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Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake Pre-Alpha March 2024 Presentation Leaked Online

27 janvier 2026 à 14:15

It appears that the pre-alpha March 2024 presentation for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake has been leaked online. An hour ago, someone on YouTube leaked the entire presentation. At first, I was hesitant to share it as I wasn’t sure whether it was legit. But then, Ubisoft went ahead and took it … Continue reading Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake Pre-Alpha March 2024 Presentation Leaked Online

The post Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake Pre-Alpha March 2024 Presentation Leaked Online appeared first on DSOGaming.

GTA 4 RTX Remix Looks Spectacular With New PBR Materials

27 janvier 2026 à 14:02

By now, most of you are aware of the amazing RTX Remix Mod for Grand Theft Auto 4. This mod adds real-time Path Tracing to this beloved GTA game. And yesterday, modder xoxor4d released a new add-on that automatically gives all textures PBR materials. According to the modder, they used a special version of the … Continue reading GTA 4 RTX Remix Looks Spectacular With New PBR Materials

The post GTA 4 RTX Remix Looks Spectacular With New PBR Materials appeared first on DSOGaming.

UK Court Rules Stealing RuneScape Gold Is Criminal Theft in Case That Could Have Wider Repercussions for the Video Game Industry

27 janvier 2026 à 13:38

A UK court has ruled that the unauthorized stealing of in-game currency can be legally classified as criminal theft.

Former Jagex developer Andrew Lakeman was charged with allegedly stealing 705 billion Gold from almost 70 RuneScape players, with a real-world value of over half a million pounds, equivalent to around $750,000. He then sold this currency online for Bitcoin.

Although Lakeman had no access to player accounts in his position at Jagex as a content developer, he allegedly accessed them by "hacking and/or using credentials of members of the account recovery team." In all, 68 players allegedly lost gold to Lakeman, starting around 2018.

Here comes the science bit: the defendant's defence claimed that the in-game currency could not be classed as property under the definition of the UK's Theft Act, and initially, the court agreed, concluding that as RuneScape gold is not real — or "pure information" or "knowledge" as it's legally defined — it could not technically be stealable.

The judge at the time also deemed RuneScape's supply of Gold as being infinite, and it wasn't "rivalrous" given that having a piece of Gold doesn't deprive another player of getting Gold, too. The Court of Appeal, however, disagreed and last week handed down a judgment while explaining its reasoning.

"We differ from the Judge in his reasoning for reaching the contrary conclusion on rivalrousness. The two reasons which the Judge gave in his ruling do not, with respect, bear analysis," Judge Popplewell wrote. "The first was that 'one gold piece is like any other, and their supply is infinite.' This does not, however, distinguish them from many other forms of rivalrous property. One paper clip from a given manufacturer is like any other; and the manufacture and supply of them infinite, in the sense that is not capped at any finite number. Yet each paper clip constitutes property. The same is equally true of gold pieces."

"[RuneScape's gold is] properly described as something which can be stolen as a matter of normal use of language," the judgment added. "They do not fall within any of the established exceptions. They are not 'pure knowledge:' functionally, they exist as identifiable assets distinct from the code which gives rise to them and outside the minds of people. There is no good policy reason for excepting them from the category of property which can be stolen."

The judgment concluded: "On the contrary, they are assets which have an ascertainable monetary value and which may be traded for that value both in the game and outside the game. Within the rules of the game they represent money’s worth as the product of purchase of a bond. Outside the game they are regularly traded for money’s worth. They are capable of being subject to dishonest dealing which deprives their possessor of their use and value. It would be surprising and unsatisfactory if such dishonest dealing did not amount to the offence of theft."

It's a judgment that could have profound implications for the games industry, as up until now, vendors that sell (or re-sell) in-game currency have existed in a grey market wherein technically, no theft has occurred if the digital asset stolen did not meet the definition of an intangible item under the definitions of theft in that country. The dubious line of when ownership of any such in-game currency transfers from the developer to the player — if at all — further compounds an already complex issue, too.

With the issue of whether removing gold from player accounts constituted theft now settled, the case against Lakeman can proceed.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Dr Disrespect Says His Fake Highguard Preview Badge Photo Was Just 'Poking Fun' After Dev Confirms He Was Not Invited to Play Early

27 janvier 2026 à 13:25

The developer of Highguard has confirmed streamer Dr Disrespect did not attend a preview event after he created a fake badge and pretended to have been invited to play the game early.

On January 24, Dr Disrespect (real name Guy Beahm), tweeted to say: “Last week we took the Lambo to LA to check out #Highguard. Monday, January 26th at 10am PST, we enter another dimension! Yayayaya.”

Last week we took the Lambo to LA to check out #Highguard.

Monday, January 26th at 10am PST, we enter another dimension!

Yayayaya pic.twitter.com/kQ56GEfonB

— Dr Disrespect (@DrDisrespect) January 24, 2026

That comment, which pointed to Highguard’s confirmed release date, came alongside an image of a supposed Highguard event badge, which some have speculated may have been generated by AI.

