It turns out Toothless will be taking to the skies in live-action.
Universal Pictures has greenlit a live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dean DeBlois, who directed the entire How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, will return to write, direct, and produce.
And in a show of confidence, Universal has already set a March 14, 2025 release date.
The franchise primarily follows a young Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, voiced by Jay Baruchel, who eventually becomes a dragon expert alongside his trusty companion Toothless, a rare Night Fury dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon has been one of DreamWorks Animation’s strongest and most reliable properties. The first film, which was co-directed by Chris Sanders, grossed nearly $500 million globally after its release in 2010, spawning two sequels – 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 and 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. All three movies received critical acclaim, and were each nominated for that year’s Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
A TV series, DreamWorks Dragons, aired on Cartoon Network from 2012 to 2014 before moving to Netflix under a new subtitle, Race to the Edge, in 2015, where it would run for six more seasons. Universal also partnered with Netflix for two other related TV shows: DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders and the currently airing DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms.
Prior to taking on How to Train Your Dragon, DeBlois was best known for writing and directing 2002’s Lilo & Stitch. He’s also credited as story co-head on 1998’s Mulan.
Alex Stedman is a News Editor for IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
When Super Smash Bros. made its debut in 1999, it was an oddity among the Nintendo 64 library, a clear contrast from its monolithic status as a heavy hitter in the Nintendo pantheon today.
Along with the now iconic N64 commercial promoting the game, Nintendo devised creative ways to get it out to its audience. That effort included a bizarre yet amusing real-life slug fest with fighters wearing Nintendo costumes called SlamFest ’99. And now, some sleuths on Reddit have uncovered high-quality photos of the event, showcasing how this early, high-concept gaming event went down.
A legendary event
The event itself has been something of a legend in online gaming communities. Vice previously reported on efforts from communities trying to find media back in 2020, but not much has come from it. Once referred to as the “melee of the millennium” on the original site (which is now lost to time), this IRL Super Smash Bros. exhibition went down in Las Vegas at the beginning of 1999 in front of a live audience.
During the event, the fighters in Nintendo costumes would duke it out, with the referee determining which of the characters from the Smash Bros. lineup had the upper hand. Looking at it in retrospect, the event itself has pioneered many of the familiar convention or geek-centric spectacle events that are common today. Not only did it feature some fairly high-end cosplay for Pikachu, Mario, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong — the very same ones from the famous N64 commercial — it was also broadcast on the internet for fans to watch online.
Despite the spectacle, much of the footage for this event has yet to be recovered — something that’s common for content from the early days of the internet. However, content creators and Redditors still need to try to seek out photos or even a recording of the event. In recent years, GameXplain creator Andre Segers called for fans to find any photos or video of the showcase, which have led to some good finds. In addition to interviewing Ed Espinoza, one of the key producers behind Slamfest ’99, some Redditors have uncovered anecdotes and some stories heard about the exhibition.
Does anyone else remember the real-life Smash Bros battle (using the same costumes) that Nintendo live-streamed to promote the game? (Yep! a live stream in ’99!) I’ve never heard anyone else mention it and I can find zero evidence of it ever existing online. https://t.co/vR8gkTv3yY
Recently, Reddit user bozo_ssb posted a treasure trove of photos showcasing the event and what happened behind the curtain. These photos were taken by Ed Espinoza while working at the event. It is an exciting find, which showed off the growing scale of gaming events and how video games were becoming increasingly more mainstream. The photos from this SlamFest ’99 event are also an excellent time capsule from 1999. Video games, and the rest of the world, have changed a lot in the years since.
It’s fun to look back on where gaming events used to be. Hopefully, some more folks will step forward with actual footage of the event; I think any respectable Smash Bros fan would want to see footage of a real-life Pikachu make awkward swipes at Donkey Kong.
Thumbnail credit: Ed Espinoza Alessandro Fillari is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @afillari.
Riot Forge has announced a brand new spin-off to the hugely popular MOBA League of Legends today. The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story launches on Switch (and other consoles) in Spring 2023, and it’s a stunning “hi-bit” pixel art action RPG created by Digital Sun, the developer of the equally-gorgeous Moonlighter.
Teased in Riot Forge’s “The Year Ahead” trailer, The Mageseeker sees you building an army of rogue mages to lead a revolution in the kingdom of Demacia. Set in the world of Runeterra, a world where certain magic is forbidden, you’ll be on a quest for vengeance as the mage Sylas.
Six years of work come to fruition in a new genre of adventure I call “Punch & Click”
Brok is inspired by early ’90s cartoons, but with deep characters and an emotional plot
How do you stand out in such an overcrowded indie market? Such is the question I asked myself when I left my day job eight years ago to go full “solo game dev”.
For me the answer was blending two genres I love but which are diametrically opposed: Point & Click adventure games like Sam & Max, and Beat ‘em up a la Streets of Rage. A real challenge! I have called this new genre “Punch & Click”.
It really makes sense. Facing a door you can’t access? You can use your brain and try to figure out a way to unlock it… or you can simply smash it! No more frustration from non-logical puzzles that plague the Point & Click genre.
