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Reçu aujourd’hui — 7 novembre 2025 IGN

Take-Two CEO Is 'Highly Confident' on New GTA 6 Release Date, But Says When Games Are Released Too Early, 'Bad Things Happen'

6 novembre 2025 à 22:17

GTA 6 is delayed again, this time to November 19, 2026, marking the game's third delay since it first got a release window. But publisher Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick is "highly confident" that this is the last time.

Speaking to IGN on a call ahead of the announcement, Zelnick reiterated the company's statement that the delay was simply for Rockstar to have time to polish the game. “We wanted to give Rockstar the appropriate amount of time to polish the title and make sure it can be the very best it can be," he said.

Previously, Grand Theft Auto VI was announced for a fall 2025 release, which CEO Strauss Zelnick told me he felt confident in even as rumors swirled of a delay. The game was later delayed to May of 2026, with Take-Two and Rockstar similarly citing a need for polish.

So I asked Zelnick again: How confident do you feel in this new date? Do you think there’s any chance we’re looking at GTA 6 in 2027?

"I’m highly confident," he replied "And at the same time, there have been limited circumstances where more time was required to polish a title and make sure that it was spectacular and that time has been well-spent, when our competitors go to market before something was ready, bad things happen. That said, that said, I’m highly confident on the new date."

Take-Two reported net bookings of $1.96 billion in the best second quarter in company history thanks to the releases of NBA 2K26, Mafia: The Old Country, and Borderlands 4. GTA V continues to sell millions each quarter, having now reached over 220 million units sold lifetime.

Meanwhile, Take-Two fired dozens of employees last week, alleging they leaked "confidential information in a public forum." Those employees claim they were actually fired for discussing unions and organization at the company, and protested their firing in front of Rockstar North and Take-Two's UK offices today.

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.

We Shouldn't Be Surprised GTA 6 Was Delayed, Rockstar Has a Long History of Doing Just That

6 novembre 2025 à 22:13

Take a deep breath and remember: Delays are good.

OK, that statement isn’t always true, but it usually is. Delayed projects sometimes result in bad games (looking at you, Duke Nukem 3D), but much more often taking more time produces good stuff. Spending meticulous weeks to get something just right matters in art, as does finding the bravery to throw out ideas that seemed wise in concept but never panned out. Think about how many half-finished games you’ve ever bought and played and then wished the publisher had just delayed until it was right and ready. Got that thought in your head? OK, hold onto it.

GTA 6 is delayed again, and that’s good, because it will probably be better for the delay.

Rockstar has a long history of delaying games to make sure they’re ready for market, a strikingly consistent bit of discipline that places them alongside Nintendo in an elite fraternity of studios that wait until the casserole is fully cooked before serving. And boy, is it always delicious.

I’ve been playing GTA games as long as they’ve been around, starting with four-player PC GTA LAN parties. I’ve played the most obscure (London 1969), the best (GTA V), and the true best (Chinatown Wars for DS). I’ve ransacked and crashed and shot my way through these goofy, wonderful worlds for decades. And thankfully, these games are practically always late... and not coincidentally, always great. Here’s every delay in GTA history (and some Red Dead too).

Grand Theft Auto III

Rockstar’s New York offices were located only a few blocks from the World Trade Center, and Take Two didn’t waste any time briefly delaying GTA III following the September 11 attacks. . Marketing VP Terry Donovan announced the delay only days after the tragedy:

"Our decision is based on two factors, firstly it has been a little difficult to get work done in downtown Manhattan in the last week since basic communications infrastructure has been intermittent at best, and secondly we felt that a full content review of all our titles and the marketing materials we use to represent them was absolutely necessary for us in light of the horrifying event we all witnessed in the United States last week.”

He continued: "As for Grand Theft Auto, since the game is so huge the review is no short process. So far we have come across certain small contextual references that we were no longer comfortable with, as well as a couple of very rare gameplay instances that no longer felt appropriate to us. We apologize to you and all the people waiting for this game to ship for the delays that have now ensued, but I'm sure you can understand our reasoning. Rest assured the game will be phenomenal...and you can expect it to hit shelves in late October.”

Even with only minimal content changes, the delay was a wise decision for Rockstar and players alike. Blasting cops and ambulances in Liberty City so soon after the violent deaths of thousands wouldn’t have been appealing to anybody.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

The co-prize for shortest delay is shared between Vice City and San Andreas. Back in the olden days before downloadable game stores and day-one patches, manufacturers guessed ahead of time just how much of a physical product they’d need to produce for a given shelf date, and sometimes they guessed wrong. Rockstar delayed Vice City by seven days to give them time to manufacture more discs (and thus meet the tremendous day-one demand for a GTA III follow-up).

San Andreas for PS2 also hit streets a week later than planned, a strategic decision designed to give the dev team a few extra days to polish their two-year project.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Okay, so real talk: The GTA handheld games go hard... hard enough that it’s worth dusting off your ancient PlayStation Portable or DS to try them. GTA’s excellent forays onto portables usually arrive on time, but Vice City Stories for PSP was delayed for two weeks in North America, and longer in parts of Europe.

The best GTA of them all (fight me!) didn’t arrive precisely on time. The incredibly creative and intricate DS gamechit shelves two months later than expected. When it did finally arrive, it blew the socks off of critics, and it’s one of gaming’s great tragedies that nobody bought it... we might be playing Chinatown Wars 3 on our new Switch 2s right now if they had.

Grand Theft Auto IV

After GTA III changed the landscape of video games, anticipation for GTA IV was palpable. With clunky RenderWare left behind and a brand new console generation to work with, Rockstar Leeds was aiming for the stratosphere. Bringing their vision to reality ultimately demanded several months of delay.

As Rockstar’s Sam Hause explained, “The new consoles [PS3 and 360] are allowing us to create the Grand Theft Auto game we always dreamed about. Every aspect of the game and its design has been completely transformed. The game is huge and is pushing the hardware platforms to their absolute limits. The top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working closely with the team in Edinburgh right now, helping us to fully leverage the power of both platforms. As always, our goal is to surpass even the wildest expectations of the game's fans, and to create the ultimate high definition video game experience."

Grand Theft Auto V

The biggest console game of all time was a long time coming. GTA V finally landed in September 2013, but was originally anticipated to arrive in the spring of that same year. But in late January 2013, Rockstar released the following message:

“We know this is about four months later than originally planned and we know that this short delay will come as a disappointment to many of you, but, trust us, it will be worth the extra time. GTAV is a massively ambitious and complex game and it simply needs a little more polish to be of the standard we and, more importantly, you require. ‘To all Grand Theft Auto fans, please accept our apologies for the delay, and our promise that the entire team here is working very hard to make the game all it can be. We are doing all we can to help ensure it will meet if not exceed your expectations come September – we thank you for your support and patience.’"

They weren't wrong. GTA V went on to become the most successful console game of all time, and alongside RDR2, it’s a true jewel in Rockstar’s crown.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Speaking of RDR2... it’s not a part of the GTA series, but it is Rockstar’s best game and I love talking about it. In keeping with the tradition of Rockstar quality-based delays, we’re adding a bit of an appendix by mentioning Red Dead Redemption 2, which was delayed twice, first in spring 2017 for quality assurance purposes. The second delay came in February 2018, pushing RDR2 to late October. The statement from Rockstar explained that, again, this was a quality issue.

"We are excited to announce that Red Dead Redemption 2 will be released on October 26th 2018. We apologize to everyone disappointed by this delay. While we had hoped to have the game out sooner, we require a little extra time for polish.

“We sincerely thank you for your patience and hope that when you get to play the game, you will agree the wait will have been worth it. In the meantime, please check out these screenshots from the game. We look forward to sharing a lot more information with you in the coming weeks."

That delay, like all the others here, worked out swimmingly, delivering a true work of art still unparalleled in adventure gaming.

So friends, don’t despair. GTA 6 will come, and when it comes, it will almost certainly be very, very good. See you in Vice City.

Note: This story originally ran in May, 2025, when GTA 6 was first delayed. Everything in it is still true!

Jared Petty is a former IGN editor who likes writing about how wonderful and silly video games are. You can find him at Bluesky as pettycommajared.

GTA 6 Is Delayed Again Until November 2026

6 novembre 2025 à 22:08

Grand Theft Auto VI has been delayed until November 19, 2026.

This news was announced today by Rockstar as a part of Take-Two's second quarter earnings. In a release shared with IGN, Take-Two shared that the delay was "giving the team some additional time to finish the game with the high level of polish players expect and deserve. Rockstar has our full support of course, and we are confident they will deliver an unrivalled blockbuster entertainment experience."

Grand Theft Auto VI was originally announced for a fall 2025 release, which CEO Strauss Zelnick said he felt confident in even amid speculation of a delay. The game was then delayed to May of 2026, with Rockstar citing a need for extra time to "to deliver at the level of quality you expect and deserve."

In a conversation with Zelnick ahead of the announcement, IGN asked him what had changed in the year since he first said he felt confident in the Fall 2025 date. Zelnick replied, "It’s- it's all of 2025. We’ve had more time to develop the title. And so we are getting closer to the release. We are grateful that it is still within the same fiscal year. And mostly we’re grateful to Rockstar for constantly seeking perfection."

Just last week, Take-Two fired dozens of employees, alleging "gross misconduct" and, later, leaking "confidential information in a public forum." However, those employees claim they were instead fired for participating in online chats about organizing a union. The group and supporters protested in front of Rockstar North and Take-Two's UK offices today.

Take-Two reported net bookings of $1.96 billion in the best second quarter in company history thanks to the releases of NBA 2K26, Mafia: The Old Country, and Borderlands 4. NBA 2K26 has sold five million units since launch. GTA V continues to sell, having reached over 220 million units.

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.

Avengers: Doomsday Trailer May Drop With Release of Avatar: Fire and Ash

6 novembre 2025 à 21:43

The first trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday will reportedly debut this December.

Collider says it “has learned from multiple sources that the first footage from the MCU's next big team-up film is scheduled to be attached to the latest installment of one of Disney's other blockbuster franchises, Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

As Collider points out, that could change between now and when Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters on December 19, 2025. Avengers: Doomsday opens almost exactly a year later on December 18, 2026.

Disney had not yet responded to IGN’s request for comment as of the time this article was published.

Avengers: Doomsday wrapped filming in September. Hard facts about the movie’s plot remain scarce although we know the movie will bring together the Avengers, Fantastic Four and the original movie X-Men for the first time on the big screen.

A bevy of actors who have appeared in past Marvel projects – including Brie Larson, Famke Janssen, Elizabeth Olsen, Charlie Cox, Andrew Garfield, Halle Berry, and Chris Evans – have all played coy or flat-out denied that they’ll reprise their respective characters in Doomsday.

Channing Tatum, who returns as Gambit, recently said Avengers: Doomsday will include moments 50 times bigger than when Wesley Snipes' Blade turned up in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Fans recently got their look at 28 Doomsday characters in costume via an image posted to social media by a production member.

Prior to that, Disney revealed the first look at Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom through promotional artwork and videos featured at the Walt Disney Marketing Expo in Shanghai.

