Update #2: EA has officially commented on the reports that an open world Star Wars game has been canceled.

In a statement provided to IGN, a representative for EA said “the great work by our team in Vancouver continues and will evolve into future Star Wars content and games.”

EA’s full statement reads:

EA did not concretely confirm or deny Project Orca’s cancellation, but the statement seems to imply the work done so far will be possibly focused into new projects if indeed Orca has been canceled.

Update #1: Kotaku has updated its story, saying that new sources have now indicated that the cancelled Star Wars game was code-named Orca, and has been replaced with a “smaller-scale Star Wars project” at EA Vancouver.

Orca was reportedly deemed too long a project for EA’s current development road map – the new, smaller game is apparently tentatively scheduled for late 2020. Kotaku also indicates that some EA Vancouver workers hope Orca will re-enter development after the new game is completed.

More details about what Orca would have been have also emerged. The game would apparently have seen players taking on the role of a “scoundrel or bounty hunter who could explore various open-world planets and work with different factions across the Star Wars universe.”

According to a new report, EA’s open-world Star Wars game, in development following the closure of Visceral Games, has also been canceled.

Kotaku has reported this game’s alleged cancellation. According to Kotaku, this Star Wars game was the one announced following Visceral Games’ closure in 2017, which came alongside the cancellation of Amy Hennig’s game in production at the studio. Development resources at the time shifted from Visceral’s title, reportedly codenamed Ragtag, to this new, now reportedly canceled title.

IGN has reached out to EA for comment.

There is no new word on what EA Vancouver’s focus may be, and whether or not they will continue exploring potential Star Wars games.

At the time of its initial announcement, EA framed the closing of Visceral and the game’s status as a “refocusing” of Hennig’s title. EA said the intention was for it “to be a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency, leaning into the capabilities of our Frostbite engine and reimagining central elements of the game to give players a Star Wars adventure of greater depth and breadth to explore.”

Following the closure of Visceral, EA Motive’s Jade Raymond, who has since left the studio, said they had plans to use work from Hennig’s project for the new Star Wars game.

Story and gameplay details then came out about Hennig’s canceled “Ragtag” project, with the intention of letting players control several members of a team of smugglers in the Star Wars universe. Todd Stashwick, who was co-writing the game with Hennig, called it “beautiful, amazing, fun, and funny.”

Hennig joined Visceral Games’ Star Wars project in 2014, following her departure from Naughty Dog. Later reports regarding the project suggested it would be a story-focused, Uncharted-esque game. Jade Raymond’s Motive Studio originally opened to collaborate with Visceral.

For more, be sure to look at other Star Wars games that never were.

Developing…

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Seymour’s (Conn.) Raeanne Geffert, Red Rock Central’s (Minn.) Rachel Kedl, Admiral Farragut’s (Fla.) Corynn Miner, East Jessamine’s (Ky.) Hannah James and Cobre’s (N.M.) Jadin Placencio have been named MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week for contests played April 4-10.

East Region – Raeanne Geffert (Seymour (Conn.) HS)
Backed by a perfect game, Geffert did not allow a run and surrendered one hit in her first two starts of the season. The senior hurler was perfect in the season opener against Derby, striking out 11 in a five-inning victory. She followed that performance up with a one-hit shutout of Wolcott, facing just one batter over the minimum and fanning 13. At the plate, she registered three hits, going 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and three runs scored in the opener.

North Region – Rachel Kedl (Red Rock Central HS – Lamberton, Minn.)
Kedl hit for the cycle against Adrian/Ellsworth and powered Red Rock Central to a pair of high-scoring victories last week. In two games, she hit .899 (8-for-9) with a double, two triples, a home run, 10 RBI and seven runs scored. Against the Dragons, Kedle was 5-for-4 with double, triple and home run, knocking in seven and scoring four times in a 21-20 victory. The junior infielder was 3-for-4 with a triple, three RBI and three runs scored helping the Falcons to a 17-6 triumph over Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther.

South Region – Corynn Miner (Admiral Farragut HS – St. Petersburg, Fla.)  
Miner twirled a perfect game against Saint Stephen’s Episcopal, struck out 30 batters in two starts and also knocked in five runs for the BlueJackets. The senior sat down all 18 batters she faced with 15 strikeouts in the six-inning perfecto. Miner also struck out 15 and did not walk a batter in a two-hit shutout of Bradenton Christian. At the plate, she doubled in both contests, knocking in two and three runs against the Panthers and Falcons, respectively.

South Central Region – Hannah James (East Jessamine HS – Nicholasville, Ky.)
Tossing a perfect game and finishing the week with 33 strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA, James helped East Jessamine to a 3-0 week. The sophomore hurler fanned 16 and retired all 21 batters she faced in a 5-0 win. She also tossed a two hitter in a complete-game win against Atherton. Against Muhlenburg County, she struck out 11, walked four and surrendered an unearned run. In her final start of the week, James went three innings, struck out six and allowed one hit in a 15-0 triumph. At the dish, she hit .700 (7-for-10) with two doubles, a triple, home run and five RBI. James homered, tripled and drove in two runs against Muhlenburg County.

