Early last month, a new Reddit user named u/sadfutago joined the Nier subreddit to ask what might seem to outsiders a fairly innocuous question: "How do you open the church?"

Their post was short and to the point, explaining that they were new to Reddit and wanted to know how to open the church in Nier: Automata, which they elaborated on in replies to mean "the place in the underground copied city where you fight the boss adam." They explained that while they can open the door, their friend who was at the same part of the game could not.

The problem? There is no such church in the Copied City. Or anywhere else in Nier: Automata, to anyone's knowledge. And now, thanks to this one user, the entire community is currently losing its mind trying to solve the mystery behind this location.

At first, community members replying to sadfutago's post thought they might just be confused, or inaccurately describing where they were trying to get to, and asked for screenshots or game clips to get a better idea of what was going on. But over the next month, as sadfutago returned to the subreddit sporadically to drop gameplay evidence of their predicament, it became clear that what they were showing was not a misunderstanding at all. Instead, it appeared to be an entire secret area complete with lore implications and easter eggs that no Nier: Automata player had accessed before.

In their earlier posts, sadfutago uploaded off-screen clips and photos of what appeared to be a secret door in the Copied City and, beyond it, a mysterious church with pews and a balcony above. As Redditors asked for more evidence and offered advice on how to more clearly share clips and screenshots, sadfutago's submissions became more detailed. It all came to a head in the last few days, when multiple clips they shared revealed the extent of this supposed secret area.

It starts with a hidden door, followed by a long drop down a ladder. The music changes, and there are strange tower spires that retract as A2 runs down a long, twisting hallway leading to an enormous door that opens into a church. A brief cutscene plays as A2 enters, focusing on several elements of the church, and as A2 walks in she has a brief dialogue with Pod 042 that some have identified as dialogue lines that occur elsewhere in the game.

At the front of the church, a child's body lies seemingly entombed with a single Lunar Tear growing from their chest. The child is flanked by Devola and Poppola's weapons, a mysterious dark mass that can't be interacted with, and a box that appears to be hackable by 9S.

So, what's going on here? The Nier: Automata community is, for now, completely stumped. Many have suggested sadfutago has somehow accidentally stumbled upon a piece of cut content, pointing to a known beta version of the Copied City which contained an unenterable church in roughly the same spot — albeit one very different from the one sadfutago has found.

But if this is a hidden easter egg or cut content, it should theoretically be replicable by other players under the same conditions. And so far, no one else has yet been able to manifest this strange secret in their own copies of the game.

They've tried everything, from matching the quest and progression conditions sadfutago describes in their own game to trying to replicate the same platform and patch version, to no avail. Dataminers are investigating Nier: Automata's code, looking for anything that could indicate how to unlock this weird church and its contents, but haven't found anything yet.

While this extreme lack of evidence would suggest this is perhaps just a fun hoax from a talented modder, the modding community isn't so sure. Multiple members of the Nier: Automata modding community across both Reddit and the official modding Discord have affirmed that up to this point, modders have not been able to create anything this complex, especially as this section contains multiple assets that don't exist elsewhere in the game.

As an official post from the Nier: Automata modding Discord put it:

"If this is a mod this would be the first time anyone has done something like this, and NOBODY else knows how to make custom doors like seen in the video — it would be a relatively IMMENSE undertaking for a single individual to accomplish with various modding breakthroughs"

That doesn't mean it's impossible for this to be a mod — in fact, one theory being floated around is that this is an elaborate tease from a modder or group of modders who have figured out how to do map editing on this level and who are building up to a full unveiling of their hard work. But as several have pointed out, this is quite the long con for such an announcement given that it started nearly two months ago, so many members of the community don't seem to be clued into it, and it didn't really gain traction until just this past week.

The same counterargument also applies to those who think this might be not a mod, but a full-blown hoax built in Blender. It would be a lot of work over a long period of time for not a lot of return — just some brief internet fame followed by disappointment.

