Mark Hamill Did Secret Voice Cameos for Every Star Wars Movie Since 2015

Everyone knows Mark Hamill is the once-and-future Luke Skywalker. But the actor revealed today on Twitter that he’s played a secret role in every Star Wars movie since 2015.

More specifically, Hamill revealed that he’s done secret voice cameos in every Star Wars movie since 2015, so that means his voice can be found somewhere in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One, and Solo.

The actor revealed this secret on Twitter after the Wookieepedia Twitter account posted about his role as EV-9D9 in The Mandalorian.

As you can see in the Tweet above, Hamill’s revelation has sent the Wookieepedia (and many others who replied to Hamill’s tweet) into a frenzy to track down the secret voice cameos Hamill has done. EV-9D9 is a great start, and anyone who’s watched Season 2 of The Mandalorian knows Hamill has another appearance in the show.

However, how can one go about finding the other cameos in the Star Wars movies released since 2015? Well, a great start would be William M. Patrick. This is the name Hamill is listed as in the credits of Rogue One, Solo, and the Sequel movies for his secret voice performances, something Hamill revealed last year on Twitter.

Hamill said his secret voice cameo pseudonym, William M. Patrick, is a reference to his brothers, William and Patrick Hamill. As for the M, Hamill said last year that he’ll not reveal what it stands for but something tells us it stands for Mark.

For more about Star Wars and Hamill’s place in it, read about why the actor can’t imagine playing Luke Skywalker again, and then check out his heartfelt letter that he wrote to fans as he reflects on the end of his Luke Skywalker era. Read this story about the ending for Star Wars: The Force Awakens that Hamill pitched to director JJ Abrams after that.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Pokemon Unite: How To Claim Free Zeraora

Pokemon Unite is out now on Nintendo Switch. The MOBA spin-off is free to download and play, and as an extra incentive to check it out, all players who log into the game by August 31 will unlock a free Pokemon: the speedy Electric-type melee attacker Zeraora. Here’s how to claim your free Zeraora in Pokemon Unite.

How To Claim Zeraora

Upon starting Pokemon Unite, you’ll first be prompted to create your avatar and take part in a practice battle explaining the game’s rules and objective. Once you’ve finished the tutorial, you’ll finally access the main menu, where you’ll be able to claim Zeraora. Press X to open the options list and select Mail.

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After opening your inbox, you’ll find Zeraora’s Unite License listed under the title “Launch Bonus” in System Messages. Unite Licenses are what allow you to play as specific Pokemon in online matches. Press A to claim the free license.

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Once you’ve claimed Zeraora’s Unite License, you can use the Electric Pokemon in Unite Battles. As its stats page details, Zeraora is a melee speedster that excels at closing the distance between itself and opponents and dishing out high damage. It’s tricky to use, however, making it not very beginner-friendly.

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As previously mentioned, everyone who downloads and logs into Pokemon Unite by August 31 will receive Zeraora’s Unite License for free, letting you use the Pokemon immediately. If you happen to miss that window, you’ll still be able to unlock Zeraora by completing “special missions” that will be introduced to the game at a later date.

Like many other free-to-play games, Pokemon Unite has optional microtransactions. You can purchase new cosmetic items for your avatar and Pokemon using in-game currency. There are several different types of currencies, however, so we’ve put together a guide explaining how microtransactions work in Pokemon Unite. The game is also coming to mobile devices this September, and it will support cross-play and cross-progression with the Switch version.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection Could Come To Other Platforms If Enough People Request It

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games could come to other platforms in the future, according to a Q&A posted by Square Enix. In the Q&A, translated by Siliconera, one of the questions was why Steam and mobile phones were chosen for the Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy I-VI.

The answer was that Steam and mobile were chosen in order to offer the games to a high number of players, since most people have smartphones. Square Enix followed up to say that if there are enough requests the games could be ported to other platforms. The Q&A also clarified that the reason the games are sold both individually and in a bundle on Steam, but only individually on smartphones, is because of the difference in the storefronts.

Now Playing: Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Trailer | Square Enix Presents E3 2021

The Q&A also clarified that while these versions of the games will have some new features and quality-of-life improvements, not all features from past releases will be included. The game will feature both a gallery and a sound player, with all background music available to be listened to as soon as you start the game.

