© Square Enix
© 1047 Games
Warner Bros. Games is restructuring its interactive entertainment endeavors to focus on four key franchises: Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, DC, and Game of Thrones.
Details on the company-wide overhaul come from Variety, which says the changes involve a leadership shake-up but will not result in any layoffs or the exit of any executives. Instead, three key Warner Bros. Games names have been promoted as the gaming branch shifts its focus to its more reliable brands.
Warner Bros. Games Montreal studio head Yves Lachance now serves as senior vice president, development and will watch over games based on the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones franchises. Meanwhile, NetherRealm Studios’ Shaun Himmerick is taking on the senior vice president, development role to maintain the company’s Mortal Kombat and DC Universe efforts. Finally, Warner Bros. Games New York’s Steven Flenory has been promoted to senior vice president, central tech & services and will manage game and publishing technology, customer service, quality assurance, and user research.
“Our company is home to some of the biggest franchises in the world, and we are optimizing our team structure to develop long-term franchise roadmaps to delight players and fans of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, Mortal Kombat and DC games,” Global Streaming & Games CEO J.B. Perrette said in a statement. “We are very fortunate to have a strong stable of development and technology talent, and Yves, Shaun and Steven are respected leaders with excellent track records in their areas of expertise. I’m looking forward to working closely with them and the team as we work to make the best games possible for our key franchises.”
Time will tell how the Warner Bros. Games restructuring will affect the company after its worrying start to 2025. It began January 23 when it was revealed that boss David Haddad would be leaving the company following noteworthy failures that include the troubled launches of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and MultiVersus.
Shutdown plans for the latter followed only one week later, with an even more substantial blow arriving in February as Warner Bros. Games announced plans to shutter Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. San Diego alongside the cancelation of its Wonder Woman game.
Today’s restructuring does line up with a strategy Warner Bros. outlined late last year. At the time, it admitted its games business “is substantially underperforming its potential right now,” and would soon shift to lean on titles like Hogwarts Legacy, Mortal Kombat, and Game of Thrones. DC was included in its refreshed plans as well, with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav specifically mentioning Batman of particular importance.
Changes at Warner Bros. Games fall in line with other smaller and larger shake-ups at the company. Just weeks ago, Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would soon split into two media companies: Global Networks and Streaming & Studios. On the streaming end, audiences will soon notice that Max will revert back into HBO Max in the coming months.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).
© Sloclap
Amazon has officially revealed the dates for Prime Day 2025, and it's the first time Prime Day will be longer than two days. Running from July 8-11, it's the longest Prime Day since the sales event began 10 years ago. With tariffs on the horizon and prices on the rise, many shoppers (including myself) will be looking forward to this to find some of the best deals of the year. With a longer sales event, we can likely expect more deals this year – right?
Well, not necessarily. Amazon had its longest-ever Memorial Day sale earlier this year by starting it a full week before Memorial Day weekend, but the deals didn't really get any better just because shoppers had more time to browse them. While I don't know for sure that the same will be true for Prime Day this year, I can't help but think the extra two days won't actually have any sort of impact on how many good deals there are.
Still, having extra time to shop a sale that takes place in the middle of the work week is definitely a welcome change. There might also be a few other benefits to having those extra days that we can potentially look forward to.
The one major benefit of having more Prime Days is that it opens up the door to more lightning deals, which are already where you'll find the best overall discounts during sales events like these. The downsides are that they can be fairly inconsistent, sell out quickly, or simply expire. Some lightning deals are time-based, meaning they only last for a specific window before they disappear. Others are set up with a limited number of products available at that discount before the deal is removed.
Having two extra days could potentially mean more or lightning deals, but it also means more slots for Amazon to fill with discounts on things nobody will really care about. You'll just need to consistently check Amazon's deals page to see what new flash sales Amazon has dropped each day, which is understandably a chore. Though there's no guarantee you'll find something good just because it's being marketed as a Prime Day deal. Amazon already has new lightning deals every day, regardless of whether a sale is happening or not.
It's worth noting that outside of lightning deals, the best overall Prime Day deals on Amazon tend to drop either before or on the first day of the event. These are things like discounts on Amazon devices, Amazon subscription services, TVs, and video games that aren't on any sort of timer or limit. So having more time to decide if you should buy some AirPods or get yourself an Audible subscription is great, but it doesn't change the discount at all.
Another potential benefit of a longer Prime Day is an extension of a recent trend. With Amazon's sale taking place in July every year since 2015, other major retailers have started kicking off competing Amazon Prime Day sales of their own. Major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy have consistently offered some sort of "Prime Day" counter-sale sale over the last few years and 2025 shouldn't be any different.
With Amazon extending its sale, other retailers will be forced to compete with the online retailer in the same time frame. This will hopefully mean that retailers outside of Amazon will have different deals or lower prices on some items during July, but that's not necessarily guaranteed. Amazon tends to match whatever prices other retailers have at any given time anyway, so price drops anywhere online tend to benefit Amazon shoppers regardless of where they came from. These types of discounts also tend to be available for those without a Prime membership as well.
Although a longer Amazon Prime Day may not be a reason to rejoice, I do think it is still going to be one of the best times of the year to shop. Tariffs on imports that were threatened then paused are supposed to resume in early August, which means prices are only going to go up this year if those go into full effect. Prime Day has consistently been a good time to find deals, and I expect 2025 will be largely the same. Even if prices aren't incredible, there's no guarantee that they are going to be any better during Black Friday this year. With that in mind, I'd definitely recommend shopping Amazon's sale this year.
There also aren't that many other big sales events on the horizon after Prime Day. There will be some Labor Day sales and October Prime Day, but other than those smaller events Black Friday is the next time you'll be able to save money on most things.
© Ubisoft
© Studio Camelia
If you're looking for an OLED gaming monitor with a 4K native resolution and a 40" or greater screen size, your options are limited. Fortunately, this rare deal just popped up today and might be right up your alley. Amazon is currently offering the 42" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TV for just $699.99 with free shipping. This is the best price I've seen for this particular size model. Although it's technically a TV, the 42" Evo C4 also doubles as an excellent gaming PC monitor.
Update: Prime Visa cardholders get an additional 10% cashback (normally 5%).
The 42" is LG's smallest OLED TV. It performs just as well as its larger sized siblings as a gaming TV, but where it really shines is as a gaming monitor for your PC. Whereas most TVs are simply too big for your desk, the 42" is a perfectly manageable size; the smaller screen size combined with the native 4K resolution offers up a respectable 104ppi pixel density. It has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 144Hz at 4K. Other gaming features include variable refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and G-Sync compatiblity, and 4:4:4 chroma sampling for clear, sharp text.
The C4 is the 2024 model in LG's mid-range C-series OLED lineup. Compared to non-OLED TVs, an OLED TV offers superior image quality, near-infinite blacks, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. Because of these advantages, the Evo OLED TV excels at displaying 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. The C4 uses LG's proprietary Evo panel, which offers higher brightness level and contrast ratio compared to traditional W-OLED TVs (similar to QD OLED panels on Samsung TVs). The LG brand is especially popular because LG OLED TVs have been out for years and benefit from several generations of updates and optimizations.
Looking for more options? Check out all of the best TVs of 2025.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
The Star Trek franchise is resurrecting William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk for a new comic book series called Star Trek: The Last Starship. Building on a plot point introduced in the live-action series Star Trek: Discovery, The Last Starship sees Kirk take command of a new ship in the Federation's darkest hour.