But if the Nier: Automata church isn't just an unfound secret, and it isn't a mod, what does that leave? One theory is that this is all an elaborate ARG leading up to new Nier content. After all, Nier: Automata The End of YoRHa edition is coming to Nintendo Switch on October 6, and it certainly would be in character for the game to include extra secret content teased in such a bizarre way.

But that's not the only possibility. Many community members have pointed out that in the most recent video posted by sadfutago, much of the contents of the church seem to point to a tie-in with Nier: Replicant. The child with the Lunar Tear seems to represent Yonah, the black mass could be the Shadowlord, and Devola and Poppola's weapons standing by would also make sense. Several users have also noted a strange square shadow appearing in the window at the top of the church as sadfutago walks in, suggesting it could be Grimoire Weiss.

What a Nier: Replicant tie-in could mean isn't exactly clear though. An updated version of Replicant was released for current consoles last year that included a fifth ending seemingly connecting it even more closely with the events in Automata. But what all this speculation actually would mean remains to be seen.

Regardless, the theory that this is all some elaborate tease for more Nier content was exacerbated today by two tweets. One, posted by Nier series producer Yosuke Saito, quips that this sort of tease is something Yoko Taro might do. He followed it up shortly after with a tweet telling people to "please calm down and make a reservation here," referring to pre-ordering the Nintendo Switch version of Nier: Automata.

The other is from the Nier: Automata creator himself. Asked by a user if the video in question was a "scrapped mission early in development" and to "bless us with your insight," Yoko replied that they could find his insight in his Twitter profile, which reads: "I can't answer about any products. Please ask publisher."

Do you want to know about my insight?

In that case, you can find answer at my twitter profile. Thank you.

RT: @JacobTjv
Was this a scrapped mission early in development, Taro-san? Please bless us with your insight! https://t.co/efUXxsXIqN

— yokotaro (@yokotaro) July 26, 2022

IGN has indeed asked Yoko Taro's publisher, in this case, Square Enix, for comment or clarification, as well as developer PlatinumGames, and is waiting on a response. But in the meantime, Yoko's tweet is a delicious deflection from a man who could very easily have said he didn't have anything to do with it and ended the entire conversation. Is he, in fact, teasing something deliberate here? Or does he just find the entire thing extremely funny and is just playing into a hoax as a goof?

For now, the Nier community is stuck in delightful confusion until one of several things happens: either someone finally manages to replicate the church in another copy of the game, sadfutago reveals this was all an elaborate hoax or setup for a mod announcement, or Yoko throws back the curtain at last to reveal the entire scheme was a fantastic marketing ploy for new Nier content of some kind.

Whatever the case, kudos to whoever is spinning us all around in circles right now is probably the most Nier-apropos mystery anyone could have possibly invented. If that sounds intriguing to you and you somehow have not played Nier: Automata, we called it a "crazy, beautiful, and highly entertaining journey full of nutty ideas and awesome gameplay" in our 2017 review. While we don't know if the Switch version will include an answer to the church mystery, we do know it will include brand new costumes, and the game is also on its way to becoming an anime.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

It's never a bad time to play a horror board game. There's something about zombies, ghosts, werewolves, and other nightmares that are a great fit for huddling around a table with your friends. The horror genre is filled to the brim with great games, and below we've assembled some of the best.

Each game represents different mechanics, but since jump scares are nearly impossible in a board game, atmosphere is king in the horror genre. So gather your friends, dim the lights, and get ready to experience terror like only a board game can deliver. These are the best horror-themed board games to play in 2022.

Unmatched: Cobble and Fog

• Number of Players: 3-6
• Play Time: 2-4 hours

Unmatched, a game series in which you can mix and match figures from myth and pop culture to go head to head in a tactical fight, might not seem like much of a horror game. But Cobble and Fog takes the action to the streets of Victorian London with figures like Dracula, the Invisible Man, and Jekyll & Hyde. Each has its own deck of cards that leverages the simple rules framework with flavourful and fun special effects: Dracula, for example, can lure and hypnotise his opponents as well as drain their blood. Between them the four characters here weave a real atmosphere of gothic horror. Cobble and Fog is about the best set in the entire Unmatched series, and so is also a great introduction to its wider charms. See our Unmatched: Cobble and Fog review for more details.