Nibel on Twitter pulled out more details from the Q&A about some of the features included in the Pixel Remaster games. The game includes a new monster book, which tracks monsters you encounter and provides information about where they can be found on the map. The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster titles will also have keyboard and controller support on Steam.

Final Fantasy I, II, and III will be available on July 28, while Final Fantasy IV, V, VI, will release later in 2021. The collection has been criticized not only for skipping out on all the major consoles but also for having some really ugly-looking font.

Canceled Factor 5 Superman Game Detailed By Former Developer

Factor 5’s canceled Superman game, codenamed Blue Steel, is one of gaming’s bigger “what ifs?” Despite looking like a promising action game, like an early version of Marvel’s Spider-Man but not open-world, the game was shuttered following Factor 5’s unfortunate closure during the early stages of the 2008 financial crisis.

We’ve gotten a few glimpses of what could have been over the years, but now lead designer Salvatrix has shared a huge slew of details on what Factor 5 was building, opening a window to a game that has yet to really come to fruition.

Most notably, Salvatrix shared a video of an early build of Blue Steel’s gameplay, showing Superman fighting common and superpowered enemies, including one sequence where he rams a villain through an office building’s interior. Superman can also be seen punching a villain into a building, leaving a huge streak of cracked bricks and concrete in his wake.

Salvatrix also shared a CG target render video showing what Factor 5 hoped the final game might look like. In the video, Superman is seen fighting Doomsday, similarly throwing him through a building’s interior and grappling with him mid-air. Notably, Superman also manages to explode a pair of city busses with his laser vision.

“We hadn’t seen a game really deliver on that promise [of aerial Superman gameplay] before, and to be honest I have yet to see it delivered fully since,” Salvatrix said. “We had it fully working as a prototype and were shifting to full production when the crash hit. All the main gameplay was in place and had been proven out.”

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Factor 5’s Superman game was aiming to recreate the visual flair of DC’s animated fight scenes, including aerial brawling between Superman and his foes, large urban environments, and even the ability to crash through buildings, scattering office equipment to pieces. Other effects included shockwaves from individual hits, impact marks on the streets and buildings, and knocking an enemy a block away.

While the gameplay was based largely on Justice League animated fight scenes, Salvatrix said that Blue Steel’s world design took more inspiration from the Superman animated series and the architect Hugh Ferriss, whose work influenced the darker, imposing sights of Gotham and Metropolis,

In screenshots, Salvatrix noted Blue Steel’s city had elevated highways, railways, and even airships.

“In addition to us just appreciating the visual aesthetic (and that is worked with the animated series style), the layers of motion at every elevation in the city created a city that felt alive no matter where you were – important in a game where much takes place in the air,” Salvatrix said, citing that the blocky art style helped keep the team’s focus on gameplay in early stages.

Salvatrix similarly shared some concept art of Blue Steel, showing Superman battling with archvillains Doomsday, Darkseid, and even Livewire. But Despite the flashy landscapes, Blue Steel wasn’t planned as an open-world game a la Arkham City or Marvel’s Spider-Man.

“While our engine could (and did) support REALLY large spaces (100-120 city blocks were no prob), we decided smaller set-pieces (20-25 blocks +/-) worked better for gameplay,” Salvatrix said. “So each episode arc would take place on a series of these smaller maps, with notable landmarks in each. We were also not planning on limiting play to Metropolis. We had major arcs planned in Metropolis (of course), but also on Apokolips. And we were at least planning on some maps for ruins of Krypton, Fortress of Solitude, and Smallville.”

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Though Superman has yet to get his own modern video game vehicle, he will be appearing in Rocksteady’s upcoming Suicide Squad game as a potentially mind-controlled villain.

What do you think of Factor 5’s work on Blue Steel? Does the world deserve such a Superman game? Let us know in the comments below.

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Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Lex Luthor stand-in for IGN (get it, I’m bald).

Batgirl Movie Has Found Its Barbara Gordon – Report

After years of false starts, it looks like DC’s Batgirl movie is finally moving forward. Deadline has reported that Leslie Grace (In The Heights) has been tapped to play the lead role of Barbara Gordon.

The Batgirl film is slated to head directly to HBO Max at some point in the future. Initially announced as a Joss Whedon project back in 2017, the movie has been in various stages of production and development since, shuffling between writers and directors. Most recently it was announced that Bad Boys For Life directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah would be helming the project.

