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Aujourd’hui — 19 février 2025IGN

Nintendo Discontinues Switch eShop Gold Points Scheme Ahead of Switch 2 Launch

19 février 2025 à 14:10

Nintendo is discontinuing its Switch eShop Gold Points scheme ahead of the launch of the Switch 2.

From the end of next month, March 25, 2025, players will no longer earn Gold Points — Nintendo's points-based loyalty scheme that can be exchanged for discounts — on their purchases.

Nintendo did not expand on why it was removing the scheme, but said in a statement that players will continue to earn points on products purchased before March 24 — including physical Game Cards — and could be used up to 12 months from the date they were earned. Any game released after the deadline will not be eligible. (You can check original release date of a game on Nintendo eShop).

As spotted by Eurogamer, Nintendo has also confirmed Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers will not be redeemable against Switch 2 exclusive games in the future, either.

These changes come ahead of the launch of the Switch 2 itself, currently speculated for some point between June and September, and the Switch 2-focused Direct in April. Nintendo has already confirmed that Nintendo Switch Online accounts will carry forward to the next-gen console.

Earlier this month, we reported there was something goofy going on over on the PlayStation Store and the Nintendo eShop. Over the last few months, the two storefronts have been slowly filling up with what some users are referring to as “eslop," with more and more games tricking users into buying cheap, low-quality games that aren’t what they claim to be.

Buying games from the Japanese eShop as a foreigner without a Japanese bank account recently got a lot harder. Nintendo announced it would no longer accept “credit cards issued overseas” and “PayPal accounts opened overseas” from January 25, 2025 in a bid to curb “fraudulent use."

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Activision's Costly Call of Duty Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Crossover Has Some Players Saying Black Ops 6 Should Just Go Free-to-Play at This Point

19 février 2025 à 13:52

Call of Duty's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover looks set to cost up to $90's worth of COD Points in order to obtain all the items — and the community is now saying Activision should just make Black Ops 6 free-to-play at this point.

Activision unveiled the Black Ops 6 Season 02 Reloaded content coming to the shooter on February 20, and detailed the mid-season Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover in the process.

Each of the four turtles (Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael) has their own premium bundle. Based on previous collaborations, these bundles are expected to cost 2,400 COD Points, or $19.99, each. So, if you want all four turtles you face the prospect of handing over $80’s worth of COD Points.

But that’s not all. As it did with the controversial Squid Game crossover, Activision has created a premium event pass for the Turtles crossover, which costs 1,100 COD Points / $10. This includes a number of eye-catching cosmetics, chief among them Splinter. Again, there is no other way of getting Splinter than paying the $10 for the premium track of the event pass. The free track includes two Foot Clan soldier skins, among other cosmetics.

As many have pointed out, the Turtles crossover is heavy on the cosmetics but does not feature gameplay affecting items. No-one has to buy any or all of it to compete in Black Ops 6 multiplayer. And there are many within the community saying it's easy to ignore Call of Duty crossovers like the Turtles one and leave those willing to spend more to it.

But that hasn’t stopped some players within the community from criticizing Activision once again for the high cost of these cosmetics, and are saying this second ever Call of Duty premium event pass suggests Black Ops 6 is now being monetized as if it were a free-to-play game like Fortnite.

“Activision casually glossing over the fact that they want you to pay $80+ if you want the 4 Turtles, plus another $10+ if you want the TMNT event pass rewards,” redditor II_JangoFett_II said. “Call of Duty's Gross greed strikes again... DESPICABLE!”

“Guess we can expect an event pass sold every season now,” Hipapitapotamus suggested. “Remember when events were good and got you cool universal camos for free.”

"The Turtles don’t use guns," APensiveMonkey declared. "Their fingers wouldn’t even... I hate this..."

It’s worth going into more detail on how Activision monetizes Black Ops 6. Each season brings with it a new battle pass, the base version of which costs 1,100 COD Points / $9.99. There’s an extra premium version of the battle pass, called BlackCell, which costs $29.99 (you can’t buy this one with COD Points). Then there is a constant stream of cosmetics available to buy from the store. The Turtles crossover, with its premium event pass, is on top of all this.

“So they expect the playerbase to buy the game itself, buy the battle pass/black cell and now this? Na that's too much,” PunisherR35 added. “If this is gonna be the norm moving forward, CoD needs to move to a FTP model (campaign, MP).”

In truth, Activision’s aggressive monetization of Call of Duty is nothing new. It’s just that the new premium event pass, which made its debut with Black Ops 6’s Squid Game crossover, has pushed some fans over the edge. And as has been pointed out many times before, the standardized monetization across the $70 Black Ops 6 and the free-to-play battle royale Warzone does Black Ops 6 no favors. What might be acceptable for Warzone given it’s free-to-play isn’t necessarily acceptable for Black Ops 6, given it costs $70 just to be able to play Multiplayer.

And that’s where the calls for Black Ops 6 Multiplayer to go free-to-play come from. With each new microtransaction Call of Duty Multiplayer feels more and more like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, and of course Warzone.

Activision and parent company Microsoft will of course stick to its guns, given Call of Duty’s incredible popularity. Black Ops 6 was the biggest Call of Duty launch ever, and set a new single day Game Pass subscription record. Sales on PlayStation and Steam jumped 60% compared to 2023's Modern Warfare 3. Clearly, Call of Duty is doing the business for Activision and new owner Microsoft, which the financial officers will no doubt be delighted with given the Xbox maker paid an eye-watering $69 billion for the company.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Team Fortress 2 Modders Rejoice as Valve Releases Full Client and Server Game Code

19 février 2025 à 13:10

Surprise! Valve's just released a massive update to the Source SDK, adding "all" the Team Fortress 2 client and server game code.

Valve said the update lets players build entirely new games from its source code, and unlike Steam Workshop or local content mods, it gives modders access to change, extend, and even rewrite Team Fortress in pretty much any way imaginable.

You won't be able to sell anything you make with it — which means any mods or spin-off content will have to be released for free on a non-commercial basis — but creations can be published on the Steam Store, "appearing as new games in the Steam game list."

"Players have a lot of investment in their TF2 inventories, and Steam Workshop contributors have created a lot of that content," Valve explained via a blog post. "The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community.

"To respect that, we're asking TF2 mod makers continue to respect that connection, and to not make mods that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts. We're hoping that many mods will continue to allow players access their TF2 inventory, if this makes sense for the mod."

Valve also added that it was making "a big update" to all its multiplayer back-catalog Source engine titles, too, adding 64-bit binary support, scalable HUD/UI, prediction fixes, and "a lot of other improvements" to not only TF2, but also DoD:S, HL2:DM, CS:S, and HLDM:S.

Back in December, after seven long years, The Team Fortress 2 comic released its seventh and final update. The comics have not only been a great place for fans to uncover new information about their favorite characters and stories, but they're also a testament to Valve's own continuing interest in one of its oldest series.

Image credit: Valve.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Information-Starved The Elder Scrolls 6 Fans Use Official Create-a-Character Competition to Come Up With a Release Date

19 février 2025 à 12:27

The Elder Scrolls 6 fans are, a bit like Grand Theft Auto 6 fans, starved of information. And so perhaps it comes as no surprise to see the community go into release date speculation mode with only an official create a character competition to go on.

This week, Bethesda announced its next Make-A-Wish project: you can bid on a chance to work with Bethesda Game Studios to create a character to appear as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6.

“For the last several years, we have been lucky enough to work with Make-A-Wish to grant wishes, support some of their local events, and provide items and experiences, all to benefit children who are fighting life-threatening illnesses,” Bethesda said.

“This year, for their Silent Auction we are giving one winner the opportunity to work with Bethesda Game Studios to create a character to appear as an NPC in The Elder Scrolls 6. All of the money made from the auction goes directly to Make-A-Wish.”

It’s a wonderful cause and a great initiative from Bethesda, but for The Elder Scrolls 6 fans it could mean a whole lot more. And that’s because the community is comparing this Make-A-Wish project to the one Bethesda ran for Starfield, and have determined the point in development The Elder Scrolls 6 may be in currently, and thus its potential release date.

I know, the community has gone off the deep end here. But let’s run with it… for science.

The appropriately named redditor ‘FartingSlowly’ pointed out that Bethesda’s equivalent 'chance to make a Starfield character' post was published two-and-a-half years before Starfield came out in September 2023. Ergo, The Elder Scrolls 6’s release date is set for September 2027. More specifically, September 27, 2027.

“This is not a good indicator or metric for release by any standards,” FartingSlowly admitted. “Do not take this too seriously. But. It is finally something. It isn't just a piece of junk speculation based on nothing, it's based on something from Bethesda themselves. Yeah, it's not something to actually care about but it is a refreshing change in the world of speculation.”

As you’d expect, many within the community have cast similar doubt on the release date suggested by FartingSlowly. Some have pointed out that Starfield’s Make-A-Wish competition was announced when the game was due out November 11, 2022. Does that mean Bethesda is looking at releasing The Elder Scrolls 6 in November 2026?

It’s been a long, long time since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6. In January, The Elder Scrolls 6’s June 10, 2018 announcement became as old as predecessor Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced.

The studio confirmed The Elder Scrolls 6 had entered "early development" in August 2023, and "early builds" were available in March 2024. The six year anniversary of the announcement arrived in June last year and even Bethesda development chief Todd Howard paused to say, "oh wow, that has been a while."

The Elder Scrolls 6 was thought to be set for 2028 at the earliest, presumably on the next-generation of consoles as well as PC. If it does launch then, it’ll do so an incredible 17 years after Skyrim. While we wait to find out, check out Everything we know about The Elder Scrolls 6.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Pokémon Go Developer Niantic Reportedly in Talks to Sell Video Game Business to Saudi-Owned Company Behind Stumble Guys

19 février 2025 à 12:09

Pokémon Go developer Niantic is reportedly in talks to sell its video game division to Saudi-owned Scopely for $3.5 billion.

As first reported by Bloomberg, the sale would likely include Pokémon Go, the hit augmented-reality mobile game that sends players out into the real world to collect Pokémon.

A source talking to Bloomberg under the promise of anonymity said that while the deal was by no means complete, if approved, it could be confirmed in a matter of weeks.

Neither Niantic, Scopely, nor its owner Savvy Games Group were prepared to comment publicly on the reported acquisition.

Savvy Games Group acquired Scopely back in April 2023 in a deal worth $4.9 billion that came after the Saudi Arabia government said it wanted to buy "a leading games publisher." Scopely publishes a range of hit mobile titles, most notably The Walking Dead: Road to Survival, Stumble Guys, Marvel Strike Force, and Monopoly Go.

Savvy Gaming Group also purchased two of the world's biggest esports companies, ESL and FACEIT, for a total of $1.5 billion in 2022.

“Savvy Games Group is one part of our ambitious strategy aiming to make Saudi Arabia the ultimate global hub for the games and esports sector by 2030,” Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz said at the time.

“We are harnessing the untapped potential across the esports and games sector to diversify our economy, drive innovation in the sector, and further scale the entertainment and esports competition offerings across the Kingdom.”

Vikki Blake. Reporter. Critic. Columnist. Consultant. Guardian. Spartan. Silent Hillian. Legend. High Chaos.

Magic the Gathering: Full Release Schedule for 2025

19 février 2025 à 12:00

Magic: The Gathering is bringing the heat in 2025 with an exciting lineup of sets, each offering something for everyone. Are you an old-school planeswalker, a returning player curious about what you’ve missed, or a newcomer ready to shuffle up? From gothic horror to space exploration, this year’s lineup promises wild themes, iconic characters, and game-changing mechanics.

Here’s your set-by-set guide to what’s dropping in 2025, including the highlights and reasons you might want to crack some packs. We're talking remasters, new licenses from Final Fantasy VII, Marvel's Spider-Man and much more.

Magic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy Preorders (Releases June 13)

The crossover you didn't know you needed, Magic teams up with Final Fantasy for a Universes Beyond set that spans all sixteen mainline games. Iconic characters like Cloud, Sephiroth, and Noctis step onto the battlefield, bringing new Summon Spells, legendary creatures, and equipment that pay homage to the series.

From Chocobos to Materia, the mechanics reflect Final Fantasy's charm and complexity. The set introduces innovative gameplay elements inspired by Final Fantasy's RPG roots while ensuring the cards feel at home in Magic. And yes, it's Standard-legal, so you can toss these cards into your decks without worrying about restrictions.

Magic: The Gathering 2025 Release Schedule

Whilst preorders aren't live for these sets just yet, we've got it on good authority from Wizards of the Coast that they're coming. Here's each upcoming MTG set in date order alongside what players can expect from the set:

Tarkir: Dragonstorm: April 11, 2025

We're returning to Tarkir; it's all about dragons this time. Massive magical storms are waking up ancient dragons, and the clans of Tarkir are fighting for dominance amidst the chaos. Legendary dragons like Ugin's Spiritstorm and Atarka, World-Eater, make a fiery comeback alongside new clan leaders and mechanics tailored to their strategies.

Muscle-specific abilities are joined by returning mechanics like Morph and Dash, offering fresh ways to build around your favorite factions. And if you're a collector, the Ghostflame Treatment on select cards gives this set a mystical vibe.

Edge of Eternities: August 1, 2025

Space fantasy hits Magic with Edge of Eternities. Set in the Sothera system, this expansion introduces alien species, futuristic tech, and celestial powers that push Magic into uncharted territory. Planets with unique mechanics and interstellar drama offer a fresh take on the multiverse.

New mechanics draw from space exploration themes, and Spaceship Artifacts play a central role. Cosmic spells inspired by black holes and supernovas bring an epic scale to gameplay. At the same time, legendary creatures reflect the diversity of the galaxy.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Late 2025

The Spider-Verse swings into Magic with another Universes Beyond expansion, bringing Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and their rogues' gallery to the game. Legendary creatures like Green Goblin and equipment cards representing iconic gadgets like Web-Shooters give players a taste of superhero action.

Mechanics inspired by Spider-Man's agility and heroism promise fresh gameplay twists. Plus, narrative-driven Enchantment Sagas lets players relive iconic moments from Spidey's history. It's a must-have for fans of Magic and Marvel alike.

Released Sets of 2025

Innistrad Remastered: January 24, 2025

If you're into creepy castles, werewolves under a blood-red moon, and graveyard shenanigans, Innistrad Remastered is the throwback you didn't know you needed. This set pulls together the best bits of Magic's gothic horror plane, combining fan-favorite cards like Liliana of the Veil and Snapcaster Mage with the chilling ambiance of the original Innistrad. It's perfect for nostalgic drafting or just building your ultimate spooky deck.

Mechanics like Transform, Flashback, and Morbid return to haunt your games. Double-faced cards add an extra layer of strategy—who doesn't love flipping a harmless villager into a ravenous werewolf? And with rebalanced draft archetypes, you can relive (or discover) the joy of Innistrad's eerie gameplay without digging through your old binders.

Aetherdrift: February 14, 2025

Aetherdrift cranks the action up to 11 with a multiversal race across planes like Kaladesh and Amonkhet. Imagine Mad Max meets Magic as players build around Legendary Vehicles and new Race Mechanics, making every turn feel like you're gunning for the finish line.

Returning mechanics like Crew and Exert mix seamlessly with new high-octane abilities, keeping games fast and unpredictable. Highlights include souped-up vehicles that play as legendary creatures and spells that simulate the chaos of a multiversal race. Whether you're here for the mechanics or the chaos, Aetherdrift will surely deliver thrills.

Released Sets of 2024: A Mini Review

Jump to:

Magic: The Gathering Foundations – November 15, 2024

Magic: The Gathering Foundations is the final set for 2024, and it's set to be perfect for beginners! Designed to teach fans how to play, it offers a cool mix of classic reprints and fresh, easy-to-understand cards. While details are currently scarce, we do know it shares some DNA with Jumpstart, featuring packs that help newbies grasp the basics of deckbuilding. And mark your calendars – it drops on November 15, 2024, with preorders now live.

Duskmourn: House of Horror – October, 2024

Rounding out the year from the end of September going into October, Duskmourn: House of Horror plunges players into a spine-chilling, haunted mansion. This set draws inspiration from modern horror media, promising a thrilling and terrifying experience. Unlike typical MTG sets that explore vast worlds, Duskmourn focuses on the confined, eerie atmosphere of a single haunted house.

With its jump scares and nightmarish art, this set will surely deliver an unforgettable, albeit unsettling, Magic experience. Preorder between June 28 and July 31 to receive a code to unlock a special digital Duskmourn: House of Horror sleeve in Magic: The Gathering Arena.

Bloomburrow – August 2, 2024

Bloomburrow takes us to a whimsical new plane populated by anthropomorphic animals. This set introduces a world without humans, focusing on cute, mission-driven creatures like frogs, rats, rabbits, and squirrels. Lead designer Mark Rosewater describes it as one of the most charming worlds ever created for MTG. Preorders are available now, with a few handy discounts live at Amazon right now as well.

Secret Lair: Monty Python and the Holy Grail – July 29, 2024

Exclusively revealed on IGN, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the next addition to the Universes Beyond MTG sets. Split across two Secret Lair drops, the latest Universes Beyond tie-in had eight reprints and one token reskinned with references and jokes from the classic 1975 film. One drop hadhave five cards total, one of which was double-faced so you can choose if it’s either an African or European swallow, while the other had three cards and a token.

MTG Assassin's Creed – July 5, 2024

On July 5, MTG crosses into Assassin's Creed with a unique Universes Beyond release. This set brings the stealth and intrigue of the Assassin's Creed franchise to Magic, featuring characters from across the series, including historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Cleopatra. The cards will be sold in Beyond Boosters, designed to provide a thematic journey rather than draftable. These cards will be Modern-legal, adding a historical flavor to your decks.

Modern Horizons 3 – June 14, 2024

One of the year's most anticipated releases, Modern Horizons 3, hit shelves on June 14. This set is tailored for Modern format players, introducing a mix of powerful new cards and some highly sought-after reprints. The set also includes:

  • Dual-faced planeswalkers.
  • Harking back to the Magic Origins set.
  • A return of the Energy mechanic.

Players can expect a rich draft environment and nostalgic callbacks with familiar planes like Zendikar and Theros making appearances.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction – April 19, 2024

April 19 introduced players to Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Magic's take on the Western genre. This set is brimming with frontier towns, train robberies, and haunted mines, all portrayed through stunning art and flavorful mechanics like Spree, Plot, and Crimes. Featuring some of Magic's most notorious villains in cowboy hats, this high-powered set has quickly become a favorite for its innovative design and engaging theme.

Universes Beyond MTG Fallout – March 8, 2024

March 8 saw the release of Universes Beyond MTG Fallout, bringing the post-apocalyptic world of Fallout to Magic. This crossover features four Commander decks, each themed around iconic elements of the Fallout universe. From super mutants to power armor, the decks offer a rich blend of flavor and mechanics. The unique approach to deck-building and including popular Fallout characters have made this a standout release in the Universes Beyond series.

Murders at Karlov Manor – February 9, 2024

Released on February 9, Murders at Karlov Manor brought a unique murder mystery theme to Ravnica. This set stands out with its detective mechanics and hidden identities, providing a fresh, engaging gameplay experience. Including Clue tokens and flavorfully named keywords like Disguise, Suspect, and Collect Evidence added depth to the narrative. The crossover with the classic board game Clue was a delightful bonus for fans.

Ravnica Remastered – January 12, 2024

Kicking off the year, Ravnica Remastered was released on January 12. This set revisits the beloved metropolitan plane of Ravnica, featuring reprints from all three Ravnica blocks. The set is a nostalgic trip for long-time players, highlighting iconic guilds and including retro-style frames for some cards. The reprints, including coveted shock lands, have been well-received, making it a favorite among collectors and players.

MTG Cube Tournament to Put $65k Worth of Cards on the Line

Magic: The Gathering is gearing up for an exciting high-stakes tournament with $65k worth of rare and powerful cards on the line. This event is a collaboration between Magic: The Gathering Online developer Daybreak and TCG accessory maker Ultimate Guard.

The tournament, called “Magic Online Vintage Cube LIVE: Powered by Ultimate Guard,” will feature the iconic Vintage Cube format. Online qualifiers begin this week, leading up to MagicCon: Las Vegas in October. The top eight players will participate in a live draft, where they get to keep all the rare cards they pick, including an actual Black Lotus.

MTGO Creative Director Ryan Spain and Ultimate Guard’s Martin Jůza, who is also a Magic Hall of Famer, wanted to create a "dream come true" event for the community.

Christian Wait is a UK-based freelancer for IGN, you can follow him @ChrisReggieWait on Twitter/X.

Marvel Rivals Director and Entire Seattle Design Team Laid Off, NetEase Tells Fans Not to Worry About the Game

19 février 2025 à 11:03

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase has confirmed cuts to its Seattle-based design team for “organizational reasons.”

Overnight, Marvel Rivals game director Thaddeus Sasser took to LinkedIn to announce that he and his team were laid off.

“This is such a weird industry,” Sasser began. “My stellar, talented team just helped deliver an incredibly successful new franchise in Marvel Rivals for NetEase Games...

“...and were just laid off!

“Oh well! Times are tough all over - Let's find these incredible people new jobs, because we all need to eat, right? :D”

The video game development community reacted with a mix of shock and anger to the cuts, given Marvel Rivals’ explosive success. The free-to-play hero shooter has seen over 20 million downloads since launch in December, and huge peak concurrent player numbers on Steam.

According to Sasser’s LinkedIn profile, his team focused on game and level design work for Marvel Rivals, “offering guidance, strategy, and design direction over the last couple of years.”

NetEase issued IGN a statement confirming the layoffs, but failed to specify how many people were cut.

“We recently made the difficult decision to adjust Marvel Rivals’ development team structure for organizational reasons and to optimize development efficiency for the game," NetEase said.

"This resulted in a reduction of a design team based in Seattle that is part of a larger global design function in support of Marvel Rivals. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of those affected and will be treating them confidentially and respectfully with recognition for their individual contributions.”

But NetEase was keen to stress that the layoffs won’t impact ongoing support for Marvel Rivals, whose primary development team is based in China.

“We want to reassure our fanbase that the core development team for Marvel Rivals, which continues to be led by Lead Producer Weicong Wu and Game Creative Director Guangyun Chen in Guangzhou, China, remains fully committed to delivering an exceptional experience,” NetEase continued.

“We are investing more, not less, into the evolution and growth of this game. We’re excited to deliver new super hero characters, maps, features, and content to ensure an engaging live service experience for our worldwide player base.”

This is the latest round of layoffs at NetEase, which has pulled back from a number of overseas investments and closed studios in the U.S. and Japan, including Visions of Mana developer Ouka Studios. In November, Worlds Untold, headed by Mass Effect alumni Mac Walters, announced a pause of operations after a split with publisher NetEase. And in January it cut Jar of Sparks, founded by Halo and Destiny 2 veteran Jerry Hook in 2022.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Win or Lose Episodes 1-5 Review

19 février 2025 à 09:01

Many of Disney’s attempts to spin television shows out of its marquee theatrical brands have been hampered by a refusal to think in TV terms – it’s hard to watch the indistinct, truncated episodes of something like Obi-Wan Kenobi or Hawkeye without thinking of the better movies that could’ve told these stories. In some ways, Pixar’s Win or Lose could be accused of a similar waffling between television and film. The animation studio’s first original TV series (that is, not a series of streaming shorts starring pre-established characters) follows a week leading up to a middle-school softball championship from multiple perspectives, both child and adult, each episode dedicated to a single character. As such, its episodes are distinct from one another, but also quite short – sometimes under 20 minutes when you subtract the protracted credits – and often lacking even temporary resolution. Presumably this is all building to an extended big-game finale, but with only five of eight episodes provided for advance review, it’s hard to say whether it will wind up feeling more like a clever use of its chosen medium, or simply a Rashomon-style feature film sliced neatly into pieces.

But what’s great about Win or Lose, setting it apart from other high-profile Disney+ shows, is that the episodes are too entertaining for this question to matter. After the intermittently inspired retread of Inside Out 2, here is a Pixar project more in tune with the original Inside Out, as well as 2022’s Turning Red: a show that’s attentive to the lives of tweenage kids and their various caregivers, and expresses its characters’ feelings with the stylized freedom of great animation.

Win or Lose’s episodes repeatedly start from firm emotional grounding before using animation to bring its characters’ conflicts to more whimsical life. The first episode introduces the Pickles, the co-ed softball team coached by Dan (Will Forte), and then turns to the struggles of Dan’s daughter Laurie (Rosie Foss), who is not naturally athletic but wants desperately to prove herself on the field as a way of asserting her worth. (Clearly her parents’ divorce and its attendant wounds remain fresh.) Her anxiety manifests as a cutely gross blob called Sweaty (Jo Firestone) who sits on her back, growing bigger and weightier with every moment of self-doubt – but doesn’t come to literal life in the reality of the show. Other characters can’t see Sweaty; as with other metaphors in the series – an suit of armor on a secretly sensitive teacher and umpire; a shapeshifting girlboss persona for a stressed-out overachiever – it’s a flight of fancy that’s not “real” but not precisely depicted as fantasy, either. The show simply doesn’t belabor its transitions between subjective and objective experience, and in doing so, Pixar finds a beautifully fluid approach to the old saw of seeing scenes repeatedly play out from multiple perspectives.

Some of these running metaphors can feel a little too orderly, like the attempts to chart, categorize, and bureaucratize the roiling emotions of the Inside Out movies. But as with those films, especially the first one, there’s also a teachable utility for the show’s all-ages audience. Without getting preachy – in fact, often while being hilarious – Win or Lose visualizes how both children and adults process their emotional challenges, and how those dimensions are often initially hidden from casual view. It’s especially sad, then, that one feeling – fear – prompted Disney to cut a storyline for the transgender character Kai (Chanel Stewart), a middle-schooler only glimpsed in the first five episodes (and now implicitly retconned into being a straight, cisgender character). The given rationale was that “many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a watery truism that somehow wasn’t applied to the show’s treatment of similarly delicate real-life topics like divorce, economic struggle, social ostracism, or lost love. Were “many parents” eager for a family show with an entire episode about an adult man navigating dating apps?