The Bloody Inn

• Number of Players: 1-4
• Play Time: 45-60 min

This Bloody Inn boasts one of the most bizarre themes in all of board gaming: players take the role of innkeepers trying to boost their profits by robbing and murdering their guests. In practical terms, this is done by paying with other cards from your hand to recruit or kill guests, or to build annexes to your inn under which to bury bodies. It’s a classic case of competing priorities, with everything needing a prerequisite to do something else, enlivened considerably by the ghoulish concept and sinister art. And there’s more strategy than may first be apparent, with some annexes and recruited guests giving you discounts on paying for future actions.

AuZtralia

• Number of Players: 1-4
• Play Time: 30-120 min

Real-world Australians may be outraged by the portrayal of their home as a monster-infested island, but it makes a compelling horror game. Players spend the early part of the game building a train network across the continent, defeating Lovecraftian monsters on the way to reach valuable resources and build farms. About halfway through, the pace kicks up a notch as the monsters start to hit back, destroying your infrastructure and potentially wiping humanity out completely, resulting in a loss for all players. It’s a weird combination but it works well, providing a fun theme, exciting combat and strategic route and combo building all at the same time and making the game widely appealing.

Unfathomable

• Number of Players: 3-6
• Play Time: 2-4 hours

Some years ago there was a quite brilliant board game based on the Battlestar Galactica TV show, in which players had a hidden role and the group had to try and out traitors while guiding the starship back to earth. Now it’s been reborn with a horror theme, with a steamship under attack by Lovecraftian monsters as it crosses the ocean. Players are either passengers who need to work together to save the ship or secret cultists who must quietly sabotage any efforts to avert the crises that unfold each turn. The star of the show is the way players put cards face-down into a pile that can either boost or undermine attempts to stave off disaster, leaving the group slivers of information to guess who might be the cuckoo in the nest. The stellar production values we’ve come to expect from publisher Fantasy Flight help a lot, too. See our Unfathomable review for more info.

Zombicide: Black Plague

• Number of Players: 1-6
• Play Time: 60-180 min

In the original Zombicide released in 2012, you play as a survivor hoping to live through a modern-day zombie apocalypse. Black Plague changes up the formula by transporting you a fantastical medieval world of magic, dragons, and… well, more zombies. You control a paladin, or a knight, or a magician, among other character types as you look to combat the death magic of an evil necromancer. This fantasy version of a typical zombie story is refreshing and novel, and there are a ton of expansions available that add new scenarios, player characters, locations, items, and more. If you want more similar options, check out our picks for the best cooperative board games.

Horrified: Universal Monsters

• Number of Players: 1-5
• Play Time: 60 min

It’s the monsters’ world, we’re just living in it. In Horrified, it’s your job to thwart the nefarious plans of the most famous movie monsters of all time. Take on Frankenstein and his bride, the Wolf Man, Dracula, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon in this easy-to-learn cooperative game. You’ll take to the streets of a small village under duress from the monsters, and must take on the role of one of several heroes. Each one comes with their own strengths and weakness when it comes to fight off the monsters. If you’re looking for a showdown with horror’s most iconic monsters, Horrified is the game for you.

Arkham Horror: The Card Game

• Number of Players: 1-2 (1-4 with two copies of core set)
• Play Time: 10-120 min

If you’re looking for more Lovecraftian flavor, Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a no-brainer. The base game comes with a small handful of scenarios that sends you directly into the jaws of cosmic mystery. You can use the suggested starter decks, or build a custom one centered around your chosen investigator’s special abilities. Gameplay sees you hopping from location to location to search for clues in order to advance the story while attempting to impede the deadly Mythos deck. Your investigator will inevitably take damage and acquire weaknesses over time that can affect future games in the campaign, making Arkham Horror: The Card Game one of the most thematic games on this list. Also check out our list of the best deck-building games.