Following Highguard’s launch, questions were raised about the validity of Dr Disrespect’s post. Then, Wildlight Entertainment creator manager Chin Pua took to X / Twitter to confirm Dr Disrespect had not attended the event, and that the badge was not official. "I can confirm DDR was not invited to any Highguard event past or present," Pua said, "and the badge was not an official badge."

So why did Dr Disrespect post the tweet and its image? In a stream playing Highguard yesterday, he laughed the post off as a joke, and expressed disbelief at the social media controversy it had generated.

Dr Disrespect said on-stream: “‘Last week we took the Lambo to LA to check out #HighGuard.’ That's all we said. Did we say we went to the event? Did we say we got hands on? Did I say I was going to give you my review and feedback today? Huh? Did we say we were going to give our feedback and review today? ‘We got hands-on Highguard.’ Did I say that? Did we play the game? No. We just put together a photo poking fun. All these f***ing people took it seriously. Holy s**t. How brain dead is this f***ing industry? How stupid is this industry?”

Dr Disrespect went on to hit out at his critics, defend his current brand, and insist he remains relevant. Dr Disrespect returned to YouTube in September 2024 three months after he was demonetized and suspended from the YouTube Partner Program following allegations regarding past conduct with a minor. Beahm has denied any wrongdoing.

Highguard launched last night and met with big Steam concurrents but also a flood of negative user reviews. Check out IGN’s Highguard review-in-progress to find out what we think.

Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 7.1 Available for Download

27 janvier 2026 à 13:20

Modder ‘trancemaster_1988’ has released Version 7.1 for the amazing The Elder Scrolls: III Morrowind Rebirth project. The modder has also listed all the tweaks, fixes, and changes featured in it. So, let’s see what this new version of Morrowind Rebirth brings to the table. Morrowind Rebirth 7.1 fixes a problem where a scripted plank from … Continue reading The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 7.1 Available for Download

The post The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Rebirth 7.1 Available for Download appeared first on DSOGaming.

LEGO Just Announced 5 More Star Wars Sets With Smart Play, Including a New Millennium Falcon, Mos Eisley Cantina and More

27 janvier 2026 à 12:56

LEGO has announced another five Star Wars sets infused with Smart Brick capabilities, doubling down on its freshly-announced interactive technology.

Fresh versions of the iconic Millenium Falcon, Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder, the Mos Eisley Cantina, Yoda's Dagobah hut and an AT-ST will all feature Smart Play elements designed to interact with the technology-packed LEGO Smart Brick, such as Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures.

LEGO Smart Play Star Wars Sets

LEGO revealed its big push into interactive bricks last month alongside three other Star Wars sets, all of which will launch on March 1. These include an X-Wing, TIE-Fighter, and a Death Star duel between Luke and Emperor Palpatine. You'll need a Smart Brick from one of these sets to unlock the Smart Play found in today's new wave.

This further wave of sets are headlined by a new 885-piece Millennium Falcon ($99.99), which features Smart Han Solo, Smart Chewbacca, Smart C-3PO and Smart Luke Skywalker minifigures. Smart tags allow fans to experience the lights and sounds of heading into hyperspace, firing lasers, playing holochess, or practicing lightsaber duels.

The smaller 215-piece Luke's Landspeeder set ($39.99) features Smart Luke, plus a Jawa and Gonk Droid. Smart tags allow for interactive refuelling and repairing of the speeder when you add a Smart Brick in.

The 440-piece Yoda's Hut and Jedi Training set ($69.99) features Smart Yoda and Smart Luke and is based on the Jedi master's Dagobah digs. Add a Smart Brick and the set provides interactive Force training and sleeping. Yes, it sounds like we're about to hear Yoda snore.

Another small set, the 347-piece AT-ST Attack on Endor ($49.99), features a Smart Wicket the Ewok, as well as two regular AT-ST Driver and Scout Trooper minifigures so you can recreate the diminuitive creatures' attack on Imperial forces. Paired with a Smart Brick, this set will add AT-ST walking and firing sounds.

Last but not least is the Mos Eisley Cantina ($79.99), which lets Smart Obi-Wan Kenobi and Smart Greedo minifigurines sing karaoke, slurp drinks, ride on the included Dewback and more. The set features 666 pieces, including a Sandtrooper and Cantina band members.

"Though he was never a fan of adventures himself, I have always loved C-3PO as a LEGO Star Wars minifigure but Smart Play takes it to a whole new level," said veteran C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels, who was on hand at the Nuremberg Toy Fair to help unveil the range. "Fans will get to experience my friend and other beloved characters in a thrilling new way. It makes me happy and proud that 3PO will now be part of endless SMART Play adventures."

Speaking to IGN earlier this month, LEGO said that its Smart Brick technology was "here to stay" and would become a core part of its offering going forwards — though would not replace its non-Smart ranges, which will of course still be offered.

