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Like Us, the Director of 'John Wick' Didn't Love 'The Continental'
Gaming Gear

Like Us, the Director of ‘John Wick’ Didn’t Love ‘The Continental’

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This weekend, a new film from the world of John Wick is coming to theaters. It’s called Ballerina and we’re guessing you’ve heard about it. But two years ago, did you hear about a full-fledged John Wick streaming series that was on Peacock? Maybe not. The Continental: From the World of John Wick debuted on the streamer in 2023 to average reviews and tepid audience response. It has yet to return.

Part of that is probably because two of the most crucial people involved in the John Wick franchise, star Keanu Reeves and co-creator/director/current overseer Chad Stahelski, were not actively involved. And, in a new interview talking about both Ballerina and a new documentary called Wick is Pain, Stahelski sounds more than a little bummed about it.

“Keanu and I were—I wouldn’t say sidelined, but our opinion was heard and not really noted,” Stahelski told the Hollywood Reporter. “[The studio] tried to convince me they knew what they were doing. A group of individuals thought they had the magic sauce. But if you take out Basil Iwanyk’s producing intuitiveness, if you take out Keanu’s way of delivering quirky dialogue and if you take out all the visuals I have in my head from Wong Kar-wai, anime, Leone, Bernardo Bertucci or Andrei Tchaikovsky … then it’s not the same thing. They thought this was as easy as using anamorphic lenses, do a kooky hotel, put in weird dialogue, and insert crime drama.”

Chad Stahelski on the set of John Wick 2 with Keanu Reeves – Lionsgate

Stahelski continued, admitting his way of doing things doesn’t always line up with the status quo. “If you saw our process, you’d be like, ‘You’re telling me this billion-dollar franchise does it this way?’” he said. “I’m scouting my next film in London and we saw a cool location yesterday which totally changed the second act. We rewrote the whole thing. I find great cast members and rewrite their parts constantly. That’s what makes [the movies] so good and organic—we’re constantly upgrading. But the studio likes to know what they’re getting for their buck and want to lock a script for budget reasons. While we’re saying, ‘Just write the check, we’ll see you at the finish line.’”

Which, it sounds like, was the case with The Continental. It was not the case, however, with Ballerina, in which both Stahelski and Reeves were involved. And it will not be the case with a potential John Wick 5, which Stahelski knows everyone wants, but he’s still not completely sold on.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s a bit of a conundrum,” he said about bringing Wick, who died in the last film, back. “Me and Mike Finch— the writer on 4 who’s also writing 5—we’ve got a pretty good story that I think is cool. Once we have a 50-page book, and if we’re feeling it, we’ll sit with Keanu and shape this thing. Look, everybody seems to want it. It’s a matter of whether we crack it. We’re actively working on it. It’s just … is it going to be satisfying?”

As for John Wick 5, we’ll have to wait and see. But if you head over to the Hollywood Reporter we promise the rest of Stahelski’s interview is incredibly satisfying.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.



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An angler casts out a line on a lake.
Product Reviews

This Russian fishing sim is bizarrely popular on Steam but players can’t decide if they love or hate it, perhaps because of the $2000 microtransaction

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I hadn’t heard of Russian Fishing 4 until PCG’s Wes Fenlon noticed it was weirdly popular on Steam. The game’s been available since 2018, launching on Steam in November 2021, and since then it’s steadily built a considerable audience over time: per SteamDB’s three year charts, it was pulling in around 7,000 concurrent players after launch, and three years later averages just over 20,000 concurrent players every day.

There are currently 21,500 people playing Russian Fishing 4, and nine days ago it hit its all-time peak of 25,352 players. Bear in mind it’s also available directly from the developer, so Steam’s only a portion of the playerbase, and we’re talking about one very popular fishing game.

The obvious question is why, and one straightforward and boring answer is that, with some very big caveats, Russian Fishing 4 is a pretty great fishing simulation. I downloaded it on Steam this morning and played through the tutorial before going for a spot of proper fishing, and the game has a lovely peaceful atmosphere, relatively straightforward mechanics, and for the most part looks great.


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One especially nice touch is that, while you’re fishing away, other players’ catches pop up in realtime in the lower left of the screen. This does inspire some angling envy, but it’s a nice distraction while you’re waiting for a bite.

I have to say that I did only seem to catch carp and roaches, but that may just be because I’m fishing at a low level. And here comes the big caveat, and one of the reasons Russian Fishing 4 and its community is quite interesting: this is one of those free-to-play games that seriously tries to nickel-and-dime you.

