Archive - 2025

Disney+ and Lucasfilm Unveil Light & Magic Season 2

2025/04/18

Disney+ has released the trailer and key art for Lucasfilm’s “Light & Magic,” which were both unveiled today at Star Wars Celebration in Tokyo. Attendees heard from director Joe Johnston and producer Ron Howard via videotaped greetings and also enjoyed a highlight reel from the first season of “Light & Magic.” A panel discussion followed, moderated by Sam Witwer, that included actor Ahmed Best (Jar Jar Binks), Lynwen Brennan (President and General Manager Lucasfilm Business), Doug Chiang (Senior Vice President & Executive Design Director, Lucasfilm), Janet Lewin (Senior Vice President, General Manager and Head of ILM), John Knoll (ILM Executive Creative Director, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor), and Rob Coleman (ILM Creative Director and Senior Animation Supervisor).

Lucasfilm’s “Light & Magic” Season 2 is a three-part series produced by Imagine Documentaries that follows Lucasfilm’s visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, as it enters its most challenging and revolutionary period: the dawn of digital. From creating the first fully realized CG character to solving the challenge of digital water, it is an era that finds ILM scaling new heights of innovation despite dramatic setbacks.

The director is Joe Johnston, and the executive producers are Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Joe Johnston, Lawrence Kasdan, Kathleen Kennedy and Carrie Beck. Jacqui Lopez, Ted Schillinger and Michael Garcia serve as co-executive producers. The series producers are Meredith Kaulfers and Christopher St. John, and Nicole Pusateri is the supervising producer.

“Light & Magic” is now streaming, exclusively on Disney+, with all three parts available to watch.

Star Wars: Starfighter Film Directed by Shawn Levy and Starring Ryan Gosling Announced

2025/04/18

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News

Today at Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Japan, Lucasfilm’s President Kathleen Kennedy and Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni announced an all-new theatrical release set in the Star Wars Galaxy. “Star Wars: Starfighter” will open exclusively in theaters May 28, 2027.

“Star Wars: Starfighter,” which will be directed by Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling, is a standalone adventure taking place approximately five years after the events of 2019’s “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.” The film, which will begin production this Fall, is an entirely new adventure featuring all-new characters set in a period of time that has not been explored on screen yet.

Levy is a director and producer of both film and television series, including “Deadpool & Wolverine” and “Stranger Things.”

Gosling most recently starred in the 2024 blockbuster “Barbie,” for which he received Oscar® and Golden Globe® nominations. Other credits include “La La Land,” “The Notebook,” and “Crazy Stupid Love.”

GORN 2 Out Now for Meta Quest and Steam VR

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

GORN 2, the skull-crushing sequel to VR smash hit GORN, has stepped into the arena to take virtual reality’s most outrageous gladiator sim into the next generation.

New developers Cortopia, working alongside original series creators Free Lives, have delivered a sensory experience with in-your-face combat so irresponsibly violent you’ll check your headset for blood spatters when the fight is over.

https://youtu.be/FgR_D0F26Hg

Ascend to a heavenly realm where the souls of all the gladiators you slaughtered in the first game now dwell—and kill them again. Discover new weapons, new arenas, new traps, new enemies and new bosses as you raise Hell in the heavens and prove your battle prowess before an army of terrifying foes.

This brutally slapstick brawler is breaking bones on Meta Quest and SteamVR now, with PS VR2 to follow later this year.

Key Features

Engage in fierce gladiatorial battles powered by an outrageous fully physics-driven combat engine, savagely striking down foes with a bountiful collection of 35 devastating, uniquely violent weapons–including many monstrous new additions to your gladiator’s arsenal
Journey through a series of heavenly realms populated by the fallen heroes of the original game. Here you’ll battle the five sons’ champions: powerful bosses primed to unleash fresh challenges upon even the most seasoned, blood-flecked arena veteran
GORN 2 is everything GORN was but MORE. More weapons, more enemies, more arenas, more traps, more power-ups, and more hilariously over-the-top combat. If you loved the first game, but still feel a raging yearning for more, GORN 2 will sate your blood-thirst
Conquered all five heavenly arenas? Then stand your ground in the relentless non-stop onslaught of Endless Mode, or try creating your own battlefields of destruction in Custom Mode. Get creative and crush your opponents any way you choose, no matter how outlandish

Wizdom Academy Early Access Launch Trailer

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

The gates of your magical academy are finally opening! Wizdom Academy is now out on Steam, inviting you to step into the role of Headmaster and build your very own academy from the ground up. Train the next generation of wizards, create powerful spells, and manage your school’s resources to overcome the challenges that lie ahead.

