A Quiet Place: Part 2 Includes Easter Eggs for a Third Movie

John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place franchise has been spawned two movies so far, but the writer-director at the helm has already made it loud and clear that a third movie could be up for discussion.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Krasinski, who directed and co-wrote 2018’s A Quiet Place, and is the sole credited screenwriter of its sequel, revealed that he had a few ideas about where the story would lead whilst he was developing the second movie, so he laid the groundwork for a potential third installment just in case he ever had the chance to make a trilogy.

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“So a lot of the things I had thought were interesting to think about on Part I ended up being in Part II,” Krasinski explained. “And then on Part II, I learned my lesson very quickly. Any time I had ideas like that, I wrote them down in case there ever is a Part III or a third one. So I would be able to reference some of these things if there is a Part III. And we even went so far as to put in a couple easter eggs, so that if I did do a third one, they would connect back to the second one.”

Krasinski is already attached to produce a third movie in the Quiet Place franchise, but it is described as a spinoff rather than a direct sequel to Part 2. The spinoff is being helmed by Jeff Nichols, the director of Midnight Special, who is also in charge of penning the script from an idea by Krasinski. The movie is currently said to be targeting a 2022 release date.

Serving as both a prequel and a sequel, A Quiet Place: Part II follows the remnants of the Abbott family as they face the terrors of the outside world and continue their fight for survival in silence. However, when they are forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.

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The movie received largely positive reactions from its advanced screenings, with some critics addressing the unrelenting tension and suspense of the story whilst others heaped on the praise for the soundscape and the performances of new-to-the-series Cillian Murphy and the returning Millicent Simmonds, hailing the sequel as a worthy and terrifying successor.

IGN awarded A Quiet Place: Part II an 8/10, and commended Krasinski and Co. for broadening the world with “a larger cast, bigger action set-pieces, and more monster scenes” without ever losing sight of “emotional intimacy between the characters that made the first movie work so well,” making it a movie that almost “stands toe-to-toe with its predecessor.”

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Is Getting Nvidia DLSS – Here’s What That Means

During Nvidia’s keynote event at Computex 2021, the company announced new graphics cards, alongside 130 new games that will support the company’s DLSS technology, most notably Rockstar Games’ 2018 hit Red Dead Redemption 2.

The PC version of Red Dead Redemption 2 was originally released in 2019, roughly a year after it launched on consoles, providing a ton of tweaks and technical upgrades, such as uncapped framerates. But, those improvements come with a cost – the PC port of the game is graphically intensive and requires a beefy rig to achieve the best performance possible.

Nvidia’s DLSS, or deep learning super sampling, is a piece of tech that upscales lower resolution images and uses artificial intelligence to make the image appear in a higher resolution without sacrificing a substantial amount of power from your hardware to achieve the quality. That automated improvement in image quality can make a huge difference, allowing your machine to push more resources towards framerate, without sacrificing resolution (although only those with Nvidia RTX GPUS can use DLSS).

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Red Dead Redemption 2 with DLSS enabled will provide a free performance boost and allow more PC owners to get a higher framerate in the game without having to upgrade their machines. DLSS support should also help alleviate some issues for those who do not have PCs powerful enough to run the game on recommended settings, or who want an RTX 30-series graphics card but are struggling to get their hands on one.

It is important to note that Red Dead Redemption 2’s DLSS addition means the game will see improved performance and an FPS boost, but no ray tracing support, like Doom Eternal, which Nvidia announced would get both DLSS and Ray Tracing support.

Nvidia and Rockstar have yet to announce when Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC will get DLSS support, but Nvidia says it is “coming soon.”

As for those without an RTX card, there could soon be a separate solution. AMD will launch its DLSS competitor, FidelityFX Super Resolution, later this month – and it’s an open-source solution, meaning it can theoretically run on any graphics card, including Nvidia’s non-RTX models.

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Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Funny Lord Of The Rings Video Imagines What Fellowship’s Small Talk Might Have Been Like

There is a lot of walking in The Lord of the Rings, so much so that it’s inspired a YouTube comedian to wonder just what the Fellowship chatted about on its journey. As any hiker knows, small talk is a big part of any hike or long walk, and YouTube user Joz Norris came up with a funny and delightful video that imagines what Frodo and company might have been discussing on their journey to destroy the One Ring at Mt. Doom.

Walking alone and talking to the camera, Joz Norris imagines they’re part of the Fellowship and need to come up with basically anything to talk about, which leads to some wonderful sequences. In one part, Norris says, “Okay, let’s play a game. Guess what I’m thinking about?” Norris then smiles and looks at the camera, as if communicating with another member of the party. “It is the ring, yeah.”