In a perverse way, knowledge of the interference faced by Win or Lose makes the show itself all the more impressive; it could have easily wound up feeling as focus-grouped and over-engineered as any number of more muddled Disney projects. Instead, it hits that sweet spot where kids, especially those close to the ages of the characters, can lock into it, and adults can marvel at its cleverness and honesty. The show proves that Pixar is more than capable of continuing to innovate in family-friendly animation – when their parent company lets them.

AU Deals: Super Reductions on Storage, High Percentages off Headsets, Cut Price Controllers, and More!

19 février 2025 à 01:34

Welcome to a hump day of high percentage discount opportunities. Cases in point include a hellishly good Hades price and a slam dunk on NBA 2K25. My antiquated self is also all about 80% off Oblivion GOTY and the rather timeless Batman Arkham Collection. Failing all those, go score a cheap FFXVI, GTA V, or some other acronym that will befuddle any non-gamers who have stumbled into this article by mistake…

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 16th birthday of House of the Dead: Overkill which (at 189 f-bombs dropped) is one of the sweariest video games ever made. Hilariously, it was released first on the more family-friendly Nintendo Wii console and eventually morphed into a kick arse edutainment game that taught you typing... via profanity. Bravo, Sega.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Ristar (MD) 1995. Get

- Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2) 2004. Remaster

- House of the Dead: Overkill (Wii) 2009. eBay

- Dragon Quest V (DS) 2009. eBay

- Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (PS3) 2009.

- Strider (PS3/4) 2014. Get

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Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Lemokey's L5 HE 8K Magnetic Keyboard is a Refreshing Take on Performance and Build Quality

19 février 2025 à 01:26

Have you ever picked up a keyboard and felt like it could do some serious damage? The Lemokey L5 HE 8K, built with a fully metal frame, is probably the most dangerous keyboard I’ve ever wielded. That’s part of the design philosophy behind Keychron’s gaming-centric line of PC peripherals. Like much of its catalog, it’s laser-targeted at enthusiasts focusing on build quality and pure performance, even if that means shaving off some of the quality-of-life features you tend to see on the best gaming keyboards in its price range. Still, there’s a nice level of customization found here, so if you’re a tinkerer who doesn’t necessarily like flashy keyboards, Lemokey’s L5 HE 8K is a tenkeyless option worth paying attention to, especially if you’re looking to upgrade to Hall Effect magnetic switches.

Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Design and Features

The first thing that jumped out at me was just how hefty this thing is – coming in at about 4.2 pounds (1,900g), it’s the heaviest keyboard I’ve used thus far. It’s built like a tank with fully metal chassis and several layers that make up its strong and durable frame. This is a large part of its personality because it otherwise sports a very straightforward design – no gaudy branding or extraneous parts sticking out (which can be cool sometimes, like the Nuphy Field75).

Its clean aesthetic is complemented by small but noticeable accents on a rather reserved 75% tenkeyless design. I received the cream/off-white color scheme that comes with gold trimming around the volume knob and a few gold keycaps, and minimalist approach definitely grew on me. The loudest part is the sharp metallic prism that makes up part of the bottom of the frame. It’s lined with an RGB strip that wraps around, but it doesn’t stand out in an uncharacteristic way. While there is RGB backlighting for the keys, it’s fairly understated given the color scheme and the solid keycaps, barely shining between the spaces between. This isn’t so much a problem as it is just me wishing it could express itself a bit more vividly.

The protruding the volume knob works on a notched dial and has a firm down-press to mute, providing a nice tactility. There’s a toggle along the top edge of the board to change profiles that you can program in the Lemokey software. And the bottom of the board has two rubberized strips to keep it in place and protect desk surfaces, which is necessary given how heavy this thing is. Otherwise, there aren’t any additional buttons or physical features, and most of the utility comes from its customizability software-side.

What you’re paying top-dollar for are those magnetic switches, and the Lemokey Lime Magnetic switches stand among the best you can find. It has a fairly light starting actuation force of 25gf and bottoms out with 48gf, but of course this will vary based on the actuation point you set for these switches. Customizing the actuation point is one of the major advantages of magnetic switches, and the Lemokey Limes can be set anywhere between 0.01mm and 3.35mm. On top of that, these switches have a smooth and clean feel which I’ve come to expect from the magnetic switch’s linear design.

Looking for the best mouse for competitive gaming?

Be sure to check out our roundup of the best gaming mice!

If you keep tabs on the keyboard space, you’ll notice that more and more enthusiast-level options boast a 8000Hz polling rate (hence, the 8K moniker in the L5 HE’s name). This means it sends registered inputs to your PC at 8000Hz (or every 0.125ms), which is extremely fast – but note that there are many other factors along the input pipeline that you’re not likely to actually experience that advantage unless you’re a pro-level gamer with state-of-the-art gear across the board. The 32K Hz scan rate (how fast the keyboard itself will recognize inputs) helps ensure that the input pipeline remains fast. If anything, it’s nice knowing that you’re getting the best possible performance from your keyboard.

One really neat thing about the L5 HE 8K package is that you get the tools to customize how the inner plate is mounted (either gasket or top mounted). You get Phillips and Hex screwdrivers, a keycap puller, and the extra gaskets to change the mounting. It's a bit tough to find the screws necessary to remove the frame (which are behind the spacebar, F2, F6, F10, right arrow, and left ctrl keys). The mounting type affects the overall sound and softness of keystrokes, and it comes down to preference more than anything else – but it’s nice to see these choices packed in whereas others often require aftermarket toolkits.

Advanced features such as last-key priority (LKP) – or Snap Click as Lemokey calls it – and analog input are also built into this keyboard to give it even more versatility. While this kind of tech can be really cool in theory, their limited application leaves more as gimmicks than practical features. LKP / Snap Click allows for simultaneous opposing cardinal directional (SOCD) input, letting you quick-strafe in FPS games faster than what’s humanly possible otherwise. It’s a contentious feature and it will get you kicked out of Counter-Strike 2 matches, for example. It’s just not worth the risk, especially when it’s easily detectable, so don’t go in thinking you’ll be taking advantage of this feature.

Lemokey makes its priorities clear in the L5 HE 8K with fantastic performance and seamless customization.

Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Software Customization

One of my favorite aspects of the L5 HE 8K is that it follows the boutique keyboard trend of having an online configurator as opposed to a downloadable software suite. At this point, I’m tired of juggling multiple apps on my PC for every brand of peripheral, some of which are genuinely robust but often bloated. With Lemokey’s online configurator, you have a snappy and easy to navigate suite that puts you in clear control of all the keyboard’s customization options without downloading or installing a program.

Upon going to the Lemokey online launcher, you select your device, and then you’re immediately brought to the software menu. Here, you can set actuation distance on a per-key basis, set rapid trigger to shorten the travel required to register repeated inputs, remap keys, set macros, assign polling rate to each profile, tinker with the RGB backlighting, and a whole lot more. This is where you can set the LMK / Snap Action feature as well, but as I mentioned above, be wary of using it.

I didn’t necessarily get much out of it, but the one-key-multi-command (OKMC) feature is one of the more interesting things you can tinker with – this lets you map up to four different inputs to a single key depending on far it is along its travel distance and if it’s going up or down. This also coincides with the magnetic switch’s ability to mimic analog input. If you want a key to act like a gamepad’s joystick or triggers, it’s easy to configure. For example, this is useful for those who play racing games on a keyboard and can feather / throttle the gas and brake inputs or turn with more nuance. The use-cases are minimal, but it speaks to the more advanced capabilities of Hall Effect keyboards and how Lemokey takes advantage of that.

Looking at the macro key assignment section seems intimidating, but it's quite intuitive once you mess around with it and see how mapping macros works. It speaks to how straightforward and efficient the Lemokey software is and I hope more high-end peripheral makers follow suit.

Lemokey L5 HE 8K – Performance

Having used the L5 HE 8K for a better part of a week in both gaming, typing for work, and general everyday tasks, I’ve come away satisfied with the overall experience. It’s a testament to the Lemokey Lime magnetic switches that bring an effortlessly smooth keystroke and performance that’s on par with any of the great Hall Effect keyboards out there. Its creamy, deep “thock” makes it a joy to use, and the plate’s default mounting style gives the keys a solid bounce.

Although it's hardly a game that requires high-performance gear, I worked my way through Avowed on PC using the L5 HE 8K and had no real qualms with the keyboard. Over time, I got used to the single angle of the keyboard, but I still wish it had adjustable feet or just some native way to create a steeper angle as I find that more comfortable. In a more competitive environment, the L5 HE 8K is as good as any keyboard in its class. I was confident in the rounds of Valorant I played, and setting the actuation point to a short 1.0mm made me feel light on my (virtual) feet, letting me briskly quick-strafe (without using Snap Click) and stay nimble dashing around the map as my favorite agent Neon. In Final Fantasy XIV, running through my attack rotation felt right with each action mapped to my keyboard. Each keystroke was firm as I set a deeper actuation point, requiring a bit more force and helping avoid errant inputs that would mess up my rotation.

The confluence of easy customization to get the most of the keyboard and the high-quality parts used (whether it be the magnetic switches or the construction of the board itself), the L5 HE 8K is a top-tier performer. At this point, it's hard to argue against choosing traditional mechanical keyboards over the increasing rosting of Hall Effect magnetic options, considering the practicality that comes with their custoimzation. The 8K Hz polling rate and 32K Hz scan rate are nice to have even if those features aren’t quite as important as having keys that you’re comfortable with and perform reliably, but the L5 HE 8K brings all of it.

You don’t get fancy things like an OLED control panel, additional macro keys, or intuitive on-the-fly adjustments, which are things you'll see on other high-end keyboards like the SteelSeries Apex Pro and Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro. And being a wired keyboard does make the $200 price tag a little hard to swallow, so it won't have the versatility of a wireless keyboard that can do 2.4GHz and Bluetooth. While you may think of those things as extraneous when it comes to the keyboard niche, those are the kinds of features you can find at this price range. However, I do think that the L5 HE 8K makes its statement by focusing on the basics and the advantages that come with Hall Effect magnetic switches.

Save $1,000 Off the Lenovo Legion 7 Intel Core i9 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

18 février 2025 à 23:50

Lenovo has dropped the price of its powerful Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 RTX 4080 Super gaming PC to only $2,160.99 after coupon codes: "EXTRAFIVE" and "BUYMORELENOVO". In our recent Legion Tower 7 review (the sample we received wasn't as powerful as this one), Jacqueline Thomas wrote that "The Legion Tower 7i is an incredibly powerful gaming PC, especially for the money you’re likely going to be paying for it. If all you want is a powerful, upgradeable machine without having to go through the trouble of building it yourself, it’s hard to find many gaming PCs better than this one."

Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 is equipped with an Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU, GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER GPU, 32GB of DDR5-4000MHz RAM, and a 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD. The unlocked 14th gen Intel Core i9-14900KF Raptor Lake "Refresh" CPU boasts a max Turbo clock of 6GHz with 24 cores, 32 threads, and a 36MB cache. It's still one of the most powerful Intel CPUs available (in many cases it even beats out the new Intel Core Ultra 9 285K). It's cooled by a robust 360mm all-in-one liquid cooling system that rivals many enthusiast setups.

The RTX 4080 Super is Nvidia's second most powerful RTX 40 series card. You'll be able to handle any game in 4K at high frame rates, even with ray tracing enabled. It's 5-10% faster in performance than the RTX 4080 thanks to its higher base clock speed, higher CUDA core count, and higher memory bandwidth. It trades blows with AMD's most powerful GPU, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, but the RTX 4080 Super pulls ahead in ray tracing performance and where DLSS 3.0 is supported. It's nearly identical in performance to the new RTX 5080 GPU and also has the same amount of VRAM.

Why Choose Lenovo?

Lenovo Legion gaming PCs and laptops generally feature better and more rugged build quality than what you'd find from most other prebuilt PCs. For desktop PCs in particular, people like the fact that Lenovo does not use many proprietary components in their rigs, so the PCs are much easier to upgrade with easiy obtainable, off-the-shelf parts. For laptops, Lenovo generally does not throttle the GPU on most of their Legion laptops, so you should expect maximum performance from a given GPU. Lenovo generally includes a solid 1 year warranty with the option to extend.

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

The Best Wireless Chargers for Phones, Headphones, and All Your Other Accessories

18 février 2025 à 23:21

Skip a tangled mess of cables and opt for a wireless charger instead. They’re the easiest way to top off the batteries of your phone, earbuds, smartwatch, and other wireless-supported accessories. By simply plopping your devices on a mat or stand, charging will begin. You aren’t limited to relying on a wall outlet for wireless charging either, as some portable battery packs also offer this handy feature, which is perfect for those prone to forgetting a charging cable when on the go.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Wireless Chargers:

Wireless charging speeds still haven’t hit the level of some traditional high-powered wall chargers, but many are inching closer to those rates, especially chargers with Qi2 certification – the newest version of the most common wireless charging standard. The latest MagSafe Charger from Apple can even hit speeds up to 25W with the top iPhones.

We know wireless chargers aren’t the most exciting thing to shop for when it comes to tech accessories, but they're such a no-brainer to have these days. Below are eight reliable and great value options worth checking out.

Contributions by Kevin Lee

1. Anker 313 Wireless Charger

Best Wireless Charger

There’s nothing wrong with simple when it comes to a wireless charger. You just want to plop your device on it and be done with it. The Qi wireless charging standard makes that easy by ensuring a decent amount of compatibility between devices, and the Anker 313 Wireless Charger provides a handy way to take advantage of that standard at a fantastic price. For $15, you get the charging pad and USB cord, so once it’s plugged in with the right adapter, you just place your compatible phone or wireless earbuds in the center, ditching your device's cords forever. You don’t need to worry about removing your phone's case either, as the pad charges through cases up to 5mm thick.

The Anker 313 Wireless Charger provides fast charging speeds up to 10W on compatible devices. Most Samsung phones with wireless charging let you hit those 10W speeds, and iPhones should support 7.5W. For everything else, you should see 5W. Anker also includes indicator lights on this wireless charger to signal when a device is charging.

2. Samsung 15W Wireless Charger

Fastest Wireless Charger

Wireless charging often lags behind its wired counterparts where speed is concerned, but the Samsung 15W Wireless Charger changes that, juicing up your device at a rate that beats many wired charging bricks. Samsung even included a cooling system complete with a fan inside the compact charger to prevent any potential overheating from the boosted charging speed.

The Samsung 15W Wireless Charger isn’t Qi certified, but it does support USB PD and Adaptive Fast Charging travel adapters. It also comes with a 25W power adapter, so you won’t need to worry about purchasing one separately. To round out this charger are handy LEDs onboard to indicate when your device is done fueling up.

3. Belkin BoostCharge

Best Wireless Charging Stand

If you like to be able to use your phone a little bit while it's wirelessly charging, then you'll want a stand rather than a pad. Belkin's BoostCharge wireless charging stand is a strong option that can deliver a fast rate of charge while giving you some flexibility for how you use it.

The BoostCharge stand can deliver a maximum charging rate of up to 15W on Qi-compatible devices. And, to help ensure you get the max charging speeds, Belkin includes a 24W Quick Charge 3.0 power supply in the box. The wireless charging stand can hold your phone in the vertical orientation to charge, or if you want to throw it in landscape so you can watch TV or a movie, the stand will support wireless charging in that orientation as well.

4. Anker MagGo Power Bank

Best Wireless Charger Power Bank

The top power banks are handy little sidekicks that make sure your phone nevers run out of juice. But half the time when you manage to remember the battery pack, the stupid cable to run between the devices gets forgotten. The Anker MagGo Power Bank makes this a non-issue thanks to its support for wireless charging. MagSafe compatibility is on board for an ultra-strong, reliable connection when juicing up the best iPhones and AirPods, and the Qi2 certification means it’s good to charge just about any other device that supports Qi wireless. However, this portable charger will add some bulk to phones.

With 10,000mAh of extra juice packed in the Anker MagGo, it’s ready to deliver at least another full charge or more to most phones. Wireless charging is relatively fast too, hitting up to 15W speeds on certain devices. Even if some of your devices don’t support wireless, this power bank has a USB-C port too.

Like many of its newer bricks, Anker makes this power bank more unique by adding a tiny screen displaying handy info like charging times, and battery percentages. There’s even a little kickstand to prop up your phone when charging, and it comes in a range of colors to suit your preferences.

5. iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2

Best Wireless Charger For Your Car

A basic wireless charger is great for home use, but when you’re on the road, you’ll want something a little more specialized. The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 is the charger to get for your car whether you’re planning to charge up an iPhone at 7.5W or an Android at 10W. iOttie also includes a power adapter that plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet and offers a cable to power the charger as well as an extra USB for other devices.

This wireless charging cradle will hold your phone in place while you’re driving so that it sits in proper alignment with the Qi wireless charging coil. A button automatically shuts the cradle once your phone is mounted, and the cradle comes on an adjustable, telescopic arm, so you can angle your screen just right. It sticks to your dashboard or suctions to your windshield for lots of placement flexibility.

6. Nomad Base Station

Best Wireless Charger for Multiple Devices

If you've got a lot of devices to charge and want to get them all simultaneously juiced up, then the Nomad Base Station is for you. It has a specially designed array of three charging coils inside where any device anywhere on the pad can charge at up to a 7.5W rate. This model is especially well suited for Apple Watch users, as it includes an integrated mount for the watch’s charging cable.

The Nomad Base Station is Qi certified, so you can charge almost any device that supports wireless charging. You also aren’t limited to juicing up wirelessly, as you get a USB-C and USB-A port to charge a total of five devices at once. Nomad's design is pretty sleek too, with a thin, sturdy aluminum base, padded leather surface, and no-slip feet.

7. Apple MagSafe Charger

Best MagSafe Charger

Apple created MagSafe for a secure connection when wirelessly charging Apple devices by using a special ring of magnets. This technology is found in models from the iPhone 12 and up, as well as a few AirPod models. For the easiest time charging these devices, we recommend grabbing the Apple MagSafe Charger. It’s hard not to fall for the slim and compact puck design, while its unique magnets are strong enough to keep wirelessly charging an iPhone even when it’s in use.

With the newest MagSafe Charger from Apple, certain iPhones can juice up wirelessly at speeds up to 25W – as long as you’ve got it hooked up to a 30W USB-C power adapter. (An adapter doesn’t come with the charger, so be sure to check out the best USB-C chargers for options.) Adding more value to this charger is the Qi2 support, meaning this can be used to wirelessly charge non-MagSafe devices too.

8. Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand

Best MagSafe Wireless Charging Stand

Do you have multiple Apple devices capable of wirelessly charging? Then the compact Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 Charging Stand is for you. It features MagSafe technology, which will hold Apple products in place as they juice up, and you can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at once.

This Belkin stand is compatible with many of the best iPhones, allowing the phone to magnetically attach to the stand in either a portrait or landscape orientation, delivering up to 15W of power. Next to the iPhone stand is an Apple Watch mount with a magnetic puck capable of fast charging the Apple Watch 7 or newer. The final MagSafe charging point is at the base, which is ready to charge devices at a rate of up to 5W. Belkin even throws in a 40W power adapter to ensure your electronics juice up at top speeds.

What to Look for in a Wireless Charger

Technically, Qi isn’t the only wireless charging standard on the market, but with other standards like PMA and A4WP dwindling in influence, your phone most likely supports Qi charging, so that’s what we've focused on in this guide.

In addition, it’s important to mention that wireless charging is hardly the fastest way to recharge your phone. It's awfully convenient to plop your phone down on a pad at the end of the day, but wireless charging is just plain slower than the wired fast charging options.

Some folks also have problems with needing to find the right “sweet spot” for their phone on the mat (hence lots of Amazon reviews claiming a given charger is unreliable). I personally love wireless charging, but you may find the speed and reliability of wired charging preferable to the convenience of wireless – it’s all about personal preference.

Wireless Charger FAQ

How does inductive charging work?

Inductive charging, also known as wireless charging, uses an electromagnetic field to create a current and charge up devices. A charging unit like a wireless charger or power bank will have a transmitter coil that produces a current, while a device, like a phone, earbud case, or smartwatch, integrates a receiver coil. When a current goes through the charging unit coil, it creates an electromagnetic field. Then, if the receiver coil on a device gets placed close enough to the electromagnetic field, a current gets induced, which charges the device’s battery.

What is MagSafe charging?

Apple developed MagSafe to make wirelessly charging an iPhone easier. This technology was first introduced with the iPhone 12 and has been packed into every iPhone since then. Wireless chargers that support MagSafe charging have unique magnets around the transmitter coil. When they interact with an iPhone (or an iPhone in a MagSafe case), a stronger, perfectly-aligned, and secure magnetic connection occurs. That allows for more efficient charging, hitting speeds up to 25W (only on certain Qi2 wireless chargers) with the iPhone 16 and 15W for older models. Without MagSafe support, wireless charging is limited to 7.5W.

Will a wireless charger work with any phone?

Wireless chargers only support phones that have wireless charging technology packed in. Older phones and budget options may not have the proper coil to charge it without plugging in. However, if your phone supports wireless charging, chances are good that it’ll work with almost any wireless charger. What makes things even easier is the widely adopted Qi standard. Just be sure to check your phone and charger both support Qi before purchasing.

Apple’s MagSafe technology may only be available on certain Apple devices. Luckily, even MagSafe chargers offer the same Qi standard, so you can use just about any Qi-supported device with them.

Panda Plan Review

18 février 2025 à 22:51

Panda Problem is now available to watch on VOD and Blu-Ray.

Jackie Chan is one of the world’s greatest filmmakers, movie stars, and stunt performers. And thanks to all of the entertaining, exciting, and electrifying things he’s done onscreen over the years, there are still flashes of greatness to be found in a lesser Chan work like the halfhearted family action-comedy Panda Plan. But the rest is just reminders of past glories: As I watched him foil the abduction of a rare panda, my mind drifted to more pleasurable experiences with Chan. Panda Plan invites these comparisons: Chan plays a version of himself, bumbling enemies frequently say things like “this is just like your movies” to him, and there’s even a tepid, meta reflection on his wide-ranging career. Alas, Panda Plan never comes close to meeting the high bar set by Drunken Master and Police Story. It can’t even rise above being slightly amusing in short bursts. A distracting CGI panda further undercuts the physicality lent to the film by the committed 70-year-old Chan (who reportedly lost consciousness in one headlock scene).

It all kicks off with a self-aware scene Chan takes on a small army of armed goons – even before we hear a director yell “cut” the lackluster effects and abundant squibs clue us in that this is an intentionally bad action sequence. Consulting his schedule between takes, nothing catches the star’s attention – until he’s offered the chance to adopt a panda. We’re then whisked away to a remote zoo that feels like a discount Jurassic Park set, minus any charm or texture.

A rushed montage establishes the general layout of the place, but it also plays like a slick, empty advertisement. Chan digs into some Dairy Queen ice cream, meets the caring zoo assistant Su Xiaozhu (Shi Ce), and appears to be having the time of his life. Of course, there will be no time to unwind with a sweet treat or play around with his new panda pal: A group of cartoonish mercenaries soon arrive in order to steal the panda and deliver it to their vaguely sketched stereotype of a Middle Eastern benefactor.

The panda effects are the stuff of nightmares; they make the cat from the even more atrocious Argylle look like a CGI masterpiece. All the cute sounds that it makes can’t hide the seams of performances arranged around a cuddly co-star who isn’t actually there. There are obvious logical and ethical hurdles to throwing around a real live panda cub on set, but any sort of practical creation would be preferable to this. Watching Chan struggle to play off the effect is painful and, considering how Panda Plan’s entire premise hinges on how cute the animal is supposed to be, it makes it hard to get at all emotionally invested in the experience. It’s as cheap-looking as it is creepy, and you can’t really blame director Luan Zhang for taking any opportunity – like when the cub gets stuck in a box – to keep it out of sight.

As for the action, Chan’s gusto deserves some credit. He’s really going for it and doing all that he can to give this otherwise lifeless film some energy. He’s not as spry as he once was, but he’s still an incredibly expressive actor – his face alone sells Panda Plan’s ample slapstick. But he’s fighting a losing battle against the way the action scenes are staged and shot. Where Chan’s best films allow for wide-angle shots with minimal edits, this one keeps cutting away from the action for lackluster gags and shenanigans that took me completely out of the scene. No matter how many times the mohawked mercenary ringleader keeps popping up to glower and occasionally fight, Panda Plan never becomes an exciting action film.

By the time we get to the supposed climax where Chan has to take on the man behind this whole mess, Panda Plan completely falls apart. Not only is this final battle anticlimactic, which is truly saying something considering everything that comes before it, but it leads to one last bizarre twist. The mawkish reveal of the panda heist’s true motivation turns the already shaky story into a parody of itself – something meant to be taken seriously without Panda Plan doing anything to remotely earn it. Chan, through almost sheer force of will, makes parts of the film almost watchable, but not even he can save this ending. It’s the cherry on top of the unbearable sundae – I was left feeling like I’d have rather watched the fake movie from the opening scene. Better yet, I could’ve watched one of the many better movies Chan has made before. Panda Plan, for all the ways it’s enamored with its star’s past achievements, is stuck in their shadow.

The Best LEGO Star Wars Sets to Build in 2025

18 février 2025 à 20:02

For over two decades, the LEGO and Star Wars partnership has endured and thrived. It is nothing if not consistent; the sets are geared toward every skill level, from beginner to advanced, and all of the sets – even the most rudimentary – are reliably high-quality. The massive ship and droid replicas get the most press. But even the more idiosyncratic sets – like the movie dioramas, for example – still capture the look, feel, and whimsy of their inspirations.

