Genshin Impact Update 2.0 Travels To Inazuma On July 21

Developer MiHoYo has revealed more details on the next substantial update for Genshin Impact, which will launch on July 21, 2021. Titled The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia, players will be able to explore the new region of Inazuma and travel across a landscape where the weather changes quickly and drastically.

The lightning-themed Inazuma area consists of six main islands and a series of islets, with locations such as the Grand Narukami Shrine and Sacred Sakura on the mountain of Narukami Island scattered across the area. It’s worth noting that for now only three of the six main islands of Inazuma will be accessible, but MiHoYo added that the available content will have a wealth of stories and secrets to uncover.

It’s not all purple skies and sunshine though, as the islands are home to wandering samurais and even a new branch of the Fatui. New boss enemies will be added to the map for Travelers to challenge and obtain more rewards from them, while the Hypostasis family will see a new Pyro member joining. Having originally debuted in Genshin Impact Version 1.6, Maguu Kenki will also be found as a World Boss and a source for Character Level-Up Materials in Inazuma.

New companions coming to the game include Inazuma natives Ayaka, Yoimiya, and Sayu. Ayaka is the daughter of the Yashiro Commission’s Kamisato Clan who wields Cryo powers and a sword, Yoimiya is a five-star Pyro archer, and Sayu is a ninja who wields both a massive claymore and an Anemo Vision.

Genshin Impact's Inazuma location
Genshin Impact’s Inazuma location

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Lastly, cross-save function across PlayStation, PC, and mobile will be added in Version 2.0, as well as more refined character shading, haptic feedback support for the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller, and more feature optimizations.

In case you’ve missed out on all the buzz since it launched last year, Genshin Impact is a free-to-play RPG that’s currently available on PS4, PS5, Android, iOS, and PC. The game holds the record for being the fastest mobile game to earn $1 billion, doing so in less than six months.

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Comic-Con@Home 2021: Full Schedule Released

The full schedule for Comic-Con@Home 2021 has been released, and it features a packed line-up of movie and TV panels that can be watched from the comfort of your home.

Comic-Con International: San Diego cancelled its 2021 convention in March due to precautions around staging an in-person event during the pandemic. As with last year’s SDCC, the physical convention is being replaced with a virtual event, featuring a variety of panels covering fan-favourite topics, from TV and movies to comics, publishing, and toys.

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Paramount’s Snake Eyes: G.I. Origins will open this year’s digital convention, with a cast panel scheduled to kick things off on July 23. It is anticipated to be one of the biggest film-centric panels as Disney’s Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. DC Films both opted out of presentations this year, so we won’t be hearing any further news about their film slates.

Netflix appears to be filling in a few of the gaps at the pop-culture confab, with a Geeked line-up that includes Masters of the Universe: Revelation, the Fear Street trilogy, and The Last Mercenary, amongst many others. The panels include appearances from the creative minds and stars of these shows and movies, so you may want to start your virtual planning now.

For your convenience, IGN has put together a list to spotlight a small selection of 2021 Comic-Con@Home’s must-see panels, including the date, time, and description for each session. Read on below for the hand-selected highlight reel of presentations coming up at the event or click here to view the full schedule yourself.

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July 21

1:00pm-2:00pm: Unmasking Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins

An inside look at the highly-anticipated upcoming film Snake Eyes: G.I Joe Originswith special content and exclusive interviews from stars Henry Golding, Andrew Koji, Úrsula Corberó, Samara Weaving, Haruka Abe, Iko Uwais, Peter Mensah, and Takehiro Hira as well as the writer of the G.I. Joe comic books, the legend himself, Larry Hama! Mari Takahashi (@atomicmari) will moderate a panel featuring the film’s main cast as they discuss bringing this incredible origin story to life. Fans in select markets who tune into the panel will have the chance to gain access to a special advanced screening of Snake Eyes on Wednesday, July 21st at the Snake Eyes Comic-Con Fans First Fan Screenings.

July 23

10:00am-11:00am: Dragon Ball Z

Since 1984, the Dragon Ball series has always brought exciting adventures to fans around the globe. We welcome special guests Masako Nozawa (voice of Son Goku), Akio Iyoku (executive producer of the Dragon Ball series, and editor for Akira Toriyama), and Norihiro Hayashida (producer of TV animation and movies for the Dragon Ball series including Dragon Ball Super: BROLY) as they discuss the behind the scenes of the next Dragon Ball movie! There will be tons of exciting news and don’t miss a special musical performance by Hironobu Kageyama!

10:00am-11:00am: Paramount+: Peak Animation with the Star Trek Universe, The Harper House, and Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News

Paramount+ is bringing cast and producers from its highly anticipated upcoming animated original series to ComicCon@Home. Programming includes exclusive conversations with the casts and producers of the upcoming kids series Star Trek: Prodigy; plus adult animated comedies Star Trek: Lower Decks, as the scrappy underdogs of the U.S.S. Cerritos return in an exciting second season; new series The Harper House; plus a special segment of Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News.