“Do you remember when those Orcs ambushed us back there? So annoying,” he says in another segment. “I wish they’d just leave us alone.”

Another line that stands out involves the simple kind of “what if?” question that comes up often during small talk. “So, if you were Sauron and you had to choose to either be a big eye or a big ear or a big bum, which would you choose?” Norris says. “Yeah, I know, but if you had to be one of them?”

The full video is a delight and well worth watching, so check it out in the video embedded above (via ComicBook).

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film series celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, as Fellowship of the Ring debuted in theaters in December 2001. The series remains popular, and Amazon is currently producing a new TV series in New Zealand that has a massive budget.

In other Lord of the Rings news, Amazon recently canceled its Lord of the Rings MMO due in part to a reported contract dispute. A game focused on Gollum is in the works for 2022 after previously being planned for 2021.

Sony Announces Brand-New Public Evo Tournaments

Sony has revealed a set of open-format fighting tournaments ahead of Evo 2021.

The Evo Community Series was revealed on the PlayStation Blog today. Dubbed “a global celebration of the fighting game community,” the ECS takes place between June 10 and August 3 and will feature more than 120 tournaments around the world, with $74,000 in total prize money available to competitors. PlayStation made a meaningful move into the FGC esports scene when it acquired the Evolution Championship Series in March of 2021, and this is it’s first public move into expanding the event.

Three PlayStation-hosted tournaments will also take place during the ECS, starting with the PlayStation Tournaments FGC Arcade: Evo Edition which runs between June 10 and June 22. North American and European competitors with active PS Plus subscriptions will be able to duke it out for the chance of winning part of a $20,000 prize pool in Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate and Tekken 7.

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The PlayStation Tournaments Evo 2021 Online Warm-up will then take place between June 26 and July 13, offering a $19,000 prize pool to competitors from North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, playing Guilty Gear Strive, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition and Tekken 7.

Finally, the PlayStation Tournaments Evo 2021 Online Side Tournaments will follow between July 8 and August 3, allowing players from North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Japan to fight for a $35,000 prize pool in BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Granblue Fantasy: Versus, Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme Vs. Maxi Boost ON, Skullgirls 2nd Encore, Soulcalibur VI and Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[cl-r]

Certain matches from the tournaments will be broadcast on Twitch and Youtube, across PlayStation and Evo’s social streaming channels.

If you think you’re up to the challenge, you can register on PlayStation’s Competition Centre website. Registration for August’s Evo 2021 Online competition also opens today.

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

Far Cry 6 Is Political, Narrative Director Says

Following statements last week that had some players confused on whether Far Cry 6 is a “political game,” narrative director Navid Khavari has made things unquestionably clear: Far Cry 6 is a political game.

In a post on the official Ubisoft website, Khavari said that a “story about a modern revolution” has to be political and that Far Cry 6 will contain discussions on topics like fascism, imperialism, forced labor, LGBTQ+ rights, and free elections, though this will be in the context of the fictional Yara nation rather than a real country. The setting was clearly inspired by Cuba, but it’s not directly inspired by Cuba alone, and it’s this distinction that may have led to confusion about the game’s political intentions or lack thereof.

Now Playing: Far Cry 6 – Everything You Need To Know So Far

“The conversations and research done on the perspectives of those who fought revolutions in the late 1950s, early 1960s, and beyond are absolutely reflected in our story and characters,” Khavari said. “But if anyone is seeking a simplified, binary political statement specifically on the current political climate in Cuba, they won’t find it.”

There will still be “levity and humor” in Far Cry 6, as it’s a major element in the series, but Ubisoft aimed to also include mature themes and tackle complex political issues in the game, albeit regarding the fictional country.

“My only hope is that we are willing to let the story speak for itself first before forming hard opinions on its political reflections.”

Though Far Cry 5 seemed set to tackle political issues, as well–its box art features an American flag draped over a Last Supper-like table, for Pete’s sake–the game was actually focused on a religious cult and had little topical commentary. It remains to be seen how effective Far Cry 6 is in its about-face, but Khavari’s statements make it sound like the game does have something to say.

The initial confusion came after Khavari said Ubisoft didn’t “want to make a political statement about what’s happening in Cuba specifically,” which some took as a statement on the game’s apolitical nature as a whole. Given Ubisoft’s past shying away from direct political messaging in its games–even overtly political ones like the DC-set The Division 2–the company’s willingness to finally address the elephant in the room is encouraging.

