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Bethesda Game Studios is currently working on Starfield for release in 2022, with The Elder Scrolls VI to come sometime later. Very little is known about the follow-up to the wildly popular Skyrim, but now Bethesda boss Todd Howard has shared a morsel of news about how it’s progressing and what game engine it will use.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Howard said The Elder Scrolls VI will use Bethesda’s new Creation Engine 2 technology which is “like a new tech base” for both games.

The “vast majority” of developers at BGS are currently focused on Starfield currently, but Howard said, “Everybody works on everything so the projects [Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI] kind of intertwine.”

Overall, Howard said The Elder Scrolls VI remains in the “design” phase of its development. The team is currently considering the technical requirements of the game, and this is expected to include some advancements to Creation Engine 2 on top of what is needed for Starfield.

“It’s good to think of The Elder Scrolls VI as still being in a design [phase]… but we’re checking the tech: ‘Is this going to handle the things we want to do in that game?’ Every game will have some new suites of technology so Elder Scrolls VI will have some additions on to Creation Engine 2 that that game is going to require,” Howard said.

Starfield is slated for release on November 11, 2022, and Howard is confident that the game won’t be delayed beyond that. No release date has been set for The Elder Scrolls VI.

The Starfield trailer released during E3 2021 may contain a clue about The Elder Scrolls VI, according to eagle-eyed fans, but officially, Bethesda has not shared any specifics about the setting or any story details for the title.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has officially begun production, with director James Wan marking the occasion with a social media post from a chilly environment. Not much is know about the sequel–which is currently scheduled for release on December 16, 2022–other than its returning cast: Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry/Aquaman, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Arthur’s Atlantean half-brother Orm AKA Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta.

Wan did previously tease at DC Fandome last year that the sequel will have a more serious tone. During the panel, Wan said that he’s “trying to find new things to do that I didn’t get around to doing in the first film,” adding that the sequel is “a little bit more serious, a little bit more relevant to the world that we’re living in today.”

Aquaman was one of the biggest money-makers for Warner Bros. and DC when it came out in 2018, earning more than $1.1 billion at the global box office and becoming the highest-grossing movie in that film franchise.

Besides Aquaman 2, a number of other movies are in various stages of development in the DCEU. Flashpoint director Andy Muschietti has been dropping social media close-up shots from the costume department of the Flash’s solo movie, Shazam! Fury of the Gods has revealed the new costumes for DC’s mightiest family, and only a few weeks remain until the August release of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

Ahead of that is the Matt Reeves-directed The Batman in March 2022, followed by Dwayne Johnson’s DC debut in the Shazam spin-off Black Adam, which will be out in July 2022. For more, check out our guide to every upcoming DC movie we know about.

The vast majority of Dungeons & Dragons players are extremely familiar with kobolds, the tiny reptilian humanoids that any single player could easily take down, but they tend to roam in packs, and at times, some dungeon masters tend to overuse them for campaigns. Now, WizKids is releasing set of them with Icons of the Realms: Kobold Warband.

Hitting retailers, local game shops, and online in July, this pack of eight kobolds can be yours. The pack features two winged kobolds and six kobolds all with different weapons, and some of them are in action poses. This can freshen up your game for DMs who don’t know that the Monster Manual is more than just page 195. Check out some images of them along with the packaging for Icons of the Realms: Kobold Warband below.

When the set releases, it will retail for $45. What makes this worth it for many DMs who only have you fight kobolds, week after week (yes, you Will) is the various poses and types of kobolds. Between regular and winged kobolds, you have more specific types. This includes two commoners, one regular kobold, a dragonshield, an inventor, a scale sorcerer, an underling, and a normal winged kobold. This set creates the entire hierarchy of this pesky low-level villain. So maybe your DM could raise the bar and focus on the different types of kobolds instead of just saying, “Here’s 10 kobolds to fight.” At times, those games can start to feel like a wash.

WizKids continues to make sure everything is in scale when it comes to the latest Warband set. Take a look below at how the kobolds stand up to other familiar, playable races in D&D. Keep in mind, these kobold minis are real tiny, less than an inch tall. And yet, they are beautifully painted and have an incredible amount of detail packed in to each one.

You can learn more about Icons of the Realms: Kobold Warband set at WizKids, which can help you find a local gaming shop near you. The kobold set is currently not listed on the WizKids Amazon site for preorder. For more D&D, check out the recently-announced Dungeon Scrawlers game, learn more about the upcoming D&D Live event, which will feature WWE wrestlers, and get a closer look at the D&D Icons of the Realms: Wild Shape and Polymorph Sets.

The Australian Classification Board has issued a rating for a new, mystery id Software game known only as Project 2021B.

While it is unclear what the game is, from the classification details on the rating website we can see that id Software’s game is a multi-platform title with ‘online interactivity’ (see: multiplayer of some description). It has been rated M for mature, with moderate impact when it comes to violence and mild impact for themes and language.