Russian Fishing 4 – Steam Trailer 2022 – YouTube

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The pace of progression here is monotonously slow, and the grind is absolutely brutal. You sell the fish you catch to (eventually) afford better equipment to catch bigger fish, and level up at a snail’s pace (which is annoying because you can’t visit certain spots in the game to fish unless you’re a particular level). The actual fishing is fun: the gameplay loop built around it is why “free-to-play” makes so many players groan.

But naturally help is at hand. Russian Fishing 4 is monetised by a Premium membership tier, which basically makes the game work properly. Among other things, Premium grants a 100% bonus to experience with every fish caught, increases the chance of your crafting and fishing skills improving, and unlocks a bunch of other basic functionality that makes the game much more pleasant to play.

Appropriately enough, there’s a catch. Premium membership is pretty expensive: three days of it will set you back $3.50, while a month is $15. I was also amazed that the options kept getting larger and larger. 90 days for $40? OK. 360 days for $130? You do you.

But then you see the “lifetime subscription” and Russian Fishing 4 just straight-up asks for $2,000. Two grand! I wonder if it’ll carry over to Russian Fishing 5 (answer: nyet).

(Image credit: Fishsoft LLC)

This side of Russian Fishing 4 is why, despite being a good fishing sim and clearly attracting a lot of would-be anglers, the Steam reviews sit firmly on “mixed” and there’s two through-lines to nearly all the negative ones. They’re either about the ponderous grind and overbearing monetisation, or they’re from Chinese players.

I don’t know why, but recently Chinese players seem to have taken against Russian Fishing 4 in a big way. The reasons that their reviews give are slightly mixed, but it’s a cocktail of being banned for cheating (erroneously, they claim), an apparent lack of fish, and that old favourite, “greedy devs.”

“To this day I don’t understand what the cheating programme is, and he never explained it when I consulted the official, he was very arrogant,” writes Mage (via machine translation). “If you want to play this game, please keep your computer like a newborn, do not try any uncommon programmes. This is the first time in my gaming career that I have been banned, thank you for all the nagging.”

“I thought it was interesting at first, but now I think this game is a complete waste of my time,” says QMX (via machine translation). “Are there any fish in this lake? I stand there all day and never catch any fish. The missions are disgusting and pure torture.”

Finally,, I had to include this review from a Russian comrade, because it just made me wonder what on Earth happened while they were playing:

“After this shit,” says Sanyapyts, “friends become bastards.”

Russian Fishing 4 is an odd contemporary phenomenon. There’s no doubt it’s a good game, and many of the positive reviews reckon it’s the best fishing sim on the market even with the monetisation. But that monetisation is so poorly implemented from the player perspective that it does seem to ultimately turn people off, and make them resent the game: it’s really notable how many of the negative reviews have several hundred hours on record.

Not that this is likely to bother the developers too much: Russian Fishing 4 is clearly a big success and, even seven years after release, it is continuing to attract and hold the attention of a huge audience. I probably won’t return to it—more of a Get Bass man—but there are plenty who do. And hey, if the monetisation bothers you that much? Just check down the side of the couch for a spare two grand.



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Boltgun 2 is real, and it's bringing Doom to Chaos cultists in 2026
Game Updates

“We are aiming to do it all over again!” Warhammer 40K: Boltgun 2 principal designer chats what’s new with the sequel, and the team’s love of Malum Caedo kitbashes

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One of the coolest reveals at last week’s Warhammer Skulls event was Boltgun 2, a sequel to the lovingly made blend of Warhammer 40K and retro Doom games. That first game earned itself a place in many people’s hearts, a loving homage to two worlds. But now there’s a sequel cooking away, and all eyes are on the future.

So to help peel back the curtain just a little on Boltgun 2, I chatted to principal designer Matt Bone. We touched on what to expect from Boltgun 2 compared to the original, what it’s like making games within the Warhammer 40K IP, and whether or not a fan favourite will ever find a home on the tabletop.

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VG247: Boltgun was received very positively from Warhammer fans and Retro Doom lovers alike – can you speak on how you feel about this reception to the original game?

Bone: During development we were really excited about the game, but it’s always impossible to predict what players will think until it’s in their hands. So, it was a huge relief when it was received so positively and went beyond even our highest hopes.

As the studio itself and everyone in it are big Warhammer fans, we were excited to share our passion for Warhammer with the players. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is essentially the game we wanted to play as fans ourselves; we just got the joy of being able to make it too.

The fact it became our studio’s biggest game is just testament to the enthusiasm of our team and our love for the Warhammer 40,000 universe. At the very core of Boltgun, we wanted to please both Warhammer 40,000 and retro shooter fans, and it feels like it was a success on both fronts. All the love from our community and the Warhammer 40,000 community was beyond our expectations.

