We all know that a new Call of Duty game will drop this year, as they do every year, and it looks like more details on the next installment have been leaked via the latest Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War update.

The news comes by the way of Charlie Intel, which says the leak – seemingly confirming the reported title of Call of Duty: Vanguard – was discovered in the latest Season 5 update for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, including artwork, the game logo, and perhaps most interestingly for fans, mention of an Open Beta. Fans quickly discovered the leaked material through datamining the game files for the latest update.

Call Of Duty: Vanguard. Image officiel ! (Via @Cheezburgerboyz) pic.twitter.com/eAFlHxfQLA

— RDPGKellyTV (@rdpgkellytv) August 12, 2021

Vanguard does indeed look like another World War 2-inspired setting, given the clothing and guns the characters are using. This seems to confirm the report from earlier this year, which countered ideas that the game would be set in an alternate timeline in which WW2 hadn't ended. Once leaked, the images quickly began to make the rounds on social media, particularly Twitter, though Activision has been quick to begin taking down many of the leaked images from websites.

The leaks suggest the game will receive three editions, similar to those Black Ops Cold War received: Standard, Cross-Gen, and Ultimate. A screenshot detailing an Early Access Open Beta was also discovered, likely available for players that pre-order the game.

Activision has yet to comment on the leak, but if the game is scheduled to launch this year, it’s likely to not be too long before an official announcement is made. The company is currently embroiled in a lawsuit regarding multiple acts of sexual misconduct, harassment, and misogyny, which has led to staff walkouts and some senior staff leaving the company.

Liam Wiseman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN.

This is a spoiler-free review of the first three episodes of Titans season three, which premiere on HBO Max on Aug. 12.

Remember Titans? DC Universe's flagship R-rated Teen Titans reimagining that's probably best known for its first SDCC trailer which featured Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) saying "F*ck Batman"? Well, it's back and it's one of the best shows that HBO Max has to offer.

A great first season on DC Universe introduced us to the titular heroes, including Dick, Raven (Teagan Croft), Beast Boy (Ryan Potter), Starfire (Anna Diop), Jason (Curran Walters), Hawk (Alan Ritchson), Dove (Minka Kelly), and later Donna Troy (Conor Leslie). It also brought us a darker and more adult tone that fit the world of the heroes who'd aged out of the first iteration of the Teen Titans. That's key here, because the show follows two generations of heroes: Dick, Hawk, and Dove, who are reeling from a tragedy that destroyed the first Titans team; and then newer heroes like Beast Boy, Raven, Jason, and Starfire, who's a mature heroine in her own right, but is also an alien who's new to Earth.

The second season widened the scope and cast of the show to include iconic DC characters like Deathstroke, Superboy (Joshua Orpin), Jericho, and Blackfire. It arguably featured the best representation of Superman lore we've seen yet in its Conner Kent episode, and like the first season, it delved into the impact of being a child superhero.

Season three follows that thread by adapting one of the most famous Batman arcs of all time, which we won't name here for spoiler reasons. But like its source material, the first three episodes of the season are heavily invested in the relationship between Batman and his Robins. Season two ended with the death of Donna Troy, while Dick took on the mantle of Nightwing and Jason fled San Francisco. It's revealed as we enter the first episode of season three that Jason returned to Gotham and the mantle of Robin, which leads to the Titans heading there too.

The first three episodes of the season are some of Titans’ most effective and engaging yet. While the series continues directly from the events of last season, it also works as a soft jumping-on point for new viewers. It's a really smart move that doesn't feel jarring or forced, but does offer up an easy way for HBO Max subscribers to start watching the new episodes without feeling like they have to catch up with two dense seasons.

Obviously, there's a lot to gain from knowing the characters and their backstories, but the opening episodes of season three feel like a solid, almost standalone crime story. Not only does Dick get to team up with Barbara Gordon (Savannah Welch) to reckon with a new threat to Gotham, but they're given some Hannibal-esque help by an iconic Batman rogue.