"It's a big part of the future," LEGO exec Federico Begher, SVP of Product, New Business told IGN. "[But] I mean, it's very important to be clear that this does not mean that we're leaving our core proposition behind, which is some of the questions and concerns I've heard, like, 'are you leaving what's been successful in the massive move into this?'

"Sometimes we compare it with the Minifigure," he continued. "Back in the day, the Minifigure started small, it was in a few things, and then wherever there was roleplay, it made sense to have the Minifigure. And in that sense, we see that in a similar way where we say, wherever there's opportunity for this type of dimensional play, we will probably explore it. And that's kind of the thinking."

Image credit: LEGO.

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

Amazon's Sophie Turner Tomb Raider Series Secretly Stars a Previous Lara Croft

27 janvier 2026 à 12:13

A former Lara Croft actress has been spotted filming for Amazon Prime's new Tomb Raider series starring Sophie Turner.

Keeley Hawes, who voiced Lara Croft over a decade of video games, was snapped in a set photo published online this week by British tabloid The Sun. The image shows Hawes on Amazon's Tomb Raider TV series set, wearing a trenchcoat and flanked by two odd-looking masked figures.

The Sun speculates that Keeley could be playing the mother of Lara Croft — Lady Amelia Croft, Countess of Abbingdon — in what would be a neat passing of the torch moment. In the video games, Lady Amelia is shown disappearing in mysterious circumstances following a plane crash. The plot of Tomb Raider: Underworld later involves a search for her — a game that Hawes voiced Lara in.

Keeley Hawes spotted filming new Tomb Raider series for Prime Video

According to The Sun, onlookers were speculating that Keeley could play the mother of Lara Croft, but there has been no official announcement news of her casting yet.#tombraider #keeleyhawes #sophieturner pic.twitter.com/A5Awa5ZQfl

— All Things Keeley Hawes (@allthingshawes) January 26, 2026

A veteran British actress, Hawes has appeared in dozens of UK series including Line of Duty, Bodyguard, Ashes to Ashes, and It's a Sin. In the world of video games, Hawes leant her voice to Lara Croft beginning with 2006's Tomb Raider: Legend. Other titles to include her vocal performance notably include Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and its sequel Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Tomb Raider: Underworld and 2021's Tomb Raider Reloaded.

Amazon revealed a first look at former Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner as Lara Croft earlier this month, via a photo that revealed the actress wearing Croft's iconic green tank top and red shades. Other cast members include Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs, Martin Bobb-Semple, Jack Bannon, John Heffernan, Bill Paterson, Paterson Joseph, Sasha Luss, Juliette Motamed, Celia Imrie, and August Wittgenstein. Amazon has previously made no mention of Hawes' involvement, likely to keep the surprise under wraps.

Weaver plays Evelyn Wallis, a new character not featured in the original games who is described by Amazon as a "mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara's talents." Other actors play more familiar roles, with Isaacs portraying Croft’s uncle, Atlas DeMornay, Paterson her butler Winston, and Bobb-Semple her tech support Zip.

Amazon previously pitched the series as part of an interconnected "unified storytelling universe" that spans the franchise's video games as well as this new TV series, which is created and written by Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The games themselves are getting something of a reboot, with the first in the franchise reimagined later this year for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S as Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. A brand new game is also on the way in the shape of Tomb Raider: Catalyst, due at some point in 2027. Alix Wilton Regan has now been cast to voice Lara Croft going forward, following Camilla Luddington's turn during the Survivor Trilogy — and Keeley Hawes before that.

Image credit: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images.

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

Return to Silent Hill Debuts to Lowest U.S. Box Office Opening in Franchise History

27 janvier 2026 à 12:10

Return to Silent Hill debuted to a lukewarm reception last week, with just $3.2 million coming in from North American theaters.

Faring a little better outside the domestic market, director Christophe Gans' take on the revered Silent Hill 2 storyline was the fifth-biggest movie of the week internationally, making $16 million. $9.3 million of that came from China, where Return to Silent Hill has started strong. Overall, the global opening weekend box office amounted to $19.3 million.

That domestic tally of just $3.2 million will be of particular concern, though. Despite Konami resurrecting its horror franchise with two well-received games, Silent Hill 2 Remake and Silent Hill f (as well as the divisive Silent Hill: Ascension and upcoming Silent Hill Townfall), Return to Silent Hill had the lowest domestic box office opening of all three Silent Hill movies; 2006's Silent Hill generated $20.2 million, and the painfully poor follow-up Silent Hill: Revelation just $8 million — which is still more than twice Return to Silent Hill's domestic opening.

Even taking into account the snowstorms blowing across North America, over at Rotten Tomatoes, Return to Silent Hill sits on an abysmal 18% on the Tomatometer, and 29% on the user-driven Popcommenter, making it the worst-reviewed movie of the year so far (although, in fairness, we're still in January!).

