House of the Dragon has been co-created by George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal, who is best known for the acclaimed sci-fi series Colony, which ran for three seasons until 2018. Condal will also share showrunner duties with Miguel Sapochnik, who directed some key Game of Thrones episodes, including “Battle of the Bastards,” “The Long Night,” and “The Bells.” Sapochnik will also direct the pilot episode of House of the Dragon, as well as some later episodes.
Bungie has released a new patch for Destiny 2 that addresses a number of the troubles that have faced the Season of Dawn since its launch a few weeks ago. The new patch, Hotfix 2.7.0.2, is now live in the game and fixes a few key troubles, like players’ inability to interact with the EDZ Sundial obelisk.
Patch notes for the hotfix are live on Bungie’s website, which detail a short list of changes to the game that mostly remove bugs and make minor but meaningful adjustments. The EDZ bug is probably the biggest one–previously, Guardians had to repeatedly enter the area that includes the obelisk in an attempt to get the prompt to appear that allowed them to interact with it. The patch also fixes a weekly Gunsmith calibration bounty, which hasn’t been available since the start of the season.
Hotfix 2.7.0.2 also makes some fixes to things that were actually working out in players’ favor. Bungie has reduced the amount of damage the Exotic bow Wish-Ender does with its Broadhead perk. Throughout the Season of Dawn, Wish-Ender has been doing a ton of extra damage, which has made it a go-to weapon for killing primevals in Gambit matches. The hotfix also fixes Telesto, which would dish out additional Special ammo when paired with the Heavy Handed seasonal mod.
Check out the full list of changes and fixes below. You might also want to check out our Corridors of Time guide, following the work of the Destiny 2 community to solve a new secret quest that was added to the game this week.
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This series will be the third installment in AMC’s The Walking Dead franchise and will be the second spinoff series, with Fear the Walking Dead being the first. World Beyond will be “delving into a new mythology and story that follows the first generation raised in a surviving civilization of the post-apocalyptic world,” says AMC.
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World Beyond will follow two sisters and two friends as they leave a place of comfort and begin to explore the post-apocalyptic world around them. The show will be “a tale of growing up and transformation” for the group of friends as they learn more about themselves, each other, and the world around them.
You can check out the first official trailer below.
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The series was first announced in April 2019 and in the following months, AMC shared that Alexa Mansour, Nicolas Cantu, and Hal Cumpston would be joining the cast. In late 2019, AMC gave the show its official title and shared the first poster of the new series.
Co-created by Scott Gimple, The Walking Dead’s Matt Negrete will serve as the Showrunner for the series, along with Executive Producers Gimple, Negrete, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, David Alpert and Brian Bockrath.
In the meantime, be sure to check out IGN’s midseason review of The Walking Dead and a hidden holiday Easter Egg found in one of the latest episodes.
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Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.
“It would be hard to imagine doing it without Damon involved in some way,” HBO programming president Casey Bloys conceded in an interview Wednesday with USA Today.
Lindelof said in December, “I’ve consistently believed and still believe that these nine episodes are a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. I have to acknowledge that not everyone’s going to see it that way, and I definitely don’t dispute any opinion that’s sort of like there should be more. I just don’t feel compelled to continue the story without a reason to do so. That reason should be a creative reason, idea-driven, and I don’t have any ideas for subsequent seasons of Watchmen currently.”
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Still, Lindelof left the door open at the time to a possible second season, saying that if the right idea struck him then “I would definitely be inclined to pursue it. There is no guarantee of if and when that’ll happen.”
Bloys left the ball in Lindelof’s court, telling USA Today: “It’s really in Damon’s thinking about what he wants to do. If there’s an idea that excited him about another season, another installment, maybe like a Fargo, True Detective (anthology) take on it, or if he wants to do something different altogether. We’re very proud of Watchmen, but what I’m most interested in [is] what Damon wants to do.”
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IGN named Watchmen the best TV show of 2019, an accolade Damon Lindelof called “an incredible gift.” We also cited Watchmen as one of the best TV shows of the decade.
For more on Watchmen, check out Regina King’s emotional explanation of the ending, our spoiler-free review of Season 1, and get the answers to 10 burning questions we had about the show.
Pokemon Go‘s January Community Day is coming up this weekend, but that’s not the only event to look forward to soon. Niantic has announced the Legendary Pokemon Latios and Latias will return for a limited time next weekend for a special Raid event.
Beginning at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on Friday, January 24, the two Legendaries will appear around the world in five-star Raids, giving you another opportunity to catch them. Latios and Latias will leave the game again at the same time on Monday, January 27. You can read more about the event on the Pokemon Go website.