11:00am-12:00pm: Amazon Panel

Amazon Prime Video and IMDb TV have joined forces for a multi-title panel that promises something extraordinary for every Comic-Con@Home attendee. Join showrunners Rafe Judkins (The Wheel of Time), Hideaki Anno(EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME), Nico Entel (S.O.Z.), Sara Goodman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), and series stars and directors Beth Riesgraf & Noah Wyle (Leverage: Redemption), as TV host Tim Kash leads each panelist through their own standalone series conversation, filled with illuminating discussion and exclusive asset drops and announcements.

11:00am-12:00pm: Tuca & Bertie

Lisa Hanawalt (creator and executive producer), Raphael Bob-Waksberg (executive producer), Nicole Byer (voice of Plant Teen 2, The Chill Bird), and Adam Conover (moderator) for a virtual Hall H to celebrate the return of Tuca & Bertie. Hear from the cast on the moments that made them laugh the hardest, their unique quarantine recording process, and the sci-fi behind birds. Watch new episodes of Tuca & Bertie Sundays at 11:30 ET / PT on Adult Swim.

12:00pm-1:00pm: HBO Max & Cartoon Network Studios: Adventure Time: Distant Lands

What time is it? It’s time for more adventure in the land of Ooo and beyond with Adventure Time: Distant Lands, based on the Emmy-and Peabody Award-winning Cartoon Network series Adventure Time from creator Pendleton Ward and executive producer Adam Muto. Join moderator Bex Taylor-Klaus (Blaine) as they deep dive into the recent special, Together Again, and preview the upcoming Wizard City along with Adam Muto (executive producer), John DiMaggio (Jake), Mace Montgomery Miskel (Pep), and Toks Olagundoye (Dr. Caledonius). Uncover some secrets, hear behind-the-scenes stories and stick around until the very end for a special sneak peek at the upcoming Adventure Time: Distant Lands – Wizard City.

12:00pm-1:00pm: Marvel Comics: X-Men

Welcome to life under the Reign of X! From the start of the Hellfire Gala right through its show-stopping conclusion, Marvel’s magnificent mutant mavens have led the new nation of Krakoa through some of the biggest changes the X-Men have ever seen. Ryan Penagos, aka Agent M, leads a panel including Vita Ayala (Children of the Atom, New Mutants), Gerry Duggan (Marauders, X-Men), Benjamin Percy (Wolverine, X-Force), Leah Williams (X-Men: The Trial of Magneto), and senior editor Jordan D. White. Join these X-traordinary X-perts for a sneak peek at what’s coming next! With Inferno heating up, the Master of Magnetism under investigation for the shocking death of Scarlet Witch, and an all-new team of X-Men out in the world, there’s never been a more X-citing time to start reading!

12:00pm-1:00pm: Netflix Geeked: Masters of the Universe: Revelation

Netflix and Mattel Television present an exclusive sneak peek at the highly-anticipated animated series Masters of the Universe: Revelation. Since its creation in 1982, the Masters of the Universe franchise has become a cultural phenomenon, transcending generations and igniting passion amongst fans around the world. This new action-packed series, which follows He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, and the other classic characters of the Masters of the Universe franchise, picks up where the iconic characters left off decades ago. Now, nearly 40 years later, the new series will delight long-standing fans and introduce a new generation to Eternia and the thrilling, heroic adventures of the Guardians of Grayskull. The cast and creators will discuss all of your questions about reviving this beloved franchise.

1:00pm-2:00pm: Crunchyroll Virtual Industry Panel

Hear about all the latest and greatest anime & manga coming out of Crunchyroll straight from the source!

2:00pm-3:00pm: Star Wars: The High Republic – We Are All The Republic!

Star Wars: The High Republic authors Claudia Gray, Charles Soule, Cavan Scott, Justina Ireland, and Daniel José Older discuss the latest books and comics in this exciting new era, including The Rising Storm, Race to Crashpoint Tower, and Out of the Shadows. Plus, get a sneak peek at new reveals and upcoming titles. Moderated by Star Wars: The High Republic Show host Krystina Arielle.

3:00pm-4:00pm: Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two

Watch the fun as panelists discuss the thrilling conclusion to this epic tale, including Jensen Ackles (Supernatural, Batman: Under the Red Hood) as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Katee Sackhoff (The Mandalorian, Battlestar Galactica, Batman: Year One) as Poison Ivy, Julie Nathanson (Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay) as Gilda Dent, Troy Baker (The Last of Us, Batman: Arkham Knight) as The Joker and screenwriter Tim Sheridan (Reign of the Supermen, Superman: Man of Tomorrow). actress/host Tiffany Smith (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, DC Daily) moderates the festivities.

3:00pm-4:00pm: Duncanville

The Harris family and friends come together for a hilarious conversation about the spectacularly average life of 15-year-old Duncan Harris on FOX’s hit animated series Duncanville. Executive producers Mike Scully & Julie Thacker-Scully, executive producer and star, Amy Poehler, and stars Ty Burrell, Riki Lindhome, Joy Osmanski, Yassir Lester, and Betsy Sodaro tease the rest of this season and next and give fans a special look at an upcoming episode featuring a musical number with everyone’s favorite teacher, Mr. Mitch (voiced by Wiz Khalifa).