TL;DR: These Are the Best Star Wars LEGO Sets

LEGO is a costly hobby – one that requires a selective eye, so that only la crème de la crème makes it on your shopping list. Here are the Best LEGO Star Wars sets that you can buy in 2025. You can also check out our broader list of LEGO space sets for more science-focused options.

Grogu with Hover Pram

This depiction of The Mandalorian's Grogu is not an exact duplicate of the show's depiction; rather, it's been exaggerated for maximum cuteness and presentability. The arms and head move, and the arms rotate via dials on the figure's back. The Hover Pram, Grogu's high-tech space bassinet, is mounted on a square black stand and completes the overall package.

This set was part of the most recent round of new Star Wars LEGO sets to arrive in 2025, and we had the chance to actually build it ourselves.

Droideka

The Droideka are notoriously tough. In The Phantom Menace, two of these droids were able to hold off Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi by themselves and force the two Jedi to retreat. This replica has the droid's classic battle pose, and like in the movie, it can also roll into a ball for additional mobility.

TIE Bomber

The TIE Bomber is a sturdy little build with a good price for its piece count. It has two play mechanics – first, stud shooters in its front that allow you to shoot "lasers," and second, a hatch underneath the vehicle, which that allows you to drop a payload for four torpedoes onto unsuspecting rebel scum.

Emperor's Throne Room Diorama

Released in honor of Return of the Jedi's 40th anniversary, this diorama depicts the ending, climactic scene, where Luke and Vader do battle while the Emperor looks on, cackling evilly. The various Star Wars dioramas are all pretty detailed, but this one stands out due to its iconic symmetry. Other notable dioramas include the Endor Speeder Chase and the Mos Espa Podrace.

AT-TE Walker

The new AT-TE Walker (from Revenge of the Sith) looks exactly like what it is: a heavy artillery unit with a massive cannon. The model has room to seat seven Clone Troopers as they take on the Separatist droid army. Its sturdy, bottom-heavy design makes it excellent for play or display.

Millennium Falcon

Don't get us wrong. If you're a die-hard Star Wars fans with $800 to spare, then the massive 7541-piece Collector's Edition Millennium Falcon (Set #7541) is the one for you. But for the average person, the 1353-piece Falcon is more than wonderful, and it contains most of the bigger version's detail on a smaller scale. You still get a gun turret, a dejarik table, and a trap door, and you'll still have some money to buy a second set.

Check out our list of the best LEGO sets for adults for more options like this.

Chewbacca

Bigger and cuter than you'd think, this massive Chewbacca build is appropriately imposing, and it comes with a signature bowcaster. We built this set back when it launched, and we were impressed by how it used alternatingly colored bricks to create the illusion of musculature and fur.

TIE Interceptor

A complementing, proportionally sized companion to the X-Wing Starfighter (#75355), this TIE Interceptor featured in Return of the Jedi as a defender of the second Death Star. We built this set at its launch, and it is currently available exclusively through the LEGO Store.

R2-D2

I previewed and photographed the LEGO R2-D2 set. It was one of the most challenging build experiences I've had since I started this hobby. The end result, however, is worth the effort. Just keep track of the front and the back of the model, and you'll be fine. R2-D2 has a retractable third leg, a fully rotatable helmet, and a flexible structure that allows it to jiggle back and forth, Kenny Baker-style.

X-Wing Starfighter

We built the X-Wing in celebration of Star Wars Day (2023). It is – by a considerable stretch – the most detailed, intensive model of an X-Wing ever built. It is for display only; make sure you have at least two feet of shelf space to do it justice. It was the most fun we'd had building a set in months, and it comes highly recommended.

Mos Eisley Cantina

A "wretched hive of scum and villainy" indeed. This recreation of an iconic movie scene – a testament to the power of practical special effects, costuming, and makeup – is wonderful and comes up a whopping 21 mini-figures, including three members of the Cantina band, Greedo, Ponda Baba, the iconic bar patrons, and a massive Dewback that's hunting for two droids.

Jabba's Sail Barge

Jabba the Hutt is the slimiest, greediest gangster in the Dune Sea, and this Sailing Barge, which transports him and his cronies, is appropriately massive. It includes a full kitchen, an armory, and a prison cell for any disobedient servants. The set also comes with a Princess Leia minifigure in her slave costume, so you can recreate the iconic death scene from Return of the Jedi.

Millennium Falcon (Collector's Edition)

LEGO sets usually have a short production lifespan; the old sets get retired to make way for new ones. But the massive Millennium Falcon, which weighs in at 7541 pieces and launched in 2017, is still going strong. It's constantly on backorder, and for good reason; it's a modern classic amongst the LEGO faithful. It comes with two crews – the original crew, with Han, Luke, and Leia, and the sequel crew, with old Han Solo, Rey, and Finn. And it's got fully realized interiors in addition to its articulable exterior. In 2017, back when this set launched, adult sets were the exception and not the rule. This was a groundbreaking testament to what LEGO could be. Today, with so many other sets that reach its level of complexity, it's a fulfilled example of what LEGO has become and one of the most expensive LEGO sets you can buy.

AT-AT Walker

And lastly, here's the best of the prohibitively expensive sets: a massive, 2 foot tall LEGO AT-AT Walker. The main compartment has room for 40 minifigures – a platoon big enough to take down the Rebel base. A cockpit and gun turret reside in the head. The entire model is articulable, but the LEGO AT-AT is definitely an adult build for posing rather than play. It is extremely imposing in person, sure to dominate any dwelling space it occupies.

How Many Star Wars LEGO Sets Are There?

There have been a lot of Star Wars LEGO sets over the years and more and more new options arrive every year. As of Januay 2025, 78 LEGO Star Wars sets are available at the LEGO store, with options from pretty much every movie and show in the series.

Why Star Wars and LEGO is a Perfect Fit

Lots of times, when LEGO creates a set, it is an uncanny approximation of something real. The artistry is in making these bricks, rods, pins, and gears fit together and do something that perhaps, they weren't originally meant to do. But when it comes to Star Wars LEGO sets – especially the more massive ones – the vehicles and droids look unusually "native" – as if LEGO itself was conceived with Star Wars in mind. It's why the 4784-piece Imperial Star Destroyer looks more like a genuine Star Destroyer rather than a "LEGO" Star Destroyer.

This is part auspiciousness; the Star Wars universe is very angular, with clean lines that lend themselves to the LEGO aesthetic, And this also part effort; the designers put an outsized amount of time into "greebling" – the attention to micro surface detail that makes a monochromatic surface look layered, technically functional and interesting.

LEGO Star Wars sets, in other words, are in a class of their own.

Looking for more LEGO builds? Check out our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets and the best LEGO Batman sets.

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.

Hier — 18 février 2025IGN

Mickey 17 Review

18 février 2025 à 22:27

Mickey 17 opens in theaters Friday, March 7. This review is based on a screening at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival.

The uniquely bleak Mickey 17 has chosen its cultural moment with precision (and a little bit of serendipity). After numerous delays – it was originally set to open in March 2024 – Bong Joon-ho’s follow-up to Parasite debuts as the first proper Trump Era 2.0 movie. It's a jet-black, mean-as-hell sci-fi comedy about a near future in which life itself has been corporatized and reduced in value by a foppish upper class that hides its totalitarian aims behind supposed religious values. (And to really underline the parallels to real life circa 2025, the followers of this movement don some distinctive, scarlet headwear branded with political slogans.) To escape his debts on Earth, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) has signed up to be an “Expendable” on a lengthy space mission, meaning he could be endlessly given risky, potentially fatal jobs and even experimented upon with viruses and radiation, dying multiple painful deaths that he remembers each and every time he’s “reborn” from a jittery 3D bioprinter. Pattinson stars as several different versions of the infinitely replicable worker drone, a premise that, though it eventually takes a bit of a backseat, sets the stage for a wild-eyed, farcical adaptation of Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel, Mickey7.

While its philosophical musings on immortality and self are discarded, most of the book’s plot basics remain, including its acerbic opening scene in which we meet our point-of-view Mickey as he tumbles down an icy crevasse filled with extra-terrestrial worm-creatures on the alien colony Niflheim. His best friend and co-explorer, the hotshot pilot Timo (Steven Yeun), gladly leaves him to die since there’ll be a whole new Mickey spat out tomorrow. How we got here is something the movie covers in extended flashbacks, though Bong’s rhythmic approach to montage results in a worldbuilding speedrun. Nothing – no individual piece of backstory or information – really seems to matter, but this is part of the movie’s ugly, nihilistic charm, from which a few embers of humanity eventually spark (though you’ll have to wait two hours and change for this; the movie makes you work for it). When Mickey 17 is presumed dead after his plummet, his superiors at the colony are quick to replace him with an 18th copy, only for Mickey 17 to escape his icy fate and return to base. For reasons both pragmatic and religious, two copies of the same person existing simultaneously is a major no-go, leading to complications between Mickeys 17 and 18, as they try to figure out how to survive together in secret.

While they remain under constant threat of “permanent deletion,” solutions to their conundrum present themselves with astounding ease, but all this means is that Mickey 17 takes its expected turns early on before swerving in surprising directions. The primary danger to their lives is the colony’s leader, a fanatical politician with exaggerated veneers named Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo) who, along with his gourmet-obsessed wife Ylfa (Toni Collette), towers over his underlings with promises of future greatness as they colonize Niflheim. Marshall’s methods come wrapped in thinly veiled white supremacy and compulsory, patriarchal heterosexuality. Every so often, he chooses one constituent at a time to wine and dine with steak (in lieu of their daily protein slop) to make them feel special, while convincing them – with shudder-inducing frankness – that their genetic purity is vital to populating the colony by way of “breeding.” What’s more, he carries out his methods courtesy of an organization that’s part ruthless conglomerate and part zealous church, a concentrated look at who holds the most power and influence in the modern United States.

This political element originates in Bong’s screenplay. So do the signature red hats worn by Marshall’s supporters, a purposefully Trumpian metaphor accompanied by several accidental ones that could not possibly have been planned – like a failed assassination attempt in which a bullet grazes Marshall’s cheek. That the film arrives amid the wreckage caused by the second Trump administration and the wannabe space-colonizer serving as its loudest cheerleader/biggest battering ram makes it all the more poignant, and all the more disheartening. Its villains exhibit stupidity and destructive evil in equal measure, resulting in a tale in which the very notion of checks and balances is the ultimate rebellion. That something so bare-minimum arises as heroic is both aspirational and punishingly depressing, in a political moment where the United States and its institutions feel like they’re being stripped for parts.

That this symbolism comes at the cost of a more character-driven story is occasionally irksome, but the time spent with each cast member is nothing if not enjoyable. Pattinson’s conception of Mickey 17 is strange and nasal, a gremlin-like wuss who can barely stand up straight. He’s the ultimate pushover – and he kind of sucks as a person, too. An early reveal about the planet’s native inhabitants depends on our easy interpretation of signs he refuses to see, given how much his self-loathing feeds his lack of empathy.

Mickey 18 is even worse. It turns out that expendable clones can vary greatly in personality; this results in 17 being usurped and outsmarted by a more violent, more cartoonishly cunning iteration of himself, with the question of his (and humanity’s) redemption looming over the story. The more time we spend even with the film’s ostensible heroes – like the narcissistic Timo, or Mickey’s delightfully unhinged security guard girlfriend Nasha (Naomi Ackie) – the more it seems like living under the thumb of economic oppression, and being made physically disposable in service of productivity, has driven each of these people entirely mad.

Mickey 17 is a deeply depressing comedic experience.

It's a film in which chaotic gesticulation, cacophonous argument, and slapstick flailing often stand in for rigorous drama – for better or worse – leading to some of the most ludicrously feel-bad comedy this side of the recent U.S. election. Rather than presenting mealy-mouthed pablum about “resistance,” Mickey 17 is confrontational by virtue of its pessimism, transforming a mostly straightforward novel into a stark reflection of how the current political moment came to be – albeit without letting anyone (least of all, those of us at the mercy of these larger forces) off the hook for our own transgressions. If humanity is what’s at stake, then being robbed of it and shedding it willingly are two sides to the same dangerous coin, separated by a margin as razor-thin as the difference between 17 and 18.

The Best Deals Today: Preorder the Final Fantasy Magic the Gathering Sets, The Witcher Gwent Card Game

18 février 2025 à 22:20

Check out the best deals for Tuesday, February 18. The big news today is the Final Fantasy x Magic the Gathering collab. The commander decks, starter decks, and booster packs are up for preorder today. On a related note, The Witcher Gwent card game is also up for preorder at the IGN Store. In other deal news, the Asus ROG Ally is down to the lowest price ever, save $300 off an LG OLED TV, a whopping $1,500 off a zero gravity massage chair, and more below.

MTG: Final Fantasy Cards up for Preorder

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Magic the Gathering's new Final Fantasy Commander series cards are now up for preorder at Amazon and Best Buy. They'll ship out starting June 13, and you won't be charged until they do. Given that there are so many Final Fantasy fans out there, these have been garnering tons of interest and will undoubtedly introduce a lot more people to the world of Magic.

Preorder The Witcher: Gwent Card Game

If you're a fan of the fantastic Gwent card game from the Witcher games, here's your chance to pick up an authentic comprehensive set at a great price. The IGN Store is offering The Witcher Gwent The Legendary Card Game Set, which includes over 400 cards faithfully reproducing the iconic designs from The Witcher 3 and a playmat for only $40. This is a preorder that will ship out sometime in August.

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld for $449.99

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Starting this week, Best Buy is taking $200 off the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme gaming handheld, now only $449.99. That's the lowest price I've seen for a brand-new unit, even during Black Friday. In addition, you get a free official ROG Ally travel case, one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and two months of a Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription. The ROG Ally This is one of the best gaming handhelds currently available, especially if you don't want to be tied to Steam's ecosystem.

65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV for $1197

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You don't have to wait for the new 2025 LG TVs to drop to score a great deal on an older generation model. Right now as part of Amazon's Presidents' Day Sale, you can pick up a 2023 65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED TV for just $1,196.99 with free shipping on Amazon. This is a better deal than what I saw during Black Friday. The LG Evo C-series of TVs have consistently been our favorite high-end 4K TVs, especially for 4K HDR movies and gaming.

Today Only: $1,500 Off Insignia Zero Gravity Massage Chair

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If you're been in the market for a massage chair, Best Buy's deal of the day is not one you should pass on. For today only, its Insignia 2D Zero Gravity Full Body Massage Chair is on sale for just $999.99, a hefty $1,500 discount from its original $2,500 list price. This is Best Buy's most popular massage chair and this deal comes around only a few times per year. It has all the features you'd want including full body massaging, infrared heat therapy, and zero gravity reclining.

30% Off Panther Vision Hand Warmers and Lighted Beanies

If you're looking for a practical Valentine's Day gift idea, Panther Vision is offering a big 30% coupon code that works sitewide. If you suffer from cold appendages, the Panther Vision 602R rechargeable hand warmer is small enough to fit in your jacket pocket. It offers three different heat settings depending on how numb your fingers are, boasts an IP67 waterproof rating, and can even double up as a 5,000mAh USB Type-C power bank for emergencies.

Pair it with the Panther Vision lighted beanie, which will keep your noggin warm while lighting up the way with a built-in LED headlamp rated for up to 150 lumens at max output. If you prioritize longevity over intensity, the 15-lumen setting will last up to 10 hours on a single charge. There are plenty of other useful gadgets on the site, including portable lamps and flashlights, so you might want to stock up to reach the $60 free shipping threshold.

12 Months of PlayStation Plus Premium for $99

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Starting today, Sony is offering 12 months of PlayStation Plus Premium for only $99 per year for anyone who isn't currently a Plus member. That averages out to just $8.25 per month. This is the same price as the lower tier PS Plus Extra subscription plan. Since Premium includes everything in Extra plus classic games, game trials, and cloud streaming, on paper there’s no obvious reason to choose Extra over Premium.

Secretlab Presidents' Day Sale

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Secretlab's Presidents' Day Sale is still live for a little while longer. Save up to $139 off Secretlab's popular Titan line of gaming chairs, Magnus gaming desks (including the Magnus Pro electric standing desk model), and accessories like the Secretlab Skins upholstery covers, desk mats, cable management, and more. Unfortunately, new releases like the Titan Evo Nanogen chair and the recliner add-on are exempt from this sale.

28% Off Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Sport Headphones

As part of its Presidents' Day Sale, Woot! is offering the Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Open-Ear Wireless Sport Headphones for only $129.99, a savings of 28% off the $180 list price. The OpenRun Pro is the best non-earbuds headphones for running. The 2nd generation model offers cleaner bass and replaces the proprietary connector with a universal USB Type-C charging port. Instead of the traditional method of sending sound vibrations to your eardrums, the OpenRun Pro uses bone conduction technology to send vibrations through your cheekbones directly to your inner ear.

Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card

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Elden Ring Nightreign is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. A new standalone game set in the world of Elden Ring, Nightreign lets you team up with two other players to slice your way through an oppressive fantasy world. It’s kind of like a faster-paced remix of the original game. It’s available for preorder in a number of editions, so read on for the details about what comes in each one.

Preorder the HP Omen 45L RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PC

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HP just added the option to add the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU as an upgrade to one of its flagship HP Omen 45L prebuilt gaming PCs and, fortunately, it is very reasonably priced for a prebuilt RTX 5090 desktop relative to what we've seen from other brands. Put your order in sooner than later because, unless HP has readily available 5090 GPUs in its inventory (unlikely), these prebuilts will probably have a bit of a lead time before they ship out.

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.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League Release Date Announced

18 février 2025 à 22:07

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League – Warner Bros. Japan’s sequel to their 2018 anime movie Batman Ninja – arrives on Digital on March 18 and on 4K UHD and Blu-ray on April 15, the studio announced Tuesday.

The film will be available in both Japanese and English-language versions. Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League will also be available as a two-film Digital collection on March 18 paired with the original Batman Ninja.

Here’s the official synopsis to shed more light on what happens in the film:

“The Batman Family has returned to present-day Gotham City after traveling back to the warring states period and saving history from being altered in the previous film, Batman Ninja. The next day, they witness a startling event – the Japanese island has disappeared, and a giant island called ‘Hinomoto’ appears in the sky over Gotham City. Soon, countless Yakuza descend from the sky and attack the people of Gotham City. And, the Justice League has disappeared.

Detecting a strange energy reaction in the sky, Batman heads for Hinomoto to find its underlying cause. There, the Dark Knight finds a world where the Yakuza war with each other, and brutality reigns without honor or humanity. At the top of the world is the Yakuza League, a group of superpowered individuals, who look suspiciously like the Justice League. The Yakuza League is invading Gotham and, to save the city, Batman and his allies are in for the fight of their lives!”

No word yet on the film's voice cast. Warner Bros. Japan teased a first look at the film at last July's Anime Expo.

Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League is directed by Jumpei Mizusaki and Shinji Takagi. Kazuki Nakashima wrote the screenplay, character design is by Takashi Okazaki and the music is composed by Yugo Kanno. The film’s animation is by Kamikaze Douga.

The physical and digital releases will include the special features “Bringing Justice to Japan” and “Anime Action: Choreographing the Fights”. (Please note that the digital version is not available in Canada.)

The movie runs 89 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some violence and language.

In our rave Batman Ninja review, critic David Griffin said the 2018 film "takes everything great about the masked vigilante and twists it in a way we’ve never seen, creating a visual marvel unlike any other Batman animated movie before it. DC tried something new by bringing in visionary Japanese animators to offer a refreshing take on one of the company’s most beloved characters, and the finished product not only built upon the great adaptations that have come before, but surpassed them."

How to Play the Borderlands Games (and Spin-Offs) in Timeline Order

18 février 2025 à 22:02

Quickly earning a reputation as the face of the looter shooter genre in the years since its release, Borderlands really has become one of gaming's most recognisable franchises. From its cel-shaded art style to its masked psycho poster child, the foul-mouthed, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi universe is now a staple of modern video game culture. It's not stopping there though, with the series quickly morphing into a multimedia sensation in its own right, spinning off into comics, novels and even a tabletop game.

This month, that journey reaches its biggest milestone yet, with Borderlands finally making its long-awaited jump to the big screen courtesy of Hostel and Thanksgiving director, Eli Roth. Reimagining Pandora and its vault-obsessed locals for a brand new audience. And while the film did not review particularly well, it's still a major step for any franchise.

With Borderlands 4 confirmed for release later this year, there's likely to be a lot of new and returning fans looking to dive back into the games and reacquaint themselves with where it all started. So, we decided to put together a quick timeline of the series to get you caught up on how it all fits together.

Jump to:

How Many Borderlands Games Are There?

In total, there are currently seven Borderlands games and spin-offs that are canon to the series, and two smaller, non-canon titles: Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball and Borderlands Legends.

Where's The Best Place to Start?

While it's the simplest answer, the best place to start is arguably Borderlands 1, although if you don't care about the story, any of the three mainline games are a good introduction.

All three entries in the trilogy are relatively similar in style, scope and gameplay, and better yet, they're all available on modern consoles and PC. That being said, there is a great overarching story that runs through the Borderlands saga, and if you've just come off the movie and want to follow it as intended, starting from the beginning is the best way to play.

Every Canon Borderlands Game in Chronological Order

These blurbs contain mild spoilers for each game, including characters, settings, and story beats.

1. Borderlands (2009)

The game that kickstarted it all. The very first Borderlands launched in 2009, telling the story of Lilith, Brick, Roland and Mordecai: a group of four "Vault Hunters" that venture out on the treasure hunt of a lifetime. Arriving on the volatile planet of Pandora, they seek out a legendary bunker known as The Vault, which is said to house unimaginable treasures.

As expected, their expedition quickly turns into a chaotic maelstrom of carnage, with the group facing off against a militia known as the Crimson Lance, contending with the planet's savage wildlife and taking down hordes of bloodthirsty bandits. From the moment Borderlands hit shelves, it was a huge hit, launching the looter shooter genre into the stratosphere through its compelling gameplay loop of killing masses of enemies, discovering a near-limitless supply of guns and building your chosen character.

The game was also supported heavily after release, getting a further four expansions that took the game from zombie-themed islands to a tongue-in-cheek riff on Mad Max's Thunderdome.

2. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)

Developed by 2K Australia with the assistance of Gearbox Software, Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel may have launched after Borderlands 2, but it fills in the gap between the first two Borderlands games. The story follows a group of new Vault Hunters, Athena, Wilhelm, Nisha and Claptrap, as they head out on a mission to find a Vault on the moon of Elpis.

The Pre-Sequel was, in a lot of ways, a bunch more of the Borderlands fans knew and loved. Set in a new locale with fresh classes to master and learn, it offered more guns, boss fights, quests and enemy encounters to plough through while the world waited for an inevitable Borderlands 3. However, its main selling point was further fleshing out the story of Borderlands 2, with the game featuring the second game's main antagonist, Handsome Jack, in a leading role.

Alongside featuring many of the second game's main bosses and characters years before their roles in the sequel's story, it also offered a full view of Jack's descent into madness, establishing the iconic foe's origins. Much like the other games, 2K Australia added several expansions after the game launched, including the Holodome Onslaught and Claptastic Voyage maps, as well as two playable characters: the Doppelganger and the Baroness.

3. Borderlands 2 (2012)

The official sequel to Borderlands, Borderlands 2 launched in 2012, bringing players back to Pandora with a new squad of ambitious Vault Hunters in tow. The tale begins with our heroes, Maya, Axton, Salvador and Zer0, heading to Pandora to search for a new Vault. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the planet's overlord, the sadistic Handsome Jack, doesn't take kindly to brave adventurers seeking fame and fortune by uncovering the latest fabled Vault on Pandora. While riding a train across the untamed planet, Jack attempts to have them killed, leaving them stranded in an icy wasteland.

Left for dead, the team set out on an adventure to discover the truth behind Handsome Jack's schemes, attempting to stop to him and find the Vault in the process. Borderlands 2 was essentially a bigger, more expansive take on the original game, offering plenty of quests, new classes to master, a charismatic main villain to take down and, somehow, even more guns to find and collect.

It's still regarded by many as the best Borderlands to date, offering a fun story, memorable combat encounters and a healthy dose of the series' trademark sense of humour. Much like the first game, it also came with a bunch of post-release support, including four additional campaigns, two bonus playable characters, and several Headhunter missions.

4. Tales From The Borderlands (2014 - 2015)

The first full spin-off of the series, Tales From The Borderlands was Walking Dead developer Telltale's take on the Borderlands universe, offering an episodic, story-focused adventure set on the surface of Pandora. Unlike the mainline entries, Tales doesn't centre on a team of super-powered, gun-obsessed Vault Hunters. Instead, it follows a crook and a corporate lackey who unwittingly stumble into a grand adventure.

Set after the events of Borderlands 2, we follow Rhys, a Hyperion employee lobbying for a higher position in the company, and Fiona, a con artist working with her sister, Sasha. After Rhys attempts to one-up a colleague by intercepting a deal to acquire a vault key, he learns the key was a fake in a con set-up by Fiona, entangling the two together and setting off a chain reaction of events that put them on the trail of a brand new Vault.

As with all of Telltale's games, Tales From The Borderlands focuses primarily on a branching, cinematic story with moral choices that can change the direction of the narrative. In the years following its release, Tales From The Borderlands has been acknowledged as a key piece of the Borderlands canon, with original characters from the game even popping up in Borderlands 3.

5. Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (2022)

Gearbox Software's most recent entry in the Borderlands franchise, from the outside, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands doesn't look like a Borderlands game. Subbing out futuristic desert wastelands for a sprawling fantasy kingdom, while Wonderlands may have plenty of dragons, goblins and unicorns, it's very much still a Borderlands game in everything but the setting.

Acting as a fully-fledged version of the beloved Borderlands 2 DLC, Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands once again has you entering the world of Bunkers and Badasses; the Borderlands equivalent of Dungeons and Dragons. With Tina as your very enthusiastic dungeon master, you'll battle against a range of fantasy monsters, embark on some heroic quests and battle your way to the monstrous Dragon Lord.