Wizdom Academy is out now on Steam in Early Access

Key Features:

Experience the freedom of 3D vertical building – Reach for the sky by adding all sorts of magical buildings.
Build your academy – Design classrooms, dorms, exploration halls, mana storage, and much more.
Manage your resources & residents – Put those recruits to work and harvest rare resources to expand your academy.
Shape legendary wizards – Guide students from apprentices to elite sorcerers, shaping their abilities and destinies.
Forge alliances & explore – Uncover hidden dungeons, meet other academies, defend against hordes, interact with nearby villages, and uncover hidden dungeons, and expand your influence.
Balance the residents’ needs & the Council’s wills – Keep your academy thriving while balancing the needs of your residents and the will of the Council.
With over 60,000 wishlists, a growing community, and fantastic feedback from thousands of players, we can’t wait for you to experience the full magic of Wizdom Academy.

Battle Aces Beta Test Has Begun

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Windows PC News

Uncapped Games announced today that a new phase of beta testing has begun for its upcoming action real-time strategy (RTS) game, Battle Aces. Players can sign up to play now via Steam, and can experience the full depth of strategic options in the game with all units unlocked. Testers will also have the ability to send invites to up to three people, enabling everyone to experience 2v2, 2vAI, or 1v1 modes among friends.

Battle Aces combines the meta strategic elements of deck building games, and the fast-paced intensity of RTS games in satisfying battles that take just 10 minutes or less. This mix of genre influences, melded with design innovations like instant unit spawning, automated resource gathering, and streamlined base building, allows for newcomers to RTS and veterans alike to experience and fully enjoy the thrill of controlling massive armies in battle. Battle Aces also enables players to play their own way, by creating a unit deck from up to nearly 50 unique units with different strengths, weaknesses, and special abilities.

New features introduced to Battle Aces in this phase of beta testing:

New units, including the Advanced Mortar, Blaster, Guardian Shield, and Shade, enable new ways to dominate the battlefield
Daily login rewards in this beta phase will grant players PERMANENT cosmetic rewards that will carry over into future test phases and the live game

Updated Warpath and Proving Grounds – progression has been improved and streamlined to deliver satisfying rewards and get players into the game even quicker

Improved quality-of-life features, including in-client unit stats, improved map art, and in-game UI improvements like unit counter lists and unit deck recommendations that make getting into Battle Aces easier than ever

More unlockable cosmetics, including custom skins for core bases, resource bases, avatars, emotes, sprays, fatalities, and army paints

“There’s no better time to try out the future of strategy gaming than now,” said David Kim, senior game director of Uncapped Games. “With all units unlocked, you can immediately jump in and experience everything Battle Aces has to offer. We’re also giving all testers three invites, so you can share the Battle Aces experience with friends, which makes it even more fun.”

For more information on Battle Aces

Official Website: www.playbattleaces.com

Jurassic World Rebirth New Featurette Available Now

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News, Trailers / Videos

A new era is born. This summer, three years after the Jurassic World trilogy concluded with each film surpassing $1 billion at the global box office, the enduring Jurassic series evolves in an ingenious new direction with Jurassic World Rebirth.

Anchored by iconic action superstar Scarlett Johansson, Emmy and SAG nominee Jonathan Bailey and two-time Oscar® winner Mahershala Ali, this action-packed new chapter sees an extraction team race to the most dangerous place on Earth, an island research facility for the original Jurassic Park, inhabited by the worst of the worst that were left behind.

Also starring acclaimed international stars Rupert Friend and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, the film is directed by dynamic visualist Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a script by original Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp.

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet’s ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. Those remaining exist in isolated equatorial environments with climates resembling the one in which they once thrived. The three most colossal creatures across land, sea and air within that tropical biosphere hold, in their DNA, the key to a drug that will bring miraculous life-saving benefits to humankind.