The Last Starship is set in the aftermath of The Burn, the 31st Century disaster which involves the destruction of every active warp core in the galaxy and the deaths of trillions. With the Federation in shambles and space becoming a truly lawless No Man's Land, the mysteriously rejuvenated Kirk will have to assemble a new crew to keep the fire of Starfleet burning.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at the first issue of Star Trek: The Last Starship:
The Last Starship is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, who recently wrapped up the Star Trek: Lore War crossover at IDW. The series features art by Star Trek veteran Adrián Bonilla and colors by Heather Moore (Doctor Strange). The first issue features covers by Francesco Francavilla, Skylar Patridge, Michael Cho, and Malachi Ward.
This isn't the first time the Trek franchise has resurrected its most famous captain. 1994's Star Trek Generations bridged the gap between the original series and Star Trek: The Next Generation by briefly pairing Shatner's Kirk with Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard. Though Kirk dies in Generations, Shatner himself resurrected the character again via a series of non-canon novels that have since been dubbed "The Shatnerverse." But this time, The Last Starship's Kirk appears to be the more youthful TOS version.
"Forget everything you know about Star Trek,” said Lanzing in a statement. “The Last Starship is a new crew, a new era, and a completely different tone; our aim is to be literary, intense, innovative, and most of all, accessible. We're bringing you into the Federation's darkest hour through the brilliant, noir-soaked lens of artist Adrián Bonilla with zero homework required.”
Lanzing continued, “Longtime Trek fans will have a deep and fascinating reading experience, to be sure - this is a pivotal moment in Trek history that's never been even glimpsed before - but above all, The Last Starship is a dark and complex sci-fi you can hand to anyone. We’ve spent the last eight years celebrating all that Trek has ever been. Now, it's time to rebuild it from scratch and discover all it can be."
“The only familiar face is the one you’d never expect to see in this era: Captain James T. Kirk,” said Kelly. “William Shatner’s iconic performance transcends borders - Kirk is one of the great characters of the modern fiction canon with a timeless actor to match. He was also the first Star Trek character we ever wrote - a leader and warrior poet with boundless tragedy and contradiction. Now, we’re honored to be taking this character into truly uncharted, groundbreaking territory in The Last Starship - as the Federation’s greatest pioneer must face down the inferno that threatens to consume his entire legacy.”
Star Trek: The Last Starship #1 will be released on September 24, 2025.
For more, see Shatner reflect on his own mortality and find out how many seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds remain.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
© Supergiant Games
The official Super Mario Bros. Movie original sountrack vinyl record is on sale at Amazon for $41.10 (24% off). The 2023 animated film based on the iconic video game series had its share of issues, but its music was definitely not one of them. Beautifully scored by Brian Tyler with the nostalgic tunes you'd expect from Koji Kondo, this is a great addition to any vinyl collector's ever-growing backlog.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie's original soundtrack is filled top to bottom with bangers and nostalgic hits. The Super Mario Bros. Rap captures the same silliness we've come to know from Grant Kirkhopes DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, and the rearrangements of classics like the creepy and dark version of the Warp Pipe or the whimsical, slow rendition of main Super Mario Bros. theme in Strange New World is, quite literally, music to my ears.
The songs come on a pair of red and green vinyl records in a nice slipcover case featuring the official movie art. You can open the cover for an extended art of Bowser in his iconic Peaches scene, playing the piano to a backdrop of a beautiful night sky. The art on the back shows Mario, Luigi, and their plumbing van with a Brooklyn backdrop.
In IGN's review of the Super Mario Bros. Movie, reviewer Tom Jorgensen gave it an eight and said that it's "a fireball of animated fantasy, overcoming a Paper Mario-thin plot with undeniable charm and energy."
The sequel to the Super Mario Bros. movie, now titled Super Mario World according to leaks, currently has a release date of April 3, 2026. If you stuck around for the first film's post-credits scene, and with the title of the second, you can easily assume a certain green dinosaur will play a major role.
Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.
Seemingly out of the blue, Microsoft has come out and announced that it’s teaming up with AMD for its next generation of Xbox "devices." This is frankly the least surprising news I have ever heard in my life, but it does start the conversation about what gaming is going to look like as we head into this new era.
While it’s good to know who’s going to be making the silicon behind the next Xbox, the bigger tidbit is that the Xbox team is going to be “working closely with the Windows team to make Windows the number one gaming platform.” Especially off the heels of the ROG Xbox Ally X last week, it sure sounds like the next Xbox is going to look a lot like a gaming PC.
For the last few generations, Xbox consoles have been getting closer to gaming PCs, down to the operating system they run on. It doesn’t take that keen of an eye to look at the Xbox Series X’s home screen and not notice the similarities to Microsoft’s desktop operating system, especially if you’ve survived Windows 8 and Windows 10.
But in the video Microsoft released for its collaboration with AMD, Xbox president Sarah Bond opened by saying that Xbox’s vision is to allow you to “play the games you want, with the people you want, and wherever you want.” This definitely isn’t a new approach for Microsoft, which has been making its games more accessible for years now, especially since Play Anywhere became a thing.
I regularly play games across my Xbox console and various PCs, and that program allows me to carry over my progress no matter what I’m playing on. This is purely speculation, but it sounds like Microsoft is planning on taking things a bit further this time around. In the video, Bond talks about bringing an Xbox experience that’s not locked to a single store. I might be reading too much into it, but it sure sounds like bringing Steam, Epic Games Store and other launchers to the next Xbox might totally be a thing.
And why wouldn’t it? I mean, Microsoft already did announce an “official” device made in partnership with Asus that’s open to every PC game store. Why stop there?
What separates the ROG Xbox Ally X from the rest of the Windows handhelds is that Microsoft is teaming up with Asus and shipping it with a modified version of Windows. We don’t know the specifics of what that modification will do yet, but we do know that it won’t load certain elements of the desktop operating system when they’re not needed.
More importantly, the system will boot straight into a new version of the Xbox App without loading the regular desktop. If you’ve spent a lot of time with the Steam Deck, you’ll know that’s essentially what SteamOS does with its custom version of Linux. If you want to load up the desktop, you have to manually call it up and go through a loading screen to get there. This makes the Steam Deck easier to use, for sure, but it also allows for much better gaming performance.
If the next Xbox is going to be running on Windows, this approach is going to be absolutely necessary. After all, the main appeal of gaming consoles over a gaming PC is that, because the software is simpler, game engines get much better access to system resources. Microsoft is already building the tools to make this happen, and it’d be weird if it was just for the ROG Xbox Ally X.
PC gaming is in a weird place these days, and it has been for a while. Because while PCs are more powerful than ever and come in all shapes and sizes, there’s one thing they all have in common: They’re expensive. Even recent handhelds that are otherwise awesome, like the Lenovo Legion Go S with SteamOS, are much more expensive than a traditional console.
Microsoft does shoulder some of the blame for this. After all, if you’re buying a Windows gaming laptop or handheld, part of the price goes to the license for the operating system. That’s why something like the ROG Ally with the plain ol’ Z1 chip is more expensive than the Steam Deck, despite the specs being so similar. It’s just something we’ve always had to deal with.
Consoles generally take a different approach. Because they generally make money off of licensing and game sales, console hardware is usually subsidized, allowing them to be cheaper than an equivalent PC – at least at launch.
Microsoft has the opportunity to bring that approach to what is essentially a specialized gaming PC. It’s no secret that PC gaming is getting more popular than ever these days, and this would bring a whole new audience into the scene for the first time.