4:00pm-5:00pm: Netflix Geeked: Fear Street Trilogy
All roads lead to Fear Street… In this exclusive first panel together since the release of the films, join Fear Street director Leigh Janiak, cast members Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., and Fear Street author R.L. Stine and celebrate the epic trilogy by hearing all the behind the scenes details on how they made the films and what it’s really like for R.L. Stine to see his vision turned into a blood-splattering epic.

4:00pm-5:00pm: Rick and Morty

Relive the best of season five with Dan Harmon (co-creator and executive producer), Scott Marder (showrunner and executive producer), Chris Parnell (voice of Jerry), Sarah Chalke (voice of Beth), Spencer Grammer (voice of Summer), Brandon Johnson (moderator), and special guests. Get answers to all your Rick and Morty questions, like who is Mr. Nimbus, does Beth floss, and what are decoys? Watch all-new episodes of Rick and Morty Sundays at 11 pm ET / PT only on Adult Swim.

July 24

10:00am-11:00am: HBO Max and Warner Bros. Animation: Looney Tunes Cartoons

There’s More Folks! Looney Tunes Cartoons continues to captivate a new generation of fans with over 400 minutes of Looney mayhem and there’s much more to come. Moderated by voice cast member Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Marvin the Martian), join Pete Browngardt (executive producer), Aaron Spurgeon (art director), Alex Kirwan (supervising producer), Caroline Director (storyboard artist), and Keika Yamaguchi (assistant art director) for a panel discussion to find out what’s next for Bugs, Daffy and the rest of your favorite Tunes! Looney Tunes Cartoons is produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Stream episodes now on HBO Max.

11:00-12:00pm: Simpsons Season 33 and Beyond!

Matt Selman, Al Jean, David Silverman, Carolyn Omine, Mike B. Anderson, Debbie Mahan, and moderator Yeardley Smith give you an exclusive sneak preview of Season 33! A panel of animators, writers, and special surprise guests will answer your questions, tell behind-the-scenes stories, and reveal the secrets of the Springfield Cinematic Universe!

1:00pm-2:00pm: Fear the Walking Dead

The sixth season of Fear the Walking Dead ended with a bang… literally as Teddy brought about his vision of “The End” when he detonated nuclear warheads across the Texas landscape. Join chief content officer of The Walking Dead Universe Scott M. Gimple, showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, and cast members Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Colman Domingo, Danay Garcia, Jenna Elfman, Karen David, Mo Collins, and Christine Evangelista for a panel discussion about what’s to come in season seven as the survivors will decide what “The Beginning” will look like, adapting to a deadly new environment where the air they breathe is as deadly as the walkers they encounter. The Q&A discussion will feature fan questions, behind-the-scenes insights from the set, and an exclusive first look at the new season of Fear the Walking Dead, coming this fall. Moderated by Chris Hardwick.

2:00pm-3:00pm: The Walking Dead: World Beyond
The cast and creators of The Walking Dead World Beyond will participate in a moderated Q&A discussion about the upcoming 2nd and final season, which airs later this year They’ll discuss filming the new season, bringing the limited story to its conclusion, and share behind the scenes anecdotes, information about the upcoming new episodes and a first-look clip from Season 2.

3:00pm-4:00pm: Central Park
Co-creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard; co-creator, executive producer, and voice of Birdie, Josh Gad; the voice of Owen Tillerman, Leslie Odom Jr.; the voice of Cole Tillerman, Tituss Burgess; and producers Kelvin Yu and Steven Davis, from the musical animated AppleTV+ series Central Park, come together the show’s ‘Con debut discuss bringing this harmonious series to life by merging comedy with the very brightest talent of Broadway and some of the best songwriters in the world.

3:00pm-4:00pm: Netflix Geeked: The Last Mercenary
Get in on all the action as Jean-Claude Van Damme and director David Charhon offer a peek inside the highly anticipated film, The Last Mercenary, set to premiere globally July 30 on Netflix. In an explosive comeback, Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Richard Brumère, aka “The Mist,” a former French secret service special agent turned mercenary, who must urgently return to France when his estranged son is falsely accused of arms and drug trafficking by the government, following a blunder by an overzealous bureaucrat and a mafia operation.

3:00pm-4:00pm: The Patrick Star Show

Lights. Camera. Distraction! Patrick Star is stepping into the limelight in The Patrick Star Show, Nickelodeon’s second spinoff of the number-one animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. During this exclusive panel, fans will discover a younger Patrick Star living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. Sit back and enjoy a table read of an episode and hear all about the brand-new series featuring voice actors Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star), Tom Wilson (Cecil Star), Cree Summer (Bunny Star), Jill Talley (Squidina Star), and Dana Snyder (GrandPat), along with co-executive producers Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli. Welcome to the show! Moderated by Tara Bennett (SYFY Wire).

3:00pm-4:00pm: The Walking Dead
The cast and creators of The Walking Dead will participate in a moderated Q&A discussion about filming the final season of the ground-breaking series, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes, information about the upcoming new episodes, and a first-look trailer for Season 11.

4:00pm-5:00pm: Family Guy

Cast Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green, Arif Zahir, and executive producers Rich Appel and Alec Sulkin from FOX’s hit animated comedy Family Guy celebrate 20 seasons of the series with a virtual trivia night! Watch our cast and produces compete against each other and see who knows the most about this iconic series! After, you’ll see a special sneak peek at the hilarity and hi-jinx coming up in our 20th season premiering this fall on FOX!