As with all Borderlands games, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands boasts a metric ton of guns to find, classes to master and enemies to kill, while also incorporating new ideas to complement the shift in setting, such as an overworld area you traverse between missions and the ability to use spells. It also has its own helping of expansions to dig into, with four separate DLCs featuring new dungeons, bosses and gear.

6. Borderlands 3 (2019)

Seven years after the release of Borderlands 2, Gearbox Software returned for an official third entry, launching Borderlands 3 in 2019. As always, the threequel brings a fresh new cast of Vault Hunters into the fray, introducing players to Amara, FL4K, Zane and Moze, and sending them out on a chaotic new adventure.

This time around, players are tasked with stopping a pair of murderous siren twins named Troy and Tyreen, who are venturing across the galaxy and harnessing the power inside the vaults for a mysterious cause. In a franchise first, players are tasked with travelling to multiple planets to take them down, teaming with an array of familiar faces such as Lilith, Rhys, Maya, Brick, Zer0 and, of course, Claptrap.

As always, you can expect plenty of looter shooter chaos to ensue, with a heap of guns to find, enemies to eviscerate and new character classes to master. There's also plenty of DLC content to jump into when you're done, with Borderlands 3's additional content offering four new campaigns, takedown missions and even designer and director cuts that resurrect a bunch of content left on the cutting room floor.

7. New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)

Gearbox Software's official follow-up to Tales From The Borderlands, New Tales From The Borderlands is currently the last game on the chronological timeline. Bringing in a slate of fresh characters instead of opting for a continuation of the original Tales game, New Tales has three protagonists: Anu, Octavio and Fran.

The story follows the group's adventures after stumbling into a vault and finding a precious artefact, which inadvertently puts them in the line of fire of the Tediore corporation and its ruthless CEO, Susan Coldwell. With the relic now in their possession, the trio begins to uncover its true powers, all the while attempting to evade Coldwell as she hunts them down.

Much like the previous game, New Tales From The Borderlands is focused almost entirely on weaving a branching story that adapts and warps based on your choices. You can expect plenty of dialogue options, QTE fight sequences and tough decisions that will impact the outcome of the adventure.

Every Borderlands Game in Release Order

  1. Borderlands (2009)
  2. Borderlands Legends (2012)
  3. Borderlands 2 (2012)
  4. Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (2014)
  5. Tales From The Borderlands (2014 - 2015)
  6. Borderlands 3 (2019)
  7. Tiny Tina's Wonderland (2022)
  8. New Tales From The Borderlands (2022)
  9. Borderlands: Vault Hunter Pinball (2023)
  10. Borderlands 4 (2025)

What's Next For Borderlands?

In terms of games, Borderlands 4 is the next major release on the horizon, set for release on September 23, 2025. Gearbox Software revealed the sequel after the studio announced it was being acquired by Take-Two, with Gearbox head Randy Pitchford telling us in an interview that "It's the greatest thing [the studio has] ever done."

Although that's all we have to go on for now, It seems as though projects in the Borderlands universe could be more frequent going forward. We learned recently that the franchise will be a big focus for Take-Two following the acquisition, with Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick noting in a investor's call that the company sees a lot of "potential growth opportunities" for the IP. We'll have to wait to see exactly what Zelnick means by that, but it appears we could be trekking to Pandora a lot more in the coming years.

Callum Williams is an IGN freelancer covering features and guides. When he's away from his desk, you can usually find him obsessing over the lore of the latest obscure indie horror game or bashing his head against a boss in the newest soulslike. You can catch him over on Twitter at @CaIIumWilliams.

Where to Watch Every Batman Movie Online in 2025

18 février 2025 à 21:24

Batman has flown beyond the pages of his comic book beginnings to become one of film's most recognizable heroes. The DC character has starred in over a dozen feature-lengthed movies over the past 60 years, his cape and cowl having changed hands from one A-list actor-director team to the next. The Caped Crusader currently resides with director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson, who are preparing a sequel to their excellent 2022 crime thriller, The Batman.

For those looking to watch or rewatch the films as we await The Batman Part II, we've created this guide for where you can watch all the Batman movies online right now.

Where to Watch Batman Movies Online

All of the 13 Batman movies included on this list (every theatrical release in which Batman serves as a main character) are available to stream on Max. Several movies can also be streamed on Prime Video, and all of the Batman movies are available to rent or buy from various digital storefronts.

Check out your streaming options for each Batman movie online in 2025 below:

Batman Movie Sets

If you'd prefer to have physical copies of your favorite Batman movies, we've gathered some of the best ones below.

What's the Best Order to Watch the Batman Movies?

Watching the Batman movies in order is straightforward, though it can seem daunting given the number of directors, actors, and disributors the movies have moved through over the past 60 years. If you want to be sure you're viewing the movies in the best order for you, check out our Batman movies in order explainer (or click through the gallery below). You can also dive into our list of the best Batman comics if you'd prefer to start there.

When Are New Batman Movies Coming Out?

The Batman – Part II (2026)

The next Batman movie is The Batman – Part II, a sequel to 2022’s The Batman. The movie will once again star Robert Pattinson and be directed by Matt Reeves. There’s no word on plot details yet, though we know the film is slated to hit theaters on October 2, 2026.

The Brave and the Bold (TBD)

The Brave and the Bold will begin a separate line of live-action Batman movies. Directed by Andy Muschietti (The Flash) as part of James Gunn's new DCU, The Brave and the Bold will introduce a new Batman and draw heavily from Grant Morrison's Batman comic book run. The story follows Damian Wayne, the 10-year-old son of Batman raised in secret to be an assassin.

For more on the Caped Crusader, check out IGN's Batman movie reviews:

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Cards Are Up for Preorder at Amazon

18 février 2025 à 20:45

Update 2/19/25: This has been an enormously popular MTG expansion. Some of the more sought-after packs have sold out, but many are still available. We've gone through the listings at both Amazon and Best Buy and updated the stock status below.

Here’s one for fans of either Final Fantasy or Wizards of the Coast. The latest Magic: The Gathering crossover finds characters from Final Fantasy making their way to the most famous collectible card game on the market. We’re talking characters like Cloud, Terra, Tidus, and many more, pulled from Final Fantasy 6, 7, 10, and 14 – and that's just the Commander Decks. Basically, the gang’s all here. These cards are set to release on June 13, but you can preorder them right now (see them at Amazon and Best Buy).

Where to Buy Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Cards

Scroll to the left to see quick buy links for each MTG: FF configuration. Read on for details about what comes in the many bundles that are available. And for more info about the crossover, check out our Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Commander Deck reveal feature.

Starter Kit

The Starter Kit contains 2 ready-to-play 60-card decks, 2 deck boxes to store them in, 1 Magic play guide booklet, 4 double-sided tokens (2 with each deck), 2 double-sided reference cards to aid you as you play (Turn Order/Attacking & Blocking), and two Magic: The Gathering Arena code cards to unlock both decks for two people to play online. Account registration required. Code expires September 1, 2030. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Commander Decks

Each Commander Deck includes 1 deck of 100 Magic cards (98 nonfoil cards and 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards), a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack (contains 2 alt-border cards, with at least 1 Traditional Foil), 10 double-sided token cards, 1 deck box (can hold 100 sleeved cards), 1 strategy insert, and 1 reference card. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Play Booster Box (30 Packs)

Each of the 30 Play Boosters in this box contain 14 Magic: The Gathering cards and 1 Token/Ad card or Art card. (A regular Art card can be found in 30% of packs and a foil-stamped Signature Art card can be found in 5% of packs.) Every pack Includes 1–4 cards of rarity Rare or higher and 3–6 Uncommon, 6–9 Common, and 1 Land cards. One card of any rarity is Traditional Foil. The Land card is also Traditional Foil in 20% of boosters. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Gift Bundle

This bundle contains 1 Collector Booster, 9 Play Boosters, 2 Traditional Foil Extended-Art cards, 16 Traditional Foil and 16 nonfoil Full-Art Basic Land cards, 1 oversized Spindown life counter, 1 special foil Final Fantasy card storage box, and 2 reference cards. A serialized card may be found in <0.1% of English-language Collector Boosters only.

Bundle

This Bundle includes 9 Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Play Boosters (each containing 14 cards), 2 Traditional Foil Extended-Art cards, 16 Traditional Foil and 16 nonfoil Full-Art Basic Land cards, 1 oversized Spindown life counter, 1 Final Fantasy card storage box, and 2 reference cards. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Commander Deck Bundles - (SOLD OUT)

Both commander deck bundles are currently sold out. Each Commander Deck includes 1 deck of 100 Magic cards (98 nonfoil cards and 2 Traditional Foil Legendary cards), a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack (contains 2 alt-border cards, with at least 1 Traditional Foil), 10 double-sided token cards, 1 deck box (can hold 100 sleeved cards), 1 strategy insert, and 1 reference card. This product does not contain a serialized card (available in English-language Collector Boosters only).

Collector Booster Box (12 Packs) - (SOLD OUT)

Each of the 12 Collector Boosters in this box contain 15 Magic: The Gathering cards and 1 Traditional Foil double-sided token, including 5–6 cards of rarity Rare or higher and 3–6 Uncommon, 3–5 Common, and 1 Full-Art Land cards, with a total of 8–12 Traditional Foil cards and 0–3 cards with a special foil treatment. Serialized card in <0.1% of English-language Collector Boosters only.

Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.

Where to Stream Every Indiana Jones Movie Online in 2025

18 février 2025 à 20:21

Indiana Jones has remained a staple of American pop culture ever since movie-making legends George Lucas and Steven Spielberg introduced the character in 1981. At 80 years old, Harrison Ford suited up once again for a fifth turn as the adventurous archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

With every Indiana Jones movie now on streaming, we've put together this quick guide on how you can watch all of the Indy movies online in 2025.

Where to Watch the Indiana Jones Movies Online

All five Indiana Jones movies are available on Disney+ and Paramount+. If you don't have either of those subscription services, each movie can also be rented or purchased through Prime Video or YouTube.

Here's our full breakdown of how to watch Indiana Jones online in 2025 with links to where you can stream each movie:

Indiana Jones Movies on Blu-ray

Prefer in-home viewing? All of the Indiana Jones movies have gotten physical releases, including collected box sets.

What's the Best Order to Watch the Indiana Jones Movies?

The Indiana Jones chronology does not follow its release order, leaving viewers with a choice on how to watch the saga. If you want to be sure about where to begin, whether that be by in-universe chronology or real-world release dates, our how to watch the Indiana Jones movies in order explainer can help.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Today Only, Best Buy Has a $2,500 Zero Gravity Massage Chair for Just $999

18 février 2025 à 20:20

If you're been in the market for a massage chair, Best Buy's deal of the day is not one you should pass on. For today only, its Insignia 2D Zero Gravity Full Body Massage Chair is on sale for just $999.99, a hefty $1,500 discount from its original $2,500 list price. This is Best Buy's most popular massage chair and this deal comes around only a few times per year. It has all the features you'd want, including full body massaging, infrared heat therapy, and zero gravity reclining.

Today Only: $1,500 Off Insignia Zero Gravity Massage Chair

The Insignia brand of massage chairs (Best Buy's house brand) are popular because they're much more affordable than other brands while offering solid build quality and no lack of creature comforts. This particular model has nearly 1,600 reviews with an average 4.5-star rating. This is a full body style massager that uses a combination of rollers and air pressure to deliver five types of massaging styles: kneading, tapping, knocking, shiatsu, and a kneading and tapping combination. There are six preset programs for ease of use, and even an upper body scanner that adjusts to your body shape for a more personalized experience.

The chair has three preset reclining settings including a "zero gravity" completely horizontal position, so make sure you put it in a spot with plenty of space behind you. Other features include infrared heat therapy mode for sore muscles and PU leather upholstery that's durable and easy to clean. The chair comes with a one-year warranty.

For more deals, check out the Best Buy Presidents' Day Sale, which is still running.

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

The Best Wi-Fi Extenders to Rid Your Space of Internet Dead Zones in 2025

18 février 2025 à 20:00

No matter what you’re doing online, a strong, reliable Wi-Fi signal is nice to have, but when you're gaming, it's imperative. Not only does a solid internet connection bring faster download speeds, but it also leads to low latency and lag for smoother action and faster reactions, giving you a leg up on opponents. It’s equally important for streaming, delivering fewer buffering interruptions or drops in image quality.

Even the best wireless routers sometimes struggle to send a strong signal to certain areas of your home, whether you’ve got a gaming setup in the basement or just some ridiculously thick walls. Rather than investing in a whole new Wi-Fi system, a great range extender could be a quick and easy fix, eliminating those annoying Wi-Fi dead zones by rebroadcasting the signal for further reach around every corner of your space.

Wi-Fi extenders aren’t exclusively for wireless devices, either. Many have an Ethernet port for a wired connection to certain devices. Gaming systems, PCs, and TVs could benefit from reduced lag and less signal interference from wiring up to a range extender. Many also work seamlessly with mesh routers as an alternative to their traditional nodes. From a Wi-Fi 7 range extender for a future-proof setup to a simpler, inexpensive alternative, we’ve found something sure to increase the Wi-Fi coverage in your space.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Wi-Fi Extenders:

1. Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender (EAX80)

Best Wi-Fi Extender

If you live in a large home, or have multiple people connecting to your router, you’ll want the Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender (EAX80). It extends your Wi-Fi up to 2,500 square feet and up to 30+ devices, so you can connect your smart TV, smartphone, smart home devices, consoles, gaming PC, and everything else you can think of without suffering slow speeds.

The Netgear Nighthawk AX6000 Dual-Band WiFi 6 Mesh Extender (EAX80) is quite a bulky piece of equipment, but if you have room for it, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its excellent performance. It features WEP, WPA/WPA2 protocols, is incredibly easy to set up, and works with any wireless router or cable modem. You can even use the Nighthawk app to customize your wireless network and get an overview of which devices are connected to it.

2. TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender (RE315)

Best Budget Wi-Fi Extender

At under $30, the TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender (RE315) is one of the cheapest Wi-Fi extenders around. It comes with one Ethernet port, can cover up to 2,500 square feet, and supports up to 30 devices. While you’re not going to get super-fast speeds with this Wi-Fi extender, it is great for those who have slower internet speeds that need to simply extend the range of their wireless connection.

Smaller homes, or even home offices would benefit from the TP-Link AC1200 Wi-Fi Extender (RE315). And if you have additional devices like smartphones, security cameras, or smart home devices that need a little bit more wireless reach, you won’t be throwing away lots of money thanks to how affordable this extender is.

3. TP-Link AXE5400 Wi-Fi 6E Extender (RE815XE)

Best Wi-Fi 6E Extender

With four external antennas, the TP-Link AXE5400 can reach hard-to-cover areas, like basements and back corner rooms, ensuring your wireless network reaches every inch of your home. To make your life easier, it comes with a signal indicator, giving you insight into the optimal placement of the device in your home. The TP-Link Tether app walks you through the entire installation process and lets you easily manage the network afterward.

Given TP-Link AXE5400 is a Wi-Fi 6E extender, it’s full of features designed to enhance your Wi-Fi experience. Its tri-band support includes a 6GHz band that can be used with the latest devices or for backhaul, thanks to OneMesh support. That helps eliminate congestion and interference problems from legacy gadgets connected to the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. MU-MIMO and Access Point are also on this extender, allowing for better extended network performance.

4. TP-Link BE11000 Wi-Fi 7 Extender (RE655BE)

Best Wi-Fi 7 Extender

Wi-Fi 7 is here. Sure, the selection of Wi-Fi extenders offering the latest standard is limited and so are the devices that support it, but the TP-Link BE11000 Wi-Fi 7 Range Extender is excellent. Plus, it’s backward compatible, allowing you to use this extender with Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E routers for a future-proof setup if you haven’t upgraded to Wi-Fi 7 just yet.

Wi-Fi 7 delivers fast speeds, low latency, and better handling of congestion – all of which can be extremely beneficial to gamers or households with tons of connected devices. The TP-Link BE11000 is ready to take advantage of it all with tri-band frequency offering a wild 10.8Gbps of speed, including a 6GHz band for less congestion that can hit 5764 Mbps. There’s even a 2.5G Ethernet port for more reliable handling of bandwidth demands. Of course, it also comes with all the latest Wi-Fi 7 features, like 4K-QAM, MLO, and Multi-RU, for optimal signals and distribution throughout your home.

Setting up the TP-Link BE11000 is fairly straightforward, as it plugs right into a wall outlet and the TP-Links’ Tether app assists in the initial install. The unit is a bit bulky, and its two-prong design makes it more susceptible to falling out of the wall. At least the larger build allows room for four exposed high-gain directional antennas with Beamforming technology to deliver a stronger signal, reaching more nooks and crannies in your home. Turning this extender essentially into a node for your mesh network is also simple thanks to EasyMesh certification.

5. TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter

Best Wi-Fi Extender Powerline Adapter

If you’re considering a more wired alternative, there’s always a powerline adapter range extender. Such a range extender piggybacks on your space’s electrical current, allowing it to theoretically move data anywhere where there’s an AC outlet. For that, the TP-Link TL-PA9020P is a terrific option, boasting a range that’s longer than most powerline extenders out there (up to 1,000 feet over existing electrical wiring), as well as extras like AC passthrough so you don’t lose an outlet. It also features a pair of Ethernet ports so you can hard-wire up to two devices.

Don’t let the term “powerline adapter” intimidate you. This feature-rich powerline extender is so easy to set up, even the least tech-savvy folks can do it. In fact, it’s really just mostly plug and play, with virtually no configuration or special surge protector required.

6. Asus ROG Rapture GT6

Best Mesh System

If you need more than a Wi-Fi extender, it might be time to invest in a mesh Wi-Fi system like the Asus ROG Rapture GT6. Using tri-band technology, the GT6 offers insanely fast speeds, strong signal, and an array of ports you can use. It’s a beast, there’s no denying that, and it’s expensive, but you might save in the long-run instead of purchasing Wi-Fi extenders or powerline adapters that just aren’t going to do the trick.

Dedicated gaming routers are of course designed for online gaming, but this whole-home mesh system ticks that box and more. If you’re looking for strong throughput, a wealth of features, and want to enhance your online gaming experience, the investment is totally worth it.

How to Pick the Best Wi-Fi Extender

Picking the best Wi-Fi extender can make a significant difference in improving your home network's coverage and performance. But, before making any final decisions, you’ll first need to assess your current Wi-Fi situation. Take note of the areas in your home where the Wi-Fi signal is weak or non-existent. Understanding these dead zones will help you determine the type and range of extender you need.

If you’re going to invest in a Wi-Fi extender, you might as well get one that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards, such as Wi-Fi 6E or even Wi-Fi 7, for faster speeds and better connectivity. Pay attention to the extender's frequency bands; dual-band or tri-band extenders can offer more flexibility by operating on multiple frequencies simultaneously, reducing interference and congestion.

The clue is in the name, but if you’re in the market of buying a Wi-Fi extender, then range is important. You’ll need to pick a device that can cover the areas where you need improved Wi-Fi coverage.

Depending on your technical knowhow, you might want to look for a Wi-Fi extender that’s easy to set up and manage. Look for models that offer simple, user-friendly setup processes and intuitive management interfaces. Some extenders come with mobile apps that allow you to easily monitor and control your network settings from your smartphone or tablet.

By considering these factors and doing some research on available options, you'll be able to pick the best Wi-Fi extender that suits your needs and helps you enjoy seamless, reliable connectivity throughout your home.

Wi-Fi Extender FAQs

Do Wi-Fi extenders really work?

Yes, Wi-Fi extenders can increase the range of your wireless network. Their speeds and effectiveness, however, can be impacted by a variety of factors, like the distance from your router, how many people are connected to your network, and so on.

Where is the best place to put a Wi-Fi extender?

You should put your Wi-Fi extender in a place that receives a strong network signal from your router.

How fast should my Wi-Fi be for gaming and streaming?

For gaming and streaming, a bandwidth between 25–100Mbps should suffice for most users. Faster speeds make for quicker content downloads and updates. The only time you may want to seek out more bandwidth is if you have a bunch of devices using Wi-Fi at the same time, or you’re looking to do tons of 4K streaming. What really matters, especially for gaming, is consistent low latency (or ping).

Jenna Ortega, George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, and More to Headline IGN Fan Fest 2025

18 février 2025 à 20:00

IGN Fan Fest 2025 is less than a week away and stars from your favorite movies, series, games, and comics have teamed up for what will be our biggest Fan Fest ever.

Starting Monday, February 24, be sure to tune into IGN for tons of exclusive reveals, trailers, clips, gameplay, and spoiler-filled interviews from all the biggest upcoming titles in the world of games and entertainment.

  • Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd will be on hand to delve into their upcoming A24 movie, Death of a Unicorn.

  • Osgood Perkins, Stephen King, and James Wan stop by for an in-depth interview on how they brought their creepy new movie, The Monkey to life.

  • Director Bong Joon-ho will introduce a brand-new exclusive look at his upcoming film, Mickey 17.

  • Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio along with the creators of Daredevil: Born Again will break down their new Disney+ series.

  • The team behind Monster Hunter Wilds including producer Ryozo Tsujimoto and director Yuya Tokuda give us an exclusive look at their massive new game.

  • The cast of The White Lotus including Walton Goggins, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb, Michelle Monaghan, Aimee Lou Wood, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, Jason Isaacs, and Patrick Schwarzenegger answer all our questions about what we’ve seen in Season 3 so far.

  • Jack Quaid, Amber Midthunder, and Jacob Batalan preview their upcoming film, Novocaine.

  • George R.R. Martin sits down with us to talk about the new movie In The Lost Lands, based on his short story. Plus Mila Jovovich and Paul. W. S. Anderson will be on hand to premiere an exclusive clip from the film.

  • Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan will preview the upcoming season of The Walking Dead: Dead City along with Executive Producer Scott Gimple.

  • Jeff Probst stops by with an exclusive look at Survivor Season 48 and chats about the future of the long-running franchise.
  • Alexandra Daddario gives us a preview of the season finale of Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches.

  • Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger tell us all about their upcoming documentary The Arch Project.

  • Mythic Quest shows up big with Rob McElhenney, Megan Ganz, David Hornsby, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, and Jessie Ennis on hand to talk about Season 4 and give us a sneak peek at an upcoming episode. Plus Katie McElhenney, Genevieve Jones, Megan Ganz, and Ashly Burch debut a trailer for their upcoming spin-off Side Quest.

  • Johnny Yong Bosch and Adi Shankar give us a sneak peek at their upcoming Netflix series Devil May Cry, based on the popular video game.

  • Julian McMahon gives us a look at his new movie, The Surfer, also starring Nicholas Cage.

  • Brandon Lee shows us a never-before-seen preview of the upcoming Crunchyroll anime The Beginning After the End.

  • J-pop megastar Ado pops by with a special surprise for fans.

  • The team from CRKD comes by to show off a new controller.
  • Doctor Who: Fifteenth Doctor writers Dan Watters and Kelsey Ramsay answer all of our burning questions about the comic series.

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows director Charles Benoit will give us a preview of the game set to release this March.

  • Blade Runner: Tokyo Nexus creators Kianna Shore and Mellow Brown go deep on their comic series and show off exclusive behind-the-scenes visuals from artist Mariano Taibo.

  • Todd McFarlane and Brand Creative Director Brian Walters unveil some incredible new collaborations from McFarlane Toys.

  • Jason Aaron and Caleb Goellner will give us updates on what’s next for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the world of comics and debut some never-before-seen looks at multiple TMNT series.

  • Xin CHANG, creative Director and producer at Bad Guitar Studio, stops by to give us a look at the upcoming tactical FPS Frag Punk.

And that’s just a taste of what’s on deck for IGN Fan Fest 2025. Tune in all next week for livestreams focusing on what's next from ID@Xbox along with horror, anime, games, and entertainment showcases.

Be sure to check back later this week for the full Fan Fest schedule along with information on how you can tune in and not miss a moment.

Where to Stream Every Kung Fu Panda Movie Online in 2025

18 février 2025 à 18:22

The Kung Fu Panda movies are some of the most iconic animated films that perfectly blend comedy, family values, and well-animated action. With the most recent entry, Kung Fu Panda 4, the series continues to entertain and impress audiences worldwide. Unfortunately, streaming all of the Kung Fu Panda movies online has been a bit of a challenge as of late as the films are mostly unavailable to stream with any paid subscription.

If you're wondering where you can watch all of the Kung Fu Panda movies right now, we've got you covered with an up-to-date guide for 2025 below.

Where to Stream the Kung Fu Panda Movies Online

The Kung Fu Panda movies are spread across two streaming services. You can watch the first three films on Peacock, while Kung Fu Panda 4 is only available to stream on Netflix. You can also rent or buy all of these films digitally. Check out where to watch each movie below:

Kung Fu Panda 4K UHD and Blu-Ray Sets

For those that prefer in-home viewing, all four Kung Fu Panda movies are available in a 4-disc Blu-Ray set or as standalone physical releases.

Looking for more physical movies? Check out our guide to all of the upcoming Blu-ray releases.

How Many Kung Fu Panda Movies are There?

There are currently 4 Kung Fu Panda movies in the series, as well as a few Kung Fu Panda TV series. The most popular of which, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, currently has 3 seasons available to watch on Netflix. Currently, there are no solid confirmations of a Kung Fu Panda 5 but considering the box-office success of Kung Fu Panda 4, it seems highly likely.

Connor Sheppard is an Oregon-grown culture writer for IGN with previous work on The Manual. Intrigued from a young age by pop culture and movies, he has developed into an experienced critic and consumer of all things media. From his time earning a bachelor's degree in digital communications at Oregon State University, he found a love for writing and appreciating specific actors and directors in the many films he watches. When he's not tapping away on his computer, you can find him watching new movies, practicing Muay Thai, or spending time with great friends and family.

