How Hitman 3 Expands On The Previous Games | Hands-On Preview

The final game in the Hitman World of Assassination trilogy is nearly upon us. Hitman 3 will be hitting all major platforms, including the PS5 and Series X/S, on January 20, but Jean-Luc Seipke and Phil Hornshaw got an early hands-on preview with the game.

In this video, they talk about their experience with the first two levels, one taking place in a luxurious skyscraper in Dubai and the other involving a classic murder mystery in a European mansion. At its core, Hitman 3 doesn’t stray far from what’s come before, but our experience with these levels show that IO Interactive still knows how to craft some fantastic sandboxes for Agent 47 to play in.

If you’re interested in reading more about Hitman 3, check out Phil’s written preview, where he goes more in depth on the game’s second mission. And make sure to stay tuned to GameSpot for our full coverage of Hitman 3 when the game releases in a few weeks.

Ray Fisher Clarifies Cyborg’s Removal From The Flash Movie

UPDATE: Ray Fisher has clarified details of Cyborg’s apparent removal from The Flash movie.

The actor posted a thread of tweets in relation to The Wrap‘s article that cited insiders (with purported knowledge of the situation) as the main source behind emerging claims that Cyborg has been removed from The Flash movie screenplay, and that the role isn’t going to be recast. The story also asserted that Fisher “publicly stated he did not want to be involved with the project via Twitter.”

Fisher urged the outlet to amend the article immediately, as he discredited the report for being factually inaccurate since he “did not publicly step down from anything.” He then shifted emphasis to the studio, writing: “If Warner Bros. has made the decision to remove me from The Flash, rather than address, in any way, Walter Hamada tampering with the JL investigation—that’s on them.”

He continued: “The Warner Bros. pr team has struggled to regain control of the narrative ever since they failed to bury me and the JL investigation with their September 4th hit piece—which, unsurprisingly, was written by the same reporter.

“The fact is: the Justice League investigation led to WarnerMedia (and it’s affiliates) parting ways with Joss Whedon. Geoff Johns will be following suit. Had Walter Hamada gotten his way, NONE of that would have been possible, and the cycle of abuse would’ve continued.

“My team and I are still in deep conversation with WarnerMedia regarding all these matters and—Flash or no Flash—we fully intend to see this through. I’ll keep you all posted, but in the meantime—thank you for your continued support.”

Shortly after, Variety reported that multiple sources have disputed Fisher’s claim that WarnerMedia will be parting ways with Geoff Johns after the company’s Justice League investigation. According to three of those sources, the company “remains in business” with Johns, who continues to work on The CW’s Stargirl, and several other DC properties.

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ORIGINAL STORY: Ray Fisher’s Cyborg cameo has reportedly been written out of The Flash movie, and there’s currently no plans to recast the role.

According to The Wrap, insiders with purported knowledge of the situation have claimed that Cyborg has been removed from The Flash movie screenplay entirely, which means that the cameo has been cut and that Fisher will not be replaced by another actor in the upcoming DC movie — despite the character’s inclusion in the long-gestating DCEU installment dating back to 2016.

This comes shortly after Fisher stated that he would no longer participate in any productions associated with DC Films president Walter Hamada. “Walter Hamada is the most dangerous kind of enabler,” Fisher tweeted. “His lies, and WB PR’s failed Sept. 4th hit-piece, sought to undermine the very real issues of the ‘Justice League’ investigation. I will not participate in any production associated with him.”

A week later, it was announced that Hamada had renewed his deal with DC, and would be continuing as president of the studio through to 2023.

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Hamada was thrust into the public spotlight after Fisher accused him, along with DC Films co-chairs Geoff Johns and Jon Berg, of enabling an alleged toxic work environment from Joss Whedon, who took over directorial duties on Justice League after Zack Snyder’s departure in 2017. Hamada was not president of DC Films at the time of principal photography.

WarnerMedia recently confirmed that the Justice League investigation had concluded and that “remedial action” had been taken over Fisher’s claims following a months-long investigation into the allegations. It remains unclear what “remedial action” was taken, though Fisher observed on Twitter that it includes “some we’ve seen, and some that is still to come.”

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Fisher’s Cyborg/Victor Stone character may not be appearing in The Flash but he will be back for The Snyder Cut of Justice League, which is expected to debut on HBO Max in March. The movie is said to feature over 150 minutes of unseen footage, and won’t be using a “single frame” from Whedon’s theatrical version of the movie.

As for cameos in The Flash, Michael Keaton previously joked that all “127” previous “Batmen” will be making an appearance in the DCEU movie after he confirmed he had been in discussion over the possibility of reprising his Batman role in the movie, which is now scheduled to hit theatres on November 4, 2022, after being pushed back from its original June 2, 2022 release date.

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

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Mid-Season Update Coming Next Week

Treyarch has confirmed that a mid-season update for Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War will arrive on Thursday, January 14, adding new maps and modes to the game’s Multiplayer and Zombies modes.

The January 7 Patch Notes update on the Treyarch blog confirms a few details about the mid-season Cold War content drop.

