The idea behind LEGO Ideas is brilliant. Step 1: Put a call out to LEGO builders to pitch and design their dream sets. Step 2: Have LEGO fans vote on their favorites. Step 3: Make the winning builds into official sets. Step 4: Split the profits and the credit with the original creator. By giving fans the opportunity to invest in not only in the creation of something but also in its economic success, LEGO has created a business model that's as close to 'can't fail' as possible.

LEGO Ideas also pushes LEGO to adapt. If the proposed set is weird or idiocyncratic, then the build will be similarly unconventional. It gives birth to ideas that might otherwise never be pitched at all. If you know the audience for it exists, it's easier to take a risk on a Ship in a Bottle or a Steamboat Willie.

Since 2010, there have been 76 LEGO Ideas sets, 53 of which are currently retired. Here are the best LEGO Ideas sets that are currently available for purchase.

The Best LEGO Ideas Set Available Now

For the blurb-averse, the side-scrolling catalog above has all of our picks in it. If you want more info and details about each one, though, keep on reading.

Minifigure Vending Machine

River Steamboat .

Dungeons & Dragons: Red Dragon's Tale

The Insect Collection

The Starry Night

Jaws

Red London Telephone Box

Motorized Lighthouse

The Orient Express Train

Home Alone

Borderlands 4 now has a Nintendo Switch 2 release date of October 3, 2025.

In a video posted to Twitter/X, Gearbox Entertainment head Randy Pitchford announced the Nintendo Switch 2 date, after a bit of a teasing build-up:

An important message regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Borderlands 4: pic.twitter.com/Wc5MwAU2bm

— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) July 22, 2025

Borderlands 4 has already had a launch date on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox: September 12, 2025, having been brought 11 days earlier from its previously-expected September 23 release. At the time, there was speculation that this was done to avoid the launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, but then GTA was delayed until next year. Gearbox has also already confirmed that Borderlands 4 will cost $70 at launch.

Previously, Pitchford has stated that the Switch 2 "has been a joy to work with," but did not explain why the Nintendo version was coming later than the other versions.

We got to play a few hours of Borderlands 4 just last month, with our previewer saying, "the handful of hours I played left me fairly confident that I will find myself pulled back into this wonderfully weird world of psychopaths and extremely irritating robots."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Black Sabbath frontman and music legend Ozzy Osbourne has died at 76.

The iconic vocalist behind hits like Crazy Train, War Pigs, Iron Man, and Mr. Crowley passed away today, surrounded by his family (via BBC). His death follows the Back to the Beginning farewell concert, which he, alongside a team of other famous musicians, performed at just weeks ago.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows might be coming to Nintendo Switch 2, and Ubisoft executives might have just confirmed it.

During today's quarterly earnings call, CEO Yves Guillemot and CFO Frederick Duguet combined their powers to provide a number of subtle and not-so-subtle hints and statements about Assassin's Creed: Shadows that, when combined, are hard to read any other way than confirmation we're getting a Switch 2 release of the game at some point this fiscal year.

First, Duguet mentioned that Ubisoft's line-up for the current fiscal year (ending at the end of March 2026) includes, among other things, "a couple of other titles" that will be "announced at a later stage."

Later in the same call, in response to an investor question, he also said "And we also have a game that will be launched on the Switch 2." While we already know that Star Wars: Outlaws is coming to Switch 2, Duguet was talking about games "beyond the announced releases", so it's clear there's at least one other.

Later in the call, Guillemot added another piece to the puzzle. In a conversation with another investor specifically regarding Assassin's Creed: Shadows, he said, "And we have also some new versions that will come on other machines."

Currently, Assassin's Creed: Shadows is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, PC and Mac, as well as GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. Now, it's possible Guillemot was referring to other platforms, such as PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, or maybe even mobile. But the most likely possibility is that he meant Nintendo Switch 2, especially when combined with Duguet's comments.

Of course, some investor thought the same as us. The last question on the call, to Duguet, directly asked if Assassin's Creed: Shadows was being announced for Nintendo Switch 2.

But here, Duguet finally danced around it. "We haven't said which other games will come on the console for that coming year."

Rumors to this effect have already been in motion for a few months now, after an Assassin's Creed: Shadows for Nintendo Switch 2 got a PEGI rating. While this could have just been an error, it's just another brick in the mounting tower of evidence that Shadows is headed to Nintendo's system in the next eight months or so.

We really enjoyed Assassin's Creed: Shadows when we reviewed it at launch. Our reviewer, who gave it an 8/10, said, "By sharpening the edges of its existing systems, Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style it’s been honing for the last decade."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy era is coming to a close, but prices are still up and down for the current Universes Beyond offering.

Edge of Eternities kicks off next week (in prerelease), and while it’s going to add a whole host of cards to the standard rotation, it’s also going to make some big tweaks to Commander rules by allowing Legendary Vehicles to be your Commander.