After a first “quick” release (the quirky adventure Demetrios), this big project took six years of work to come to fruition. I first released Brok the InvestiGator on PC a few months ago, which proved to be a real success.
Brok is visually inspired by early ’90s cartoons, filled with anthro animal characters, but with deep characters you will care about and an emotional plot. If you might think “TaleSpin” by looking at it, that’s no coincidence. I even got my script edited by Jymn Magon, who co-created popular licenses from the era such as “Ducktales” and “A Goofy Movie”!
That said, this story takes a darker spin. This universe is what I describe as “light cyberpunk”, taking place in a futuristic dystopia where the rich live inside a dome protected from the ambient pollution whereas the poor have to make ends meet outside of it.
Despite great player reviews, I still heard the feedback and improved further on the original release (and the Prologue released on Xbox during the last Summer Fest). In particular I made the combat even more dynamic and studied what happens frame by frame, making sure the gameplay is tight with more predictable enemies.
The adventure parts on consoles use direct control (as opposed to moving a cursor) and I designed the game with controllers in mind from the start.
Brok is a big adventure, spanning 15 to 20 hours on a first playthrough and with replayability through multiple choices having real impact on the outcome (you will want to see all the 11 endings)
Plus I got the chance to work with talented voice actors such as Michael Kovach (“Hazbin Hotel”, “Lackadaisy”) and Bryan Olson (Max from Streets of Rage 4) providing the two main characters lines, for a full voice acting coming at 23,000 lines.
A big fan community has already gathered around Brok the InvestiGator (fanart can be submitted for inclusion within the game extras). After release, I was surprised by the number of players who said they don’t usually play Point & Click games but who really enjoyed it, so I believe this is the perfect game to start with the genre. It comes with built-in hints (through ads to collect in-game) so you can never get permanently stuck, in addition to multiple ways to solve puzzles, and a very user friendly interface.
If you’re interested in this new kind of adventure, make sure to pre-order it now on Xbox with a special 20% discount before the full release on March 1, 2023. And be sure to follow me on Twitter @COWCATGames for updates.
Brok is an innovative adventure mixed with beat ’em up and RPG elements. In a grim world where animals have replaced mankind, what kind of detective will you be?
In a futuristic “light cyberpunk” world where animals have replaced humans, privileged citizens live under a protective dome from the ambient air pollution while others struggle to make a living on the outside.
Brok, a private detective and former boxer, lives with Graff, the son of his deceased wife. Although he could never elucidate her accident, recent events may shed some light on an even more tragic outcome… one that may be linked to their own existence.
Will they be able to withstand the threats of this corrupted world and face their own destiny?
IGN Fan Fest is back for another special celebration of exclusives across your favorite games, comics and entertainment!
What is IGN Fan Fest?
Fan Fest is an event where fans from all over the world come together to celebrate their most anticipated movies, TV shows, and games. IGN Fan Fest returns following the success of last year’s show, which included special announcements and previews from Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Halo TV series and so much more.
What to Expect at 2023 Fan Fest
From Redfall to John Wick: Chapter 4, we’re excited to bring you exclusive new looks, sneak peeks, and interviews from the games, movies, and shows you love. We’ll showcase exclusive preview content starting Monday, February 13 before the livestream begins on Friday.
What’s more, we’ll be hosting giveaways and freebies during, includinggiving away an average of 1 free game code per minute* during the streams on February 17 and 18. You can expect codes for Street Fighter V, Resident Evil Village, and many more. Lastly, the IGN Store is also hosting 3 deals for Fan Fest this week only, so be sure to check those out too! Be sure to browse the new IGN Fan Fest 2023 collection.
IGN Fan Fest 2023 is a two-day event, taking place on February 17 and 18 starting at 10am each day. Plus be sure to check out some exclusive preview content we’ll be showcasing starting February 13!
Below is a sneak peek of panels confirmed for the event:
As a free and live virtual event, IGN Fan Fest will be streamed across IGN.com and all of our social channels, with panels available to rewatch after the stream on IGN.com and our YouTube channel. We’ll also be embedding the stream in this article, so feel free to bookmark this page for easy access.
Here’s the full list of places we’ll be streaming IGN Fan Fest on Feb. 17th and 18th so you can watch it on your preferred platform:
Well, it happened — Game Boy games are finally on the Nintendo Switch Online service. This is another one of those rumours that we’ve been hearing about for a good while now, and in february 2023, Nintendo just snapped its fingers and popped seven rather lovely classics onto NSO just like that.
Originally, the lovely people here at NL Towers got together in September 2021 to come up with some dream titles that we’d like to see on Game Boy NSO. Dream was the key, and we got a bit creative with some of our choices, and only one of them ended up being right — Link’s Awakening.
Football fans can follow up last weekend’s big game with their own moments on the gridiron in Madden NFL 23, now available on The Play List to all EA Play members. Throughout February, members get more game with recurring member-only rewards, including the EA Play Supercharge Pack, which features MUT content to help players dominate on the field. This month, members will also be able to unlock the All Madden February Gear Set, featuring AFC and NFC jerseys and visors.