If you're not a huge fan of shiny superhero costumes, then rejoice because in its new guise, Titans is far more concerned with the human side of the heroes. We do get plenty of reminders that we're in Gotham, of course, but the glimpses of the characters in costumes are rare. It's a way to build the world out for those who might not be big superhero heads and also doesn't take away from its power for fans who love that kind of thing. We know these heroes have lives under the cowl and this season leans into that in a way that works.

For those who haven't read a ton of Batman comics, there are plenty of surprises on the way. If you recognize the name "Red Hood," then you'll likely just enjoy the serious and dramatic take that reflects the reputation of the story that Titans season three is adapting.

Thwaites still shines as Dick Grayson. He's a stalwart leader, hiding his trauma and sadness under a mask of complete and utter control. Walters does a sterling job playing a quickly unravelling Jason who feels just like his comic book counterpart. Kelly and Ritchson are great as always, playing the Titans' surrogate dysfunctional parents as Hawk and Dove. Diop gives another masterful performance as her Starfire traverses a terrifying journey of self-discovery. Potter and Orpin are the best comedy relief, the sweetest boys you could wish for. And newcomer Welch is a surprisingly severe and moving addition as Gotham's new Commissioner Barbara Gordon.

Titans has always had surprisingly good fight choreography that stands — and high kicks — above other live-action DC TV shows like those from the Arrowverse. But this season exceeds those we've seen before. While there are far more dramatic things for the team to worry about than actually fighting crime, we get a few standout action sequences, including a particularly fun one that opens the first episode. Dick's new Nightwing fighting style is really cool to watch, and the fact that the team took the time to change and evolve shows the kind of thought and detail that goes into the show. Also, big shout out to the costuming team for doing Starfire justice so far with a series of wicked outfits that fit her stylish origins.

While the central story that drives season three of Titans is a thrilling family drama, fans of the younger members of the Titans might be slightly disappointed, as this is very much the Robins’ story. Hawk and Dove play large roles in the opening episodes. Conner gets a couple of key moments. Starfire shines as she tries to deal with some scary new struggles. But Gar is unquestionably more of a backup character, and Raven is nowhere to be seen. That matches up with the end of season two and the story that the new chapters are trying to tell. Still, it does feel like a shift towards an older audience, perhaps one that DC is hoping will become fans of the show now that it's an HBO Max original.

Fortnite has added new Free Guy quests allowing players to unlock Ryan Reynolds' "Dude" character outfit in the item shop, together with a special Good Guy emote.

Epic Games announced the Free Guy x Fortnite crossover in a blog post on Thursday, outlining the details of the new quests that will require players to search the map for ATM machines. They will find Reynolds' movie character, Guy who will offer instructions on how to complete the newly-released Free Guy quests — which are available between August 12 and September 6.

Reynolds is providing the voice of Guy in the game, and he also utters the "Don't have a good day, have a great day!" line attached to the new "Have a Great Day" emote that will be awarded after the quests are completed. Players will also be able to pick up the wardrobe stylings of Guy's horrific, musclebound doppelganger Dude in the Fortnite item shop.

Crossovers are nothing new to Fortnite. The game has had everything from Marvel's Avengers, John Wick, all 32 NFL teams, and Nike Air Jordans brought into its universe, but Guy is too busy trying to save Free City to become a playable character in the game this time, so he's just making a special appearance at the game's banking terminals.

If you want to get caught up with the character before jumping into the game, then you might want to check out Free Guy's upcoming showtimes. The movie has received moderately good reviews so far. IGN gave it a 7/10, saying, "Ryan Reynolds delivers riotously rollicking fun in an eye-popping, imaginative environment that treats gaming like the wonderland it is."

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

The handful of hours I've spent with Disciples Liberation so far have shown me an adventure not quite like anything I've seen before. Almost all of its pieces, from the tactical, turn-based combat to the voiced, RPG dialogue to the base management have existed in other games. But the way they're combined here is fresh and interesting.