Dead of Winter

• Number of Players: 2-5
• Play Time: 45-210 min

Dead of Winter is kind of like a board game version of The Walking Dead. The game is described as a “meta-cooperative psychological survival game,” which means that, while it is cooperative, there are elements of competition that carry through the game. Each player controls a group survivors during the zombie apocalypse, and all must work together in order to meet the shared goal. In addition, you’ll be working towards your own hidden goal as well. Sometimes that means hoarding the most medicine, or stockpiling the most ammo. Other times, you might simply want to betray the team and ruin group morale. No matter what, though, there’s no way to trust anyone at the table thanks to the group politics and interpersonal drama Dead of Winter brings.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf

• Number of Players: 3-10
• Play Time: 10 min

The game that popularized the whole “secret roles” mechanic now common to the party game scene, One Night Ultimate Werewolf will have your group flinging accusations and insults around the table. The goal is to learn who the werewolves are and expose them, but that’s easier said than done. There are other characters who can switch roles around, and even see which roles are not in play for the round. Because nobody can be sure who the werewolves are (including the werewolves themselves), each game is a chaotic flurry of accusations and desperate defenses that always end in a good time. Rounds are short, and the free phone app makes setup a breeze, which makes One Night an ideal party game.

Last Night on Earth

• Number of Players: 2-6
• Play Time: 60-90 min

An homage to campy b-movie horror, Last Night on Earth plays out like an early Romero flick. You and your friends control characters that fall into the typical horror archetypes like the cool high school jock or the weird nerdy kid. Each scenario presents different goals that range from escaping town in a truck to killing a certain number of zombies. You can scavenge for items and weapons used to mow down enemies as you explore buildings. Last Night on Earth has proved to be so popular that is has spawned other genre parodies such as old school sci fi and high adventure. If you’re a fan of campy horror, Last Night on Earth is hard to pass up.

Mansions of Madness

• Number of Players: 2-5
• Play Time: 120 min

Mansions of Madness takes the dungeon crawling and asymmetrical gameplay of Descent and Star Wars: Imperial Assault and transports its to the macabre world of H.P. Lovecraft. One player takes on the role of the Keeper and guides the others through one of several pre-written scenarios. As players make their way through the mansion, their actions and choices may affect the monsters they encounter. There are several expansion scenarios available, which helps to make your investment more worthwhile. Set aside a hefty chunk of time, however, as Mansions demands no small amount of attention, making it a perfect game for a dedicated group of horror fans.

Betrayal Legacy

• Number of Players: 3-5
• Play Time: 45-90 min

In the original Betrayal at House on the Hill, players explore a haunted house, room by room, until they trigger the titular betrayal, when an unsuspecting player turns on the rest of the party. In Betrayal Legacy, this formula is stretched out into a campaign-length legacy game that plays out over a prologue and 13 chapters. The story spans decades, and has players playing several generations of families that all fall victim to the hauntings of a house. Haunted house simulator in every sense of the concept, Betray Legacy is as spooky as it is novel.

The Fury of Dracula

• Number of Players: 2-5
• Play Time: 120-180 min

The Fury of Dracula is an asymmetrical game where one player takes on the role of Dracula, and everyone else is a hunter looking to end his reign of terror. The Dracula player secretly moves around Europe each turn, exerting their influence and building up an army of new vampires. The hunters must deduce Dracula’s location and take him out before his army grows too large. While there is combat involved, The Fury of Dracula is mostly a battle of wits; how long can Dracula evade the hunters? How well can the hunters decode Dracula’s whereabouts? It’s a thrilling cat-and-mouse game that is endlessly replayable.