Now we are aiming to do it all over again!

We’re excited to continue working with Games Workshop to create more games for the audience, especially as we get to explore creative spin-offs like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Words of Vengeance! That one was a lot of fun to make and we’re giving it away for free so it’s definitely worth a try.

VG247: What can we expect in terms of a change of setting in Boltgun 2? Where has Malum Caedo found himself now?

Bone: Malum Caedo won’t be limited to Graia in Boltgun 2, the branching campaign of his mission means he’ll be purging across new worlds. We can’t reveal all right now but we can share that there will be new, never-before-seen environments with all new enemies for Malum to face against. We’re adding some locations and enemies that fans have been asking for, and the sequel was a great place to include these.

We’ll have more to share in the future and can’t wait to show them off!

One thing we do know that’s new is that Khorne’s daemons are taking a larger role. | Image credit: Auroch Studios

VG247: Tell me a bit more about the improvements we can expect from the original game! What is there in terms of new weapons, gameplay mechanics, etc?

Bone: It’s still a little early to share too much, but we definitely want to provide more variety in terms of the gameplay and the places the player will be visiting – and of course the heretics they’ll be purging. We’re doubling down on the things fans liked about Boltgun – its over the top, retro take on the Warhammer 40,000 universe – whilst providing plenty of new surprises. “Joyously Grimdark” is one of our design pillars, which I think conveys the tone of Boltgun games well: they’re a lovingly tongue-in-cheek celebration of Warhammer 40,000, revelling in the pixel glory of blood, gore and gloom! .

VG247: Will Horde mode be making a return from the first game?

Bone: It’s too early to say yet. We added horde mode as DLC for Boltgun and it seemed to go down well, so we’re looking into more unique modes like that, whether for the base game or post-launch. We rely a lot on player feedback for this kind of thing – if it’s something people are clamouring for, we’ll do our best to include it.

Expect to see a lot of devlish locales, and Chaos to kill. | Image credit: Auroch Studios

VG247: The original Boltgun was tied to the events of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine,with Caedo heading to Graia years after the events of the game. Now that Space Marine 2 has come out, can we expect similar ties between Boltgun 2 and Space Marine 2? Or, has the team been given more freedom to create a game totally separated from other 40K games?

Bone: It was great to pay homage to other Warhammer 40,000 video games which the team are big fans of two. For anyone unaware, the first Boltgun picks up directly after the events of Space Marine 1 as Ultramarine Malum Caedo goes on a mission to locate a lost shard of Space Marine 1’s vital artifact. We even put in a fun easter egg for Warhammer fans in Malum’s taunt to reference Captain Titus!

As for what’s to come in Boltgun 2, you’ll just need to play to find out what other fun Easter Eggs we’re hiding for the fans.

VG247. Games Workshop loves releasing named Space Marine characters for the tabletop game, and given he’s an Ultramarine, Caedo must have a good shot surely. Have any official discussions taken place on bringing Caedo to the tabletop? Or should fans keep at it with kitbashing?

Bone: We’d of course love it if one day there was a way for Malum Caedo to come to the official tabletop game, everyone in the studio would love to have him in their armies – I think we’d have to put in a studio wide order!

We absolutely love seeing all the amazing kitbashes of Malum Caedo that the fans regularly share with us and we’ve seen great examples across socials and reddit. When players tag us in pics of ones they’ve made, we share them within the dev team and everyone gets super hyped.

Amazing kitbashes, such as this one from Feuerkr13ger on Reddit, are just as cool to the folks at Auroch as they are to rest of us. | Image credit: Feuerkr13ger

VG247. Auroch Digital has of course done more than just Boltgun. What’s it like working with Games Workshop for a licensed game like Boltgun 2, versus a totally independent venture?

Bone: For me, I love getting to play around in a universe that has literally decades of lore behind it. To call the Warhammer 40,000 universe huge is an understatement – every time I think I have a decent handle on it, I’ll discover a whole new part I knew nothing about, which usually results in me getting lost down a rabbit hole for a few hours. When it comes to making the game, that means we’re often starting a few steps ahead: want an exciting new enemy? Here’s a few hundred to choose from, along with exquisite models and pages of lore. Want a new location? Here’s a galaxy of worlds and stories to tap into.