Academy Award® nominee Johansson plays skilled covert operations expert Zora Bennett, contracted to lead a skilled team on a top-secret mission to secure the genetic material. When Zora’s operation intersects with a civilian family whose boating expedition was capsized by marauding aquatic dinos, they all find themselves stranded on a forbidden island that had once housed an undisclosed research facility for Jurassic Park. There, in a terrain populated by dinosaurs of vastly different species, they come face-to-face with a sinister, shocking discovery that has been hidden from the world for decades.

Ali is Duncan Kincaid, Zora’s most trusted team member; Critics Choice and Olivier Award winner Jonathan Bailey (Wicked, Bridgerton) plays paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis; Emmy nominee Rupert Friend (Homeland, Obi-Wan Kenobi) appears as Big Pharma representative Martin Krebs and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Lincoln Lawyer, Murder on the Orient Express) plays Reuben Delgado, the father of the shipwrecked civilian family.

The cast includes Luna Blaise (Manifest), David Iacono (The Summer I Turned Pretty) and Audrina Miranda (Lopez vs. Lopez) as Reuben’s family. The film also features, as members of Zora and Krebs’ crews, Philippine Velge (Station Eleven), Bechir Sylvain (BMF) and Ed Skrein (Deadpool).

Jurassic World Rebirth is directed by BAFTA winner Edwards from a script by Koepp (War of the Worlds), based on characters created by Michael Crichton. The film is produced by Oscar® nominee Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley, both longtime Jurassic franchise producers and of last summer’s blockbuster, Twisters. The film is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, Denis L. Stewart and Jim Spencer.

Universal Fan Fest Nights Debuts a First Look of Legendary Beholder Xanathar

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Universal Studios Hollywood debuts a first look at the legendary beholder, Xanathar, and his beloved pet goldfish, Sylgar, as they will appear in the all-new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep in-world experience at Universal Fan Fest Nights, kicking off on Friday, April 25.

Tickets are on sale for the inaugural event which takes place: April 25-27; May 2-4, 9-11 and 15-18, 2025.

Universal Studios Hollywood collaborated with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to create this spectacular, larger-than-life, fully articulated Xanathar. For over 40 years, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has been a world-renowned innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation.

The all-new DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep in-world experience is inspired by the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game™, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS (D&D) from Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast division. This epic experience will welcome guests and fans to partake in a one-of-a-kind adventure and explore the fantastic world of D&D. Guests will join the Harpers—a heroic spy network—to foil a plot by the legendary beholder Xanathar and save the city of Waterdeep.

Launching exclusively at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Fan Fest Nights will feature all-new, uniquely curated experiences inspired by sci-fi, fantasy, gaming and anime, along with an enticing menu of themed foods created by Universal Studios Hollywood Executive Chef Julia Thrash, all-new merchandise and cosplay.

Guests will really go there as they tap into their inner fandom and join forces with their favorite characters while sharing their enthusiasm with like-minded fans. They will also have a chance to participate in cosplay while experiencing such renowned favorites as Star Trek, Back to the Future, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, ONE PIECE and Jujutsu Kaisen, as well as special meet and greet opportunities with Wicked characters, Elphaba and Glinda. Additionally, theme park favorites, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and SUPER NINTENDO WORLD™ will offer special additions and introduce character and interactive elements during the event.

All in-world experiences and activations will be included every event night for guests to enjoy when they attend Universal Fan Fest Nights (subject to change).

Adding to the adventure, guests will be able to experience select theme park attractions during the event, including “Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge,” “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™,” “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” “Jurassic World—The Ride,” “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” “Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride” and “The Simpsons Ride™”.

For more information visit www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com and Universal Fan Fest Nights, follow @UniFanFestNights on Instagram, visit Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook and follow @UniStudios on Instagram and X.

D&D Progress Pride Dice Set in Stores Now

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Sirius Dice, in collaboration with Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast division, is bringing players a bold new way to roll for adventure!

The DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Progress Pride Dice Set is an officially licensed celebration of inclusivity, identity, and the joy of storytelling. Featuring a clear design with vibrant, rainbow-colored ink, each number is carefully matched to a different hue, creating a striking and meaningful display of Pride.