So, for one last time for Final Fantasy, let's check out the movers and shakers, courtesy of data from the lovely folks at TCGPlayer.

Climbers: Count ‘em

Ever since Final Fantasy’s Universes Beyond set launched, there’s been a spike in pricing for any cards that involve the use of counters, thanks to the focus of the FFX deck helmed by Tidus, Yuna’s Guardian.

This week, one of the beneficiaries is Filigree Vector, from the March of the Machine set. It’s a four-cost White Artifact Creature that essentially arrives with +1/+1 counters and can proliferate, making it an ideal fit for the Blitzball star’s deck.

It’s gone from being a couple of dollars not long ago to climbing to around $15.

Next up, Magistrate’s Scepter is a 3-cost artifact that can be powered up with charge counters then used to take an entire extra turn. Given how quickly Tidus can get those counters, this Core Set 2019 card is now up to $5 from just a few cents a few weeks ago.

Away from counters, I’m pleased to see Stoneforge Mystic climbing. This two-cost card (of which I have a lovely full-art version) is an ideal inclusion in the Limit Break deck with its equipment focus, and lets you find your equipment more quickly.

It’s gone from being less than $20 to up to around $50 in recent listings, often more. And, on a similar note, Codsworth, Handy Helper from the Universes Beyond: Fallout set is still maintaining a price of around $20.

TCGPlayer has also pointed out that one Edge of Eternities card is likely to be very popular for anyone playing a Slivers deck.

Thrumming Hivepool costs less the more of the Sliver type you have, gives them double strike and haste, and creates more Sliver tokens at your upkeep phase. Put it all together, and you’re generating a veritable army within a couple of turns in the mid to late game.

Crashers: No Harmonic Done

Last week, we pointed out that Vivi Ornitier had begun dropping again, and then its value climbed a bit, but the same can’t be said of Harmonic Prodigy which remains great to pair with him.

It’s down to around $10, and could be ideal for any Wizard-based spellcaster decks you’re puting together.

As we close out the Final Fantasy era, we’re seeing other drops, too. One to keep an eye on for your White decks is Summon: Knights of Round. This fan-favorite spiked in June but has levelled out at around $30 and could drop further.

Another Summon, Bahamut, is also on the way down having now hit around $26. It’s still dropping, too, and given it can be an ideal ‘big finish’ to a game (and has 9/9 for its stats), it’s worth a look.

Finally, Tifa Lockhart has also seen a drop. She’s down to around $5, having been double that just a few weeks ago.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.

On June 6, 2025, 1047 Games launched Splitgate 2. Now, less than two months later, the developer is about to “unlaunch” it. It's also taking Splitgate 1 offline, and laying off 45 employees.

Today, 1047 revealed its plans to temporarily wind down support on the game it just released so the studio can go heads-down on what it says will be a complete overhaul of Splitgate 2. The game will remain playable during this time, and will still receive its promised Chapter 3 update and some bug fixes, but other than that, Splitgate 2 as we know it is done.

…That is, until early 2026, when the studio promises it will return with “big, sweeping changes.”

While all this sounds pretty dire, it might not come as a surprise to Splitgate 2 players. The game launched to middling reviews, was mired in controversy from the jump, and has since seen a steep drop-off in players and plenty of criticism and frustration from those who stuck around. At the time this piece was first drafted, a quick look at the main page of the Splitgate subreddit shows almost nothing but complaints about the game, memes about the game’s general state, and various threads and links to articles about the sinking player counts. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

When I spoke to CEO Ian Proulx last week, he referenced one particular Reddit thread entitled “If you’ve stopped playing tell me why” that is effectively a laundry list of player complaints. He says he and the 1047 team read each reply and catalogued them, scrutinizing what the most-cited issues were. He admits that Splitgate 2, as it launched, is “not a finished product yet.”

“This doesn't feel like a launched game as much as we want to pretend it was, and obviously we said it was. It feels like a beta. There's bugs still. There's features that are missing that — obviously not every game has to have every feature — but there's certain things that should be in a finished product. There's too many bugs, and we're hitting the reset button.”

To be clear, he doesn’t think Splitgate 2 is all bad. He’s most proud of the gameplay, the gunplay and movement. But Proulx admits that there are too many other issues, technical and structural, hindering players from enjoying the good that’s there.

“I think we've heard from the fans and from the gamers, they want something closer to Splitgate 1,” he says. “And so I think for us, this feels like a beta. It feels like a beta to me, it doesn't feel like a launch. And I think we have to do a bit of a reset to actually listen to the fans, to the gamers, and address the feedback, fix the bugs, implement the features that should have been there on day one, but also make some big changes that the Splitgate community wants.”

What a Community Wants

What does the community want, then? A lot, Proulx says, but he boils it down to three major components. The first, he says, is demonstrated by that Reddit thread and summed up as “basic features.” Splitgate 2 needs a leaderboard. It needs better progression. There are a lot of seemingly little elements missing that add up to the game feeling unfinished.