For more MCU coverage, enjoy this rundown of every loose end in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, watch the latest trailer for Wonder Man, and find out who the Internet thinks Sadie Sink is playing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

The Best AliExpress Early Black Friday Deals, Plus Get an Extra 15% Cash Back From Retailmenot

6 novembre 2025 à 21:40

The holiday season is here and AliExpress is kicking off November with some early Back Friday deals on hundreds of its locally shipped products, including best sellers like electric bikes and scooters, gaming handhelds, imported Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 consoles, brand name 3D printers, and more. All the products listed below ship from a local US warehouse, which means you don't need to worry about tariffs or obnoxiously long shipping times. Even better, Retailmenot is offering an additional 15% cash back on all AliExpress purchases, up from the 5% cashback you'll usually find.

AliExpress Coupon Codes (Tested and Verified)

Most of these deals are made better by using one of these tiered coupons:

  • AEUS10 ($10 off Orders $50+)
  • AEUS12 ($12 Off Orders $60+)
  • AEUS20 ($20 Off Orders $100+)
  • AEUS26 ($26 Off Orders $130+)
  • AEUS32 ($32 Off Orders $160+)
  • AEUS56 ($56 Off Orders $280+)
  • AEUS64 ($64 Off Orders $320+)
  • AEUS80 ($80 Off Orders $400+)
  • AEUS100 ($100 Off Orders $500+)

Extra 15% Cash Back at Retailmenot

Early Black Friday Deals

Electric Bikes Starting at $290

Not long you you wouldn't be able to find an electric bike for under $1,000. Although there are still plenty of "premium" brands that still sell ebikes for well above this threshold, it's no longer an accurate blanket statement. As we enter the Black Friday and holiday season, you can pick up an entry level ebike for as low as $300. The three deals below stand out for the following reasons: (1) they're a lot less expensive than buying the exact same bike off Amazon, (2) they're all shipped from a local US warehouse so you don't need to worry about tariffs or shipping delays, and (3) they're sold by reputable vendors with plenty of reviews and sales to back them up.

LADPED Electric Scooter for Under $130

Scooters have some major advantages over bikes. They're lighter, more compact, and usually less expensive. Electric assisted scooters give you more range and speed for less effort, and the brushless motor is pretty quiet. You'd think upgrading to one would cost you a lot of money, but that doesn't have to be the case. You can pick up a LADPED LP80 electric scooter for just $127.14 after you apply a $26 off coupon code "AEUS26". It features a 350W brushless motor that can push the scooter at speeds of up to 19mph. The 36V 10.5aH battery that lasts up to 18 miles on a single charge.

3D Printers Starting at $157

More 3D Printer Deals

AliExpress is known for being one of the best online shops to pick up a 3D printer at the lowest possible price. I'm not talking about obscure, unvetted models. Some of the most popular 3D printer brands, including Creality (arguably the most well-known), Anycubic, and Flashforge, have official storefronts that carry some or all of their product lineup. With coupons applied, you can pick up a fully-assembled 3D printer for as low as $157.

Portable Gaming Handhelds

AliExpress is widely regarded as the best online store to pick up a portable gaming handheld at an outrageously low price. These portable gaming handhelds feature small 3.5" displays, 32-bit or 64-bit processors, and usually run off Android or Linux. Despite the low price, these gaming handhelds are well built and feel like a professionally engineered product.

Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart World (Import)

If you still haven't yet picked up a Nintendo Switch 2 because it's too expensive, there is an opportunity to get one at a discounted price. AliExpress is offering a Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World console bundle for just $442.72 (normally $500) after you apply a $100 off coupon code "AEUS100" during checkout. It ships free locally from the United States (which means no tariffs and no obnoxiously long wait times).

Note that the console is a Hong Kong import. All international Switch consoles are region unlocked, meaning they can be used in the US without any problems and without any modification. You'll also be able to select English as your default language. This specific model will come with a Hong Kong style plug, but a US adapter is included. Imported consoles do not get a US-based Nintendo warranty. Fortunately, Aliexpress offers a generous 90-day free return window.

Donkey Kong Bananza for Switch 2 (Import)

It's unlikely that we will see any first party Nintendo Switch 2 games discounted at domestic retailers during Black Friday, but AliExpress is offering a great deal on an imported copy. Lucky Tech Store has it right now for $48.22 after $12 off coupon code "AEUS12". Delivery is free and the game is shipped from a local US warehouse. That means it arrives within a week and you don't have to worry about tariffs. All physical Switch 2 games are region unlocked, so you'll be able to play this game without any problems on a US-based Switch 2 console.

Arzopa Z1C 16" 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor

A portable USB monitor for your laptop or gaming handheld like the Switch 2 or Steam Deck can give you additional screen real estate without sacrificing mobility. Arzopa's official store currently has the Arzopa Z1C 16" 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor for just $56 after coupon code "AEUS12". You also get free shipping from a local US-based warehouse. The same monitor is currently selling for $129 on Amazon. The Arzopa Z1C weighs under 2 pounds and measures 0.37" thin. It has a mini HDMI port and dual USB Type-C ports (one with Power Delivery) for multiple connectivity options.

Allpowers 299Wh LiFePO4 Power Station

One of the most popular power stations on AliExpress is heavily discounted today. Right now you can pick up the Allpowers R600 299Wh LiFePO4 Power Station for just $130.72 after you apply off coupon code "AEUS26". The Allpowers R600 is a portable 299WH power station for off-grid use, whether it be as in-home battery backup or your sole source of power during your outdoor adventures. It has two AC outlets capable of 600W (1,200W surge) each, which is double the capacity of an equivalent Ecoflow River power station. It even features a pure sine wave inverter to protect sensitive electronics. The R600 also includes two USB Type-C ports with 100W output, two USB Type-A ports with 18W output, a cigarette lighter with 120W output, and an inductive wireless charger with 15W output.

Bluetti 448Wh LiFePO4 Power Station

Bluetti is well known amongst the off-grid community for its value-packed power stations and solar generators. It has an official storefront at AliExpress where it sells factory recertified power stations that include the same 5 year warranty as buying one new. The best deal right now is the compact yet high capacity Bluetti AC50B 448Wh LiFePO4 Power Station for just $210.21 after you apply $32 off coupon code "AEUS32". It ships free locally from the United States and arrives within 1 to 2 weeks. The AC50B has two 120V AC outlets capable of 700W (1,000W surge) each, two 65W USB Type-C ports, and one 18W USB Type-A port.

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller (Import)

Nintendo recently raised the price of the new Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller from $85 to $90, but here's an opportunity to get one for less than either price. AliExpress is currently offering import model Switch 2 Pro controllers for $77 after you apply $12 off coupon code "AEUS12" during checkout. Your order ships free locally from the United States.

This is a brand new, genuine model, most likely from Hong Kong, China, or Japan. All Switch hardware (including the Pro 2 controller) is region unlocked, meaning you can use the controller with any US-based Nintendo Switch console without any additional steps. The only caveat is that imported peripherals don't come with a Nintendo warranty but AliExpress offers a 15-day free returns window in case you get a lemon.

Sofirn SP36 Pro 8,000-Lumen EDC LED Flashlight

Check any popular flashlight forums and you'll see that Sofirn is a very well known brand that carries a wide range of flashlights at extremely affordable prices. They're one of the best selling flashlight brands on Amazon, but you can get the exact same models for a much lower price at AliExpress. In fact, Sofirn even has its own official seller account there. The SP36 Pro is a popular 5" EDC model that currently sells for over $60 on Amazon. The emitter uses four SST40 LEDs that can deliver up to 8,000 lumens. It takes three 18650 batteries which are included.

Licensed JoyToy Warhammer 40K Figures

JoyToy is well known for its huge collection of pre-painted Warhammer 40K figures. In my opinion they are better detailed than the ones from McFarlane and Bandai, with the exception of limited edition figures that cost hundreds of dollars apiece. JoyToy figures are also (justifiably) more expensive and building out an extensive Warhammer collection of figures can easily add up in price. Lucky for us, JoyToy happens to host its own official storefront on AliExpress. It also licenses its toys out to several other resellers on AliExpress. These are all genuine models shipped in retail packaging and best of all, much cheaper than getting it anywhere else.

Who Is AliExpress?

AliExpress, an offshoot of Alibaba (one of the world's largest online retailers), is a one-stop shop for everything under the sun, from video games, consoles, and electronics to home decor, apparel, toys, and sporting goods. It operates as an online marketplace for Chinese-based sellers looking to sell their products to international customers. This is a great resource for US-based shoppers because prices on AliExpress are more often than not lower than the exact same product at a US retailer, including Amazon marketplace. These include officially licensed products from Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and more. If you're willing to overlook some caveats (for example, imported models without a US warranty) and exercise basic internet common sense, then AliExpress offers a great opportunity to save tons of money.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Reçu hier — 6 novembre 2025 IGN

Target's Early Black Friday Sale Has Some of the Best Toy Deals of 2025

6 novembre 2025 à 21:04

It’s November, which means pretty much every major retailer on the planet is going to launch some form of Black Friday sale. Target has joined Best Buy in kicking things off sooner rather than later, with early Black Friday deals now live through November 8. While we’re still in the early days of discounts, Target has particularly strong deals on toys and LEGO sets that definitely have the potential to sell out.

Target’s Early Black Friday Sale Is Now Live

Target’s early Black Friday sale is offering 30–50% off some of its biggest product categories. A big highlight for us is the 40% off LEGO deals. LEGO Wicket the Ewok was put on backorder within days of release earlier this year. Not only is the set back in stock, it now has that solid 40% discount. Aside from the spread of LEGO Star Wars sets, we've also seen discounts on the LEGO Minecraft series and this year's themed advent calendars.

The Toys section is a great spot to do some early holiday shopping, with up to 50% off Barbie dolls, Nerf guns, and even LeapFrog learning activities. Target often has exclusive releases, like the recently announced Transformers x Stranger Things figures, which you can rest assured won’t be price-matched or available for a better deal elsewhere.

Aside from the joy of toys, you’ll also find discounts on clothes, kitchen appliances, and even Christmas decorations. We haven't seen any TCG deals yet, so here's to hoping that's a surprise for later in the month.

Target Black Friday Schedule

Target’s Early Black Friday Sale is a three-day event from November 6–8. The official Target Black Friday sale will kick off online on November 27 and in stores on the day itself, November 28. The retailer will also be unveiling new deals every week as well as a rotating "Deal of the Day" until the end of the December. Some of the best deals will be exclusive to Target Circle members, which is free to join.

Another feature Target has rolled out is a price guarantee on all purchases starting November 1 until December 24. If you pick up a LEGO set in an early Black Friday deal that gets an even bigger price cut or in store, you can request a price adjustment (here's the details on how to do so). The goal here is to help shoppers feel confident making purchases without worrying about whether they're getting the best possible holdiay deal. It’s worth noting this price-matching no longer applies to other retailers, just Target.