Multiple people have taken on the Batgirl mantle over in DC Comics, but Barbara is arguably the most famous. The second hero to obtain the title, Barbara served as Batgirl first in the live-action Batman ’66 TV show where she was played by Yvonne Craig before making the jump to the comics. Later, she was infamously shot and paralyzed by The Joker which prompted a pivot away from the Batgirl name to a new one: a tech-based hero named Oracle.

However, after years of serving as Oracle, DC rebooted their comic book continuity and gave Barbara an experimental surgery, healing her paralysis and allowing her to take up the Batgirl mantle once more. She’s served in the role ever since.

Details about the film’s plot, scheduled release date, and supporting cast are being kept under wraps.

Grow Your Business On Instagram, TikTok And More With This Digital Marketing Masterclass

Digital marketing is the key to unlocking a near-endless amount of users and global sales for your brand, business or side hustle: Get it right and you can see your success skyrocket. In fact, research has found that 86% of women will look at social media before deciding on a purchase while mastering TikTok can help you reach its staggering 689 million global active users.

The best way to harness the full power of digital platforms to market your business is with the latest training from dedicated experts in each, who specialize in unlocking the content and algorithm secrets for a living. You’ll learn exactly that with The 2021 Premium Digital Marketing for Entrepreneurs Certification Bundle, which is on sale for just $34.99 today (reg. $2000). With 10 separate courses included in this deal, that works out to less than $3.50 a course. 

Among the courses included in this bundle is the 27-hour long, 4.4/5 star rated  Digital Marketing Master Class, a super-course that will teach you everything you need to know to grow your business using content, social media, email, paid marketing, and more, or to get an exciting new job in digital marketing. 

Then, the course Beginner TikTok Marketing: TikTok For Day & Week 1 will teach you a specific strategy for becoming TikTok famous, from the basics of getting started to promoting your videos like a pro.

You’ll also learn how to use Google Ads effectively in the 4.7/5 rated Ultimate Google Ads Training 2021: Profit with Pay Per Click, which will show you how to create your own profitable campaigns and drive consistent, round-the-clock traffic to your website. 

Every course in this bundle is taught by an expert in their fields, such as Ryan Ford, a 7-figure Amazon FBA seller, consultant, and online entrepreneur with an impressive 4.3/5 star rating from his previous students, and the 4.7/5-rated Isaac Rudansky, a certified Google AdWords pro and co-founder of global digital advertising agency.

Start learning how to make your brand go viral today with The 2021 Premium Digital Marketing for Entrepreneurs Certification Bundle, on sale with 98% off now for $34.99 (regular price $2000). 

Steam Deck SSD is Upgradeable, But It Won’t Be Easy

Last week, Valve unveiled the Steam Deck, an impressive-looking handheld gaming PC that will launch later this year. Since then, one of the lingering questions is whether or not its internal SSD storage will be user-upgradable. 

During IGN’s exclusive hands-on with the Steam Deck, Valve hardware engineer Yazan Aldehayyat confirmed that the SSD is not soldered to the motherboard, which means that it is technically user-upgradeable.

“We are using a standard M.2 NVMe SSD in there,” Aldehayyat said. “It’s a separate module – we went against the trend of putting it directly on the motherboard.”

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That said, this doesn’t mean that upgrading the SSD will be easy. “The repairability is something we did actually focus on and try to make it as repairable as possible. But, it’s really meant for people who know what they’re doing, and have experience doing it.”

These comments fall in line with new messaging that has appeared on the Steam Deck hardware specs page: “All models use socketed 2230 m.2 modules (not intended for end-user replacement). 

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In other words, the SSD is upgradeable, but it’s not in an easily accessible spot like the PS5’s SSD expansion slot. This means folks who aren’t afraid to take their unit apart (and likely void the warranty along the way) will be able to upgrade that SSD to a compatible 2230 m.2 module, but it’s not something that Valve expects (or recommends) most users to do.

The Steam Deck comes in three models: 64GB for $399, 256GB for $529, and 512GB for $649. Stay tuned tomorrow as we take a deep dive into the Steam Deck’s hardware.

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Batgirl: Warner Bros. Casts In the Heights Star Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon

Warner Bros. and DC have found their Barbara Gordon. Leslie Grace has been selected to play Batgirl in the superhero’s upcoming solo film, as reported by Deadline.