Second, he says Splitgate 2 needs more portal walls and more opportunities for portals generally. 1047 already started adding more portal walls in the game’s alpha, but didn’t go far enough.

And third, Proulx thinks they need to make adjustments to game modes, though he isn’t quite sure what just yet.

“A big focus of ours is getting closer to just that classic arena game mode experience. I don't know exactly what that's going to look like, but I think we've done a lot of round-based modes, and we'll still have some round-based modes, but players, they want to play the game and shoot stuff and have a good time and maybe play the objective.”

I ask Proulx if he intends to do anything to change the game’s current monetization model. Splitgate 2 is free-to-play, but its in-game storefront has been heavily criticized on a number of fronts. Players have said its season pass is confusing and gates too much content behind purchases, they’ve pointed out that the “discount” listings at launch were deceptive as to what items actually cost, and highlighted that awkward real-money-to-currency exchanges make it difficult to understand or accurately pay for just what you want, and nothing extra.

Splitgate 2 will remain free-to-play, Proulx says, and players will keep all the items they’ve already purchased. He’s not doing refunds, he says. But when the game comes back in 2026, he does want to “simplify” the monetization situation. When I ask for specifics, Proulx says he’s still thinking about it and will likely shift based on player feedback. But he’s currently considering a more basic battle pass, one you simply purchase once for a three-month period or so, and receive linear rewards from as you play more of the game.

Proulx isn’t fully certain right now of exactly what Splitgate 2 needs to be, and wants to let the community shape that decision. He tells me that, this time, 1047 will do regular playtests with the community on a separate branch of this game to collect feedback, similar to what the team did with Splitgate 1. “If they hate it, we can say…great, we’re not going to do that. Scrap it.”

I ask him if he has now, or ever has had, a strong vision for Splitgate 2 and the kind of game he wants to make. Does he think it possible the community could be wrong about what’s best for the game? Could his vision become compromised by player requests?

“If the community wants X, and that's what they want, it doesn't really matter what I want,” Proulx says. “But even what I want, I mean, I think a lot of what the community is asking for are things that I agree with. I think certain decisions we made early on, I think we almost got a little bit too scientific about it. Splitgate 1, there was no theory, there was no strategy. It was just, let's go make a fun game because it's cool…And I think with Splitgate 2…we kind of started with all these design goals, which is good, but I think we got a little bit too obsessive about, oh, let's do this because it checks that box, as opposed to just like, well, is it fun? I don't know. It doesn't really matter what you theorize about if it's not as fun.”

Try, Try Again

But how did Splitgate 2 end up here in the first place?

According to Proulx, the team was “too ambitious.” He says they tried to do too much with Splitgate 2, between the game’s arena mode, battle royale, and map creator, and ended up only getting each of those things done “80% instead of one or two things 100% of the way there.”

He also thinks another issue was that 1047 kept Splitgate 2 far too secretive for too long, out of a fear of leaks. Proulx mentions Apex Legends, which “shadow-dropped” seemingly out of nowhere to incredible success with no build-up at all, as an indicator that such a strategy can work well. But that’s also the opposite of what worked for Splitgate 1 – something Proulx suggests he should have learned from for the sequel.

Speaking of Splitgate 1, it’s not long for this world. As a part of this new doubling down on improving Splitgate 2, the first game’s servers will be shut down in about a month. 1047 says it’s “exploring the possibility of supporting offline or peer-to-peer matches,” and that it intends to include a “dedicated experience” in Splitgate 2 that “delivers on the promise of the original.” But in the short-term, Splitgate 1 will be no more.

Per 1047, this decision was made because it has cost the studio “hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past couple of years” to keep Splitgate 1 online. It’s cutting costs in other ways, too. Last month, the company laid off an unknown number of individuals. With today’s announcement, 45 more staff will be let go, 28% of the current total. “We definitely have to get our burn rate down,” Proulx says when I ask him about the company’s financial situation. “There's no doubt about it. I'd say financially, thankfully, we are in a position where we can afford to do something like [the unlaunch] and take our time, but it's going to take time. So we're figuring that out.”

The cost-cutting measures do beg the question of both the veracity and, if the allegation is true, the wisdom of the company allegedly spending over $400,000 in influencer marketing ahead of Splitgate 2’s launch. This was according to an analysis posted on LinkedIn from Streamforge’s Nick Lombardi, using “estimates based on publicly available data and market rates from Streamforge’s algorithm.” The alleged influencer spend was reported on by a number of outlets, but Proulx responds when I ask him about it by saying that the article has “a lot of things that are factually incorrect.”

“There are definitely things in that article that are accurate,” he says. “But yeah, I'd say it's, I don't know, 60% accurate. Do I think that that strategy worked? I don't know. I mean, I think that you have to do a little bit of everything. I think you have to have some influencers, you have to have some PR, you have to have some paid advertising. I can tell you certain ads ran more efficiently than others, but I think it's all part of the same equation.”