Since it doesn’t look like graphics cards are going to get any cheaper in the near future, this new Xbox really could be the shot in the arm that PC gaming needs right now.
Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra
Buydig just dropped the massive 77" LG Evo C4 4K OLED TV. to the lowest price I've ever seen. Right now you can get it for just $1,796.99 with free delivery. Buydig is also throwing in a bonus 4 year third party extended warranty and a $50 prepaid gift card. Buydig is a reputable, established online retailer who is also an authorized LG reseller. The LG Evo C-series of TV has consistently been our favorite high-end 4K TV for current generation console gaming thanks to its outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate.
Update: Amazon is also selling this TV for the same price, but without the extended warranty.
Includes 4 year extended warranty and $50 prepaid gift card
The C4 is the 2024 model in LG's mid-range C-series OLED lineup. Compared to non-OLED TVs, an OLED TV offers superior image quality, near-infinite blacks, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times. Because of these advantages, the Evo OLED TV excels at displaying 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. The C4 uses LG's proprietary Evo panel, which offers higher brightness level and contrast ratio compared to traditional W-OLED TVs (similar to QD OLED panels on Samsung TVs). The LG brand is especially popular because LG OLED TVs have been out for years and benefit from several generations of updates and optimizations.
The LG C4 has all the features you'd want in a gaming TV as well. It has a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz and all four HDMI ports are 2.1 spec for running games in 4K at up to 120fps on a PS5 or Xbox Series X without any tearing. The C4 also supports variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM). The C4 is also easier to install than its predecessors; the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber that weighs 36 pounds.
LG recently launched its new C5 OLED TV for 2025. It improves upon the C4 with an updated Alpha a9 Gen8 processor and a higher peak brightness level, the latter of which is the more significant upgrade. Higher peak brightness means the C5 is able to deliver slightly better contrast ratio, slightly wider color gamut, better glare and reflection handling, and greater usability in very bright (i.e. sunlit) rooms. However, these improvements are worth maybe a few hundred dollars, at most. You can't justify a $1,000 price difference.
Looking for more options? Check out all of the best TVs of 2025.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Sony and Bungie’s Marathon reboot has been delayed to a new, unspecified release date.
The Destiny and Halo developer announced that its previously planned September 23, 2025 release date had been officially removed from the calendar in a post on its website. It’s a message that comes with the promise that an update, as well as a new release date, will be delivered this fall.
“Through every comment and real-time conversation on social media and Discord, your voice has been strong and clear,” Bungie said.
“We've taken this to heart, and we know we need more time to craft Marathon into the game that truly reflects your passion. After much discussion within our Dev team, we’ve made the decision to delay the September 23 release.”
The Marathon delay follows criticism revolving around a Marathon alpha test held in April. The conversation around Bungie’s new take on the live-service, extraction shooter formula has been heated to say the least, so a delay isn’t too shocking.
“The Alpha test created an opportunity for us to calibrate and focus the game on what will make it uniquely compelling — survival under pressure, mystery and lore around every corner, raid-like endgame challenges, and Bungie’s genre-defining FPS combat,” Bungie’s message adds.
“We’re using this time to empower the team to create the intense, high-stakes experience that a title like Marathon is built around. This means deepening the relationship between the developers and the game’s most important voices: our players.”
Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Hermen Hulst went as far as to address feedback just last week, calling the response from fans “varied.” His comments also included the promise that the Marathon reboot would get a release date set by March 31, 2026, while assuring naysayers that the company had no intention of repeating the mistakes seen with last year’s Concord.
While no new Marathon release date has been revealed, it appears as though players can at least expect to get their hands on Bungie’s latest by March 2026. In the meantime, the studio has laid out three major points of feedback it plans to address that should leave a better taste in players’ mouths. These include “upping the survival game,” which means more challenging and engaging AI encounters, more tense and strategic combat, and a more rewarding experience overall.
Bungie adds that players can expect increased visual fidelity across the Marathon experience along with more story to uncover and a darker tone that falls more in-line with the original Marathon universe. The delay also grants the studio the opportunity to add “more social experiences,” including improvements for solo and duo runs as well as proximity chat.
“You’ll hear from us again later this Fall when we can share the progress we’ve made, alongside the game’s new release date,” Bungie concluded. “Thank you again for your patience and — much more importantly — your passion. Your continued feedback will help us make Marathon the incredible gaming experience we all know it can be.”
Bungie announced its Marathon reboot in May 2023 and remained quiet as its development progressed throughout 2024. Trouble arose with the launch of its alpha test along with controversy centered on plagiarized work that had been discovered in Marathon itself. As uncertainty has taken over the conversation, many have begun to discuss how the impending game launch could impact the future of the studio forever. You can read our hands-on Marathon preview here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).
Hell Motel premieres on Shudder Tuesday, June 17, with new episodes streaming weekly.
Hell Motel is, among other things, an homage to classic slasher movies: The latest miniseries from Slasher masterminds Aaron Martin and Ian Carpenter traps a bunch of people in a seedy motel with a bloody history and then waits for the killing to start. But it’s also a reminder that the movies it’s paying tribute to usually top out at 90 minutes long. Horror tends to overstay its welcome on TV, with the scares turning stale and the tension growing slack while we wait for the final axe to fall – and Hell Motel is no exception. It’s just difficult to keep this sort of thing going for eight hour-long episodes.
The premise is pretty good, though: Thirty years after a Satanic-flavored unsolved murder was committed on the grounds of the remote Cold River Motel, the inn reopens and its new proprietors invite a group of true-crime obsessives for an opening-weekend stay. This creatively assembled group of stock types includes an artist who makes installations of famous crime scenes, a woman who sleeps with serial killers (“One away from a dangerous dozen!”), a podcaster who survived a slasher-esque killing spree, a professor who studies the effect crime stories have on the psyche, an occult practitioner who communes with the spirits, and an actress who starred in a film adaptation of the motel murder. When two strangers show up seeking shelter from an incoming storm, it’s not long until the (inevitable) killing begins, and the guests wonder if whatever happened thirty years ago is happening all over again.
The familiarity feels intentional. Martin and Carpenter are messing around with what we know about this gory subgenre, and there is some fun to be had in the early episodes. The motel is playfully outfitted for the occasion, with dingy decor and a sign for “Pentacle” next to the one for “Gym/Sauna.” The guests arrive in a hearse. Once the storm rolls in, there’s a lovely soft hiss of rain over any scene without an instrumental score. All the characters are pretty annoying, but that fits the theme, since we’re not meant to care too much about them once they start getting picked off one by one. There’s even a jab in a later episode about slasher movies full of “two-dimensional characters so grotesque and idiotic one would hazard they deserved to die,” and, well…
These victims-in-waiting all deliver their lines as if they’re in a dramatic reenactment from a documentary about a famous murder, which would be a fun sort of meta element if we weren’t stuck with it for eight hours. And that’s the main problem with Hell Motel: As soon as the fun and games of the setup is over and the actual plot begins, everything that follows feels increasingly repetitive. Towards the middle of the series, we’re treated to multiple long arguments over who the killer must be – scenes whose main purpose seems to be filling time, since this makeshift jury never actually reaches a verdict before something else goes awry. Those bits are punctured and bookended by the requisite death scenes, which are appropriately bloody and gross (I’ll be thinking about one involving a bunch of nails for a long time), but even those feel rote after four or five episodes of basically the same thing.