5:00pm-6:00pm: American Dad!

Ever wondered how your favorite American Dad! episodes get made? Join Matt Weitzman as he walks you through the creation of an upcoming episode of the current season airing on TBS! You’ll see a table read, featuring stars Rachael MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, and Dee Bradley Baker, followed by parts of the episode in the animatic and early stages of color!

5:00pm-6:00pm: Netflix Geeked: Lucifer

Speaking of the devil, Lucifer himself, Tom Ellis will join executive producers, Joe Henderson and Ildy Modrovich, to share inside scoop on what is to be expected from the 6th and final season of Lucifer.

July 25

10:00am-11:00am: Doctor Who
Showrunner Chris Chibnall, the Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, new Doctor Who cast member John Bishop and a very special surprise guest as they share exclusive content from Doctor Who. Moderated by Salon.com’s Melanie McFarland. Pre-recorded panel produced by the BBC and BBC AMERICA.

12:00pm-1:00pm: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Cast Conversation and Sneak Peek

So far, in season six, DC’s Legends not only saved the world with a singing competition, stopped the Cuban Missile crisis with a football game, and fought off an alien Amelia Earhart, but also recovered Sara Lance who was abducted, cloned, and turned into a human-alien hybrid by evil genius, Bishop. With #Avalance officially engaged, it’s high time for the Legends to plan a wedding and mess up the timeline for the better. Join series stars Caity Lotz, Tala Ashe, Jes Macallan, Olivia Swann, Adam Tsekhman, Shayan Sobhian, and Lisseth Chavez, with Nick Zano and Matt Ryan, along with executive producers Phil Klemmer and Keto Shimizu for an at-home conversation about how this season was created along with a sneak peek at what is to come for the rest of the season and beyond.

1:00pm-2:00pm: Dexter

America’s Favorite serial killer is back. Currently in production on 10 new episodes, Dexter, premieres on SHOWTIME this fall. Join award-winning star Michael C Hall (Dexter, executive producer), Clyde Phillips (showrunner, executive producer), Scott Reynolds (executive producer), Marcos Siega (executive producer, director), and Dexter newcomer Julia Jones (Angela) in a virtual panel discussion moderated by entertainment journalist and Dexter super fan Kristin Dos Santos. Tune in for a never-seen-before sneak peek trailer for a look at what’s to come…

2:00pm-3:00pm: Netflix Geeked: Army of Thieves

Army of the Dead was only the beginning… Be among the first to get a sneak peek of Army of Thieves, the highly anticipated prequel to Zack Snyder’s Netflix blockbuster. Producers Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, and Wesley Coller will be joined by director and star Matthias Schweighöfer plus star Nathalie Emmanuel to reveal the heist that started it all. In this action-packed prequel, Dieter, our favorite safecracker, gets drawn into the adventure of a lifetime when a mysterious woman recruits him to join a crew of Interpol’s most wanted criminals, attempting to heist a sequence of legendary, impossible-to-crack safes across Europe.

3:00pm-4:00pm: Bob’s Burgers

The cast and producers of the Emmy Award-winning animated FOX series Bob’s Burgers are back for another virtual ‘Con breaking news about the upcoming season, showing never-before-seen footage and answering questions from a few lucky fans who get to join the zoom to ask their burning questions directly to the panelists. Join creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Nora Smith, and the hilarious cast including H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz, and Larry Murphy for a panel you won’t want to miss!

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

IGN UK Podcast #599.5: Not Quite 600

This is our 600th episode but we’re not calling it that so deal with it. Cardy, Matt and Joe are here to talk about the few things that caught their eye from PlayStation’s State of Play including yet another look at Deathloop, Lost Judgement and Jett: The Far Shore, a certified “Joe Game”.

We also dig into Netflix horror trilogy Fear Street and take a walk down memory lane with Gears of War, Halo and Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Of course there’s also an Endless Search as well as your feedback including another onsen story from hell.

Remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: [email protected].

IGN UK Podcast #599.5: Not Quite 600

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Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Were Reimagined To Look Unique And Recognizable In The Game

Eidos Montreal’s upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy game has a roster that has clearly been inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe incarnation of the group, but for this new version, the studio also had creative freedom to make the gang look both unique and recognizable instead of being mere movie knock-offs. In a blog post, art director Bruno Gauthier-Leblanc explained how the developer added its own personal touch to the Guardians while retaining their signature look from across comics and films.

For Peter “Star-Lord” Quill, his look was designed to be a time capsule of 1980s culture with a sci-fi twist that includes an exaggerated hairstyle, his trademark leather jacket, and other small details that are cherished memories. One of these design elements is the Star-Lord patch on Quill’s jacket back, which is from his favorite rock band.

Now Playing: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Gameplay Trailer | Square Enix Presents E3 2021

When it came to Gamora, Eidos Montreal wanted to reflect her status as the deadliest woman in the galaxy, which resulted in full tactical body armor that has swift and lethal design elements woven into her outfit. According to Gauthier-Leblanc, Gamora’s overall look is sharp and practical, emphasizing her lethal nature.