The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Handheld Gaming PC Drops to the Lowest Price Ever

18 février 2025 à 18:20

Starting this week, Best Buy is taking $200 off the Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme gaming handheld, now only $449.99. That's the lowest price I've seen for a brand-new unit, even during Black Friday. In addition, you get a free official ROG Ally travel case, one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, and two months of a Crunchyroll Mega Fan subscription. The ROG Ally is one of the best gaming handhelds currently available, especially if you don't want to be tied to Steam's ecosystem.

Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme Gaming Handheld for $449.99

The Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme is a Windows 11 based gaming handheld PC. This is the higher end of the two Asus ROG Ally models with an AMD Zen 4 based Z1 Extreme CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It boasts a 7" screen size with a sharp 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate.

Whereas its main competitor, the Steam Deck, runs off a Linux-based Steam OS, the ROG Ally uses the tried-and-true Windows 11. The benefit is that the ROG Ally is compatible with pretty much any Windows-based game launcher, including Steam, Battle.net, Xbox Games Pass, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft Connect, and more. Obviously that makes it more attractive to gamers who like to play games that aren't available or are harder to install on the Steam Deck.

In our Asus ROG Ally review, Robert Anderson wrote that "the Asus ROG Ally truly feels like the portable Xbox Game Pass machine that many fans have been clamoring for. While a frustrating user experience, poor battery life, and a lack of Steam Deck-style touchpads do hold it back a bit, it’s undeniable how much fun this handheld is to use when it really gets ticking. With a beautiful 1080p screen that’s marvelously bright and perfect for playing on the go in any condition, alongside its powerful set of specs and a fierce price tag, it might actually be the Steam Deck competitor we’ve been anticipating."

Note that since CES 2025 has come and gone, there's soon to be even more competition in the hot handheld gaming PC market. The latest release is the new Lenovo Legion Go S, although it's not necessarily better than the ROG Ally, and much pricier. This is the Windows 11 version with an Z2 Go and 32GB of RAM for $729. However, a more affordable version is launching in May 2025, with your choice of Windows 11 or SteamOS for only $599. The Asus ROG Ally X was also released in late 2024 and it's an all-around better gaming handheld, albeit at a $300 higher price point.

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.

Fellowship Takes the ‘MM’ Out of ‘MMORPG’ in a Super Fun Way

18 février 2025 à 18:00

It's always cool when a game designer takes one neat thing out of a complex genre and turns it into an entire game. That's how we got the MOBA, after all — breaking just the heroes out of an RTS. Enter Fellowship, a so-called Multiplayer Online Dungeon Adventure that's going to pluck out team-based dungeon raids that are the beating heart of modern MMOs and turn them into a streamlined game – without the hundred hours of leveling up before you get to the best stuff.

After some time with a development version of Fellowship I have to say that the concept turned out just as cool as it sounds: It's no-nonsense, endlessly scaling dungeon runs in a four player team of a tank, a healer, and two damage heroes from among a selection of unique classes. In a group you make yourself, or with a team from a handy group finder, you jump in with your chosen role in either short-and-sweet one boss Adventures or longer multi-boss dungeons—letting you tune your gameplay time depending on whether you've got ten minutes or an hour to kill.

At the end you pick up your loot, tweak your talents, kick up the difficulty, and go again.

I was a bit skeptical that you can have a real authentic, MMO-style dungeon experience without, you know, the MMO, but Fellowship really effectively delivered. You move through the environment clearing out packs of enemy minions in order to get at the bosses, and all the classic stuff you'd expect is there: You've got to watch your tank's threat and manage aggro, try to make life easy for the healer, keep track of enemy abilities to interrupt the nasty ones, and know how to best use your class' attacks in a good rotation.

Behind the wheel of an elemental mage-type character, I had plenty of abilities to manage even at the starting level. My character built up charges that could be used to call down big freezing meteors or channel icy blasts. Our healer, meanwhile, could summon plants that either damaged or healed. It was clear in my short time that each class has a nice, clear vision for what it can and can't do. The thing my squishy mage couldn't do, by the way, was survive if I took boss aggro. Sorry, tank.

I was a bit skeptical that you can have a real authentic, MMO-style dungeon experience without, you know, the MMO, but Fellowship really effectively delivered.

Speaking of bosses, I saw four interesting setpiece fights that ran the gamut of stuff I expect from modern dungeon runs. In a ghost pirate dungeon we battled a skeletal shipmaster that required quick reflexes as it tossed our ghosts in and out of our bodies. There was a giant treasure construct that couldn't be tanked—instead, our tank had to roll around a ball to collect the bits of treasure we were knocking off of it. There was also a giant zombie that summoned the tides, requiring us to shackle ourselves to an anchor and dodge sharks.

It wasn't all gimmicks, though, and the developers were clear they wanted to strike a balance between fights that require reflexes and understanding clever mechanics with those that really push your ability to play your class' skills to the limit. They gave me a good example of the second with a nasty warlock boss, whose up-tempo barrage of skills and summons needed constant interruption even as he created zones that either forced us to group up… or to run away at top speed.

What I especially liked is how Fellowship will be structured. Dungeon difficulty scales from one up to six levels, gradually adding new enemy abilities to learn, mechanics to understand, and taking off the training wheels one by one until you hit the intended difficulty. From there, though, it ramps up for dozens of levels, each with their own unique combination of two or more curses that have their own downsides and upsides. One of those, for example, could sprinkle nasty Empowered minions among the normal enemy packs—but when you beat them you'd get a short-time buff that let you clear trash even faster or take a handy boost into a boss.

The concept of a game focusing on infinitely scaling dungeons, familiar yet dangerous in new ways, is a really cool one. Combine that with the developers' big plans for competitive seasons, where players can start fresh to race up the leaderboards for world first kills on each boss, and I think I'm pretty excited to gear up, spec out, and take on the challenges in Fellowship when it launches this year.

How to Play the Five Nights at Freddy's Games in Chronological Order

18 février 2025 à 17:42

With Blumhouse’s next Five Nights at Freddy's film releasing this December, there’s no better time to play through the Five Nights at Freddy’s games. Created by Scott Cawthon, the first Five Nights at Freddy's game launched back in 2014 and has since garnered an incredible fan base. The horror hit has been followed with a wide variety of sequels; from mainline games to plenty of spinoffs.

For those interested in taking on the night shift against these killer animatronics, we’ve detailed how to play each of the mainline FNAF games in both chronological and release date order below.

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How Many Five Nights at Freddy’s Games Are There?

There are 11 main FNAF games in total, which we’ve covered below. As far as spin-offs and more challenge-based games go, though, there are 4 additional FNAF games that fall in this category. These are Five Nights at Freddy’s World, Freddy in Space 2, Security Breach: Fury’s Rage, and Ultimate Custom Night.

Which Five Nights at Freddy's Game Should You Play First?

We recommend starting with Five Nights at Freddy's, the series' first entry from 2014. It's the ideal way to familiarize yourself with the series' mechanics, as newer entries build on that original formula. It's also a safe way to begin from a narrative perspective given how convoluted the chronology has become over the last decade.

Five Nights at Freddy’s Games in Chronological Order

For those looking to play through the Five Nights at Freddy’s games in chronological order to get the full story, we’ve done our best to arrange them in story order. If you have different theories about this franchise’s order, though, share them in the comments!

1. Five Nights at Freddy’s 4 (2015)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

When working through the timeline of Five Nights at Freddy’s, the game to start out with is actually Five Nights at Freddy’s 4, as it takes place in 1983. This is assumed because of an easter egg during one of the post-Night minigames that can be seen by interacting with a TV in the living room. After hitting it enough times, it’ll eventually bring up a still for a commercial for a show called Fredbear and Friends, which appears to have aired in 1983, given that’s the date beneath the title.

Compared to its predecessors, though, FNAF 4 has a different setting. This time, you play as a young child in their bedroom rather than as a security guard in an office. Throughout the night, you’ll need to run from your bedroom doors to your closet (and even check behind you on your bed) for a variety of terrifying enemies, but mainly nightmare variations of the original animatronics: Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy. Listen out for them and keep your flashlight close to scare them away.

2. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (2014)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is next in a chronological playthrough and brings players to the newly-opened Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza to work the night shifts as a security guard. FNAF 2 also introduces new animatronics in the mix alongside updated versions of its classics. These new additions are The Puppet and Balloon Boy, so you’ll have more to watch out for on the cameras.

This time around, you’re also given a Freddy Fazbear head to wear in case the animatronics happen to reach your office. With it on, most of the animatronics will have a harder time recognizing you and leave, which’ll buy you some more time before the crack of dawn. You also have a music box that you need to keep wound up to keep The Puppet away. This animatronic won’t be fooled by your sneaky little fake Freddy head, so make sure to keep the music box going.

We’ve placed this game as second in line for a chronological playthrough, as it’s set in 1987. This can be assumed from the paycheck you receive at the end of Night 5, which is dated for that year.

3. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location (2016)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

In a departure from the previous game, and as its title may point to, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location takes place at a different spot called Circus Baby's Entertainment and Rental, which features its own animatronics as well. This time around, you play as a technician working night shifts with a series of tasks to complete alongside surviving the animatronics.

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Sister Location is actually a bit trickier to place on the timeline, and many fans still debate when it could be set. The reason we’ve chosen this slot is because of a line HandUnit says at the beginning of the game: “Due to the massive success, and even more so, the unfortunate closing of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, it was clear that the stage was set, no pun intended, for another contender in children’s entertainment.” This line could be referencing when Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza closed down in ‘87 following FNAF 2, which is also brought up by Phone Guy in FNAF 1 during Night 1. So, for now, having Sister Location between the two seems like a good fit. Let us know your theories in the comments below, though!

4. Five Nights at Freddy’s (2014)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

The one that started it all. Five Nights at Freddy’s was the first game that had players taking on the security guard mantle to keep watch of Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza for five night shifts. Mainly, you need to keep an eye on the animatronics there: Chica, Bonnie, Foxy, and of course, Freddy Fazbear. Their behavior has become a bit unpredictable lately, and they like to roam around freely at night… just make sure they don’t roam into your office.

Alongside the cameras that need to be checked, players can also close the security doors near them if the animatronics get too close during the night. Keep in mind, though, you only have limited amounts of power to use. Once it’s gone, goodbye doors and lights!

Five Nights at Freddy’s takes place a few years later than the previously mentioned games, likely sometime in the early ‘90s. This can be assumed from Phone Guy’s dialogue during Night 1 where he says that the animatronics used to be able to walk around during the day, “but then there was the bite of ‘87.” This helps place it after FNAF 2 and before FNAF3, which we’ll get to next.

5. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Into the Pit (2024)

Available on: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Into the Pit, the latest game in the series, is a point-and-click adventure based on the Five Nights at Freddy's book of the same name. The story is split between two time periods: modern day and 1985.

It's uncertain where Into the Pit's modern storyline fits into the series' chronology, or if it exists within the ongoing narrative at all, though assuming it does, we're confident it takes place around the time of Five Nights at Freddy's 3. We've placed it ahead of FNaF3 given several items found in Jeff's Pizza, the setting of Into the Pit, can be found at FNaF3's Fazbear's Fright, which was said to be decorated with remains from the original restaurant, which later became Jeff's Pizza.

6. Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 (2015)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

According to Five Nights at Freddy’s 3’s Steam description, this game is set “Thirty years after Freddy Fazbear's Pizza closed its doors,” which would put it after the events of FNAF 1, given that’s when Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza closed for good, and, if we’re going with the early ‘90s, would set it sometime around the 2020s. It brings players into a brand new location as well… Fazbear’s Fright: The Horror Attraction. Yes, this new attraction is based on the terrifying events that happened in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, and they even have old animatronics from it to really keep you on your toes!

Once again, you step into the shoes of a security guard keeping watch of the attraction and its “great new relics” that have been picked up. Like before, you’ll have security cameras to monitor, but this time you also have a maintenance panel to reboot systems that go offline and close off vents to prevent those creepy animatronics from crawling toward your office space.

7. Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator (2017)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

If you’re feeling tired of working security or maintenance, why not make the jump into running your own pizza place? In Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria Simulator, you get to do just that. But don’t worry, this game isn’t without its frights. You’ll still need to keep the animatronics away from you when in your office, and there’s plenty to monitor when you’re in there as well.

Not only do you have a computer near you to keep tabs on everything and complete your tasks, but you’ll need to watch the vents on both sides of you for anything that could be crawling through. However, both your computer and the vents make quite a bit of noise, so you’ll have to take turns shutting them off to hear your surroundings.

Throughout the game, you’ll salvage animatronics as well. One of these is Springtrap, whose first appearance in the series was in FNAF 3, which places this game sometime after it in a chronological playthrough.

8. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted (2019)

Available on: Android/IOS, Nintendo Switch, Oculus Quest, PSVR, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted was the franchise’s first step into VR - and later came out on PC and consoles. Developed by Steel Wool Studios in collaboration with Scott Cawthon, in Help Wanted you can play through a variety of mini-games that feature familiar animatronics and experiences from earlier games in the series.

But where does this game fit into the timeline? During the opening ‘Welcome’ message for the game, HandUnit states that “Fazbear Entertainment has developed something of a bad reputation over the last few decades, [...] That's why we have recreated many of these completely fictitious scenarios (lies) that you've been fed over the last several years into a hilarious VR game.” And given that Help Wanted recreates situations from previous games in the timeline up to FNAF 3 on our list, it makes sense to place it after that game and near Pizzeria Simulator.

9. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery (2019)

Available on: IOS/Android

Five Nights at Freddy’s: Special Delivery is an Augmented Reality game that was released on mobile devices just a few months after Help Wanted. Much like how Help Wanted immersed you into FNAF in VR, Special Delivery did the same by bringing the animatronics home to you. In this game, you have to keep an eye out for them on your mobile device as they stalk around the room, utilizing a flashlight and controlled shock to stop them.

Similar to Help Wanted, Special Delivery involves its own branch of Fazbear Entertainment. Here, the Fazbear Funtime Service is what’s sending the animatronics to your house and, when it comes to the franchise’s timeline, it would make sense that they’d create something like this around the time of The Freddy Fazbear Virtual Experience in Help Wanted. Given how HandUnit explains at the start of Help Wanted that, “Fazbear Entertainment is excited to join the digital age, and what better way to do that than with an edge-of-your-seat virtual reality experience,” it sounds like that was their first endeavor, and this would be their second outing into it.

10. Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach (2021)

Available on: Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

Security Breach is the second game in the franchise to be developed between both Scott and Steel Wool Studios, following Help Wanted. It’s a free-roam survival horror where you play as a young boy named Gregory who gets trapped at night in Freddy Fazbear’s Mega Pizzaplex. Throughout the night, he’ll need to survive the various animatronics, but with a surprising helpful hand along the way.

In a chronological playthrough, this game comes in last. This can largely be taken away from the fact that Freddy Fazbear’s has now grown into a Mega Pizzaplex, but there’s also a moment in one of the endings that helps confirm that it’s set after one of the previously mentioned games. However, so as to avoid spoilers, we’ll let you uncover that ending on your own!

The free Ruin DLC for Security Breach is also available to play now. Our Security Breach wiki guide has a walkthrough, collectibles guide, and information on how to start the Ruin DLC if you need it, too.

11. Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2 (2023)

Available on: PlayStation 5, PC, PSVR2, Steam VR, Meta Quest

Once again developed by Steel Wool Studios in collaboration with Scott Cawthon, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Help Wanted 2 is pretty similar to its predecessor, featuring a wide variety of minigames for you to dig into. But where does this game land on the Five Nights at Freddy’s timeline?

Help Wanted 2 takes place between Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach and its DLC, RUIN. That makes it the last full game in the lore’s current timeline, but not quite the very final event. This slightly complicated placement is due to one of Help Wanted 2’s endings, in which your character becomes the Maskbot that gives the V.A.N.N.I mask to Cassie, the protagonist from the RUIN DLC. This interaction with her happens towards the start of RUIN, meaning the events of Help Wanted 2 start sometime before that DLC.

In keeping with its older sibling, Help Wanted 2 is also a VR game! It’s available on PSVR 2, Steam VR, and Meta Quest. And for those who don’t want to be fully immersed as a Fazbear employee, a flat version of the game was also released on June 20 for PlayStation 5 and PC.

Five Nights at Freddy’s Games in Release Order

If you’re interested in playing through the main Five Nights at Freddy’s games in their release order, you can find them listed as such below:

The Future of Five Nights at Freddy’s

The next game in the series, Five Nights at Freddy's: Secret of the Mimic, will be released on June 13. Developed by Steel Wool Studios (Five Nights at Freddy's: Help Wanted 2), Secret of the Mimic will have optional VR support and will "dig deep into the past to discover the horrors of the future." A reveal trailer from Sony's February 2025 State of Play highlights the engineer, Edwin, in particular.

A sequel to the Five Nights at Freddy's movie starring Josh Hutcherson is also on the way, planned for release on December 5, 2025.

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

Where to Stream Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Online in 2025

18 février 2025 à 17:22

We’ve come a long way since "Ugly Sonic" first appeared in a trailer back in 2019. While the first Sonic movie wasn't necessarily the greatest video game adaptation of all time, it did kick off a world with Ben Schwartz as Sonic, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik, and, with its newest instalment, Keanu Reeves as Shadow.

In IGN's review of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, A.A. Dowd writes, "Better jokes, better imagery, and two (!) inspired comic performances by Jim Carrey give this Sonic sequel an edge on its overly kiddy predecessors." And we already know the series isn't sticking to a trilogy: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is already confirmed for 2027.

If you're planning to watch the new Sonic movie in theaters or online, here's everything we know about its release:

How to Watch Sonic 3: Showtimes, Streaming, and Physical Release Status

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is still showing in theaters. You can find showtimes near you at the main theater sites below:

Where to Stream Sonic 3

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is streaming on Paramount+ instead of Netflix or Disney+. Paramount+ subscriptions start at $7.99/month. If you aren't interested in another streaming service, Sonic 3 is also available to rent or buy from marketplaces like Prime Video.

Sonic 3 Physical Release Date

A 4K steelbook of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is already up for preorder, out April 15. Check out our guide to upcoming Blu-rays for more info on physical releases.

What Is Sonic the Hedgehog 3 About?

The third Sonic movie dives into the origins of Shadow the Hedgehog, who first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 and who also took the spotlight in this year's Sonic x Shadow Generations. Here's the movie's official synopsis:

How to Watch Sonic 1 and 2

The first two Sonic movies are available on Blu-ray, and are also pretty easy to find online. Both movies are streaming on Hulu and Paramount+, with the first Sonic additionally streaming on Peacock and Prime Video. Paramount+ is where you'll find most other Sonic adaptations, including the '90s cartoon and this year's Knuckles.

Sonic the Hedgehog 1:

Sonic the Hedgehog 2:

Does Sonic 3 Have a Post-Credits Scene?

Yes! Sonic 3 has both a mid-credits and post-credits scene, which leaked a few days before the movie came out. If spoilers don't scare you, you can check out our guide to the movie's ending.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Cast

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was directed by Jeff Fowler and written by Patrick Casey, Josh Miller, and John Wittington. It stars the following actors in a combination of voice and live-action roles:

  • Ben Schwartz as Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Colleen O'Shaughnessey as Tails
  • Idris Elba as Knuckles
  • Keanu Reeves as Shadow the Hedgehog
  • Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik (and Gerald Robotnik)
  • James Marsden as Tom Wachowski
  • Tika Sumpter as Maddie Wachowski
  • Krysten Ritter as Director Rockwell
  • Natasha Rothwell as Rachel
  • Lee Majdoub as Agent Stone
  • Alyla Browne as Maria
  • Shemar Moore as Randall Handel
  • Adam Pally as Wade Whipple

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Rating and Runtime

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is rated PG for action, some violence, rude humor, thematic elements, and mild language. Its runtime is 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Elden Ring Nightreign Channels the Spirit of a Forgotten God of War Game

18 février 2025 à 17:00

This past weekend saw the first round of network tests for Elden Ring Nightreign, the upcoming standalone multiplayer game spun out of FromSoftware’s magnum opus. Unlike last year’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Nightreign resembles Elden Ring in name and appearance only, trading its parent game’s open world structure for a streamlined survival format in which three-player teams have to drop into gradually shrinking maps to fight off groups of enemies and increasingly challenging bosses. It’s a design that undoubtedly suggests the developers were inspired by the hugely popular Fortnite – unsurprising, considering Epic’s battle royale has been enjoyed by no less than 200 million players this month alone.

But Nightreign bears an even greater resemblance to another game, one not nearly as famous and much more disliked: 2013’s God of War: Ascension. And that’s a good thing.

Released between 2010’s God of War 3 and 2018’s Norse-flavored God of War reboot, Ascension was a prequel set before the original Greek mythology trilogy that followed Kratos as he tried to break his oath with his soon-to-be-predecessor, Aries. Unable to live up to the initial trilogy’s epic finale, and fueling desire to shake up a tried-and-tested formula, God of War: Ascension quickly became known as the black sheep of the franchise. A half-decent appetizer to an amazing main course.

It’s an understandable reputation, but also unfair. Although Kratos’ confrontation with the Furies in Ascension obviously didn’t reach the same heights as his five-stage fight with Zeus, this divisive prequel still had some truly jaw-dropping set-pieces, including the Prison of the Damned, a labyrinthine dungeon carved into the skin and bones of an immobilized, 100-armed giant. But, more importantly, Ascension also deserves credit for trying something the franchise had not done before, and hasn’t since: multiplayer.

Trial of the Gods, is cooperative PvE. And also basically Elden Ring Nightreign.

As you make your way through the Prison of the Damned in Ascension’s story, you encounter a chained up NPC who lets out a premature “You saved me!” before being crushed by the level’s boss. Open up the multiplayer mode after reaching this point in the campaign and you’ll find this same NPC is now your player character. Having been teleported to Olympus seconds before your demise, you must pledge allegiance to one of four gods – Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, or Aries – each of whom will provide you with unique weapons, armor pieces, and magic attacks. These are the tools with which you wage war across five different multiplayer modes, four of which are competitive PvP.

The fifth mode, Trial of the Gods, is cooperative PvE. And also basically Elden Ring Nightreign.

Gameplay previews of Nightreign posted ahead of the network tests by prominent “Soulsborne” YouTubers like VaatiyVidya and Iron Pineapple, as well IGN’s own coverage, have revealed the similarities between FromSoftware’s latest and live service games like Fortnite. Much like those games, Nightreign offers a cocktail of randomized loot, resource management, and environmental hazards that damage a player’s health and limit their area of movement, making runs more challenging as they go on. Nightreign even pays homage to one of Fortnite’s most iconic images, having players drop into the level from the sky, taxied by spirit birds to a position of their choosing.

You won’t find any “where are we dropping?” action in God of War: Ascension, but go beyond Nightreign’s battle royale-like surface and you’ll find much more common ground. Both Nightreign and Ascension’s Trial of the Gods mode are co-op experiences where teams of two or more face increasingly tougher foes. Both grant players the unexpected but welcome opportunity to take on bosses from previous games, be they Hercules from God of War 3 or the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3. Both have a countdown (although Ascension’s can be paused by defeating enemies) and both take place on maps that are either small or shrinking. And both are multiplayer games developed by studios known for their well-crafted single-player experiences, and were made without oversight from their series’ creators; Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki is working on an as of yet unknown project, while the directors of the original God of War trilogy – David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, and Stig Asmussen – had all left Sony Santa Monica at the time of Ascension’s creation to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

Above all, Nightreign appears to evoke the same response from players as Ascension’s Trial of the Gods did. Those who participated in FromSoftware’s network test invariably describe their runs as a frantic and exhilarating race against the clock. In contrast to the comparatively cozy vibes of the base game, where players are able to tackle every scenario in a variety of ways, using a variety of weapons and abilities and taking all the time they need, Nightreign forces players to act on instinct by picking up the pace and limiting their resources – constraints that, in VaatiVidya’s words, were “made in the name of speed and efficiency.” To make up for the absence of Torrent, for instance, players now channel their inner spirit horse, being able to run faster and jump higher.

Ascension’s multiplayer adjusted its single player blueprint for the sake of tighter pacing, using similar techniques to those adopted by Nightreign.

Ascension’s multiplayer also adjusted its single player blueprint for the sake of tighter pacing, and even used similar techniques to those adopted by Nightreign: it increased the player’s run speed, extended their jumps, automated parkour, and provided them with a grapple attack they could use to pull objects towards them (a mechanic also used by Nightreign’s Wylder character). New moves like this are a lifesaver, because while the combat isn’t too difficult on its own – what with the franchise being a power fantasy and all – Trial of the Gods throws so many enemies at you that every second counts. As a result, you and your teammate find yourselves sprinting around like hungry wolves, or terminators, or, well, Kratoses, hacking and slashing your way through armies without calculated ruthlessness.

Nightreign’s resemblance to Ascension is unexpected not only because much of the latter has been forgotten, but also because the Soulslike genre Elden Ring is part of essentially started out as God of War’s complete antithesis. Where one lets you pretend to be a warrior so powerful he can kill literal gods, the other turns you into a nameless, accursed undead for whom even regular enemies pose a considerable challenge. One rarely shows its game over screen, the other beats you over the head with it until you start crying, laughing, and crying again.

Yet this challenge, so utterly rage-inducing in FromSoftware’s earlier games, has gradually decreased in recent years as fans “got good” and developers provided them with better weapons and spells, culminating in the numerous game-breaking builds that have been put together since Elden Ring launched. Without access to these builds, Nightreign promises to reintroduce a degree of challenge. At the same time, those that have indeed gotten good will be able to enjoy the same thing God of War: Ascension offered: the chance to feel like a vengeful Spartan short on time.

Tim Brinkhof is a freelance writer specializing in art and history. After studying journalism at NYU, he has gone on to write for Vox, Vulture, Slate, Polygon, GQ, Esquire and more

Volleyball Legends Codes (February 2025)

18 février 2025 à 12:00

If you're searching for Volleyball Legends codes (previously Haikyuu Legends), IGN has you covered! In this article, you'll find the latest active and working Volleyball Legends codes in February 2025 that can be redeemed for free rewards in Roblox, including Spins and Yen.