In general, it’s vital that the game remains faithful to the IP, even in our retro-styled approach. We want to present it in a way that’s both unique and still the universe fans know and love. This is true for our Words of Vengeance project too. We had this crazy idea of making a Boltgun typing game, and Games Workshop – instead of questioning our sanity – were completely onboard and helped us massively in achieving it. They probably do still question our sanity, but that feels appropriate for the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Boltgun 2 is set to launch in 2026



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9 shows to watch if you love The Walking Dead
Product Reviews

9 shows to watch if you love The Walking Dead

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The Walking Dead started as a niche zombie series in the early 2010s, but it built up steam and transformed into a runaway hit just a few seasons after its inception. By the middle of the decade, Robert Kirkman’s post-apocalyptic series was the most popular program on basic cable TV. It revolutionized long-form storytelling and created a rabid fandom that allowed it to run for over a decade and spawn many spinoffs.

Undead monsters aren’t the only thing that made The Walking Dead such a fascinating and addictive watch, though. The depth of the characters and the survivalist strategies of the entire group made for thrilling, adrenaline-filled episodes that other shows had a hard time matching. We have the best shows like The Walking Dead to watch next if you love the binge-worthiness of world-ending drama in this comic book adaptation.





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A cult classic gets some love with the Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, launching June 10
Game Updates

A cult classic gets some love with the Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, launching June 10

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After Space Marine 2 released to a supurb level of consumer and critical acclaim, it should be no shocker that the Space Marine Master Crafted Edition has just been announced during the Warhammer Skulls event.

This game is coming from SEGA and Sneakybox, the latter responsible for a sweep of modern additions like 4K resolution, updated controls, improved models and enhanced audio. In the press release sent out alongside this announcement, Sneaky Box producer Vaidas Mikelskas states it is more of “a thoughtful restoration” than a technical upgrade.

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This modern recreation of the cult classic comes with all the original modes, including the campaign and PvE / PvP multiplayer. What’s particularly interesting with this new and improved version of the game is that the Orks are getting a special touch up. The faction has new models and over 100 new voice lines, which sounds great of course, granted Warboss Grimskull keeps all his fantastic quips.

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine is one of those games that has carved a place in people’s hearts for years, and given that we’re now in a real golden age of both Space Marine love and Warhammer 40K passion in general, in makes sense we’d get a touched-up version of the classic on modern platforms. Plus, you won’t have to pay full price for it either! The game will be sold for €39.99 or your regional equivilent, or downloadable on Game Pass for the subscription fee.

Are you going to dive into this new and improved version of Space Marine? Let us know below!



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"Protec the lil' uns!" As Helldivers 2's CEO takes a victory lap around the latrines, players have already fallen in love with their new SEAF buddies
Game Reviews

“Protec the lil’ uns!” As Helldivers 2’s CEO takes a victory lap around the latrines, players have already fallen in love with their new SEAF buddies

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Helldivers 2’s Galactic War arrived on Super Earth earlier today, with the Heart of Democracy update deploying the divers on their first missions to defend the mega cities of their home planet. So far, it’s all going down well with players, especially one new feature – the AI SEAF squads.

To be fair, you can see why. With the latest major order requiring folks to casually kill 2.5 billion Illuminate as they work to activate the cannons they’ll need to see off the squids’ invasion of the planet, every helping hand on Super Earth’s side is a welcome addition.

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Before we get into all the SEAF love, Arrowhead CEO Shams Jorjani has made it clear this was the thing he was talking about when he teased something was coming to the game that would lead players to defecate in their drawers. Sticking his head above the pulpit in Helldivers 2’s Discord server not long after the update went live, the exec simply asked: “What’s the pant situation soldiers????”

“Evaporated” was one of the first responses he got.

Image credit: VG247

Naturally, it’s the new biomes and big war twist that’ve done a lot of that evaportating, but if you take a look at the game’s subreddit right, you’ll find the AI SEAF squads folks can run into as they run ops on Super Earth getting a load of love.

Basically, they’re members of the Super Earth Armed forces you can find running around the streets and enlist to help you take on the Illuminate of you chuck out the right emotes. Naturally, if you drop a salute, they’ll salute back, and they can even be persuaded to follow you around. Depending on who you ask, they’re either surprisingly effective in combat – below is a clip on one helping someone take down an Illuminate Fleshmob – or just cannon fodder.

Players like them so much that there are already calls for Arrowhead to give us the ability to arm the SEAFers with support weapons, become bunker door opening buddies with them, and drop a Warbond that lets folks dress in their trademark blue armour.

As one player with the handle Excelsus328 put it: “I don’t care if they showed the SEAF dying to friendly fire in the trailer, anyone who shoots these soldiers gets the kick”. “Oh god, now I want an emote to sing [the] Super Earth anthem and have them sing it with us like in Earth Defense Force,” added another going by Deathzeis.

Has Helldivers 2’s Heart of Democracy update filled your breeches with something super stinky yet, or are you waiting on tenterhooks to dive in later? Let us know below!



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