthropic efforts, saying, “through this partnership, YouTube will help me as I expand my brand through other entertainment initiatives. I am excited to bring my fans on this journey with me.”

DrLupo is not the first big streamer to move from Twitch to YouTube Gaming. Jack “CouRage” Dunlop made the move back in 2019. Ninja also left Twitch in favor of Mixer in 2019. But after Microsoft shut Mixer down, he moved over to YouTube for a brief stint before returning to Twitch late last year.

All of this is part of a broader effort by the biggest streaming platforms to lock down talent as exclusives, similar to how various streaming services boast exclusive shows and movies.

For more, read about how 2020 was YouTube’s biggest year ever in terms of video games, with over 100 billion hours spent watching gaming content on the platform.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

(Photo by Robert Reiners/Getty Images)

New Lego Star Wars Game Coming To Exclusively To Apple Arcade

A new Lego Star Wars game has been announced, and it’s coming exclusively to Apple Arcade. TT Games and Warner Bros. Games have announced Lego Star Wars Battles, a new tower defense game featuring famous Star Wars characters, locations, and vehicles.

The game includes content from each era of Star Wars. It lets you create fantasy-type scenarios and answers questions like, “What happens when an Ewok takes on a Tusken Raider?” and, “Can a flock of porgs tackle a Stormtrooper in a standoff?”

A first look at Star Wars Battles
A first look at Star Wars Battles

Gallery

The gameplay involves 1v1 multiplayer battles, with players assembling a team that consists of a character and a vehicle, and they don’t have to be from the same era of Star Wars. In addition to the main movies, content from The Clone Wars and Rogue One will appear. Some of the characters featured in the game like Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Rey, Boba Fett, porgs, stormtroopers, and battle droids. In terms of vehicles, you can expect AT-ATs, TIE Bombers, and the Millennium Falcon, among others.

More locations are unlocked as you progress, and some of the new venues include Scarif, Naboo, Hoth, Endor, and Geonosis.

“Strategy is required to deploy troops and build Lego towers on the battlefield as they attempt to destroy their opponent’s base either using a deck of light side or dark side armies, each with their own play style,” reads a line from the game’s description.

No release date for Lego Star Wars Battles was announced.

Apple Arcade is a gaming-focused subscription service that costs $5/month and gets you access to a library of titles with no in-app purchases or ads. For more, check out GameSpot’s roundup of the 12 best Apple Arcade games you can play right now.

If Star Wars Battles doesn’t sound like your thing, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is set for release in early 2022 after years of development and delays.

Peacock’s Vampire Academy Series Sets Main Cast, Directors

Peacock has announced the full cast for its upcoming adaptation of the popular YA book series Vampire Academy, which was greenlit earlier this year. In a release, Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) was named as leading an expansive ensemble for the streaming show–which doesn’t yet have a firm release date.

Julie Plec, who co-developed and worked extensively on the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, will help as showrun, write, executive produce, and director on the upcoming series. A synopsis for the series is as follows: “St. Vladmir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school–it’s a hidden place where vampire royals are educated and half-human teens train to protect them from the savage ‘Strigoi’ vampires who would like to see them destroyed.” Here are the newly announced characters, straight from the release:

  • Sisi Stringer (Mortal Kombat) will play Rose Hathaway, a vampire-human hybrid known as a Dhampir. Fiery and outspoken, Rose is a true fighter in spirit and in practice. She always jumps into action, and more often than not, this results in demerits.
  • Daniela Nieves (Sex Appeal, Five Points) will play Lissa Dragomir, a Royal Moroi vampire. Growing up the younger sister to the heir apparent, Princess Vasilisa Dragomir is a carefree, kind-hearted, royal princess coasting through her studies and happily chasing fun.
  • Kieron Moore (Masters of the Air, Sex Education) will play Dimitri Belikov, the model of a Dhampir guardian: lethal, disciplined, discreet, and totally committed to his role as bodyguard to the ruling Moroi, the “good,” mortal vampires of his world.
  • André Dae Kim (Degrassi, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) will play Christian Ozera, a Royal Moroi vampire. Intelligent and thoughtful, Christian is the pariah of the school and royal court, due to his parents’ unforgivable societal sins.
  • J. August Richards (Angel, Generation) will play Victor Dashkov. Victor is a Moroi noble vampire with a heart of gold who’s highly regarded for his role as advisor and political strategist to Moroi dignitaries.
  • Anita-joy Uwajeh (West End’s Cyrano de Bergerac and King Lear), will play Tatiana Vogel. Tatiana is a Moroi vampire and political underdog who slowly takes the royal court by storm.
  • Mia Mckenna-bruce (West End’s Billy Elliot The Musical, The Dumping Ground) will play Mia Karp, a student at St. Vladimir’s Academy. Witty, cutting, and just the right kind of ruthless when necessary, non-Royal Mia has a long-term plan to social climb her way into the ranks of royalty, with all the privilege and freedom that entails.
  • Rhian Blundell (Torchwood: Believe, Doctor Who: The Dread of Night) will play Meredith, a smart, strong-willed Dhampir who is a keen observer, which makes her an excellent strategist and a valuable asset. She has little patience for Rose’s volatility or Mia’s elitism, and regularly calls both of them out.
  • Jonetta Kaiser (Tales, Breakwater) will play Sonya Karp. Quiet, careful and decidedly odd, Sonya is not of royal bloodline and sits out on the fringe of Moroi society, preferring to spend her time in the library or her gardens.
  • Andrew Liner (Grown-ish) will play Mason Ashford. Charming, loyal and popular, Mason is Rose’s main competition in the quest to become the number one Guardian-in-training. Though their relationship is casual on her side, he is hopeful she will finally look at him and see him as something more.

In addition to Plec, Marguerite MacIntyre (The Vampire Diaries) will showrun, write, and executive produce. Also, the show’s upcoming directors will include Bille Woodruff (Black Lightning), Luis Prieto (White Lines), Jesse Warn (Supergirl), Erica Dunton (Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings), and Geoff Shotz (Charmed).

Season 1 of Vampire Academy is expected to span 10 60-minute episodes, and will film in Spain with an expected 2022 release date.

Fortnite Has A Leaker Problem, And They Seem To Know Everything

Fortnite is leaking. It has been for years. In a community of its size, the perpetual stream of datamined details from players inspect the game’s PC files with each new update makes sense. Fans are ravenous for information on what’s coming down the content pipeline for one of the world’s biggest platforms–be it new game modes, new weapons, or especially new collaborations like Marvel, Ariana Grande, and The Walking Dead. Maybe in some light, Epic would even say Fortnite’s state of constantly being dissected by its players is a blessing. It’s perhaps flattering to be so wanted rather than ignored, to which teams behind past failed live-service games can probably attest.

By now, Epic surely knows to expect any secrets dumped into its files to be ripped out before their proper reveals, and for now, there seems to be no way around that. But lately, a different set of leaks has been appearing online. So far, they are proving to be credible, and some even speak to in-game events out of the reach of even the most restless dataminers. Someone is sharing the game’s most secretive plans.

Historically, the cadence of being a Fortnite fan has meant waking up to–or staying up for–recaps of everything dataminers like Hypex, iFireMonkey, and ShiinaBR uncover in their datamining efforts with the overnight patches the game receives roughly every few weeks. There’s no shortage of Fortnite players like them who have built successful brands on YouTube and Twitter largely through sharing these Fortnite leaks, but there has always been much more they didn’t have access to.

Fortnite's massive in-game concert was leaked weeks before Epic's planned rollout.
Fortnite’s massive in-game concert was leaked weeks before Epic’s planned rollout.

First appearing on the Fortnite leaks subreddit in July was a “big news dump” which the moderators of the subreddit verified with the unnamed leaker. The post was upvoted over 2,000 times and included details on things we’ve since seen come true, like the Ariana Grande concert and more Suicide Squad skins.

