Veteran voice actor Robin Atkin Downes has confirmed his involvement in Naughty Dog's upcoming Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, following previous work on the Uncharted and The Last of Us franchises.

Downes, a British actor with hundreds of credits in video games and animation, previously portrayed Robert in The Last of Us, and numerous roles in every Uncharted title (Atoq Navarro, Tenzin, Talbot, Vincent Perez, Hector Alcazar and more).

Now, Downes has confirmed via social media that he is back for Naughty Dog's next game. "I've been keeping this one quiet for a while..." he wrote in a post on X/Twitter. "The journey continues! Awesome to be working again with the Dawgs!"

I've been keeping this one quiet for a while....
The journey continues!
Awesome to be working again with the Dawgs! @Naughty Dog #intergalacticthehereticprophet pic.twitter.com/WBXIzowCzy

The actor also posted a short clip of himself donning performance capture gear, adorned with a Naughty Dog patch. The suggestion here is that Downes is filming at the moment — which fits with the suggestion that Intergalactic still has some way to go until its ready for release. Exactly why Downes is sharing the news publicly now isn't clear, though it's certainly nice to have any tidbit on the secretive project.

Details on Naughty Dog's upcoming sci-fi adventure remain thin on the ground, with the developer offering little update since the game's initial public announcement. A sci-fi action adventure starring a bounty hunter with a cool plasma sword, Intergalactic began early development in 2020 and was revealed at The Game Awards in 2024. Naughty Dog creative director Neil Druckmann previously described the project as the studio's most expansive and ambitious game, and also likely its most expensive.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will star Tati Gabrielle as Jordan, Better Call Saul's Tony Dalton and other returning cast members from prior Naughty Dog games such as Merle Dandridge (Marlene in The Last of Us) and Troy Baker (Joel, Sam Drake).

It's now been six years since Naughty Dog last shipped a new game, though as detailed this week, the studio has been busy in the interim building its now-scrapped The Last of Us Online. Indeed, the bulk of the studio had been working on that project before its cancellation, and only joined the Intergalactic project after it was put aside. Officially, there's still no word on when Intergalactic will launch.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

FromSoftware has announced The Duskbloods network test has reached an early end after the first day of testing resulted in "game server issues" that barred players from logging in.

The Dark Souls developer's bloody new PvPvE Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive action game was originally set to come to a limited number of players today as part of a weekend's worth of closed tests. The early sign-up period had fans clamoring for codes, but when tests began, it quickly became clear that most will have to wait to get their hands on The Duskbloods.

The first of five early gameplay periods kicked off today, August 21, 2026, at 3 a.m. PT / 6 a.m. ET, or at least, that's supposed to be what happened. Instead, most players spent their time on social media sharing pictures of The Duskbloods' (admittedly atmospheric) title screen.

The Duskbloods Network Test experience pic.twitter.com/kODvrU5VZn

"Failed to log in to The Duskbloods game server," the error message read by many today said. "Select 'OK' to attempt to log in again."

The upside is that, yes, The Duskbloods network test was a resounding success, but only because it proved that there was much more testing to be done. FromSoftware acknowledged the hangups with a message on its X/Twitter page, saying, "We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience."

The message to fans also notified them that the first test had been closed before its originally planned time of 7 a.m. PT / 10 a.m. ET. For now, the schedule posted on its website has additional tests scheduled throughout the weekend, including one later today, one tomorrow, and two through Sunday. It's unclear if the remaining times have been impacted, with the studio's message on social media, meanwhile, promising to "work on improving the servers" and "announced future schedules at a later date."

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to those who were waiting for the first The Duskbloods network test due to game server issues. We regret to inform you that today's session is now closed. We will continue to work on improving the servers and will announce…

"Become a Bloodsworn of Dusk — a supernatural being imbued with special abilities by the power of blood — and leap into online battles of up to eight players," an official description for The Duskbloods says. "The Bloodsworn have been summoned to do battle at the Dusk of Humanity. Form transient alliances and bitter rivalries alike as you take on enemies and compete for the right to First Blood."