This set is a round-edged version of the limited-edition sharp-edged set released by Sirius Dice last June, which was available exclusively at SiriusDice.com. Now, for the first time, these dice are available in Friendly Local Game Stores nationwide, making them more accessible to players and collectors.

Adding a special touch, every die in the set features an inclusion of the Progress Pride Flag created by Daniel Quasar, a powerful symbol of diversity, unity, and representation. This set is officially designed by Daniel Quasar, who personally selected unique ink colors for each die to reflect the spectrum of the rainbow.

The D&D Progress Pride Dice Set is available at local game stores and SiriusDice.com beginning today for $19.99. More than just a stunning dice set, this launch makes an impact—for every set sold, $5 will be donated to The Trevor Project, supporting LGBTQ+ youth in crisis.

Perfect for Pride Month, TTRPG enthusiasts, and collectors alike, these dice are a statement of support, representation, and community and bring together adventure and advocacy in a way that celebrates every roll.

No More Room in Hell 2 REANIMATION Update Out Now

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News

Torn Banner Studios, the hit developer behind the critically acclaimed and chart-topping Chivalry 2, announced today that the new REANIMATION update for the eight-player, co-op horror shooter No More Room in Hell 2, is now available. The REANIMATION update is the largest and most in depth since Early Access launch and introduces two new maps, a new radial inventory and a redesigned combat system. The update also introduces a character roster, major bug fixes and a surprise second map. No More Room in Hell 2 will also be available for free on Steam and Epic Games Store for the entire weekend of April 17-21. The game will also be 20% off on Steam from April 17-21.

The REANIMATION update will feature not one, but two new maps – No More Room in Hell 2 launched with just the original Power Plant map. The first new map is Pottsville, a dark, suburban town filled with tense, close-quarters encounters with the undead at dawn. Inspired by iconic zombie movie settings, Pottsville offers a stark contrast to the expansive, rural Power Plant map, featuring a compact and densely packed environment where players must navigate foggy alleyways, explore neighborhood homes and venture through downtown buildings. As the first new map since the game’s Early Access launch in October, its urban, somber atmosphere adds to the already unsettling threats. Players will also get a second full new map experience with Lewiston, a gritty, golden-hour cityscape where responders race to protect survivors and escape before the sun sets. In Lewiston, players will choose between two evacuation routes, train or boat and have to scavenge for supplies and balance survival with swift extraction. Originally underway by the Lever Games team before joining Torn Banner, Lewiston replaces Waldoboro to better reflect its real-world Maine setting, creating a fast-paced, high-pressure environment for players to explore.

Beyond gameplay enhancements, a new character roster will also be introduced and allows players to manage multiple permadeath characters at once. The character tab will now feature three slots, allowing players to strategically choose which survivor to take into battle. Whether opting to keep a level 50 veteran safe at base while sending a lower-level responder into the fray, the choice is now in the player’s hands. Torn Banner Studios is committed to refining and expanding this system in future updates.

The new weight-based radial inventory system draws inspiration from the original game, allowing players to quickly select items by moving their mouse to different quadrants of the screen. Unlike the previous inventory, which was limited by the number of slots regardless of item weight, this new system adds a layer of strategy by making players consider the weight of their gear. This change creates a faster-paced inventory experience while also requiring more thoughtful decisions about what to carry, share with teammates or leave behind.

REANIMATION will also roll out a major overhaul to the combat system. This revamped Combat 2.0 system is designed to make player interactions with zombies more dynamic and immersive. With improved mechanics for both ranged and melee combat, players will have more options and greater satisfaction in how they dispatch the undead hordes. A powerful new kick ability has also been added, now holding shove will knock down zombies at the cost of stamina, creating space in critical moments. Combat 2.0 promises smoother, more intuitive controls that will help elevate the tension and excitement of every encounter.

Players can also expect new melee weapons and the arrival of riot police and construction worker zombies with added armor and resistance. The update also introduces a revamped zombie spawning system for better density and pacing, as well as improved loot distribution and performance boosts. The Torn Banner team is dedicated to making this game the best it can be for its loyal community and since launch has added hundreds of bug fixes across the board to make the playing experience that much better.