Proulx goes on to say that influencer marketing is tricky – it’s hard to say just how many users a game actually acquires from a given influencer promoting a game, making it difficult to track success.

“But I also think you can't buy yourself a successful launch,” he adds. “Splitgate 1's budget was next to nothing, and it still had a really massively successful launch, and that was because we had built a lot of goodwill with the community… I think influencers and ads will add fuel to the fire, and if you have a really hype game with a passionate community that feels like they're being listened to, then that will amplify. And if you don't, then it'll help a little bit.”

Proulx is essentially hoping to, in 2026, take a second crack at launching Splitgate 2. Aside from the issues with the game itself, its first launch last month was marred by other controversies. It started when Proulx wore a hat that read, “Make FPS Great Again” onstage at the game’s Summer Game Fest reveal, a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s signature “Make America Great Again” hats. In a speech onstage at the same event, Proulx remarked that he’s “tired of playing the same Call of Duty every year,” which resulted in wide criticism from both developers and Call of Duty fans. And then, upon launch, a $145 microtransaction bundle was soundly rebuked by gamers for its predatory similarities to the very games Proulx and 1047 claimed to be pushing back against with Splitgate 2.

Proulx has since apologized for all of the above controversies, and actively revoked the high-priced microtransactions. But now, with a second crack at releasing Splitgate 2 on the horizon, I ask Proulx if there’s anything he intends to do differently, and if he thinks these issues meaningfully impacted the initial Splitgate 2 launch.

“Yes, I definitely would've done things differently,” he says. “I will say I think we would be in the position we're in regardless of any of that stuff. Obviously, I don't think that stuff helped us, and I don't plan on doing any more stunts like that, but I think the reality is if this was a 10 out of 10 game, people would still be playing it and happily spending money and grinding and telling their friends, and that's my feeling. And so I think the past is the past, and we've made a lot of mistakes. Not just that we've made many mistakes over the last 10 or however many years it's been, and we keep learning and we iterate and we improve, and that's what we're going to keep doing.”

Once Chapter 3 is out, Splitgate 2 will officially go quiet until early next year while the team rebuilds. That team will be smaller than before, with a number of friends and colleagues having lost their jobs through no fault of their own. 1047 won’t be spending money on Splitgate 1 servers, but it also likely won’t be making much off microtransactions, making funding a more serious question. Some fans, inevitably, will not stick around to see if Splitgate 2 is a comeback story. Others remain permanently put off by the game’s launch controversies. It’s not exactly a cheery period for 1047 Games, but in Proulx’s eyes, the studio has been through worse. “We had much darker days” during Splitgate 1 development, he says. “A lot of almost quitting, a lot of tears… So it's a tough road ahead. Of course it is, right? This is not an easy industry.”

But he’s adamant that, regardless, he isn’t giving up on Splitgate.

“It's brutal, but we're not going away. We're not quitting. We absolutely love this. We love every single part about it, the good and the bad. And we've been here before and we've come out the other end, and we're going to just keep doing what we can to stay alive.”

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Fans of The Empyrean series rejoice, right now you can save 30% off the preorders for the gorgeous "Wing and Claw" editions of both the first and second novels in Rebecca Yarros' fantasy series, Fourth Wing and Iron Flame, getting them for just over $23, before they release this September.

These new versions add artwork to the outside edges of the pages, depicting the dragons the series is known for, a feature that was first introduced with the third book, Onyx Storm.

Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out - including Marvel's latest series Ironheart - you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.

At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max streaming bundle. This starts at $16.99/month to get you all three streaming services with ads. It's one of the best bundles available at the moment, but we've included more Disney Plus bundle deals worth exploring below. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best HBO Max deals.

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

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max streaming bundle can be purchased through 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 the three platforms.

If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

What Is the Paid Sharing Plan on Disney Plus?

In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has added a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported Basic subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.

What Are the Different Disney+ Subscription Tiers?

Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (called Disney+ Basic) for $9.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $15.99/month or $159.99/year Disney+ Premium package.

What Are the Different Disney+ Bundles?

Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. As far as bundles go, there are two ad-supported bundles and two ad-free bundles. Here's the breakdown:

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic is $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This plan lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both services.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium is $19.99/month and comes with Hulu and Disney+ with no ads. It also includes Disney+ Premium features like the ability to download shows to watch on the go.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic adds ESPN+ (With Ads) to the mix alongside Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads), 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 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.

Disney+ Gift Cards

If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great way to go. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.

What Can You Watch on Disney+?

There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here with the base subscription.

Here's what you get:

• Disney
• Pixar
• Marvel
• Star Wars
• National Geographic

Disney on Disney+

On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.

You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).

There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions (including the new Snow White), nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.

Pixar on Disney+

When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.

Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.

Marvel on Disney+

The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.

Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Deadpool & Wolverine and Captain America: Brave New World, there is always more coming.

Star Wars on Disney+

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.