The Meta Quest 2 is getting a surprise price hike starting next week, so now is the time to pick up the VR headset if you are interested. Plus, the Xbox Series X is in stock at Walmart today for those of you looking to upgrade. And, if you want the image quality of an LG OLED TV packaged in a dedicated PC gaming monitor, your wish has been answered. Today Amazon is offering $200 off the newly releaesd LG UltraGear 48" OLED gaming monitor with anti-glare low-reflective screen and DisplayPort. Pair it with the top-of-the-line ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3080 12GB GPU, which has now dropped to only $799. In other deal news, get four $9.99 preowned games for $20 at Gamestop, grab Super Mario Odyssey for cheap, or pick up the newest Apple TV for only $129.99 on Amazon.

Grab a Meta Quest VR Headset Before the Price Hike

We just learned that the Meta Quest 2 is getting a pretty hefty price increase starting in August. So, if you've been on the fence about picking up the most popular VR headset on the market, this week is the best time to strike. Right now, both the 128 and 256 GB models are in stock at Best Buy for $299 and $399, respectively. Starting on August 1, those prices will increase to $399.99 and $499.99. Act now if you don't want to spend an extra $100 later down the line.

Xbox Series X In Stock at Walmart

The Xbox Series X is becoming more and more common, but it's still not always available. If you want to jump in on Xbox's next-gen console, it's in stock today at Walmart. With a Game Pass subscription, you can play games like Tunic, Halo Infinite, and Forza Horizon 5 at no extra cost. Plus, there's plenty coming to Xbox Game Pass in the next year, including the highly-anticipated Starfield.

New Release: 48" LG UltraGear 48GP900-B 4K HDR OLED Gaming Monitor for $1298.87

For those of you who love LG OLED TVs (for good reason) but don't like the idea of using a TV for a computer monitor, there's now an answer. LG has released its first UltraGear OLED gaming monitor. At first glance, the 48GP900 with its 48" LG WOLED 10-bit color HDR display seems very similar to the 48" LG C1 OLED TV. The panel is very similar, but there are some key differences. Instead of the semi glossy coating found on the OLED TV, the 48GP900 features an anti-glare low reflective coating that is undoubtedly a better fit for close up monitor usage. It also has DisplayPort connectivity and lacks the built-in Smart TV interface. It does carry over the HDMI 2.1 ports with 4K @ 120Hz compatiblity for PS5 and Xbox Series X owners, as well as VRR and G-SYNC support, but the 120Hz refresh rate can be overclocked to 138Hz when used as a PC monitor. Last and certainly least important of all, there is subtle RGB backlighting on the rear of the monitor that isn't present on the OLED TVs. This is one of the best gaming monitors you'll find on the market right now.

The Best of the Best: ASUS ROG STRIX GeForce RTX 3080 OC 12GB GPU for $799

The GeForce RTX 3080 GPU really doesn't need any introduction. This is the de facto card to get if you plan to run current generation games at 4K, since it's up to 50% faster than the previous generation RTX 2080 SUPER and doesn't command the exorbitant price of the RTX 3080 Ti or RTX 3090 (both of which are a mere 3%-5% faster in real world performance). It has an HDMI 2.1 port for passing through 4K @ 120Hz, which it has the power to drive even in resource hungry games like Elden Ring, Battlefield 2042 or Cyberpunk 2077.

The ASUS ROG STRIX model is considered by many to be the very best RTX 3080 variant on the market. It's usually hundreds of dollars more than the 3080 FE price. That's in large part because of the incredible cooling potential of the massive 3-slot heatsink combined with the quietest triple fan cooling you'll find on any RTX 3080. Despite the low noise levels, the ROG STRIX offers a significantly OC'ed 1890MHz boost clock compared o the stock 1710MHz boost on the 3080 FE. This model also comes with 12GB of GDDR6X VRAM instead of the 10GB of VRAM that comes standard and most other RTX 3080 GPUs.

GameStop Buy More Save More Sale: Get Four $9.99 or Less Pre-Owned Games for $20

GameStop is offering an excellent deal on its huge selection of preowned games. If you buy four preowned games that each cost $9.99 or less, you only pay $20 total, or $5 per game. That's up to 50% off some already heavily discounted PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch titles like Death Stranding, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, The Last of Us Remastered, Marvel's Avengers, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and much more.