Drax represented an interesting challenge, as his trademark tattoos are more than just fancy ink and are in fact a chronicle of his entire life. According to Gauthier-Leblanc, the markings that Drax displays so prominently are a tale of the important events in his life, such as his love for his family and the battles he fought to honor and avenge them.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

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As for Rocket and Groot, the inseparable nature of the duo resulted in not only a complementary fighting style but also a visual design that played on the strengths of their bond. Groot’s body armor was designed to reflect the look of armor plating from Japanese mech designs, while Rocket’s passion for gadgets was reflected in his outfit.

“Their gear echoes their dynamic and how integral they are to one another,” Gauthier-Leblanc explained. For instance, Groot wears a harness created by Rocket so he can climb up and fire away at enemies, and Rocket sports a bead-shaped like a mini-Groot in his goatee.”

Guardians of the Galaxy releases on October 26 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Switch via cloud. If you’re interested you can check out our Guardians of the Galaxy preorder hub to see what comes with each edition. For more on the game and how it makes an incredibly strong first impression, you can read our Guardians of the Galaxy preview.

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Two Xbox Games Are Free To Play This Weekend

If you’re looking for something new to play over the summer, Microsoft is offering a pair of games to sample on Xbox through its Free Play Days promotion. This week you can celebrate the sport of summer with RBI Baseball 21, or scare up some multiplayer action with Dead by Daylight. Both games will be available for Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members until Sunday, July 11 at 11:59 PM PT.

RBI Baseball 21 lets you create a player and work your way toward the World Series. Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer horror game in which you play as a survivor in third-person view or a killer in first-person mode. A new Resident Evil tie-in mode features Nemesis as the killer.

If you decide you want to keep the games for good, you can buy each at a discount during the event period. RBI Baseball 21 is down to $20, while Dead by Daylight is $15. Dead by Daylight also features several add-ons with franchise tie-ins like Silent Hill and Halloween, which are around $4 to $5 apiece during the sale.

Xbox Free Play Days Deals (July 8-11):

  • R.B.I. Baseball 21
  • Dead by Daylight

If you’re looking for other games to play on Xbox, be sure to check out our best Xbox One games of all time and the best Xbox Series X games available so far. Plus, Game Pass subscribers should check out the best games available with Xbox Game Pass right now.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Greta Gerwig To Direct Barbie Movie, Starring Margot Robbie

Greta Gerwig will direct the Barbie movie. As confirmed by Variety, the Little Women director has signed on to helm the long-in-development Barbie film, which will star Margot Robbie.

Gerwig was already attached to the project as a writer, having been previously hired to develop the screenplay with her partner, Marriage Story director Noah Baumbach. Barbie will be Gerwig’s third film as director, following 2018’s Ladybird and 2020’s Oscar-nominated Little Women.

The Barbie movie was officially announced in 2019, following a deal between Warner Bros and Mattel Films. At the time, Warner chairman Toby Emmerich stated that it will “bring Barbie to life on screen in a fresh and relevant way for today’s audiences.”

As well as starring the Barbie movie, Robbie will produce for her LuckyChap production company. In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2019, Robbie admitted that a film about the iconic doll “comes with a lot of baggage, and a lot of nostalgic connections,” but suggested that Gerwig’s involvement will result in a movie that will surprise people.

Prior to Robbie’s involvement, Amy Schumer was set to star in the Barbie film, but she exited the role in 2017. At the time, the film was reportedly set to be a mix of 3D animation and live-action, focusing on Barbie’s adventures in the real world after she is evicted from Barbieland. It’s unknown if Gerwig’s movie will follow a similar plot.

Nintendo Switch OLED Hands On Impressions

Following the sudden announcement of the Nintendo Switch OLED, there have been many questions from fans about what to make of the new addition to the Switch family. Joining the original Switch and Switch Lite, the new model features a new 7-inch OLED display, enhanced audio, extra internal storage, a new dock with a built-in LAN port. Set for release on October 8, the new OLED model presents a new way for players to engage with the Nintendo Switch.

GameSpot was able to get some limited hands-on time with the upgraded Switch, and we came away with some answers about what to expect with the new console. Along with that, we got to see how bright that new screen is and learned whether or not that $350 price tag is justified for a new version of Nintendo’s hybrid console. In this video, you can hear our thoughts on what it was like getting to experience the new OLED screen and how different of an experience it is to play older games like The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and more on a brighter and smaller screen.

9 Minutes of Tribes of Midgard Preview Gameplay

Get a look at 9 minutes of Tribes of Midgard gameplay that includes exploration, building, crafting, combat and more. We check out different biomes, fight some bosses, and defend our base alongside our fellow brethren. Tribes of Midgard releases on July 27 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

With Tribes of Midgard, developer Norsfell says it’s looking to create a new genre within the survival game space. We spent about two hours playing the game and got a sense of Norsfell’s “Surthrival” game for ourselves. Most notably, Tribes of Midgard takes a lot of the ideas of current survival games and streamlines them, making for a more chill experience that still requires you to find materials, craft tools and armor, and upgrade a base, but with a lot fewer things to keep in mind to stay alive–like keeping yourself fed and constructing buildings.