You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest shows, including The Mandalorian and the critically-lauded Andor, which just wrapped up its second and final season. There are also fantastic short series like Star Wars Visions, and longer-form series like The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Young Jedi Adventures, and a whole lot more.

Take a look at our list of Disney+ alernatives for additional streaming services. To play while you watch, see our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets. For more deals, dive into our Daily Deals page.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original story from Brian Barnett.

Ubisoft has announced "lower-than-expected" results for its latest financial quarter, and blamed the newly-relaunched Rainbow Six Siege X.

Assassin's Creed Shadows, meanwhile, has continued to perform "in line with expectations", and recently passed 5 million unique players. Ubisoft has to date not provided an exact sales figure for the game, which is also offered as part of its Ubisoft+ subscription service.

In a statement, Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot described the quarter as featuring "mixed results".

So what went wrong? Ubisoft has pinned the blame on "temporary but signficant disruptions" in player spending within Rainbow Six Siege X, its newly-relaunched shooter that it describes as having faced "technical pricing issues".

Launched on June 10, Rainbow Six Siege X saw Ubisoft's veteran team shooter essentially go free-to-play, with access to various modes and operators unlockable without the need for a premium edition. Separate to this, Ubisoft said it has suffered from a "pricing exploit with prepaid currency cards that temporarily inflated virtual currency wallets" — something that has now been fixed.

Today's new player figure for Assassin's Creed Shadows, meanwhile, sees the game continue to do what Ubisoft needs it to do, as players wait for Claws of Awaji — the game's first big expansion due at some point this fall.

"The first quarter delivered mixed results," Guillemot said. "On the positive side, Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivered on its expectations, with now more than 5 million unique players since its launch, and Rainbow Six Siege X received highly positive player feedback thanks to its renewed gameplay and enhanced features that drove significant player engagement growth.

"However, player spending in Rainbow Six Siege faced temporary but significant disruptions due to technical pricing issues, which have now been identified and addressed. Despite this one-off setback, the growth potential of the game is strong with solid traction on activity and in-game spending."

Earlier this week, Guillemot blamed Star Wars Outlaws' lackluster performance on the "choppy waters" of the sci-fi saga's fandom.

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

Marvel Comics has revealed the star-studded creative lineup for Venom: Black, White & Blood #3. Among other things, this issue is notable for introducing a brand new Samurai Venom character created by Afro Samurai's Takashi Okazaki.

Check out Okazaki's variant cover to issue #3 below for an exclusive first look at Samurai Venom:

It’s late July and you know what that means: San Diego Comic-con is back and IGN has you covered. From the biggest movies, shows, and games to huge comics, collectibles, and more, this year’s edition features big reveals from some of the most hotly anticipated IPs in all of pop culture. Following last year’s convention (which featured headliners Transformers One, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians) 2025 is slated to be another massive year at Comic-con.

Starting today, be sure to stay tuned across IGN platforms for exclusive sneak peeks and first-looks at some of the biggest reveals from this year’s show.

Then, on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 IGN will be streaming live from San Diego with A-list interviews, exclusive reveals, and live coverage of SDCC’s biggest panels and announcements. Our broadcast runs from 3pm PT / 6pm ET to 7pm PT / 10pm ET each day and streams across IGN platforms.

Friday, July 26

Friday’s show includes a huge line-up of the casts and teams behind your favorite (and soon to be favorite) movies and series.

• Alien: Earth
  • Timothy Olyphant, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, Alex Lawther, Samuel Blenkin, and EPs Noah Hawley and David Zucker
• King of the Hill
  • Mike Judge, Pamela Adlon, Lauren Tom, Toby Huss, and EPs Greg Daniels and Saladin Patterson
• Aztec Batman: The Clash Of Empires
  • Raymond Cruz and Horacio García Roja
• One Piece
  • Colleen Clinkenbeard
• Spartacus: House of Ashur
  • Nick E. Tarabay, Tenika Davis, and EP Steven S. DeKnight
• Twisted Metal - Season 2
  • Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Joe Seanoa, Anthony Carrigan, and EP Michael Jonathan
• Dexter: Resurrection
  • Michael C. Hall, David Dastmalchian, Krysten Ritter, David Zayas, James Remar, and Jack Alcott
• Predator: Badlands
  • Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and Director Dan Trachtenberg
• Rick and Morty
  • Keith David and EP Dan Harmon
• Avatar: The Last Airbender
  • Zach Tyler Eisen, Jack DeSena, Michaela Jill Murphy, Jennie Kwan, Dante Basco, Dee Bradley Baker, and Creators: Bryan Konietzko, and Michael DiMartino

Plus:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles creator Kevin Eastman drops by to celebrate the original movie’s 35th anniversary
• The cast of Critical Role makes a special appearance.

Saturday, July 27

Saturday's line-up features even more of the biggest names headed to Comic-con this year.

• Peacemaker
  • James Gunn, John Cena, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, and more!
• Scott Pilgrim EX
  • Tribute Games Co-Founder John-Francois Major and Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley
• The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
  • Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride
• Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire
  • Jacob Anderson, Sam Reid, and Eric Bogosian
• Mecha BREAK
  • Kris Kwok - CEO of Amazing Seasun Games, along with Robbie Daymond and Ali Hillis
• The Bad Guys 2
  • Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Craig Robinson, Marc Maron, Maria Bakalova, Anthony Ramos. Zazie Beetz, and Natasha Lyonne
• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
  • Rebecca Romijn, Ethan Peck, Jess Bush, Christina Chong and Paul Wesley
• Killing Floor 3
  • Killing Floor 3 Creative Director Bryan Wynia
• Together
  • Dave Franco, Alison Brie, and Writer / Director Michael Shanks
• Project Hail Mary
  • Directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord, along with screenwriter Drew Goddard

Also:

• Pop culture legends Ronald D. Moore and Robert Kirkman stop by to chat.
• The Toxic Avenger
  • Peter Dinklage, Elijah Wood, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Writer/Director Macon Blair, and Troma Co-Founder Lloyd Kaufman
• The Long Walk
  • Mark Hamill, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, and Prodycer Roy Lee
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
  • Holly Hunter, Robert Picardo, and Sandro Rosta
• Magic: The Gathering
  • Sarah Wassell and Mark Rosewater from Wizards of the Coast

Plus be sure to check out IGN.com and IGN’s YouTube channel for even more from the teams behind Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comics and more.

But that’s not all. Beyond our live shows, IGN will be bringing you in-depth panel coverage, breaking news, first looks, and inside info from San Diego Comic-Con throughout the week across IGN.com, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and more.

And if that’s not enough, IGN is teaming up with Toei Animation for an epic ONE PIECE-themed After Party Friday night at the iconic San Diego Hard Rock Hotel. The “IGN After Party at San Diego Comic-Con 2025 - Presented by ONE PIECE” will include a trading card giveaway, photo ops, mascots, a live DJ, and a special appearance by Colleen Clinkenbeard, voice of Monkey D. Luffy from the series’ popular English dub.

San Diego Comic-con 2025 is shaping up to be one of the biggest editions yet. And IGN will be bringing you all the sights, sounds, and surprises like nobody else. So be sure to stick around throughout the week so you don’t miss a moment.

Illustrations by Julia Rago.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters Friday, July 25.

Marvel’s first family finally shows up to the MCU in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and there’s a lot resting on their retrofuturistic shoulders. These new versions of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), Sue (Vanessa Kirby) and Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) bear all the anxiety of expectant parents, world-protecting superheroes, and franchise-resuscitating characters. Happily, director Matt Shakman and the team behind First Steps very capably manage some, but not all, of those concerns in a family dramedy that only stops working when it tries to be too much of a superhero movie.

There’s almost an unfair amount of pressure being placed on The Fantastic Four: First Steps – expectations to do what it was most likely never designed to do. Thanks to all the things we know about what’s coming next for the MCU – most notably a green-cloaked villain played by the actor who helped launch the whole franchise. Dr. Doom is, after all, both a traditional Fantastic Four villain and the next big thing for Phase 6, so yes, expectations are high.

The good news is, First Steps lives up to most of these expectations. To start with, the actual Fantastic Four are great: There’s a charisma to each of them individually and chemistry between them all. It may seem like an obvious thing, but they feel like a proper family, and you can tell the actors and director really put the work in to make it so. Scenes with the whole family can deal with heavy questions one moment, and lighten the mood in the next without ever feeling out of character. I truly bought these characters as a family unit.

In fact, Ben and Johnny are a lot more fun together as the world’s greatest uncles than they are apart. Ben in particular feels like a lot of his story was cut from the final film. It’s not a huge loss, because The Thing more than does what he needs to do for the movie. If Ebon Moss-Bachrach did lose some of his screen time, it was chiseled down to the right size. Johnny, meanwhile, gets a little extra to do with a pivotal bit of the story – and a little more fire with which to execute it, thanks to his interest in the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). Motivation, however, is not in short supply for Johnny or any member of the family. All four of them take their jobs as protectors of Earth seriously, and take pride in doing those jobs well.

I also think Pedro Pascal got Reed just right. Reed Richards has always had a lot of potential outcomes in the comics – a lot of different directions in which to stretch (har har) as a character. Sometimes that means going full megalomaniacal Illuminati; other times he’s just a gentle smart guy trying his best to be a hero. What’s sharp about this version of Reed is that all of those options are on the table.

The good and the bad about Pascal’s performance is that it can at times seem a little flat. There are campy moments that land in the nervous nerd stereotype arena – but in the next moment, there’s something else bubbling underneath it. You can see Reed struggling with problems he can’t solve, terrified by all the unknowns he’s suddenly faced with.

Reed doesn’t do a lot of growing or changing; Fist Steps doesn’t teach him any life-altering lessons. But, for a character who we presume will have plenty to do in the MCU moving forward, it actually might be the perfect start for him. It feels like more of a first episode for him than a wholly contained movie.

But the real star of First Steps is Vanessa Kirby. Sue Storm saves all the days. Multiple times throughout the movie, Reed, Johnny, and Ben are tossed aside, incapacitated, but Sue comes through – one time while she’s in labor no less. She’s fierce and protective and clear-eyed about all the danger her family is in. She’s also the only one that can talk to Mole Man, played by Paul Walter Hauser, who absolutely steals a scene right out from under all four of the stars. But the point is, Vanessa Kirby has been one of my favorites since she was the best part of Mission Impossible: Fallout and nothing in First Steps changes that. In fact, Sue is set up to be a more crucial player in the next MCU movies than anybody else in her family.

But it’s her dynamic with Reed as new parents that really gives this movie its heart. They're a couple from an alternate retrofuturistic universe imbued with superheroic abilities by cosmic radiation, yet their most impressive power is being super relatable. In fact, there’s one argument between the two of them where Sue’s manic and exhausted new-mom energy is so spot on, it unearthed a fear in me that I hadn’t felt since I was a new dad – one I could see Pascal’s face reflecting just as accurately.

Being a father of two, I really felt First Steps’ more or less on-the-nose parenting metaphors – especially the one involving the big bad. Galactus is coming to devour the entire world, but first he sends a messenger to let you know he’s on his way. That is basically pregnancy. A positive test, the first ultrasound – these are parental equivalent of the Silver Surfer riding through the atmosphere and saying, “Hey, heads up, your world is about to be devoured, time to get your affairs in order.” For nine months, all you can do is prepare for the worst and try to convince yourself that it’s not the end of life as you know it. First Steps puts Reed and Sue through both of these experiences – though one eternally hungry entity gives them more time to prep for his arrival than the other.

Rooting the story in something as basically human as becoming a parent is the smartest move Shakman and First Steps’ four credited screenwriters could’ve made, even if they’re less than subtle in doing so. And subtlety is not something this movie is terribly concerned with: The story is a little nuts, and the “world of tomorrow, today!” setting is bizarre, but they go out of their way to make excuses for it. But there’s some intention at play here: By using some zippy, early montages to set up a baseline outlandishness, First Steps preps us to not overthink the Fantastic Four’s ultimate plan to defeat Galactus – a plan that, in hindsight, doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny even by comic book standards.

Some of that has to do with the pace. First Steps zooms through its less-than-two-hour runtime with an energy that doesn’t allow you to stop and ask too many questions. Sometimes that can be a Band-Aid for sloppy filmmaking, but it can also be a savvy use of shorthand – fortunately, it’s more often the latter than the former with this movie. First Steps isn’t an origin story, and we don’t need it to be: If you don’t know that tale from the comics or the two previous movies that told variations on it, a little TV-show-within-the-movie will catch you up on it. The more impressive thing is, Shakman and the writers put a little faith in us to pick up what we need to and go with the flow – and they keep the flow moving quickly enough that we’re not bothered by mentions of Super-Apes, the underground kingdom of Subterranea, time dilation, or anything else we don’t quite get.

A lot of this movie works – in fact I’d say there’s nothing that’s actively or truly wrong with it. But there’s not a lot that stands out about it. What’s missing are those capital-M Moments that superhero movies need. I mean this on an emotional level: Nothing in First Steps had me on the verge of tears, happy or sad; nothing had me nervous for the survival of the folks on screen. But I also mean this on a technical level. The most heroic-looking shots are in the montages, not in the big climactic events of the film. As visually interesting as all the bubble cars and space-age architecture of Earth 828 is – not to mention the sheer scale of Galactus and his planet-grinding spacecraft – there’s a hair that I’ll split by saying I didn’t find it visually compelling. The actors are giving engaging performances in unique wardrobes on a slick looking set, but the camera isn’t doing much else to help.

There’s not a ton of action in this movie, either, which is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, focusing on introducing and fleshing out characters who’ll presumably be very important to the MCU moving forward is 100% the right call. But the action that’s there seems to leave some money on the table so to speak. I want my comic-book movies to at least have a couple great comic-book-worthy images in them. I want to see those really active frames that convey a ton of energy and emotion and leave an impression. First Steps just doesn’t have enough of that for my tastes.

I do want to shout out the score, though. Composer Michael Giacchino does a lot of the heavy lifting in one of the moments I actually would count as a hero shot. In the sequence where The Fantastic Four blast off to go negotiate with Galactus, there’s this wonderful, sweeping, heroic bit of music, while the rockets are firing, and it’s all smoke and fire and the majesty of slipping the bonds of gravity and soaring into the unknown, seeking adventure! But I got that bit of passion from the music, to be clear – not the visuals.