Players can check the community/blog post for all of the latest updates.

Skull and Bones Season 2 Announcement Trailer

2025/04/17

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, PlayStation 5 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox Series X News

Today, Ubisoft launched ‘Ascent into Chaos,’ the first season of Skull and Bones’ second year of content. In this new season, players are thrust into a high-stakes arms race as two powerful megacorporations in the Indian Ocean teeter
on the brink of open war. From April 17 – 20, Skull and Bones will run a Free Weekend, providing access to the entire game: progress through the main storyline, explore Year 2 Season 1 content, and take on new challenges with friends.

“Ascent Into Chaos“ is now available, bringing multiple new features and improvements to the Indian Ocean:

The new Item Ascension feature allows players to upgrade their gear in powerful new ways—boosting base damage and adding unique modifications that impact gameplay. By spending materials and silver at local vendors, players can further enhance Ascended Items, fine-tuning each weapon and loadout to suit their preferred playstyle and specific combat scenarios at sea.
World Tiers are optional levels of difficulty for different challenges in the world, starting with World Tier 2 in Season 1. Higher tiered worlds drop better rewards, including more powerful Ascended weapons.
The Helm endgame experience is also getting a revamp. Players will now be able to produce crafting materials at their own manufactories, providing the essential items needed to grow in strength. The new Helm Upgrade Tree will provide players with the flexibility to shape their Empire as they see fit, with new perks and upgrades. This will also be the last season that manufactory levels and Pieces of Eight will be reset.
Death Tides, a brand-new PvP team-based mode, will arrive mid-season. Here, players can use their own customized loadout, or choose from one of preset ships, each with their own strengths, including the Pyroclast,
the Stormwall, and the Paladin. Unique abilities will also be available, like firing off devastating La Peste Mortars or summoning the fearsome Kuharibu, to help achieve victory. Death Tides matches take place in one of four unique maps, Brimstone, Sanctuary, Sunken Ruins, and Mukiti Falls, and all rewards and XP earned will carry over to the main game and Smuggler Pass.

Quality of Life improvements, such as:

Hide equipped armor on ships
Fund all manufactories with the push of a button
Revamped map and markers
New minimap
Improved weakpoint visibility
New first-time user experience

The rest of Year 2 will see this Faction War progress with new narrative elements, features and improvements:

Season 2: Oaths of War will introduce the Frigate, Skull and Bones’ first ever playable large ship. It will offer additional weapon ports, allowing players to deal more devastating firepower. Following the events
of Season 1, the DMC will have successfully taken over a Compagnie Royale Megafort, escalating the ongoing war in the Indian Ocean. Players will have to pick a side, with each side offering unique benefits at the cost of making a powerful new enemy. Collective
player actions and alliances will determine which faction emerges victorious at the end of the season.
Season 3: Guts and Glory introduces a new threat as the war rages on. The Rogue Warlord takes advantage of the ongoing conflict, trafficking weapons and holding skilled Officers prisoner. Players will be able to assign
any Officer they rescue to their ship, each bringing unique buffs like repair perks, increased damage, and faster sailing. This season will also introduce another long-awaited feature to Skull and Bones: land combat. More about this will be revealed as the
new season approaches.
Season 4: Eye of the Beast will close out with a legendary beast rising from the depths. Frustrated by the effects of the war, the Sea People will abandon neutrality and summon a
ferocious Kraken to purge the waters. To help combat the Kraken, players can unlock the Corvette, a new playable large ship. Eye of the Beast will also introduce the Hunter’s Guild, which will grant players the ability to become a master hunter of sea creatures.

Developed by Ubisoft Singapore in collaboration with other Ubisoft studios*, Skull and Bones is a naval online action RPG where you play by your own rules to become the most
infamous pirate kingpin and build your smuggling empire in a perilous world.

Skull and Bones is available with cross-play and cross-progression on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X | S, Amazon Luna, GeForce Now as well as Windows PC through Ubisoft Connect, Steam
and Epic Games Store.

From April 17 – 20, Skull and Bones will run a Free Weekend, providing access to the entire game: progress through the main storyline, explore Year 2 Season 1 content, and take
on new challenges with friends.

For more information about Skull and Bones please visit skullandbonesgame.com.