Gans recently said that despite receiving death threats over adapting the horror series for the big screen, he would be open to bringing another instalment to life, insisting: "I will adapt another chapter because there are some that are extremely good, something very different from the first film, and now Return to Silent Hill. I like this world, and I can see that plenty of people are thinking I’m doing a pretty good job."

The question is, will he get the chance to make another Silent Hill movie? Perhaps working in Gans' favor is the fact Return to Silent Hill carries a modest production budget of $23 million.

IGN's Return to Silent Hill review returned a 5/10. We said: "Return to Silent Hill isn’t completely without merit. It’s certainly a better follow-up to Cristophe Gans’ original 2006 film than 2012’s Silent Hill: Revelation, one that finds some success drawing on the creepy imagery and sound design of the games. But it’s ultimately an adaptation that fails to improve upon the source material or do anything particularly new and interesting. Those craving a truly great psychological horror experience are better off booting up a version of Silent Hill 2."

You can find out more about what was and wasn't changed in the Silent Hill 2 movie adaptation right here. We also have a handy list of all the video game movies and TV shows coming in 2026 and beyond.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Highguard Launches to Big Steam Concurrents, but It's Getting Absolutely Destroyed in User Reviews

27 janvier 2026 à 12:00

Highguard launched last night as planned, and met with big Steam concurrents but also a flood of negative user reviews.

The free-to-play “PvP raid shooter” was the big new game reveal at the end of last month’s The Game Awards, but developer Wildlight then went dark until the game’s January 26 release date. Highguard hit a peak of 97,249 concurrent users on Steam — a significant number for any new game launch on Valve’s platform — but Wildlight will be particularly concerned by its “mostly negative” user review rating.

Currently, just 32% of the 14,500 user reviews are positive. While some of the negative reviews revolve around PC performance problems, most criticize Highguard’s game design, and question some of the decisions made by the developers.

Chief among the criticisms is that the size of the map feels too big and empty for a 3v3 competitive shooter. You’re able to summon a mount to get about faster (the mounts are one aspect of Highguard that players seem to universally like), but some players believe a 4v4, 5v5, or even 3v3v3 mode would have been a better fit.

There are complaints about the resource-gathering phase of each map, too, which involves what some are calling boring mining and loot farming. The gist here is there is too much downtime and a lack of excitement, although players seem to be enjoying the raid phase of each match, where combat is concentrated. There is also criticism of the playable characters, which are differentiated only by two abilities each on a cooldown. Some are calling Highguard’s visuals bland, too.

Indeed, the top post on the Highguard subreddit reinforces this sentiment. “I’m sorry but this is boring as f**k,” it reads. “Gathering is boring as f**k, looting is boring as f**k, 3v3 with short TTK is boring as f**k. No PVE is boring as f**k. The only good thing in this game is the f***ing horse mount. What were they thinking?”

The Steam portion of Highguard’s release doesn’t tell the whole story, of course. It also launched as a free download on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, but neither Sony nor Microsoft make player numbers public.

Here’s how Highguard works. You play a Warden in a team of three, and select a base to fortify. You then ride out into the map to loot and harvest resources, upgrading your gear along the way.

Teams end up fighting over what’s called the Shieldbreaker, which can be used to trigger a raid of the enemy base. This phase — certainly the most exciting in the match — forces teams to attack and defend. Usually, one raid isn’t enough to destroy the enemy base, which triggers a new loot phase, a new Shieldbreaker to spawn, and the potential for a new raid to finally end the match. Check out IGN’s Highguard review-in-progress to find out what we think.

Yesterday, Wildlight talked about Highguard’s first year of content already being in the works, and outlined its roadmap for updates. It’s making all the right noises about being in this for the long haul. As a free-to-play game, Highguard’s success will rest on its ability to get as many people as possible to continue to play the game, fueling revenue from its live service. As we’ve seen, live service is a particularly brutal space to be in right now, so it will be interesting to see if Highguard can improve this launch sentiment and maintain interest in the months ahead.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Walmart Looks to Have Leaked Two Nintendo Switch Online GameCube Classics — and Some Fans Think It's Now Over for a Metroid Prime 2 Remake

27 janvier 2026 à 10:59

Walmart is advertising Nintendo Switch Online with a poster that includes several GameCube classics yet to be made available via the service.

An image visible now on Walmart.com shows a library of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack titles including the brilliant Pikmin 2 and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, neither of which are currently playable on Switch 2.

Metroid Prime 2 is of particular interest to fans, as some had speculated its release was deliberately being held back so Nintendo could sell a full remake of the game instead. The company launched a full Metroid Prime 1 remake back in 2023, but has since made no comment about continuing to relaunch the rest of the classic trilogy.

Now, with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes seemingly being added to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack catalogue, some fans have said their hopes of a remake have now dimmed. Others, meanwhile, have criticized the decision to simply re-release the game's original GameCube version when its Wii re-release included some notable balance changes.

"I am very glad we are getting Prime 2, but I was really hoping for a remake like Prime 1," wrote pojosamaneo. "Prime 2 is incredible, and deserves a remake."

