Modder “SkyBorik” has released a cool new mod for Fallout 4 that many audio fans will love. This mod adds higher-quality voices with less compression, so the characters sound clearer. It’s a great mod for anyone still playing Fallout 4. Going into more details, the PS4 version of the game featured better sound quality as … Continue reading Fallout 4 now has higher-quality voices with less audio compression→
Codes for The Forge will grant you additional rerolls if RNG isn't on your side and you don't get one of the best classes on your initial rerolls. In this RPG Roblox experience, you'll be able to play as a human, goblin, dragonborn, and more. Each race has its unique perks, influencing stats such as health, damage, attack power, and more.
It's no surprise that The Forge focuses heavily on mining. The core gameplay centers around mining for ores, in the hopes of finding rare ores to forge powerful weapons and armor. You'll then throw those ores into a forge, where the blend of resources you use allows you to make items with special traits and designs.
Working The Forge Codes (December 2025)
Want to know how to get rerolls for The Forge? Use these currently active codes:
FORGE2M - 10x Rerolls, 1x Miner Totem I (NEW)
SORRYFORBUGS - 10x Rerolls
XMAS! - 5x Rerolls
Expired The Forge Codes (December 2025)
These codes have now expired and can no longer be used:
SORRYFORDELAY
HEART
FORG!
FREESPINS
PEAK!
400K!
SORRYFORSHUTDOWN
100KLIKES
300K!
200K!
100K!
40KLIKES
20KLIKES
15KLIKES
10KLIKES
5KLIKES
BETARELEASE!
POSTRELEASEQNA
RELEASE
Roblox Gift Ideas
How to Use The Forge Codes
Ready to redeem the codes above? Here's what you need to do:
Open the Settings menu in the top left corner of the screen.
Scroll down to the bottom of Settings to find the Codes bar
Copy the code from this article
Enter the code into the "Type Here" bar
Press claim
Why Isn't My Code for The Forge Working?
When a code doesn't work for The Forge, it's usually because of two reasons:
The code for The Forge has expired
There's a spelling mistake or an additional space in the code
Codes for Roblox experiences are typically case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you've got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they're working. Just double-check that you haven't copied over an extra space!
How to Get More Codes for The Forge
We regularly check and test new codes for popular Roblox experiences, so the best way to get more codes for The Forge is to visit this article. But if you want to mine for codes yourself, then the Discord server for The Forge is the best place to go.
When Is the Next Update or Event for The Forge?
The Winter Expansion - Part I launched in The Forge on Thursday, December 25. This introduced the new Frostspire Expanse region filled with new enemies, ores, and more. This update also added new weapons, armor, and a Christmas event. Aside from weekend events that bring boosts, the next update is currently unknown.
Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.
Stranger Things is suffering from review bombing after its latest Season 5 episode met with lower audience scores than the Netflix series has typically seen. But some fans are striking back with 5-star reviews in a bid to reverse the trend.
Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 follow:
While the fifth and final season of Stranger Things has sparked complaints from some fans about the exposition-heavy writing, the varying quality of the actor's performances, and the plot armor some of their characters seemingly enjoy, Episode 7, called ‘The Bridge,’ has become the focal point of a vociferous debate that has spilled over into review aggregate websites.
Will Byers' coming out scene appears to have fueled the review bombing. In it, Will, played by Noah Schnapp, issues a lengthy monologue in which he tells a gathering of characters that he “doesn’t like girls.” The scene, which takes place as supervillain Vecna applies the finishing touches to his masterplan for world domination, ends with an emotional Will comforted by his friends.
One of the 1/10 IMDb user reviews declared Will’s coming out scene as “the worst thing I've ever witnessed in film history and that's saying something, because I've adored god-awful movies and shows.” “Worst episode ever,” complained another viewer. “Stranger Things seriously disappointed me with how it handled Will's storyline and it honestly made me angry. After seasons of careful buildup, emotional trauma, and quiet character development, the show suddenly made Will explain his feelings in a way that felt forced and unnecessary, like the writers stopped trusting the audience to understand subtle storytelling. Instead of exploring his deep pain from being possessed, ignored, and emotionally left behind, they reduced his entire arc to one blunt moment and moved on as if nothing else about him mattered. It felt lazy, rushed, and poorly written, more like a checklist decision than real character growth. Will deserved a thoughtful, meaningful storyline, not something that stripped away his depth and turned years of buildup into a shallow and frustrating reveal.”
Stranger Things is now the setting of a review bomb battle, which is playing out across aggregation websites as groups of fans attempting to combat those 1/10 and 1-star reviews with super positive reviews of their own.
“Don't believe the review bombers,” reads one 10/10 user review on IMDb. “There are many who will say that the coming out scene was unnecessary, but when have the Duffer Brothers ever put something in that won't be followed up on? It will come up in the finale, TRUST. Not only did they spell out why Will needed to come out, they gave his moment the gravity it deserved. The fact that so many are angry about that (and done call it unrealistic about a show full of monsters and other worlds) really makes me wonder about the fan base of this show.”
“Great show. For the nerds,” reads one 5-star review on Rotten Tomatoes. “For those who can manage their expectations and enjoy the world of Stranger Things. Two or three scenes that could have been paced or placed better does not undo the entire series. People need to chill and stop expecting perfection.”
From another 5-star review: “If you put your phone down and actually watch and listen — you would like 90% of episodes (it still has some problems but they are not that deep) The whole story is literally described for the audience to understand (and they still complain about it though they don’t get the easiest hints there without it). Don’t read reviews, don’t rely on it — just watch (really watch) and make up your own mind.”
And another response to the review bombing in the form of a 5-star review: “People are review bombing this for no reason other than they can’t handle character development and character arcs without gory slaughter. If you want to watch GOT, go watch GOT. Season 5 has wrapped up so many stories beautifully and we have learned so much about the upside down with great action and emotional scenes. The acting is incredible, especially from Caleb McLaughlin, Sadie Sink, and Gaten Matarazzo.”
Meanwhile, some have suggested the review bombing prompted by Will's coming out scene is about homophobia, not the quality of the writing or acting. And, following that, some critics say they shouldn’t be immediately accused of homophobia for simply having problems with the writing of Season 5 and Noah’s coming out scene.
Despite the review bombing, Stranger Things Season 5 has enjoyed huge interest so far. Seasons 1-4 have garnered more than 1.2 billion views on Netflix to date, and in just four weeks, Season 5 Vol. 1 reached 102.6 million views globally.
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.
In recent years, Square Enix has made quite an effort to remaster or remake some of its most beloved games and bring them to modern platforms. We've seen the incredible Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, and Final Fantasy Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles in 2025 alone!
However, one game that continues to be left out of that conversation is Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster, which released alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 in June. If you're a recent Switch 2 owner and are looking for a new RPG to play, look no further than the fantastic game that is Bravely Default.
Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster for $29.99
Amazon has discounted Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster to $29.99 with a limited-time deal, which marks the lowest we've seen this game to date. Originally released in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS, Bravely Default follows four heroes across the world of Luxendarc as they attempt to reclaim the world's four crystals.
Bravely Default is a fascinating game for many reasons. It initially was set to be a Final Fantasy game, but it shifted mid-development into its own game despite retaining key elements of the series. Revo, best known for his work as Linked Horizon for Attack on Titan, composed the soundtrack, which is still, to this day, an incredible RPG soundtrack.
The remaster brought new minigames, a refreshed UI, and other solid quality-of-life features like fast-forward, encounter rate adjustments, and more. While this is unfortunately a Game-Key Card, the download is only 11GB, so you will not need much space available on your Switch 2 to download this one. This is one of the best Switch 2 games you can buy right now, so don't miss out on this deal.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
Ever since digital streaming was introduced as an alternative to cable, companies like Disney, Warner Bros, Netflix, and Amazon have been finding new ways to "revolutionize" monthly subscriptions, which has more or less come right back around to the concept of cable. (Only now every "channel" requires its own login and password, and costs at least $10 a month.) As the streaming service war wages on with constant changes, mergers and acquisitions, "bundles" are becoming more common as more streaming services are created, and some of these have gotten creative with including both digital and physical services.
The ability to combine multiple networks and major streaming platforms into a single subscription is becoming simpler than ever (thankfully) and gives better savings over subscribing individually to every service you'd want. Depending on your needs as a subscriber and your interests as a streamer and/or online shopper, the options available should tick many of your boxes. Check out our picks below for the best streaming bundles in 2025 to help you save on your streaming bill.
Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle – $19.99/month (with ads)
The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle launched last year, and was immediately a standout deal with pricing starting at $19.99/month for an ad-supported tier. Going ad-free on all three platforms bumped up the price to $32.99/month following price hikes across its subscription plans. Because these price increases also affect all of the individual subscriptions, this bundle still leads to around the same amount in savings, and as such is still one of the overall best deals in streaming.
This bundle also include Hulu, which is home to hit original series (The Bear, Shōgun) and documentaries (Minding the Gap, Flee, Enemies of the State), plus its library of movies and licensed shows from networks like FX, ABC, and Fox.
With the addition of HBO Max, subscribers also get access to that arsenal of HBO shows and Max exclusives (The White Lotus, The Last of Us, Game of Thrones) and movies (which includes Ghibli films and and all things DC). You'll also get access to shows from HGTV and other Discovery channels since the Discovery+ merger a few years back. Though unfortunately this bundle pricing does not allow for streaming HBO Max in 4K.
The newest entry on the list, Peacock and Apple TV just launched their first ever bundle in this joint offering. The bundle announcement follows recent price hikes on both standalone subscription: Peacock launched a new spread of subscription tiers in July, while Apple TV increased its sole membership plan from $9.99/month to $12.99/month in August.
Now, you can get both subscription services for $14.99/month with ads on Peacock, or $19.99/month to go ad-free. The ad-supported bundle offers around 35% in monthly savings, while the Premium plan saves you upwards of 40%.
Apple TV is, naturally, the exclusive streaming home for Apple originals like Silo, For All Mankind, and Severance. Meanwhile, Peacock is a top pick for more casual watching, with a solid slate of sitcoms like The Office and Parks and Rec, as well as reality shows like Love Island Games. Between the two, you'll get a library worth binge-watching as well as a surprising amount of live sports.
Xfinity Streamsaver – $15/month
For those that are already Xfinity internet and/or Xfinity TV subscribers, Xfinity StreamSaver is a fantastic way to make the most of your internet and TV bill with an exclusive bundle option. It's also worth noting that this is the only way to get bundle pricing on Netflix.
For the price of $15 per month, subscribers gain access to premium streaming platforms including Apple TV+ (home to Severance, Ted Lasso, Masters of the Air, Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon), Netflix Standard with ads (home to Stranger Things, The Witcher, Wednesday, Squid Game), and Peacock Premium with ads (home to The Continental, Twisted Metal, Bupkis).
Other bundle options that range in higher prices offer access to live sports, live TV channels, and DVR options accessible through multiple devices at once. Though it's worth noting that you will not get Netflix in 4K with the standard with ads plan.
Walmart+ with Paramount+ or Peacock - $12.95/month
One of the newer, more resourceful subscription bundles, a subscription to Walmart+ automatically grants the customer free access to the Paramount+ digital streaming library or Peacock premium. Paramount+ is home to popular franchises like the Star Trek Universe and Sonic the Hedgehog as well as Showtime originals (Yellowjackets). It's also where you can stream all of the Mission Impossible movies, including the Final Reckoning when it comes out.
Similar to Amazon Prime Video, Walmart+ has bundled a digital streaming service with a shopping option that mixes digital and physical in a creative way. With a standard Walmart+ membership, users have access to multiple shopping benefits such as: free delivery on almost all items, no order minimums, fuel savings, auto care, exclusive early access to sales events, and free item returns from home. If you're looking for a decent alternative to an Amazon Prime membership, this is your best bet.
For users that are interested in further streaming add-ons through Walmart+, for an additional $6.49/month they will have access to the Showtime streaming library as well.
Amazon Prime Membership - $14.99/month
One of the earliest adopters in the streaming industry alongside Netflix and Hulu, Amazon Prime Video has become a staple of the streaming world.
With access to an Amazon Prime Video subscription, viewers have exclusive access to blockbuster films and Amazon original movies (Road House, Red One) and series (Invincible, The Boys, Fallout, The Rings of Power). On top of that, it has a multitude of add-on options (Paramount+, Starz, Max, AMC+, MGM+, BritBox, Shudder, Crunchyroll, Apple TV+) that will alter your subscription fee based on the pricing of each add-on.
For the $14.99 bundle, also known as an Amazon Prime membership, subscribers automatically gain access to Amazon Prime shopping services that include free two-day shipping on select items, free same-day delivery in eligible zip codes, and free no-rush shipping that will earn rewards toward future purchases. You will also get access to exclusive discounts during Amazon Prime Day and other sales events.
For subscribers who are not interested in including Amazon Prime in their Amazon bundle, they can exclude it and only subscribe to Prime Video for $8.99/month.
DirecTV Stream - $79.99/month
Youll definitely notice one major difference between the previous choices and this one: the jump in price when looking at DirecTV Stream.
While this may intimidate some shoppers, the price to reward ratio is well-balanced. For the mentioned price above, users will have access to the Entertainment Bundle, which includes top-viewed channels (Fox News, ESPN, Univision, MSNBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, and 90+ others), 60,000+ movies/shows on demand, local channels, and free access to three months of premium streaming service channels (Max, Paramount+ with Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, and MGM+). Right now, for example, DirecTV is one of the only streaming services that lets you access all of the live sports you want to watch, and is generally the best streaming service for watching NBA games (including the NBA finals)
Three alternative but even more expensive bundles include unlimited access to live sports, additional channels to stream, and an increased amount of on demand movies/shows. For any of these packages, you can get access to the DirecTV free trial to try out the service for five days.
Hulu + Live TV - $89.99/month (currently $64.99/month for new subscribers)
If you're looking for an alternative to the Disney streaming bundle above, Hulu + Live TV is a great option. It the popular Hulu streaming service with a live TV package that features over 95 channels. Plus, it includes a Disney bundle in its monthly cost, a service that would typically set you back $16.99 per month. So in addition to more the live TV, you'll also get the base Hulu (with ads), Disney+ (with ads) and ESPN Unlimited (with ads) making it one of the best ways to stream NFL and NBA games live.
Hulu + Live TV is currently offering a limited-time discount for new subscribers, dropping the monthly cost from $89.99 to $64.99 for your first three months. The deal is available until November 28. There's also a three-day free trial of Hulu + Live TV that lets you test out one of the best live TV services for free before having to commit to a monthly subscription.
Crunchyroll Premium – $12/Month
Although it may not seem like a bundle at first glance, the Crunchyroll Premium tiers actually do offer more than just anime. Sure, it's the best anime streaming site, but you also get the Crunchyroll Game Vault that lets you play a variety of popular anime games for free. The Game Vault only comes with a Mega Fan or Ultimate Subscription, but both of those will also gain you discounts at the Crunchyroll store. Crunchyroll has also brought back its Black Friday streaming deal for the holidays, knocking $20 off annual Mega Fan plans.
Streaming Bundle FAQs
What's the best streaming bundle for live sports?
ESPN Unlimited has now appeared on the scene, and Disney+ was quick to launch a bundle to accompany it. A special offer has made the ESPN Unlimited bundle with ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions just $29.99/month. With ESPN Unlimited, you'll get access to all of ESPN's linear networks, which host the likes of the NFL, NBA, and more. If you're considering the new service, I'd look into the full Hulu + Live TV subscription, which includes ESPN Unlimited and offers a three-day free trial.
If you're someone who doesn't want to miss a single game, a more comprehensive option is DirecTV Stream. The base price for a DirecTV Stream plan is $79.99/month, but the incredible streaming options for a sports package inclusion starts at $98.99/month for the 'Choice' bundle, and $109.99/month for the 'Ultimate' bundle, all include regional sports networks and on demand streaming options for sports.
Another alternative is fubo, which also includes a free trial for new subscribers. fuboTV and Disney recently struck a deal to combine services, so this alternative may become the best option once that merger finishes.
What streaming services have free trials?
If you want to test out any of the streaming services on this list before comitting to a bundle, there are a few streaming service free trials you can take advantage of. Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and DirecTV Stream all offer some sort of free trial for new subscribers.
With the New Year comes new goals, and (hopefully) new travel plans in 2026. Whether you’re planning sunny vacations abroad, or planning an epic getaway with friends, you’ll want to stay connected. The easiest way to do that is with an eSIM, and Roamless is one of the most user-friendly options available.
With the Roamless eSIM, you can enjoy access to cellphone data in over 200 countries without the hassle of swapping SIM cards, complicated setup, and hidden fees. An app allows you to select plans, be it pay-as-you-go data and/or 30-day prepaid plans tailored to a specific country or region, for ultimate flexibility.