Newest Apple TV 4K for $129.99

This isn't exactly as cheap as Amazon Prime Day of $109, but it's still $50 cheaper than MSRP and the best price you'll probably see for a while. The newest Apple TV features two major upgrades. It boasts an A12 Bionic processor that boosts graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing and delivers high frame rate HDR with Dolby Vision. It also includes a new Apple TV remote. The overall build quality is better than before, but the biggest enhancements are a 5-way clickpad, mute button, and dedicated power button that works for your TV, receiver, and Apple TV.

Govee Dreamview TV Backlights and Light Bar with Camera

Light up your room with the Govee Immersion kit. Pairing the included LED TV backlights with 2 smart light bars will give your entertainment setup some fantastic atmospheric lighting. The colorsense camera reacts in real-time to whatever your television is displaying, and the colors displayed will react accordingly.

Razer Anzu Smart Glasses

These Razer smart glasses retail for a ridiculous $199.99. Fortunately, they're on sale today for a much more reasonable price of $48.96. The Razer Anzu glasses comes with two types of interchangeable lenses; blue-light filtering lenses for PC use and polarized lenses for outdoor use. They also feature a built-in mic and bluetooth speaker for hands-free calling.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Or Mario Tennis Aces + Free 12-Month Nintendo Switch Online Membership for $49.99

Nintendo Switch Online is automatically added to cart

Gamestop is offering a free Nintendo Switch Online 12-month individual membership when you purchase Super Mario Kart Deluxe 8, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, or Mario Tennis Aces. The games normally cost $59.99 each, but they are all on sale for $49.99. An annual Nintendo Switch Online membership normally costs $19.99. In addition to access to online play modes in various games, NSO gives you plenty of perks like cloud based saves, access to dozens of NES and SNES classic games, and exclusive discounts at the eShop.

Get Super Mario Odyssey for $37.99

Five years later, Super Mario Odyssey is still one of the best games on Nintendo Switch, and you can grab it at a great discount today. If you have't played this kingdom-hopping adventure yet, what are you waiting for? With no new Mario game in sight at the moment, Odyssey is the best way to satisfy your 3D platforming itch on Switch.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16" Intel Core i7-12700H Alder Lake RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop for $1599

Walmart is offering an outstanding deal on the new Lenovo Legion 5 Pro laptop that is also equipped with the 12th generation Intel Core i7 Alder Lake CPU and RTX 3070 GPU. The RTX 3070 GPU in this gaming laptop also has a TGP rating of 140W, and it performs as well as the MSI Crosshair on paper. In real world benchmarks, the Legion 5 Pro is one of the best performing gaming laptops on the market. It also looks more like a standard laptop, so you might want to pick this over the Crosshair if you're not into the gamer aesthetic.

XPG S70 1TB M.2 SSD with Heatsink for $109.99

The XPG Gammix S70 Blade is the least expensive 1TB PS5 compatible SSD available right now. Just because it's the cheapest doesn't mean it's the slowest. In fact, the S70 is actually one of the fastest SSDs available with transfer rates up to 7,400 MB/s. It's on par with the likes of the WD Black SN850, the Samsung 980 Pro, or the Seagate Firecude 530. This is a PCIe Gen4 SSD that was pretty much released specifically for PS5 gamers in order to double or triple the storage capacity of their PS5 without limiting the speed. To make this deal even sweeter, it already comes with a very low-profile heatsink.

WD easystore 18TB External USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive

Add 18 TB of storage to your home setup with this portable hard drive from WD. With enough size to store the largest games and applications, this is a great option if you're in need of some expandable storage. And, the transfer rate of 5 GB/sec will let you quickly transfer files.

ASUS ROG STRIX GTX 1660 Ti Gaming PC

Walmart is offering this AMD Ryzen 5 3600X GTX 1660 Ti equipped gaming PC for only $799. The GTX 1660 Ti is still a very capable video card that can handle just about any game at 1080p resolution. You certainly won't find a more powerful video card for this price.