"Prime 2 being an NSO game isn't just not preferable over getting the remaster treatment, but because the OG GameCube release is rough," wrote Mymouthiscancerous. "It has insane difficulty spikes with bosses like Spider Guardian and Boost Guardian which were only rectified with the Wii port as part of Metroid Prime Trilogy. It's the same reason why Nintendo just plopping Wind Waker on NSO instead of porting HD just sucks when there's an objectively better version out there stuck in Wii U purgatory."

Pikmin 2 already got its own Switch remaster, of course, launched back in 2023.

This isn't the first time a retailer has leaked upcoming Nintendo Switch Online games before Nintendo itself has made them official. Back in October last year, fellow GameCube addition Luigi's Mansion was leaked by Target, just prior to Nintendo confirming its arrival to its subscription service.

As expectation mounts for a full Nintendo Direct in February, it may not be long until Metroid Prime 2 and Pikmin 2 are also made official.

Before all that, there is another Nintendo Direct this week — focused on upcoming Switch social sim Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream. This will come just days after last weekend's Nintendo Direct that debuted a new Super Mario Galaxy Movie trailer.

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

Ubisoft Developer Hits Back at 'Online Conspiracy Theories' Suggesting DEI to Blame For Company Issues, Suggests Creativity Instead Suffering from 'Big Business Syndrome'

27 janvier 2026 à 10:55

A former Ubisoft Osaka staff member has spoken out against persistent "online conspiracy theories" that the publisher's performance is being impacted by a focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives, rather than the company instead suffering from "Big Business Syndrome."

Last week's major company reshuffle that saw Ubisoft cancel six games, close two studios and confirm layoffs at three more locations has led to a fresh wave of criticism online, and some commentators suggesting that Ubisoft was now suffering following a directive to increase DEI within its games.

Last year's Assassin's Creed Shadows became a lightning rod for controversy surrounding the inclusion of its Black samurai protagonist Yasuke, a real-world historical figure whose prominence sparked a backlash against staff members working on the project — something that Assassin's Creed's former boss Marc-Alexis Côté was forced to fiercely condemn.

Now, a staff member previously employed at the recently-closed Ubisoft Osaka has offered their perspective, and suggested that the firm's DEI advocates wielded limited influence, while "beneficial" initiatives saw "improvements to the workplace environment, market expansion into South America and the Middle East, etc."

Writing on X, and translated by Automaton, the former staff member blamed Ubisoft's current troubles on "Big Business Syndrome" — essentially a stagnation in new ideas due to risk-averse staff in senior positions.

"The decline in marketing/creative departments stemmed from Big Business Syndrome – something that can happen to any large company," ex-Ubisoft Osaka developer Kensuke Shimoda wrote. "One example of this was the excessively low turnover rate, leading to a clear lack of senior/lead-level staff with experience developing online/mobile/F2P games.

"Additionally, as a French-first company establishing branches outside French-speaking regions to build a global development structure, they faced management issues unique to non-English global corporations."

When contacted by IGN for a response, Ubisoft declined to comment.

Ubisoft Osaka was shut down a year ago, impacting 134 staff, including Shimoda. Previously, the team had worked as a support studio, and had contributed to Shadows' development.

Less than a week after announcing its sweeping company reorganization, Ubisoft has proposed a reduction in headcount of around 200 people based at its headquarters in Paris. After the cancelation of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake, one actress said she has lost three years of work - and found out via the internet.

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

'High Likelihood' PS6 Will Launch After 2028, According to New Analyst Forecast, as Sony Focuses on Extending PS5 Lifecycle

27 janvier 2026 à 10:34

A recent analyst report has suggested that Sony may push the launch of the PlayStation 6 beyond 2028 and lengthen the PlayStation 5 lifecycle.

Ahead of Sony's third quarter financial report due on February 5, 2026, David Gibson, senior analyst at MST international who focuses on game and tech companies, published a Japanese language report giving insights into the Sony Group's current performance and potential next moves.

According to Gibson, Sony’s earnings for the third quarter are expected to exceed forecasts, with strong sales of first and third-party games driving growth. He also noted that game and network services (including PSN subscriptions) are set to remain strong. Q3 sales are predicted to total around 1.8 trillion yen (approx. $11.6 billion), with operating income at 160 billion yen (approx. $1 billion).

“Sony expects the PS5 lifecycle to be longer than that of previous console generations,” Gibson said, adding that this is likely to push the PS6 launch back beyond previous predictions. “There’s a high likelihood that the PS6 launch will occur after 2028.” If Gibson is right, we won't see the PS6 until 2029 at the earliest.

Hints that Sony aims to extend the PS5 lifecycle can be seen in recent moves made by the company. In a bid to make the PS5 more affordable to domestic players, Sony launched a reduced-price Japan-only PS5 console model in November. It also implemented planned price cuts to PS5 consoles for Black Friday in the U.S. and elsewhere. ThIs suggests Sony is trying to attract more users to its five-year-old console and expand its audience.