I went into The Fantastic Four: First Steps wanting it to do more for the broader MCU, and that’s why I think I’m a little disappointed with its specifics. It’s impossible not to consider its place within the entire 37-movie, 14-Disney+-series (and counting) franchise and the heralding of what Marvel hopes will be two world-devouring capstones to Phase 6 in the form of Doomsday and Secret Wars. I’ve been thinking a lot about Thor: Ragnarok, and how the destruction of Asgard was such a propulsive force to the story – the momentum in the build up to Infinity War. It gave Thor, a franchise cornerstone, more than just an eyepatch to move forward with. It was loaded with stakes. They blew up a whole realm for Odin’s sake. That’s what I wanted for the Fantastic Four. “Blow up planets or get the f*** out!” is something I actually said, less than a week ago.

What I got instead was a much quieter family drama, completely unconcerned with moving the MCU ball forward. It does exactly the thing I was preemptively mad about – and yet I can’t be completely angry with it. Beyond its obligations to the constellation of movies and shows around it, this is a solid foundation on which to (re-)introduce Marvel’s first family. Wherever they go from here, it’ll be on to bigger and better things.

Magic: The Gathering x Sonic The Hedgehog is finally here, but it’s also gone in a flash, just like its namesake. At the time of writing, the “Sonic Superdrop” is down to low stock across the board, with items selling out pretty swiftly. Boo!

Still, they do join a long line of Secret Lair drops that can be found on the secondary market, just like Final Fantasy before it. Still, you can expect to pay a significant markup, so keep that in mind before you decide to empty that bag of gold rings for these cards.

At the time of writing, only the Friends and Foes set is available from Wizards of the Coast, meaning you've not got long to claim either the Foil or Non-Foil variant at $49.99 or $39.99, respectively.

Every Sonic x Secret Lair Drop and Where to Buy Them

As we’ve already mentioned, you can expect to pay a lot more for any of these sets compared to buying directly via Wizards of the Coast (standard $30-40 nonfoil, $40-50 rainbow foil), with most being listed anywhere between $70-$150 or above right now.

That’s sadly just part of the supply and demand of sellers offering limited-time bundles right after WOTC has sold out.

Will the prices drop in the coming weeks? It’s hard to say, 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.

Not only are they secure and trustworthy, but their sellers do tend to adjust to the market, whereas some stores will still be charging markups for months and maybe years to come.

There are three sets of Sonic x Secret Lair cards, with Foil variants of each, but you can also buy a ‘Sonic 100% Complete Bundle’ that includes everything.

That comes in Foil and Non-Foil versions, too.

Friends and Foes:

Today's a big day for Switch fans. Not only are there some great Switch 2 accessory deals to check out, but the Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle are back in stock at Target. If you haven't been able to get your hands on a console yet, now is your chance. And if you've already got one, we've gathered up some of the best Switch 2 deals here that have crossed our radar lately. These range from sturdy carrying cases to keep your new Switch stored in, to screen protectors and a selection of accessories to stock up on.

If you're in the Switch shopping mood, now is a good time to pick up some of these items with great discounts available. Alongside details on the Target Switch 2 restock, you can check out our favorite Switch 2 deals at the moment below.

TL;DR - The Best Nintendo Switch 2 Deals

Nintendo Switch 2 and Mario Kart World Bundle Are in Stock at Target

Save on the SanDisk 512GB GamePLAY microSD Express Card

Switch 2 Carrying Case Deals

If you're planning on taking your Switch 2 out on any trips or adventures you have planned this summer, a carrying case is a very wise investment. Thankfully, there are plenty of great deals to check out right now on a variety of different case styles, whether you want something slimmer or with a very sturdy build. We're particularly fond of the tomtoc slim carrying case, which is discounted right now.

Best Switch 2 Screen Protector Deals

Once you've picked up your new Switch 2, it's important to find some extra protection for it. Screen protectors are a worthy investment and, thankfully, there are plenty of deals available right now. Even though these items are usually pretty affordable on their own, the discounts are a nice little treat to take advantage of while they're available.

Switch 2 Accessory Deals

If you've picked up your Switch 2 console and are now on the hunt for some accessories, there are a few deals worth checking out right now. From thumb grips to a protective case that can be wrapped around your Switch 2 in handheld mode, we've included some of our favorite deals above that are available at the moment.

Best Switch 2 Power Bank Deals

And lastly in our list of Nintendo Switch 2 deals for right now, you'll want to make sure you've got plenty of power to keep you going once you start playing on your new console. If you've been looking for a new power bank to have for when you're on-the-go, we've included a few great deals above that are worth checking out.

Where to Buy Official Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories

If official Nintendo Switch 2 accessories have been on your radar, we've included where you can buy those as well. Some of these have been going out of stock quick, though, so if something that catches your eye is still in stock you'll want to be quick to scoop it up while it's still available.

Where to Buy Nintendo Switch 2 Games

Most importantly: the games. If you're looking to fill up your Switch 2 library with some brand new games, or Nintendo Switch 2 editions of your favorites, we've included a wide variety of Switch 2 games that are available to buy above. Again, be quick to grab your favorites while they're still in stock.

Where to Buy Nintendo Switch 2