Prepping for the season of savings? Best Buy has also launched an early Black Friday sale, while Walmart and Costco have announced Black Friday plans for later this month. The LEGO Store will be having a Black Friday sale exclusively over the Black Friday weekend. For more, check out our full breakdown of when to expect Black Friday sales at all the big retailers.

Save $1,200 Off the Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16" RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop with OLED Display

6 novembre 2025 à 20:20

As part of its early Black Friday Sale, Lenovo is offering an excellent price on one of its highest end laptops. You can pick up the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 gaming laptop, equipped with a 16" OLED display and RTX 5080 GPU, for just $2,417.49 after you apply two stackable coupon codes "EXTRAFIVE" and "BUYMORELENOVO". That's nearly $1,200 off in savings and one of the best prices I've seen so far for this configuration.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7 Gen 10 RTX 5080 Laptop for $2,417.49

Apply both codes: "BUYMORELENOVO" and "EXTRAFIVE"

The Legion Pro 7 is Lenovo's highest end 16" gaming laptop, featuring a full metal chassis (both lid and body), gorgeous OLED display with 2.5K 189ppi resolution, 240Hz refresh rate, HDR 1000 True Black certification, and 100% DCI-P3 color range, and better cooling than the Legion 5 series of laptops. This particular configuration is equipped with a 16" 2560x1600 240Hz OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 2TB SSD. This 2025 model has been updated with Wi-Fi 7. Connectivity options include a Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1, a USB Type-C port with up to 100W of Power Delivery, three USB Type-A ports, an RJ45 ethernet port, and an HDMI 2.1 port. The 99Whr battery can charge to 70% in just 30 minutes.

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a top performing CPU

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor has 24 cores and a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz. This is the second most powerful Intel mobile CPU currently available (the Ultra 9 285HX has a slightly higher clock speed) and goes toe to toe with AMD's flagship Ryzen 9 9955HX processor. This is an excellent CPU to pair with a powerful GPU like the 5080.

The GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU is better than the RTX 4090 mobile

The Legion Pro 7 laptop offers a robust cooling design that allows it to accomodate a more powerful GPU like the RTX 5080 without throttling it. That's important if you want to be able to play games comfortably on the display's enhanced 2560x1600 resolution. The RTX 5080 mobile GPU is roughly 15%-20% more powerful than the RTX 4080 mobile GPU that it replaces. In fact, it's slightly more powerful than the RTX 4090, which was the previous generation's flagship card. It's also within 15% of the RTX 5090's performance despite costing hundreds less.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Square Enix Undergoes Mass Layoffs As It Reorganizes to Consolidate Development in Japan

6 novembre 2025 à 19:44

Square Enix is undergoing mass layoffs today, potentially impacting over 100 individuals, alongside a broader effort to consolidate its publishing organization and focus its development work in Japan.

Via public posts from former employees as well as confirmation from internal sources, IGN has learned that employees in the UK and US are being informed of the layoffs today, with an unknown number of US employees being dismissed by the end of the week, and a possible 137 jobs at risk in the UK. Under UK law, Square Enix must undergo redundancy consultations to see if any jobs can potentially be saved, so the final number in the UK could be smaller. It is not yet clear which teams were impacted by this, or to what extent.

Internally, a slide presentation now publicly available was also shared with employees earlier today, offered a progress report on Square Enix's ongoing "reorganization of overseas organizations", of which this restructuring seems to be a part. Per Square Enix, the strategy has already involved "clos[ing] overseas development studios and shift[ing] toward consolidating development functions in Japan."

As a part of this, Square Enix already sold Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montreal, Square Enix Montreal, and a number of associated IPs to Embracer Group. It also already laid off workers across its Western operations in 2024.

That leaves Square Enix with the Life Is Strange, Outriders, and Just Cause franchises currently managed by its Western studios, as well as the publishing of Powerwash Simulator.

Square Enix has shared a statement with IGN confirming the layoffs, but did not respond to questions about the number of individuals impacted, what roles, or if any projects or specific studios were impacted:

We are reorganizing our operations in North America and Europe to strengthen our development structure and to drive a globally integrated marketing strategy.
This was an extremely difficult decision, made following careful consideration and analysis by our leadership, in order to best position the Group’s long-term growth.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the talented team members who will be departing the company for their significant contributions to Square Enix. During this period of transition, we remain committed to treating each individual with the utmost respect and providing extensive support throughout this process."

In the same presentation shared today, Square Enix also shared that it expects 70% of its QA work to be handled by generative AI by the end of 2027. The company has stated in the past that it intends to be "aggressive in applying AI" across both development and publishing.

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.

Pokémon TCG: Amazon's Latest Promo Means You Can Score Mega Evolution Bundle For Free

6 novembre 2025 à 19:30

Free Mega Evolution Booster Bundle, you say? Well, yeah, if you qualify for an Amazon Store Card.

Nope, this isn't financial advice either; it's just an easy way to get a free $60 Amazon Gift Card to pay for those sweet, sweet packs.

So there's no need to get in debt, just be responsible and don't use that store card (although this is what Amazon is banking on you to do, so don't fall into the trap).

Can't get the gift card approved? Well, it's still a decent deal as it's close to market value anyway, just think of the extra $5 saved going towards getting it in your hands the next day with Prime Delivery.

It's also worth noting that AMEX was recently offering 30% discounts on the Mega Evolution ETB, so it's always worth checking with them if there are any discounts available here as well.

Mega Evolution: Top Chase Cards You Can Pull Right Now

If you'd sooner buy the cards you're after rather than spend money on a load of sealed products, TCGPlayer has your back.

Here's some updated pricing on the top Mega Evolution Pokémon cards right now, the majority of which have dropped massively in value in the past week:

Near Mint Holofoil: $392.99
Market price: $458
Most recent sale: $397.24

Near Mint Holofoil: $505
Market price: $508.96
Most recent sale: $500

Near Mint Holofoil: $230
Market price: $243.69
Most recent sale: $239

Near Mint Holofoil: $229.99
Market price: $231.53
Most recent sale: $225.97

Near Mint Holofoil: $173
Market price: $1764.87
Most recent sale: $165

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.

Save 25% Off the Google Streamer 4K for Black Friday

6 novembre 2025 à 19:30

Ahead of Black Friday, Amazon is offering the best price I've seen on the feature rich Google Streamer 4K Android streaming device. Right now you can get one for just $74.99 shipped after a 25% instant discount. This beats out the previous lowest price of $80 during October Prime Day. In addition to its streaming features, the Google Streamer 4K can also function as a smart hub and is Thread compatible. It's also reasonably priced compared to other competitive options.

Google Streamer 4K for $75

The Google Streamer 4K was released in September of 2024. It is the successor to the Chromecast 4K, but improves upon it in nearly all respects. The new processor is up to 22% faster, with double the memory (2GB) and quadruple the onboard storage (32GB). Both wireless 802.11ac and wired gigabit ethernet options are available. It features a USB Type-C charging port, which makes it easier to track down a power brick if you lose the included one. The remote has also been updated with a handy remote-finder feature for those inevitable times you misplace it. The Steamer can also control your smart home devices and it functions as both a Thread border router and Matter hub.

Like other top-shelf models, the Google Streamer 4K can stream at up to 4K resolution in HDR, including Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HDR10+ formats. Although it's equipped with an HDMI 2.1 port, it's limited to 4K @ 60Hz refresh rate. The Google Streamer does, however, support Dolby Atmos if you pair it with Atmos-compatible speakers like the Sonos Arc.

Feature-wise, the Google Streamer 4K is comparable to the Apple TV or Roku Ultra but at a lower price point. The Nvidia Shield TV Pro does offer even more functionality (for example, it can be used as a Plex media server), but it retails for a much higher $200. Because you get the added bonus of smart home functionality and Matter and Thead compatiblity, the Google Streamer is an attractive option even at its retail price. When there's a deal, the value is hard to beat.

Which streaming services should I sign up for?

If you want to test out a streaming service for free before you decide to go all-in, we've compiled a list of our favorite platforms that are currently offering free trials. These include Hulu, Paramount+, Apple TV+, and Crunchyroll. Sign up for all of these trials and you'll have more shows than you'll have time to watch them before the subscriptions expire.

If you're wondering what our favorite paid subscription is, the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ package bundle is hard to beat at just $16.99 for all three services. 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.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

PS5 Black Friday 2025 Sale: Here's What Deals We Expect To See This Year

6 novembre 2025 à 18:30

Following up from our predictions for Xbox's 2025 Black Friday sale, we're now digging into what could be in store for the blue side of the console gamer.

PlayStation's history with Black Friday is historically... fairly good. So, I'm expecting things to continue in a similar vein, and there should be a whole lot for PS5 fans to get stuck into once the official sale kicks off.

While we don't have any official details or start dates for the sale yet, I've used my many years of experience and a bit of slippery speculation to round out a few tidy predictions on what might be in store for us during PlayStation's Black Friday sale in 2025.

DualSense Controllers

This one seems pretty obvious to me. DualSense Controllers have been included in the Black Friday sales for the past four years, and I doubt this will change for this year.

In terms of the price we can expect, I'd wager that it'll be exactly the same as last year, as we haven't seen any further price hikes on the gamepads just yet.

If you need a reminder, during Black Friday the DualSense Controllers tend to drop to $54.99 for the standard color variants, and $59.99 for the special edition colorways. That's a $20 discount overall, and I'd fully expect this to be the discount we see again in 2025.

There's been a few new DualSense designs this year, including Ghost of Yotei and Icon Blue controllers, so it could be a good opportunity to pick one of these up at a discount.

I'd also wager we may see a discount on the DualSense Edge come Black Friday, but to my surprise, it's already down to $174.99 right now at Amazon. Not bad at all!

PS5 Games

PlayStation's November sale is already live, with up to 80% off a nice selection of digital games right now.

That's not to be confused with its Black Friday sale, which, by my best guess, will likely go live on November 21 (which is when the aforementioned Nov' sale ends).

But, for now, there's some tidy discounts to consider in the meantime, including 55% off Cyberpunk 2077, 20% off Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and more.

For the proper Black Friday sale, first party wise, we'll be keeping an eye out for discounts on new games like Ghost of Yotei and Death Stranding 2, both digitally and physically. DS2 was already down to $50 just a few weeks ago, so that's a pretty solid bet to get another discount.

Otherwise, I think it we'll see a lot of the usual suspects that have been popping up during sale events all year, including both The Last of Us games for PS5, God of War Raganrok, Spider-Man 2, and so on.

I'm expecting third-party savings to be pretty good this year as well. These likely won't be too disimilar to what I predicted for Xbox, so expect discounts across big releases like Borderlands 4 (which was already down to $55 recently), your typical new SEGA game discount (this year I'm placing my bets on Sonic Racing: Crossworlds), and EA Sports FC 26, which reliably drops every year without fail.

Other top 2025 games likely to see further cuts include Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, Split Fiction, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Civilization 7, and Elden Ring Nightreign. Each has already been discounted in other sales this year, so expect them to dip again.

What game would you like to see in the Black Friday sales? Let us know in the comments.

PS Plus Black Friday Deals

The main deal highlight for PS Plus users last Black Friday, was 20% off Essential, 25% off Extra, 30% off Premium, alongside a 25% off Extra upgrade and 30% off Premium upgrade.

  • Essential was $63.99 (12 months)
  • Extra was $101.24 (12 months)
  • Premium was $111.99 (12 months)

We haven't seen any price hikes for PS Plus in 2025, so I'm predicting that we will see an almost identical deal as the above once the sales are live. But, it's also worth noting that two of the most recent sales on PS Plus were slightly different, so we may be in store for a surprise.

2025's Lunar New Year promotion (Feb 14 – Feb 24) included 25% off Extra, 37% off Premium, and 35% off Premium upgrades, while the 2025 Days of Play sale saw 20% off Essential, 25% off Extra, 33% off Premium, and 33% off Premium upgrades. If we PlayStation could match its Lunar New Year sale, we could be in business. Let's wait and see.

PS5 and PS Portal

While Black Friday tends to be fairly positive for PlayStation fans, unfortunetly it has a so-so history with its console deals. Last year was a bit of a dud, no discounts on the new PS5 Pro (which, to be fair, wasn't unexpected), and a fairly unremarkable PS5 Slim Fornite bundle.

This year could be one for the history books, potentially at least. But, there's a few hurdles to overcome. Just like everyone else, Sony has also been dabbling in price hikes this year. Back in August, the PS5 jumped in price by $50, rising to $549.99 for the disc version, digital $499.99, and Pro $749.99.

Just like Xbox, this makes a console deal during Black Friday... slightly less appealing than it could've been. Still, not all hope is lost. Any discount on the PS5 Pro is a good discount, in my books, especially as it's already so expensive in the first place. If it drops to around $600-$650 in the official sales, I'd consider this a good deal.

I'd also like to see the PS5 Slim drop to $399 (disc), and $349 (digital), but this may be wishful thinking. It's more likely we'll see something in the range of $449-$500, or a potentially a new game bundle, judging by previous years.

But, just like most of of our other Black Friday gaming coverage, this comes with a big ol' but also!

Amazon's Resale deals have been a big highlight for gamers looking for a better deal, and Black Friday is likely going to be no different. In the summer we saw PS5 Pro consoles going for about $500, PS5 Slim for around $300, PlayStation Portal for $125, and more. The PS Portal has officially launched cloud streaming, so that's definitely worth keeping an eye on.

The only down side is that, since these deals are so excellent, they can sell out unbelievably fast. If you spot one on sale (or get reminded by us), then you'd better buy it ASAP to avoid Black Friday deal FOMO.

For those who miss out, there will still likely be an official deal to check out. It just won't be as good. So, keep an eye out for both, and we'll be sure to notify you as well via our Black Friday coverage, or on IGNDeals Twitter/X.

Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.

ROUTINE: Meet the Megazone Arcade and Playable Minigames – IGN First

6 novembre 2025 à 18:00

What if the 1980's became the jumping off point for the future? Like how this year's Fantastic Four movie was a '50's version of the future? Enter ROUTINE, an upcoming first-person sci-fi horror game set on a lunar base. Like all good horror games, silence and loneliness are your worst enemies, and that's true in ROUTINE – except for the part where you discover a foe who thinks the primary threat is, in fact, you. Piece together the events that took place prior to your arrival, and try to survive.

ROUTINE is our IGN First "cover story" game for November, ahead of its December 4 release for PC (Steam and Xbox on PC) and Xbox (Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Xbox Cloud) – including Xbox Game Pass on day one. This exclusive video (watch it above) introduces you to the Megazone Arcade area of the lunar base, including playable minigames.

ROUTINE has quite the development story, having originally been announced over a decade ago. It was re-revealed in 2022, and we finally played it for the first time earlier this year. Stay tuned all November long for more exclusive IGN First coverage, like our C.A.T. Ultraview gameplay tool reveal that kicked off our coverage. In the meantime, you can wishlist ROUTINE on Steam if you're interested.

'This Wasn't Intentional': Fortnite Developer Responds After The Simpsons' Apu Error

6 novembre 2025 à 17:41

Fortnite developer Epic Games has said it will adjust an image within its newly-launched The Simpsons season that depicts shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon with light-colored skin.

Fans spotted the image earlier this week on the wall of Moe's Tavern, where a classic picture from The Simpsons depicts Apu, Barney, Homer and Principal Skinner during their tenure as barbershop quartet The Be Sharps.

Apu is erroneously shown with the same yellow skin tone as his fellow singers, though as many were quick to point out, the character is depicted correctly in other pictures within the same location.

As bad as this looks, I’m pretty sure this was an oversight. He’s on a different picture presented correctly https://t.co/Rqyy5o79p3 pic.twitter.com/Q6mS2aV4XJ

— dille (@nescartridges) November 4, 2025

Now, amid press reports that suggested Epic Games was somehow trying to erase the character, the developer has responded with a short statement posted to social media. "This wasn't intentional, it's being adjusted in our next release," Epic Games wrote, in an update on its Fortnite Status account.

Recent years have seen Apu take more of a backseat on The Simpsons, following the release of the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu which strongly criticised the character as a racist South Asian stereotype. Long-term The Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria subsequently announced he would no longer portray the role — and since then, the character has only appeared without dialogue.

Earlier this week, Epic Games celebrated a spike in player numbers as Fortnite's The Simpsons season launched to a positive response. Fans have poured praise on the game's Easter egg-stuffed recreation of Springfield, though there has been criticism for this week's introduction of new pet-like Sidekick cosmetics, which need to be bought multiple times to be fully re-customized.

Next up for Fortnite is a major end of year event on November 29 that will see The Simpsons' mini-season end and a new Chapter Seven era of the game arrive — with the expectation the game will feature some kind of Quentin Tarantino crossover.

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

Fish It! Codes (November 2025)

6 novembre 2025 à 16:37

Fish It! will have you clicking away for hours as you try to catch all the variations available in the game. As of the time of writing this, Fish It! claims to have over 1,000,000 variations for you to collect. With new updates planned for the Roblox experience's future, it looks like that number will only continue to increase. So with that in mind, why not use a few codes to help you along the way?

Working Fish It! Codes

Before you can use most codes, you'll need to reach level 10, so make sure you spend some time hooking as many fish as possible before trying them out.

  • CRYSTALS - 2x Luck I Potions, 2x Luck II Potions (NEW)
  • WORMHYPE - Requires reaching level 100.

How to Redeem Fish It! Codes

  1. Jump into Fish It! and complete the tutorial
  2. Continue to fish and complete quests to reach Level 10. You may have to get to Level 11 despite it saying Level 10 in-game.
  3. Look for the Store Icon at the top of the screen. It's the red basket.
  4. Scroll down to the bottom of the Exclusive Store.
  5. Enter the code under Redeem Codes.
  6. Hit Redeem and enjoy your goodies!

Expired Fish It! Codes

These codes can no longer be redeemed, but they're listed here so you can still try if you like!

  • BLAMETALON
  • MUTATE
  • TRAVEL
  • SHARKSSS
  • 100M
  • ARMOR
  • SORRYSPINS
  • FREEBIES

Why Isn't My Fish It! Code Working?

Codes for Roblox experiences are usually 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!

When is The Next Fish It! Update?

Fish It! typically launches its updates on Sundays. The next one will happen on Sunday, 9th Nov and will introduce a Jungle Expansion.

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.

Netflix Reveals Stranger Things: Tales From '85 Animated Spinoff With Teaser Video, First Look Images, and Voice Cast Announcement

6 novembre 2025 à 17:27

Netflix has announced Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, an animated spinoff due out in 2026.

In the teaser video, which shows snippets of footage, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer reveal that the idea with Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 is to evoke the feeling of an '80s cartoon. The story takes place between Seasons 2 and 3 and features the main characters from Stranger Things itself.

Something survived in ’85.

Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, a new adventure in animation, coming to Netflix in 2026 pic.twitter.com/bHKx9eCPhF

— Netflix (@netflix) November 6, 2025

“Welcome back to Hawkins in the stark winter of 1985, where the original characters must fight new monsters and unravel a paranormal mystery terrorizing their town in Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an epic new animated series,” reads the official blurb. First look images are below:

Matt and Ross Duffer are down as executive producers, with Eric Robles in place as showrunner. Flying Bark Productions is the animation studio. The announced voice cast is below:

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 voice cast:

  • Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven
  • Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max
  • Luca Diaz as Mike
  • Ej (Elisha) Williams as Lucas
  • Braxton Quinney as Dustin
  • Ben Plessala as Will
  • Brett Gipson as Hopper
  • Additional voice cast includes Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo, and Lou Diamond Phillips

The announcement was made on ‘Stranger Things Day.’ For the uninitiated, November 6, 1983 is the date Will Byers went missing in Hawkins, Indiana, kicking off the Stranger Things story the fifth and final season will soon wrap up.

Here’s the official blurb on Stranger Things Season 5:

The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time.

Stranger Things Season 5 debuts on Netflix in three parts, with the first four episodes arriving for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26. The next three episodes premiere on Christmas, and the series finale will debut on the streamer and in over 350 theaters nationwide on New Year’s Eve.

Stranger Things Season 5 release dates:

  • VOL 1 - November 26, 5pm PT
  • VOL 2 - Christmas, 5pm PT
  • THE FINALE - New Year’s Eve, 5pm PT

Season 5 arrives over three years after the finale of Season 4. For more, check out the burning questions we still have from Stranger Things Season 4.

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.

Save Big on Games in the PlayStation Store’s November Sale Ahead of Black Friday

6 novembre 2025 à 17:26

PlayStation isn't making players wait for Black Friday to score some nice deals on games.

The PlayStation Store has kicked off its 'November Savings' sale event, which features some great discounts at the moment on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Premium Edition, Monster Hunter Wilds, The Outer Worlds: Board-Approved Bundle (perfect to pick up with The Outer Worlds 2 out now), and plenty more.

Alongside those games, we've included a few more of our favorite digital picks from this sale event below. If you're curious what other offers are available right now, have a look at PlayStation's November sale here. It comes to an end on November 21 (which is likely when the Black Friday sale will kick off) so there's plenty of time to stock up on the games you like at a discount.

PlayStation Store November Sale

As we wait for Black Friday to officially come around, a few retailers are offering early deals for shoppers to check out in the weeks leading up to it, including Walmart and Best Buy. If you're looking for even more game deals, there's already nice discounts to check out alongside these picks on the PlayStation Store.

Woot has quite a few Switch 2 games on sale right now. Among them is Donkey Kong Bananza, which we gave a glowing 10/10 to in our review. And while we're waiting to see what Xbox has in store, you can have a look at our breakdown of what to expect from Xbox’s Black Friday 2025 sale to see some of our predictions.