Active Volleyball Legends Codes (February 2025)

Below, you'll find all of the currently active and working Volleyball Legends codes in February 2025:

  • NEW_NAME - 1x Lucky Style Spin (NEW!)
  • 80M_VISITS - 10x Style Spins
  • BIGGESTEVER - 5x Ability Spins
  • RANKED - 2x Lucky Ability Spins
  • NOTONTIME - 2x Lucky Spins
  • UPDATE6 - 1x Lucky Spin
  • PROTORIONTWITTER - 100x Yen

All Expired Volleyball Legends Codes

The following Volleyball Legends codes are expired and can't be redeemed anymore as of February 2025:

  • MADNESS
  • 40M_VISITS
  • 250K_MEMBERS
  • 50M_VISITS
  • UPDATE5
  • UPDATE4
  • LAUNCH
  • 200K_LIKES
  • 180K_FAVS
  • 15M_PLAYS
  • 100KMEMBERS
  • UPDATE1
  • UPDATE2
  • UPDATE3

How to Redeem Volleyball Legends Codes

Follow the steps below to redeem Volleyball Legends codes and claim your free rewards:

  1. Open the Volleyball Legends Roblox experience.
  2. In the Lobby, click on the Shop icon in the bottom toolbar to open the Shop.
  3. Click on Codes on the bottom left of the Shop menu.
  4. Input your Volleyball Legends code into the "Type code here" box.
  5. Click "USE CODE." If successful, green text will appear informing you what your free reward is.

Why Isn't My Volleyball Legends Code Working?

If your Volleyball Legends code isn't working when you're trying to redeem it in Roblox, it's likely down to one of these two reasons:

  • The Volleyball Legends code is expired and no longer able to be redeemed.
  • The code is spelled wrong.

When inputting an Volleyball Legends code into Roblox, ensure it's spelled correctly, there are no accidental spaces either before or after the code, and that it's in the correct case (some codes are case sensitive). If a code is spelled wrong, you'll get a red message that says "Invalid Code."

All the codes on this page have been tested by IGN and work at the time of submission, so we'd recommend copying and pasting any codes directly from this article to avoid any errors. If the code still doesn't work, it's expired and can no longer be redeemed.

How to Get More Volleyball Legends Codes

Outside of checking this article, the best way to get more Volleyball Legends codes is to join the official Volleyball Legends Discord server. That way, you can be notified as soon as new codes drop.

What is Volleyball Legends in Roblox?

Volleyball Legends (previously called Haikyuu Legends) is a Roblox Experience inspired by the popular Shonen Jump series, Haikyu!!. In it, you compete in volleyball matches with teammates with the aim of becoming the best volleyball player and getting MVP.

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG or making miniatures.

Dragon Ball Super Collector’s Edition Drops Back to Its Lowest Price at Amazon

18 février 2025 à 16:07

Dragon Ball Super: The Complete Series' limited edition steelbook set has dropped back to its lowest price at Amazon, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. Featuring 131 episodes across 20 Blu-ray discs and stored in 10 sleek steelbooks, this collector’s edition is currently listed for $120.99, 39% off its list price of $199.98.

If you've been hoping to get your hands on it for your physical media collection, now's a great time to grab it before the price goes back up. Not to mention, it's also stacked with plenty of bonus features, which we've broken down below.

Dragon Ball Super: The Complete Series Limited Edition Steelbook Gift Set for $120.99

Dragon Ball Super: The Complete Series Steelbook Gift Set Bonus Features

Disc 2 - Dragon Ball Super: Part One:

  • Catching Up on the Dragon Ball Universe: Sonny Strait & Savannah Ligaluppi
  • Catching Up on the Dragon Ball Universe: Christopher R. Sabat & Hero D. Sabat
  • Textless Opening Song
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 4 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Two:

  • Watching Dragon Ball Super: with Jason Douglas & Ian Sinclair
  • Textless Opening Song
  • Textless Opening Song Frieza Ver.
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 6 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Three:

  • Anime Expo 2017: Interview with Sean Schemmel & Jason Douglas
  • Textless Opening Song
  • Textless Opening Song Frieza Ver.
  • Textless Opening Song 6th Universe Ver.
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 8 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Four:

  • Dragon Ball Super: An Interview with Sean Schemmel
  • Textless Opening Song 6th Universe Ver.
  • Textless Opening Song Future Trunks Ver.
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 10 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Five:

  • Coffee Break with Mai and Trunks
  • Textless Opening Song Future Trunks Ver.
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 12 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Six:

  • Dragon Ball Super at Anime Expo 2018: Interview with Sonny Strait
  • Dragon Ball Super at Anime Expo 2018: Interview with Matthew Mercer
  • Dragon Ball Super at Anime Expo 2018: Interview with Kyle Hebert
  • Textless Opening Song 1
  • Textless Opening Song 2
  • Textless Opening Song 3
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2
  • Textless Closing Song 3

Disc 14 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Seven:

  • Dragon Ball Super: Rawly Pickens & Chuck Huber Answer Twitter
  • Textless Opening Song
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 16 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Eight:

  • Dragon Ball Super: Two Humans and an Android
  • Textless Opening Song 1
  • Textless Opening Song 2
  • Textless Closing Song 1
  • Textless Closing Song 2

Disc 18 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Nine:

  • Dragon Ball Super: Twitter Q&A with Sarah Wiedenheft and Dawn Bennett
  • Textless Opening Song
  • Textless Closing Song

Disc 20 - Dragon Ball Super: Part Ten:

  • Dragon Ball Super: Interview with Patrick Seitz and Kyle Hebert
  • Textless Opening Song
  • Textless Closing Song

If you're looking to add more Blu-rays and 4Ks to your physical media collection, why not have a look through our roundup of upcoming 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases? This features a collection of television shows and films that are set to release in a physical format over the next few months, so you can plan ahead if you're building out your collection.

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

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii Review

18 février 2025 à 16:00

It may seem like a long leap to make from the R-rated streets of Tokyo's red light district to the yarrr-rated pirate-infested waters of the Hawaiian islands, but Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has successfully pulled off the switch from bareknuckling to swashbuckling with confidence and considerable flair. This jaunty adventure jettisons the series’ typical turf war cliches and pulpy plot twists in favour of spinning a streamlined and spirited tale of seafaring and treasure hunting, without sacrificing any of the addictive diversions and slapstick silliness that have long become its hallmarks. As far as spin-offs from the mainline entries go, Pirate Yakuza makes for an absolutely invigorating seachange that left me feeling perkier than a parrot on a pirate’s shoulder.

Essentially a coda to the events of 2024’s Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza’s off-the-wall story focuses on loveable series shitstirrer, Goro Majima. It gets straight to it: after awakening on the shores of a secluded island with amnesia, he promptly befriends an enthusiastic young boy and his adorable pet tiger cub, commandeers a pirate ship that for entirely unexplained reasons seems to have sailed in straight out of the 1700s, and sets about on a thrilling quest to find the lost treasure of a legendary sunken Spanish ship. Perhaps as a result of his temporary memory loss, Majima is considerably less manic in Pirate Yakuza than he has been in previous Like a Dragon stories, but he’s still every bit as gleefully mischievous. There was never a dull moment between him and his evergrowing gang of goons turned treasure-seeking Goonies as I explored the seas and shores of Pirate Yakuza’s vibrant tropical setting.

It’s an unpredictable voyage that regularly veers from intense highs to more laidback lows, much like the waves that Majima sails upon. In one moment I’d be trapped in a desperate battle against a towering sea creature or an army of pirates of almost Dynasty Warriors-esque proportions, while the next I’d be adopting homeless animals off the street to shelter in my personal petting zoo and throwing parties for me hearties whenever morale amongst my crew was on the wane. Pirate Yakuza doesn’t just regularly hoist the Jolly Roger, it also lets its freak flag fly in a consistently entertaining fashion – from its rousing opening musical number through to the dynamic dance sequence that drops the curtain on its story 25 hours later – and it kept me hooked harder than a handshake from, well, Captain Hook.

Nautical by Nature

While 2023’s Like a Dragon Gaiden experimented with a fairly superficial secret agent spin on the series’ template, Pirate Yakuza steers Like a Dragon into some truly uncharted waters. There’s plenty of lively naval combat to be enjoyed aboard Majima’s adopted pirate ship, although to be clear, in terms of exploration it doesn’t attempt to match the sense of freedom I felt in the Caribbean setting of 2013’s Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. Instead, Pirate Yakuza’s waters are broken down into a handful of smaller maps to warp between rather than one big open waterworld, and outside of the main Honolulu hub and a stunning ship graveyard turned casino district called Madlantis, many of the smaller islands are constructed out of the same recycled layouts. So over time, the sense of discovery slightly diminished whenever I dropped anchor and saw something a bit too familiar.

Pirate Yakuza doesn’t just regularly hoist the Jolly Roger, it also lets its freak flag fly.

Still, there’s enough spectacle and strategic depth to the actual open-water combat that I remained engaged anytime I was at the helm of Majima’s ship. In each bilgewater battle you can attack front-on with machine gun fire or perform a boost-based ram into an enemy’s hull, as well as manouevre alongside a rival to deliver more damaging broadside attacks from your port or starboard cannons. These cannons can be upgraded by harvesting resources found drifting at sea or tucked around Pirate Yakuza’s smattering of ports, and although Majima’s frigate can be equipped with everything from flamethrowers to freeze guns, I soon set my sights on scraping together enough spare parts to outfit my vessel with powerful lasers to cut crossways through my opponents from ear to buccaneer.

I was also regularly recruiting new pirates to my crew in every port I docked in, and it quickly became clear that assigning a crew member to specific roles had measurable impacts on each naval skirmish. Individual members of your pirating posse are ranked in areas like attack, defense, and cannon power, and anytime I placed some underpowered or inexperienced comrades in, say, my boarding party, I was forced to watch my crew go from ragtag to bodybags in quick succession.

After some experimentation I eventually got the balance right, and that included determining the right pirate to be my first mate. While some candidates offered increased damage buffs or additional fuel drums to burn with my ship’s boost, I opted to promote a mechanic into the role because it gave me two extra repair kits per clash. Given I approach naval battles like Dave Chappelle approaches his stand-up sets – always on the offensive and typically blazed up by the end – it was enormously helpful to have those extra kits to haul my battlescarred hull to glory.

Some of the naval combat functions do seem a little superfluous, though. For example, at no point in the story did I feel the need to step away from the helm in order to use Majima’s rocket launcher, since the ship’s artillery usually seemed ample enough, and it was also rare that I was compelled to manually put out fires on deck or thaw out ice that was blocking my cannons. That did change, however, after I beat the story and returned to complete the 30-odd escalating battles in Madlantis’ pirate coliseum, as surviving its toughest encounters demanded the considered use of every ability at my disposal. That finally made for some welcome optional challenges outside of the main story path, but I wished they’d been in play earlier in the campaign.

Captain Hookshot

Of course, given that this is a Like a Dragon adventure, there are still plenty of opportunities for fisticuffs either ashore or on-deck anytime you board an enemy ship by force. In the default Mad Dog fighting stance, Pirate Yakuza reverts to the familiar brand of combo-based street fighting that was a staple of the series before the main entries shifted to turn-based brawls with 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Majima can pull off fast and fluid combinations of punches, kicks, and rapid dagger slashes, each attack enhanced by flashy neon movement trails and punctuated by enemies that erupt into fountains of gold coins as though they’re crowds of criminal question blocks from the Mushroom Kingdom. However, Majima feels noticeably more agile than Kazuma Kiryu ever was, with a snappier quickstep to open overbalanced enemies up to counter attack, plus the useful ability to jump and air-dodge out of harm’s way anytime he’s overwhelmed by a surprisingly numerous horde.

Even so, once I’d unlocked the Sea Dog fighting stance a few hours into my 25-hour tour of Pirate Yakuza, I basically never looked back. While in previous Like a Dragon instalments I’ve relished the freedom to switch between stances to best counter each enemy type or situation, Sea Dog is basically a one-size-fits-brawl fighting style that feels adaptive enough to suit any given showdown. This pirating pose allows Majima to cut loose with a pair of cutlasses, either hurling them like bladed boomerangs or performing a brutal ballet of spinning slashes to cut through enemies in clusters. It equips him with a handy hookshot that allows him to zip directly to a targeted enemy like some sort of seafaring Spider-Man, which is extremely useful for picking off the more heavily-armed goons that tend to snipe you from the far edges of each battle arena. If that’s not enough, it also gives Majima a flintlock pistol of his own, and after investing in the skill tree to increase its power and widen its radius, I was able to use it to wipe out more pirates than dysentery at the charged-up press of a button.

Sea Dog is basically a one-size-fits-brawl fighting style that feels adaptive enough to suit any given showdown.

So well-rounded and entertaining to use was the Sea Dog style, in fact, that the only time I ever felt the need to switch back to Mad Dog was in order to unleash Majima’s slightly overpowered Doppelganger attack. Available after you’ve chained together enough successful attacks to fill up a special meter, this devastating ability conjures up twin Majima clones that swarm enemies and chew through their health bars for a short time like a pair of piranhas, and I was happy to have it in my back pocket for whenever I came up against one of the more brutish boss encounters. Although I think Infinite Wealth’s hybrid turn-based combat has quite rightfully become the standard for the Like a Dragon series, Pirate Yakuza’s flashy fighting remained engaging from the first sword slash through to the final throat cut, and I found it to be a substantial step up from the gadget-heavy grappling of Like a Dragon Gaiden.

Pleasure Island

Although Pirate Yakuza’s Honolulu setting is more or less the same sundrenched sprawl that featured in Infinite Wealth, there are enough new secrets and distractions that made it rewarding to explore a second time around. Outside of combat, Majima’s hookshot can be employed to zip him up to anchor points on certain buildings, meaning that treasure chests full of alternate character costumes and other goodies are tucked away on hotel awnings and various other elevated spots all over the island. There are also countless bounty targets to track down and beat up for beefy cash bonuses, and games for the safehouse Master System to seek out. Although, I must admit that I feel like it’s about time that developer Ryu Ga Gotoku moved on to an in-game Mega Drive (or Genesis for US fans), or at the very least a Game Gear. After collecting mostly the same set of 8-bit cartridges in Lost Judgment, Like a Dragon Gaiden, and now Pirate Yakuza, I feel like I’ve well and truly mastered the Master System at this point.

But of course, there’s still more: in addition to the fiend-photographing Sicko Snap and the infectiously giddy Super Crazy Delivery minigames that return from Infinite Wealth, Pirate Yakuza brings back Dragon Kart from Yakuza: Like a Dragon, only this time in addition to its riotous racing circuits they’ve bolted on an arena-based battle mode which made for some intense, four-wheeled firefights. Meanwhile, the series’ standard-issue batting cage minigame has been revitalised by swapping baseballs for cannonballs, and I had a great time knocking destructive dingers into descending stacks of explosive barrels.

I was also delighted with almost every substory I completed in Majima’s adventure. Some were utterly wholesome, like the time I agreed to bring an aging businessman aboard my ship in order to live out his boyhood fantasies of becoming a pirate. Others were funny pisstakes of online culture, like when Majima was recruited to become a Virtua Fighter 3 streamer and I had to choose the liveliest possible reactions for him in order to prevent the comments section from turning too hostile. Others still were completely bonkers, like the substory that suddenly spins out into a live-action episode of a dating show inspired by The Bachelor, as the ship’s cook Masaru tried to woo five different potential dates with hilariously awkward results.

There’s even a supersized substory that sees Majima and his ever expanding crew hunt down the dread pirate Zeus and his intimidating Devil Flags fleet. This chunky optional quest opened up additional maps to navigate, including an archipelago of volcanic islands and even an ice realm, each overloaded with increasingly powerful naval vessels to face off against and pirate headquarters to plunder. Not only is undertaking this journey worthwhile purely for harvesting the doubloons required to upgrade Majima’s ship with decked out drip – including a carved Kazuma Kiryu figurehead for its bow – but it’s also the only way to track down all four fabled instruments of the Dark Gods. These cursed instruments can be charged up during on-shore skirmishes and unleashed to spectacularly turn the tides of a battle, with a violin that brings the violence by summoning a horde of spectral land sharks to turn enemy packs into fleshy snacks, or an electric guitar that can be energetically shredded while a towering ape stomps into the fray and chimp-slaps your opponents straight into Davy Jones’ locker. These are some of the most powerful attacks in Pirate Yakuza, so it’s a little odd that they’re locked away in an entirely optional substory that’s so easy to overlook.

The 25 Best Monster Hunter Monsters

18 février 2025 à 15:45

Over the last 20 years Monster Hunter has delivered some of the most memorable, over-the-top monster designs that have scared, delighted, and stunned fans in equal measure. Whether your first hunt dates back to the original game on PlayStation 2, or you hopped in when 2018's Monster Hunter: World dominated the charts, you're bound to have that one monster you've grown attached to and love more than any other.

Capcom’s hugely popular hunting RPG series boast over 200 monsters in total, so we've gone through them all to find our top 25 – the very best of the best, and the beasts we love to gush over as much as we hate battling them. And with Monster Hunter Wilds adding to that tally, now is the perfect time to take a look at some of the best monsters the series has to offer.

25. Malzeno

Malzeno is a powerful Elder Dragon that made quite an impression when it flew onto the scene in Monster Hunter Rise’s Sunbreak expansion. This monster’s strength comes not only through its visual design, which features a glowing aura permeating throughout Malzeno’s entire body, but also its ability to literally drain the life-force from anything around it. This bloodsucking vampire of a monster is horrifying in both design and execution. Hunting it around Sunbreak’s dilapidated castle ruins only further adds to the practically gothic ambience and aesthetic, which cements Malzeno and the fight against it as a standout moment that fans won't forget anytime soon.

24. Behemoth

Thanks to a crossover event with Final Fantasy 14, Monster Hunter World received the hulking Behemoth as a new foe for hunters to take on. Its unique mechanics, pulled from the beast’s iconic Final Fantasy moveset, make it a formidable foe. Behemoth forces you to think about party composition in the terms of a traditional MMO, designating a tank to pull aggro, a healer to keep everyone alive, and damage dealers to press the advantage. Attempting to dodge Behemoth's instant knockout Ecliptic Meteor attack still gives us nightmares to this day, but when you finally nail it, there's nothing else quite like it.

23. Vaal Hazak

A grotesque Elder Dragon that resides in the darkest depths of the Rotten Vale, Vaal Hazak was first introduced in Monster Hunter: World, found in a den filled with a never ending sea of bones. Spewing disgusting poisonous gas from its mouth, Vaal Hazak can make quick work of any unprepared hunter. Even years after its first sighting, the mere thought of Vaal Hazak still sends shivers down our spines thanks to its red flesh-laced wings and the rotting corpses that hang from its body. Who designed this monstrosity? We just want to talk. As you can probably tell, this is not a fight for the faint of heart or someone with a weak stomach. Vaal Hazak's design and combat arena give other monsters in the series a serious run for their money.

22. Legiana

Chasing the speedy wyvern Legiana across the steep cliff sides of the Coral Highlands is a standout moment in Monster Hunter: World. Legiana's high speed and precision make it a deadly assassin, and learning how to dance around its icy attacks is a true test of skill. Giving this fast and fluid beast any room to maneuver can very easily spell your death. So no matter how many times you go up against it, you'll always need to stay on your toes. Legiana has a shrieking variant introduced in the Iceborne expansion, but it's the original we pay respects to here. Legiana teaches hunters about the importance of staying fleet-footed and never being overconfident. This makes Legiana a valuable teaching moment for many new hunters and a sharp reminder for veterans.

21. Bazelgeuse

Bazelgeuse is the bane of our existence. This flying wyvern has been the cause of many late-night frustrations and trips back to camp after an entire teamwipe. If you see a Bazelgeuse flying toward you, it's probably already too late, as this incredibly aggressive apex predator actively seeks out targets across the battlefield and drops bombs on anything in its path of total destruction. Practicing patience while hunting can get lost in the shuffle as you progress further into Monster Hunter games, and Bazelguese is here to remind players the importance of waiting for the perfect moment to strike. All this means that you’d best get ready for an explosive fight, one that you probably won't forget anytime soon..

20. Black Diablos

Black Diablos are not a variant of Diablos. They are actually female Diablos getting ready to mate. This causes them to become more territorial and aggressive, and so any monster or hunter that comes within their domain should approach with caution. The Black Diablos can bury itself in the sand and later erupt from underneath the desert dunes, sending anything in its path flying upward. The sheer carnage a Black Diablos can cause makes it a difficult creature to fight, and you'll need to prepare for a long haul. Getting into a tussle with a Black Diablo is a slugfest, as you trade blows back and forth in hope of chipping away at its heavy plates of armor. While standard Diablos is cool, we all know it’s the Black Diablos that reigns supreme.

19. Shara Ishvalda

As the final boss of Monster Hunter: World's Iceborne expansion, Shara Ishvalda perfectly encapsulates the massive scale of the series’ best monster battles. Initially appearing to be some kind of rock monster, Shara Ishvalda’s first form boasts a rugged exterior that you slowly chip away at. But as rocks crumble off its body, Shara's real form begins to show: this is a large-scale Elder Dragon, and it acts as one of the ultimate Monster Hunter set pieces. Finger-like appendages on its wings appear more like two huge hands sprouting from its body, creating something both terrifying and majestic in form. The final confrontation with Shara Ishvalda and its strange finger-wings will forever be etched into our memories.

18. Furious Rajang

Furious Rajang, the more aggressive and powerful variant of the original Rajang, is a force to be reckoned with. Its glowing golden fur charges up with electrical energy as the fight plays out, essentially turning it Super Saiyan. Hunters have spent countless hours being tossed around the battlefield by the Furious Rajang, thanks to its high-flying acrobatic wrestling stunts that leave us as little more than lifeless corpses. Between its incredibly fast movement around the arena and its quick combos, Furious Rajang seems like a fighting game character hitting you with infinite combos. We don't have to love the Furious Rajang, but we sure do respect it.

17. Astalos

Astalos was first seen in Monster Hunter Generations, but received quite the glow up in Monster Hunter Rise's Sunbreak expansion. This flying wyvern’s hyper-aggressive nature means near certain death for any hunter or monster silly enough to walk into its line of sight. It's sort of like that high-school bully that is always looking to fight, even if there's no actual reason to. Thanks to its flashy lightning attacks and prismatic wings, Astalos is as beautiful as it is dangerous. This means that every encounter with Astalos is an important moment because you'll need to make a quick decision to hightail it out of there, or stand and hold your ground. Just make sure you bring a weapon big enough to bonk it on the head and take it down a peg or two if you decide to fight.

16. Amatsu

The Elder Dragon Amatsu is a sight to behold. Adorned with golden horns, it swims through the skies like a fish in the ocean. Its ability to control storms and wind makes Amatsu a fearsome monster to hunt; It’ll throw out massive tornadoes and gusts of wind across a rainy battlefield arena, which all make for a memorable fight. While initially introduced in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, it's in Rise’s Sunbreak expansion that Amatsu's whimsical nature truly shines, where it will hurl you through the skies and pull you in through tunnels of wind like a surfer gliding through a tube of water towards a monster’s maw. More than anything though, Amatsu signifies great calamity, making it feared by everyone throughout the land. Its set piece moment in Sunbreak, where it swirls around darkened skies to announce itself as a true end-game level threat, helps put it above many other monsters on this list.

15. Raging Brachydios

There's something about a big boy monster who just wants to hit stuff, and Raging Brachydios is exactly that. A giant rock monster with fire hands and a thirst for blood, Raging Brachydios will keep you on your toes by smashing the ground and erupting the slime on its body to create arena-wide explosions. The Raging variant of the Brachydios is much deadlier than the regular version thanks to a more volatile slime that coats its body, causing faster and more potent explosions. Don't worry, we find the slime kind of gross, which is why we're determined to ensure this monster doesn't live to see another day. This variant ensures you're always on the move, making it difficult to position yourself for massive damage, but once you learn the rhythm of the fight it makes for the most rewarding sense of accomplishment.

14. Glavenus

How could you not fall in love with a giant dinosaur with a massive blade for a tail? Glavenus swings its giant sharpened appendage like a broadsword, cleaving anything in its path in two. As its tail dulls, Glavenus uses its own teeth to sharpen the blade, and we can't think of anything more metal than that. Originally introduced in Monster Hunter Generations, most folks likely remember Glavenus thrashing around in Monster Hunter: World's Iceborne expansion. While Glavenus might not be as popular as Rathalos or other monsters, its unique design and brutal attack damage make it a standout monster and one we always love to fight.

13. Teostra

Teostra is something of a celebrity in the Monster Hunter series. Dating all the way back to 2006’s Monster Hunter 2, Teostra has appeared in a total of 17 games, expansions, and spin-offs, ranging from Freedom 2 to Rise. Teostra's command of fire makes hunting it an incredibly brutal activity. Whether it's heating up its body and producing flames so hot it can burn hunters at range or spewing fire across the battlefield, Teostra is not to be trifled with. Its supernova attack, triggered by a spark of its teeth, is enough to bring any hunter to their knees. Teostra is a classic, and one that no Monster Hunter journey is complete without. Sometimes the classics don't reinvent the wheel, but provide a strong foundation to build upon afterward.

12. Namielle

Namielle is an interesting Elder Dragon as it commands both water and electricity, a combo not often seen together. With its large black wings and slimy outer layer, Namielle can slide around the battlefield and cover it in water. Despite being an Elder Dragon, its moveset is closer to that of the monster Mizutsune, shooting jetstreams of water from its mouth and quickly moving about the arena. As mentioned, Namielle can also produce electricity, which it uses to shock hunters or other prey. While initially appearing a rather passive monster, Namielle is a powerhouse when provoked. Namielle's unique combination of elemental attacks provides hunters with a nice change of pace and creates a monster that feels elevated in both form and function.