However Gibson suggested that Sony is more focused on existing PS5 users than boosting console sales. Regarding PlayStation Network services and active PS5 users, Gibson observed that “PS5 user activity continues to set all-time record highs according to usage data. Sony is focusing more on retaining active users than expanding hardware sales.”

One problem that is facing console makers this year is the rising costs of components. Memory is in high demand because companies like Nvidia and Google require so much of it for their AI chips, with a CNBC report pointing out that these companies "are the first ones in line for the components." This will likely push up RAM prices and have a knock-on impact on both console retail prices and availability. Over at Sony rival Nintendo, president Shuntaro Furukawa failed to rule out future price increases for the Switch 2, commenting that "we must monitor the situation closely."

It’s likely that Sony is also keeping a close eye on this situation with regard to both PS5 hardware and the timing of the PS6 launch. Gibson predicted that “rising memory prices will not impact short-term performance thanks to Sony’s existing inventory.” However, he noted that increased memory costs could become an issue for Sony in the next fiscal year (ending in March 2027), saying “Sony might pass future cost increases onto consumers.”

The timing of a console’s launch can make or break its success, as seen with the Sega Dreamcast. At the moment, Sony seems to be sticking with the PS5 and PS5 Pro thanks to strong network service profits, healthy game sales, and growing active user numbers. And let's remember that the console-exclusive Grand Theft Auto 6, due out later this year, is sure to spark a surge in console sales all on its own. However, Gibson warned that if Sony waits too long to launch the PS6, “it could create long-term risks.”

Back in October, Sony’s tech wizard Mark Cerny teased a number of new video game graphics features in a video published to the official PlayStation YouTube channel titled ‘From Project Amethyst to the Future of Play: AMD and Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Shared Vision.’ Almost all of the near nine minute chat was about advances in graphics technology Sony and AMD have been working on over the past two years.

But then, at the end of the video, a rather innocuous line from Cerny himself mentioned a "future console" coming in "a few years' time." Most took that to suggest Sony planned to release the PS6 late 2028. Could Sony's next-gen console plans include a new PlayStation handheld, too? In August last year, PlayStation 6 handheld rumors ramped up, alongside claims the device would be dockable.

Photo by Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

ReBlade: The Death Spiral, a New Cyberpunk Action Roguelike, Announced for PC

27 janvier 2026 à 04:00

Developer ChillyRoom and publisher Spiral Up Games have announced ReBlade: The Death Spiral, a new cyberpunk action roguelike. You'll run through its dystopian city as many times as it takes as a condemned Synthetic fighting your way through to get at the truth.

You'll find different weapons and augments to customize your build in each roguelike run, battle evolved cyborg monsters who've been forged and shaped by the same unforgiving world you have in high-speed combat, trade with people you encounter, and build allegiances along the way. Check out the excellent reveal trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.

ReBlade doesn't have a release date just yet, but you can wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

We Visited PokéPark KANTO, the First Permanent Outdoor Pokémon Attraction

27 janvier 2026 à 04:00

After we've seen Super Mario and even the Minions immortalized at theme parks, I’ve always wondered why Pokémon hasn't received the same treatment. We all know Pokémon is massive. I imagine children to adults all over the world would likely love to visit the world of Pokémon for real — and maybe not ever leave. I’m one of them! Finally, during Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary year, PokéPark KANTO is permanently opening in Yomiuriland Amusement Park just outside of Tokyo, Japan. And I’m one of the very, very lucky few who got to explore the park before its official opening on February 6, 2026.

As we visited well before opening day, I’m not able to share the superfluous number of photos and videos I took, but I can tell you all about my experience and a little of what to expect in PokéPark KANTO. Again, the park wasn’t in operating order, so the rides, shows, music, game booths, and food offerings weren’t available. But honestly, I wouldn’t say any of that is the draw of PokéPark KANTO—it’s simply exploring a space with more than 600 life-sized Pokémon.

PokéPark KANTO is mainly split up between two areas–Pokémon Forest, which is essentially a trail in a woodland inhabited by life-sized Pokémon statues meant to emulate living Pokémon; and Sedge Town, a small collection of buildings and stalls meant to look like what a town within the Pokémon world would look like, also inhabited by life-sized Pokémon statues. These statues don’t move, but they are amazing to spot around the area and are clearly made with care.

[Before we continue, note I won’t be going into exact detail about what I experienced like which Pokémon I saw where, as I’d like to preserve the magic for anyone planning on making a visit. However, I will confirm you absolutely will see Pokémon from every generation!]

You absolutely will see Pokémon from every generation.

I love hiking in nature, so I would have enjoyed a stroll in the Pokémon Forest regardless if it was enhanced even further by the life-sized Pokémon replicas sprinkled throughout the environment. This isn’t just a nature walk with a small handful of statues to be on the lookout for, though. The park designers didn’t hold back—Pokémon filled just about every open space, meticulously placed among trees, in half-dug holes, around blooming flowers, and more, with a huge variety of poses and expressions. There’s a lot of intention about where the Pokémon are placed and what they’re doing. Pay attention, and you’ll notice little stories and interactions happening between them.