Far Cry 6 releases for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, Stadia and PC on October 7. We expect to see more of it at Ubisoft Forward on June 12.

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PlayStation Now June 2021 Games Include The Witcher 3, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, And 3 Sonic Games

It’s the start of a new month, and that means Sony is refreshing the PlayStation Now library with additional titles–and there are some big ones for June.

Available now for PlayStation Now subscribers are five additional titles, beginning with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year/Complete Edition. This includes CD Projekt Red’s acclaimed RPG and all of its DLC packs and its two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. The Witcher 3 will be available on PlayStation Now until September 6, 2021.

Team Sonic Racing is also now available on PlayStation Now. The arcade-style racing game that was originally released in 2019 has numerous characters from the Sonic universe to choose from. As its name suggests, it focuses on team-based racing where players work together.

Two more Sonic games–Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces–are now available on PlayStation Now as well. Additionally, Sega is bringing Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown to PlayStation Now in June, and PlayStation Plus members can also download it for free.

The fantasy battler Slay the Spire, which combines roguelike elements and card battling, is now available on PlayStation Now as well until December 6, along with Car Mechanic Simulator, which is exactly what it sounds like.

PlayStation Now is a streaming/download (in some cases) subscription service available for $10/month or $25 for three months, or $60 per year. In addition to streaming to PS4 and PS5, PlayStation Now games can stream to a computer.

PlayStation Now June 2021 New Additions

  • The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year/Complete Edition (available until September 6, 2021)
  • Team Sonic Racing
  • Sonic Mania
  • Sonic Forces
  • Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
  • Slay the Spire (available until December 6, 2021)
  • Car Mechanic Simulator

‘There Is a Plan’ for Connecting Sony’s Spider-Man Universe to the MCU

Sony executive Sanford Panitch has indicated that Spider-Man: No Way Home will kick off a shared Marvel universe.

Speaking to Variety, Panitch, the president of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, appeared to confirm that “there is actually a plan” to connect Sony’s Spider-Man Universe to the MCU, with Spider-Man 3 possibly opening the door for Peter Parker’s alter-ego to swing between movies and tangle with different characters as part of a shared Marvel universe.

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“There actually is a plan. I think now maybe it’s getting a little more clear for people where we’re headed and I think when No Way Home comes out, even more will be revealed,” Panitch teased while discussing the third Spider-​Man film starring Tom Holland, which represents one of the final films in Marvel and Sony’s current deal to share the web-slinging character.

“The great thing is we have this very excellent relationship with Kevin [Feige],” he added. “There’s an incredible sandbox there to play with. We want those MCU movies to be absolutely huge, because that’s great for us and our Marvel characters, and I think that’s the same thing on their side… There’s lots of opportunities, I think, that are going to happen.”

Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (or SPUMC for short) 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 film that is expected to fill in another piece of the shared universe puzzle. Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be making the jump to the SPUMC to play Kraven.

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Before that though, Spider-Man: No Way Home will debut in theaters. The film is expected to introduce 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 in the future.

No Way Home’s casting line-up, confirmed or otherwise, has been teasing a live-action Spider-Verse/multiverse crossover of epic proportions, which could be intertwined with later events in the MCU, particularly Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. For more on the Doctor Strange sequel and its multiverse concept, read our theories about which characters and worlds may appear in the film.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Xbox Game Pass Titles Announced For June

Microsoft has revealed the latest batch of games that’ll be available in June for Xbox Game Pass, which will start the month off with a mix of detective work, despair, and medieval melee combat.

The handcrafted world of puzzles and secrets in The Wild at Heart is available right now on cloud devices that support Game Pass, while Ubisoft’s long-running multiplayer combat bloodsport For Honor will be available from June 3 on Xbox consoles and the cloud.

On June 8, Game Pass for PC will add Backbone, a post-noir detective mystery set in a dystopian world. Plus you can play as a raccoon gumshoe named Howard Lotor in this game, which is pretty neat.

June is off to a solid start on Xbox Game Pass
June is off to a solid start on Xbox Game Pass

Finally, Darkest Dungeon will be made available on June 10 for console, PC, and the cloud. A challenging gothic roguelike with turn-based RPG elements, Darkest Dungeon not only challenges you to survive dangerous catacombs with a team of flawed heroes, but you’ll also have to deal with the lingering mental strain placed on these adventurers as they venture further into the darkness.