Eventually, the momentum can’t be sustained. It’s hard to endure scene after scene after scene of people getting cruelly stabbed and hacked apart for this long – not because the violence is especially bothersome, but because it starts to feel samey. The slasher hardos might feel otherwise, and maybe this is the show for those fans who just want more, more, more. But Hell Motel ultimately doesn’t know what else to do with its premise. There are shades of well-loved horror series like Bates Motel and Hannibal here and there, and some vague thematic material about how easily people turn to violent acts when pressed hard enough. But these are gestures in a show that favors blood and guts over everything else. That’s fun for a while – but eventually you’ll wish you could check out.
© Ironmace
Final Destination recently returned with a new generation of unlucky folks dying one by one in ways that will haunt you forever. Bloodlines, the sixth movie in the franchise and the first new addition since 2011, released in theaters on May 16. It’s since grossed over $270 million globally, with Tom Jorgenson's review for IGN describing the franchise’s return to deadly form: “A testament to the powerful, simple joy of a well-executed setup and payoff, Bloodlines’ lethal Rube Goldberg machines are tactile and satisfying, benefiting from a solid blend of goopy practical and visual effects.”
There’s nothing quite like seeing elaborate death traps on the big screen, but if you’ve been waiting to watch the new slasher movie in the comfort of your own home, you’re in luck. Final Destination Bloodlines is now available to rent or buy from digital platforms (see here at Prime Video), with a 4K steelbook and a new Final Destination Blu-ray collection releasing next month.
The move to digital comes almost exactly four weeks after the movie’s original release in theaters. Despite recent opposition from organizations like Cinema United, we’re still seeing the continued post-pandemic (and heavily streaming-influenced) trend of shortened theatrical release windows.
Nonetheless, Bloodlines has continued to see success at the box office alongside positive reviews. The movie has grossed over $270 million globally, and is slowly creeping up the list of highest-grossing horror movies of all time, likely overtaking Silence of the Lambs' spot by the end of the week. Sinners, another recent release still showing in theaters, has also been climbing up at that list, and could even break into the top 10. Safe to say, 2025 is shaping up to be a solid year for horror at the box office.
Bloodlines will likely join the rest of the Final Destination franchise on HBO Max at one point or another. However, at the time of the digital release, we've yet to get any specific information on the streaming timeline. Most Warner Bros. movies land on the streaming service within three months of their initial release date, so it’s possible Final Destination Bloodlines lands on HBO Max by mid-September.
If you’re waiting to get your hands on a physical release (which, these days, tend to be similarly priced to the digital version), you have a couple of options. Bloodlines is getting its own limited edition 4K steelbook with a fresh set of bonus features, including audio commentary by the film's directors, Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky, and a reflection from the late Tony Todd on “The Legacy of Bludworth.” You can also grab the new movie on Blu-ray or DVD.
For fans of the full franchise, there’s also a new six-movie Final Destination collection up for preorder. Every existing movie’s individual special features are included on each disc, and the collection is set to release on the same day as the Bloodlines steelbook, July 22.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
The third round of 2024 LEGO Ideas reviews has concluded and two new fan-made designs have officially been selected to become real sets: a massive Godzilla build and a Tintin Rocket.
The new sets were announced in a LEGO Ideas blog post where it confirmed that the LEGO Godzilla set, originally submitted by MattE720 in December 2023, has been approved for production. The exact design, pricing, and release date are still up in the air, but this means Godzilla fans will be getting their first ever LEGO set sometime in the near future.
LEGO has never released a Godzilla set before this one. The fan design won't be exactly what the final set will look like, but it does serve as the overall basis for the build. Since there have been a lot of different portrayals of everyone's favorite giant lizard across a ton of different Godzilla movies, user MattE720 confirmed that his design is based on more recent versions, citing films like Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire as his inspiration for the design.
Although we don't have an exact piece count for the upcoming set, the design looks huge. (LEGO has set a precedent for releasing gigantic dinosaur sets with its 3.5ft-long T. Rex.) Considering LEGO Ideas sets are often targeted at adults, we can likely expect the final design to be a fairly large build for the 18+ audience.
Every LEGO Ideas set starts out as a fan submission. Once that idea reaches 10,000 supporters, it enters the review stage, which is a lengthy process that requires various considerations. One of the biggest hurdles for any idea is whether or not LEGO can secure the rights to the IP. So something like a Tuxedo Cat is potentially easier to make it through than something tied to a major franchise if LEGO can't come to an agreement.
Alongside these new approved sets, there are a ton of other really cool LEGO Ideas that are currently sitting in the review phase. This list includes a Monsters, Inc. - Boo's Door Set, Planet Express Headquarters, and even your old pal Clippy from Microsoft Office.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior SEO 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 7 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different topics -- from TV series to indie games and popular book series.
The Final Fantasy: Through the Ages collection reimagines classic Magic: The Gathering cards with iconic art and characters from all 16 mainline Final Fantasy games. Packed into Magic's newly released Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy set, these reprints aren't just nostalgic; they're in high demand for collectors, with several fetching serious prices on the secondary market.
Beyond just looking incredible, many of these cards are proven staples in multiple formats like Commander. That combination of competitive relevance and collector appeal has already driven prices up, with several cards becoming some of the most sought-after in the entire set.
Whether you're opening boosters or tracking down singles, these are the 16 most valuable cards from the Through the Ages collection right now. They're powerful, flashy, and, for longtime fans of both games, pretty irresistible right now. Let's take a look.
Sitting at around $10.20 market, you can get this Commander staple for as low as $9.60, but this shoots up to $49.89 for the foil print. I was hoping for a larger red creature to represent Clive, but Vial Smasher fits his fiery personality well.
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is a Modern staple (there's a whole deck named after him), so the Emperor art would be a nice addition to die-hard fans of the deck. You can pick this up for around $14.54 market, or as low as $11.99 on TCGPlayer right now.
I thought for sure Kefka's Tower would be printed onto Command Tower, but it looks like Wizards of the Coast wanted to avoid Commander-only cards, which is welcome. Get this at market value for $15.55 or as low as $13.69.
A personal favorite (seriously, I adore Final Fantasy IV), Tymna, the Weaver's design is another card that fits the flavor of the character well. Find it at market around $16.18.
One of the best Mardu Commanders around, Isshin definitely fits Lightning's vibe in terms of combat mechanics. You can pick this up at market price for $21.93 but not much lower at the time of writing, as Lightning's value seems to be slowly spiking as well.
If you're playing white in Commander, odds are you're running Akroma's Will. The art with Noctis and Lunafreya is one of my personal favorites. It's recently had a massive spike in price, and you can currently find it at market value for around $23.99.
Purphoros, God of the Forge is great in Commander if you're running a tokens or blink strategy, and the Yoshitaka Amano Kefka art is a nostalgic masterpiece. Market is around $25, and that seems to be the price you're looking at right now as well.
You'd be hard-pressed to see Thrasios played anywhere other than low-powered Merfolk Commander decks, but the Final Fantasy X cover art is the big selling point here. Get it at market for $21.26 but not much lower.
Najeela, the Blade-Blossom fits Cloud well, and the Tetsuya Nomura art alone is enough for me to pick one up. Market value is $25, and seems fairly stable right now as well, albeit the foil version fetches 10x that, with listings up to $250 at TCGPlayer right now.
I'd call this a fringe Commander staple, as big mana green decks love this massive enchantment creature for some extra ramp, and the Cloudsea Djinn art from the original Final Fantasy is icing on the cake. Find it at market for $24.66 or down to around $23 from select vendors.
Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer might be one of the most annoying one-drops ever printed, but I can't argue against this sweet Zidane alternate art, especially as a huge fan of Final Fantasy IX. Market price is $27.70 and other vendors don't have it for much lower. The foil version is also going for around $82.99 right now as well.