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As reported by VGC, this is the second time a mystery id Software game has been rated by the ACB. Earlier this year the board rated Project 2021A, which eventually turned out to be Doom 3: VR Edition for PSVR.

Due to the short duration it has been since last year’s Doom Eternal, it is unlikely that id Software has a brand new game to release. As such, it’s sensible to set expectations for Project 2021B around the likes of another re-release like Doom 3: VR. It was the 25th anniversary of Quake earlier this month, so read into that what you will.

This isn’t the only recent example of a ratings board revealing a game ahead of time; the ESRB has leaked the existence of Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Suicide Squad: Get Joker! is easily one of the most anticipated new comics of 2021. Not only does it feature the superstar creative pairing of writer Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets) and artist Alex Maleev (Daredevil), it features an equally enticing team-up in the story itself. This series features Red Hood signing up with Amanda Waller’s team of incarcerated super-felons in order to hunt the most dangerous villain in the DC Universe.

IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of the first chapter of Suicide Squad: Get Joker! Check out these new pages, along with all the previously revealed art, in the slideshow gallery below:

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Get Joker! is a three-issue prestige format series published under DC’s mature readers-focused Black Label imprint. Azzarello is no stranger to the Black Label line, having penned the surprisingly controversial Batman: Damned. This will mark Maleev’s first Black Label project, following his work on Event Leviathan.

It’s still unclear whether Get Joker! is set within the mainline DC Universe or is intended as a completely standalone tale. That may well determine the outcome of the story, as a continuity-free approach means Red Hood and his new allies could very well kill Joker by the end. It wouldn’t be the first time a version of Jason Todd has ended Joker’s life.

Suicide Squad: Get Joker #1 is slated for release on August 3, just in time for the release of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad in theaters and on HBO Max. Each issue has a cover price of $6.99.

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If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our exclusive preview of Grant Morrison’s story from Anthrax: Among the Living.

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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Returnal developer Housemarque has been acquired by Sony and will become a first-party PlayStation studio going forward. Co-founder Ilari Kuittinen shared some insight into the deal in an interview with GQ, saying the acquisition will allow the team to make bigger and more ambitious titles in the future.

You should not expect Housemarque’s next game to release anytime soon, as Kuittinen said the team is taking a step back and catching its breath after putting out Returnal earlier this year. “In general, we are taking a break. People are having their vacations now here in Finland. Some are taking last year’s vacations as well. So I guess that’s first and then we can start thinking about the future,” Kuittinen said.

Kuittinen went on to say that Returnal was “kind of a stepping stone” for the developer. For future games, you can expect them to be “even bigger and even more ambitious.”

But what those games could be is still undecided, it seems. Asked if the sale to Sony will allow Housemarque to achieve things it otherwise couldn’t before, Kuittinen said that will come down to the type of game the studio decides to make next. That said, Kuittinen remarked that only needing to focus on one platform–PlayStation–has its benefits.

“We’re not quite sure. But I think we’ve always been pushing technology, as well. We can do that from now on, even more than we did before since we can concentrate on a platform. So that’s a big, big part of it,” he said. “You know, we have our own VFX engine in the game that we’re using and, hopefully, we’ll be creating something more on top of that.”

Before Returnal, Housemarque released Nex Machina (2017) and Resogun (2013), among many other titles. Whether or not the studio plans to lean more into AAA going forward or return to its roots for its next project(s)–or potentially both–remains to be seen.

PlayStation Studios boss Hermen Hulst is also quoted in the story, and he confirmed that Housemarque plans to grow its team size to support its new ambitions. Hulst also noted that Housemarque is Sony’s first game development studio in Scandinavia, which he said is “really exciting” for the company.

Also in the interview, Hulst remarked that he doesn’t believe there is an “arms race” going on right now in the gaming landscape currently with companies like Microsoft buying ZeniMax for $7.5 billion and EA spending billions on multiple game studios recently.

“No, not at all. We’re very selective about the developers that we bring in. Our last new acquisition was Insomniac [for $229 million in 2019], which has worked out very well,” Hulst said. “I’m always looking for people that have a similar set of values, similar creative ambitions and work very well with our team that we can further invest in and help grow as creators. It’s not like we’re going around and just making random acquisitions.”

Sony could be gearing up to announce another high-profile studio acquisition, as it’s rumored that Bluepoint Games could be next.

A new trailer for the upcoming Clifford the Big Red Dog movie has been released. The video sets up some of the story and provides some eye-catching sequences of a giant red dog galloping through New York City.