Starting at just $1.25/GB, pricing is affordable and considerably less expensive than international roaming charges with traditional plans. You even receive a $1.25 credit when you sign up, and IGN has a special code to use at checkout, IGNSAVE20, which gives you 20% off plans sitewide. This offer expires on 12/31, so act soon!
Get 20% Off Travel eSIM Plans at Roamless
Once the Roamless eSIM is activated, you can use your own cellphone like normal, sans traditional texts and calls. From maps to navigate a foreign city to social media apps to share your travels, Roamless makes that possible across the globe. Additionally, rather than relying on apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Facebook Messenger, Roamless is one of the few eSIM providers to offer in-app calling, allowing users to dial an actual phone number.
Even if you don’t have any big travel plans yet, you can buy data now to use on a 2026 sojourn. IGN’s 20% off code will expire at midnight as we ring in the New Year, so grab this offer before it’s gone.
What is an eSIM?
Rather than relying on a physical card being placed into your smartphone, an eSIM, or embedded SIM, is a digital alternative used for a cellphone plan that can be programmed from anywhere. That means swapping carriers and plans can be done remotely. When using a global eSIM for travel, such as Roamless, simply install it on your phone and purchase a plan or data. Then, when you reach your destination, you turn it on in your phone settings. I used an global eSIM plan during a trip to Scotland this year and can attest to how seamless they are to use. Just note that most global eSIMs will not allow you to use your home plan's number.
Give, or better yet, treat yourself to the gift of clean floors in the new year with a brand-new robot vacuum. These machines have come a long way from bumping into furniture and suctioning up socks while attempting to clean up your space. Now, you’ll find options that navigate your home with ease, mop, self-empty, and more for a truly hands-free clean. The vacuum brand Narwal is an innovator in the space, developing some incredible robot vacuums, some of which I’ve even been lucky enough to test out myself.
The Narwal Freo S Vac and Mop Combo is Under $300 at Amazon
Right now, you can save 20% off the MSRP for the best budget pick robot vac and mop combo from Narwal, the Freo S. This one (like others with higher price tags) is ready to tackle pet hair and multi-floor homes. It also offers self-emptying dust bins, which stores debris for up to 180 days, so you can let it run the show with minimum effort needed on your end.
For a robot vacuum that does it all, the brand-new Narwal Flow is what you want. Not only does it offer impressive 22,000 Pa suction, reliable AI obstacle avoidance, and a self-emptying base station, but the Flow also comes with a track mop. While cleaning, that mop cleans itself in real-time with hot, fresh water. As someone who has tested numerous robot vacuums, it’s a truly unique feature that’s sure to deliver a better clean.
High-end pick: Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra --> See on Amazon
While you might not get the real-time, self-cleaning mop, theNarwal Freo Z10 Ultra still delivers a top-notch clean thanks to ample smart features and powerful suction. Dual RGB cameras ensure it navigates your house with ease, avoiding anything that might cross its path. Mopping is still available with dual spinning heads that can reach edges and corners. There’s even hot water mop washing and drying in the base station.
Mid-Range pick: Narwal Freo X10 Pro --> See on Amazon
The Freo X10 Prois a more affordable mid-range robot vacuum. It offers everything that Freo Z10 Ultra has, albeit in a more toned-down way. Still, the base station, which self empties and cleans the mops, makes for a hands-free clean, and an anti-tangle brush is ideal for combating pet hair.
Stick Vac pick: Narwal S30 Wet & Dry Vacuum with 20,000Pa Suction --> See on Amazon
Narwal offers more than just robot vacuums; it has a lineup of awesome wet-dry vacuums that simultaneously mop and vacuum the floor. If you're looking to have some control over your cleaning, the Narwal wet and dry stick vacuum is an excellent choice. It offers heated drying, incredible suction power, and tangle-free dual-layer combing. Clip the Amazon coupon to get a discounted price on it right now for just $350 (usually $450).
If you or someone on your list is after the cleanest floors out there, now's the time to buy a vacuum; chances are good you won't see savings this big again until Prime Day.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
LG is preparing to debut three new flagship 5K UltraGear gaming monitors, including one with a true 5K resolution. The company has announced that during CES 2026 next month, it will show off the monitors, two of which are 39-inch and 52-inch 5K2K ultrawides, while the third is a 27-inch MiniLED flat panel display.
Because we're heading into the year 2026, there's a big AI component shared by the new 27-inch and 39-inch monitors: built-in AI upscaling. The company pitches this as a way to get higher-res graphics without upgrading your GPU, but I'll eat my hat if it's anywhere near the quality of tech like Nvidia's DLSS 4 or AMD's latest version of FSR.
Let's talk about the UltraGear GM9 (27GM950B) first. This 27-inch monitor's standard 5K resolution (presumably 5,120 x 2,880) should mean more densely-packed pixels and sharper text, like the LG 5K UltraFine of old. If you've ever seen a 5K retina iMac display, which used LG-made panels, that's kind of what this is, but maybe better. The company says the new display has 2,304 local dimming zones and high 1,250-nit peak brightness, which should mean near-OLED contrast and great HDR performance. It ought to be great for regular office work or content consumption, and may even compete with IGN's favorite gaming monitors, thanks to a 165Hz refresh rate when at 5K resolution and up to 330Hz refresh rate at QHD resolution.
Next up is the new 39-inch GX9 (39GX950B), effectively an upgraded version of the existing WQHD 39-inch GX9. The difference is that the new model gets a higher resolution, at 5K2K (LG doesn't list the pixel count but in the past, that has meant 5120 x 2160). It also has a deeper 1500R curve compared to the GX9's 800R. At a wide FHD resolution, it can reach a 330Hz refresh rate, while at 5K2K it can get up to 165Hz.
Then there's the egregiously wide UltraGear Evo 52-inch G9 (52G930B). Like the GX9, it's got a 5K2K resolution, but, unlike that display, it won't feature built-in AI upscaling, is limited to a 240Hz refresh rate, and has a shallower 1000R curve, and has neither an OLED or miniLED panel, at least as far as LG has revealed. The company writes that the G9 "features the vertical viewing height of a standard 42-inch 16:9 display, stretching horizontally for an expansive 12:9 panoramic view."
I’m guessing that last bit is a goof, since 5K2K resolution would be closer to 21:9. 12:9 is the same as 4:3, and based on both LG’s image above and common sense, I seriously doubt this thing has the aspect ratio of the old Sanyo CRT TV I used to play my GameCube on. (Then again, I’d love the absurdity of plopping a curved, 52-inch-wide 4:3 display on my desk.) We’ve reached out to LG for clarification on this, and we’ll update as soon as we hear back. But for now, it looks like it’s actually a 21:9 display.
LG didn't go beyond the headlining specs, so things like port count, VESA mountability, or whether these displays have built-in speakers remain a mystery. The company also didn't reveal prices or release dates.
Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.
We're in post-Christmas deals territory, which is a surprisingly good time to shop. Off the rip, we're seeing new price drops on pre-built gaming PCs, which are becoming all the more popular given the recent price increases on RAM alone.
Amazon has also bumped up its Pokémon TCG stock this holiday, but is anything worth buying? Of course it’s not. Well, there’s a handful of deals to be had, but the independent retailer army that makes up TCGPlayer is leading the way with the majority of the best prices on both the new and secondary market.
TL;DR: Top Deals for Today
Skytech has dropped some cracking deals on a range of their prebuilt gaming PCs before New Year's Day, and we’re seeing RTX 5070 Ti builds for under $2,000 and RTX 5080 builds for under $2,800. Crazy scenes, let’s get into it.
iPhone 16e Offer From Metro by T-Mobile
Cheapest at Amazon: Pokémon TCG
It’s great to see popular sets like Surging Sparks and Phantasmal Flames Elite Trainer Boxes crop up for less on Amazon, with the former being below market value alongside the Destined Rivals triple booster.
Cheapest at TCGPlayer: Pokémon TCG
It’s strange to see Silver Tempest sealed product showing up on Amazon right now. Perhaps we’ll see more Sword & Shield-era reprints on store shelves? Regardless, TCGPlayer has the Silver Tempest Elite Trainer Box for far less than Amazon, and the same goes for the Prismatic Evolutions ETB.
TCGPlayer also has the best deal on Destined Rivals Booster Bundles, currently sitting at $52.50. That means you get double the booster packs compared to the three-pack booster deal in the last section for less than double the price. TCGPlayer really has the no-brainer deals right now.