It was reported earlier this week that Warner Bros. and DC were testing several actresses to play the DC heroine, with Dora and the Lost City of Gold star Isabel Merced and Zombieland: Double Tap’s Zoey Deutch also featured on a shortlist for the role. Warner Bros. reportedly had a high opinion of Grace after her performance in the studio’s musical In the Heights and an impressive audition cinched the deal.

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Batgirl will premiere exclusively on HBO Max, along with an upcoming Static Shock solo film. The pair of DC adaptations represent an effort by DC to expand their storytelling beyond theatrical releases. Both Batgirl and Static Shock will have connections to DC’s established live-action cinematic universe, though DC Films president Walter Hamada has described the projects as “riskier” endeavors better fit for the smaller budget of a non-theatrical release.

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Batgirl was first announced in 2017, with Joss Whedon attached to write and direct. After Whedon left the project in 2018, Warner Bros. has since hired Adil El Arbi and Billall Fallah, the duo that helmed 2020’s Bad Boys for Life. Bumblebee writer Christina Hodson is attached to pen Batgirl.

For more on DC’s upcoming slate of movies and TV shows, check out our rundown of every DC project that’s currently in development.

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J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

(Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images)

Start An Exciting New Career As A Content Producer With Unlimited Video School Training

Whether you want to create social and Youtube content which skyrockets your brand, or you want to start an exciting new career in media, the key to doing it lies with expert training to teach you the latest production tools and techniques.

But, did you know that you don’t need to go to an expensive film or media school to make it happen? Instead, you can learn the most in-demand skills in the business (and keep on learning new ones, too) from anywhere, with a Video School Online Unlimited Membership, which we’ve found on sale today for just $49.99 – that’s 86% off the regular price of $375. 

Video School Online gives you on-demand access to over 1,500 hours of top-rated training on photography, video production, YouTube creation, digital marketing, and more. With this unlimited membership, you’ll get unlimited access to all of these courses, as well as future courses and updates, too. It’ll equip you with everything you need to enter the media world as a professional content producer, be your own boss with lucrative freelance video editing work, or create videos for your own brand.

Consider this your complete education to take you from beginner through to advanced in any topic – and to keep you learning new things, constantly, meaning you never have to pay for another course again, and that you’re always top of your field.

The courses you’ll get access to come from some of the world’s highest-rated instructors, and from established professionals in the photography, video, design, and business worlds. Just one example? Phil Ebiner, a film and TV production expert who has shot and edited thousands of videos for movies, film festivals, and Youtube, has taught more than 2 million students from all over the world and has earned a highly respectable 4.6/5 instructor rating from those students.

Get the key to becoming a content production pro today with a Video School Online Unlimited Membership, on sale with 86% off now, for $49.99 (regular price $375).

Final Fantasy 14 Director Wants Fans To Stop Attacking World of Warcraft

Final Fantasy 14 has had a great deal of success of late. On the flipside, World of Warcraft has had its share of struggles, from the departure of major influencers to controversy over its handling of one of its most important characters, Sylvanas.

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida isn’t in the mood to celebrate, though. In fact, he would prefer that fans stop making negative comparisons between the two, calling claims that Final Fantasy 14 has successfully claimed the MMORPG crown ‘irritating.’

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“The hard work we’ve been putting into Final Fantasy 14 did pay off,” Yoshida said in a translated clip of a recent stream, as reported by PC Gamer. “But this whole conversation about surpassing WoW is the wrong conversation to have and it’s honestly irritating.”

Instead, Yoshida says Final Fantasy 14 owes WoW a debt of gratitude, noting that A Realm Reborn “wouldn’t exist” without Blizzard’s long-standing MMORPG. Yoshida himself is a WoW fan, and he took many cues from Blizzard in building Final Fantasy 14 into the game it is today.

“WoW was the game we constantly looked up to,” Yoshida said.

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Elsewhere in the stream, Yoshida expressed gratitude for Final Fantasy 14’s recent surge in concurrent players in anticipation of the Endwalker expansion, calling it “kind of scary.” But he also said there’s “no way” that Final Fantasy 14 could match the 12 million paid subscribers that WoW enjoyed at its peak, likening it to Mt. Everest.

One way or another, Final Fantasy 14 continues to enjoy immense success, and that is something everyone can agree is worth celebrating. Read more here about our Top 10 MMORPGs, as well as the steps Square Enix is taking to account for its influx of new players. Endwalker is due on November 23.

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Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN.