Anyone can make a B movie. Not everyone can make an enjoyable, let alone halfway decent B movie. Take The Jurassic Games: Extinction, for example. In this sequel to 2018's The Jurassic Games (but you definitely already knew that), director Ryan Bellgardt essentially rewrites Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race remake, swapping vehicular manslaughter for prehistoric carnage. Or think The Condemned, but instead of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin punching Vinnie Jones, he's zipping away from T. rexes on hover scooters. The script is bananas and skimps on exposition because that's not what you're watching The Jurassic Games for, but in terms of delivering what's promised by its title and trailer? Bellgardt earns points for pushing the concept of a dystopian reality show where death-row inmates participate in VR dino bloodsport as far as possible, taking it from Romanesque gladiatorial stages to Capture the Flag-versus-raptors and beyond.

Just don’t expect anything more than unintentional late-night-cable laughs. Nine times out of ten, title-first genre films like Clownado (Sharknado with clowns, but worse) or The VelociPastor (a cheapo “kick-ass pastor turns into velociraptor” dud) can’t deliver what’s on the label, but The Jurassic Games: Extinction is fearless by comparison. Bellgardt doesn’t cheat us out of dino time, and that earns his movie a valuable dose of goodwill.

Of course, Extinction’s dinosaurs aren't trying to outdo their counterparts in the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth. (Surely it’s a coincidence that this movie and its predecessor were released within days of new Jurassic World movies.) Don't expect anything practical – there's no Stan Winston magic here – but it's passable enough for an indie science-fiction thriller that animates entire alternate realities filled with Carnotauruses, Stegosauruses, and many other creatures of the Mesozoic Era. There's a video game touch to much of The Jurassic Games: Extinction that can't match the graphics of current PlayStation or Xbox processors, and yet I've seen far worse effects flipping past Syfy after midnight. When he’s not directing, Bellgardt is a VFX artist, and what he and the team he supervised for Extinction may have lacked in resources, they more than make up for in the volume of dinosaurs onscreen.

The Jurassic Games: Extinction is a direct continuation of The Jurassic Games, so you may want to plan a double feature if Extinction tickles your fancy. The hero and the villain carry over from the first movie: Tucker (Adam Hampton) is a Jurassic Games survivor turned cyber-mercenary bent on destroying the games – which are now under the control of his rival, Jo LaFort (Katie Burgess) – from within. They’re thrust into a tangle of wishy-washy storylines involving a rogue AI, the beta testers it “kidnaps” and forces to compete in The Jurassic Games, and LaFort’s maniacal quest to deliver another memorable broadcast in spite of these mishaps and Tucker’s sabotage.

It’s about how the pursuit of fame or virality can short-circuit anyone’s ethics and morals, but The Jurassic Games: Extinction doesn’t have anything prophetic or profound to say on the subject. Staging live executions for TV ratings is bad, and AI can’t be trusted – yup, I knew that long before I pressed “play.” Surprise guests are pulled into the games, but touches like holding Tucker’s son hostage to keep his dad in line hardly translate into an emotional tour de force. Meanwhile, Bellgardt recycles stock material about artificial intelligence turning against its creators and a future society that hungers for murdertainment. Everything else is a messy grab bag: a shoehorned-in character has tamed a pack of velociraptors and rides them like he’s Mario and they’re Yoshi; deaths and "shocking" reveals land with a thud.

But all of this is secondary to the human-on-dino (and dino-on-dino) action, and that’s another area where Bellgardt doesn't let a small budget bring him down. Powerups are introduced that allow players to transform into dinosaurs, and these virtual Animorphs moments are visualized with the help of an Iron Man-esque heads-up display. The battlegrounds include coliseum arenas, Endor-like forests, and geometric realms that call to mind a laser-guided-raptor-infested version of Tron. Bellgardt gets creative and chaotic with his superpowered games and, most of all, lets there be plenty of combat. It’s trash, but at least it’s trash where a hotshot swordsman parries and slices through pixelated raptors while trying to navigate an ’80s retro-futurist maze.

The seasonal Audible deal has returned. Starting now and running through July 31 (including Amazon Prime Day), you can sign up for three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier plan and normally costs $14.95/mo. As a additional subscription perk, you get a free audiobook of your choice for each of those three months and you get to keep them indefinitely.

Both new and currently expired Audible customers are eligible

Anyone who doesn't currently have an active Audible membership should be eligible. That includes new subscribers as well as existing members whose subscriptions have since expired. There's always a small your-mileage-may-vary disclaimer with these types of promotions, but fortunately it's easy to check if you qualify: log into your account, and if you see the $0.99/mo banner right on Amazon's Audible page then you're eligible for this promotion.

3 Months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per Month

Nautilus’ two-episode premiere airs Sunday, June 29 on AMC at 10pm ET. New episodes air Sundays through August 17.

Some skepticism about AMC’s Nautilus is warranted. Has modern entertainment’s zeal for brand extensions and updating stories in the public domain reached the point where we’re making a TV series about how Captain Nemo came into possession of the fantastical submarine at the center of Jules Verne’s pioneering science-fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? No need for such exasperation, however, because Nautilus knows exactly the type of show it needs to be: visually extravagant, a little dumb, and a whole lot of fun.

It starts with a combination of quite thrilling sequences in which Nemo – played by Star Trek: Discovery’s Shazad Latif as an Indian prince exacting revenge against the East India Company for imprisoning him – assembles his crew. The first comes as we witness the sinking of an EIC ship, during which Company men Director Crawley (Damien Garvey) and Captain Youngblood (Jacob Collins-Levy) come into focus as the antagonists, and Nemo takes as hostages high-society woman Humility Lucas (Georgia Flood), her no-nonsense maid Loti (Céline Menville), and powder boy Blaster (Kayden Price). There’s the sense that this kidnapping is not a terrible interruption for Humility – journeying, as she was, to an arranged marriage with the rather pompous Lord Pitt (Cameron Cuffe). And to the show’s (and Flood’s) credit, she comes across as rather delightful and curious about her new, submersible quarters. It’s maybe too good of a job: While Nautilus doesn’t quite drag it out, its middle episodes do indulge with some will-she/won’t-she about Humility staying on permanently that feel like fake suspense. More successful are the sparks between her character and Nemo: Flood and Latif have great chemistry as they push and pull against each other, perfect for the kind of swashbuckler Nautilus is at heart.

The rest of the team is introduced in the premiere’s flashback jailbreak. Its members largely stand out as distinct personalities – a wannabe revolutionary, a Maori cook, a large and mysterious man who speaks an unknown language – but they're kept as archetypes for much of the season. It’s justified in Nemo’s own single-minded focus on revenge, and they’re never shunted to the side, but I still wish wish characters like all-around fighter Suyin (Ling Cooper Tang) or first mate Boniface (Pacharo Mzembe) got their own spotlight episodes – or at least had more chances earlier to establish more of who they are and what’s driving them.

Nautilus’ best self emerges in the front half of the season, when it cruises in a more episodic mode. This being Twenty Thousand Leagues there’s the giant squid fight, but there are also detours to remote islands or sketchy palaces, mixed with the occasional mechanical danger. Hints of this also present itself in guest spots from actors like Richard E. Grant, Anna Torv, and Shabana Azeez (based on how little she appears, you can tell this was shot before she broke out on The Pitt). It’s the kind of fun you’d find in Syfy shows like Warehouse 13 or Sanctuary, maybe even Xena: Warrior Princess. The writing isn’t always the best – sometimes corny, sometimes laying the themes on a bit thick – but the actors do good by it, and it’s directed and edited with aplomb. Visually, Nautilus often looks extravagant; the interiors of the ship itself are something to behold, and the VFX hold together slightly better than those aforementioned Syfy shows, give or take a couple instances of noticeably flimsy CGI.

It’s less interesting to follow Company business through the introduction of army Captain Millais (Luke Arnold), who holds some mysterious connection to Nemo. Some of his arc is compelling and complicated enough to garner our sympathy, but it’s given more screentime than it needs. It’s also hard to really care at all about Lord Pitt, who’s both fittingly annoying and slightly boring.

It’s this focus that leads to some stumbles in later episodes. The adventures of the week take less precedence, and the desire to tie up loose ends leads to things feeling somewhat rushed. Fortunately, even these lesser passages are floated along by some very freaky sea life and dastardly plotting, and Nautilus manages to right the ship by the end. It even manages to take a dive (albeit a shallow one) into the complexities of revolt, imperialism, and exploitation.

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell has just dropped the price of its flagship Alienware Area-51 prebuilt gaming PC, equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card to $4,899.99 with free shipping. This is a competitive price - especially for an Alienware computer - compared to the similar off-the-shelf prebuilts on Amazon. The RTX 5090 is undisputedly the most powerful graphics card on the market and is pretty much impossible to find for under $3,000 by itself.

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Frontier Developments is walking back the use of generative AI in Jurassic World Evolution 3 following backlash from fans.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 finally sprouted legs when its official reveal trailer was published as part of Summer Game Fest 2025 earlier this month. Its existence marked the end of a four-year wait for a third game in the dinosaur strategy simulation franchise, but much of the excitement was quickly soured when fans discovered that Frontier had used controversial generative AI technology to create certain scientist portraits in-game.

Shortly after this realization, fans gathered to campaign against the use of AI in Jurassic World Evolution 3 in hopes that Frontier would reverse its decision in favor of content created by actual human beings. It’s a movement that seems to have achieved the desired results, as the team behind the Jurassic Park video game now replied to a popular Steam post to confirm that generative AI portraits will be removed.

“Thanks for your feedback on this topic,” the post says. “We have opted to remove the use of generative AI for scientist portraits within Jurassic World Evolution 3.”

Those who visit the Jurassic World Evolution 3 Steam page will now find that Steam’s AI Generated Content Disclosure can no longer be found above the list of its system requirements. It’s a move that’s already being celebrated by the Jurassic World Evolution 3 community as they look forward to seeing art that wasn’t created by artificial intelligence.

“Thank you. As a dev myself, this was wholly unnecessary from the start and such an own goal that I'm happy to see the pivot, and to be able to wish the team the best for a successful launch,” one Steam user said. “Been such a fan of JWE1+2 (and PC/PZ), so this change takes me from a never-buy to a buy-at-launch!”

Frontier W

Jurassic World Evolution 3 will not use any generative AI!

I repeat: Jurassic World Evolution 3 will NOT USE ANY GENERATIVE AI!

💯 pic.twitter.com/x3O0y9VJpP

— Evolution Square (@EvoSquareYT) June 24, 2025

Well, it looks like it's the perfect frontier game now. They removed the Generative AI from #jurassicworld evolution 3. pic.twitter.com/K0YCkQpias

— Herald Of Geese (Stealer of geese) (@GeeseHerald) June 24, 2025

Frontier confirmed in a statement to GameWatcher that Jurassic World Evolution 3 still has a release date of October 21, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. In the meantime, you can read up on how other companies, such as Epic Games, Microsoft, and Capcom, are using AI in their video games.

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).

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 Best Buy 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: The price has gone back up on Amazon, but Best Buy is now offering the same deal.

42" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Gaming TV or PC Monitor for $699.99

Sony has given PlayStation VR2 (PSVR 2) owners some much-needed love by showing off four new VR games coming to fans within the next year.

The company detailed some of the PSVR 2 games players can look forward to in a PlayStation Blog post. The four titles are Dreams of Another, Grit and Valor – 1949, Hotel Infinity, and Meteora, with each offering a completely different virtual-reality experience from the last.

Dreams of Another

Topping the list of new PSVR 2 games is Q-Games’ latest entry in the PixelJunk series, Dreams of Another. This is one VR game that players already knew about, but its appearance today still comes with a new look at its mesmerizing gameplay and how virtual reality will allow players to thoroughly explore dreamlike worlds in both first- and third-person. It’s currently set to come to PC, PlayStation 5, and PSVR 2 later this year.

Grit and Valor – 1949

If you’re looking for something less serene and more action-y, then Milky Tea Studios’ Grit and Valor – 1949 might be for you. This is a real-time tactics rogue-lite from earlier this year that will soon allow PSVR 2 players to control alternate history battlefields in World War II. That means navigating through menus with the tips of your fingers and even picking up and placing units as if they’re real-life models when it launches August 21, 2025.

Hotel Infinity

Manifold Garden developer Studio Chyr is bringing its puzzle expertise to PSVR 2 with Hotel Infinity, a mind-bending experience that looks to twist player perspectives in more ways than one. Its gameplay trailer shows the slightly creepy hotel — and puzzles — VR fans can get lost in when it arrives later this year.

Meteora

Rounding out the list of Sony’s new PSVR 2 games is Meteora, a space racing game where players step into the rocky shoes of a flaming meteor in what is described as a “combat racing” game. This one is about rising to the top of leaderboards in what looks like a colorful and explosive experience, and it’s coming to PSVR 2 in 2026.

Sony unleashed the PSVR 2 as its VR peripheral sequel device in February 2023. Despite introducing a slew of new features and upgraded tech, reports signaled PSVR 2 suffered from an underwhelming launch. It was mostly doom and gloom for the headset until Sony eventually revealed that the PSVR 2 had actually managed to outperform the launch of the original PSVR, coming in at just below 600,000 units sold six weeks post-launch.

However, one year later, in March 2024, Bloomberg reported that Sony would be pausing PSVR 2 production in order to ensure its backlog of unsold units would be sold. Just last week, it was announced that action-rhythm mega-hit Beat Saber would be ending support for VR devices on PS4 and PS5 starting immediately. Although four games are now on the way, many have wondered if Sony still actually cares about PSVR 2 for quite some time.

Today’s announcements at least show that Sony has a bit more gas in the tank when it comes to PSVR 2. For more, you can check out our original PSVR 2 review, where we gave the device a 9/10.

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).

Games would be nothing without the incredible art that goes into the worlds, characters and icons you see on your screens, and every year the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), iam8bit, and fortyseven communications celebrate that fact with the Game Maker’s Sketchbook. It's a selection of some of the best work of the past year from the games you love.

“The artistic skill and creativity on display in this year’s Game Maker’s Sketchbook entries were truly inspiring,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

“We’re deeply grateful to our jurors for their time and thoughtful evaluation of such an outstanding body of work. Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists! We’re honored to present their artwork both online and in person at this year’s Summer Game Fest Play Days.”

The images are selected by a jury panel made up of people from the worlds of game, animation, movies and fine art.

You can see a full list of the entries below, and you can purchase prints of your favorites until July 7 from the iam8bit store. All the proceeds from your purchases will go to the AIAS Foundation.

Character Art Category

• Concept Art
  • Game - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Artist(s) - Per Gullarp (Principal Concept Artist)
  • Developer - MachineGames
  • Publisher - Bethesda Softworks
• Hero Design
  • Game - Marvel Rivals
  • Artist(s) - Dino, Yuzhen Zhang, Peilin Zhong
  • Developer - NetEase Games
  • Publisher - NetEase Games
• Michelle - Character Sheet
  • Game - Sorry We're Closed
  • Artist(s) - C. Bedford
  • Developer - à la mode games
  • Publisher - Akupara Games

Curiosities

• The Craftsman’s Heart puppet theatre set
  • Game - The Midnight Walk
  • Artist(s) - Klaus Lyngeled, Olov Redmalm, Victor Becker
  • Developer - MoonHood
  • Publisher - Fast Travel Games
• Merch
  • Game - Bang Bang Barrage
  • Artist(s) - zhudaoyu
  • Developer - Monkey Bread
  • Publisher - Spiral Up Games
• Personality Test Shareables
  • Game - Black Mirror: Thronglets
  • Artist(s) - Beverly Chen, Ena Kim, Hannah Nicklin
  • Developer - Night School Studio
  • Publisher - Netflix

Environment Art

• The Great Gold Dome
  • Game - Riven
  • Artist(s) - Jeremiah Castro, Lance VerMeer
  • Developer - Cyan Worlds, Inc.
  • Publisher - Cyan Worlds, Inc.
• Sailing
  • Game - IKUMA The Frozen Compass
  • Artist(s) - Matthias Oberprieler
  • Developer - Mooneye Studios
  • Publisher - Mooneye Studios
• Scene Concept Design
  • Game - Marvel Rivals
  • Artist(s) - Dino, Kaidi Lv, Xufeng Xie, Pengxian Wang
  • Developer - NetEase Games
  • Publisher - NetEase Games

Iconography

• Ability Icons
  • Game - Eighth Era
  • Artist(s) - Evgeny Kobylkin
  • Developer - Perfect Day Games
  • Publisher - Nice Gang
• Codex Icons
  • Game - Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina)
  • Artist(s) - Tara Miller, Laurent Gaumer
  • Developer - Unreliable Narrators
  • Publisher - Unreliable Narrators
• Gui Design
  • Game - Marvel Rivals
  • Artist(s) - Dino, Tian Zhang, Ciyin Weng, Jingji Xie
  • Developer - NetEase Games
  • Publisher - NetEase Games

Impact

• Maxine - PvP Arena Mode
  • Game - Eighth Era
  • Artist(s) - Emanuele Pavarotti
  • Developer - Perfect Day Games
  • Publisher - Nice Gang
• Key Art
  • Game - One Move Away
  • Artist(s) - Remi Gourrierec, Michel Donzé, Alex Flynn
  • Developer - Ramage Games
  • Publisher - Playstack
• “Dinner” Key Art
  • Game - Goodbye Universe
  • Artist(s) - Daniel Beaulieu
  • Developer - Nice Dream
  • Publisher - Skybound Games

Storyboard

• Reveal trailer storyboard
  • Game - The Midnight Walk
  • Artist(s) - Olov Redmalm
  • Developer - MoonHood
  • Publisher - Fast Travel Games
• Chapter 2 visual script storyboard
  • Game - The Midnight Walk
  • Artist(s) - Olov Redmalm
  • Developer - MoonHood
  • Publisher - Fast Travel Games
• THE HEX - Beatboards
  • Game - Warframe: 1999
  • Artist(s) - Production Company: THE LINE, Director: Venla Linna, Producer: Tom Kay, Beatboards: Julien Perron
  • Developer - Digital Extremes
  • Publisher - Digital Extremes

Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.

A film adaptation of the classic British comic Rogue Trooper is on the way — and the first look images for the film have officially arrived, featuring What We Do in the Shadows stars Jemaine Clement and Matt Berry.

Rogue Trooper is written, directed, and produced by Duncan Jones, whose last movie, Mute, came out in 2018. Jones also directed the 2016 Warcraft movie, 2011's Source Code, and 2009's Moon.

The batch of images gives fans a nice glimpse into the world of the animated film, which used facial capture tech to bring some characters to life. Dunkirk star Aneurin Barnard debuts as the Rogue Trooper, while Clement and Berry can be seen as Mr. Brass and Mr. Bland, two battleground looters who will undoubtedly be a big dose of comic relief.

Fans also get to see a large war vehicle traveling across Nu Earth, the planet where the brutal war between the Norts and Southers, two different societies, takes place. The final first look image shows two Souther soldiers lost on the battlefield.

“We are so excited to share a first look of the film and show the amazing fidelity with which the team have used our actors on set performances to drive the animated characters,” producer Stuart Fenegan said in a statement. “That level of detail and nuance was a priority from day one.”

Director Duncan Jones’ comments were simple: “AHHHHHHHHHHHH! WE’RE ALMOST FINISHED! SEE YOU AT SDCC!!” The director will appear at the festival on July 25.

Rogue Trooper “tells the story of 19, a ‘Genetic Infantryman,’ who finds himself the sole-survivor of an invasion force. Desperate to track down the traitor who sold him and his comrades out, the super soldier is accompanied by three killed-in-action squad mates, whose personalities have been stored in his gun, helmet and backpack.”

Alongside Barnard, Clement, and Berry, the movie boasts an awesome ensemble cast that includes Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Alice Lowe, Asa Butterfield, and Sean Bean.

Despite getting closer to release with these first look images, the film has yet to set a release date.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Here's a rare chance to pick up an OLED TV at an absolutely bargain price. Starting today, Buydig has discounted the 55" Panasonic Z85 4K OLED Smart TV with Amazon Fire TV to just $699.99 with free delivery after you apply coupon code "HEAT". The price is reflected at the final step of checkout (before you actually place your order). This is the least expensive 55" OLED TV I've seen this year. Buydig is a reputable, established online retailer; I've personally placed several high-dollar orders from this vendor - both from their storefront and through their eBay seller page - without any problems.

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Pedro Pascal has admitted he’s well aware of some of the complaints around his casting as Reed Richards in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but said Iron Man and Doctor Doom actor Robert Downey Jr. has provided reassurance.

The 50-year-old Pedro Pascal is set to make his MCU debut in July as one of the stars of The Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios and parent company Disney will be hoping it succeeds at a level this year's other MCU movies (Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*) have not, and so there is heightened scrutiny on what is expected to be one of the biggest movies of 2025.

In a Vanity Fair profile, Pascal revealed he is more aware of what he called “disgruntlement” around his casting as Mister Fantastic than any other role he has taken on. So, that’s more disgruntlement that he saw with his casting as Joel in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation, Oberyn Martell in HBO’s Game of Thrones, and the title role in Star Wars show The Mandalorian.

“I’m getting an inkling of excitement because it seems to reflect what our common goal was, and what we want to share, which is all of our f***ing hearts on a platter within this genre,” he said. “You just never know if people are going to be disgusted by your heart or not.”

“I’m more aware of disgruntlement around my casting than anything I’ve ever done,” Pascal added. “‘He’s too old. He’s not right. He needs to shave.’”

Ever since Pascal was revealed as the actor behind Reed Richards, there has been a debate on whether he has the right look for the character. While some have complained about, yes, his version of Reed Richards wearing a moustache, others have said we’ve only seen a glimpse of Pascal as Mister Fantastic in action, and point out that there is of course much more to a performance than appearances.

Still, Pascal revealed he has an ally in Robert Downey Jr. The former Iron Man actor, now Doctor Doom actor, is set to star alongside Pascal in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, although Pascal, predictably, wouldn’t say much of anything about the secretive film.

“He’s just so immediately generous and inviting that you feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent,” Pascal said of RDJ.

Marvel Studios already sounds confident in this version of The Fantastic Four, at least. Last week, Marvel was said to be already planning a sequel, despite the upcoming blockbuster still being more than a month from launch.

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.

Bambu Lab is widely considered one of the better consumer 3D printer brands on the market. It offers a few different models that cater to a wide audience, from the fledgling first-timer testing out a new hobby or the seasoned professonal looking to produce en masse. Normally, you would have to order these printers from Bambu Lab directly, which is based in the UK and ships oversaes to the United States. However, Best Buy just started carrying Bambu products this year. Even better, there's currently an Anniversary Sale going on right now at Bambu Lab, and the discounted pricing is showing up at Best Buy as well. Now is the time to pick up one of the best 3D printers at a reduced price, and with domestic shipping.

Bambu Lab 3D Printers on Sale at Best Buy

The Best Deal: Bambu P1S Combo for $699.99

Max (soon to be HBO Max again sometime this summer) is home to some incredibly high-quality films and shows, including House of the Dragon, Succession, The Penguin, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, which just wrapped up season 2. You can read our spoiler-free The Last of Us season 2 review to see our thoughts.

If you've been hoping to start up an account to dig into that library, we're here to help. We're keeping track of the best price right now for Max subscriptions, along with any deals as they appear. This includes bundle deals like the Max, Hulu, and Disney+ bundle, which is one you absolutely don't want to miss out on. This mega bundle starts at just $16.99/month, which is an astonishing price to have three very popular streaming services right in the palm of your hand. You can learn more about that bundle deal and Max's subscription plans below.

How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased on any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

To learn more about how to get started with this bundle as a new or existing subscriber, head to our guide on how to get (or switch over to) the Disney+/Hulu/Max streaming bundle.

Students Get 50% off Max Basic With Ads

The Final Fantasy Universes Beyond crossover is already proving to be a massive hit. After breaking preorder records, the set is now flying off shelves and selling out everywhere, with collectors and Commander fans alike scrambling to pick up iconic characters in card form.

Whether you're opening boosters, sorting through prerelease pulls, or keeping tabs on the market for trade value, it's clear this set is drawing serious attention.

If you're curious which cards are in highest demand right now, either to cash in or just to see what the hype is all about, we've broken down the top 12 best-selling Final Fantasy cards based on data from trusted marketplace TCGPlayer.

We’ve simplified the list for clarity, grouping some variants, like Borderless and Surge Foils, with their base versions, while also noting the specific card number that’s proving most popular (i.e, Aerith Gainsborough - 519). Not every slot is a Mythic Rare either. This list includes a bit of variety to reflect what’s actually trending, while still focusing on the standout cards from the set. Let’s dive in.

12. Aerith Gainsborough - 519

Aerith Gainsborough is a deceptively powerful engine for life gain and +1/+1 counter strategies. With lifelink built in, she can start growing immediately,every time you gain life, Aerith picks up a +1/+1 counter.

And when she dies, she passes that strength on, putting X +1/+1 counters on each legendary creature you control, where X is the number of counters she had. In the right deck, that can be a game-ending swing.

The card’s popularity is reflected in its pricing. The standard print is just $1.83, while the foil version goes for $16.81. For collectors or premium deckbuilders, the borderless version is around $39, but the rare borderless surge foil sits at a much steeper $140+.

11. Starting Town - 289

Starting Town is an early-game powerhouse, especially in multicolor decks. If you can play it on turn one, two, or three, it enters untapped, giving you immediate access to mana without slowing your tempo. Beyond that, it taps for colorless, or you can pay 1 life to generate one mana of any color, making it a flexible piece in almost any deck.

That versatility comes at a price. The regular version is currently going for around $14, while the foil will set you back just under $17. Still, for decks that care about fast, reliable mana across multiple colors, it's proving to be well worth the cost.

10. Summon: Knights of Round - 359

Summon: Knights of the Round is one of the hottest cards from the Final Fantasy crossover right now, and it’s not hard to see why. For just five mana, you create three 2/2 white Knight creature tokens, instantly building a board.

But it gets even better with its [V] ability, Ultimate End, which gives all your other creatures +2/+2 until end of turn and puts an indestructible counter on each of them. Combined with the card’s own indestructible keyword, it turns even a modest board into a nearly unstoppable force.

The borderless version is currently going for $35.99, which marks a 25% drop in market price this month. The standard print is more budget-friendly at $21.88. Either way, it’s a powerful pickup for Knight, token, or white-based Commander decks, and one that’s likely to remain popular.

9. Traveling Chocobo - 210

The chase card of all chase cards, there are just 77 gold foil Traveling Chocobos out there, available. There are other versions, including Neon Ink versions going for well over $1000, but if you manage to find the gold foil, it is the one you’ll want to find when you’re cracking open Collector Boosters.

Considering how much the ink versions are already going for, I can't imagine how much the Gold Foil variant would actually be valued at, maybe you just win at money and never have to pay for Magic cards again, now that would be nice. But, that being said, one did recently sell for around $30K on eBay.

8. Summon: Bahamut - 1

I love a big ol’ dragon in my Magic collection, and Bahamut certainly fits that bill.

Not only does this Summon create a 9/9, but it can remove permanents, trigger card draw, and use Mega Flare to essentially finish a game of Commander.

All yours for around $93 in the borderless variant, or around $30 for the standard print right now at TCGPlayer.

7. Lightning, Army of One - 545

How many card variants do you NEED? Apparently, Final Fantasy 13’s protagonist, Lightning, needs at least five. To be fair, that makes sense considering how many spin off games she got.

Army of One is all about the Stagger mechanic, teeing your foes up for double damage while also offering lifelink, first strike, and trample in a three-cost card.

Market price is already up to around $256.50 for the most popular Borderless Surge Foil version, while my personal favorite is seemingly the cheapest (but still just as popular), normal print for $20.58.

6. Yuna, Hope of Spira - 549

Yuna's an interesting one, as it's just her 549 Borderless Surge Foil that have drawn the most interest from eager buyers in the secondary market.

Yet, her standard variant is also going through much more of geniune surge in value over the past couple of weeks, rising +143.65% in value, jumping from a low of $5.68 to around $20.15 most recently. It's a big jump in such a short space of time.

5. Tifa Lockhart - 536

Tifa Lockhart continues to be a main stay of the best selling Final Fantasy cards, and even featured as one of the most popular during the presale period just before the Universes Beyond set launched.

Tifa has a Landfall trigger that doubles her power alongside her existing Trample keyword. As TCGPlayer points out, you can grow her attack power with something like Titanic Growth and then use Fabled Passage to double it again.

She’ll set you back between $9.10 for the standard version, and all the way up to $187.60 for the Borderless Surge Foil variant. Otherwise, and quite surprisingly, the non-foil Borderless version is pretty good value for money at around $25.

4. Buster Sword - 255

What’s Cloud without the Buster Sword? Thankfully, this iconic weapon gets the treatment it deserves in Magic’s Final Fantasy set, with a stunning borderless version illustrated by Karuta Shiki. It’s more than just a collector’s piece too, it’s a powerful piece of equipment in its own right.

Buster Sword gives the equipped creature +3/+2, making it a serious threat in combat. But the real payoff comes when that creature connects with a player. Not only do you draw a card, but you can immediately cast a spell from your hand with mana value equal to or less than the damage dealt, without paying its cost.

Of course, a card this flashy doesn’t come cheap. While current listings on TCGPlayer hover around $66 for the standard issue, it has already sold for as much as $208.30 this month for its fantastic borderless version.

If you're a fan of Cloud or just love flashy, high-impact equipment, this is one to watch, and anything under triple digits is looking like a bargain right now.

3. Vivi Ornitier - 248

Final Fantasy 9 spellcaster Vivi Ornitier, by Toshiyuki Itahana (character designer on the game), might just be one of the best cards in the game right now. So, it's hardly surprising that it's standard card is up there as the third most popular in the set currently. Market price isn't too bad either (at least compared to the rest of this list), if you're looking to buy one standalone.

The Borderless version is also the absolute definition of a collector’s item if I've ever seen one, and proving to have plenty of interest as well. Both of these can also be considered a top 10 card for collectors, also demanding a rather mighty price at around $72.13 for the former, and $232.71 for the later in the market right now.

2. Cloud, Midgar Mercenary - 520

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary is, unsurprisingly, by far one of the most popular cards from the Final Fantasy x MTG Universes Beyond set. Low mana cost and double equipment triggers make Cloud very close to Stoneforge Mystic, but with some striking new anime art from Kazto Furuya.

Not only is the Borderless Surge Foil variant one of the priciest cards from the new set (sitting at around $466 market), the Borderless, Extended Art, and Normal print all also fetch a pretty penny right now.

In terms of popularity, the Borderless Surge Foil is shoulders above the rest, but the Normal print is also exceedingly popular right now according to TCGPlayer, and still one of the top 20 cards players have been chasing since the new set released. Finding any of these, or deciding to buy them out right standalone, are good reasons to get excited.

1. Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier - 527

Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier - 0527 (Borderless) (Surge Foil) is the most popular card in the game right now, and has surged to a market price of $701.55 this week, up +74.09% just this month.

But it's not the only version that's proving popular either, with the 382 and 317 Borderless, alongside the 115 Normal print also proving to increasingly sought after right now, which is unsurprisingly reflected in the market prices right now as well.

Where to Buy Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Cards

I'm going to give it to you straight right from the off. It's painfully hard to get hold of any of these sets from major retailers right now. While we saw some big restocks over the past month, pretty much everywhere is sold out of Final Fantasy MTG at the time of writing.

I can provide some handy links to bookmark so you can check back in, but for now, your best chance of securing anything will be via the most trusted third-party resellers like TCGPlayer.

Or perhaps, collectors will instead be most interested in the new Final Fantasy x Secret Lair drops, instead. It’s been a busy year for Wizards of the Coast’s limited-time mini-sets, and while the company sold out of all three Final Fantasy drops in record time (leaving many disappointed), you can still get them via third-party sellers... if you're willing to pay the inflated costs, that is.

There are a trio of Final Fantasy Secret Lair sets, Weapons, Grimoire, and Game Over, each offering unique art and names for Magic: The Gathering cards. Everything is available in standard and foil, alongside the Japanese variants as well.

But, since they've sold out, you won’t find Secret Lair drops at the same price as you’d find them directly from Wizards of the Coast (standard $30 nonfoil, $40 rainbow foil), with most being listed anywhere between $80-$150 or above.

This is a huge markup, so if you're looking to buy, be sure you're 100% informed of what you're paying for. You can buy them from eBay, but we’ve always found TCGPlayer, while still eBay-owned, to be the most secure and trustworthy way to nab Secret Lair drops post-release.

Lloyd Coombes is Gaming Editor @ Daily Star. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay. He's also a tech, gaming, and fitness freelancer seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, IGN, and more.

This article also includes contributions from Lloyd Coombes. Thanks to TCGPlayer for the data and information that informed this article.

We're still a few weeks away from Amazon's big four-day-long Prime Day sale event this year, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some great deals to check out at the retailer. For physical media collectors in particular, Marvel fans - we've found an excellent discount on Moon Knight's 4K steelbook that's worth picking up.

Moon Knight 4K Steelbook for $36

Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts could have featured Scott Pilgrim and Superbad star Michael Cera — until the actor turned down the opportunity to avoid getting "too famous."

As revealed by Cera himself in a new episode of Louis Theroux's podcast (thanks, Variety), Fantastic Beasts' casting directors were keen for him to play a major part in the franchise that would have given the star years of work.

Ultimately, however, Cera said the time commitment and the high-profile nature of the franchise gave him "fear" — though he didn't rule out joining another blockbuster series, such as Marvel, at some point in the future.

"I don't even know if I was offered, I think I just declined to engage with it because I think it would be like probably six years commitment or something," Cera said. "But also, I did sort of make a conscientious choice to limit my exposure a little bit, or just try and be a little more in control of it. And I felt like doing, especially little kids' movies, I had a big fear of doing things that I would get too famous."

It's interesting to consider who Cera might have played, had he been a part of the Fantastic Beasts series — and presumably a major part, if he was asked to potentially sign up for six years.

Could he have been in contention for its lead role of Newt Scamander, which ultimately went to Eddie Redmayne? The two actors share some similarities, with both actors known for playing introverted or awkward characters, though its hard to imagine an American landing the particularly British main role.

Potentially, Cera could have been considered for Scamander's down-to-earth American pal Jacob Kowalski, a more light-hearted role that would have fitted Cera's background in comedy. Alas, Cera did not go into further detail.

"I think I've outgrown that particular feeling, but I think that's what that was at that time," Cera continued, suggesting he would now consider a role in a big movie franchise. "If a franchise came along now and seemed interesting, I don't think on the grounds of it being a franchise I would storm out of the office or anything."

After a trilogy of movies, Fantastic Beasts now looks to have been paused for the forseeable future, while Warner Bros. turns its attention to remaking the original Harry Potter books as a big-budget HBO TV show. Numerous actors have now been cast, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Hagrid, alongside the series' core trio of kids. No word yet on Cera joining that cast, either.

Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/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

Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anora and Predator: Killer of Killers to excellent television series like Shogun, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Bear (which returns with season four on June 25), there is always something awesome to watch. We've also got the highly-anticipated Alien: Earth series on our radar this year, which premieres its first two episodes on August 12 on Hulu at 8pm ET, and on FX and Disney+ at 8pm PT / ET.

Below, we've detailed all of the best Hulu deals and bundles so you can get started on your streaming adventures with its library right away. This includes the Hulu, Disney+, and Max streaming bundle, which starts at just $16.99/month and is currently the best value available for the streaming services following the Disney Plus and Hulu price hikes. To see even more streaming deals, make sure to check out our roundups of the best Disney Plus deals and the best Max deals.

How to Get The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased on any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month - 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

Hulu deal for students — Get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99/month

If you're a student enrolled in a university (a US Title IV accredited college or university, per Hulu's website), you can sign up for Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99 a month. That's an excellent deal if you're a student, saving you $8 on the usual monthly price.

Hulu subscription tiers

Hulu: Bundle to Best

If you want a more affordable option when it comes to a Hulu subscription, you can't go wrong with a bundle, and Hulu has several to choose from:

• Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) — Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) is $82.99/month and includes Disney+ and ESPN+. It also gives you access to more than 75 channels with live TV and unlimited DVR functionality. The Hulu + Live TV plan also has a three-day free trial to test out the service.
• Hulu + Live TV (Ad-Free) — The ad-free version of Hulu+Live TV is $95.99/month and comes with ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney Plus, although ESPN still shows ads.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic — This is the most economic bundle. It will set you back $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. It lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both Disney+ and Hulu.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic — This bundle adds ESPN+ into the mix alongside Disney+ and Hulu, bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium — This bundle is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (with ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.

What can you watch on Hulu?

There is a bonkers amount of shows and movies you can watch on Hulu. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer with the base subscription, because if we also talk about what is available via Disney+, ESPN+, or live TV, we'll be here forever. (You can also sync up Hulu with Max to gain access to things like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon.)

Here's what you get:

• Network and Hulu Original television shows (AMC, Adult Swim, ABC, A&E, FX, etc.)
• Movies (HBO, Hulu Originals, anime films, etc.)
• Sports (NHL, Soccer, MLB, Auto Racing, NFL, College Football, PGA, Tennis, etc.)
• News (ABC News Live, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, The View, etc.)

Hulu television

Hulu has some amazing shows, both those that are finished and many which are ongoing. For comedy, there are plenty of options to choose from, including New Girl, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, What We Do In The Shadows, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Broad City, Abbott Elementary, and so much more.

There are also some big Hulu originals to watch, including The Bear, The Old Man, The Handmaid's Tale, and Only Murders In The Building. With an FX partnership, Hulu is also home to those shows, including Shogun and the upcoming Alien: Earth series.

As far as animated fare, there are modern adult classics like Rick and Morty and Bob's Burgers, as well as Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Anime staples like Cowboy Bebop are also available. And if you want to bring more youth-friendly fun, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Curious George are just a small sample of what Hulu has available.

The future of Hulu

Hulu isn't going anywhere. Beyond it being awarded the best streaming service by us, it also received a 9/10 in our updated Hulu review. Writer Rosie Knight said, "Hulu's ease of use, solid UI, and ever- expanding catalog has moved it ahead of top competitor Netflix to secure our highest score for a streaming service."

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Original story from Brian Barnett.

IGN can exclusively reveal that the Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will be heading to San Diego Comic-Con for two days of anime and anime-inspired music, including SPYAIR, yama, Denzel Curry, and Iniko. And the best part? It's free for everyone, even if you don't have a badge for SDCC!

The Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will take place July 25 - 26 at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, which is right behind the San Diego Convention Center. The doors will open at 1pm PT each day and will welcome guests until capacity is full.

As for the lineup, here is everything fans can expect, directly from Crunchyroll;

• On Friday, July 25, the Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will blend the best of Japan’s music scene with global, anime-inspired sounds.
  • SPYAIR — Japanese rock band behind Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle theme.
  • yama — J-Pop singer behind SPY×FAMILY ending theme.
  • ASH DA HERO—Punk rock band behind “Judgement” for BLUE LOCK.
  • Slushii—Anime-inspired DJ, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
  • Magnolia Park—Alternative rock band
  • Hyper Potions—Electronic artist known for anime-esque soundscapes.
  • VGR—EDM producer known for video game and anime music remixes.
  • James Landino—Composer and DJ behind Tower of God original soundtrack.
• On Saturday, July 26, anime’s impact on hip-hop, R&B and more is on full display for fans to explore the intersection between anime-fandom and music.
  • Denzel Curry—Miami rapper blending underground hip-hop with anime.
  • INIKO—Shounen anime-inspired genre-defying songwriter and producer.
  • Pink Pablo—Puerto Rican singer and producer.
  • ALI—Boundary-pushing group behind “Lost in Paradise” for JUJUTSUKAISEN.
  • Yaeji [DJ Set]—NYC-via-Seoul artist, producer, vocalist, DJ and lifelong anime fan.
  • Taku Takahashi x Alenoise—DJ and producer of the Black Clover theme.
  • NOODLES—Los Angeles-based DJ.

In addition to seeing these artists perform live, guests can look forward to exclusive art and anime merch pop-ups, giveaways, and explore the Activations Crosswalk, which features immersive experiences for Gachiakuta, Kaiju No. 8, Rising of the Shield Hero, and more.

“Anime fans’ love goes beyond just the content because it’s a lifestyle, and music is an integral part of that anime fandom,” said Crunchyroll’s Chief Operating Officer Gita Rebbapragada. “Music drives anime narratives, sets the tone with hit themes that bookend episodes of fan-favorite series, and is often born from a creator’s unyielding love for the medium. This year, we are going to San Diego Comic-Con with a tremendous festival experience to celebrate music across the anime spectrum.”

For more in the world of anime, check out our list of the top 25 best anime series of all time and what the best anime to watch right now is.

And be sure to stay tuned for more of IGN's SDCC coverage, where we will be covering all the biggest moments from the show and more!

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

Dying Light: The Beast lead producer Szymon Strauss shares five tips for helping you survive the zombie apocalypse in Dying Light: The Beast, the upcoming new standalone entry in the first-person, melee-plus-parkour action-adventure series.

This is the final exclusive piece of our month-long IGN First coverage on Dying Light: The Beast. If you missed any of our other content, get caught up on our hands-on preview, our 30-minute extended gameplay video, the deep dive on the Chimera boss battles you'll fight, the weapons overview, and a closer look at the Castor Woods setting.

Dying Light: The Beast will be released on August 22 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. 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 monthly(-ish) 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.

Post-It Notes are great for jotting down quick notes and reminders, but as a vessel for creating fine art, they leave a little to be desired. At least, that's what we thought until glimpsing Aaron Wiesenfeld's new book Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings. This hardcover art book collects 100 of Wiesenfeld's gorgeously rendered and imaginative drawings, all done on tiny, 3-inch sheets of yellow paper.

With the Kickstarter campaign for Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings live now, IGN can exclusively reveal some of the stunning artwork featured inside. Get a closer look in the slideshow gallery below

Wiesenfeld is probably best known for his work on 1997's Deathblow/Wolverine (which earned him an Eisner nomination) and his painted covers for DC's Y: The Last Man. This book sees Wiesenfeld working in a much simpler medium, relying on nothing but black ink and Post-It Notes to create vivid works of art. Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings reprints 100 of these drawings, along with a handful of text pages and poems.

“It's always good to put limitations on yourself,” said Wiesenfeld in a statement. “In this series I only allowed myself to use black pens on a 3x3-inch square of yellow paper. It became a challenge to see if I could capture some of the key elements I love in large oil paintings: mood, atmosphere, time of day, weather conditions, character, and story. I wasn't always successful, but was often pleasantly surprised with the results anyway. When you see your lines blown up, every quiver of the hand is captured there. No falseness, or flourishes of style are even possible, it's just too small for any of that. The results always felt ‘real’ to me. One of my heroes is Gustave Doré, who, constrained by the printing limitations of his time, was able to tell visual stories that felt like paintings, but limited to only using black and white engraving lines.”

Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings is live on Kickstarter now.

In other comic book news, the Phillipe Labaune Gallery is showcasing the work of Paul Pope, and DC has revealed the many variant covers for September's Batman #1 relaunch.

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

Ubisoft's next big patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows arrives tomorrow, June 25, 2025, and the publisher has now detailed everything included.

As we knew already, Title Update 1.0.6 includes the game's next story pack, which introduces a new Ally character for Naoe and Yasuke played by Critical Role's Robbie Daymond. Players will meet Rufino, Daymond's character, and get to hang out with him at their hideout — though whether you can also romance him is unconfirmed.

Another big addition that was previously announced is a new Nightmare Difficulty option. Today brings further detail on what this will comprise, with perfect parries required to deflect hits without taking any damage, fewer combat resources, plus smarter enemies able to see and hear Naoe's movement even while crouched or in the shadows.

For a slightly more difficult challenge generally, Ubisoft has added an Open World Alarm system that extends the stomping grounds of Shadows' fearsome Guardian warriors outside of castles and enemy camps. Now, Naoe and Yasuke can earn Wanted status in the open world, should you repeatedly be naughty and attack civilians or military units.

Ubisoft is set to continue adding small dollops of extra story missions, alongside other fixes and feature additions, through the rest of 2025, as fans await Shadow's first major expansion Claws of Awaji, due at some point before the end of this year.

The full list of additions, and a long rundown of the update's bug fixes, lie below in full.

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Free Story Pack: "A Critical Encounter"

• Reward: New Ally based on Critical Role's Assassin's Creed Shadows One-Shot campaign character, Rufino, played by Robbie Daymond. You will also get a banner in the hideout with the Critical Role logo.
• New Trophy/Achievement: "A Critical Encounter", received upon completion of the questline.

New Nightmare Difficulty Setting

• Player defensive options are less effective, and enemies deal greater damage at all levels.
  • E.g., Parries now require perfect timing to deflect the hit - imperfect parries will only partially block incoming damage.
• Enemy AI is smarter, faster, and more aggressive in a variety of circumstances, including detection.
  • E.g., Even while crouching, Naoe now generates some sound! And even while in the shadows, she can be seen while moving!
  • E.g., Enemies will no longer become vulnerable from dodges or parries - only abilities can put them into a vulnerable state.
• Combat resources (like adrenaline, rations, and shinobi items) are harder to come by, making their use even more vital.

Toggle Headgear in Cutscenes

• Note that headgear will not be displayed in cinematics or in some specific instances where a rule overrides this setting (romance-specific cutscenes).

VFX Toggles

• Players can now disable/enable specific VFX to further customize their experience. These include the ability to hide or show the loot on dead bodies, the last known position of the player, the special attacks indicators of the enemies, and more. All will be accessible in the Interface option menu.

Open World Alarm

• We have expanded the Regional Alert System available in Castles to the whole Province. Now by repetitively attacking Civilians or Military units outside Castles, the alarm can be triggered, and a group of Guardians will hunt you in the world.

Horse Camera Presets

• You can now toggle between 3 different camera presets while riding on your mount (hold the down button on controller/'X' key on keyboard while riding) allowing for a more cinematic experience to take in the full beauty of Japan.

Ultra Low Specs for PC

• We are adding a new visual quality level, the Ultra Low mode. This will allow PC players with a limited GPU configuration to experience the game in better framerate conditions.

LIST OF BUG FIXES

General

• Fixed an issue where the Onryo Mask remained visible despite selecting the option to hide gear.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to earn Mastery Points.
• Fixed an issue where Mastery Points were not returned after resetting the Mastery Tree.
• Fixed an issue where players could not switch characters anymore even without gameplay context restrictions.
• Fixed an issue where allies could be trained to veteran rank without upgrading the dojo to level 3.
• Fixed an issue where Gennojo did not immediately appear in the hideout after recruitment. He was busy washing his hair!
• Fixed an issue where sometimes a player remains stuck in a Red Zone, without being able to fast travel anywhere, by allowing them to fast travel to the hideout.
• Fixed an issue where the Oni Drawing remains stuck on screen after completing the "Vision of the Realms" quest.
• Fixed various localization issues.

Quests

• Fixed an issue where players could not progress in the "A Chance Encounter" quest when following Fuyu.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the quest after defeating all Kabukimono.
• Fixed an issue where Lady Oichi's letter became unavailable after the Fuji-maru cutscene.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to talk to Katsuhime in the crop field when she was sitting on the ground. She just wanted some peace and quiet!
• Fixed an issue where tracking the "Temple Stories" quest only showed a progress bar with no text.
• Fixed an issue where Genzaburo's Teppo Master was missing from the Kaya Shrine.
• Fixed an issue where Yagyu Munetoshi revealed a later plot point too early in the "Nobutsuna's Students" quest.
• Fixed an issue where players could not assassinate the Godai of Void because the NPC was missing. He took his name too seriously.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the "Diary of Lady Rokkaku" quest after dodge rolling and dropping Katsuhime.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the "Diary of Lady Rokkaku" quest when there was no immediate option to carry Katsuhime.
• Fixed an issue where players glitched through an anomaly in the "Heads Will Roll" quest, making Animus activities unavailable.
• Fixed an issue where players could not progress in the "Lost Honor" quest because the game failed to switch to Naoe.
• Fixed an issue where players could not progress through the Tournament after dying.

Visuals & Graphics

• Fixed some minor visual issues.
• Fixed misplaced visual elements with the Dark Woods Kusarigama.
• Fixed an issue where all NPC horses appeared as identical.
• Fixed a clipping issue with Naoe's Sekiryu outfit.
• Fixed an issue with the "Bloodshade Katana" being visible out of the sheath when transmogged.
• Fixed a movement physics issue with the Dead by Daylight Oni's armor.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where footstep audio occasionally ceased when opening the map while moving.

No matter which platform you prefer, there's an excellent variety of video game deals to check out right now. Whether you're gaming on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, we've rounded up the best offers to help you get more for your money. This includes the PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 bundle, which is still available at select retailers post-Days of Play. You'll want to be quick to grab it, though, as it may not stay in stock much longer.

On top of that, PC players can score discounts right now on Doom: The Dark Ages, Elden Ring Nightreign, and even Stellar Blade. These deals just scratch the surface of what's available, though. Have a look through our favorite video game deals at the moment below.

PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Bundle

Best PC Game Deals

Humble Choice Games for June 2025

Best Physical Video Game Deals

If you're looking to save on physical games right now, there are plenty of deals worth checking out across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. We've included just a few of our favorites above, but if you'd like to see more game deals for each platform, check out our individual roundups for these consoles: the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals.

Best Nintendo Switch 2 Accessory Deals

It's official: the Nintendo Switch 2 is now available for people to get their hands on. If you've already picked up your console and are on the hunt for some accessories, we're here to help. We've found some great Nintendo Switch 2 accessory deals that are worth picking up right now, from carrying cases to screen protectors and more. The selection above just scratches the surface of what's available, though. Check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch 2 deals to see more.

Best Xbox Accessory Deals

Outside of games, there are a few different Xbox accessory deals that are worth your time and money as well. Walmart's offering a nice discount at the moment on the Elite Series 2 controller, while Amazon's got the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card on sale. Woot has a couple of nice accessory deals to check out, too.

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Best Gaming PC Deals

Do you prefer to play on a dedicated PC tower? Navigating the options online can be quite the ordeal. Desk space, portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on the Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC (32GB/1TB), which has dropped to $1,849.99. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.

Superman has a lot to squeeze in. Following the various trailer reveals, fans had wondered how Superman would do justice to its expanding supporting cast. The rebooted DC Universe kickstarter revolves around a trio of characters: Clark Kent / Superman, Lois Lane, and central antagonist Lex Luther, but there are a number of other superheroes and supervillains confirmed to appear in the summer blockbuster.

On top of this, the events of Superman take place in a fictional world in which superheroes and villains are already established. Superman has been doing the Superman thing for a few years by the time we meet him, and there’s no need for origin stories for the likes of Mister Terrific, Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, and Metamorpho.

So, is writer and director James Gunn concerned about causing confusion by dropping the audience in the middle of a fully formed world already filled with superheroes and villains?

In an interview with Esquire Philippines, Gunn said early screenings had proven this not to be a problem.

“No not really, because I've screened the movie for so many people and saw that people aren't confused,” he said. “So I know from fact that it's not confusing.”

Gunn went on to say that Superman just has two sets of friends in the movie: his work friends and his play friends. Who fits into which group is up for debate, of course, but the supporting characters should just be treated like the friends of any other movie’s protagonist.

“We're used to seeing movies with protagonists and Superman is definitely the protagonist of Superman, and he has his work friends and he has his play friends,” Gunn said.

“Now, I don't know if the Justice Gang are his play friends, or his work friends at the Daily Planet are his work friends or his play friends, but that's the two groups of his friends from different places. And just because they have insignias on their costumes or superpowers doesn't mean they're not like any other supporting character in any movie.”

Gunn then pointed to the Oscar-winning, three-hour biopic Oppenheimer as having more characters to contend with than Superman: “I think Oppenheimer has three times as many speaking roles as we do,” he said. “So I think people are fine.”

Speaking of runtime, Superman, which hits theaters July 11, clocks in at 2 hours 9 minutes inclusive of credits and post-credits. For context, that’s 15 minutes shorter than Henry Cavill’s 2013 film, Man of Steel.

All the characters revealed so far in Superman:

• Superman
• Lois Lane
• Lex Luthor
• Mister Terrific
• Guy Gardner
• Hawkgirl
• Metamorpho
• Baby Joey
• The Engineer
• The Hammer of Boravia
• Ultraman
• Rick Flag Sr.
• Supergirl
• Maxwell Lord
• Kryptonian robots, including Kelex
• Krypto
• Jonathan Kent
• Martha Kent
• Perry White
• Jimmy Olsen
• Steve Lombard
• Cat Grant
• Ron Troupe
• Eve Teschmacher
• Otis

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.

Elden Ring Nightreign is adding its next enhanced Everdark Sovereign boss into the game. Fulghor, Champion of the Nightglow will be the next Nightlord to get an enhanced version, arriving on June 26.

The update goes live at 7am PDT / 4pm CEST / 11pm JST on June 26, as a new target for a Nightfarer expedition. If the big guy is anything like the previous Everdark Sovereign, you'll have to successfully take down the base version of the Nightlord at least once to challenge its more difficult variant.

Developer FromSoftware started rolling these Everdark Sovereigns out in a surprise drop last week, with the addition of a souped-up Gaping Jaw challenge. These enhanced bosses can throw a lot at the player. Adel, Baron of the Night's upgraded form was terrifying, zipping around the arena and, at one point, making a giant storm inside the arena.

Fulghor, who reigns under the Darkdrift Knight banner, has already been a bit of a challenge for players in Elden Ring Nightreign in his base form. The centaur can cause some serious damage fast and leaves little room to get in and hit him. The area-of-effect attacks especially cause some problems, if you're not ready.

So, naturally, the enhanced version of Fulghor could pose some real challenge. Replies to the announcement tweet are gearing up for the prospect of tackling this warrior's even-more powerful version.

More Everdark Sovereigns are planned to roll out, as FromSoftware has confirmed each week will host a new upgraded boss. As Darkdrift Knight rotates in, it looks like the Gaping Jaw challenge will rotate out. Sentient Pest is the next on the docket, and should pose a fairly interesting challenge, especially with the phase shifts.

We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler has linked the stories of upcoming Disney+ spin-off series Ironheart and Marvel's next mega blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday, as the show's first three episodes launch today.

Speaking to Deadline, Coogler admitted that Ironheart was conceived before Marvel dramatically changed course on its plans for the next Avengers movie, and ditched Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror to instead bring back Robert Downey Jr., now playing Dr. Doom.

Still, Coogler evoked Dr. Doom to suggest that Ironheart had a similar focus — a mix of technology and magic that was symbolic of Marvel's iconic masked villain.

"It's so crazy to be putting this [show] out now, at the time where AI is on the front of everybody's mind, technological ethics are on the front of everybody's mind," said Coogler, who holds an executive producer credit on the series.

"But also when the MCU is gearing up — we didn't know it was going to be Dr. Doom in the Avengers when we first started, but he's a guy in publishing who's most famous for fusing technology and magic, so it's a great sample of things that are to come in probably what's going to be the biggest movie in Marvel history."

The first half of Ironheart launches today, June 24, 2025 on Disney+, after an unusually long wait between filming and release. Filming initially lasted between June and November 2022, before reshoots reportedly took place between February to April 2024.

It's interesting to compare this production schedule to what else was going on behind the scenes at Marvel around this time. Reports suggesting Disney was reconsidering its plans for Kang circulated throughout 2023, after Majors' arrest in March of that year. Majors was formally fired in December 2023, immediately after he was found guilty of harassment and assault. By February 2024, what was Avengers: The Kang Dynasty was reportedly being rewritten. Finally, in July 2024, Marvel announced that its fifth Avengers film was now titled Avengers: Doomsday, with its focus shifted to Dr. Doom.

So, was there time amid all these changes for Ironheart to get retooled as an Avengers: Doomsday lead-in? Is that why the series took so long to arrive? If any clear sign of Doom does appear, it would suggest Marvel was already settled on its plans for the next Avengers film as early as the start of 2024, when Ironheart reshoots took place, months before the Russos and Robert Downey Jr. were formally announced to the world.

Or, perhaps, Coogler is just savvy enough to know that while this belated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever spin-off might be launching now, Marvel fans are already focused on December 18, 2026 — when Avengers: Doomsday finally arrives.

While Ironheart star Riri Williams is a technological genius, recent weeks have seen Marvel focus its marketing on the series' magical side, evoking popular Disney+ shows like Wandavision and Agatha: All Along. Indeed, Marvel fans believe Ironheart is hiding a big magical secret — the debut of a character whose MCU arrival has been expected for some time.

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

Unlike the beloved sitcom of our youth Malcolm in the Middle, the iconic Everybody Loves Raymond will not be participating in the reboot trend, according to the cast of the series.

"There won't be a reboot," the show’s star Ray Romano recently told The New York Post while attending a 30-year anniversary celebration of the series at the Paley Museum in New York City. "The obvious is Peter [Boyle] and Doris [Roberts], and one of the kids — they’re no longer with us. We’re all heartbroken. They’re a big part of the show, the dynamic.”

He added: “Without them, I don’t know what the dynamic is. We love the show too much, we respect it too much to even try to do it.”

Were you waiting for an excuse to grab an Audible or Kindle Unlimited subscription? Well, today is your day thanks to three months for $0.99 for the former and three months free for the latter. It's an epic day for game devs and players too thanks to a cracking deal on a 32" Alienware curved gaming monitor and a massive sound bundle over on Humble.

TL;DR: Deals For Today

The epic Sam's Club Pokémon TCG Classic deal is back, and it's undercutting big box stores and the collectors market by nearly $100 in some cases. I've looked up the top-valued cards from the box, so you know if it's worth it or not below. Spoiler alert, it is! Let's get into it:

3 Months for $0.99 Audible Deal

3 Months Free Kindle Unlimited

Pokémon TCG Classic

The Sam's Club Pokémon TCG Classic deal is back, and it's massively undercutting other big box retailers and the secondary market. Just for comparrison, the top four cards from this set, Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur and Mewtwo, are worth the same price as this discounted offer. This deal is well worth it and should be snapped up as soon as possible.

Pokémon TCG Stock Updates

As usual we're looking at over-inflated pricing at big box stores, but it's a dependable source of sealed product for trainers looking to add to their collections or rip open boosters. Although we'd recommend checking out secondary market prices first, as big retailers are now regularly selling over market value now too. I've already done the hard work for you:

TCG Player and eBay Pokémon Sealed Product

The Most Expensive Japanese Black Bolt White Flare Cards

The most expensive cards from Pokémon TCG's Black Bolt and White Flare sets are already commanding serious prices in Japan. Top of the list are the Special Illustration Rares of Zekrom ex and Reshiram ex, both featuring intricate, hand-drawn artwork and fetching well over ¥20,000 (around $130–$150 USD) on the secondary market.

Also climbing fast are the new BWR (Black White Rare) cards and the full-art Victini promos from the themed file sets. With stunning clay and knitted art styles also making their debut, collectors are pushing prices up across the board, especially for low-population, high-style secret rares.

This Weeks Pokémon TCG Crashers and Climbers

With Black Bolt and White Flare wrapping up the Scarlet & Violet era, all eyes are now on what’s next—and Mega Evolution is officially back. The Japanese Championships 2025 confirmed MEGA Symphonia and MEGA Brave as the first entries in the new Mega Expansion Packs, launching August 1 in Japan. These sets reintroduce Mega Evolution ex cards in a powerful new form, now Stage 2 Pokémon worth 3 Prize Cards when knocked out. Cards like Mega Gardevoir ex, Mega Venusaur ex, and Mega Lucario ex are leading the charge, and collectors are already snapping up classic Mega cards in anticipation of their return to the spotlight.

MTG Live Preorders

Preorders are now live for Magic: The Gathering’s next major set, Edge of Eternities, ahead of its August 1 release. You can lock in Play Booster Boxes, Bundles, Commander Decks, and Collector Boosters, with prices already dipping below MSRP in some spots. With some chunky lore, borderless cards, and premium packaging teased, now’s a good time to grab your picks before stock tightens closer to launch.

MTG Stock Update

There's the usual suspects of insanely priced boosters such as Theros Beyond Death, but there's also some discounts such as 9% off a box of Assassin's Creed collector boosters and a massive 32% off a booster box of Lord of the Rings set boosters.

MTG Final Fantasy Chase Cards

I was going to say how insane MTG Final Fantasy's popularity is, but it's completely understandable. Whilst sealed stock is going up in value and becoming harder to get, there's plenty of option for the most in-demand cards for your deck or collection.

MTG Aetherdrift Chase Cards

Aetherdrift is one of Magic: The Gathering’s more experimental sets, blending high-speed vehicle mechanics with a bold visual style. Released as part of the Universes Beyond series, it introduced new archetypes and card types designed to shake up both casual and competitive formats.

Sound Explosion Software Bundle

Alienware AW3423DWF Curved QD-OLED Gaming Monitor

The Legend of Zelda Master Sword by Proplica

Monster Hunter Wilds PS5 and Xbox Series X

Monster Hunter Wilds has hit its lowest price yet for the standard physical edition on PS5 and Xbox Series X at just $55.99, down from $69.99. This latest entry takes the series into a fully voiced narrative, dynamic biomes, and crossplay multiplayer. If you’ve been waiting for a price drop to jump into the Forbidden Lands, this is a solid time to grab a copy.

Symphonic Journeys Pokémon Red & Blue - IGN Exclusive Vinyl

Elden Ring Nightreign Official Strategy Guide

Serrenity Forge Storyteller's Bundle

Donkey Kong Bananza

amFilm Switch 2 Tempered Glass Screen