Save Up to $460 on Top-Rated Narwal Robot and Mop Vac
Skytech Gaming PC Holiday Sale
Considering we’ve just entered a memory chip shortage across the board, with even DDR4 RAM going for silly money, getting an RTX 5060 build with 32GB DDR4 for $1,079 is a great deal. You’ll have solid 1080p gaming with either an Intel i5-14400F or AMD Ryzen 7 5700 processor to boot. Personally, I’d go for the Crystal build. It costs the same and gives you far more room for bigger GPU upgrades down the line.
If you’re looking to go all-in with 4K gaming out of the box for under $3,000, the $2,799.99 Aqua build comes with a gorgeous clear white and blue case, complete with CPU liquid cooling, an RTX 5080, 32GB DDR5, and the absolute beast that is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Whether it’s Snake’s elevator ascent to the rainy cliffs of Shadow Moses or the climactic battle between student and mentor in the final moments of Snake Eater, Hideo Kojima and Konami’s epic spy thriller franchise, Metal Gear, is home to some of gaming’s most iconic moments. Telling a story that spanned multiple console generations and pushed the creative capabilities of video games to their limits, Solid Snake and Big Boss’ adventures are legendary, so much so that many claim they’re among the most important releases the medium has ever produced.
Back in 2015, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain seemingly ended the franchise for good, with Kojima leaving Konami and the Metal Gear Solid IP behind to form his own studio. However, Konami has started resurrecting the series through re-releases and remakes, like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater coming out later this year. With so many new players experiencing this world of undercover espionage, shady government conspiracy and gruff-voiced dudes with cool eyepatches for the first time, we’ve laid out the chronological order of the Metal Gear Solid series so newcomers and returning fans can catch up.
Not including remakes, ports or remasters, there are 17 total Metal Gear games: 11 mainline games, five on handheld devices and one on mobile. Although that’s a lot of games, a decent chunk of them are considered non-canon, with their stories overriding events from the main saga and spinning off into their own unique takes on the universe.
2018’s Metal Gear Survive takes place in an apocalyptic reality where a zombie virus has overtaken the world, so it falls outside the main canon. As for the PSP’s Metal Gear: Acid and Metal Gear: Acid 2, they veer from the timeline and tell a new story, making them alternate-timeline spin-offs. Then there’s the Game Boy Color’s Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, which is an alternate-universe Metal Gear sequel that wipes away the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, thus removing it from the timeline. And finally, Metal Gear Mobile and Snake’s Revenge have since been deemed non-canon by the community and Kojima himself in interviews.
That leaves 11 games within the main storyline. Each game is considered part of the true Metal Gear Saga, spanning from a fictional alternate-history 1960s to the late 2010s. So, let’s run you through all the games in that story.
Which Metal Gear Should You Play First?
We recommend two potential starting points for Metal Gear. For those interested in the complete saga, we recommend 2023's Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, which includes the best available versions of Metal Gear Solid 1–3. Alternatively, for those interested in simply trying out the franchise (and for those with a lower tolerance for older games), we recommend starting with the series' most contemporary iteration, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Metal Gear Games in Chronological Order
These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.
1. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
The first slot in the saga’s timeline and the most recent game to get a modern remake, Snake Eater follows a US Special Forces operative codenamed Naked Snake during the events of the Cold War. Sent to locate and extract a Russian scientist from the Soviet Union to prevent him from building a weapon of mass destruction known as the Shagohod, Snake’s shocked to find his former mentor, The Boss, has betrayed the US government and sided with the Soviets.
After a heated battle, Naked Snake is brutally defeated and left for dead in the jungle. Surviving the encounter, he’s tasked by his commanding officer, Zero, to return to Russia, find his mentor and kill her, all the while tracking down the Shagohod to prevent nuclear war. By the end of the story, Naked Snake adopts the moniker of Big Boss, becoming a legend among the US Special Forces. However, his battle with The Boss and the secrets he’s uncovered throughout his adventure leave him disillusioned with his duty and the government he serves.
Set six years after Big Boss’ climactic battle with his former mentor, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops picks up the legendary soldier’s story as he goes head to head with his former squad, FOX Unit. The game begins with Big Boss learning FOX has gone rogue, betraying the CIA and staging a revolt.
Captured and tortured on a Colombian base by FOX Unit, Boss breaks free but learns he’s been accused of treason. In a bid to clear his name, he decides to hunt down his former allies and pursue their ruthless leader, Gene. By the end of the game, Big Boss learns of Gene’s desire to create a nation of mercenary soldiers known as Army’s Heaven and acquires the mass of funds and equipment saved for the project. Returning to the US, he later forms a squadron of special ops soldiers known as FOXHOUND.
Four years after the events of Portable Ops, we catch up with Big Boss, who has left FOXHOUND and the Patriots. Since leaving, he’s formed a new band of mercenary soldiers known as Militaires Sans Frontières (or MSF) with Kazuhira Miller. Using their newfound army to protect countries that don’t have the forces or means to defend themselves, Big Boss and Miller wage war against an armed militia known as the Peace Sentinels after they invade Costa Rica.
During his investigation, Big Boss soon realizes that his former mentor, The Boss, is somehow involved in the Peace Sentinels' plans. Worse, they have access to nuclear weapons, wielding a supremely powerful mech called the Peace Walker. Rallying on an off-shore oil rig known as Motherbase, Snake and the Militaires Sans Frontières take the fight to the Peace Sentinels, attempting to discover their true motive and secrets. The game ends with Big Boss battling his former ally Paz, who turns out to be a secret agent of Zero’s shady government organization, Cipher.
A few months following the events of Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes acts as a prologue to the fifth entry in the Metal Gear Solid series: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The story sees Big Boss embark on a new mission after learning that Paz survived their climactic battle during the final moments of Peace Walker and is being interrogated by Cipher at a mysterious military base known as Camp Omega. Knowing that she has crucial information about Cipher and could reveal secrets about MSF to the shadowy organization, he rushes to extract her.
While infiltrating the base, he discovers a mysterious Cipher cell known as XOF, which is led by a sadistic, severely burned commander called Skull Face. The prologue ends with Snake extracting Paz only to realize his allies are being attacked by the XOF back at Motherbase. The onslaught destroys the oil rig and eradicates Militaires Sans Frontières, leaving Big Boss on the cusp of death.
Nine years later, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain opens with a severely injured Big Boss waking up in a hospital in Cyprus. Evading an assassination attempt where he’s attacked by a man covered in flames, a telekinetic soldier and a master sniper, Boss is saved by Revolver Ocelot and returns to action as he leads a new mercenary group known as the Diamond Dogs.
Swearing to stop the XOF after they destroyed Militaires Sans Frontières, he adopts the codename Venom Snake and heads to Africa to pick up their trail, learning that the former-Cipher-affiliated group went rogue. Their leader, Skull Face, is instead working on a devastating parasitic weapon with the power to eradicate the Western world. The game ends with Big Boss setting in motion his plans to create a military nation known as Outer Heaven, where soldiers are free to live without being used to further shady government plans.
11 years later, the story catches up with the first entry in the series: Metal Gear. The game follows Solid Snake: a rookie soldier and member of FOXHOUND. FOXHOUND is once again run by Big Boss, who acts as Snake’s mentor and commanding officer. On his first mission, Solid Snake is sent to track down a weapon of mass destruction being constructed in a military nation known as Outer Heaven.
During his mission, he finds another agent codenamed Grey Fox, who was also sent to track the weapon. Grey Fox reveals the mysterious weapon is a mech codenamed Metal Gear, which has the power to launch nuclear bombs. The game ends with Solid Snake and Big Boss coming to blows, with the latter revealing he was behind Outer Heaven's plans.
Four years later, Solid Snake returns to action after he learns Big Boss survived the events of the previous game and is currently constructing a new Metal Gear for the fictional nation of Zanzibar Land.
Teaming with various characters, Snake infiltrates Zanzibar Land and attempts to destroy the weapon of mass destruction, battling Big Boss and his army of soldiers along the way.
Six years after Metal Gear 2, Solid Snake returns in a new mission. This time he’s sent to battle his former unit, FOXHOUND, which has gone rogue, turned against the US and taken over a mysterious government facility on an island known as Shadow Moses. Shadow Moses is allegedly a test site for a secret Metal Gear, with FOXHOUND threatening to use its nuclear weapons if they aren’t supplied with Big Boss’ corpse and a large sum of money.
Snake heads to the facility and fights various members of FOXHOUND, including Revolver Ocelot, Psycho Mantis and a Cyborg version of his former ally, Greyfox. He also meets the eccentric leader of FOXHOUND, Liquid Snake. The game ends with Snake being declared killed-in-action by Colonel Campbell and presumed dead by the government after they intended to double-cross him. He flees Shadow Moses alive.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty opens two years later, with a now-rogue Solid Snake infiltrating an oil tanker while hunting down a new Metal Gear being transported to the US. There he discovers a prototype Metal Gear known as Metal Gear Ray, which is subsequently stolen by Revolver Ocelot. Ocelot sinks the tanker and escapes, while Snake is blamed for the tanker’s destruction.
Two years later, we shift to a new protagonist: Raiden. An agent of FOXHOUND, Raiden is sent on a mission to an off-shore decontamination facility known as Big Shell, which was constructed to clear the crude oil spill caused when the oil tanker was destroyed during Solid Snake’s mission. Big Shell has been hijacked by a militant group known as the Sons of Liberty, which has taken the US president hostage.
Infiltrating the facility, Raiden soon discovers things aren’t quite what they seem, looking into Big Shell’s secrets and meeting a junior lieutenant named Iroquois Pliskin, who’s clearly hiding a big secret. By the end of the game, Solid Snake joins Raiden’s mission, telling him he’s going after Ocelot (who it’s revealed is possessed by the will of Liquid Snake) and the Patriots.
Marking the end of the main story and Solid Snake’s final mission, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots catches up with Snake three years after the events of Sons of Liberty. Due to the cloning process used to create Snake and the rampant FOXDIE virus still coursing through his veins, we discover that his body is rapidly aging, with the protagonist being told he only has a year left to live. Donning a new nickname, Old Snake, he returns for one final mission.
He’s to assassinate Liquid Ocelot, who is currently running a new version of Outer Heaven which is comprised of some of the biggest private militaries in the Middle East. Equipping his body with nanomachines, Snake sets out to bring Ocelot down, learning that his nemesis intends to once again locate Big Boss’ corpse and execute a mysterious plan. As Snake battles his age and the lingering FOXDIE mutating in his body, he makes his way towards a final confrontation with his most ruthless enemy.
The final story in the current Metal Gear timeline, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance focuses on Raiden who, as we learned during Guns of the Patriots, has transformed into a cyborg. The story picks up four years after Metal Gear Solid 4, revealing that Raiden now works with a private military company called Maverick Security Consulting.
During an operation in Africa, Raiden is attacked by a rival private military group known as Desperado Enforcement. Wounded and left for dead by its commander, Jet Stream Sam, Raiden continues his investigation into Desperado and learns some sinister secrets about the group and its allies. As the revelations about the private military grow darker, Raiden swears to bring them down, setting off on his own to deliver violent justice.
Now that we've gotten our hands on the Snake Eater remake, questions remain about what we might see next in the stealth franchise. Konami hasn’t confirmed whether they ever plan to make original Metal Gear games without Hideo Kojima. What we do know for sure is the original games' messaging about the digital age is as poignant as ever in 2025.
That being said, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater developer Virtuous Studios did tease that remakes of other Metal Gear games aren’t off the table. Speaking with IGN, the team said, “Regarding remakes of previous games in the series other than Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, we will listen to player demand and consider accordingly.” True to their claims, the studio is rumored to being spreading a poll after Tokyo Games Show that lets fans vote on which Metal Gear game to remake next.
You'd think it would be enough for filmmaker James Wan to have two hugely successful horror franchises under his belt with Saw and Insidious (both co-created with writing partner Leigh Whannell). But then he also went and created The Conjuring, which, since its debut in 2013, has produced nine films in total and grossed over $2 billion at the box office.
Starting as a 1970s ghost series, based on the real life investigations of married paranormal snoops Lorraine and Ed Warren, The Conjuring Universe has sprawled into a franchise that not only keeps track of the Warrens' demon-busting adventures, but also delves further into the haunted backstories of these cases with prequel installments set decades before the Warrens show up. Now that the fourth and final Conjuring movie has hit streaming, you might want to revisit the full timeline of The Conjuring-verse.
So are you looking to watch these Conjuring films as they were released - or do you want to absorb all the spookiness via chronological binge, kicking things off in 1950s Romania with The Nun? Whatever the case, you'll find both lists below.
There are 10 total movies set within The Conjuring universe — four Conjuring movies, three Annabelle movies, The Nun and The Nun 2, and The Curse of La Llorona. The fourth Conjuring movie, titled Last Rites, is now available in theaters. If you're planning on marathoning all of these movies, you can currently stream most of them on HBO Max.
The Conjuring Movies in Chronological Order
1. The Nun (2018)
Prequel frightfest The Nun takes place in 1952 Romania, and stars Demián Bichir and Taissa Farmiga (sister of franchise star Vera Farmiga) as a Roman Catholic priest and a nun uncovering an unholy secret involving Bonnie Aaron's evil Nun from The Conjuring 2.
Taking place after The Nun, in 1955 California, Annabelle Creation was the fourth installment in the Conjuring Universe, but the second chronologically, depicting the origin of franchise breakout star -- Annabelle, the creep haunted dolll. It's the story of a story of a doll-maker who opens his home to six orphans and a nun, only to have an ancient evil released in his own house.
Although The Nun 2 takes place after the events of The Nun, it's actually the third movie in the timeline. The events of The Nun 2 take place in 1956, taking place four years after Sister Irene's first encounter with Valak and one year after the events of Annabelle: Creation.
The second film made in the Conjuring Universe, even before The Conjuring 2, was prequel Annabelle, taking place in 1967 in Southern California, 12 years after the official origin of the doll. Annabelle tells the story of a young doctor and his wife who bring the doll into their home (to reside amongst other scary-looking dolls) only to have it make their life a living hell.
The movie that started it all, The Conjuring, starred Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson as real-life paranormal investigators/ghost hunters Lorraine and Ed Warren (whose exploits reportedly inspired The Amityville Horror), as they aid the besieged Perron family in 1971, on Rhode Island. Series creator James Wan directed this first outing, marking the third official blockbuster horror franchise he'd created.
Next up is Annabelle Comes Home. Taking place only one year later in the story, in 1972, the Warrens' young daughter, Judy (McKenna Grace), must contend with Annabelle and other demons who escape the Warrens’ artifact room while the couple is away. Conjuring Universe (and It: Chapter One and Two) writer Gary Dauberman makes his directorial debut here.
Based on the Latin American folklore of La Llorona, this Conjuring Universe spinoff follows a mother in 1973 Los Angeles who must save her children from a malevolent spirit trying to steal them. Starring Linda Cardellini and Raymond Cruz, The Curse of La Llorona is the most detached and removed tale from the franchise's ongoing story, only featuring Tony Amendola's Father Perez from Annabelle as a connecting character.
Based on the events of the Enfield Poltergeist in England, The Conjuring 2 brings back Lorraine and Ed Warren, now notrious from the Amityville case, as they help a family being haunted by a malevolent spirit in 1977. Whereas the first Conjuring movie brought about the Annabelle films, this one originally introduced The Nun, who would go on to receive her own prequel. James Wan also returned to direct.
The actual eighth film made in the franchise is also the next film you should watch if you're doing a chronological binge. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do brings us into the '80s with a ghoulish tale based on the real life trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who claimed "demonic possession" after murdering his landlord. Lorraine and Ed Warren are drawn into the case after they'd apparently exorcised a demon out of a young boy's body... accidentally causing it to flee into Arne.
The final film on the The Conjuring timeline is now in theaters and is off to a tremendous start at the box office. The Conjuring: Last Rites is the fourth mainline film in the series and is being billed as the final movie in the franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, paranormal investigators taking on their most dangerous case yet. Like other films in the series, Last Rites is based on the true story of the Smurl hauntings, a series of paranormal occurences at a Pennsylvania home in the 70s and 80s.
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has covered a lot of ground in its 18 years. The Assassin-Templar conflict has taken players across five continents, from Ancient Greece to Victorian London, spanning 2,300 years of history over the course of 13 mainline games.
With the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed Shadows, we’ve put together this chronology of the Assassin’s Creed timeline so far. This chronology only includes mainline Assassin’s Creed games; spinoff games aren’t included on this list given their lack of importance to the ongoing Assassin’s Creed narrative.
There are currently 14 Assassin's Creed games in the main series and 17 additional spinoff games. Outside of video games, there is also an Assassin's Creed board game and an Assassin's Creed TV series supposedly in the works at Netflix.
Which Assassin's Creed Game Should You Play First?