We spent two hours in Tribes of Midgard’s Saga mode, which provides you with objectives as you fight to protect a piece of Yggdrasil, the World Tree of Norse mythology. Since less emphasis is put on keeping yourself alive and constructing your base, you can spend more time building your character to defend your settlement. Each session sees you leveling up your viking not just by getting new gear, but by unlocking character classes and skill tree upgrades. There’s also an element of randomness thanks to “runes” you can find in the world that give you various perks. By combining the roguelike elements of the runes with your character choices, you can create a new viking in each session who is tailored to your strengths, what your team needs, and what items you’ve already uncovered.

Check out our full written preview on Tribes of Midgard, which digs deeper into our hands-on time with the game. Tribes hits PC, PlayStation 4, and PS5 on July 27.

Tribes Of Midgard Is A More Chill Take On Fighting To Stay Alive

The survival genre is great at creating intense moments when everything starts to go wrong. Your character is trying not to starve, desperate to build shelter, fighting off deadly creatures–all while hoping to create better tools that can allow for stronger defenses and greater exploration. But what’s often striking about survival games is how time-consuming all that gathering and crafting can be and how hard all the different requirements can be to keep straight. Enter Tribes of Midgard, which looks to take the basics of survival games and streamlines them into something that captures similar feelings, but decreases the density of stuff to keep in mind in order to reach them.

Developer Norsfell describes what it’s trying to do with Tribes as “creating a new genre” in the survival space. After getting a chance to play a few hours of the game, our translation of that mission statement is that Tribes is a version of survival where the busywork is toned down in favor of teamwork. You can play Tribes of Midgard with as many as nine other people, and while there are some of the usual survival elements–you start with nothing but a loincloth and your fists and have to make your way in a hostile environment–those aspects exist more to encourage you and your buddies to work together, without getting bogged down in spending a long time cutting down trees or mining metals.

“As a smaller developer, if you want to really shine, you’re not going to shine by making another FPS that’s very standard compared to other FPS,” Norsfell founder and CEO Julian Maroda said in an interview with GameSpot. “You have to find your own, maybe not niche, but at least find your own space, come with some new design, new elements to really attract the attention of publishers, the public, you name it.

“And that was really the starting point of Tribes–we were super fans of survival games, but at the same time, we could see that survival games weren’t as widely appealing to a large part of the audience. And the reason being that, as a human, we really understand the concept of survival, it’s in our genes, almost hopping into a survival game. But if you’re not familiar with the genre, it’s very harsh, and you usually die within the first 10 minutes. You’re hungry, you’re thirsty, you’re overburdened, you have all these things, like, ‘What the hell is happening to me.’ We wanted to take that genre and say, ‘How can we make that more inviting?’ How can we make it, instead of having to care about your own individual survival and maintaining all of these gauges, how can we move that to more of a cooperative experience and really make sure that there is just one gauge you need to maintain?”

The gauge Maroda is referring to is the Yggdrasil seed. Every time you jump into a session of Tribes of Midgard, your ultimate goal is to protect the seed, which is really more of a tree growing at the center of a small settlement. Unlike other survival games, you don’t build a base at the start of the game–it already exists, but your job is to maintain and defend it.

You do that by gathering resources from around the world to craft new gear tools, armor, and weapons, but even that process is quick and easy. Gather a few branches and flint and you can make a lumber axe or a pickaxe. Once you have those, every tree you chop down or iron ore deposit you mine is cleared in a single swing. Norsfell doesn’t want to bog you down on the mining or chopping in Tribes; your base can be upgraded through extra work to make it more formidable and useful, but you don’t have to spend time poring over where to place walls and structures.

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You can easily share materials with your teammates by dropping them into a community war chest, and crafting automatically draws from the common fund. Upgrades like gates you can close or archer watchtowers are built with a combination of crafting materials and souls, a currency you earn mostly from killing enemies. You’ll also spend souls on upgrading different NPCs in your settlement, like an armorer, weapon smith, and trapper, who you’ll use to create new gear. Anyone can contribute their materials and souls to any upgrade, making it easy to work together as a team to power up your settlement.

That streamlined, team-focused approach to the survival side of the game puts a lot more of the focus on exploration and combat, and in those regards, the game draws from other genres, such as roguelikes and Diablo-like action-RPGs. Every night, your settlement and its Yggdrasil seed are attacked by monsters called Helthings, which are bent on destroying the tree. Your only real survival focus, apart from not getting killed by enemies yourself, is in keeping the tree healthy. Every so often, bigger boss-like giants appear on the map, lumbering toward your village. These huge enemies can take a long time to defeat, so it’s important to figure out where they are, hunt them down, and attack them long before they reach your settlement. It might take you two or three fights to kill a giant, and you still have to defend the settlement in the meantime, as well. Fast-travel points around the map make it easy to get back on defense quickly, so while you’re putting some focus on survival aspects of crafting better gear, you’re always just a few minutes from another essential fight.

“We wanted to take that genre and say, ‘How can we make that more inviting?'”

