Spellbreak, the Magic Battle Royale, Release Date Annouced

Spellbreak, an upcoming battle royale with RPG elements, will be released on Switch as a free-to-play experience next week on September 3, 2020.

In Spellbreak, players can choose a Battlemage class and a unique loadout of spells to become the last magician standing. Players can queue up in either solo or squad modes to become the champion of the Hollow Lands.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/spellbreak-launch-trailer”]

Spellbreak previously held a beta on PS4 and Epic Games Store but will launch wide on September 3, complete with cross-play. IGN has an exclusive interview with the developers from the Summer of Gaming.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

 

Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon Adds Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran

Raya and the Last Dragon, an upcoming computer-animated Disney movie slated for 2021, is shaking up some of its previously announced casting choices. Replacing Cassie Steele (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Rick and Morty), according to Deadline, will be Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) in the titular role. Tran’s casting is historic: It marks the first time a Southeast Asian performer has led a Disney animated film.

Joining Tran are Don Hall (Moana, Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) as directors on Raya and the Last Dragon–playwright Qui Nguyen (Vietgone) will join Adele Lim as co-writer. Paul Briggs and John Ripa will co-direct; Dean Wellins, who was originally slated as director alongside Briggs, will reportedly be directing another Disney animated movie.

“As filmmakers, Don and Carlos bring a combination of animation know-how and emotional storytelling to Raya and the Last Dragon, bringing our fantasy adventure to surprising, original, and dynamic heights,” said Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee. “They both saw the potential for this film and had a strong vision for the story, especially for our lead character, played by the wonderfully talented Kelly Marie Tran. And no small feat, directors Don and Carlos, writers Qui and Adele, and the entire crew of 400 Disney Animation artists are making this film together, while separated and working from home.”

Raya and the Last Dragon is currently scheduled for a March 12, 2021 release. It was originally set to premiere in November of this year, but–coronavirus. The movie was first announced at Disney’s D23 convention in 2018, and is set in “a reimagined Earth inhabited by an ancient civilization that venerated the mythical dragons for their power and their wisdom.”

Now Playing: 8 Best Shows And Movies To Stream For August 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond Story Trailer Revealed

During Opening Night Live at gamescom 2020, Respawn Entertainment’s Vince Zampella and Peter Hirschmann joined Geoff Keighley to reveal a Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond story trailer.

The VR game has been made with the help of real WW2 veterans, and the trailer showed the French Resistance, secret passages, a Gestapo HQ incursion, and lots of shooting, stabbing and exploding of Nazis. For a game about the realities of war, it looks… pretty fun.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/medal-of-honor-above-and-beyond-vr-story-trailer”]

In an interview after the trailer, it was confirmed that the game’s three acts will take the form of being recruited into the OSS, before working with the French Resistance, then taking part in D-Day, and finally dealing with the Nazi secret weapon programme.

Developed by Respawn and Oculus Studios, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is a VR game set during World War 2 with a single-player campaign that will put players into the shoes of an agent of the OSS as they survive through historic events. Check out our hands-on impressions for more details.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will have a release date in Holiday 2020 and will launch for the Oculus Rift. Make sure to check out our gamescom 2020 schedule to see what other gameplay reveals are planned for the show.

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition Gets October Release Date

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition will be released on PC through Steam and the Microsoft Store on October 15.

Age of Empires 3: Definitive Edition is the return to the classic real-time strategy complete with new 4K Ultra HD graphics and a fully remastered soundtrack.

There will also be two new modes: Historical Battles and The Art of War Challenge Missions. The Definitive Edition will also include all previously released expansions, all 14 civilizations, and two new civilizations with the Inca and Swedes.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

 

Medal Of Honor: Above And Beyond Shows VR WW2 At Gamescom

During Gamescom Opening Night Live, we got a lengthy look at Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. The Oculus Rift game takes place entirely in first-person and without cutscenes, so you’ll be right in the thick of the action. You can watch the presentation below.

According to game director Peter Hirchsman, you play as soldier in the OSS, the organization that eventually became the CIA. Though you’re working with the French resistance and taking on some spycraft, the trailer also showed plenty of big bombastic action scenes too–from almost being run over by a tank in the French countryside to storming the beaches of Normandy. Hirchsman said it has roughly 120 pages of narrative.

The developer chat ended with a hint of multiplayer, though specific plans weren’t shown. Meanwhile, the trailer ended with a display of Oculus Quest, though the studio has previously said that it’s a Rift-exclusive. That appears to have been an allusion to the ability to play on Quest through an Oculus Link.

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond is coming this holiday season.

Now Playing: Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond Full Presentation | Gamescom 2020

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Fall Guys Season 2 Adds Medieval Minigames And Costumes

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout‘s Season 2 of content is on the way. Developer Mediatonic revealed new medieval-themed minigames and costumes during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2020. A giant castle for tail tag and a new block-pushing game where you have to climb over castle walls were revealed, as well as new dragon, knight, Viking, wizard, and witch costumes.

Season 2 won’t start for over a month, but when it does, it will have more games and costumes inspired by “epic quests.” Despite being hyped beforehand, the Fall Guys segment during Opening Night Live was quick, only showing off new content during a short clip. Many of the same games are returning, albeit with new maps and obstacles. Those include swinging axes and games where you have to physically move ramps and platforms around in order to, say, jump through a floating ring that’s otherwise out of reach.

Fall Guys lead designer Joe Walsh started out his Gamescom appearance by thanking fans for the game’s runaway success. He had previously promised that a lot of new content was in the works for the game, so expect more beyond the second season. We also know that, in China, a mobile version of Fall Guys is in the works–meanwhile, we’re hopeful that the game will come to other platforms around the world.

It’s likely that Fall Guys will retire or repurpose some games in the future. The game has already received some major tweaks during Season 1.

Now Playing: Fall Guys Season 2 Trailer | Gamescom 2020

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Fall Guys: Season 2 Medieval Theme Announced

Fall Guys’ inaugural season is still ongoing, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to look to the future.

Developer Mediatonic unveiled a first look at what’s to come in Fall Guys: Season 2 during Gamescom 2020‘s Opening Night Live. Season 2 will feature new rounds, including new medieval games based on the Middle Ages.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/fall-guys-season-2-sneak-peak-trailer”]

New costumes will also be introduced continuing the medieval theme for what your Fall Guy can wear amongst the madness. But don’t worry about strict historical accuracy – costumes incl

[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=fall-guys-season-2-first-look&captions=true”]

For more, be sure to check out our Fall Guys review and hear what the Fall Guys developers had to say about our level pitches.

Chorus: First Gameplay Revealed

Chorus, the dark spacefighter, got its first gameplay footage at Gamescom 2020.

The next-gen dogfighting game looks appropriately snazzy, and touts 4K, 60fps, ray traced presentation for its narrative take on space combat.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/27/chorus-gameplay-reveal-trailer”]

The story will see heroine Nara and her living ship heading to fight the dark organization that created them.

Chorus comes to PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Stadia in 2021 and was first announced at May’s inside Xbox event.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Shiny Space Shooter Chorus Gets Its First Gameplay Trailer

Chorus was previously revealed earlier this year for current and next generation consoles, and today we got a small glimpse at its fast-paced space dogfighting gameplay.

The short gameplay trailer shows how you can quickly zip around larger space installations in a very nimble-looking ship, taking down enemies in a flurry of gunfire as you go.

Chorus doesn’t have a release date yet, but will launch on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, PC, and Google Stadia sometime in 2021. Catch up on all the other big Opening Night Live announcements right here.

Now Playing: Chorus Official Gameplay Trailer | Gamescom 2020

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.