The official sale event starts up on November 28 this year. If you're looking for more information on what retailers will be participating, and some of the discounts we're hoping to see, check out our full breakdown of Black Friday 2025 to learn more.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

Target Has Dropped Tons of LEGO Deals as Part of Its Early Black Friday Sale

6 novembre 2025 à 17:18

It may be the start of November, but it's official: Black Friday sales have begun. Target has kicked off the festivities with a limited time early Black Friday sale that features tons of exciting deals. If you're tracking down some LEGO sets to buy this year, the retailer has quite a nice selection on sale at the moment. Note: some of the sets are showing out of stock, but they're available for shipping.

Below you can see just a few of our favorite LEGO sets from Target's early Black Friday sale - including the LEGO Wicket the Ewok set, the LEGO Minecraft The Crafting Table set, and plenty more. If you're curious what other LEGO sets are on sale right now, check out Target's early Black Friday sale page here.

Target Early Black Friday Deals on LEGO

All of the sets listed above are 40% off right now, which is excellent savings to take advantage of while they're still available. Keep in mind, though, that this early deal drop is a limited time sale that ends on November 8, so if you come across a set that catches your eye, you'll want to jump on it fast as the deal won't last long.

The month of November features quite a few early Black Friday deals from retailers alongside Target. Walmart is going to split up its deals into three different events, with its early deals dropping on November 14. Best Buy is also offering doorbuster deals each Friday through Black Friday, so there's plenty of opportunities this month to save on a wide variety of items ahead of the holidays.

If you're curious when the actual sale begins this year, Black Friday lands on November 28. For more information on what other retailers are expected to jump in on the seasonal sale event this year, and what discounts we're hoping to see, check out our full breakdown of Black Friday 2025.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

The Best, Worst, and Weirdest Simpsons Games

6 novembre 2025 à 16:30

The Simpsons has been a television staple since 1989, spanning over 790 episodes, a theatrically released feature film, another on the way, and a ton of video game adaptations, a few of which were genuinely great. After all, The Simpsons even invented its own in-universe video games, referenced actual video games constantly, and even went to a video game convention. But as a sitcom family featuring members that mostly spent their time at work, school, or hanging around the house, making a video game out of The Simpsons was no easy task, inspiring developers to create entire Simpsons games out of things that maybe appeared in an episode once, or just make up a game idea out of thin air, leading to some truly crazy results. Here is the weird, wild history of The Simpsons video games.

Don’t have a cow, man.

Bart vs. the Space Mutants (1991)

The very first Simpsons video game is a truly bizarre one. Bart vs. The Space Mutants was incredibly ambitious and packed with great references to the show, even if it wasn’t exactly fun to play. The title screen played a chiptune version of the theme song over an 8-bit version of the iconic TV family and their beloved couch, fuzzy voice samples allowed Bart to say things like “Eat My Shorts,” and you could even prank call Moe the bartender from outside of his tavern. By the way, if you don’t like that chiptune cover of The Simpson’s theme song, tough luck, because it plays on loop for the entirety of some of its very long levels.

It being the first Simpsons video game that players could buy at a store and shove into their NES consoles made it a huge sales success, even though it was notoriously obtuse, punishingly difficult, featured unreliable and floaty platforming mechanics, and was frankly just plain odd for anyone who even had a passing familiarity with the show. Using “They Live” style glasses that Bart can wear to see invisible aliens, he’s able to traverse through the streets (while also dodging visible aliens) so he can spray paint purple objects around Springfield because the aliens... need purple objects... for intergalactic dominance... or something.

As a kid, Bart vs. the Space Mutants was probably the first time I realized a video game based on a TV show or movie I loved could be bad, a life lesson that the NES handed out constantly during that era. But hey, we all thought it was the coolest that Bart talked and skateboarded in the game, and we were used to pushing through brutally hard video games at the time, so we all made the best of it... even if I didn’t know a single kid who actually beat this game without using a cheat code device like the Game Genie.

Besides, in 1991 we all knew the real best Simpsons game wasn’t in our living rooms but at the arcade across town…

The Simpsons Arcade Game (1991)

Do you know how fun your video game has to be to convince a ten year old boy that he should play as a stay at home mother of three with a vacuum cleaner? Really fun, and luckily The Simpsons arcade game was an absolute blast, especially with three of your friends huddled around it after devouring two whole pizzas at a birthday party. The early '90s arcade scene was packed with co-op sidescrolling beat ‘em up games based on things like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the X-Men, and The Simpsons fit right in, ready and eager to devour your arcade tokens.

Not only was The Simpsons arcade game absolutely gorgeous (thanks to the brilliant artists and game developers at Konami) but it was also incredibly funny, packed with obvious and esoteric references to the show. And while its plot (rescue Maggie from Smithers because she thinks a stolen diamond is a pacifier?) didn’t make much sense, who cares? It was a great excuse to send the entire Simpsons family into the streets together to beat the crap out of bad poorly dressed henchmen, zombies, bears, gigantic Krusty the Clown balloons, and whatever else the game decides to chuck at you.

Unfortunately you can’t purchase this game and play it on modern video game platforms, although it was ported to consoles in 2013 before being delisted for good. You can, however, spend hundreds of dollars on a recreated Arcade 1-UP version, a thing I’ve been tempted to do dozens of times in my adult life and somehow been able to resist. 34 years later, The Simpsons arcade game is still one of the best Simpsons video games ever made, and a completely kickass beat ‘em up in its own right. I really hope Konami decides to re-release it so more people can experience this absolute classic.

Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly (1991)

Meanwhile that same year, in my back pocket, the AA battery-devouring machine known as the Nintendo Game Boy got its own exclusive Simpsons game called Escape from Camp Deadly. It was once again way more difficult than it had any right to be. Compared to the NES game, though, Bart’s character sprite was at least more than seven pixels tall, even if the Game Boy’s limited palette made his eyes look like he was perpetually stoned.

Escape from Camp Deadly, as the name suggests, is about Bart fleeing a deranged and dangerous summer camp where people throw knives and forks during cafeteria food fights and guys that look like undercover cops try to beat you to death in a forest. And you thought summer school sucked. This game wasn’t great by any stretch, but it was satisfying enough and also had the benefit of being a portable game you could suffer through anywhere you went, from the school bus to your own terrible summer camp. And if you make it to the ending you even get to see Camp Deadly get shut down and a skunk joins your family celebration, because why not.

Bart vs. the World (1991)

Acclaim’s second Simpson’s NES game in the same year was Bart vs. the World, a game about Bart winning a contest that puts him on a global scavenger hunt, which is mostly just a thin excuse to drop him in international locations that have no bearing on reality, like a huge boat in China where people shoot fireworks at kids, and the North Pole’s frozen river - a dream vacation of every child wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

Bart vs. the World plays like much more of a standard platforming game than vs. the Space Mutants did, and the end result is a slightly-better-but-still-not-great game. But hey, you at least can turn into Bartman and fly around, there are minigames to break things up between levels, Moe the Bartender tries to kill you with beers, and you can throw pies in the faces of Smithers and Mr. Burns for an uncomfortably long stretch of time.

Bart's House of Weirdness (1991)

Somehow the fifth Simpsons video game released in 1991, Bart’s House of Weirdness brings Konami back into the picture for an MS-DOS game (and if you know what that means, you should schedule a colonoscopy) that once again pits Bart against a bunch of stuff in Springfield that is trying to kill him. Or should I say “uncool” him, since the game’s health bar is actually a cool meter that goes down depending on how much you get hurt.

Despite being named Bart’s House of Weirdness, most of the game is actually spent outside of Bart’s house doing the usual Simpson’s video game stuff like fighting aliens or looking at long, awkward poses on loading screens. Overall it’s a pretty good looking game and use of the license in general (although the theme song cover here is completely unhinged) even if it's nowhere near the same level of quality as Konami’s other Simpson’s game that year.

Bart vs. The Juggernauts (1992)

The year 1992 brought us a trio of new Simpsons games, the most unhinged of them being Bart vs. The Juggernauts, a parody of the hit late '80s/early '90s competitive strongman show, American Gladiators, now set in Springfield. Oh, and it’s hosted by resident surly news anchor Kent Brockman and local therapist Marvin Monroe, both of which assume no legal responsibility for the public beating that Bart is about to endure. Bart Simpson - canonically a fourth grader - takes on numerous Juggernauts, hulking behemoths who want to pulverize him for cash and prizes. So yes, exactly the kind of lawsuit factory that infamous Simpsons lawyer Lionel Hutz would’ve loved.

While the premise is deranged, the writing is genuinely witty and sharp, with all of the adults fully aware that this televised tournament is a reckless and dangerous thing to throw kids into, especially the level where Bart has to punch and jump kick a grown woman at Moe’s Tavern, a dive bar full of cheering alcoholics. Oh, and that’s when he’s not jousting against a different grown up to see who can push their opponent into a pit of toxic sludge down at Mr. Burns’ power plant, which is exactly how The Joker once became a thing. Bart vs. The Juggernauts is essentially a minigame collection strung loosely together lby cutscenes, and while the game as a whole can feel kind of hit or miss, it’s a unique take on the source material. Plus, it ends with Bart winning his very own Truckasaurus for his family to drive home with, and really, how can anyone be mad at that?

Krusty's Fun House (1992)

After several Simpsons games starring Bart were released back to back (with many, many more to come) it was time to send in the clowns and give Krusty his own video game. Well, sort of. Krusty’s Fun House was technically a reskin of an Amiga game called Rat Trap that Acclaim decided to throw Krusty and some other Simpsons sprites into, sort of like how Super Mario characters took over the Japanese game Doki Doki Panic when it was released in the US. If you’ve ever played Lemmings or the Mario vs Donkey Kong games, you’ll quickly recognize that Krusty’s Fun House plays similarly but with a slightly darker outcome for the tiny herdlings: that’s because the player has to lure them into large machines where they’ll be smashed to bits. So probably not quite what you’d expect from a Krusty the Clown game but at the same time exactly the kind of thing you’d expect Krusty the Clown to do in his free time, so hey, why not.

Bartman Meets Radioactive Man (1992)

While Krusty was dealing with diseased vermin infestations, Bart was busy tackling other potentially deadly health code violations in 1992’s Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, which finally features Bart’s superhero alter-ego Bartman as a permanently playable character rather than a temporary power-up. Unfortunately, it’s marred by the same floaty platforming that plagued the previous Acclaim Simpsons games, and while the Bartman flying levels mix up the pacing a bit, it mostly lands in the middle of that all-too-common licensed NES game ditch of way too hard and not very fun.

The entirety of Bartman Meets Radioactive Man is set in locations that have nothing to do with any Simpsons episodes and feature little to no Simpsons references or characters at all, so it’s not even like it’s worth pushing through if you’re a Simpsons fan. In hindsight it’s pretty crazy how much Bartman stuff was out there by 1992 considering that character didn’t exactly have a huge presence on the show at the time, and I say that as someone who once successfully begged his parents to buy him a Bartman action figure. God I loved that thing. The Bartman video game, not so much.

Bart's Nightmare (1993)

On to the year 1993, where Bart Simpson is once again starring in an absolute fever dream of a Simpsons game, although this time that’s finally a deliberate choice. Bart’s Nightmare opens with Bart passing out face first into his homework and waking up in an imaginary hellscape where all of the pages have flown out of his bedroom window and on to a chaotic fantasy version of the streets of Springfield. While dodging obstacles with a jumping sound effect that sounds like a sick cat about to retch, Bart must collect his missing homework pages, triggering one of several random doors that lead to even crazier nightmares.