This card is another example of a fan-favorite character glued onto a multi-format powerhouse. It's at $26.62 market value, with that being fairly stable right now as well.
Ranger-Captain of Eos sees enough Modern and Legacy play to warrant picking this one up. It's at $29.50 market and not much lower elsewhere.
This one I'm surprised at as well, but because of how low it is. Mix Atraxa, Grand Unifier, a multi-format all-star, with one of the most iconic video game villains of all time, and you have potential for a serious price tag. Luckily it's at a $42.78 market price, which could be worse. Find one for as low as $39.98.
From a Commander or competitive standpoint, I can't quite figure out why this is as expensive as it is, it's sitting at $72.19 market. But nostalgia is a hell of a drug, so you can grab one for as low as $69.74, break out the big guns as the foil version is up to $254.70 at the time of publication.
Before we jump into the most valuable card, consider these honorable mentions when picking up any singles right now as well.
Final Fantasy: Through the Ages features dozens of other cards, and the above list are some other multi-format staples like Fatal Push and Dovin's Veto with awesome new art that won't break the bank for a playset.
Rhystic Study has been a Commander staple since the format's inception. The Final Fantasy X version is sitting at a market price of $103.12, but you can pick one up for as high as $125.98, or as low as $100.
Through the Ages cards can be found non-foil in both Play Boosters and Collector Boosters, with foil versions of the cards only available in Collector Boosters. But, the best avenue to get the cards you want, without spending an absolute fortune, is by purchasing singles, so hopefully this was a handy guide for you.
Whether you're here for FF6’s Terra, FF7’s Cloud, FF10’s Tidus, or FF14’s Warrior of Light, these sets are stacked with heroes and villains from across the series. And that’s just the Commander Decks, the full release runs deep. If you managed to lock in a preorder before they vanished, congrats. Otherwise, check in with the links just above to bookmark or wishlist your favorite set in anticipation of any restocks soon.
Or perhaps, Collectors with more money than sense might be even more drawn to the Final Fantasy x Secret Lair drops. Wizards of the Coast has had a packed year of limited-time releases, and all three Final Fantasy Secret Lair sets sold out in record time, leaving plenty of fans empty-handed. That said, they’re still available through third-party sellers... if you’re willing to pay the markup.
There are three drops in total: Weapons, Grimoire, and Game Over. Each one offers Magic: The Gathering cards with exclusive Final Fantasy art and themed names. All were released in both standard and foil editions, with Japanese-language variants adding an extra layer of rarity for collectors.
Since these drops are no longer available directly from Wizards of the Coast, don’t expect to find them at their original prices. Standard nonfoil sets launched at $30, and rainbow foil versions at $40, but most listings now sit between $80 and $150 or more.
It’s a steep jump, so if you’re looking to grab one now, make sure you know exactly what you’re paying for. You can find them on eBay, but we’ve always found TCGPlayer, while also eBay-owned, to be the more secure and trustworthy option for picking up Secret Lair drops after release.
Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.
Elio opens in theaters Friday, June 20.
Early on in Elio, archival audio of the late astronomer Carl Sagan states that humanity’s interest in the cosmos takes root in finding out if we’re alone in the universe. It’s a question about whether or not there’s intelligent life on other planets, but the deeper concern, as it relates to the latest animated movie from Pixar, is our need to know if other people have ever felt the same way we do. And if they don’t, can they still love us for who we are and not who they wish we were? In Elio, this preoccupation takes the form of a wondrous sci-fi epic, in which the titular, stargazing orphan (Yonas Kibreab) gains a friend in an unexpected place and forges a stronger bond with the aunt who adopted him after his parents died.
Dazzling as its animation is, what’s most striking about Elio is how it depicts the slippery feeling of yearning for something we might not even know exists. Here, that desire for belonging means traveling across galaxies to find radiantly rendered, playfully envisioned worlds and extraterrestrial lifeforms. Elio’s curiosity about aliens is sparked when he learns about The Voyager Golden Records, the “message in a bottle” humanity sent into space in the 1970s. (Sagan’s involvement in that project in real life makes his inclusion in Elio particularly relevant). The opening scene showing this epiphany conveys a bittersweet sentiment somewhere between melancholy and hope, setting the tone for the entire movie.
As Elio grows up and becomes obsessed with UFOs and being abducted by one, his relationship with his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña) – an Air Force major at a satellite terminal who once dreamed of becoming an astronaut – deteriorates. When he achieves his goal of communicating with outer space, he not only escapes the military camp Olga enrolls him out of desperation, but Earth altogether. After a voyage through a luminous portal, Elio arrives at the communiverse, a fanciful gathering place for dignitaries from countless planets. As far as they’re concerned, this new arrival is the leader of Earth.
There’s an intricate thought process behind every aspect of the production design in Elio – just get a look at the homemade cape the main character wears, festooned with plastic cutlery and soda-can tabs. The various sections of and advanced technology in the communiverse read as if they were imagined by a kid – and that’s absolutely a compliment, because every element feels fantastical, yet intuitive, like a hands-on exhibit at a children’s museum. In fact, there might be too much cool stuff onscreen. There simply isn’t enough time within this 93-minute feature to fully explore the number of intriguing ideas and fun-looking alien characters it introduces. Not that the movie is incapable of painting a whole picture from just a few glimpses: For example, Elio and Olga’s Latino identity comes across in small details like a Spanish-language song on the radio or a setup in their house that seems like a Day of the Dead altar.
Fortunately, there’s ample room in Elio for the other main pillar of Pixarian animated whimsy: an astute sense of humor pitched at older members of the audience, best exemplified by the communiverse’s sentient “user’s manual.” Appearing as a glowing, perpetually shuffling deck of translucent cards, it contains all the secrets of the universe, even the meaning of existence – big questions that, naturally and hilariously, don’t interest a kid like Elio. This echo of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is but one example of how Elio toys with staples of the science-fiction and horror genres, the cleverest of which puts a goofy, goopy spin on cloning.
Conflict kicks into high gear when the fearsome Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) is denied admission into the communiverse. To prove his usefulness to his newfound comrades, Elio volunteers to negotiate with the towering, four-eyed warlord, a doomed endeavor that leads him to meet Grigon’s son Glordon (Remy Edgerly). An adorably plump, miniature version of a Dune sandworm (complete with the rows and rows of sharp teeth), Glordon connects with his new pal over their inability to make their parental figures understand them. He doesn’t want to become a war machine like his father, which would involve putting on a rigid armor and giving up all manner of emotional softness. It’s a tad on the nose, but a poignant analogy nonetheless: Glordon’s people must step into a protective, mechanized shell to become adults, much like how most humans leave behind their capacity for wonder and build emotional barriers when they come of age.
Intrepid, intergalactic feats follow, leading to a moving resolution with Sagan’s voice reminding us that it’s only human to ponder what’s hiding in the mysterious darkness of space. The adventure helps Elio reexamine his beliefs about what home can be – a thoughtful conclusion to this delightful animated treasure. Life on Earth or any other planet is inherently imperfect, and it’s surprising (and rewarding) how deeply Elio engages with that notion.
James Cameron’s beloved sci-fi film The Abyss has been removed from Disney+ in the UK due to the inclusion of a banned scene.
The original version of the 1989 film includes a scene in which a rat is dunked into a vat of fluorocarbon liquid — and a real rat was used in production. The rodent is believed to have survived, but that didn’t stop groups like charity The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) from taking steps to have the scene removed 36 years ago.