Our group arrived at Yomiuriland on a cold, dreary, January afternoon, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm a single bit. Just about everyone gasped with delight as soon as the first official area inside Pokémon Forest came into view, brought to life with Pokémon and a habitat slightly enhanced by strategically “planted” faux vegetation. The path wound between different unique areas, aptly named things like “Pikachu and Eevee Forest” and “Ryhorn’s Take Down Hill,” and each new area captivated me just as much as the next. I couldn’t stop smiling as I wandered, taking pictures of and with the Pokemon. There were even Trainer’s Tips signs in both Japanese and English, which only added to the amusement.

How Strenuous is PokéPark KANTO’s Pokémon Forest, Really?

Previously, IGN reported on some pretty strict PokéPark KANTO's Pokémon Forest safety rules that bars people who can’t walk up 110 steps without help, children under 5-years-old, pregnant people, and more, from entering Pokémon Forest specifically. Looking at my phone’s data, I took about 1,500 steps between the beginning of the Pokémon Forest path to the entrance of Sedge Town, and the official website says the trail is about 1,600 feet long. My group happily spent a very meandering 30 minutes on this path, where we had to be ushered on to continue by staff. It wasn’t arduous, in my opinion, as someone who aims to take 8,000 steps a day (and fails to take the time to do that as often as I’d like). Some parts of Pokémon Forest did have some relatively steep stairs, a small hill to climb, and grassy footpaths, making it unfortunately not a very accessibility-friendly area. It also had some tripping hazards. I’m notoriously clumsy and accident-prone and made it out of Pokémon Forest scott-free, besides some dirt on my pants from crouching down to take photos with Pokémon. Halfway through the path, there’s a dedicated area with benches beneath some shade for anyone who needs a rest, too.

This Pokémon Forest is nestled between the Pokémon Research Center (basically the entrance of PokéPark KANTO) and Sedge Town, and it was definitely the highlight of the visit for me.

The Pokémon Forest was definitely the highlight of the visit for me.

I do worry about the effect a large crowd would have on this experience, especially. Being surrounded by gaggles of Pokémon in the wild and hordes of people may extract some of the wonder out of it all, as it generally does to most experiences. We know entry is limited to a certain number of people each day, but we still don't know what that number is. A Pokémon Company spokesperson said they have nothing to share on this topic at this time.

Starting this summer, for anyone unable to enter or uninterested in Pokémon Forest, there will be tickets that grant entry only for the accessible Sedge Town, so everyone can still experience some of PokéPark KANTO.

The town itself had plenty of Pokémon scattered around to keep it lively along with activities like rides, games, food stalls, and the promise of entertaining Pokémon Parades and performances.

As you can see inthe Sedge Town slideshow above, the Pokémon Forest path brings you to a fountain “town square” of sorts with a Pokémon Center and PokéMart. The fountain is made up of a Primarina statue and Water-type Starter Pokémon, and though we couldn’t enter the Pokémon Center or PokéMart, I did take a peek inside. The Pokémon Center had a counter just like you would find in a Pokémon game, with a Chansey ready to heal your Pokemon team. The PokéMart had pixelated items you’d usually purchase at a PokéMart in-game, like Potions and Poké Balls, on shelves behind the counter. The official PokéPark KANTO website says the PokéMart is where you can purchase refreshments, and I did see a few bottles of Monin brand flavored syrups, often used to flavor coffee drinks, behind a different part of the counter.

The cute Pokémon-themed stalls weren’t all open, so I can’t say what each of them were for, but staff were training in one with a Diglett, Dugtrio, and Wiglett-themed carnival ring-tossing game I had the chance to try! Another stall showed some PokéPark KANTO exclusive key-chains of Pikachu and Eevee for sale. There was also an Altaria-themed food place, perhaps called "Altaria's Roost," with a small selection of soups (700 yen), baguette sandwiches (1300 yen), and sides— spinach fries with caesar cream sauce (600 yen), and a green fruit and nut kale waffle (900 yen).

The star visual attraction of Sedge Town is the ornate carousel, a ride dubbed Vee Vee Voyage. It wasn’t even operating when I was there, but nonetheless, was a spectacle. It featured both regional forms of Ponyta and Rapidash to ride, Eevee surrounding single-seat seaters attached to balloons, and its Eeveelutions surrounding two seaters. Sorry, Vaporeon is not ridable.

The other ride in Sedge Town is Pika Pika Paradise, another low-adrenaline children’s ride featuring Pikachu “cars” to ride in and all of its “spiritual successors,” like Pachirisu, Dedenne, and even Mimikyu, around as decoration. This one looked similar to Disney World’s Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, or Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish ride, but on a smaller scale. Of course, neither of those have Pikachu.