There's quite a few places you could start in the Assassin's Creed timeline, and I personally recommend picking the game set in an era that you find most interesting. That said, it's hard to deny that the original Ezio trilogy (Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations) has some of the best writing in the series. If you're interested in more recent games, Black Flag is a solid entry point with seafaring pirate gameplay, while Assassin's Creed Odyssey lets you dive into world of ancient Greece.
How to Play the Assassin’s Creed Game In Order
There are two ways to look at the Assassin’s Creed chronology. First: In the order of the games’ modern-day storylines. This option makes sense considering the connective narrative of each mainline game is told through the present day. The present-day story progresses chronologically with each release, so if you’d like to play the games this way, simply scroll down to the section how to play the Assassin’s Creed games by release date. If you’re committed to playing through the entirety of the franchise, this is the order we recommend, as it’s the best way to follow the overarching story and experience the franchise’s evolution from stealth-action games to open-world RPGs.
The second option (detailed below) presents the games in order by their historic settings. These stories aren’t as intertwined as their modern-day counterparts, but they’re where you’ll spend the vast majority of your time in Assassin’s Creed. This is more useful as a matter of interest than a practical playing guide.
The Assassin’s Creed Games in Chronological Order
With series newcomers in mind, the brief plot synopses below contain only mildspoilers such as broad plot points, historical settings, and character introductions.
1. Assassin's Creed Odyssey (431 B.C.–422 B.C.)
Primary setting: Ancient Greece
Historic Protagonist: Cassandra or Alexios
Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan
Set nearly 400 years earlier than any other mainline game, Assassin's Creed Odyssey expanded on the RPG elements introduced in Origins to complete its genre-turn from stealth-based action to open-world RPG.
You play as Cassandra or Alexios, the grandchildren of Sparta's King Leonidas I. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens, and features key historical figures from that period, including Hippocrates, Socrates, and Plato. It weaves the period's history with its mythology, introducing creatures such as the Sphinx, Cyclops, and Medusa.
Odyssey is set before the formation of the Assassin and Templar orders, though it does feature a key Piece of Eden* in the Spear of Leonidas.
*Pieces of Eden are powerful technological artifacts created by a precursor race of beings known as The First Civilization. The pieces of Eden and the First Civilization are constants throughout the mainline games that connect the past and modern storylines.
2. Assassin's Creed Origins (49 B.C.–44 B.C.)
Primary setting: Ancient Egypt
Historic Protagonist: Bayek of Siwa
Modern Protagonist: Layla Hassan
After releasing a new Assassin's Creed game each year from 2009-2015, Ubisoft took a year off and returned in 2017 with Assassin's Creed Origins, a soft reboot of the franchise and the series' first game to introduce RPG mechanics.
Origins is primarily set in Ancient Egypt during the reigns of Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra, though its historic inspiration extends to Rome and the rule of Julius Caesar. Many Assassin's Creed stories kick off as tales of vengeance, only to unfurl into larger-scale tales of political conspiracy. Origins follows this pattern: The death of Bayek and Aya's son serves as the impetus for their journey, though as the story progresses, the duo uncover a proto-Templar organization called the Order of the Ancients and ultimately form the Hidden Ones, the first incarnation of the Assassins.
The modern story, meanwhile, introduces Layla Hassan, who serves as the present-day protagonist for Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.
3. Assassin's Creed Mirage (861–???)
Primary setting: 9th Century Baghdad
Historic Protagonist: Basim Ibn Ishaq
Modern Protagonist: N/A
Released in 2023, Assassin's Creed Mirage is the series' most recent installment. Rather than a full-priced open-world RPG, Mirage is a $50 USD stealth-focused adventure designed as "an homage to the first Assassin's Creed games." Ubisoft describes it as "a shorter, more narrative-driven game than recent entries in the series.”
Assassin's Creed Mirage stars a 17-year-old Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief with "nightmarish visions" who'd go on to play a critical role in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Mirage will tell the story of Basim, with the guidance of his mentor Roshan, escaping Baghdad en route to the Hidden Ones' fortress of Alamut.
Unlike the other entries on this list, Mirage doesn't prominently feature the present-day storyline. You can read our full review of Assassin's Creed Mirage for more details.
Assassin's Creed's Valhalla is the series' venture into Norse history and mythology. It's easily the series' biggest game; the average time to complete its main story is 60 hours, according to How Long to Beat (15 hours longer than the next biggest, Odyssey). Like Odyssey, Valhalla integrates its setting's history with its mythology, introducing real-life characters — King Harald Fairhair, King Aelfred the Great, Rollo — and mythological figures such as Fenrir and Odin.
It continues the conflict between the Hidden Ones and the Order of the Ancients while balancing the more personal tale of Eivor and their clan's pilgrimage from a resource-barren Norway to the more fertile lands of England.
The modern-day story seemingly concludes the three-game arc of Layla Hassan.
5. Assassin's Creed (1191)
Primary setting: 12th Century Holy Land (Acre, Damascus, Jerusalem)
Historic Protagonist: Altair Ibn'La-Ahad
Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
The first Assassin's Creed takes place 300 years after Valhalla and introduces us to the series' original protagonist, Altair Ibn'La-Ahad. Assassin's Creed laid the groundwork for the franchise's next 15 years of success, introducing foundational gameplay elements like climbing and assassinations while also laying the groundwork for the time-hopping Assassin-Templar narrative.
It introduces key narrative concepts like the Pieces of Eden and the Animus, the in-universe device that allows each game's modern-day protagonist to relive the memories of their historic counterparts through DNA.
The past story sees Altair hunting down nine Templars during the Third Crusade, while the present-day story introduces Desmond Miles and the modern Assassin-Templar conflict that runs through AC III.
6. Assassin's Creed II (1476–1499)
Primary setting: 15th Century Italy
Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Assassin's Creed 2 introduced the series’ longest-lasting protagonist, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. A favorite among Assassin's Creed fans, Ezio's story ran from 2009's AC II through 2011's AC: Revelations.
Ezio seeks to avenge the death of his father and brother, though his hunt for vengeance leads him to uncover a bigger conspiracy and places him at the center of the fight between the Assassins and Templars. Assassin's Creed II takes players throughout Italy, from Florence to the Vatican, and introduces Ezio to historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Pope Alexander VI.
In the present day, Desmond begins his work with the Assassins.
7. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (1499–1507)
Primary setting: 15th-16th Century Italy
Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is a continuation of AC II in both the past and modern-day storylines. The fallout from AC II creates a new antagonist for Ezio, who embarks on another revenge quest while working to rebuild Rome's weakened Assassins Guild and retrieve the Apple of Eden.
In the present day, Desmond and the modern Assassins head to Italy in search of that same Apple of Eden, a Piece of Eden that may help them prevent the prophesized end of the world.
8. Assassin's Creed: Revelations (1511–1512)
Primary setting: 16th Century Constantinople
Historic Protagonist: Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
The conclusion of the Ezio trilogy unites the narrative of the Italian assassin with his predecessor, Altair. An older Ezio travels to Constantinople in search of Altair’s hidden library, which was thought to contain invaluable wisdom. In Constantinople, Ezio searches for the keys needed to open the library — each of which possesses a key memory in Altair’s life. Assassin's Creed Revelations ultimately reveals Ezio's role in the wider AC narrative.
In the present, a comatose Desmond is trapped in the Animus, where he works with a past Animus user to escape "the Black Room" and return to consciousness.
Revelations also features one of the series' best trailers (above) first shown at E3 2011.
9. Assassin's Creed Shadows (1581)
Primary setting: Feudal Japan
Historic protagonist: Naoe and Yasuke
Modern protagonist: N/A
The newest Assassin's Creed game heads to Feudal Japan during the civil wars in the late Sengoku period. Assassin's Creed Shadows features dual protagonists, each with unique gameplay, though Ubisoft has emphasized that players won't be missing out by only playing one route. Yasuke is an African mercenary who becomes a samurai in service of Oda Nobunaga. That service leads him to the Iga province, home of shinobi-in-training Naoe, and tragedy brings the two together in a quest for vengeance.
Like Mirage, Shadows doesn't have its own modern-day protagonist. Instead, the new game coincides with the release of the Animus Hub, which brings the Assassin's Creed franchise into a single platform and adds additional "modern-day subplots" as well as a reward system to the game.
10. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (1715–1722)
Primary setting: 18th Century Caribbean Islands
Historic Protagonist: Edward Kenway
Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Abstergo Employee
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is best remembered for introducing the series' naval gameplay. It's set two centuries after Ezio's trilogy and roughly 40 years before the previously released Assassin's Creed III.