To make room for these new games, several other titles will be leaving Xbox Game Pass. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Night Call, West of Dead, Wizard of Legend, and Observation will all rotate out of the service on June 15. A number of perks can also be claimed if you have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription, which you can see in the breakdown below:

Xbox Game Pass New Additions

June 1

  • The Wild at Heart – Cloud

June 3

  • For Honor – Cloud and console

June 8

  • Backbone – PC

June 10

  • Darkest Dungeon – Cloud, console, and PC

Leaving Xbox Game Pass June 15

  • Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown (Console)
  • Night Call (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • West of Dead (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Wizard of Legend (Cloud, Console, and PC)
  • Observation (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks

  • Dirt 5: Power Your Memes Pack – Available Now
  • Super Animal Royale: Founder’s Edition Pack – Available Now
  • Apex Legends: Knockout City Weapon Charm – June 3

Recent additions to Game Pass include off-road racing game SnowRunner, puzzle game Peggle 2 for the cloud, and Knockout City for console and PC. If you’re looking to see what else is worth playing on Microsoft’s subscription service, check out the best games available with Xbox Game Pass and our guides to the best Xbox One games of all time and the best Xbox Series X games available currently.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Watch Dogs: Legion 4.5 Update Includes Legion Of The Dead Zombies Mode

The 4.5 update for Watch Dogs: Legion introduces a new kind of enemy for testing on PC before rolling out to the wider community. Title update 4.5 adds “Legion of the Dead,” a PvE rogue-lite mode where your plucky band of London citizens attempt to survive against throngs of hostile undead.

The Legion of the Dead mode is only available on PC in Alpha phase right now, but there players can try their survival skills solo or in co-op. You’ll have to plan and strategize how to reach an extraction point while gathering supplies. But this being Watch Dogs Legion, you’ll have the entire citizenry’s equipment and specializations to help you survive.

Aside from the new mode, all platforms will get a few other additions. A second Tactical Op will let you strategize with your friends on how to infiltrate a secret project related to Optik devices. You’ll also get a new 60 FPS Performance Mode option on the new-gen consoles, cross-gen play, a free download of breakout star Helen on June 15, and another free rewards track.

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Watch Dogs: Legion’s first tactical op dropped in March with the 3.25 update. More recently, an update in May added new characters and refreshed the season pass. The hook of Watch Dogs: Legion is that you can play as just about anyone you see wandering around the world, which gives way to tons of options when it comes to dealing with its scenarios.

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Fortnite: Where To Place Warning Signs At Crop Circle

Aliens are on their way to Fortnite–that much we know for sure now. But before they really show up in a big way for next season, another Foreshadowing Quest this week asks you to place warning signs at crop circle. This is the fourth of five Foreshadowing Quests that players can complete ahead of next week’s new season, and note that at time of publishing this challenge isn’t yet live, but it’s expected to go live very soon. If you find yourself looking for this mysterious patterns where corn used to be, don’t fret. Here’s where you can place warning signs at the crop circle in Fortnite.

Fortnite Crop Circle Location

According to dataminers, there’s just going to be the one hexagonal crop circle on the island–this season, anyway. Fortnite Season 7 is right around the corner. That means you’ll just want to head to its location inside Colossal Crops and look for the warning sign interaction prompts scattered around the named location. This is a mission for Farmer Steel, who is very upset with the “pranksters” or “aliens” he believes to be behind the disappearance of some of his crops.

Colossal Crops is named on the map, so it should be easy to drop into. Once you’re there, you’ll be hard-pressed to miss the massive grain-based art project some higher beings seem to have left behind for reasons unknown. Just in case you missed it–or just want to see what it looks like in-game, here it is.

They're coming: aliens are en route to Fortnite.
They’re coming: aliens are en route to Fortnite.

Curiously, the hexagonal pattern of the crop formation seems reminiscent of the Season 6 map, which features six mini-Spires forming a hexagonal perimeter around the central, grander Spire which currently houses The Foundation, albeit rather unwillingly. In real-life alien mythology, some who believe crop circles are signs of extraterrestrials say these formations are used as navigation, like helicopter landing pads perhaps. Without a doubt, UFOs are soon to land on the Fortnite island–though I suppose by then they’ll very much be identified. What these aliens’ motivations are remains unknown, but it’s clear Fortnite Season 7 is about to produce another massive makeover for the game’s map.

Today’s update means all five Foreshadowing Quests are now live in the game, so get in there and finish them off before the new season begins on June 8. You can also check out the incoming Week 12 challenges.

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