Latios and Latias are both Dragon/Psychic types, meaning they’re each weak to Ice, Dark, Fairy, Ghost, and Bug Pokemon, so you’ll want to bring along monsters like Mamoswine, Tyranitar, and Togekiss when challenging them. Other Dragon types also have an advantage, particularly Dragon Legendaries like Rayquaza.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go’s January Community Day takes place this Sunday, January 19. The featured Pokemon this month is Piplup, the Water starter from Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and if you can evolve it all the way into Empoleon up to two hours after the event ends, it’ll learn the powerful Water attack Hydro Cannon.
The Legendary Pokemon Heatran is also back in Raids until February 4, and some new Gen 5 Pokemon are now appearing around the world. You can catch up on other recent Pokemon Go news below.
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While Microsoft’s xCloud game-streaming service remains only available as part of a limited test, the company is expanding its other new streaming offering. Microsoft announced today that Xbox Insiders in every country where Xbox Live is available can now test the console-streaming program that begun its limited beta rollout last year.
Console streaming allows players to stream the Xbox One games they already own to their Android phone or tablet from their console. This is done over Wi-Fi while at home and through your mobile data plan if you’re playing on the go.
The service requires a strong connection of 5 GHz Wi-Fi or mobile data connection at 10 Mbps down / 4.75 Mbps up. Since it’s a beta, only three titles are available to stream: Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, and Sea of Thieves.
More details about console streaming can be found on Microsoft’s website.
“We view the public preview as an important step in our journey to deliver game streaming to Xbox players around the world! We are learning from Xbox Insiders like you whenever you participate in these new technologies,” Microsoft said.
The Xbox Insider program is free and available to everyone–you can sign up here. Once you’re accepted into the program, you can get started with the console streaming preview by following the instructions posted below, as written by Microsoft.
As for the Xcloud game-streaming service, this is a Netflix-style streaming service that allows users to stream games wherever they are over the internet. Microsoft is currently testing this in the US, UK, and Korea, with support for other parts of the world to come later.
Even if you haven’t played Pokemon Sword and Shield yet, you might have seen Ball Guy somewhere on the internet. The mysterious Poke Ball mascot was the cause of some debate when the games launched–is he weird, or is he a friend? Back then, I defended Ball Guy. He gives you free Poke Balls, I reasoned. He’s nice. He just wants to help out. Who cares if his outfit is weird and he has no known origin?
For far too long, I considered Ball Guy a friend. Not anymore. Ball Guy is my enemy. He sucks, actually. He really sucks. He is the bane of my existence.
I’ll admit that during the main story, Ball Guy appears good. He’s supportive. He’s always there for you, at every Gym. He gifts you various ultra-rare Poke Balls so you can catch your favorite monsters in… cool balls. But when you become Champion, his disposition changes.
See, after you beat the game, you’re allowed to call a rematch Champion Cup in Wyndon whenever you want. You battle three people, mostly Gym Leaders, and it takes a bit of time, but it’s a decent way to make some money. It’s also the only way to get an item I really need: the Flame Orb. Why I need a Flame Orb is not as important as the fact that it is incredibly useful, incredibly rare, and only available at the mercy of Ball Guy, who gives you a prize when you complete the tournament.
Each day, the first prize you get for completing a rematch cup is a Wishing Piece. It is guaranteed, and it resets every day. Ball Guy comes out and hands it to you like it’s worth something–it’s not. They are easy to buy in the Wild Area for Watts. I don’t need them, and I don’t want them. But I get one every single day, just so I can grind more Champion Cups on the off chance he’ll give me what I want.
Yesterday, I did around 10 Champion Cup rematches. I did not get a Flame Orb. I did get some Dusk Balls (which you can buy easily) and some Ultra Balls (which you can also buy easily). I also got 100 Poke Balls, twice. And when Ball Guy gives you 100 Poke Balls, that’s when he shows his true colors.
Betrayal.
Before he reveals your absolute garbage prize, he gleefully does the universal sign for mocking others’ pain: He animatedly wipes fake tears from his permanently smiling ball face, as if to say “Aww, did the baby want a Flame Orb?”, and it goes on for a couple of seconds. He then reveals that he’s giving you 100 Poke Balls, which are useless to you. Selling them nets you pennies. You don’t catch Pokemon with Poke Balls anymore. But here they are. Guess you better grind this tournament out again, sweetie.
I will do it again today. I will get a Wishing Piece. I will keep running the stupid Champion Cup until I get my Flame Orb. And when I get it, I will never speak to Ball Guy again. He’s burned me too many times.
The next big streaming service, NBCUniversal’s Peacock, will be launching in a few months, combining multiple networks and movie studios. Movies, TV series, news, sports, and originals will all be content you can stream from home. Now, we know the launch date and the pricing model for the service.
During the Peacock investor meeting, chairman of NBCUniversal Steve Burke opened discussing what type of platform the new streaming service will be. He noted that Peacock will fit into an ad-supported business model with premium content, much like an ad-supported Hulu–something Burke did not mention during the opening of the presentation.