West Region – Jadin Placencio (Cobre HS – Bayard, N.M.)  
Placencio tossed two no-hitters and also hit .857 (12-for-14) with five doubles and seven RBI to help the Indians post a 4-0 week. She opened the week with a five-inning no-no against Socorro, striking out 12 and walking two. Two starts later, the sophomore fanned 14 Morenci batters and did not allow a hit in an 8-0 victory. For the week, Placencio was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 35 strikeouts, two hits and two walks in 16 innings of work. At the plate, she went 4-for-4 versus Hot Springs and Morenci, knocking in three and two runs, respectively.

MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. 
To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete’s game stats into MaxPreps.com  by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award.

The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the spring season, with one representative chosen from each of five separate high school regions. During the fall campaign, just a single player will be selected representing all participating regions.

Please note, in order for a school to have multiple player(s) recognized during the course of a season, a coach from that institution must be an NFCA member. To become an NFCA member, please click HERE or call 502-409-4600.

MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on Max Preps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country.

Previous 2015-16 Max Preps/NFCA Players of the Week

4/4

Cameron Lischinsky | Lakeland (N.Y.) | East

Maggie Balint | Avon Grove (Pa.) | North

Madison Aughinbaugh | St. Mary’s Ryken (Md.)  | South

Haidyn Bassett | Oskaloosa (Kan.) | South Central

Mikayla Rojas | Heritage Academy (Ariz.) | West

3/28

Jillian Weinstein | Half Hollows Hills West (N.Y.) | East

Ashley Swartout | Westfield (Ind.) | North

Rivers Andrews | Cedar Ridge (N.C.) | South

Jordan Carlson | Council Grove (Kan.) | South Central

Ashley Bodin | Spring Creek (Nev.) | West
  

3/21

Nicole Danyi | Baldwin (N.Y.) | East

Abby Marlow | New Athens (Ill.) | North

Mia Davidson | Orange (N.C.) | South

Grason Gasser | Bethlehem (Ky.) | South Central

Hailey Heeringa | Valley Christian (Ariz.) | West

3/14

Emily Merritt | Herford County (N.C.) | South

Aziah James | Spring (Texas) HS | South Central

Amanda Sink | Legacy (Nev.) HS | West

3/7

Hera Varma | Tampa Catholic (Fla.) HS | South

Tylar Vernon | Pangburn (Ark.) HS | South Central

Shaye Bowden | Sunnyslope (Ariz.) HS | West

 
2/29

Sarah Dugan | Oak Grove (La.) HS | South

Jordan Llinas | Cypress Woods (Texas) HS | South Central

Aurora Adams | Santiago (Calif.) HS | West

Fall

10/13 – Jessie Briley | Bishop Neuman (Neb.) HS | South Central

10/6 –   Victoria Haugsness | North Platte (Mo.) HS | South Central

9/28 –   Taylor Parham | Wilber-Clatonia (Neb.) HS | South Central

9/21 –   Savannah Chalfant | Gilmer (Ga.) HS | South

9/14 –   Madison Ingram | Bowling Green (Mo.) HS | South Central

9/7 –     Riley Craig | Mountain Range (Colo.) HS | West

8/31 –   Sieara Price | Eaton (Colo.) HS | West

8/24 –   Callyn Carter | Charlton County (Ga.) HS | South

Listen to “Born And Raised” on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

Mom knows best, especially in the kitchen. There’s just something magical about what she does that makes her food taste better than anyone else’s. But is it possible to adapt our immigrant mothers’ recipes and cook as well as they do … or even better?

Host Angelyn Francis and reporter Al Donato present a trio of guest stories, and reflect on their own immigrant mothers and the ways cooking passes on intergenerational knowledge and feeds our souls.

Listen to “Mom’s Cooking”

Can’t play it on this page? Listen on the SoundCloud site.

This episode’s transcript is available for download.

This episode’s stories:

Tasha Stansbury assumed going vegan meant she’d have to miss out on her favourite Lebanese dishes and be satisfied with just enjoying the sides. But, she had made the decision and there was no turning back. Then, her mom found out, and Tasha’s world changed in ways she’d never imagined.

Preena Chauhan runs cooking classes with her mom, Arvinda, but they don’t agree on certain techniques. One of them loves sticking to traditional, slower methods, while the other tells students to take shortcuts when they can. And only one can be victorious in this culinary battle of wills.

Ben Lootens grew up with a nemesis — a traditional Dutch dish his mom often made for dinner. Why would she feed her family something that tasted so … awful? As an adult who now has a passion for all things culinary, Ben thinks he understands her reasoning, and came up with a way to turn the dish around. Would his family bite?

Places mentioned in this episode:

• Arvinda’s cooking classes are held at Nella Cusina in Toronto
• No Frills is a Canadian grocery chain with locations in several provinces

Stream this episode and more: Find “Born And Raised: Food” on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

Bird Box, the Netflix original thriller starring Sandra Bullock, has been viewed by over 45 million Netflix accounts in its first seven days.

According to Netflix, precisely 45,037,125 accounts watched the film in the week following its worldwide debut on the streaming service on December 21. Netflix claims this is the best first week for a Netflix film ever, though it wasn’t specified if that number also includes non-Netflix original movies.