Black Flag stars Edward Kenway, an 18th-century pirate and the grandfather of AC III protagonist Connor Kenway. It features notorious real-life pirates of the era, such as Edward Thatch (Blackbeard), Benjamin Hornigold, and Mary Read. It also introduces Adéwalé, the protagonist of the DLC-turned-standalone-spinoff Freedom Cry. After unknowingly killing an Assassin, Edward finds himself embroiled in the Assassin-Templar conflict and on the hunt for a secret First Civilization site known as The Observatory.
The modern-day story stars an unnamed Abstergo employee tasked with reliving Connor’s life in order to create a film (though, unsurprisingly, Abstergo’s true intentions are more nefarious).
11. Assassin's Creed Rogue (1752–1760)
Primary setting: 18th Century American Northeast
Historic Protagonist: Shay Patrick Cormac
Modern Protagonist: Abstergo Employee "Numbskull"
Assassin's Creed Rogue serves as a narrative bridge between AC III and AC IV. It stars Shay Patrick Cormac, an Irish-American Assassin turned Templar hunting down a Piece of Eden. Templar Grand Master Haytham Kenway, the son of AC 4 protagonist Edward and father of AC III protagonist Connor, appears throughout the story.
In the present, you play as another Abstergo employee, referred to as "Numbskull," doing the bidding of the modern-day Templars.
12. Assassin's Creed III (1754–1783)
Primary setting: 18th Century Colonial America
Historic Protagonist: Ratonhnhaké "Connor" Kenway
Modern Protagonist: Desmond Miles
Following a 1754-set sequence during which you play as Haythem Kenway, Assassin's Creed 3 begins in earnest with Haythem's son Ratonhnhaké:ton, a.k.a Connor. Set largely during the American Revolution, Connor seeks to protect his tribe from the war and the First Civilization's Grand Temple from the Templars.
AC III is loaded with historical figures, including George Washington, Sam Adams, Charles Lee, and Benjamin Franklin.
The present-day story concludes Desmond's arc, as he and the other modern-day Assassins gather in the aforementioned Grand Temple to prevent the prophesized end of the world on December 21, 2012.
13. Assassins Creed Unity (1789–1794)
Primary setting: 18th Century France
Historic Protagonist: Shay Patrick Cormac
Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Helix Player
While Assassin's Creed Unity features scenes that span from 1307 to the mid-1900s, it's primarily set during the height of the French Revolution from 1789 to 1794. It stars French Assassin Arno Dorian, who becomes involved in the Assassin-Templar conflict while embarking on yet another quest for vengeance.
Historical figures include Napoléon Bonaparte, Marquis de Sade, and King Louis XVI.
Unity's modern-day story is among the least memorable, as it removed gameplay entirely in favor of cutscenes and ultimately proved inconsequential to the ongoing narrative. You play as a gamer playing Helix, Abstergo's Animus-powered gaming software created to push Templar propaganda and collect unsuspecting users' DNA.
14. Assassin's Creed Syndicate (1868)
Primary setting: Victorian London
Historic Protagonists: Jacob and Evie Frye
Modern Protagonist: Unnamed Helix Player
Assassin's Creed Syndicate stars dual protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye, twin Assassins clearing London of Templar control while seeking a Piece of Eden. While a certain side mission extends the timeline to WWI, the majority of Syndicate is set in 1868. Notable historical figures include Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Darwin, and in the future sequence, Winston Churchill.
Syndicate stars the same modern-day character as Unity, who's working with the Assassins to locate another Piece of Eden in London.
Upcoming Assassin's Creed Games
Ubisoft's latest AC game is Assassin's Creed Shadows. We have tidbits of information about the next mainline Assassin's Creed game, codenamed titled Assassin's Creed Hexe, which will feature "witchier" vibes. Several remakes of older Assassin's Creed games are also in development, according to Ubisoft's CEO. The one remake we know for sure is in the pipeline is Black Flag, with the new 'Resynced' version theoretically launching in March 2026.
CD Projekt has sold its DRM-free PC storefront GOG to its original co-founder, Michał Kiciński, for 90.7 million Polish złoty (approx. $25.2 million). Kiciński is also co-founder of CD Projekt itself, and currently holds 10% of share capital in the business.
Kiciński co-founded GOG in 2008, and it has operated within the CD Projekt Group for over 17 years. Selling GOG “fits” CD Projekt’s long-term strategy, according to a FAQ posted online. CD Projekt, the Polish company behind smash hits The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, wants to focus on video game development and other projects, it said. CD Projekt is currently developing The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2.
“Selling GOG fits CD Projekt’s long-term strategy,” reads the statement. “CD Projekt wants to focus its full attention on creating top-quality RPGs and providing our fans with other forms of entertainment based on our brands. This deal lets CD Projekt keep that focus, while GOG gets stronger backing to pursue its own mission.”
Kiciński commented: “From the very beginning, GOG has always been built on strong values and clear principles. When Marcin Iwiński and I came up with the idea for GOG, the vision was simple: bring classic games back to players and ensure that once you buy a game, it truly belongs to you — forever.”
GOG will operate independently, it said, and continue with its DRM-free philosophy. Following the sale, CD Projekt and GOG signed a distribution agreement that specifies the terms of future cooperation, including a plan to release CD Projekt Red’s upcoming games on GOG.
“CD Projekt and GOG share the same roots and values: freedom, independence, and a genuine sense of ownership,” Kiciński continued. “I believe that CD Projekt, with its exceptional AAA games, will stand, as always, behind the GOG offering — making GOG the best place on the planet to purchase The Witcher and Cyberpunk games, both existing titles and the new ones we all anticipate so much.
“As a mature gamer, I often play classic games myself and deeply admire the creativity behind many of them. I truly believe that well-crafted classics can deliver as much joy as new releases. When it comes to pure playability, timeless games often prove to be really the safe choice, especially in a market flooded with gazillions of low-quality smaller games. Beyond preserving classics, GOG has always sought out new games with a retro spirit. I am personally involved in the development of a few games like that and they will certainly make their strong appearance on GOG in 2026.”
Michał Nowakowski, joint CEO of CD Projekt, added: “with our focus now fully on an ambitious development roadmap and expanding our franchises with new high-quality products, we felt this was the right time for this move.
“For a long time now, GOG has been operating independently. Now it’s going into very good hands — we are convinced that with the support of Michał Kiciński, one of GOG’s co-founders, its future will be full of great projects and successes. We would like to thank the GOG team for years of fruitful cooperation and wish them all the best. And to the GOG community, I say ‘see you around,’ because our upcoming releases will naturally be available on GOG as well.”
GOG has long competed with Steam for the hearts and minds of PC gamers by leaning on its no-DRM policy, although Valve's platform remains the overwhelming market leader. In the FAQ, the question ‘is GOG financially unstable?’ is asked. The answer, officially, is no. “GOG is stable and has had a really encouraging year,” reads the statement. “In fact, we’ve seen more enthusiasm from gamers towards our mission than ever before.” GOG hit the headlines recently for getting behind indie game Horses after Valve banned it from Steam.
It sounds like from a user point of view, nothing changes here. As for CD Projekt, it can now strip out GOG from its business, which at latest count employed 1,335 staff. In The Witcher franchise it has the aforementioned The Witcher 4 as part of a new Witcher trilogy with Ciri as protagonist, The Witcher Remake, and Project Sirius. Cyberpunk 2 is also in development, as is Project Hadar, a new IP.
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.
It’s been 35 years since Intelligent Systems debuted its Fire Emblem series on Nintendo's Famicom. Through its ever-evolving combat and the introduction of beloved character bonding mechanics, the series has ascended to the upper echelon of tactical RPGs, culminating in two excellent mainline entries on the Nintendo Switch.
As we near the end of the original Switch era, we’ve compiled a list of every Fire Emblem game available on the console as well as what's coming to the Switch 2.
How Many Fire Emblem Games Are on Switch?
There are five Fire Emblem games on Switch: two mainline games and three spinoffs. There are three additional Fire Emblem games available with Nintendo Switch Online, though Path of Radiance is only available to Switch 2 owners with the Expansion Pack.
Every Fire Emblem Game on Nintendo Switch
Fire Emblem Warriors (2017)
The first Fire Emblem game released on Switch was the Dynasty Warriors crossover Fire Emblem Warriors. The mashup incorporates the best elements of each series, blending Fire Emblem’s team-based strategy with Dynasty Warriors’ button-mashing, hack-and-slash action. It’s a worthwhile spinoff for action fans, though the light story makes it inessential to those concerned with Fire Emblem lore.