New Apple AirPods Pro for $179.99

The current generation Apple AirPods Pro is one of the best sounding "truly wireless" earbuds you'll find, especially at this price point. "Truly wireless" earbuds have no wires whatsoever; even the earbuds aren't hardwired to each other. In addition to the excellent sound quality, the AirPods Pro is the only AirPods with active noise cancelling technology. That, combined with the inherent nature of in-ear earbuds, means that the AirPods Pro will provide better noise isolation than over-ear headphones like the Bose QuietComfort or the Sony WH1000XM5. If you're thinking of getting a pair of new AirPods, we highly recommend jumping on this particular model.

Dell S2721DGF 27" 1440p GSYNC Gaming Monitor

This excellent monitor has hit a new price low for Black Friday. It's one of the best 27" gaming monitors you can buy for under $500. The S2721DGF boasts a high quality IPS panel (better than the VA panel found on the popular S3220DGF model). It features wide viewing angles and excellent color rendition including 98% DCI-P3 color coverage, a super fast 1ms response time and up to 165Hz refresh rate through the DisplayPort. It's also FreeSync Premium Pro and G-SYNC compatible.

Marvel has chosen the director for the next big Avengers movie and it will be Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Cretton will be the next director to step up for the next big MCU team-up movie following the news that the Russo Brothers would not be directing either Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or its follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars.

Instead, the job will go to Cretton who introduced Shang-Chi to the MCU. The Marvel film about the martial arts superhero grossed $432 million worldwide, and Cretton signed an overall deal with Marvel that includes an adaptation of Wonder Man and a Shang-Chi sequel. It's unclear if Cretton will also direct Secret Wars.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be the MCU’s big team-up film that will close out Phase 6 alongside Secret Wars. Kang Dynasty will be released on May 2, 2025, and Secret Wars will be released six months later on November 7, 2025.

While plot details are under-wrap, we know that the MCU has officially entered the Multiverse Saga and Kang, who is played by Jonathan Majors, has already made (one of) his appearances thanks to Loki on Disney+. Majors will return as Kang in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which will be released on February 17, 2023 and kickoff Phase 5.

Cretton's last MCU movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, introduced the kung-fu hero Shang-Chi and brought cinema legend Toney Leung in as the villain. IGN praised Shang-Chi as having the MCU's best fight choreography and a confident introduction to Marvel's first Asian superhero.

For more on Marvel's next big plans check out everything Marvel Studios announced as San Diego Comic-Con, and our big explainer on what exactly Secret Wars is.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Marvel has chosen the director for the next big Avengers movie and it will be Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Cretton will be the next director to step up for the next big MCU team-up movie following the news that the Russo Brothers would not be directing either Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or its follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars.

Instead, the job will go to Cretton who introduced Shang-Chi to the MCU. The Marvel film about the martial arts superhero grossed $432 million worldwide, and Cretton signed an overall deal with Marvel that includes an adaptation of Wonder Man and a Shang-Chi sequel. It's unclear if Cretton will also direct Secret Wars.

Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will be the MCU’s big team-up film that will close out Phase 6 alongside Secret Wars. Kang Dynasty will be released on May 2, 2025, and Secret Wars will be released six months later on November 7, 2025.

While plot details are under-wrap, we know that the MCU has officially entered the Multiverse Saga and Kang, who is played by Jonathan Majors, has already made (one of) his appearances thanks to Loki on Disney+. Majors will return as Kang in the upcoming Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania which will be released on February 17, 2023 and kickoff Phase 5.

Cretton's last MCU movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, introduced the kung-fu hero Shang-Chi and brought cinema legend Toney Leung in as the villain. IGN praised Shang-Chi as having the MCU's best fight choreography and a confident introduction to Marvel's first Asian superhero.

For more on Marvel's next big plans check out everything Marvel Studios announced as San Diego Comic-Con, and our big explainer on what exactly Secret Wars is.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.