The scene was subsequently cut by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) under the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937, which means it must be cut for any theatrical use. The BBFC also cut the scene under the Video Recordings Act 1984, meaning it must not be included on releases on formats such as Blu-Ray and DVD. Similarly, the scene should also not be aired on traditional TV in the UK.
Despite this, a version of the film that included the banned scene was added to Disney+ a few months ago in April. In response, the RSPCA called out what it described as a "loophole" that enabled the banned rat scene to make it onto Disney+ in the UK, pointing out that streaming platforms are not bound by the same standards as film releases in cinema, DVD, or on traditional television.
Speaking last month, David Bowles, the RSPCA's Head of Public Affairs, said: "The RSPCA is really concerned that a loophole currently exists allowing animal abuse scenes deemed unacceptable elsewhere to be streamed freely and legally into our homes.
"The Abyss' controversial rat scene has long concerned the RSPCA, and has always been deemed unacceptable by BBFC — so it's hard to fathom out why Disney Plus has decided to broadcast it.
"We need to ensure people are not being exposed to content which promotes or showcases cruelty to animals.
“As the way millions of households consume entertainment changes, it's vital the legal framework is responsive to that and continues to consistently protect people and animals."
As reported by GamesRadar, Disney has now pulled The Abyss from Disney+ in response. "This isn't about cancel culture — we'd welcome Disney Plus reinstating the film to their platform, just with this troubling scene removed — as is already the case in cinemas, on TV, and on DVD," Bowles said in a fresh statement.
"This was instead about highlighting a loophole that currently exists allowing animal abuse scenes deemed unacceptable elsewhere to be streamed freely and legally into our homes — and protecting the public from having to see this animal abuse content."
Disney has yet to say when The Abyss will return to Disney+ in the UK.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Minecraft was never designed with visuals as its key selling point. With an endless sandbox landscape and unlimited customisation, Mojang's now-familiar pixellated graphics were never the main focus.
Today, however, that all changes, with the launch of Minecraft's long-awaited Vibrant Visuals update on PC and a range of compatible consoles and smartphones. But not all platforms will get the upgrade, and the game's classic Minecraft: Java Edition will also be left without.
Still, if you're playing the main Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S or certain Android and iOS devices, Vibrant Visuals is available now, as part of the game's wider Chase the Skies update.
Chase the Skies adds ridable Happy Ghast creatures to the game's overworld, following years of stress caused by their meaner cousins who spit fireballs in the Nether. You can also now leash a chain of camels together to create a resource-transporting caravan, and track down your friends faster with the Player Locator HUD bar.
If you play Minecraft on an older console, such as PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, or if you play on an older Android phone, you'll need to manually switch on the Vibrant Visuals option via the game's video settings menu. Mojang warns that "performance may degrade for these devices".
On PC or smartphone, you'll need the following tech specs:
• Android: Adreno 640, Mali-G68, Mali-G77, or Xclipse 530 or higher
• iOS: A12 or M1 or higher
• PC: Running Minecraft on DX12
Splitscreen multiplayer, custom Worlds and Texture Packs are not currently supported by Vibrant Visuals, either.
And what of Nintendo Switch — or Switch 2? No mention is made of Nintendo's console platforms in today's Vibrant Visuals launch blog, leaving fans in the dark about compatibility there.
However, on a brighter note, Minecraft is now at last listed as Xbox Series X/S optimised, some five years after Microsoft's current console generation launched.
Vibrant Visuals finally makes good on Microsoft's promise to launch a proper graphical upgrade for Minecraft, first mentioned back in 2017 when a fancy trailer was released for the later-cancelled Super Duper Graphics Pack. At the time, Mojang said this upgrade would arrive for Xbox One and "Project Scopio" — what became Xbox One X. Now, finally, something similar has arrived.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
The humble party game genre has connected people throughout gaming generations. And while nobody really considers it whenever a new one hits the fray, the results are usually an enjoyable time. That’s true for Lego Party, the mini brick’s seemingly successful attempt to Lego-fy Mario Party so that fans of the tiny constructables can get together in a group of four and proceed to ruin their friendship over minigames.
If you’ve played Mario Party you know exactly what to expect for Lego Party. A group of four players will drop onto a boardgame-like table and roll numbers to advance the requisite number of spots. Some spots will have special prizes, some will hide traps that will steal your hard-earned Stars, or in this case, a golden Lego Brick. After every player rolls their turn, they’ll all drop in to compete in one of 60 Lego-themed minigames.
And to Lego Party’s credit, the minigames is where this effort can differentiate itself from Mario Party. There are some standard-fare activities, like a game where players jump over a swinging octopus tentacle until the last player is left standing, to some very off-kilter ones. One I tried is a Bennett Foddy-style unicycle racing game where players must use the joysticks to balance atop a very fiddly unicycle and inch their way towards the finish line. We only played about eight minigames total, so I’m very excited to see what else Lego Party has in store.
Another Lego innovation is how Lego Party leans into the creative aspect of the toy bricks. While the overworld maps are themed after fun concepts like “Pirates,” they can also be modified if certain conditions are met within the game. Landing on a specific spot will let players create unique elements to add to the map like a pirate ship that wasn’t there when the game began.
Visually, Lego Party has the crisp, colorful aesthetic Lego games have come to be known for, though the party game aesthetic means that these Legos lean towards more whacky designs than something I’d consider charming. That is to say, these Legos are all about being zany and loud, which is perfect for the genre.
Playing with three other players (my two IGN colleagues and a developer), we found ourselves immediately sucked into its playful orbit. The goal is to collect as many Gold Bricks by the end of the game. Winning minigames on their own will only award you Lego bits that you can turn into ways to score Gold Bricks, such as movement modifiers that will help you land on the spot where a Gold Brick has spawned.
There’re also traps you can purchase (don’t worry, it’s not in a microtransaction way) to potentially steal Gold Bricks from other players, and unique spots on the board that will initiate a special 2v2 game where the winning team will both get Gold Bricks as a reward. These 2v2 rounds include special minigames where, for example, both players each control one half of a car and must coordinate their controls to drive to the designated goal.
While we did complete a small game ourselves, we only saw a fraction of what Lego Party has to offer. If the rest of the games are anywhere near as fun as the handful that we played, I can see Lego Party having the kind of addictive appeal Mario Party has had – which is especially good news for PlayStation and Xbox players that don’t have access to Mario Party.
Matt Kim is IGN's Senior Features Editor.
Rockstar has just released Title Update 1.71 for Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced Edition and shared its full patch notes. This patch adds two new Ray Tracing settings on PC. So, let’s take a closer look at it. Patch 1.71 adds an option to enable high resolution ray traced reflections. It also adds an option … Continue reading GTA 5 Enhanced Edition Title Update 1.71 Released, Adds Two New Ray Tracing Settings, Full Patch Notes →
The post GTA 5 Enhanced Edition Title Update 1.71 Released, Adds Two New Ray Tracing Settings, Full Patch Notes appeared first on DSOGaming.
Microsoft has announced a partnership with AMD to power the next generation of Xbox, including its first-party future Xbox consoles.
“Announcing that we’re building the next-generation of Xbox first-party devices and cloud, including our future Xbox consoles, together with AMD,” Microsoft said in a statement published online.
Microsoft failed to detail its plans, but did promise “next-level performance, cutting-edge graphics, breakthrough gameplay, and unmatched compatibility.” It also said everything it’s working on will be “fully compatible” with users’ existing Xbox game library.