FromSoftware is responsible for some of the most influential games of the last 20 years. With 2022's Elden Ring raising its bar once more, it's no secret that The Duskbloods has remained one of the most highly anticipated games for fans despite its status as a Switch 2 exclusive. While some online are certainly let down to find that they'll have to keep waiting to play the developer's new game, others seem to be pretty understanding when it comes to the surprise technical issues.

"It's okay, I still love you," one fan replied.

"I fear people are forgetting this is a Network Test and it's stuff like this they are testing for," another added. "This wasn't intended as a demo or anything. Wishing the dev team luck with fixing things."

"Why bother doing sessions in the first place?" one dissatisfied user said. "Such a dumb system making people wake up early or plan their day around a session. So stupid."

No need to apologize. We tested the network. GJ all! pic.twitter.com/7Lrx7JBNwG

Me downloading The Duskbloods yesterday VS me trying to log in this morning: pic.twitter.com/ixkd6fq9EI

pic.twitter.com/kaLOVNcZpc

For now, it's unclear if The Duskbloods will be playable during any of the planned tests for the next few days. Its full launch for Switch 2 currently lacks a release date, but is expected to arrive before the end of 2026. Until there is more to share, you can read IGN's interview with FromSoftware's Hidetaka Miyazaki. You can also check out our new preview.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Marvel’s Wolverine may well be the most hotly anticipated game release of 2026 that isn’t GTA VI. After three excellent Spider-Man games from Insomniac, we’re finally getting the chance to pop some adamantium claws and slice and dice our way through endless hordes of robots, mercenaries, and ninja warriors.

One thing that’s become clear as more trailers and gameplay footage have been revealed is that Marvel’s Wolverine is taking a somewhat nontraditional approach to the X-Men franchise. For one thing, the game is set in a world where the X-Men themselves don’t yet exist. Even so, there are lots of familiar faces appearing in the game, and plenty of signs that Insomniac is looking closely to the comic book source material for help in crafting their storyline.

With that in mind, we’re taking a closer look at six classic Wolverine and X-Men comics you can read to help prepare you for the game. By the end, you’ll know everything you need to know about the most iconic X-Man of them all.

As seen in: Wolverine Vol. 1 #1-4

Marvel’s Wolverine is very pointedly about exploring Logan’s adventures as a solo hero, one who stalks the streets and seedy back alleys and finds trouble around every turn. There’s one comic that really set the tone for Wolverine as a solo hero and adventurer - the original 1982 Wolverine miniseries from Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.

Many fans would argue this is still the greatest Wolverine story ever published. It’s certainly the most influential, laying out a strong blueprint for Wolverine as a solo hero that many creators still follow to this day. The series brings Logan back to his old stomping grounds of Japan, where he strikes up a romance with the fair Lady Mariko, feuds with her oppressive father, Lord Shingen, and first encounters his ninja ally Yukio.

If you only read one Wolverine comic leading into the game, it should probably be this one. It’s a haunting and visually stunning look at a hardened killer trying to prove there’s more than meets the eye.

As seen in: Wolverine Vol. 2 #10

One of the interesting quirks of the new game is the fact that Sabretooth plays a supporting role. At this early stage in Wolverine’s costumed career, he and Sabretooth are still allies, though we have serious doubts as to whether that friendship will survive through the end of the story mode. It’s almost a guarantee that Logan and Victor Creed will eventually be at each other’s throats. That’s just how their relationship is.

There have been and continue to be a lot of great comics focused on the never-ending rivalry between these two men. But if we were to pick just one, we have to go with 1989’s Wolverine Vol. 2 #10, by Claremont and John Buscema.