Combat is also relatively simple. Depending on your weapon, you have a standard attack like swinging your sword or firing an arrow, and as you fight, you build up a mana gauge that lets you execute a weapon-specific magical attack that might hit enemies in a specific area or deal more damage. If you’re carrying a shield, you can block with it to defend yourself, and there’s a dodge roll to get you out of danger. But for the most part, combat is pretty light and loose, with an emphasis on the kind of weapon you’re using and how it best synergizes with the rest of your group.

The roguelike elements of Tribes of Midgard seem like what will make for its most interesting gameplay moments. Because the survival portion of the game is streamlined, you can spend your time not constructing a settlement, but building your character. Tribes is populated by “runes,” equippable items that give your character various perks, and as you survive, you’ll level up, earning points called “blessings” to sink into a character class tree. You can choose your character class and perks on every run, so what runes you find can help determine the best character to play for that particular situation. You determine your character class in-game during each run, rather than building a single character that you take into multiple game sessions, so you can use the roguelike elements to play into your strategic thinking as you create your character.

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“So those runes, once you have them on, you then start thinking about the class you want to play,” Maroda said. “We have one [rune] that, once you block a hit with your shield, it creates an explosion blast. Well, you better play either Guardian or Sentinel because those classes are more centered around tanking and defense and shielding. So you can say, ‘I have this and this and I can combine them.’ Like something that happened to me recently, having this plus a rune that makes it so that I regained HP when I am idle–I was just standing with my shield deployed, taking hits, and then blasting people whenever they would hit me and at the same time regaining health. And then I can use the Sentinel class to throw my shield and then just play around with that mechanic.”

Even progression between sessions is kept pretty simple, though. While your classes and character aren’t persistent, the crafting recipes you unlock along the way are, Maroda said. You’ll also earn a meta currency called golden horns on each run, specifically for killing giants. You can dip out of a session any time (even if your friends are still playing, in fact; Tribes of Midgard’s difficulty scales based on how many people are in the world and adjusts to the changing player count) and take your horns with you. The next time you jump into a session, you can spend your horns to buy new runes, giving you a quicker start. Other progression elements come from doing things like clearing challenges and leveling up your character, which provides you items like crafting starter packs that give you gear at the beginning of a session. Those packs aren’t consumable; instead, what gear you bring to the start of a session can also factor into your long-term strategy and make getting into the meat of Tribes of Midgard a little easier.

We played a few hours of Saga mode, one of two that will be available at launch–the other is Survival, which is a more straightforward “stay alive as long as you can” approach to the game. The Saga mode provides you with objectives to work toward, like repairing a bridge and exploring areas of the world, and eventually seems to culminate in a boss fight. It’s not a narrative mode, though, Maroda said.

“We are never going to make Tribes that kind of narrative game with a ton of dialogue. That is not what we’re trying to achieve,” he explained. “We love adding a lot of lore and context to the game–almost every weapon is inspired by a tale. The descriptions are very lighthearted and play on some references. Same with pretty much the whole concept of the game, which is just playing around with Norse mythology because it’s so rich, it’s so vast, and it’s not so well-known.”

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“We prefer to do it just like the way Norse mythology was carried over, which is a very oral tradition. And we much prefer creating the tools and ingredients that players can then take part in and say, okay, well, I jumped in this world and I did this Saga quest and I fought this creature. And then I did this and this happened to me. We much prefer players to share those kinds of experiences because, at the end of the day, that is kind of its oral tradition.”

Maroda also said the game will continue to expand over time with free seasonal content. That’ll include more Sagas, which will remain available for players to dig into over and over, or return to after new content has been released. Norsfell is also looking to expand on game mechanics over time,. While there are some light building mechanics in Tribes for making ramps and bridges to get around the world, you won’t be constructing bases–but that’s one example of an area of the game that Norsfell is looking to expand on later, Maroda said.

“We much prefer players to share those kinds of experiences because, at the end of the day, that is kind of its oral tradition.”

In general, Tribes of Midgard’s easygoing approach to survival is pretty refreshing. It’s nice to whack a tree down in one hit, share in the burden of upgrades with teammates, and focus on exploring the game’s procedurally generated world. It hits the marks of being a more approachable entry point into the genre that Maroda said Norsfell is going for. The question long-term will be how well the roguelike approach to upgrades and the larger focus on combat will carry the game forward–because often for survival games, half the appeal is in climbing technology trees, constructing bases, and bending the world to your will. But with a lot of ongoing free content releases planned, Tribes of Midgard seems like it has a lot of potential to give players interested in the survival genre an access point that captures what’s fun about adventuring in harsh worlds, without the kind of brutality and time investment that can sometimes make staying alive feel like a slog.

Look for Tribes of Midgard on PlayStation 4, PS5, and PC on July 27.

Nintendo Switch OLED hands-on: It Isn’t The Console’s True Successor, And That’s Just Fine

In the four years since its debut, the Nintendo Switch has proven to be a popular and versatile platform that blends handheld and traditional console gaming sensibilities. But with the rumor mill churning out details of something new for the Nintendo Switch, there was an expectation set that we would see a substantially enhanced Switch on the horizon. However, the surprise announcement of the Switch OLED, an upgraded model of the existing device built on the same internal components, wasn’t quite the next step forward fans were expecting.