“We’ve established a strategic, multi-year agreement with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices, including our next-generation Xbox consoles,” Microsoft said.
“Together, we’re delivering deeper visual quality, immersive gameplay, and AI-powered experiences - grounded in a platform designed for players, not tied to a single store or device, and fully compatible with your existing Xbox game library.”
In a video, Xbox president Sarah Bond said Microsoft was investing in "our next-generation hardware lineup across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories."
The news confirms Microsoft's plan to release another home Xbox console as well as an Xbox handheld. No release date was mentioned, but Bond did say "we can't wait to show you what's next."
Earlier this year, Microsoft was reported to be targeting a 2027 release window for both its next-gen Xbox and its Xbox handheld. At the time, it was said that the next-gen Xbox would be more like a PC than any Xbox before it, and would support third-party storefronts such as Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG.
Comments from Bond in today's video back that up. "This is all about building you a gaming platform that's always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want, delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device," Bond said.
"That's why we're working closely with the Windows team, to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming."
In the shorter term, Microsoft is partnering with third-parties on Xbox-branded hardware such as the Xbox Ally. This is a handheld gaming PC that runs on a version of Windows 11 designed to be more usable on a handheld. Expect a release later this year.
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.
If you're still on the hunt for a Switch 2 console, here's an opportunity you might want to consider. Not only does AliExpress have the Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Tour Console Bundle available for shipping, the price is actually discounted. Yes, you heard that right. The seller prices the console bundle at a moderate markup of $532.24, but a $60 off coupon code "IFPTRMX" drops it to $472.24 with free shipping. Is this Switch 2 deal too good to be true? It's quite possible. The last time I checked, coupons were not intended to work on this listing.
Update: The $70 off code has been deactivated. Instead, use $60 off code "IFPTRMX".
This is likely a genuine gaming console that has been imported from another country (usually Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, or Mexico). Region locking is determined by your account, not by console, so all of these systems will play in the US without any problems. You'll also be able to select English as your default language just like any console you buy here. AliExpress offers a return window but the length varies depending on the item. These consoles all ship locally from the United States and usually arrive within one week.
The Nintendo Switch 2 was released on June 5 and is currently sold out everywhere. We expect more units to trickle out from participating retailers throughout the year, but that won't necessarily make it easy to get one. If you're looking for our official review of the new console, it's still in progress. The biggest Switch 2 video game release is Mario Kart World Tour. It retails for $79.99, but buying it as part of the launch bundle means you'll effectively pay just $50. Logan Plant recently reviewed the game and wrote that "Mario Kart World may not make the most convincing case that going open-world was the boost the series needed, but excellent multiplayer racing, incredible polish, and the thrilling new Knockout Tour mode still more than live up to its legacy."
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
A solid way to judge a co-op shooter is by how many inside jokes you and your mates come up with while you play. And after around seven hours working in The Oldest House, it’s safe to say that if that were the only metric to judge FBC: Firebreak on, it would be an easy 10. Of course, it helps that the setting and the enemies you face are so curiosity-inducing. So far, I’ve encountered a sticky note behemoth, an evil drum kit, and a possessed traffic light. I’ve also carved a path through pink goop and loaded mannequins into ski lifts. Do I understand why? No. Does it matter? Not at all. With slick combat, striking graphical effects and diverse objectives, FBC: Firebreak is a first-person shooter that’s a load of silly fun with your friends. The main question I’m still figuring out is: how far can Remedy sustain this wackiness to keep me interested in the long term?
FBC is set six years after the events of Control, and invites you back to the wonderfully strange architecture of The Oldest House under wildly different circumstances. Instead of saving the day as upstart director Jesse Faden, you’re a trio of first responders attending to oddball emergencies that would make an OSHA officer wince. When radioactive leeches have infested a quarry and need to be thrown into a furnace on wheels that resembles Team Fortress 2’s Payload, it’s you and your team that receive the call. And once you’ve finished your Jobsite shift, your team will also have to trek back to the elevator you arrived in and survive until it reaches your station. Hey, it’s hard work, but someone's gotta do it.
Despite the time since Control, that game’s interdimensional antagonist, The Hiss, also remains ever-present. As such, while you’re trying to tackle the quirky jobs at hand, you’ll also need to manage hordes of possessed office employees hellbent on your disposal. While there hasn’t been a vast range of enemy types to tackle, at least so far, there is enough diversity to keep gunplay interesting. And, whether it was a glowing ghoul sprinting at me, or flying desk jockeys zooming through the sky, I found plenty of joy in taking them out all the same.
To pull off these expedition, you call in the help of two additional players, with each member of the squad wielding a specialised ‘Crisis Kit.’ Similar to the class systems found in other cooperative shooters, each kit equips you with a unique skill set that can expedite key tasks throughout jobs. For example, on the map called Hot Fix, the player wielding the Fix Kit can speedily repair the internals of a broken fan with their quick-fixing wrench, while the Splash Kit crew member can provide support by keeping them from heat death thanks to their globs of healing ammunition. Meanwhile, the Jump Kit player can sprint around activating the generators with their electro-kinetic charge impactor, using their secondary fire to rocket jump around the map and control the field.
It’s worth mentioning that there are no restrictions on repeating roles, and your crew can triple down on one skillset, rather than diversifying the team. You’ll still be able to finish jobs, though the approach you’ll need to take will be drastically different depending on the specific composition of your team. While the gunplay across each role is identical (depending on your choice of loadout), the mixture of your cohort's Crisis Kits do well to tailor expeditions around your team’s preferences.
Regardless of how your team pick powers between the roles, though, FBC provides opportunities for each role to shine, especially as you start to level up and invest in the upgrade trees to unlock perk-based modifiers and new weaponry. As the resident Fix Kit operator and player most likely to get into sticky situations, I funnelled my Lost Assets (the currency that allows you to progress the upgrade tree) into perks like ‘Shower Thoughts’, which enabled me to expedite recovery when using healing sources, as well as ‘Greasy Fingers’, which allowed me to switch between my tools faster. While I was initially sceptical that these additions would make any tangible difference, I immediately noticed a positive change in my performance, especially during high-octane combat encounters.
As of now, FBC has five unique Jobsites to choose between, with more expected to arrive after launch. And, despite the small pool of options, there’s plenty of replayability in the current lineup already. The pink goo level, which my friends lovingly dubbed the Mr Blobby level in homage to the British children’s TV mascot from the early 90s, became the bane of our existence – primarily due to our clumsy play leading us right into explosives. The sentient sticky note-infested Paper Chase mission, on the other hand, provided the right amount of risk vs reward, and we revisited that map frequently in search of more Lost Assets.
Each Jobsite in FBC offers three unique ‘Clearance Levels’ that expand on the base job, and as you progress deeper into these levels, the number of Hiss agents and objective criteria increases in both number and intensity as the map expands. Soon enough, the infected office workers make way for winged eldritch horrors and tanky beasts, and your team will be forced to communicate to avoid being downed.
There is some reprieve from the constant combat, and in each Clearance level, you can find healing decontamination showers and ammunition bays. Though in the FBC, not even safe zones are truly safe, and these life-saving stations can also break and falter, demanding a quick fix from a certain kit or a more lengthy button-pressing session if you’re caught in a bind. Attempting a repair without the appropriate kit in FBC leads to a rhythmic quick-time event where you have to tap Q and E (or L1 and R1) in sequence without making errors to progress the meter. I wasn’t expecting to encounter a stressful rhythm game in my cooperative shooter, but I was pleasantly surprised by how it ramped up the anxiety of completing essential tasks nonetheless.