The game was developed by Dynasty Warriors studio Omega Force in collaboration with the action gurus at Team Ninja (Ninja Gaiden, Nioh).
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (2019)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses was a milestone release for the series. It was the first Fire Emblem game released on a home console in 12 years, the first mainline entry released on Switch, and a critical and commercial success that carried forward the momentum of Awakening seven years before it.
Three Houses is a massive tactical RPG that balances the grand with the intimate. Large-scale battles progress an overarching story of politics and religion within a continental war, while quieter moments between battles are spent in the monastery training, teaching, exploring, and bonding with other characters through well-written and -acted conversations.
Three Houses is Fire Emblem at its best, and what we'd recommend as a starting point if you’re looking to jump into the series on Switch.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (2020)
In 2020, Nintendo released Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore, an expanded port of the original Wii U release. Encore added new story content, characters, and music to the Nintendo-Atlus crossover game, which blends Fire Emblem’s “weapon triangle” combat mechanic — swords have an advantage over axes, axes over lances, lances over swords — with the flashy style, dungeon-crawling, and moment-to-moment combat of Atlus’s Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games.
The story is a comical, often over-the-top send-up of Japanese pop-culture that, as in Warriors before it, takes a backseat to the action.
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (2023)
Nintendo re-teamed with Omega Force for Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, the companies’ second Fire Emblem-Dynasty Warriors crossover following Fire Emblem Warriors. Three Hopes is a retelling of Three Houses set in an alternate timeline where Three Houses’ protagonist Byleth serves as the main villain.
Three Hopes is a more robust blend of the two franchises than its predecessor, integrating more of Fire Emblem’s social and tactical mechanics with Dynasty Warriors’ fast-paced action.
Fire Emblem Engage (2023)
Fire Emblem Engage is the series’ latest game and its second mainline entry on Switch. Engage is a progression of Three Houses’ excellence and an ode to Fire Emblem's past: It refines and scales down the social and hub mechanics of Three Houses while shifting its primary focus to the series’ longstanding tactical combat, most notably reintroducing Fire Emblem’s “weapon triangle" system.
The story of Engage follows a Divine Dragon named Alear, who’s tasked with collecting 12 rings to defeat the Fell Dragon and save the continent of Elyos. Engage’s original story connects to the series past through these 12 rings, each of which houses the spirit of a past Fire Emblem protagonist, allowing you to summon past heroes such as Marth, Ike, Celica, and Byleth.
Fire Emblem Games Available With Nintendo Switch Online
There are currently two Fire Emblem games available with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription outside of Japan: the 2003 Game Boy Advance game Fire Emblem, aka Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, and the 2004 follow-up Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. A third game, 2005's Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, was also added to the catalog when GameCube games launched on the Switch 2.
Here’s the complete list of Fire Emblem games currently available with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription:
Fire Emblem Shadows recently released for mobile devices, but the social deduction game doesn't appear to be coming to the Switch systems. Instead, it was announced during the September Nintendo Direct that a new Fire Emblem game will be arriving on Switch 2 consoles next year. The upcoming game is called Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, and while we don't yet have a release date, we know that it will be out sometime in 2026. Nintendo has officially released the first trailer for the game you can check it out below for more details.
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
The Legend of Zelda is one of the most iconic video game series of all time. Starting on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, The Legend of Zelda follows various incarnations of Princess Zelda and Link as they fight to save Hyrule from the evil that is Ganon. While the series has always been popular, the Nintendo Switch has catapulted Zelda into one of Nintendo's best-selling properties with landmark titles in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
Echoes of Wisdom released toward the end of the original Nintendo Switch's life cycle, but Nintendo has already revealed quite a bit about the next generation of adventures in Hyrule. Here's every Legend of Zelda game on the Nintendo Switch as well as new Zelda games coming to the Switch 2.
How Many Zelda Games Are There on Nintendo Switch?
In total, five Zelda games, three Hyrule Warriors games, and one spin-off game have been released specifically for the Nintendo Switch. This includes both mainline entries and spinoff games that were released from 2017 to 2025. All of these Zelda games are playable on the Switch 2.
All Zelda Switch Games in Order of Release Date
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 2017
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the first Zelda title released for Nintendo Switch. Launching alongside the system, this title marked a turning point in the Zelda series, bringing a style of open world gameplay that we'd never seen before. You can traverse to anywhere you can see in the world. Link awakes after a 100 year slumber, where he is tasked by the spirit of Hyrule's former King to save Princess Zelda from Calamity Ganon - a primal evil trapped inside Hyrule Castle.
Hyrule Warriors is an action hack and slash title developed by Omega Force and originally released for the Wii U. Characters from all kinds of Zelda games make an appearance, whether as playable characters or villains. The game was brought over to Nintendo Switch in 2018 in the form of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, and includes all characters, stages, and modes from the original game in addition to Breath of the Wild inspired costumes for Link and Zelda.
Cadence of Hyrule is an extremely unqiue collaboration between Brace Yourself Games and Nintendo. The game combines the roguelike rhythm gameplay of Crypt of the NecroDancer with the world of The Legend of Zelda and its characters. This spinoff offers an incredible soundtrack and beautiful pixelated graphics. Up against Octavo, a musical villain, Zelda and Link team up with Cadence to thwart his plans and save the Hyrule.
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening is a remake of 1993 Game Boy title developed by Grezzo. This charming platformer sees Link castaway at Koholint Island, where he must solve the mystery of the Wind Fish, a legendary being said to be on the island. Unlike some of the more modern Zelda titles, Link's Awakening takes you across many different dungeons and areas to collect the Instruments of the Sirens. If you never got the chance to play the original Link's Awakening, this is the definitive way to experience one of the Zelda series' most unique titles.
The second Switch entry in the Hyrule Warriors series, Age of Calamity is set 100 years before the events of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Here, you can experience firsthand the events that occured in the fight against Calamity Ganon. All of your favorite Breath of the Wild cahracters are here and playable, including Link, Zelda, the Champions, and so many more. Omega Force created a fun and expansive title, with two waves of DLC you can check out after completing the main story.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the long-awaited remaster of the classic Wii game. Set at the beginning of the Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword takes Link to the skies as he traverses across the world to save his childhood friend Zelda. You'll uncover the Master Sword was created as part of this journey, among other things. The remaster includes the iconic motion controls you can operate with the Joy-Con and a new button-only gameplay style for those looking to play without motion.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom hit the market in 2023, selling over 10 million copies in just three days as well as quite a few special edition Switch consoles. Set a few years after the events of Breath of the Wild, Link is tasked once again with finding Princess Zelda after Ganondorf is resurrected. Tears of the Kingdom takes to both the skies of Hyrule and the depths below the land. This creates one of the largest maps you'll find in any game, leaving for hundreds of hours of exploration to be had. All in all, it's the best Zelda game of all time and a hard one to follow.
But, of course, Tears of the Kingdom was not the end of this beloved Nintendo franchise on the original Switch. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom was announced during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct before launching on the Switch in the fall later that year. While Echoes has the titular Princess take the story's reigns, and features a more 2D art style à la Link's Awakening, it should not be mistaken as a spin-off or side project. This is a full-blown, magical Zelda game, that lets you unlock your creativity to try and save Link and the rest of Hyrule in entirely new ways.
The latest Zelda-adjacent release is a new entry in the Hyrule Warriors series. Nintendo has heavily emphasized that the story is canon, giving us a deeper look at the Imprisoning War in what is essentially a prequel to Tears of the Kingdom. You get to play as a spread of different characters, including Princess Zelda, who has been sent into Hyrule's past and must work with new allies in the fight against Ganandorf.
Available Zelda Games With Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack
If you're interested in checking out some of the older Zelda titles, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service has loads of Zelda titles from Nintendo's older consoles. Here is every Zelda game currently available on the service:
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Four Swords
There has been no news of upcoming mainline Legend of Zelda games. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as it's announced, because it's almost certainly in Nintendo's pipeline. In the meantime, Nintendo has announced other plans with the franchise.
In addition to the games themselves, Nintendo has also announced they will be bringing Hyrule to the big screen with a live-action Legend of Zelda movie. In terms of details, the movie's director, Wes Ball (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), has expressed his desire to make a more "grounded" Zelda adaptation that feels like live-action Miyazaki. The Zelda movie will be releasing in theaters on March 26, 2027 and Nintendo has officially confirmed the actors playing both Link and Zelda.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
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