As noted by Variety, this statistic comes directly from Netflix, and hasn’t been accurately gauged by outside parties. The info provided by Netflix also doesn’t specify if all of those accounts watched the film from beginning to end, or simply viewed a portion of it. However, considering many Netflix accounts are shared, and that not all viewers were watching the film alone, it can be assumed that well over 45 million people have seen at least part of the movie.

One of the major factors in Bird Box’s success is likely its prevalence on social media over the last week, with fans taking to the internet to turn various moments from the movie into memes. However, many simply riff on the prevalence of blindfolds in the film.

The plot of Bird Box revolves around a single mother (Bullock) and her children in a post-apocalyptic landscape where mysterious beings use deep-seated fears to cause people to kill themselves.

For more on Bird Box, check out our review of the film, which we called “Good” saying “Bird Box offers a humdrum (and kind of hinky) hook but a solid cast, and it’s Sandra Bullock and the ensemble that heap some heft into this standard scorched Earth story.”

For more Netflix films that are blowing up the internet, check out how to see the five main endings of the interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and read our recent interview with Black Mirror’s creator.

Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Michigan head coach Carol Hutchins became the all-time winningest coach in NCAA softball history as she captured her 1,458th career victory after the Wolverines topped Indiana, 8-0 in five innings, on Saturday afternoon at the Hoosiers’ Andy Mohr Field.

Hutchins, who tied former Fresno State coach Margie Wright with last night’s (Friday, April 1) win against the Hoosiers, improved to 1458-474-4 over her 33-year coaching career. She has spent the last 32 seasons at Michigan and ranked as the Wolverines’ winningest coach in department history.

The Wolverines struck early an often in the five-inning decision, opening just as they did last night with a two-run homer off the bat of senior second baseman Sierra Romero in the first inning. They would go on to score in three of the next four innings to complete the victory. 

Junior RHP Megan Betsa (12-2) was solid from the circle, registering nine strikeouts and allowing just four hits and one walk en route to her fourth complete-game shutout of the season.

— Courtesy of Michigan Athletic Communications
— Images courtesy of Jame Brosher

Let’s be real: stocking stuffers can be pretty useless. But that’s what makes them fun, right?

If you’re wondering where to find some unique ideas this year, we’ve got you covered. From hangover tea to a Sorting Hat candle that reveals your Hogwarts house when it burns, these are the best stocking stuffers of 2018. Your loved ones will definitely get a kick out of these small gifts.

1. BeanBoozled by Jelly Belly

Buy it here: Drake General Store, $16.50

2. Mini karaoke microphone

Buy it here: Chapters/Indigo, $10

3. Sushi cat coasters

Buy it here: Society6, $12 for four

4. Where’s Waldo socks

Buy it here: Urban Outfitters, $10

5. Punch notebook

Buy it here: Etsy, $13.77

6. Lush Santa bath bomb

Buy it here: Lush, $9.95

7. Bear phone case

Buy it here: Society6, $28.79

8. The Sorting Hat soy wax candle

Buy it here: Etsy, $5.09+

9. 10-function wooden hammer tool

Buy it here: Chapters/Indigo, $14

10. Leg lamp shot glass

Buy it here: Urban Outfitters, $10

11. “Don’t stop until you’re proud” sticker

Buy it here: Society6, $3.99

12. Gnomey’s mini maze

Buy it here: Chapters/Indigo, $6.50

13. Let’s Avocuddle enamel pin

Buy it here: Etsy, $13.77

14. Lip Smackers Avengers lip balms

Buy it here: Walmart, $14.97

15. Dad Jokes by Ben Thomas

Buy it here: Amazon, $6.54

16. Hangover tea

Buy it here: Drake General Store, $18

17. Cat whisker beanie

Buy it here: Forever 21, $5

18. Cactus dryer balls

Buy it here: Chapters/Indigo, $10

19. Cat ring holder

Buy it here: Amazon, $13.69

20. Roots mug candle

Buy it here: Roots, $22

A new area named The Block has been added to the Fortnite Battle Royale map and will feature user created structures and creations.

Creative Director Donald Mustard shared the news on stage during today’s Game Awards presentation. The Block will feature player maps made in Creative, the brand new mode where players can build and customize their own private island. Epic will ultimately pick which creations are featured.

Not every private island will be eligible for The Block. User creations must fit neatly into a 25×25 tile area within the flat section of the island. Memory usage must be kept below 50,000 and chest, floor loot, and vehicle spawns will be added by Epic.

The named location Risky Reels disappeared in-game shortly before the announcement. It’s unclear if any lucky players in the area at the time of the change were able to see the giant concrete slab slam down onto Risky Reels as there was no prior announcement. Two billboards were also added with the words “The Block” written on each one.

Fortnite Season 7 launched this morning and added a snowy terrain, planes, and weapon skins. Check out our map changes and comparison page here, a look at all the new Battle Pass skins here, and a guide for the Week 1 Challenges.

Michael Koczwara is IGN’s Weekend Web Producer who is ready to see the awesome creations fans have already made. Follow him on Twitter and YouTube.