Behind one door there’s a Godzilla-inspired stage where Bart has to dodge a version of Mothra that looks like his mom (Margethra, I guess?) Behind another, a side-scrolling shoot ‘em up style level where Bartman takes down missiles and Krusty balloons with his trusty slingshot. There’s even a stage where Itchy and Scratchy try to kill Bart with hammers and bazookas while sentient vacuum cleaners tear across the carpet. Does any of this make any sense? No, and nightmares seldom do, so hey, just roll with it and try to get an A+ as your final score so the whole family can stare in awe at your hard work and dedication (although it’s not entirely clear if Bart didn’t just write that grade on the paper himself.)

Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness (1993)

Hey, it’s about time that Itchy & Scratchy - The Simpsons’ ultra-violent parody of Tom & Jerry - got their very own video game, although a side-scrolling mini golf game was probably not exactly what most fans expected at the time. Still, Itchy & Scratchy in Miniature Golf Madness manages to be ultra-violent, which is especially funny for a Game Boy game rated "E for everyone."

It’s Scratchy’s job to whack the ball over various obstacles and into the hole while managing challenging platforming sequences and collecting weapons he can use to blow up, maim, and straight up chop in half his resident nuisance animal, Itchy, who repeatedly makes it a point to annoy and harm him. Somehow this is all Krusty’s fault for reasons that are never clearly explained and ultimately don’t matter, because the end result was unique, especially when you consider your typical minigolf game at the time didn’t involve throwing knives or hitting a mouse so hard his eyeballs fly off of his face and into the 18th hole.

Bart & the Beanstalk (1994)

Okay, I promise this is the last Acclaim-developed Simpsons game for the original Nintendo Game Boy. I swear. 1994 was when The Simpsons was right in the middle of its peak of popularity, so obviously the best place to set the next video game starring ‘90s cool kid Bart Simpson was the 1700’s royalty-free British fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. Wait, what? Acclaim, a publisher clearly set on riding The Simpsons license until the wagon wheels fell off, once again gave Bart a short and floaty platforming game for the Nintendo Game Boy, this time a retelling of the classic story of a poor kid selling his family’s cow to make money and then spending said money on a magical bean that grows into a towering beanstalk leading to a giant’s castle.

There is no logical explanation for why any Simpson would be doing any of this unless some ‘90s video game executive heard Bart’s oft-repeated “don’t have a cow, man” line and decided a fable about a family selling their cow was a perfect fit. That’s the best I can do here. Let me know if you’ve got a better idea. Bart & the Beanstalk is once again a strange fit for the license and, outside of the giant looking like Homer and a cloud shaped boss looking like Mr. Burns, there’s not much here for Simpsons fans... although it does finally bring closure to Acclaim’s prolific and peculiar run of Game Boy exclusive Simpsons games. Rest in peace.

Virtual Bart (1994)

It doesn’t really get any more 1990s than Homer voice actor Dan Castellaneta yelling “Virtual Bart" over the intro of a 16-bit video game. See, in 1994 virtual reality seemed like the coolest concept in the world, even if nobody really knew what it meant and it was a label thrown around for anything from video games to just... being on the internet and doing virtual stuff like reading websites. The idea of putting on a futuristic helmet or special glasses and suddenly being whisked away to a simulated 3D world was every kid’s dream, and with very early VR experiences starting to trickle out in arcades, and movies like Demolition Man and the Lawnmower man showing their various uses, combining VR and Bart Simpson made a ton of sense if you were a marketing guy trying to get a kid to buy a video game. That said, Virtual Bart is mostly a randomized mini-game collection where Bart does various things every kid thought was cool, like watersliding, dirt bike riding, throwing eggs at teachers, and uhh, turning into a pig and escaping a canned ham factory. Yeah, that kind of stuff. Cool stuff kids love. Virtual stuff. Cool.

The Itchy & Scratchy Game (1995)

Back for another ultra violent action platforming game (this time without any pesky mini-golf to get in the way) 1995’s The Itchy & Scratchy Game lets you play as Itchy to exact revenge on that horrible cat who is always trying to kill you. The Itchy & Scratchy Game feels like someone said “What if we made a much slower and much worse Sonic the Hedgehog game with horrendous controls and level design and we gave it a soundtrack that sounded like people hitting loose floorboards with hammers the whole time. That would suck, right? Who cares, kids won’t know it sucks, just ship it.”

Well, we did know. We knew then and we know now and this game was so bad that nobody made another Itchy & Scratchy game for nearly 15 years after this. More on that later, but until then, it’s time we say goodbye to Acclaim’s seemingly endless run of mostly-not-great Simpsons video games and kick the license over to a bunch of new publishers. Thank for your service Acclaim, you may go away now.

The Simpsons Cartoon Studio (1996)

Watching Simpsons cartoons is great, but have you ever wanted to make your own? Turns out it’s really hard but still very funny if you got silly, creative, or weird enough with it, which was pretty much a given in The Simpsons Cartoon Studio for PC and Mac. Hot off the heels of “build your own cartoon” programs like Spider-Man Cartoon Maker and Felix the Cat's Cartoon Toolbox, The Simpsons Cartoon Studio lets you layer tons of different characters, effects, and sounds over various Simpsons settings to create hilarious and surrealist short films. It’s not really a “game” in that it doesn’t have a defined ending or scoring system, since creative expression is the whole point, but it still manages to yield some very fun and stupid results. Also, I’m completely convinced that several movie directors working today cut their teeth by editing short films in these '90s PC animation programs based on children’s cartoons. Just my theory, though. I have no proof.

The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield (1997)

The year is 1997 and while The Simpsons grip on pop culture is starting to loosen, excitement over the nebulous concept of all things “virtual” continued to climb, giving us the best-looking Simpsons game that had been released up until that time. Virtual Springfield decided to make the Simpsons home town the main character, allowing players to explore it through a device the game calls a “Virtual Reality Viewthingy,” which allows a first-person view of various Simpsons characters, settings, and gags, simply by pointing and clicking around.

But by far the greatest thing that Virtual Springfield gave the world is the promotional contest tied to it, where one lucky winner would become the owner of a real-life recreation of The Simpsons house built in Henderson, Nevada. Not only did they actually build the iconic house inside and out, but the contest winner refused the prize, accepting cash instead, and the local HOA hated its vibrant colors and decorations for looking out of place in the neighborhood, so it got stripped of all its Simpsons charm and repainted to a much more muted beiges and browns, none of which has stopped diehard Simpsons fans from traveling from around the world to visit it to this day. That story completely blew my mind, so thank you to Virtual Springfield and the adjacent Simpsons contests happening that year for bringing it all to life.

The Simpsons Bowling (2000)

Welcome to the year 2000! You successfully survived the Y2K bug hysteria and your reward is a trackball arcade bowling game starring The Simpsons. It’s a bit odd that it took nine years of Simpsons video games to get one based on bowling, considering how much of a presence bowling has the show (in Homer’s life, specifically, much to Marge’s chagrin.) And while seeing low-poly 3D modeled Simpsons characters is slightly disturbing, the game itself is fun enough. Like the original Konami Simpsons Arcade Game, The Simpsons Bowling lives on in the recreated 1-Up Arcade Simpsons cabinet (which I’m once again trying to talk myself out of buying) so if you’re eager to track one down or get lucky enough to find one in the game room of a real bowling alley out there, you can experience it all over again.

The Simpsons Wrestling (2001)

Finally, PlayStation owners get their first Simpsons game ever and it’s a... wrestling simulator? Uh, ok. If you thought the 3D graphics in Simpsons Bowling were jarring, get a look at this thing. Yikes. At the time, 3D wrestling games like WWF Smackdown and No Mercy were huge hits, while Simpsons popularity and general episode quality definitely started to dip a bit, so The Simpsons Wrestling may have been some kind of hail mary hopeful situation for the franchise. Players and critics alike almost universally hated it, with IGN calling it "the most horrific demolition of a license ever." But hey, you get to punch Flanders in the face, so at least Homer probably loved it.

The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror (2001)

Oh, you thought we were done with Game Boy Simpsons games developed by a video game publisher that once filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, only to return years later when their company trademarks were purchased and repurposed by investment groups? Well, THQ says "Hold my Duff Beer." The Simpsons: Night of the Living Treehouse of Horror is a Game Boy Color action platformer inspired by The Simpsons' tradition of annual spooky Halloween time episodes, and somehow it’s actually a pretty fun game and solid proof that The Simpsons worked better as pixel art in the early 2000s. And hey, you can even play as robot Homer as a nod to the Simpsons 1991 Frankenstein meets Wizard of Oz parody “If I Only Had a Brain.”

The Simpsons Road Rage (2001)

Finally, a Simpsons driving simulator, or “What if they made a whole video game of that part in The Simpsons show intro where Homer drives recklessly around Springfield?” The Simpsons Road Rage is basically The Simpsons meets Crazy Taxi, a comparison that Sega found so striking that it actually sued EA and FOX over it before settling out of court. Developer Radical Entertainment would go on to make a much better game where you wreak havoc and destruction around Springfield a few years later, but if you could push past the frequent loading screens and unreliable hit detection, The Simpsons Road Rage was decent enough fun at the time.

The Simpsons Skateboarding (2002)

Once again a bit behind the times on video game trend chasing, The Simpsons Skateboarding in 2002 attempted to take on the four Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games that had already been released at the time (the fourth just a month earlier) and sadly, it was no contest. Despite having nine playable characters and decent enough visuals, the gameplay was atrocious and The Simpsons sound bytes being played on repeat hundreds of times per stage were maddening enough to make you want to break a skateboard in half.

But don’t worry, things are about to get a whole lot better.

The Simpsons: Hit and Run (2003)

The year was 2003, and if you were playing video games at the time you might not have realized it but you were about to get what is arguably the greatest Simpsons game of all time. Around the same time, the Grand Theft Auto franchise was firing on all cylinders between GTA: Vice City and the soon to be released GTA: San Andreas, so the creators of The Simpsons Road Rage decided to expand many of the foundations they had previously built and created The Simpsons: Hit & Run. A GTA inspired open-world Simpsons game, Hit & Run let you steal cars, cause chaos, and explore Springfield to unlock collectibles and meet and/or beat all of your favorite Simpsons characters. This combination of GTA and the Simpsons went together like peanut butter and chocolate, and while it totally sucks that a sequel was pitched, planned, and then ultimately canceled, Hit and Run totally holds up today and has a passionate and dedicated speedrunning community collaborating to finish it as fast as humanly possible over and over again.