11. Gore Magala

Gore Magala is a complete nightmare of a creature. This six-limbed young Elder Dragon has huge, grabbing claws on its back that can shred through almost anything in reach. Born without eyes, it emits pollen-like scales that attach to prey, which allows Gore Megala to sense their target’s body heat. As it scatters more scales it will change the color of the sky and enter into a frenzy, reaching a new, heightened power level. Gore Magala is powerful on its own terms, but once it reaches adulthood it sheds its skin and becomes Shagaru Magala, a more fearsome, golden winged, adult form of its previous self. This transformation provides a level of insight into a monster’s lifecycle previously unseen in the series, which makes Gore Magala a stand out creature on this list.

10. Rathalos

Rathalos, the red wyvern first seen on the cover of the original game, is the de facto Monster Hunter series mascot. Our large friend has appeared in every single entry of the Monster Hunter series, as well as making appearances in Final Fantasy 14, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and even Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker, and so this list would not be complete without what is arguably the franchise's most iconic creature. The Rathalos is a fan-favorite and one that can often give newcomers and veterans alike a hard time in the wild. So this slot is for our beautiful baby, our cherished pal, our good buddy Rathalos.

9. Fatalis

Fatalis is arguably one of the strongest monsters in the series. Originally introduced in the very first Monster Hunter, this massive black Elder Dragon is known for its ability to level entire castles on a whim. It was most recently included in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne’s final update, which made Fatalis the true final fight of the game. Its massive scale and imposing figure make it one of the most difficult fights in the series, in part thanks to its fire breath being able to ignite an entire arena and leave only destruction in its wake. Fatalis is a monster to be truly feared, and a standing reminder of what Elder Dragons are capable of.

8. Kirin

Do not be fooled by Kirin's graceful form and demeanor. This unicorn-like Elder Dragon will not hesitate to impale you on its giant horn like a chicken kebab. Its quick dashes and lightning attacks will leave your head spinning. It often circles you faster than you can rotate the camera, which means you’ll need to make use of perfect positioning unless you want to have your favorite Palicos wheeling you back to camp with nothing left but your life. As Kirin leaps across the battlefield and you revel in its splendor, keep your head on a swivel and your blade sharpened. This monster is a perfect reminder that sometimes beautiful things can also be deadly. Kirin is a staple of the Monster Hunter series and one fans come to expect with each new entry. Kirin is more than just another monster, but a series icon that is adored by fans, even if it's the cause of many hunter deaths.

7. Mizutsune

Mizutsune is a leviathan similar to Amatsu. It’s armed with pressurized water jet blasts and has the ability to slide around the arena fluidly. However, Mizutsune doesn't come packaged with Amatsu’s world ending calamity and is a little prettier to look at, so it scores a higher place on our list. Its ability to blow bubbles that hinder your movement and eventually knock you over makes this a pretty dangerous monster to get tangled up with. However, Mitzusune's movements are majestic, which makes each and every moment of the battle a spectacle, akin to watching a perfectly choreographed dance sequence centerstage. While Mizutsune might not be the most technical or complex fight on this list, it's one that reminds us that hunts can be enchanting, and getting lost in such a moment is what makes the series special.

6. Lagiacrus

Another leviathan makes the list and with good reason. Lagiacrus, originally introduced in Monster Hunter 3, is a true menace. Diving below the water and finding this giant, long necked, dinosaur-like monster is a memory seared into the deepest parts of our brain. Having to navigate this fight underwater in your slow and bulky armor puts you at a disadvantage, and so as Lagiacrus swims circles around you, learning how to seize each opportunity to land a strike becomes a game of its own. Lagiacrus is a formidable opponent, and one we hope to meet again down in the ocean’s depths, but it's been nearly a decade since we've last seen it. Lagiacrus defines a generation of hunters and those hunters will never forget their first fight against the Monster Hunter 3's cover art beast.

5. Crimson Glow Valstrax

Have you ever thought "I wish the monsters in Monster Hunter looked more like a fighter jet speeding across the sky?" Well, you're in luck. Crimson Glow Valstrax, introduced as post-launch DLC for Monster Hunter: Rise, is a variant of Vlastrax that has been given afterburners. Its glowing red wings shoot flames as it darts across the sky, making for one of the coolest introductions to a monster in the series history. Using its large sharp wings as blades, Crimson Glow Valstrax is one of the series’ most unique monster designs in recent memory.

4. Savage Deviljho

Every hunter's favorite pickle boy, the original Deviljho is something of a Monster Hunter legend. Known in the early games for its relentless nature and ability to dish out absurd amounts of damage, the Deviljho rose to fame in the community rather quickly. In Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate the Savage Deviljho was born, a red variant with some new moves and a much needed facelift. Its constant rage and larger radius breath attacks make the savage version much more, well, savage. Its near-constant frenzy leads it to attack anything and everything in its sight, leaving no stone unturned in its neverending attempt to quench its bloodthirst. Savage Deviljho is proof that no matter how difficult you think a fight can be, there's always something even harder right around the corner.

3. Nargacuga

Nargacuga's features resemble that of a black panther… well, a black panther with wings and a giant spiked tail. It lurks in the shadows, waiting to get the drop on unsuspecting hunters. Its ferocious nature and natural ability to hunt prey makes the Nargacuga completely terrifying. Whether it's getting ambushed by one in a battle or having to go toe to toe against this vicious predator, Nargacuga makes a strong case for being one of the best monster designs in the series. Speed is one of Nargacuga's biggest strengths, so you best be prepared to stay on the move. Despite Nargacuga never really changing from game to game, it's a prime example of getting a monster right the first time, and having everyone look forward to fighting it again and again.

2. Nergigante

Nergigante is Monster Hunter World’s signature beast. This dangerous Elder Dragon is the star of one of the game’s climactic fights, a battle where you finally get to tussle against the fearsome foe depicted on the collector’s edition box art.. Nergigante is covered in spiky horns that regenerate over time, and the only way to prevent huge damage from coming your way is to stay aggressive and stop them from regenerating. Nergigante's den, covered in crystalized rock, makes for a thematically appropriate arena that only adds to this monster's mystique. Its ability to pummel you into the ground in a flash can make light work of even seasoned hunters. Between its design, arena, and theme, Nergigante stands tall among the greatest monsters of the series.

1. Zinogre

Our top dog, our best fanged wyvern. The thunder cat Zinogre takes our number one spot. Zinogre exudes a confidence unlike any other monster in the Monster Hunter universe. If Furious Rajang goes Super Saiyan when its fur glows yellow, then Zinogre goes Super Saiyan Blue. Its glorious scaled design and potent lightning attacks make Zinogre a truly fantastic monster. Thanks to storing Thunderbugs in its horns, it has the ability to supercharge itself with electric energy, which covers the arena in a light show rivaled only by a rave or late-night club excursion. Anytime this brawny wyvern commands the screen, we welcome it with open-arms, ready to lock horns with it. Zinogre is not a monster to be messed with, and one that we are always cheering for when it makes its return. Not only did Zinogre capture the hearts of fans when it debuted in Monster Hunter Portable 3rd, but it captured the true spirit of the franchise. This creature is the blueprint for an excellent fight that contains fast-paced action, devastating power, and a rocking theme that worms its way into our brains.

These are our top 25 monsters from the Monster Hunter series. There are literally hundreds of others that didn't make the cut, but from our adventures, these are creatures that we cherished facing the most. Let us know in the comments below what your favorite monster is.

Jesse Vitelli is a freelance writer and published author. A former associate editor at Prima Games, he also has bylines at Kotaku, Inverse, Game Informer, and more.

Earth vs. Mars Announced by Company of Heroes Developer Relic Entertainment

18 février 2025 à 15:00

Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment is making a new, smaller-scale turn-based strategy game called Earth vs. Mars. It's due out this Summer on PC (via Steam). In it, players must defend our planet from Martian extraterrestrial attack by creating "bizarre and powerful creature-human hybrids" with the Splice-O-Tron. Examples include the Squirrel-Cow, Human-Rhino, and Cheetah-Fly. Gameplay is inspired by the Nintendo DS classic Advance Wars.

Relic says, "For decades, Martians have been secretly visiting Earth, abducting humans and animals to harvest their atomic essence. Now, they’ve returned with a full-scale invasion, and it’s up to a ragtag group of commanders to lead Earth’s resistance. Players will command Earth’s military against high-tech Martian saucers, grav-tanks, and elite alien warriors in a desperate struggle for survival."

Earth vs. Mars includes a 30+ mission single-player campaign, online multiplayer where you can play as either faction, a VS Mode to challenge yourself against the game's AI, and a map editor.

“We are excited to bring a Relic Twist to the Advance Wars style of gameplay, infusing some Relic DNA, while harkening back to some of our earlier titles,” said Relic CEO Justin Dowdeswell. “Relic Entertainment recently announced a new strategy: Alongside continuing to work on the traditional RTS titles that we’re known for, we’re also going to work on smaller Indie style games in order to explore new sub-genres, experiment, get our creative juices going, and release games more frequently.” You can wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

The Killer Returns to BOOM! Studios in May 2025

18 février 2025 à 15:00

The comic book series The Killer has proven to be a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic, even inspiring David Fincher's recent Netflix movie. Fans will be pleased to know that the comic is returning to BOOM! Studios' Archaia imprint this year, as the story continues in The Killer: Affairs of the State II.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive first look at The Killer: Affairs of the State II #1:

As usual, the latest The KIller series is written by Matz and illustrated by Luc Jacamon. The first issue features a main cover by Jacamon and variant covers by Tyler Boss and Christian Ward.

Here's Boom's official synopsis of the new series:

In a cabin deep in the mountains of the South of France, the Killer has set up a new base of operations. From this remote hideout, he accepts each new mission with calculated precision, never straying from the assignment and always returning to this safe haven in the immediate aftermath.

This practiced routine is suddenly disrupted when he discovers that he has some…unexpected neighbors. This unanticipated development seems to have the potential to finally alter the way the Killer sees the world, but for a man in his line of work, change isn’t just dangerous. It’s deadly.

The Killer: Affairs of the State II #1 will be released on May 7, 2025.

In IGN's review of The Killer, Lex Briscuso gave the film a 7 out of 10, writing, "Legendary director David Fincher’s 12th film The Killer is a return to form that lays bare how emotions can mar untouchability and turn it into a pivotal drive for revenge. Marrying a tight and effective script from Andrew Kevin Walker, smart performances from Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton, and sharp editing, this assassin odyssey is one you’ll want to watch again and again."

For more on what's happening in the comic book world, check out what to expect from Marvel in 2025 and what to expect from DC in 2025.

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

Tell Us What You’re Looking Forward to Most in 2025 and Win

18 février 2025 à 06:10

You're probably across what we've been playing and watching lately, but now it's your turn to tell us! If you're an IGN reader or viewer from Australia and New Zealand, we want to hear about the games, movies, and TV shows you're most excited about in 2025 – and there's a hefty prize up for grabs for doing so!

Just complete our quick survey, let us know what you're most keen to play and watch this year (plus where you're most likely to be playing and watching them), and you'll be in the running to win a juicy $400 gift card.

Is Grand Theft Auto VI going to steal all your attention this year, or are you expecting that Doom: The Dark Ages will be the game to light up your life? Do you reckon it's possible that anything can top Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, or is that gold jacket headed straight to Happy Gilmore 2? Would you sell your soul for Daredevil: Born Again, or will you be clicker-ing on The Last of Us season 2?

Head here to let us know, and get stuck in for a chance to win!

AU Deals: A More Than Solid Snake Eater Discount, Pay Less Gil for Final Fantasies, and More!

18 février 2025 à 01:51

Well, there are no two ways about it. This is a Tuesday where your backlog explodes thanks to my usual scorching list of game savings. On Nintendo Switch, a discount Shin Megami Tensei V beckons with its dark, apocalyptic Tokyo, and PC fans can tangle with a 9ft tall vampire lady for less in Resident Evil Village.

Meanwhile on Xbox, a seriously reduced Suicide Squad is worth it purely for the touching Kevin Conroy tribute within. And I’ll always shout my love from the rooftops of Stormveil Castle for a lower-priced Elden Ring on PS5 (or anywhere else).

This Day in Gaming 🎂

Today, in Games That Nearly Broke Me As a Child news, it’s the 31st birthday of Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. My memories of playing this at launch were equal parts love (for its graphics, music, and best-in-series subject matter) mixed with that full spectrum of dark side emotions (fear, anger, and hate). Make no mistake, this cartridge was 12 Megabits of crotch kicks where one’s existence was always on a lightsaber's edge.

Worse yet, even though there was a password system, skipping past the mid-game Dagobah section and the powerful Jedi Power pickups within (e.g. Force Healing) would invariably make your life hell in the endgame. But what a finale it was, friends—I’ll never forget the pure, patricidal pleasure of defying movie canon to defeat Vader.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Super Empire Strikes Back (SNES) 1994. eBay

- Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (PS) 2000. Redux

- Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction (PS2,XB) 2005. eBay

- Dead or Alive Ultimate (XB) 2005. eBay

- Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (PS2) 2005. eBay

- NBA Street V3 (PS2) 2005. eBay

- Aliens vs. Predator (PC,PS3,X360) 2010. eBay

- Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth (DS) 2010. Redux

- Marvel vs. Capcom 3: FoTW (PS3,X360) 2011. Get

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Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

À partir d’avant-hierIGN

The 65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV Drops to Under $1,200 on Amazon

18 février 2025 à 18:20

You don't have to wait for the new 2025 LG TVs to drop to score a great deal on an older generation model. Right now as part of Amazon's Presidents' Day Sale, you can pick up a 2023 65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED TV for just $1,196.99 with free shipping on Amazon. This is a better deal than what I saw during Black Friday. The LG Evo C-series of TVs have consistently been our favorite high-end 4K TVs, especially for 4K HDR movies and gaming.

65" LG Evo C3 4K OLED Smart TV for $1197

The LG Evo C3 is a 2023 model, just one year behind the 2024 LG Evo C4. So what are the differences? Aside from the $650 price difference, not much. The most important trait -- picture quality -- is more or less identical. Where the C4 improves on the C3 are an upgraded processor, newer WebOS smart interface, and a higher 144Hz refresh rate.

OLED TVs are considered the best TVs you can buy right now. Compared to traditional LED LCD TVs, they offer better image quality, deeper blacks, better contrast ratio, wider color gamut, and super fast response times. Because of these advantages, the OLED TV are easily the best type of TV for viewing 4K HDR content in all of its intended glory. LG OLED TVs particular have been out for years and benefit from several generations of optimizations.

The LG C3 also has all the features you'd want in a gaming TV as well. It has a native 120Hz panel and all four HDMI 2.1 ports for running 4K at 120Hz on a PS5 or Xbox Series X. It also supports variable refresh rate (VRR), auto low latency mode (ALLM), and DTS audio, which is good for people who still watch Blu-ray discs. The C3 is also much easier to set up than its predecessors; the rear cabinet housing is made of a composite fiber that drops the weight to a mere 36 pounds.

The LG Evo C-series TV is our favorite high-end 4K TV of 2025 because of the brilliance of its OLED display along with a host of quality features that don't quite push it to the point of an excessively high price. This model brings better contrast and clarity than the previous year's already luminous LG C2. It’s a sight to behold, especially when you add in the deep blacks and well-balanced colors on the crisp 4K screen. Once you choose OLED, it's hard to go back to anything else.

How Does This Compare to the Upcoming LG Evo C5?

The LG Evo C5 hasn't yet been released, but it was showcased during CES 2025. At least on paper, the improvements of the C5 seem to be incremental, with no major ground breaking updates that would make you want to hold off until its launch. More importantly, the C5 will probably release at a very high retail price which will take months to get down to a level that's competitive with other TV deals.

Looking for more options? Check out all of the best TVs of 2025.

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

Elden Ring Nightreign Testers Discover the Fell Omen Is Back via Morgott Jump-Scare Invasions

17 février 2025 à 18:32

The Fell Omen bosses of Elden Ring are infamous at this point, so it's nice to see that with Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware has let them loose upon the Lands Between.

Morgott, whom Elden Ring players had to fight later on in the game's campaign, is one such infamous boss. His phantom versions can pop out and surprise you throughout the campaign, and it seems like that particular facet of Morgott made it into Nightreign, where an unnamed Fell Omen (essentially an upgraded Morgott) can jump-scare invade players.

While Morgott isn't the only boss that can invade your squad as you run through Nightreign, he is a very fitting invader. Not only does it line up with his surprise appearances in Elden Ring, but he even gets some extra voice lines and a few new moves to throw at you. If you get to bring two pals to the fight, it's only fair Morgott gets some new moves!

While he can invade you, the Fell Omen can also appear as an end-of-night boss, one of the conclusive fights you can face as the sun sets in the Elden Ring Nightreign test.

How did morgott even manage to sneak into nightreign to fight us. generational hater this is like the 5th time pic.twitter.com/t7euCmkBRy

— Nightreign Countdown (@SoulsCountdowns) February 16, 2025

Plenty of early testers, including the player behind Let Me Solo Her, took on the Fell Omen during the Elden Ring Nightreign sessions that took place over the weekend. The consensus? Morgott/Margit/Fell Omen is a great hater.

One player on the Elden Ring Nightreign subreddit described Morgott's invasion mechanic as one of their favorite features, and in more threads, others shared where they were invaded. Whether as a night boss, on an elevator, or in a tower, Morgott seems ready to appear wherever, with some potentially hilarious consequences.

The Fell Omen's sudden invasions have hopes high for other enemies to suddenly appear and attack the players. The Pursuer from Dark Souls 2, for example, would make a great candidate. Me, personally? I'd love to see some Hunters invade and attempt to take out players, but anything Bloodborne-related feels like a distant hope at best.

They buffed Margit in Elden Ring Nightreign bro was training with Vergil

Thankful for the one match I was able to play LOL pic.twitter.com/4RRQGSKmNa

— skum (@skumnut) February 14, 2025

There might even be deeper mechanics to Fell Omen invasions. GamesRadar detailed an invasion from the Omen that took out one of their co-op partners, and seemed to leave a curse mark branded on the slain player. It'll be exciting to see how this game develops, especially as more players get hands-on time with it.

While the first network test was plagued by server issues, there were still a good number of players dropping into the Lands Between over the weekend. We'll have to wait until May 30 to see how Nightreign fully shakes out, but until then, be sure to check out our own hands-on impressions with Elden Ring Nightreign here.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

The Amazon Presidents' Day Sale Has Some of the Best Deals of the Year So Far

17 février 2025 à 17:02

When it comes to sales events, Presidents' Day might not be on your radar. It's just another federal holiday that happens to be right in the middle of February. Nevertheless, retailers are starting to drop prices on plenty of items ahead of the weekend. The Amazon Presidents' Day sale may not be as big as Black Friday or Prime Day, but if you're looking to do some online shopping right now, we're seeing some of the best prices of the year so far.

If you want to take a look at the full sale, Amazon has an official Presidents' Day landing page with all of its discounts. To help you find the very best savings within this, however, I've sorted out the popular products that are actually good deals. Each discount featured below is either the lowest price, or matches the lowest price it has been all year. We'll be updating this list live as we find new deals until the sale ends on February, 17.

The Best Amazon Presidents' Day Deals Today

A good portion of the best deals in this Amazon sale were originally on Amazon devices, but those deals are mostly gone. The deal on the Kindle Paperwhite was the first discount we've seen since Black Friday, but Amazon killed the sale sometime on Saturday. The Apple Watch SE discount we covered last week as part of the Valentine's Day sale has also gone back up in price. There is a really good deal on the LEGO Hogwarts Castle and Grounds that brings the set back down to its lowest-ever price. Also, if you're in the market for a new phone, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is back down to its lowest price ever.

There are generally a lot of discounts that Amazon has brought onto its sale page that we've either seen before in 2025 or were much lower during sales events last year. If you're looking to save as much money as possible, it's probably worth waiting for better price cuts on any bigger purchases.

Should You Shop the Amazon Presidents' Day Sales or Wait?

One of the advantages Presidents' Day sales have are the time of year they take place. If you look at our calendar of upcoming sales events, there aren't really any big shopping holidays again until Memorial Day weekend at the end of May. So while a lot of these discounts will likely be better during main events like Prime Day and Black Friday, if you're looking to buy something right now, this sale is likely your best bet.

That being said, you can still be smart about your purchases. If you don't need a Kindle or a TV right this moment, it's still worth waiting until later in the year. You can also check historical pricing on CamelCamelCamel to make sure any of the deals listed are actually worth it. This is a helpful trick we consistently use to ensure we're recommending things at the right price point.

More Presidents' Day sales live now

If you're looking for more Presidents' Day savings, there is currently a Best Buy Presidents' Day sale happening now that has many deals that Amazon doesn't. There's also the Lenovo sale on gaming PCs and laptops and a Secretlab sale on gaming chairs worth checking out.

Cleaner Review

17 février 2025 à 18:00

Cleaner opens in theaters Friday, February 21.

Some villains you love to hate, some you hate to love. And then there are the ones that kind of have a point. In Cleaner, the latest drip into the bottomless mop bucket of Die Hard clones, masked eco-terrorists crash the London skyscraper soirée of a multinational energy corporation. They’re not secretly out for money like Hans Gruber and his goons. No, these are true believers – bleeding hearts ready to bleed Mother Earth’s enemies dry. And as the leader of the group (Clive Owen) lays out his master plan to crash the company, and the bigwig hostages start confessing at gunpoint to burying environmental impact reports and financially backing climate-change deniers, you really have to wonder: Who are we supposed to be rooting for here exactly?

That would be Joey Locke (Daisy Ridley), Britain’s limber female answer to John McClane. Gun-toting radicals are just one trouble facing this military vet, who makes ends meet up high, cleaning the windows of the tower HQ the bad guys seize. Joey is on thin ice with her boss (at least before he catches a bullet between the eyes), and stressed out by the full-time responsibility of looking after her autistic brother, Michael (Matthew Tuck), who keeps getting booted out of care facilities. Like many neurodivergent movie characters, Michael is also a computer wiz – one of several hoary tropes Cleaner dusts off over its brisk 96 minutes. Their shared traumatic backstory is another.

Joey spends an unusually large percentage of that runtime stuck on the side of the building. (Improbably, the high-rise cradle can only be operated by her boss from a control room above; stranding your cleaners on a rickety platform with no manual override protocol is yet another strike against a company that really seems to have it coming.) Ridley, clenching her jaw with Jedi-like determination, is a fine fit for the working-class hero routine, but she’s a long way from her tenure in a galaxy far, far away. The Star Wars curse is no joke: One minute you’re headlining the most popular movie franchise of them all, the next you’re mopping the floor with generic henchmen in Redbox fare.

Ridley isn’t the only blockbuster veteran slumming it here. The movie is directed by Martin Campbell, a proficient journeyman who used to make Hollywood event pictures (his Casino Royale is a dazzling, dizzying highpoint of the James Bond series) but now exclusively applies his chops to straightforward B-movies like The Foreigner and The Protégé. He’s dropped the definite article this time (Cleaner is cleaner, and a fine title for such a legible action vehicle) while still offering the kind of no-frills thrills that’s made him a favorite of adrenaline junkies with classical meat-and-potato sensibilities. The closest Campbell ever gets to flashiness is an early montage of Joey racing across town to make it to work on time, cutting off each expletive she utters with a cutaway.

In theory, this is the kind of genre exercise we’re supposed to cherish for its leanness and lack of pretensions – a blessed alternative to bloated effects spectacles. (It’s certainly a breezier time than The Rock’s adventure through a towering inferno, Skyscraper.) But Cleaner doesn’t have the juice, or enough distinguishing its Die Hardian antics from any other imitation’s. The dialogue is all clichés. “We are in,” brags the bad guys’ resident, obligatory hacker (Flavia Watson). “What we got?” asks the seasoned superintendent (Ruth Gemmell) late to the scene. “Find them!” bellows the other Gruber substitute (Taz Skylar), a more extreme extremist who wires the whole building to a wrist monitor, threatening to blow the place sky high if his pulse stops or even slows. Thankfully for the hostages, the device isn’t tracking our heart rate.

Cleaner has one halfway clever twist up its sleeve – a surprising reconfiguration of the villainous hierarchy. Otherwise, it mostly goes through the motions, one picked-off goon at a time. The most novel element might be the rather sympathetic motives of the antagonists, and how much method there is to their madness. But is that a productive tweak on formula? The rugged individualism of the Die Hard model gels uncomfortably with bad guys who are literally fighting for the greater good. You shouldn’t be wondering if these radicals deserve a newsletter or podcast instead of a long plummet to their doom.

Final Fantasy Commander Decks Revealed, Feature Cloud, Tidus, and More

17 février 2025 à 18:00

Even if you don’t play Magic: The Gathering, you’ve probably caught wind of its numerous video game crossovers in recent years, including Fallout, Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed. But today we’ve got an exclusive first look at one of the most exciting yet: Final Fantasy. And not just one Final Fantasy – from Terra to Y’shtola, four different mainline games are represented across the preconstructed Commander decks headlining the set.

Flip through the image gallery below for a first look at the lead card and packaging for each deck, and read on for a conversation with Wizards of the Coast about what to expect inside them, why these four games were picked, and plenty more.

Set to launch this June, Magic’s Final Fantasy crossover will be a fully draftable, Standard-legal set accompanied by the four preconstructed decks in the gallery above. Each of those includes 100 cards made up of both reprints of existing cards with new Final Fantasy art and brand new cards designed with Magic’s most popular format, Commander, in mind. And while Commander precons are always themed around certain characters, colors, or strategies, the twist with these is that each one is built around a single Final Fantasy game – specifically 6, 7, 10, and 14.