Middle-schooler Emily (Darby Camp) comes to meet a “magical animal rescuer” played by John Cleese who gives her a small, red puppy and informs her the dog will grow bigger based on how much she loves him. Emily is made fun of at school and is generally having a tough time. One night, sitting on her bed, she cradles Clifford and says, “I wish you were big and strong, and the world could never hurt us.” A tear falls from her eye and its magical properties make Clifford grow to super size the next morning. A lot of hijinks ensue–here’s the trailer:

The movie also stars Jack Whitehall as Emily’s fun-loving uncle Casey. Together they go on an adventure through New York in this film that’s based on the Scholastic book by Norman Bridwell.

Clifford the Big Red Dog is directed by Walt Becker, who previously directed the very-not-for-kids movie Van Wilder. The screenplay was written by Jay Scherick and David Ronn (Baywatch, Norbit, National Security) and Blaise Hemingway (Vampires vs. The Bronx).

Clifford the Big Red Dog comes to theaters on September 17.

If you log in to Escape From Tarkov today, things may be a bit more hectic than usual. That’s because a major update for the game, patch 0.12.11, is on the way, and will include the first inventory wipe of this year. Ahead of the patch actually landing, developer Battlestate Games has implemented some fitting changes, such as disabling secure containers and vendors offering their wares for next to nothing.

With secure containers no longer working, players aren’t able to keep any of their valuable items between runs anymore. Likewise, players will have an easier time trying out any items they weren’t able to get their hands on thanks to vendors charging much less. These both tie into the game’s upcoming wipe, prompting players to care less about their soon-to-be-deleted gear and more about trying new things out.

Escape From Tarkov, much like Rust, charts player progression through their inventories. The more advanced gear a player has, the further along they are. So, when inventories in the game are wiped, it’s a pretty big deal–everyone is on the same level, with the same equipment. Escape From Tarkov issues two wipes each year, with this being the first of 2021. The last wipe for Escape From Tarkov came in December of last year.

Battlestate games have also hinted at when the upcoming patch will arrive. A post from the developer’s Twitter account, spotted by PCgamesn, says that forces inside of Tarkov must disarm by 10 AM TLT, or East Timor Time. That translates to June 29 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET.

More content is also on the way for Escape From Tarkov. The game is getting a new area called the Streets of Tarkov, first shown off at the Summer Game Fest. Streets of Tarkov will be added to the game as part of its 0.13 update, though developer BattleState Games has not shared when that update will hit the game.

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has filed a rating for Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, which effectively reveals the existence of a new PS4 and PS5 version of Sucker Punch’s hit game ahead of any official announcement.

The ESRB’s newly published rating reveals that Sony Interactive Entertainment has submitted a game called Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut for rating, and that it is available on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Beyond that, little else can be learned, as once again, Ghost of Tsushima has been rated M for Mature, and the rating summary for both the original game and this Director’s Cut version are identical.

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There is one strange element; the rating states that there are ‘In-Game Purchases’ but only for the PlayStation 4 version. It’s unclear what this means, as Ghosts of Tsushima on PS4 does not feature microtransactions. The other note in the description states ‘Users Interact’ on both PS4 and PS5, presumably pointing to the Legends multiplayer mode that was added to the original game a few months after launch. At a guess, the in-game purchase on PS4 may be a PS5 upgrade, but it remains to be seen exactly what the ESRB means by this, or if they are mistaken.

In other news from Sucker Punch’s samurai game, Ghost of Tsushima has been picked up for a movie adaptation, and the game won the Player’s Voice Award at last year’s Game Awards. Sucker Punch is, of course, owned by PlayStation, which recently also acquired Returnal developer Housemarque.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

TikTok has discovered that Tom Holland was dreaming about playing Spider-Man long before he appeared in the MCU.

Click here to watch the viral TikTok video featuring a young Holland at a red carpet event speaking about the 2012 disaster movie The Impossible, in which he made his feature film debut starring alongside the likes of Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor. In the clip, Holland ponders the idea of taking on a “less serious” role after his initial big-screen breakout.

When asked specifically about whether he would like to be cast as a superhero someday, Holland highlighted Spider-Man as the character he’d like to play at some point in his career. “What kind of superhero would I want to play? Maybe Spider-Man in ten years’ time,” Holland said before joking with the interviewer that it would be “the reboot of the reboot.”

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Holland made his web-slingin’ debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War before swinging into his first solo outing as a young Peter Parker/Spider-Man in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. He will be wall-crawling across our screens again in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the follow-up to 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, when that Phase 4 movie hits theaters this December.

No Way Home is expected to include some multiverse elements and may even converge the Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland universes together in such a way that it potentially allows Holland to make appearances in both the MCU and the SPUMC (aka Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters) in the future.

As it stands, SPUMC is developing several movies based on Marvel characters, with Venom: Let There Be Carnage coming up in 2021, Morbius in 2022, and Kraven the Hunter in 2023 — a movie that is expected to fill in another piece of the shared universe puzzle, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson stepping up to play one of Spider-Man’s oldest enemies.

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Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.