The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown (2007)

When The Simpsons Movie arrived in theaters in 2007, Electronic Arts published a pair of games to ride off of the hopeful success of the film, banking on nostalgia from longtime fans and newcomers alike. The first Simpsons Movie tie-in game was Minutes to Meltdown, a top-down mobile game played in 30 minute sessions, the same length of time it takes to watch an episode of The Simpsons with commercials. The art style is great, looking like a long-lost isometric Sega Genesis Simpsons game, once again proving that The Simpsons often works well in pixel art. But with only three levels and some very basic puzzles, most fans bounced off this one pretty quickly. Either way, Minutes to Meltdown is officially in the abandonware category, as you can no longer legally purchase it or play it. But hey, at least now you know it once existed.

The Simpsons Game (2007)

Meanwhile, The Simpsons Game was a much bigger and more ambitious swing, launching on nearly every console and handheld in 2007 and giving The Simpsons a big, fun action platformer to coincide with the release of the film. The game is broken up into 16 episodes, with each family member appearing as a playable character and a specific set of goals. The writing was fantastic and funny thanks to the direct contributions of The Simpsons writing staff, the cel shaded polygonal art style was a perfect fit, and each stage was packed with tons of nods to gaming, like references to Grand Theft Auto, The Sims creator Will Wright, Frogger, Space Invaders, and more. Unfortunately the camera was a bit hard to control and the overall game length left much to be desired. A sequel was originally planned but ultimately scrapped, so here’s hoping we see something new when the second Simpsons movie comes out in 2027, 20 years after the release of the first film.

The Simpsons: Itchy & Scratchy Land (2009)

A year later, EA Games published another isometric pixel art Simpsons game for mobile phones called Itchy & Scratchy Land, which despite its title, doesn’t actually let you play as Itchy or Scratchy. Instead, the Simpsons family does their best to survive their local theme park, which is now overrun with deadly Itchy & Scratchy robots along with a plethora of traps and hazards designed to kill them. While managing to be a bit deeper than EA’s previous Simpsons mobile game, it’s still a fairly simplistic offering that you also can’t download on your phone these days since support for it ended long ago.

The Simpsons Arcade (2009)

Remember the 1991 Simpsons Arcade game I praised near the start of this list? Well, in 2009 EA made a mobile exclusive tribute to it, or really, a spiritual successor that was missing lots of spirit. EA’s take on The Simpsons Arcade was still a side-scrolling beat ‘em up where players pulverized various goons and Simpsons characters across Springfield, but with no local multiplayer and only Homer featured as a playable character, it missed out on much of what made the original so fun. Still, since Konami had never (and still hasn’t) ported the original arcade game to mobile, it was fun having a new take on it on the go, even if it wasn’t nearly as great.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out (2012)

As you’ve seen by now, numerous Simpsons games let you explore Springfield, but The Simpsons: Tapped Out let you design and build it yourself to your own liking, and the results were shockingly fun for a mobile game, even if it was occasionally plagued by the usual microtransaction nonsense. Checking in daily to unlock new building, reorganize your town layout, and go through your large pile of Simpsons villager requests was an obsession of mine while waiting for a bus or train to arrive on my morning commute, so much so that I once figured out how to build gigantic 8-bit Nintendo sprites of Super Mario and the Legend of Zelda’s Link made entirely out of Simpsons washing machines, bushes, and mailboxes. Sadly after 12 years of steady updates and content drops, the game’s support officially ended recently and it’s since been delisted from mobile stores, meaning it's a bit tricky if you want to try and play it for the first time this year. But man, when it was at its best it was really cool to carry around my own personal version of Springfield in my pocket.

LEGO Dimensions (2015)

Between amiibo, Skylanders, and more, the “toys-to-life” genre of real life physical collectibles you could scan into digital games were all the craze in 2015, and LEGO decided to get in on it big time. LEGO Dimensions played like your typical LEGO game at the time, combining co-op action platforming and light puzzles, but instead of focusing on one franchise they decided to combine tons of them, including the Ghostbusters, DC Comics, The Goonies, Beetlejuice, and of course, The Simpsons.

Real life LEGO sets corresponding to each franchise could be purchased, built, and scanned into the game to unlock in-game characters and rewards, giving us a trio of Simpsons “fun packs” featuring Homer, Bart, and Krusty. You probably already guessed, but this meant absolute hell for both collectors and anyone trying to 100% the game since it required the purchase of tons of different LEGO sets to complete it all. By 2017 the toys to life genre was completely oversaturated, sales fell short for LEGO Dimensions, and future additions were cancelled. Still, it’s pretty cool that this is the only Simpsons game on this list to give us new toys to go with it, and you can still regularly find them for pretty cheap these days, in case you’ve always wanted a tiny LEGO Homer car to put on your shelf.

And there you have it, a complete history of every Simpsons video game so far, spanning several decades, consoles, handhelds, PC, and more. But with The Simpsons getting added to the immensely popular multiplayer game Fortnite, the show still ongoing with no plans to stop, and a Simpsons movie sequel coming in 2027, I have a feeling we’ll be getting new Simpsons games for years to come. So what’s your favorite Simpsons game of all time? Got a personal memory of getting a Simpsons game and bringing it home to play for the first time? Let us know in the comments below, and rank your favorite Simpsons game in the tier list below.

Zach Cregger's Resident Evil Movie Set in Raccoon City, Production Photos Reveal, With Hints to Place in the Timeline

6 novembre 2025 à 16:24

Snowy set photos have revealed the setting of Zach Cregger's upcoming Resident Evil movie — and yes, we're headed back to the series' iconic Raccoon City.

Images posted on social media by ROEnetwork, below, show filming underway in Prague, with areas of the city covered in artificial snow and littered with Raccoon City props.

Burnt out cars sit outside a street corner diner, while a snow-covered vehicle labelled as belonging to the "Martin County" sheriff lays parked under a bridge. Most intriguingly, a city map can be seen pasted up at a bus shelter, depicting Raccoon City as a sprawling metropolis.

There's a lot to talk about here, but it's worth stating the obvious first of all: Zach Cregger's Resident Evil project is clearly set prior to October 1998 and the events depicted in Resident Evil 3, which ends in the city being destroyed by missile strike.

Raccoon City is now a smoking ruin (as seen in the trailer for the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem), but this movie will take place before. How long before, though, is the question. For context, the original Resident Evil game (and Resident Evil 0) is set in July 1998, with spin-off Resident Evil Outbreak set in September of that year. Resident Evil 2 is set on September 29th and 30th, 1998, while the ending of Resident Evil 3 is set just a day later, on October 1.

The wintry setting seen in set photos (and the fact that Raccoon City is not a smoking pile of rubble) suggests a story set in the spring of 1998 at the latest — months prior to the franchise's heroes Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine turning up on the scene, and well before Leon S. Kennedy's fated first day as a cop.

FIRST LOOK: Zach Cregger’s RESIDENT EVIL has transformed Prague into a snowy Raccoon City, filming large-scale action sequences with gunfire, explosions, and stunt driving. 🧟‍♂️🎥

📺 RE Movie Details: https://t.co/RSwZ1e2Pzk
📅 Release Date: Sept 18, 2026
🔍 Source: The Prague… pic.twitter.com/FGBTRPq9hj

— RESIDENCE of EVIL (@ROEnetwork) November 4, 2025

However, this all fits with what we know of Zach Cregger's plans for the upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot: that it will be set in the same world as Capcom's video games, while not retelling any of their stories. Chris, Jill, Leon and their friends are not expected to appear, unlike in other past Resident Evil film attempts, although the events of the video games will not be contradicted.

Fans have pointed to the photos' wintry setting and linked it to a prior plot leak that mentioned an organ courier travelling to Raccoon City hospital who stumbles into a "full-blown outbreak" after an encounter on a "snowy mountain road." Cregger is expected to be reteaming with Weapons actor Austin Abrams for the film's lead role — expected by fans to be that organ courier.

Cregger's movie is slated for release on September 18, 2026. Before that, we'll be back in the ruins of Raccoon City in Resident Evil Requiem, due to launch on February 27.

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

'Grand Theft Employment!' — Protests Outside Take-Two and Rockstar North Offices as Fired Staff Deny Leaking Company Secrets

6 novembre 2025 à 15:46

Fired Rockstar Games staff have protested outside the UK offices of parent company Take-Two and developer Rockstar North, denying accusations of leaking company secrets and calling for their reinstatement.

Gatherings organized by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) were held outside Take-Two House in London and Rockstar’s office at Barclay House in Edinburgh, Scotland today, November 6, after up to 40 staff were fired for allegedly "distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum."

Clips of the protests published to social media show heavy criticism of Take-Two and Rockstar’s actions, with fired staff holding signs and reading prepared statements calling for their reinstatement and back pay compensation.

Calls for reinstatement and back pay compensation pic.twitter.com/g8zlUFiCno

— GTABase.com (@GTABase) November 6, 2025

Last week, the Grand Theft Auto 6 studio reportedly fired between 30 and 40 employees in a move that the IWGB claimed was "blatant" and "ruthless" union busting. At the time, Rockstar parent company Take-Two issued a statement insisting the firings were for "gross misconduct, and for no other reason."

According to Bloomberg, the fired workers were all UK and Canadian employees who were also part of a private trade union chat group on Discord, and were either union members themselves or trying to organize a union within Rockstar. The IWGB claimed the staff were fired explicitly due to union activities.

A new Bloomberg report carried a fresh statement from Take-Two, in which the company insisted the fired staff had leaked company secrets in a “public forum.”

“Last week, we took action against a small number of individuals who were found to be distributing and discussing confidential information in a public forum, a violation of our company policies,” the Take-Two statement read. “This was in no way related to people’s right to join a union or engage in union activities.”

According to the IWGB, the only non-Rockstar people inside the private union Discord were union organizers. IWGB boss Alex Marshall issued IGN the following statement:

"Rockstar continue to deflect from the real reason for these dismissals: they are afraid of hard working staff privately discussing exercising their rights for a fairer workplace and a collective voice. Management are showing they don’t care about delays to GTA 6, and that they’re prioritising union busting by targeting the very people who make the game.

"In recent years, Rockstar executives have benefited from £443 million in tax relief, while showing total disregard for the law or the livelihoods of their staff. At every turn, they’ve chosen profits over both workers and fans of their games.

"The only non Rockstar employees in the union Discord channel were union organisers."

A dismissed employee at Rockstar reads a statement: pic.twitter.com/wkIDU28NRJ

— ben (@videotechuk_) November 6, 2025

One fired member of staff protesting today said what had happened to them was “deeply unfair,” claiming they were dismissed “without warning, without evidence, and without a chance to speak for myself.”

The fired staff member continued: “All because I talked with colleagues in a private union chat. We weren’t leaking anything or trying to harm the company. We were supporting each other, trying to understand our workplace and make it better. To lose my job for that is deeply unfair. No-one should be punished for being part of a union or for speaking honestly about their work.”

Ross Greer, co-leader of the Scottish Greens political party and MSP for the West of Scotland, took to social media to back the protests, saying: “Reinstate them now, then get around the table and give your staff the pay and conditions they deserve for making you billions.”

The @scottishgreens stand with the dozens of workers sacked by @RockstarGames for exercising their right to organise a union.