Alongside Madden NFL 23, here are even more member-only content and rewards available now in EAPlay:
Battlefield 2042 Biofog Rare Specialist set for Angel – Now to March 1
Apex Legends Gilded Grenade Weapon Charm – Now to March 13
NHL 23 WOC 90s Neon Set – Now to February 28
FIFA 23 love.fútbol Vintage Kit – Now to February 28
FIFA 23FUT Hero Lars Ricken Tifo Set – Now to February 28
FIFA 23 FUT Season 4 XP Boost – Now to March 17
FIFA 23Pro Clubs Hunter Red Headband – Now to March 17
Madden NFL 23MUT February Pack – Now to March 6
Madden NFL 23 The Yard February Gear Set – Now to March 6
Madden NFL 23 Supercharge Pack – Now to March 9
In addition to these rewards, EA Play members can access a growing library of fan-favorite games, including the next generation of all-out warfare Battlefield 2042 and the all-action, edge-of-your-seat driving experience GRID Legends, as well as limited-time trials of the action-packed Need for Speed Unbound and the new AAA hunting title, WILD HEARTS.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass PC members receive EA Play at no additional cost with their Game Pass subscription. Members enjoy great player benefits, including in-game challenges and rewards, special member-only content, trials of select brand-new titles, access to a collection of EA’s best-loved series and top titles, and 10% off purchases of Electronic Arts digital content.
At PlayStation, we’re always looking to create meaningful and engaging experiences that celebrate our players. For PlayStation Plus, we have a big month with Horizon Forbidden West joining our Game Catalog, giving PlayStation Plus Extra, and Premium/Deluxe members a chance to experience a post-apocalyptic world with distant lands to discover, striking characters to meet, and enormous awe-inspiring machines to fight. Additional blockbuster titles include Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Borderlands 3, and more which will be added in the Games Catalog next week. In addition to these games, we wanted to take this month one step further and provide you with over a week long of activities to thank you for supporting us on our PlayStation Plus journey.
Starting from today through February 24, PlayStation Plus members can find a range of activities to participate in during PlayStation Plus Festival of Play – from earning digital collectibles, to joining tournaments, to getting exclusive double discounts on select popular games from PlayStation Store. Activities for those who are not PlayStation Plus members are available as well.
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God of War Ragnarök Game Trial
(for PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members)
Starting February 15
Get a taste of what it’s like to journey into each of the Nine Realms with Kratos and Atreus as they search for answers while Asgardian forces prepare for the prophesied battle that will end the world. As a PlayStation Plus member you’ll have access to God of War Ragnarök with a 3 hour time-limited trial starting February 15. Trophies and save progress from this trial will carry over if you decide to purchase the full game.
PlayStation Plus members will receive a “Festival of Play Party Favor” digital collectible for checking into the ‘A Gift from PlayStation Plus’ campaign and playing any game.
With Horizon Forbidden West joining the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog starting on February 21, you can get “A Gift from the Past” digital collectible by checking into the “Welcome to the Forbidden West” campaign and earning the following trophies. This campaign is only available to PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium/Deluxe members who have yet to earn these trophies.
“Save the Daunt”
“Attend the Embassy”
“Obtain 3 Stripes at a Hunting Ground”
“Used Dyed Flowers”
“First Rebel Camp Completed”
“First Tall Neck Overwritten”
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PlayStation Plus Double Discount
(for PlayStation Plus members)
February 15 – February 24
We are kicking off our Double Discount promotion for PlayStation Plus members this week. Check out the sale here.
We’re kicking off a new contest for your opportunity to win a Sony Bravia XR OLED 55A75K TV, Dolby Atmos Soundbar HT-A5000 and a Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones. You can participate by going to our website and answering three questions about PlayStation Plus. You’ll have until Feb 24th at 11:59 PM local time to answer the questions. For more details, head to the website.
We’re planning to hold an online multiplayer during the weekend of February 18-19 so you can go head-to-head with other players online during these dates even without a PlayStation Plus membership.
Additionally, PlayStation Stars members can earn a special digital collectible commemorating the online multiplayer weekend just for participating in this event. Be sure to check in the “PlayStation Stars: Free Online Multiplayer is Live” campaign.
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PlayStation Tournaments
(for players with or without a PlayStation Plus membership)
February 18 – February 19
There will be a number of PlayStation Tournaments happening during this timeframe, featuring FIFA 23, NBA 2K23, and Guilty Gear. Also, since our online multiplayer weekend starts during this same timeframe, those without PlayStation Plus members will also be able to participate in the tournaments happening in this timeframe. Players who participate will get a chance to win a PlayStation Plus membership. Please see our website for details.
Again we want to thank all of our players for your support throughout the years. The success of PlayStation Plus starts with you, and we are greatly humbled by the feedback and passion we’ve received from all of our players. We hope you’ll enjoy PlayStation Plus Festival of Play, and all the games we’ve got lined up for this month’s Game Catalog.
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