One of the major introductions is a new Fireteam map called Sanatorium. This map will complement a new Fireteam mode called Dropkick, a 6 v 6 battle where players must “fight for control of the nuclear codes”.

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The new Sanatorium map coming to Cold War on January 14.

Elsewhere, Zombies players can enjoy tweaks to the Cranked mode, where “every zombie killed resets the timer counting down to your demise”. In the PlayStation exclusive Onslaught mode, the Black Ops 2 map Raid has been added to the pool, as well as new Dark Aether intel for players to collect as they fight the horde.

In other Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War news, check out our article covering how the game was made from home during a pandemic. If you’re still trying to tackle the easter egg in Die Maschine, check out our handy guide for a walkthrough of all the steps.

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

Nintendo eShop Down, Seemingly Due to Monster Hunter Rise Demo Demand

The Nintendo eShop is currently down for unscheduled “emergency maintenance”, which may be due to demand for the recently released Monster Hunter Rise demo.

The eShop has been down for at least 4 hours at time of writing, with Nintendo’s Japanese customer support Twitter account repeatedly apologising for the issues, but offering no timescale for a fix.

While neither Nintendo or Capcom has specifically commented on the connection, the outage coincides with the release of the demo for Monster Hunter Rise, which includes two quests and two tutorials for the upcoming Switch exclusive.

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IGN UK Podcast #574: The Big 2021 Games Preview

Cardy, Dale and Jesse are here to all the games that they’re looking forward to (potentially) playing in 2021. Half of them probably won’t actually be released but we can only hope for the best. Before getting to that long list though we talk through some of the games, films and TV shows that we enjoyed over Christmas which ranges from regency romance to cannibal infested woodland.

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

IGN UK Podcast #574: The Big 2021 Games Preview

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Cobra Kai Season 3 Breakdown & Best Moments

Plus, Cobra Kai star Xolo Maridueña (Miguel Diaz) discusses Miguel’s recovery, William Zabka (Johnny Lawrence) talks about his bond with Miguel, and Mary Mouser (Samantha LaRusso) and Peyton List (Tory Nichols) talk about Sam and Tory being the new Daniel and Johnny.

Dave and Chris give their overall reactions to Season 3 and talk about the ending. They discuss what worked, including Kreese’s origin story, Kumiko, Hawk’s redemption, and Miguel’s recovery. In contrast, they also talk about what didn’t work, such as Robby’s storyline, and lots of misunderstandings. And of course, Season 3’s best moments, like Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence finally teaming up!

Logan Director James Mangold Calls for Fox News Boycott Following Riots

James Mangold, the director of movies like Logan, Ford vs. Ferrari, and Walk the Line, is speaking out in the wake of yesterday’s attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a series of tweets, he called on fellow producers and directors to boycott Fox News.

“Watching lawlessness in our capital–thugs supporting a coup–& deeply saddened,” Mangold wrote in a tweet. “The Murdochs have inflicted so much racism, sexism, and virulent lies & damage to our nation.”

Mangold wants movie makers to deprive the Fox News Network not just of appearances, but ads too. “Fellow content makers, we must cancel appearances on Fox & use our power to keep ads 4 our shows off Fox,” he continued.

Mangold’s words are resonating with many following the riots, but some pointed out that some of the director’s most successful films, like those listed above, were made for Fox. “I’m sorry, but when did you realize this? Before or after you made MULTIPLE movies for Fox? I respect your work, but talk about hipocrisy. You’ve helped this. The Murdoch’s have been known a**holes for decades. This is where it was leading,” one user replied. Mangold responded, saying that “there’s a difference between a**holes and traitors, but you still make a good point. I should’ve stood up sooner. We all have lines we draw, often we draw them too late, hoping for change. I regret ever helping the Murdochs make a dollar in the past. They are deplorable.”

Disney dropped the Fox name from its movie and TV studios following its acquisition of Fox’s library last year, and Fox News is a separate entity not included in that acquisition, so Mangold isn’t endangering any of his planned or potential future projects with these statements.

Now Playing: 5 Things To Check Out If You Liked Logan

DC’s Justice Society: World War II Movie Cast Revealed

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Comics have announced the cast for the upcoming Justice Society: World War II film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie will feature an ensemble cast led by Stana Katic (Quantum of Solace, Castle) as Wonder Woman and Matt Bomer (Doom Patrol) as The Flash. This new film will therefore be a continuation of a series of collaborations between those two actors, who first worked together in the DC Universe Movies series in 2013’s Superman: Unbound.

They top a cast that also includes Elysia Rotaru as Black Canary, Chris Diamantopoulos as Steve Trevor, Omid Abtahi as Hawkman, Matthew Mercer as Hourman, Armen Taylor as Jay Garrick, Liam McIntyre as Aquaman, Ashleigh LaThrop as Iris West, Geoffrey Arend as Charles Halstead/Advisor, Keith Ferguson as Dr. Fate, and Darin De Paul as Roosevelt.

A drawing showcasing the designs for some of the starring superhero team in Justice Society: World War II has also been released, which you can see below.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

Justice Society: World War II comes from a script co-written by Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, DC Super Hero Girls) and Jeremy Adams (Supernatural, Batman: Soul of the Dragon).