Reinstate them now, then get around the table and give your staff the pay and conditions they deserve for making you billions. pic.twitter.com/jENH89QNYg

— Ross Greer (@Ross_Greer) November 6, 2025

The protests come ahead of the expected release of GTA 6 in May next year. While limiting its pre-release marketing to just two trailers and a series of screenshots so far, Rockstar has put a focus on security after suffering a massive leak of the in-development GTA 6 in 2022, and the day-early release of GTA 6 Trailer 1 the following year. Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick called the 2022 leak "terribly unfortunate... and we take those sorts of incidents very seriously indeed."

He added: "There’s no evidence that any material assets were taken, which is a good thing, and certainly the leak won’t have any influence on development or anything of the sort, but it is terribly disappointing and causes us to be ever more vigilant on matters relating to cybersecurity.”

Last year, the studio asked employees to come to the office five days a week, citing a desire for both increased productivity and security. The decision was criticized by workers affiliated with the IWGB, who said Rockstar broke promises with the forced return to office, and accused the studio of refusing to engage with workers on the issue.

Image credit: Ross Greer / Twitter.

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.

LEGO Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise Announced as This Year's Black Friday Set

6 novembre 2025 à 15:05

Each year, LEGO releases a major new set right around Black Friday. This year’s late November release has just been announced: the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D ship from Star Trek: The Next Generation. The ship is nearly two feet long and, just like in the show, it has a detachable command saucer. It's not up for preorder, but will be available to buy November 28 on the LEGO Store, for $399.99. And if you buy it by December 1, you'll get a free shuttlepod set as a Gift With Purchase (details below).

LEGO Icons Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D

The ship has a secondary hull and warp nacelles with red and blue detailing. It also has an opening shuttlebay and two mini shuttlepods.

This is the first time LEGO has had a Star Trek set. It's a pretty great looking take on the ship, if you ask me.

Star Trek Minifigures Included

LEGO Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise comes with nine minifigures. Each minifigure comes with its own accessory, be it Spot the cat or a trombone with stand. Here's the full list:

  • Captain Jean-Luc Picard
  • Commander William Rier
  • Lieutenant Worf
  • Lieutenant Commander Data
  • Dr. Beverly Crusher
  • Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge
  • Counsellor Deanna Troi
  • Bartender Guinan
  • Wesley Crusher

Since this is a LEGO set for adults, it comes with a buildable display stand and an informational placard, plus a minifigure display tile that says “Star Trek: The Next Generation” on it.

Free Gift With Purchase: Type-15 Shuttlepod

Speaking of shuttlepods, if you buy the set between November 28 - December 1, you’ll receive the minifigure-scale LEGO Icons Star Trek Type-15 Shuttlepod (set #40768) for free as a Gift With Purchase. Of the set, LEGO says, "Exterior details include the vehicle name, Onizuka, and the interior features a depiction of an LCARS system display with the Stardate 45076.3 and a schematic of a Romulan spacecraft. This set also includes an Ensign Ro Laren minifigure."

Previous LEGO Black Friday Sets

In case you're wondering about previous LEGO Black Friday sets, here's a rundown of what's been released over the past few years:

In other recent news, LEGO has announced its Black Friday 2025 plans. Also, you can preorder four upcoming sets based on the game LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. And be sure to check out all the rest of the LEGO sets for November 2025.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC Trailer Reveals Release Date

6 novembre 2025 à 15:03

Nintendo has revealed fresh details of Pokémon Legends: Z-A's upcoming Mega Dimension DLC, which stars two new variants of Pikachu evolution Raichu.

Today's trailer notably confirms a release date for Mega Dimension: December 10. We also got to see our first look at more new Mega Evolutions coming to Pokémon Legends: Z-A as part of the DLC: Mega Chimecho and Mega Baxcalibur.

Mega Dimension sees players enter Hyperspace Lumiose with the help of dimension portal Pokémon Hoopa. "At a glance, Hyperspace Lumiose may resemble the real Lumiose, but it’s a very different place," the trailer's description reveals. And indeed, this version of the city holds a big difference — here, Pokémon can temporarily be boosted beyond their normal Level 100 limit.

With the help of new character Ansha, a donut chef, players can feed their Pokémon mystical sweet treats that over-level their critters within Hyperspace Lumiose's mysterious limits. Pokémon X and Y gym leader Korrina will also appear as an ally.

The trailer states that the Mega Stone to unlock Mega Baxcalibur will be distributed in Season 4 of the game's online ranked battles, following the similar release of Mega Stones for Mega Greninja, Mega Delphox and Mega Chesnaught.

An extra side mission within Pokémon Legends Z-A is also now available, which will provide the Mega Stone for Mythical creature Diancie. "Shine Bright like a Gemstone" will become playable today for all owners of the game, regardless of whether you have bought its DLC, or whether you get its Rihanna reference.

Nintendo previously announced Mega Dimension back in September, when fans raised their eyebrows at its early confirmation and $30 pricetag. As many pointed out, purchasing the DLC and the base game on Switch 2 means paying $100 total.

Earlier today, Pokémon Legends: Z-A received its first post-launch patch, which makes adjustments to its ranked battles and fixes a number of bugs.

If you're jumping into Pokémon Legends Z-A, choose your Starter Pokémon, then check out our in-progress Pokémon Legends: Z-A Walkthrough, plus our Side Missions List to make sure you don't miss anything. We've also got a Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokedex, and most importantly, a guide to All Clothing Stores and Clothing in Pokémon Legends: Z-A so you can catch 'em all in style.

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

Hasbro Reveals Transformers x Stranger Things Mash-Up Figures Freakwency and 8-Trax

6 novembre 2025 à 15:00

In recent years, we've seen Hasbro unleash several pop culture crossovers between the Transformers franchise and other popular movies and shows. But now the company is revealing its strangest pop culture mash-up yet. Literally. IGN can exclusively reveal the first photos and details for the Transformers x Stranger Things Freakwency and 8-Trax set.

This new collaboration is inspired by Stranger Things' upcoming fifth and final season. Freakwency is a new character modeled on the WSQK van driven by Millie Bobby Brown's Elle and the gang in the show, while 8-Trax transforms from an 8-track tape to a hawk. Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at this intriguing new set:

Freakwency is a 6-inch robot who transforms into van mode in 16 steps, while 8-Trax transforms between tape and hawk in 8 steps (and can also fit inside Freakwency's chest while in tape mode). This set also includes a blaster accessory for Freakwency that can transform into a rubber chicken.

The Transformers x Stranger Things Freakwency and 8-Trax set is priced at $57.99 and will be available exclusively through Target. Preorders are open on the Target website now.

Will you be adding Freakwency and 8-Trax to your Transformers collection? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check out the LEGO Optimus Prime available on the IGN Store.

In other Stranger Things news, the creators are teasing that Season 5 will answer a long-standing mystery that dates back to Season 1. Season 5 arrives over three years after the finale of Season 4. For more, check out the burning questions we still have from Stranger Things Season 4.

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

The 15 Most Valuable Cards From League of Legends' New TCG Riftbound

6 novembre 2025 à 15:00

League of Legends technically already has a card game in the underrated Legends of Runeterra, but now we have a physical game, too, with its own rules, booster packs, preconstructed decks and more.

Riftbound lets you play as your favorite Champions in a new way, and some cards are already sought after. With the caveat that these prices are taken close to the launch of the game’s first set, Origins, here are the most valuable cards.

The Most Expensive Riftbound: Origins Cards Right Now

15: Kai’Sa, Survivor (Alternate Art) - $80

Kai’Sa, Survivor (Alternate Art) turns conquering into card draw and can enter ready, and will set you back $80 right now.

14: Lee Sin, Blind Monk (Overnumbered) - $88

Lee Sin - Blind Monk (Overnumbered) is a card that’ll pop up again soon, but for now, it’s selling for $200 - way above market value.

13: Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox (Overnumbered) - $146

Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox (Overnumbered) falls just shy of $150, and is another you’ll see again on this list in Signature form.

12: Ahri, Alluring (Launch Exclusive) - $153

Ahri, Alluring’s launch printing breaks $150, so look for that ‘Launch Exclusive’ part alongside the card’s name if you find one!

11: Kai’Sa, Daughter of the Void (Overnumbered) - $171

Another appearance for Kai’Sa, this Overnumbered Daughter of the Void card adds additional card playing opportunities and will fetch around $170 right now.

10: Darius, Hand of Noxus (Showcase) - $550

Kicking off our top 10 with the first of many Showcase cards, Darius, Hand of Noxus is a Legend card ‘signed’ by artist Peter Kim. Still waiting on that ‘Dunk’ skin, though…

9: Viktor, Herald of the Arcane (Showcase) - $575

He may have his own Champion Deck already, but this Viktor, Herald of the Arcane (Signature) printing could buy you a whole lot of them.

8: Volibear, Relentless Storm (Signature) - $650

Looking for a big, expensive bear? You’ve found it. Volibear, Relentless Storm (Signature) is going for $650 right now.

7: Miss Fortune, Bounty Hunter (Signature) - $725

Fan-favorite Miss Fortune, Bounty Hunter’s Signature version is over $700 right now, and gives a unit Ganking.

6: Sett, The Boss (Signature) - $900

Breaking the $900 mark, this Signature version of Sett, The Boss lets you recall a unit that dies if it’s been buffed.

5: Teemo, Swift Scout (Signature) - $914

Teemo, Swift Scout’s Signature printing is up to $914 at the time of writing, but its most recent sale was $850. So, uh, it’s… cheaper, but it’s not cheap.

4: Leona, Radiant Dawn (Signature) - $1062.50

Another card that’s sold for under market value, this Signature variant of Leona, Radiant Dawn’s darker tinting makes it look incredible. Its value is over $1,000, though!

3: Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox (Signature) - $1,100

A Legend that debuffs attacking foes, Ahri, Nine-Tailed Fox (Signature) has some incredible artwork, and it’s just hit $1,100 for market value.

2: Lee Sin - Blind Monk (Alternate Art) - $1,164

Lee Sin - Blind Monk (Alternate Art) was the chase card for the game’s first set, with the Champion reaching $1,200 in pre-launch pricing, but he’s been knocked from his pedestal…

1: Jinx, Loose Cannon (Signature) - $1,199.99

Just beating out Lee Sin, Jinx, Loose Cannon (Signature) sees the Arcane star sitting at the top of the pile. If you packed her, congratulations - you’re sitting on a cool $1,200.

Where to Buy Riftbound: League of Legends

Riot’s been making a big deal out of Riftbound since it was announced, and now that the game’s first set, Origins, is here, it’s been flying off shelves.

That makes it tricky to pick products up for its usual price, so be sure to skip aggressively marked-up offerings - we’re expecting that Riot is working to stock retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy as quickly as it can.

For now, it's only available directly through Riot (when in stock, and with around a $20 shipping fee), or via trusted resale sites like TCGPlayer.

Sadly, as the first set of Riot’s first card game hits shelves, it’s being snapped up by scalpers and put on the secondary market.

It’s a standard practice in TCGs, but Riot is reportedly printing more. If you can hold out, there will be more product.

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.

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