This iconic tale introduces the notion that Sabretooth makes a point of hunting down Wolverine each year on the latter’s birthday to deliver a sadistic “present.” As the story jumps between past and present, readers get a full appreciation for just how deep this rivalry goes, and how much Logan has suffered over the years because of it.

As seen in: X-Men Vol. 2 #4-7

The X-Men may not exist yet in the world of Marvel’s Wolverine, but that doesn’t mean Logan isn’t a team player. The game focuses instead on his history with the black ops group known as Team X, with Logan finding himself reluctantly drawn back into the fold in response to a new wave of mutant kidnappings.

For a good primer on Team X, it’s best to go back to the story in which they were introduced. X-Men Vol. 2 #4-7 digs deep into Logan’s history with the team even as it marks the debut of Russian mutant super-soldier Omega Red (a villain we know has a part to play in the game). As an added bonus, these issues are illustrated by Jim Lee, so there’s plenty of great ‘90s superhero nostalgia to go around.

As seen in: Weapon X #1-4

Wolverine and Jean Grey have a complicated history, to say the least. There’s an undeniable mutual attraction there, but as Logan himself plainly said once, “It would never work between us.”

That said, there are plenty of Logan/Jean shippers in the X-Men fandom, and they must be thrilled that the game is depicting an actual romance between the two characters. In this pre-X-Men team, presumably pre-Cyclops time period, Logan and Jean appear to be an item.

There have been many comics to explore the tense dynamic between the two (particularly in the wake of X-Men: The Animated Series), but perhaps the best place to look is 1995’s Weapon X miniseries. Part of the larger Age of Apocalypse crossover, Weapon X is set in an alternate timeline where En Sabah Nur rules North America and Wolverine frees Jean Grey from Mister Sinister’s slave pits. It’s a fascinating look at both characters and the bond they share. And while you’re at it, you might as well read the rest of the crossover. It’s still one of the best X-Men storylines of all time.

As seen in: Uncanny X-Men Vol. 1 #141-142

All signs point to the idea that Marvel’s Wolverine deals heavily with the mutant-hunting robots known as Sentinels. The trailers show Logan dealing with numerous agents of Sentinel creator Bolivar Trask, and the game looks to feature at least one boss battle with a massive robot.

To read up on the Sentinels and the threat they pose, one need look no further than the quintessential Sentinel storyline, “Days of Future Past.” “Days of Future Past” introduces a bleak future where the Sentinels have risen up and killed or enslaved most of mutantkind. Only an aged Wolverine, Kate Pryde, and a handful of other heroes remain to mount a resistance. And the key to that resistance is sending Kate back in time to stop the assassination of Senator Robert Kelly.

Though only two issues long, this story has had a profound effect on the X-Men franchise and has been adapted several times in other media, including the 2014 movie of the same name.

As seen in: House of X #1-6 & Powers of X #1-6

The trailers for Marvel’s Wolverine also suggest that Mister Sinister has a key role in the game, with allusions to Sinister’s human guise of Nathaniel Essex. In fact, we wouldn’t be surprised if this twisted mad scientist winds up being the game’s main villain. It’s definitely worth reading up on Sinister before diving into Insomniac’s latest.

Here, again, there’s no shortage of options for good source material. That said, we’d lean towards the twin miniseries House of X and Powers of X from 2019. Sinister is a key figure in these tales, particularly the latter, as it explores the possible futures of the Marvel Universe 10, 100, and 1000 years down the line. House of X and Powers of X profoundly reshaped the direction of the X-Men line for years to come.

One of the things we love about these two books is that they crystallized the modern characterization of Sinister. No longer the straightforwardly evil mastermind of the X-Men franchise, House of X and Powers of X give him a much campier and more demented personality that helps him stand out all the more. We can only hope Insomniac was looking to these comics when it came to depicting Sinister in the game.

For mroe on Marvel's Wolverine, find out how to preorder the limited-edition PS5 gear and see what we learned in our big interview with Insomniac.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.