Like previous games in the Disciples series, the core of the action is a grid-based combat system to which you'll bring a combination of heroes and regular troops with different stats and abilities. One interesting twist here is the ability to place any character or creature on your back line, where they won't participate in combat directly, but will provide some kind of passive buff instead. Also, the main character Avyanna and her named companions are all fully voiced, along with all of the NPCs and quest-givers you'll meet throughout the main story.

The way you navigate this story is different from any previous entry in the series, too. Each faction won't have its own campaign, but rather, Avyanna can decide to align herself with the ones she prefers by making story choices that can increase or decrease your affinity with them. You'll ultimately be able to field troops from all four factions if you want to, but units from a faction that worships the ground you walk on will fight a lot harder than ones that hate your guts.

The battles themselves feel pretty familiar for a tactical turn-based game. Units have a variable number of action points that can be used to move, attack, or in some cases, both. Special abilities include rogues going into stealth mode and dealing increased damage when they pop out. Terrain features can hinder or heal you, and setting up flanking attacks further increases your edge against the enemy. All the while, applying buffs to yourself and debuffs to your enemy is a reliable path to victory.

Recruiting and upgrading the nameless footsoldiers who make up the bulk of your battle line happens in Yllian, a mysterious floating city that comes to serve as Avyanna's home base. Spending resources like gold, iron, and wood that you find throughout the world will allow you to place and upgrade structures associated with each faction, but only once you've gotten the blueprints from doing their quests. The Elven Alliance are woodland skirmishers that bring some elemental power to the field. The Empire are devout humans with a balanced roster. The Undead Hordes are exactly what they sound like. And the Legions of the Damned are hellions packing plenty of demonic magic. You won't be able to keep them all happy, though, so it makes sense to pick one or two and stick with them.

While all recruitable troops and companions have limited equipment slots, Avyanna herself is fleshed out as a full-fledged RPG hero. She can equip armor and weapons, learn spells from five different schools, and has three expansive skill trees that focus on different styles of combat. While she starts out as a balanced Mercenary, it will eventually be possible to unlock a number of other classes for her as well.

There's a fair bit of dungeon-crawling and open world exploration as well, including puzzles, traps, and side quests. It reminded me a fair bit of the Divinity: Original Sin games, except that combat takes place on a separate screen rather than out in the open world. And while I was told that my decisions regarding the various factions would eventually guide my story's outcomes, I didn't get to play long enough to really see how that plays out. Likewise, Avyanna usually gets the option between a "good", "bad," and "wild card" option in most dialogues, but this didn't look like it had any effect either mechanically or story-wise just yet.

I'm looking forward to exploring more of Disciples Liberation after having gotten my boots dirty in its rich fantasy world. A story-driven RPG like this with a home base, army building, and sweeping tactical combat really strikes me as a natural combination, and it's almost surprising no one has combined these ingredients quite like this before. You'll be able to check it out for yourself on October 21st.

The creative director of Spec Ops: The Line, Cory Davis, and Nine Inch Nails guitarist Robin Finck are co-founding a new game studio together called Eyes Out.

The LA-based arthouse studio aims to focus on making "dark, atmospheric games with an emphasis on environmental storytelling." Eyes Out already has its first project: a single-player, immersive cosmic horror game with an emphasis on environmental storytelling. More news about the title is planned for the coming months.

Previously, Davis has worked on several other projects including the Condemned and F.E.A.R franchises and Here They Lie, while Finck has provided music for games like Observation and NOCT.

"When I was finishing up work on Here They Lie, Robin wandered into our studio and I felt a very strong connection to his open, creative view of existence, and the power of music," said Davis. "We instantly started working on some prototypes I had in development at the time and together we launched straight toward something unexpected. Robin's vibrant and boundless approach to the creative process drives our work far beyond my previous experience. It's such an exhilarating trip to venture into the darkness together."

Finck added that the studio's first project explores "the theme of human consciousness as it relates to the seen and unseen properties of vibration and sound.

"We're pushing the boundaries of the horror genre to create a thoughtful, lasting, terrifying gameplay experience."

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