As for the launch of Peacock, Comcast subscribers will get it first, as it begins to roll out on April 15, and it will be included at no additional cost. In July, all tiers for the streaming service will be launched nationwide on multiple platforms, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics coverage. The service will arrive internationally at a later date.
Later, chairman of Peacock and NBCUniversal Enterprises Matt Strauss announced that Peacock will be available free. However, there will be various tiers for customers to choose from, which you can see below.
It’s important to note that original series are not included in the free tier, so don’t expect to watch that Saved By The Bell revival, unless you plan on paying for the service. Additionally, the $5 tier will be bundled free for Xfinity, Xfinity Flex, and Cox customers. As far as ads go, users will be limited to five minutes of ads per hour, and that is less than traditional network and cable TV, which is around 16 minutes per hour.
One video presentation showcased the many movies and shows that will be a part of Peacock from TV hits like The Office, Parks & Recreation, Saturday Night Live, Murder She Wrote, Xena: Warrior Princess, and more. Additionally, movies like Shrek, Minions, and Fast & Furious were shown as well. Reality TV was also highlighted, with shows like WWE’s Total Divas appearing, a USA Network property, which falls under the NBCUniversal umbrella.
In addition to VOD programming, including movies, TV, and original content, Strauss said “daily, current, and even live content will be streamed.” So you may be able to watch the news, as it airs on the network, on Peacock.
At the time of this writing, the release date for Peacock had not been revealed, but we’ll keep you updated as more is revealed at the investor meeting.
Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed–pushed to a new release date on September 17. The game is still scheduled to launch for Xbox One, PS4, and PC with a version for Google Stadia planned as well. However, despite the new launch date being much closer to the scheduled release window for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, CD Projekt Red currently has no plans to develop Cyberpunk 2077 as a cross-generation game.
“As of right now, Cyberpunk is heading for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC. Nothing has changed in regard to those plans,” CD Projekt Red CFO Piotr Nielubowicz said on a teleconference call held to address questions about the new release date.
“We are going with the same plans that we set,” CD Projekt Red joint CEO Adam Kiciński reiterated. “[Cyberpunk 2077] was always designed for [PS4 and Xbox One]. We are thinking about the next generation, but for now, we are focused on the current generation. That plan is still valid.”
That said, in a previous financial report, according to Wccftech, Kiciński said, “If there is an opportunity for us to launch Cyberpunk for another generation, we would want to do this probably.” So there’s still a fairly strong possibility of Xbox Series X and PS5 versions of Cyberpunk 2077 being made, even if there are no plans to do so right now.
CD Projekt Red isn’t worried that it is releasing the game when newer, more powerful consoles are available, even during one of the busiest times of the year for game launches. “We believe that our game–a big single-player RPG with a great story–will find its place in the market regardless of the date,” CD Projekt Red board member of SVP business development Michał Nowakowski said.
“There’s always something happening no matter what time of the year you’re looking at. The games industry is not an industry where you can say that any given month is safer for whatever reason. So in that regard, we don’t see September as more threatening than April or June,” Nielubowicz added.
Though, obviously, no scheduled release date for a video game is set in stone, CD Projekt Red is confident that Cyberpunk 2077 will hit its new release date and not need to be delayed again. “Yeah, we pretty much know and understand what aspects of the game still require work,” Nowakowski said.
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Fortnite developer Epic Games has rolled out not one, but two new sets of challenges for the hit battle royale shooter. One of the tasks you’ll need to do in the 8-Ball Vs. Scratch set is search a hidden gnome found in between Fancy View, a wooden shack, and a big house. If you’re not sure where those are, we’ve put together this guide to help you complete the challenge.
As the challenge teases, the gnome you’re trying to track down is hidden somewhere between three different locations: Fancy View, a wooden shack, and a big house. That’s certainly a vague clue, especially if you’re not familiar with the layout of the island, but here’s where all three of those places can be found.
Each of the landmarks mentioned by the challenge are on the westernmost edge of the island. Fancy View is located southwest of Sweaty Sands. The wooden shack and big house, meanwhile, are directly east and southeast of Fancy View, respectively. This means the gnome you’re searching for will appear on the hill that’s between those three places; you can see the spot on the map below.
Fortnite gnome location
Now that we know where to look, all you need to do to complete the challenge is head to the hill between the three specified locations, and you’ll see the gnome once you approach. Search it as you would a chest and you’ll clear the mission, netting you a nice chunk of XP and unlocking another 8-Ball Vs. Scratch challenge to complete.
Season 1 of Fortnite Chapter 2 is slated to end of February 6, so there’s still a little time left to complete any outstanding challenges you may have from this season. If you need help clearing any earlier missions, we’ve collated all our maps and guides for the trickier ones in our Fortnite Chapter 2 challenges roundup.
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