I recently got a chance to go hands-on with the new Switch OLED to get a feel for the new console and see its upgrades in person, which helped affirm what the Switch OLED is all about. Featuring a new OLED screen (which stands for organic light-emitting diode), improved audio, expanded internal storage, and a revised, glossy docking station with a built-in LAN port, the Switch OLED makes for a solid upgrade over its predecessors–which includes the standard Switch and the Switch Lite.

Now Playing: Nintendo Switch OLED Hands On Impressions

But let’s get this out of the way first: Is the Nintendo Switch OLED model a must-buy at $350 USD? Honestly, that all depends on your preferences for the Switch or if you’re a first-time buyer. If you’re expecting the OLED model to have a sweeping set of changes that transform the console into something new, then this upcoming device will disappoint. The experience of using a Switch OLED is essentially one-to-one with what’s out there. Along with no changes to the console’s user interface and infrastructure, it also has peripherals that are interchangeable with the standard Switch model. So if you have Joy-Con controllers that you want to keep or stick with the current docking station with the two USB ports, you can certainly use them with the OLED model.

From my hands-on session–which we unfortunately couldn’t capture on video–it was clear that the OLED model helps bridge the gap between the handheld and docked experiences, amping up the experience of playing the Switch as a handheld. I brought my current launch-era Nintendo Switch and PS Vita (which also features an OLED screen) to make side-by-side comparisons. It was evident that the OLED model is a noticeable improvement compared to both devices.

The original Nintendo Switch uses a 6.2-inch LCD screen, and the Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen, while the new model has a 7-inch OLED screen. Compared to the Switch and Switch Lite, the OLED model better displays light and black levels, which presents a more vivid and illuminating picture that looks clear, bright, and stunning in motion. Right from the jump, the new OLED screen is very bright, but not to the point of it being distracting. Playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild–which was set at the opening, leading up to the reveal of the Hyrule landscape–the new display really brought a sense of vibrancy with the contrasting colors when overlooking the vista. When we jumped over to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the game’s 60 fps visuals looked incredibly smooth and sharp on the OLED display of the new model. While people who regularly play in docked modes with solid TV sets aren’t going to be blown away by the OLED model’s visuals, this still makes handheld mode look better than it ever has. It honestly made me interested in seeing how my other favorite games, like Bayonetta 2 or Smash Bros. Ultimate, would look on the new display.

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The enhanced audio also adds a lot to the sense of ambiance to the games I played, which also included the Clubhouse Games collection. Compared to the original Switch’s smaller speakers, the enhanced audio speakers on the new model are much larger, improving the audio while playing in handheld mode. It was quite loud at times, which could make the OLED model more viable for when you’re playing the console in public with friends or in solitude.

The OLED model also has other slight improvements and additions that give the console a better-optimized design. The new kickstand on the tablet is far more flexible and is generally an excellent improvement overall from the flimsy original. Furthermore, the SD card slot has been altered, which now appears on a slope to remove and insert cards a bit easier. The OLED model will have two SKUs: one with a black and white color scheme with a white dock and another with the traditional neon blue and red design with a black dock.

The key areas in which the Switch OLED sees improvements are focused on the handheld experience. While the handheld mode is convenient, it also offers less than perfect conditions for experiencing certain games compared to playing it docked. While I often prefer to play Switch games in the handheld mode, there are times where I do play games in the TV mode, which allows me to get a better sense of a game’s visuals and performance. Unfortunately, the significant improvement here being the OLED screen means the main benefit of the new model will be lost when playing in docked mode

While people who regularly play in docked modes with solid TV sets aren’t going to be blown away by the OLED model’s visuals, this still makes handheld mode look better than it ever has.

While it was disappointing to have it confirmed that the Switch OLED wouldn’t offer much for players who prefer docked mode, I still came away from my brief hands-on with the new model largely feeling relieved, left with the impression that the OLED model offers the best Switch handheld experience available. While most people may feel inclined to compare the OLED unit with the standard Switch model, the newer device does have more in common with the Switch Lite when it comes to having a more developed focus on handheld mode. Whether you decide the Switch, the Switch Lite, or the Switch OLED is right for you is ultimately up to what your preferences are and what you would want to get out of the console.

The new improvements that the OLED model offers for the Nintendo Switch punctuate what makes the handheld console such a fantastic device. The upcoming version follows a familiar Nintendo tradition of producing improved models for existing platforms, much like the Game Boy Advance SP and the New 3DS XL. The Switch OLED is a clear improvement upon the current iterations of the console, elevating the platform’s strengths for portability and flexibility. With that said, is it a necessary upgrade for those who are already comfortable with their Switch? Not necessarily. But I cannot deny that I was impressed with the subtle changes and improved presentation that the OLED model offered.

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Given the discourse surrounding its reveal, the Nintendo Switch OLED presents a question to consumers–which prompts one to think about their value with the current Nintendo Switch. The new OLED model for the Switch is not the true successor for the console, and that’s OK. Despite being comfortable with my current console, I can still see myself making the jump for this new and improved model because of how well its new presentation works. The improved handheld experience does present an enticing offer to trade up to a new model, but I won’t feel too much of a hit with FOMO if I ultimately decide not to.

With all that said, go buy Metroid Dread when it releases alongside the new Nintendo Switch OLED. Please.