The confirmation of some of these leaks gives credence to others from the same leaker, who also mentioned Fortnite Season 8 involving a parallel universe, or “sideways” world, akin to The Upside-Down in Stranger Things, as well as a Naruto skin in the battle pass. The leaker also mentioned things as distant as Chapter 3, which isn’t expected to arrive until late 2022 following Chapter 2, Season 10. This same leaker even once revealed the details of Chapter 2, Season 6’s “Primal” theme, including new gameplay features such as wildlife and weapon-crafting, as well as skins like Lara Croft and Agent Jonesy, furthering their credibility when speaking on such hushed matters.

While we won’t know for a few more weeks whether everything this person has shared about Season 8 is true–and another year for Chapter 3–their track record is starting to look reliable. Worse for Epic, they recently returned with a second news dump for the community, and already we’re seeing more of these details come true.

This more recent leak said skins like Detective Mike Lowrey from Bad Boys and Marvel’s Shang-Chi were coming to the Item Shop, and detailed “something called ‘First Shadows'” as the next Crew Pack. While we haven’t seen confirmation about Shang-Chi, Marvel and Epic are clearly very close these days. Lowrey and the First Shadows, meanwhile, have both already been revealed.

Kevin The Cube made a clandestine cameo in the Rift Tour.
Kevin The Cube made a clandestine cameo in the Rift Tour.

Other yet-to-be-confirmed details in this second leak suggest the return of Kevin The Cube, an in-universe pink cube with mysterious origins and properties, as well as a forthcoming countdown to something called “Skyfire.” While we don’t know what Skyfire is, the Rift Tour did slyly hint at Kevin’s return and lends even more credence to the anonymous insider.

In the past, we’ve seen the game’s most prominent leakers like Hypex share leaks from Fortnite devs. Hypex even once disclosed to his millions of followers that an Epic employee had “vanished,” perhaps due to being found out or just out of fear of such a scenario, after they previously shared many secrets. Hypex also revealed other previous leaks that he received had come from playtesters, like those during Chapter 2, Season 1.

It may not be a leaker within Epic itself. It could be someone in the company has been hacked. It could be someone who ended up on the wrong mailing list is using their access in this way. There are many possible explanations, but whoever has come into possession of this sensitive information is not sitting on it. They’re sharing leaks on both short- and long-term timescales, including things that, if true, the Fortnite community won’t see for another year at least. I reached out to Epic, but the tight-lipped company had no comment to offer on what or who might be the source of these more eye-catching leaks.

Sharing content that is days away and buried in the game’s files is probably a bitter pill Epic has learned to swallow over the years as it’s remained on top of the gaming world. It comes with the territory. But this seems to clearly go beyond the typical datamining discoveries. One has to wonder how many people have been briefed on the details of things such as Chapter 3, which is so far off that it seems highly privileged.

Epic is surely investigating the matter, but as for how big its list of suspects is or whether it needs to look within the company or beyond are things that I can only guess. For an industry as secretive as this one, leaks will always make headlines. Similarly, for a company as big and resource-dense as Epic, I’d be surprised if this insider isn’t unmasked before some of their leaked events come to pass in-game.

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Pokemon Go’s New Season Features Mythical Pokemon Hoopa

Announced August 27, Pokemon Go‘s new Season of Mischief will center around the Mythical Pokemon Hoopa. The event will run for three months, from September 1 to December 1.

On September 5, players can capture Hoopa once they’ve completed the Special Research tasks. Said Mythical Pokemon will also wreak havoc by causing multiple “strange phenomena” all over the world. Psychic, Ghost, and Dark type Pokemon will be attracted to Incense at different hours from 11 AM to 5 PM local time. If players complete the Collection Challenge, they will receive Hoopa candy and a Poke Ball Lift avatar pose. Double the amount of Hoopa candy will be awarded to transferring Pokemon.

Now Playing: Pokemon Go Together We Raid With Pro Jessica

There will be a seasonal shift in wild Pokemon appearances as well. In the Northern Hemisphere, Jigglypuff, Slowpoke, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Autumn Form Deerling, and more will show up. In the Southern Hemisphere, Clefairy, Roserade, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Spring Form Deerling, and more will be roaming around in the wild.