Perhaps what makes FBC so morish, though, is how quickly poor communication can turn a level upside down. During one such mission, I found myself caught between enemy fire and literal flames while attempting to retrieve Lost Assets. In response to my screams, my Splash Kit teammate valiantly came to my rescue, putting out the fire and starting to revive me… that was, until a second horde of Hiss appeared, and the fire restarted without warning. As you could expect, my teammate fell to the same fate I did while trying to revive me. At any point, I could have said, ‘Leave me, save yourself.’ But, naively, despite the flames and enemies, I thought it was going to be okay. Thankfully, FBC isn’t keen on punishing you for your poor planning, and depending on your difficulty setting, you’ll have a series of lives to expend before it’s a total game over.
FBC is an engaging extension of the Control universe, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time blasting through the Oldest House with friends in tow. Unfortunately, beyond the initial exhilaration, I was disappointed to find that I didn’t feel as embedded in the Remedy Connected Universe as I was expecting. It is the nature of the replayable co-op shooter genre, I suppose, but the story only appears in loading screens and the occasional voice line on the main menu. So far, it’s left me with many stories, but I’m still keen for a little bit more lore, and hoping that it arrives as I push deeper into the difficulty modifiers.
As of this writing, I’ve completed the final stage of each Jobsite and am now messing around with Corruption and Threat-based difficulty modifiers to unlock rare Research Samples that will allow me to specialise my perk build. There’s still a lot more to explore before I deliver my final review, like playing on my own and the forthcoming weapon upgrades, like the ‘Functional’ Submachine Gun that I’ve yet to unlock. But right now, despite how sparse the story can seem in moments, there’s a lot of fun to be had wrangling erratic monsters in Remedy’s spectacularly absurd bureaucratic setting. I’ll be playing more this week and wrap up this review as soon as I’ve tested the limits of Remedy’s chaotic cooperative job simulator.
Pik-Sen Lim, an actress known for roles across British and Malaysian television, has died at age 80.
Per Malay Mail, the Penang-born actress appeared in numerous roles over the years, including appearing on Doctor Who as Chin Lee in The Mind of Evil. Lim also gained international fame for her role as Chung Su-Lee in Mind Your Language, a British comedy from the 1970s.
She also appeared in series like Coronation Street and Spearhead, as well as American TV shows like Vampire Academy and The Nevers. On the film side, Lim played the Killer Cleaner in Johnny English Reborn.
Lim also played an important role in video games, as the narrator for the opening cinematics of Dark Souls 1 and Dark Souls 3. These cinematics laid the groundwork for the story ahead, and are often remembered and quoted in the Souls and FromSoftware fandom.
Actor Daniel York Loh posted a fond remembrance on Instagram, recalling seeing Lim on Mind Your Language before eventually working with her on stage plays, readings, and workshops.
"She was so affectionate, so witty, so brilliantly scabrous and absolutely honest about the rubbish this industry deals actors of our heritage - unlike a fair few others who actually try and cape it," said Loh. "We’ll miss you so much but thank you, Pixi, for blessing our lives with your unique presence."
Photo by: Jose Haro/Peacock via Getty Images.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
© Grinding Gear Games
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© Bungie
© Rockstar Games
© Shift Up
© Northwood Studios
© Oculus VR
© Activision Blizzard
© Activision Blizzard
In today’s interesting crossover news, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is set to screen the world premiere of a cinematic cut of the hit video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.
The screening will be playing in the special screenings section during the festival, which takes place annually in the Czech Republic, and will be held on July 9 at 7pm in Kaiserbad.
“We are honored to be working together with world leaders in their field on this unique project,” the festival’s artistic director Karel Och said in a statement. “Which represents an exceptionally original contribution to our long-standing goal of presenting powerful and gripping stories captured in a unique manner.”
The game’s developer, Warhorse Studios, will also be represented at the festival with a KVIFF Talk with directors Daniel Vávra and Petr Pekař earlier in the day at 3.30pm in Kaiserbad.
“I have wished to see Kingdom Come: Deliverance II on the big screen for a long time. I believe that the civil story of a blacksmith's son will also appeal to film audiences and stand up to the competition of international movie productions,” Martin Frývadlský, CEO of Warhorse Studios, said in a statement. “Together with my colleagues in the studio, we are proud that we have the opportunity to present the story we have been working on for many years in a world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival.”
According to the festival, the film’s synopsis teases an epic. “Kingdom of Bohemia, 1403,” it reads. “Chaos has befallen the Kingdom. As invaders pillage this ungoverned land, sowing fear and terror, Henry of Skalitz seeks revenge for his murdered family. Now a trusted servant of the rightful king’s allies, Henry is sent to escort Sir Hans Capon on a diplomatic mission. After they are ambushed and nearly killed, the two young men embark on a series of perilous adventures, putting their skills, character and friendship to the ultimate test”.
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival takes place July 4-12 this year.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
IGN's Mario Kart World map is here! Our interactive map tracks essential locations across Mario Kart World's Free Roam mode, including P-Switches and Peach Medallions. It also tells you where to go to find Dash Food, which is essential for unlocking new character outfits.
The available map filters for our Mario Kart World interactive map include:
There's a lot to unlock in Mario Kart World, including new characters, outfits, and collectibles. IGN's Game Help is here to assist you, with essential guides and tips for both beginners and those looking to collect everything. Our coverage includes:
Visit our Mario Kart World wiki for more game help.
Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG or cuddling her corgi.
A new Amazon Prime Day event in July has been revealed, but the service is now offering a free selection of six PC games to celebrate early, all of which Amazon Prime members can claim right now, including Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Saints Row 2, Saints Row IV Re-Elected, Star Wars: Rebellion, and more.
Kicking off from July 8 to 11, this marks the first four-day Prime Day, making it an even bigger deal, for, well, deals, than ever. The new variety of Prime Day deals and added savings won’t be available for another few weeks, but you can add the following games from the Amazon Prime Gaming page to your digital collection right now to keep forever:
The Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection comes as no surprise, since Amazon owns the publishing rights for the next Tomb Raider game. Still, it’s a collection of three games in one that only came out last year, so it’s a pretty good free game.
However, so are others in the collection, like Saints Row 2 and Saints Row IV: Re-Elected — two of the best-received games in the franchise.
Star Wars: Rebellion is a nice little bonus too, as it’s a fun little 1998 RTS game set in the franchise’s expanded universe. It wasn’t received amazingly upon release, but it seems to have found new life in the modern community, getting a “mostly positive” rating on its Steam page.
If you’re not an Amazon Prime member, you can sign up right now for either a 30-day trial, pay $14.99 monthly or $139 annually. If you’re between 18 and 24, though, you can get a free six-month trial of Prime for Young Adults, with all of the exact same benefits as those received by your older fellow shoppers.
Even after the free trial, it’s still an incredible deal, as Prime’s Young Adults tier will only charge you $7.49 a month afterwards, half the price of the standard tier.
Along with free delivery, Prime Video streaming, various deals, and, of course, free games, your Prime membership also grants you a monthly Twitch subscription, Amazon Music, unlimited storage with Amazon Photos, savings on fuel, free Grubhub+, and money off on prescriptions.
In terms of other deals on at the moment, Amazon has kicked off some other early Prime Day savings, including three months of Audible for $0.99, 32% off Apple AirPods Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds for $169.00, 26% off a PS Portal for $148.01, and a Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Play Booster Box for $196.65 with 5% taken off.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
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