I envision this part of PokéPark KANTO being lively with actors both in and out of Pokémon costumes performing in the streets in a parade and around the square (I did see them rehearsing a number out of costume!); where you can grab a snack, take a seat and relax, partake in the carnival-style games, or do some light shopping. It’s honestly not a huge area, but there’s enough attention to detail to make it an interesting space to just exist in.

There’s a full-fledged Pokémon Gym down the end of the path in town, too. The entrance has replicas of the iconic vague Pokémon statues at the gyms in-game, which I was so stoked to see. The gym is where there will be Pokémon shows, including a show called Pika Pika Sparks, character meet-and-greets, and potentially more. Again, the attention to detail here is delightful—the seats on the bleachers are numbered, and a Pokémon icon matching that Pokédex entry number accompanies each one, up to 300. Cute!

Of course, there’s a merch shop, called Pokémon Daisuke Shop with items exclusive to PokéPark KANTO, like special Pikachu and Eevee plush, a variety of Pokémon ears to wear, ride-themed tins filled with cookies or tea, and a lot more. The walls of the space are decorated with professional (frankly, incredible) photos of the Pokémon replicas found around the park, and the shop in general felt warm and welcoming. I wish I could have purchased more, but my bank account is grateful I couldn’t.

To access the Pokémon Daisuke Shop, keep in mind patrons will need an additional (free) first-come first-served Limited-Access Ticket, “which can be requested via the official PokéPark KANTO app after entering Yomiuriland,” according to the official website. These tickets are meant to regulate visitor traffic, and sound similar to how The Pokémon Company handles the pop-up Pokémon Centers at the Pokémon World Championships. The Sedge Gym shows and meet-and-greets will also require a Limited-Access Ticket, but these are awarded via a lottery system. Alternatively, an Ace Trainer’s Pass will allow you to view the show from a reserved seating area one time.

PokéPark KANTO isn’t as immersive or high-budget as, say, Super Nintendo World inside Universal’s Epic Universe, but I still had a great time, and that’s keeping in mind I didn’t even experience PokéPark KANTO as fully intended: with music or sound effects or operating rides or shows to schedule around. PokéPark KANTO doesn’t use any perspective tricks to keep it contained within itself, either—I could still see (and hear) the rides of Yomiuriland just beyond the bounds of PokéPark KANTO. The space relied a lot on the preexisting natural settings too, but the fantastically great number of Pokemon statues themselves and the amazing attention to detail still impressed me. And though there’s a lot to see and savor and take in, there aren’t many “star attractions” (besides maybe the shows or parade I didn't see.) The experience itself of being around to-scale Pokémon in what appears to be their natural habitats, and in a real-life Pokémon town complete with a Pokémon Center, PokéMart, and Gym, is the main attraction. I'm confident that if you love Pokémon, PokéPark KANTO will spark a sense of childlike wonder like it did for me, and I was more than happy to spend two hours there. I’m sure with the park open at full operational capacity, too, the experience would have lasted closer to three or four!

For more information on PokéPark KANTO like tickets, location, and more, check out our original PokéPark KANTO announcement story or the official website.

The LEGO Looney Tunes Tweety Bird Set Drops to Its Lowest Price Ever Ahead of Valentine's Day

27 janvier 2026 à 02:02

Valentine's Day is still a few weeks away, but Amazon is already breaking out the LEGO deals for anyone searching for a unique gift idea. One such discount is on one of the silliest builds that's been released in recent years. The Looney Tunes Sweetheart Tweety Bird set has dropped to its lowest price ever on Amazon. At just $23.99 after the discount is applied, it's really quite affordable (by LEGO standards). This set was first released back in January 2025, but this is the first time its ever been discounted on Amazon.

LEGO Tweety Bird Deal at Amazon Today

This LEGO Tweety Bird set is one of the only Looney Tunes sets you can still buy and it just so happens to have a Valentine's Day theme. The build itself is fairly small at only 412 pieces, but it features Tweety Bird as a cupid floating on a little cloud. He also comes with two swappable accessories: A bow and arrow or a bouquet and heart. Once he's fully put together he sits at just over 6.5 inches tall, which is the perfect height for a desk or a shelf.

This set was originally released as a seasonal set last year and this new price drop could potentially be an indicator that LEGO is going to retire this set sometime this year. With the exception of the LEGO Bugs Bunny set that was just released in January 2026, all of the other Looney Tunes sets have officially been retired. If you're a fan of Looney Tunes, right now is a great time to pick this up as a gift or for your own collection while it's at its lowest price ever.

More LEGO Valentine's Day deals at Amazon

In addition to the Tweety Bird set, Amazon also has a pretty good deal on the LEGO "Love" set. This build is part of LEGO's popular Art theme and is currently at the lowest price we've seen since it came out last year.

Amazon has previously discounted its LEGO Flower sets for Valentine's Day in prior years, but it doesn't look like those price cuts have started just yet. If you're planning on picking up a brick bouquet for a loved one this year, here are some of the floral sets we recommend in 2026:

Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to indie games and books.

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