During each month of the event, a different Pokemon will receive a CP boost when Mega Evolved. September is Mega Slowbro, October is Mega Gengar, and November is Mega Houndoon.

Ditto will also receive new disguises in the upcoming season. If players catch a Ghastly, Drowzee, Teddisura, Remoraid, Gulpin, Numel, Stunky, Dwebble, or Foongus, it could be the blob-like pokemon instead.

Hoopa’s appearance was part of the storyline in the 2021 Pokemon Go Fest. It did not make a physical debut then, but instead sowed indirect mischief by bringing back the Legendaries.

In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic repealed its prior decision and brought the Pokestop and Gym Interaction distance back up to 80m. That’s the way it’ll stay “from now on,” stated Niantic. Fans were concerned when Niantic previously shortened the interaction distance to 40m in the United States and New Zealand, and asked for the increased interaction distance to be returned.

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Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City: The First Images Of The Cast Revealed

Welcome To Raccoon City, the upcoming Resident Evil film, a first look at the cast in three set photos. The images were revealed by IGN.

The three images reveal the new actors for the live-action movie: Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield, Avan Jogia as Leon Kennedy, Tom Hopper as Albert Wesker, Nathan Dales as Brad Vickers, Hannah John-Kamen as Jill Valentine, and Robbie Amell as Chris Redfield. The images also revealed Marina Mazepa who will be playing Lisa Trevor. This will be the character’s first time appearing on the big screen.

Welcome To Racoon City will serve as an origin story to the original Resident Evil games and focus on Resident Evil and Resident Evil 2. The movie is being directed by Johannes Roberts who previously directed The Strangers Prey at Night and 47 Meters Down.

In an interview with IGN, Roberts said his film will deviate from the prior Resident Evil films starring Milla Jovovich because it will focus more on horror, rather than being an action film.

“I was hugely influenced in particular by the remake of the second game and I really wanted to capture the atmosphere-drenched tone that it had. It was so cinematic,” Roberts said. “The previous movies were very bright and shiny whereas this movie was dark and grimy, entirely shot at night.”

When asked about the casting, Roberts said his focus was not to have actors feel like a cosplay of the characters and instead focus on how “each of the main characters carries huge importance to the narrative.”

“It was hugely important with the whole casting process to find people who embodied the spirit and energy of the characters I wanted to portray,” Roberts said.

Welcome to Raccoon City comes out in theaters on November 24.

NetEase Reportedly in ‘Final Negotiations’ to Poach Yakuza Creator Toshihiro Nagoshi From Sega

Chinese developer and publisher NetEase is reportedly in “final negotiations” with Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi to hire him away from Sega, where he’s been since 1989.

According to a report from Bloomberg, at NetEase Nagoshi would be expected to build a new team and develop brand new games for the company, though the final contract and any details about his job role have yet to be set in stone.

NetEase is already a gaming superpower in China thanks to mobile games like the Westward Journey series, Cyber Hunter, Identity V, and Knives Out (no relation to the film), as well as its partnership with Activision-Blizzard to run World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Starcraft 2 in the country.

However, it is still looking to expand its global notoriety and gain more hits outside of China, especially amidst a growing crackdown on gaming time for minors in China that became even more stringent today.

As Tokyo-based analyst, Serkan Toto, of Kantan Games put it to Bloomberg, companies like NetEase and Tencent are especially interested in acquiring Japanese talent to accomplish these goals. “Tencent and NetEase have been speaking to just about all publicly traded studios here and are actively courting some privately held developers, too. They both feel pressure to make headway in Japan, especially since game regulations in their home market are becoming increasingly restrictive,” Toto said.

Nagoshi has been with Sega since the very early days of arcade titles, with his first credit at the company being as a designer on Virtua Racing. He went on to be the producer and director for the Monkey Ball series, before heading up Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio and leading the creation of the Yakuza franchise.

The most recent Yakuza game, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, was especially notable for taking the series from an action beat-em-up to a turn-based RPG, whose bold steps we applauded despite its struggles to maintain balance. A sequel to Yakuza spin-off Judgment, entitled Lost Judgment, is planned for next month.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.