The film is expected to hit HBO Max, though a release date has not yet been announced.

Netflix’s Cobra Kai Season 3: Why Sam And Tory Are The New Daniel And Johnny

Now that the third season of Cobra Kai is out on Netflix, we’re left with a lot of questions about the future. What happens next between Johnny and Daniel? How will Kreese continue to ruin lives in the valley? And most importantly, how many massive karate brawls can happen before all of these teenagers are sent to prison? What the show is also doing, though, is showing how history can repeat itself.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Season 3 of Cobra Kai on Netflix. If you haven’t seen the new episodes, stop reading now and get to it.

When first introduced in Season 2, Tory (Peyton List) seemed to be the perfect foil for Sam (Mary Mouser). She was a girl with an edgy attitude, plenty of fighting skill, and wound up dating Sam’s ex, Miguel (Xolo Maridueña). By the end of the season, though, what could have been seen as a normal teenage rivalry went into overdrive during the high school karate riot heard ’round the world. Tory did some serious damage to Sam, all because of a boy.

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If that sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it before. This particular story is well in line with the plot of The Karate Kid, in which Johnny (William Zabka) and his Cobra Kai goons wreak havoc on Daniel’s (Ralph Macchio) life after Ali (Elisabeth Shue) leaves one for the other.

Of course, times are different now and this generation’s version of Johnny and Daniel are taking things to extremes the original movie couldn’t have fathomed, whether it’s the aforementioned karate riot of the insane Christmas brawl throughout the LaRusso house in the Season 3 finale, which left kids bloodied and battered.

Where does it end, though? The feud between Johnny and Daniel essentially continued for three decades, only finally coming to some kind of peace in Season 3 of Cobra Kai. Are Sam and Tory doomed to suffer the same fate? Honestly, the most likely answer is probably.

“I think, in my brain, it would take quite a long time to get there because there’s just so much anger and damage on both sides,” Mouser told GameSpot. “I like to imagine that this rivalry continues on for another 30 years. And we find out then.”

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While it does sound like a great idea for a sequel series, the actress did admit seeing the two of them work together is’t out of the realm of possibility.

“I think that my dream moment is when some other enemies come in and Tory and Sam have to team up for a brief moment to take them out,” she said. “And then immediately after they’re like, ‘But screw you and see you later.'”

Given how dedicated the two are to their opposing ideals, though, don’t bet on that happening anytime soon. In fact, when asked about what the immediate future between Sam and Tory looks like, List could only say, “This is only going to get worse, and this isn’t going to get better anytime soon.”

Cobra Kai Season 3 is streaming on Netflix now.

Now Playing: Cobra Kai: Martial Arts Expert Reacts to Season 2 School Fight

Path Of Exile Developer Gives An Update On The Sequel

Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile has remained a popular free-to-play action-RPG since its debut in 2013. While the current game is still getting regular updates, the developers also have plans for a sequel, which was announced in 2019. Unfortunately, 2020 turned out to be a chaotic year for many, and developer Grinding Gear Games had to adapt to sudden changes in plans.

Along with our chat about the Echoes of the Atlas expansion, managing director of Path of Exile Chris Wilson gave us an update on Path of Exile 2. The sequel is Path of Exile’s next leap forward as a free-to-play action-RPG, adding in a new story, world to explore, and classes to level up and outfit with loot. While development is still progressing, Wilson spoke candidly about how the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the progress, and it may be a bit longer before we see the sequel’s release.

“[Development] has been a bit slower than I would have liked, it was the biggest casualty of COVID–and I hate to blame COVID because it seems like everyone is doing that–but it really has had an impact on us,” said Wilson. “That’s mostly because we’re still committed to getting our normal expansions out, we’re not going to allow problems to affect our current maintenance of the game, so that means we’ve had to pull developers from PoE2 from the last year back onto this game. That’s been fine, and there’s plenty of work there, but that does mean it’s been a bit rocky with the sequel’s work being done behind the scenes. It also doesn’t help that with New Zealand’s borders being closed, we can’t hire other developers from overseas. But to cut a long story short, things have been slow.”

During our talk about the newest expansion, Echoes of the Atlas, Wilson explained that one of the added benefits of moving chairs around within the studio was that creatives working on the sequel have been able to apply new tricks and upgrades to the original game. The next expansion will introduce 11 new maps into the Atlas endgame, and each one will feature more dynamic camera work, updated graphics, and other updates to the presentation that puts it above the more common tile-sets in the game.

Despite the silence about anything related to the game, Wilson stated they plan to share more details about the game in 2021. In addition to keeping the current game up to date, Grinding Gear Games plans to roll out new info about what’s to come with the sequel.

“But that hasn’t bothered us in an existential way; last year, Path of Exile had its best year yet and we see 2021 being even better. We’re committed to getting the sequel out because we’ve already made that promise to players, so we plan to have a very transparent approach to showing the game this year. We really don’t see value in hiding what we have for the sequel, so we want to reassure you players that it’s going well.”

For more info on Path of Exile, be sure to check out our recent coverage on the expansion, which is set to release January 15 on PC, with a console launch on January 20.

Now Playing: Path Of Exile 2 – Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer

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