“Final Fantasy games are so rich with flavor, beloved characters, and unique settings that choosing a single game as the theme provided more than enough material to design a full deck of cards around,” says Senior Game Designer Daniel Holt, who is the Commander Lead for the set. “Approaching each deck as a single game also provided the opportunity to dive deep into the lore of each, capturing even more beloved moments from across the game’s storyline that we may not have been able to achieve otherwise.”

"...we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”

The team decided on these four Final Fantasy games based on a balance of what they wanted for the gameplay of each deck and how well known each story was overall. Holt says that while Final Fantasy 7 and 14 were clearer picks, 6 and 10 took more discussion to arrive at, but were chosen partially because they were favorites among the team. “This was one of those products where everyone in the building was invested in each stage of development, as we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building.”

Of course, even within those picks, there are some decisions you have to make about direction. For instance, Final Fantasy 7’s remake trilogy has been running alongside the development of this Magic set, so is its Commander precon telling the story of the original or its reality-bending reimagining? Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer at Wizards of the Coast and Narrative Lead for the set, says you’ll see a bit of both throughout that deck's art, but the story itself will follow the 1997 classic.

“Our core approach to Final Fantasy VII was to capture the original PS1 game’s narrative, while using Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s modern aesthetics to push the fidelity of each character design, story moment, and memorable location to the next level,” Deveney explains. “With that in mind, if a scene existed in both games, we had our choice of showing it as the original game did, how the modern version interpreted it, or a unique fusion of both. Hopefully, this deck feels familiar and nostalgic to players of both the original game and the modern series!”

Speaking of nostalgia, Final Fantasy 6 is a trickier nut to crack in some ways as it lacks the more modern art references the other three games can provide. Deveney says they wanted to stick close to what fans would expect from its pixel art sprites and limited concept art while also expanding upon them, and hopes that “the character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them, despite being a hybridization of many different references and new ideas.” To help accomplish that, WOTC even consulted directly with the Final Fantasy 6 team as they updated these character to the standards needed for Magic art.

“We developed a workflow that asked concept artists and card artists to pull hallmark character designs from Yoshitaka Amano’s original (and legendary) concept art, the original FFVI sprites, and the FFVI Pixel Remaster character portraits, to synthesize the most consistent elements of each character’s design into something ‘new.’ We also encouraged our artists to punch up finer details and bsexplore elements where they thought they could push (fabric, patterns, textures, etc.) Then, we would meet with the Final Fantasy VI review team, and they would give us feedback on what core elements they wanted to preserve and what new elements they were excited about.”

"It's our hope that the [FF6] character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them..."

So they had the four games decided, but when it comes to Commander, that’s only half the equation– WOTC also needed to figure out which characters would lead each deck. Cloud may be the obvious pick for 7, but Holt tells me the others involved some brainstorming. Celes was considered for 6 since the deck is focused around the World of Ruin and the second half of that game, while Yuna was considered for 10 as a fan-favorite. They ultimately decided to stick with the “lead” characters on those, but Final Fantasy 14 is an MMO, which presented its own problem.

“For Y’shtola, it came down to a mix of popularity of the character as well as being a spellcaster, her story and character development offered a wide range of abilities and moments to pull from to lead the deck,” Holt explains, going on to say this deck represents her specifically during her Shadowbringers arc. They did explore the concept of making a “Warrior of Light” commander players could make their own in some fashion, but Holt says those ideas had some “pretty in-depth executions,” and that your own personal hero still has plenty of moments in this deck even without being at the helm.

Now comes the question of figuring out how to fit an entire video game’s story, characters, and themes into a single deck and the carefully balanced restrictions of Magic’s five colors. “Building these decks called for us to decide color identity for the chosen game itself, but also the gameplay we desired from them,” says Holt, going on to point out that it’s no mistake all four include White, “for both theming and it helped cover the wide range of Heroes we wanted to include in each deck.”

As mentioned, the deck for 6 is centered on the latter half of that game – as such, it’s essentially all about rebuilding your party by bringing other creatures back from your graveyard. For 7, Cloud wielding a big sword lines up nicely with the equipment strategies of a white-red Magic deck, but Holt says that “adding green to the mix let us tie in the ‘power matters’ cards and cards that reference the Planet and lifestream.”

While Tidus’ ability to pass counters around might lead you to think the deck for 10 is all about Blitzball, this classic white-blue-green strategy actually primarily came from the idea of that game’s Sphere Grid leveling system as a way to empower your creatures. Holt also admits that the theme for 14 was tricky to land on, but its white-blue-black color identity allowed them to lean into a noncreature spell casting theme while also including the characters they wanted to.

"...fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck..."

Last but not least, Commander might be all about your leader, but RPGs are often about your party as a whole, and WOTC won’t leave the supporting casts of these games hanging. "Final Fantasy games are full of loveable AND villainous characters and getting them in these decks was very important,” Holt says. “While I can’t talk specifics on who is included in each deck or their abilities just yet, fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck as new legendary creatures and captured in action on other exciting spells.”

Magic’s Final Fantasy set will release on June 13, and if you don’t see your personal favorite Final Fantasy game or character here (or even if you do), don’t worry – Holt assures me that “all sixteen of the mainline games will have their moments to shine in the accompanying products.”

Returning to the same territory as the Warhammer 40,000 Commander decks from 2022, all four of these decks will be available in both a regular version (MSRP $69.99) and a Collector’s Edition (MSRP $149.99), the latter of which will feature all 100 of the cards in each deck in a special Surge foil treatment.

Read on for the full, unedited interview with Wizards of the Coast’s Daniel Holt and Dillon Deveney:

IGN: Why did you decide to build each commander deck around a whole game this time?

Daniel Holt, Senior Game Designer: Final Fantasy games are so rich with flavor, beloved characters, and unique settings that choosing a single game as the theme provided more than enough material to design a full deck of cards around. Approaching each deck as a single game also provided the opportunity to dive deep into the lore of each, capturing even more beloved moments from across the game’s storyline that we may not have been able to achieve otherwise.

How did you land on these four games specifically? Were there any close runner-ups you considered?

DH: In exploratory design, before getting too deep into deckbuilding and card design, we brainstormed what games offered the most for what gameplay we wanted with the decks as well as being the more commonly known storylines among the audience. Final Fantasy VII being one of the more referenced games in media made it a strong first contender. Final Fantasy XIV offered a unique gamestyle, that of an MMO, and has SO MANY active players that we knew we could delight this group by selecting it as one of the four. After that, it became a bit more of a team discussion. Final Fantasy X is a favorite of mine and Zakeel, the FIN Product Architect, so we were a little biased in choosing it. Final Fantasy VI touched the pixel era of games and was a favorite of several other designers in the studio. So with that, we ended up with our four game selects! That said, all sixteen of the mainline games will have their moments to shine in the accompanying products.

Should we expect reprint art/lands/etc. within each deck to also be tied to each game?

DH: Absolutely! We want players to feel like they are entering the world of that game as they summon creatures and cast spells from it. This means that the nonland reprints are placed from within that deck’s game, while lands can appear from any of the four games included in the product.

Can you talk a bit about your approach to Magic’s color identities across these decks as it relates to Final Fantasy – why these colors for these characters/games?

DH: Building these decks called for us to decide color identity for the chosen game itself, but also the gameplay we desired from them. Being three colors each did help me have a wider range of options to apply to different characters and moments within the game. For example, you’ll notice all four decks include White in their color identity for both theming and it helped cover the wide range of Heroes we wanted to include in each deck.

Final Fantasy VI – This is a graveyard reanimator deck, so white-black-red was a great fit — gaining access to discard and mill effects in BR and ‘return from graveyard’ effects from WB. Thematically this deck rebuilds its large ensemble of characters in the World of Ruin, so the deck theme really plays into that section of the story.

Final Fantasy VII – As an equipment matters deck, white-red is well-known for that archetype in Magic and showcases this group’s iconic weaponry and battle prowess. Adding green to the mix let us tie in the ‘power matters’ cards and cards that reference the Planet and lifestream.

Final Fantasy X – White-blue-green counters are a classic staple in Magic deckbuilding and having access to all three here really let us build out a whole deck about moving the counters on the board and leveling up your team.

Final Fantasy XIV – This deck was tricky to land on, but by being white-blue-black, we had access to the colors we needed for the characters we wanted to include, but also be a noncreature matters theme, representing spell casting and ability usage you perform as the player while playing the Final Fantasy XIV game!

Terra, Cloud, and Tidus are the clear picks for their games, but how did you land on Y’shtola for Final Fantasy 14?

DH: I won’t deny that Cloud was a pretty obvious choice for the face commander of the Final Fantasy VII deck. The others went through a few rounds of brainstorming though! In Final Fantasy VI, since we were focusing on the themes of the second half of the game, Celes was actually a big contender for the lead. And with Final Fantasy X, we know Yuna is a fan favorite and could have led the deck to success. We ultimately landed on ‘the main protagonist’ character for each of these titles, resulting in Terra and Tidus filling those slots respectively; though Final Fantasy VI is an ensemble cast, Terra is often portrayed as the face of the series.

For Y’shtola, it came down to a mix of popularity of the character as well as being a spellcaster, her story and character development offered a wide range of abilities and moments to pull from to lead the deck.

Was using the Warrior of Light as the lead ever on the table, perhaps with some sort of background/class system to let players customize their precon?

DH: You caught me! We did explore card designs and themes around the Warrior of Light with some…pretty in-depth executions, before ultimately landing on Y’shtola as the commander. That said, there are still plenty of ‘Warrior of Light’ moments in the deck!

7, 10, and 14 have plenty of modern references when it comes to Magic-style art, but you’re pulling from a comparatively smaller pool for 6. Did you feel like there was more freedom to define your own look for those characters, or did you try to stick as closely to what was out there as possible?

Dillon Deveney, Principal Narrative Game Designer: I love this question! We wanted to stick closely to what fans remembered about these characters, while looking to merge the two major aesthetics of FFVI: the concept art and the in-game sprites. There was a lot of freedom in this approach, while trying to stick closely to the original designs. We worked directly with the Final Fantasy VI team to determine the aesthetics, designs, and costumes of the FFVI characters and world. To do that, we developed a workflow that asked concept artists and card artists to pull hallmark character designs from Yoshitaka Amano’s original (and legendary) concept art, the original FFVI sprites, and the FFVI Pixel Remaster character portraits, to synthesize the most consistent elements of each character’s design into something ‘new.’ We also encouraged our artists to punch up finer details and explore elements where they thought they could push (fabric, patterns, textures, etc.) Then, we would meet with the Final Fantasy VI review team, and they would give us feedback on what core elements they wanted to preserve and what new elements they were excited about. Ultimately, it's our hope that the character designs should feel like how you ‘remember’ them, despite being a hybridization of many different references and new ideas.

Conversely, was there more pressure to get a character like Y’shtola exactly right when fans know so precisely what she looks like?

DH: From the game design side for each of these popular characters, this was one of those products where everyone in the building was invested in each stage of development, as we have so many passionate Final Fantasy fans in the building. At every playtest of the decks, I would get feedback about coworkers’ favorite characters, story moments, etc. that they wanted to make sure got included and implemented properly.

Some characters, like Y’shtola, have such deep character development throughout portions of their game. Each card that depicts one of those types of characters needed to capture them at a specific point in time of their story. For the Final Fantasy XIV commander deck, we have Y’shtola in the Shadowbringers arc where she has become a talented spell caster.

For the Final Fantasy 7 deck, did the recent remake series influence or impact your thinking/designs much, or were you mostly looking toward the original here?

DH: We had the fortunate overlap of some of the remake game series releasing WHILE we worked on this set. So it was a really cool experience getting to leave work, go home, and play games featuring the characters of cards I was designing in a ‘new’ video game.

DD: Our core approach to Final Fantasy VII was to capture the original PS1 game’s narrative, while using Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s modern aesthetics to push the fidelity of each character design, story moment, and memorable location to the next level. You will see a mix of classic FFVII moments and modern FFVII visuals in the deck, but generally, the product is intended to follow the original game’s story. With that in mind, if a scene existed in both games, we had our choice of showing it as the original game did, how the modern version interpreted it, or a unique fusion of both. Hopefully, this deck feels familiar and nostalgic to players of both the original game and the modern series!

It’s super cute that Tidus is all about passing counters around like a ball. Did you know this was going to be a counter deck already or did counters come from exploring Blitzball as a concept?

DH: Everyone loves Blitzball! People in the office got a ‘kick’ out of every time we mentioned it or referenced it somewhere in the product. But when starting the Final Fantasy X deck, the actual theming of counters came from the Sphere Grid experience system used in the game. This system is visually portrayed as a board where you add colored markers on the tracks to gain new abilities. In commander, I wanted to capture that idea by filling the deck with +1/+1 and other counters and then moving them around your team for added abilities!

Commander is all about your leader, but what is an RPG without a party – was it important to y’all to also highlight the folk supporting these leads within each deck?

DH: Of course! Final Fantasy games are full of loveable AND villainous characters and getting them in these decks was very important. While I can’t talk specifics on who is included in each deck or their abilities just yet, fans can expect to see some of their favorite characters in the 99 of each deck as new legendary creatures and captured in action on other exciting spells.

I assume a popular character like Cloud is going to be on more than just this card in the same way Frodo or Galadriel were in the Lord of the Rings set – I know you can’t get into main set spoilers here, but is there anything about designing around these characters for a commander-only product that you enjoy getting to do differently from a product that has to be in Standard?

DH: I think it’s safe to say you’ll see some characters making multiple appearances in the product and each is appealing to different kinds of players. With the ones we see here, they are all ‘commander-sized’, meaning they are aimed to be exciting in the commander format, both in and out of the precon. All the legends in these decks have a unified goal of working together within their deck’s theme and it’s fun building cards like this to have that creative team synergy, whether that’s say…interacting with counters in Final Fantasy X or playing with the graveyard in Final Fantasy VI. On the other hand, legends in the main set can be designs built around the character independently of other cards to spark new archetypes of decks.

Tom Marks is IGN's Executive Reviews Editor. He loves card games, puzzles, platformers, puzzle-platformers, and lots more.

WWE 2K25 Roster Reveal - IGN FanFest

17 février 2025 à 18:00

With every new WWE 2K release comes the promise of the largest roster ever and WWE 2K25 breaks the record again, powerbombing through the 300+ barrier this year when including variants. But who has made the cut in WWE 2K25? Let’s find out.

The following is a full list of playable superstars in WWE 2K25, pulling from the Raw, Smackdown, and NXT rosters, and of course, a mouthwatering amount of WWE legends. Many superstars such as Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker also have variants, letting you play as superstars from different eras. However, because these are sometimes unlocked in the Showcase and MyRise modes, we wouldn’t want to spoil them for you. This list is variant-free. But enough talk. In alphabetical order, here are all the superstars on the roster for WWE 2K25.

WWE 2K25 Roster:

  • AJ Styles
  • Akam
  • Akira Tozawa
  • Alba Fyre
  • Alexa Bliss
  • Alundra Blayze
  • Andrade
  • Andre Chase
  • Andre The Giant
  • Angel
  • Angelo Dawkins
  • Apollo Crews
  • Ashante "Thee" Adonis
  • Asuka
  • Austin Theory
  • Axiom
  • B-Fab
  • Baron Corbin
  • Batista
  • Bayley
  • Becky Lynch
  • Berto
  • Bianca Belair
  • Big E
  • Blair Davenport
  • Boogeyman
  • Booker T
  • Braun Strowman
  • Bray Wyatt
  • Bret Hart

  • British Bulldog
  • Bron Breakker
  • Bronson Reed
  • Brooks Jensen
  • Bruno Sammartino
  • Brutus Creed
  • Bubba Ray Dudley
  • Cactus Jack
  • Candice LeRae
  • Carlito
  • Carmella
  • Carmelo Hayes
  • Cedric Alexander
  • Chad Gable
  • Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo
  • Charlie Dempsey
  • Charlotte Flair
  • Chelsea Green
  • Chyna
  • CM Punk
  • Cody Rhodes
  • Cora Jade
  • Cruz Del Toro
  • D-Von Dudley
  • Dakota Kai
  • Damian Priest
  • Dexter Lumis
  • Diamond Dallas Page
  • Diesel
  • Doink The Clown

  • Dominik Mysterio
  • Dragon Lee
  • Drew McIntyre
  • Dude Love
  • Duke Hudson
  • Dusty Rhodes
  • Eddie Guerrero
  • Eddy Thorpe
  • Elektra Lopez
  • Elton Prince
  • Eric Bischoff
  • Erik
  • Ethan Page
  • Eve Torres
  • Faarooq
  • Fallon Henley
  • Finn Balor
  • George "The Animal" Steele
  • Gigi Dolin
  • Giovanni Vinci
  • Grayson Waller
  • Gunther
  • Harley Race
  • Headshrinker Fatu
  • Headshrinker Samu
  • Honky Tonk Man
  • Hollywood Hulk Hogan
  • Hulk Hogan
  • Hunter Hearst Helmsley

  • Ilja Dragunov
  • Indi Hartwell
  • Isla Dawn
  • Islander Haku
  • Islander Tama
  • Ivar
  • Ivy Nile
  • IYO SKY
  • Jacob Fatu
  • Jacy Jayne
  • Jade Cargill
  • Jaida Parker
  • Jakara Jackson
  • Jake "The Snake" Roberts
  • Jamal
  • JBL
  • JD McDonagh
  • Je'Von Evans
  • Jey Uso
  • Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart
  • Jimmy Uso
  • Joaquin Wilde
  • Joe Coffey
  • Joe Gacy
  • John Cena
  • Johnny Gargano
  • Josh Briggs
  • Julius Creed
  • Kairi Sane
  • Kane
  • Karl Anderson

  • Karrion Kross
  • Katana Chance
  • Kayden Carter
  • Kelani Jordan
  • Ken Shamrock
  • Kevin Nash
  • Kevin Owens
  • Kiana James
  • Kit Wilson
  • Kofi Kingston
  • Kurt Angle
  • LA Knight
  • Lash Legend
  • Lex Luger
  • Lexis King
  • Lita
  • Liv Morgan
  • Logan Paul
  • Lola Vice
  • Ludwig Kaiser
  • Luke Gallows
  • Lyra Valkyria
  • Mark Coffey
  • Maryse
  • Mankind
  • Maxxine Dupri
  • Michelle McCool
  • Michin
  • Mick Foley
  • Mighty Molly

  • Molly Holly
  • Montez Ford
  • Mosh
  • Mr. Perfect
  • Naomi
  • Natalya
  • Nathan Frazer
  • Nia Jax
  • Nikki Cross
  • Nikkita Lyons
  • Noam Dar
  • Oba Femi
  • Omos
  • Oro Mensah
  • Otis
  • Pat McAfee
  • Pete Dunne
  • Peter Maivia
  • Piper Niven
  • R-Truth
  • Randy Orton
  • Randy Savage
  • Razor Ramon
  • Raquel Rodriguez
  • Rey Mysterio
  • Rezar
  • Rhea Ripley
  • Rick Rude
  • Rick Steiner

  • Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
  • Ridge Holland
  • Rikishi
  • Rob Van Dam
  • Roddy Piper
  • Rocky Maivia
  • Roman Reigns
  • Rosey
  • Roxanne Perez
  • Sami Zayn
  • Santos Escobar
  • Scarlett
  • Scott Hall
  • Scott Steiner
  • Sensational Sherri
  • Seth Rollins
  • Shawn Michaels
  • Shawn Spears
  • Shayna Baszler
  • Sheamus
  • Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Shotzi
  • Sol Ruca
  • Solo Sikoa
  • Sonya Deville
  • Stacy Keibler
  • Stardust
  • “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
  • “Superstar” Billy Graham

  • Syxx
  • Tama Tonga
  • Tamina
  • Tatum Paxley
  • Tegan Nox
  • Terry Funk
  • The Fiend
  • The Great Muta
  • The Hurricane
  • The Iron Sheik
  • The Miz
  • The Rock
  • The Sandman
  • Thea Hail
  • Thrasher
  • Tiffany Stratton
  • Tommaso Ciampa
  • Tonga Loa
  • Tony D'Angelo
  • Trick Williams
  • Triple H
  • Trish Stratus
  • Tyler Bate
  • Tyler Breeze
  • Ultimate Warrior
  • Umaga
  • Undertaker
  • Vader
  • Valhalla

  • Wade Barrett
  • Wendy Choo
  • Wes Lee
  • Wild Samoan Afa
  • Wild Samoan Sika
  • William Regal
  • Wolfgang
  • X-Pac
  • Xavier Woods
  • Yokozuna
  • Zelina Vega
  • Zoey Stark

Non-Playable Managers:

  • Ava
  • Adam Pearce
  • Afa
  • Armando Alejandro Estrada
  • Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
  • Brother Love
  • Captain Lou Albano
  • Cathy Kelley
  • Jimmy Hart
  • Mick Foley
  • Miss Elizabeth
  • Mr. Fuji
  • Nick Aldis
  • Paul Bearer
  • Paul Ellering
  • Paul Heyman
  • Stephanie McMahon
  • Theodore Long

Pre-Order Bonus Characters:

  • Wyatt Sicks - Dexter Lumis
  • Wyatt Sicks - Erick Rowan
  • Wyatt Sicks - Joe Gacy
  • Wyatt Sicks - Nikki Cross
  • Wyatt Sicks - Uncle Howdy

What do you think? Did your favourite WWE Superstar make the cut? Who’s missing and who do you hope to see in future DLC packs? Let us know in the comments.

Be sure to stick with IGN the entire month of February where we’re exclusively taking a deeper look into WWE 2K25. We got to share our hands-on thoughts of WWE 2K25, the first look at the brand new Underground match type, and the cover star Roman Reigns react to gameplay from the Bloodline showcase mode.

Don’t miss more WWE 2K25 plus Monster Hunter Wilds, ID@Xbox, Daredevil: Born Again, The Monkey, Mickey 17 and much, much more at IGN Fan Fest streaming across IGN platforms February 24-28.

First Image of Christopher Nolan’s Next Movie, The Odyssey, Reveals Matt Damon as Odysseus

17 février 2025 à 17:52

Universal Pictures has released the first image of Christopher Nolan's next film, The Odyssey, revealing Hollywood star Matt Damon as Odysseus.

The Odyssey, Nolan's next movie following the blockbuster success of 2023 biopic Oppenheimer, is a retelling of the Ancient Greek epic poem that was first written in the 8th or 7th century BC. It’s due out July 17, 2026.

Matt Damon is Odysseus. A film by Christopher Nolan, #TheOdysseyMovie is in theaters July 17, 2026. pic.twitter.com/7a5YbfqVfG

— odysseymovie (@odysseymovie) February 17, 2025

Here’s the official blurb:

Christopher Nolan’s next film ‘The Odyssey’ is a mythic action epic shot across the world using brand new IMAX film technology. The film brings Homer’s foundational saga to IMAX film screens for the first time and opens in theaters everywhere on July 17, 2026.

The Odyssey follows the journey of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, who travels the world for 10 years in an attempt to get home after the Trojan War. While Universal didn't reveal any further details on Nolan's The Odyssey, reports have already been painting a picture of the stacked cast the film will have.

Matt Damon was the first person reported to be in talks to star in Nolan's next film, which marks his return to Universal after 2023's Oppenheimer, which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. Alongside Damon, reports state he may be joined by Charlize Theron, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Lupita Nyong'o, and Robert Pattinson.

Image credit: Universal Pictures.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Diablo Hackers Tear Through Billions of Possibilities to Debunk a 15-Year-Old Record Speedrun No-One Thought Could Be Beaten

17 février 2025 à 17:33

Speedrunning has been a time-honored tradition of video game enjoyers for years, with some records being held not just for months or years, but even decades. One particular legendary Diablo run, though, has been the subject of scrutiny, an intense investigation, and now a thorough debunking.

In 2009, Maciej "Groobo" Maselewski recorded an Any% segmented run, as the Sorcerer, made up of 27 segments. The final time, at three minutes and 12 seconds, appeared on Speed Demos Archive, where no concerns were raised, and was subsequently published on February 26, 2009. It would garner two Guinness World Record entries, and Diablo speedrun attempts would proceed to decline as the run seemed nigh-impossible to challenge.

As the years went on, though, scepticism arose. In 2024, speedrunner Funkmastermp approached Allan "dwangoAC" Cecil to create a Tool-Assisted Speedrun, or TAS, of Diablo. Longtime Games Done Quick viewers will recognize dwangoAC as team leader for TASBot, the fun mascot that would appear during TAS blocks at GDQ's charity events.

The team got to work, and as detailed in a lengthy writeup by dwangoAC and other team members, started to discover inconsistencies as they attempted to replicate Groobo's run.

"We just had a lot of curiosity and resentment that drove us to dig even deeper," team member Staphen told Ars Technica in a report detailing their investigation.

Because Diablo uses seeds to generate maps, it should theoretically have been possible to replicate Groobo's run. To discover the seed Groobo used, the TAS team built a custom map tool that could reverse-engineer game seeds and determine the map, item, and quest possibilities therein. Then, a scanner tool built on top of it could sift through all the seeds and search for dungeons that might suit speedrunners.

The team searched across roughly 2.2 billion RNG seeds, attempting to recreate Groobo's run, and couldn't find one that imitated all the seemingly perfect generation. It seemed to indicate this wasn't made up of segments from a single file or run, but from different runs.

The deeper they dug, the more oddities popped up; strange version markers in the main menu, inconsistent inventories, quests, and more.

In a final conclusion, the team said its discoveries demonstrate Groobo used "illegitimate means to produce the results shown in the run," including combining gameplay from different runs, modifying memory, and using "gameplay-removing video splices."

"Overall, the team's analysis conclusively reveals the run was not possible as Groobo described without disqualifying modifications," the team said. "The run should therefore be immediately retracted from all leaderboards."

The writeup goes on to detail a response from Groobo, who told Wired: "My run is a segmented/spliced run. It always has been and it was never passed off as anything else, nor was it part of any competition or leaderboards. The speeddemosarchive page states that outright."

The investigation team presented its analysis to Speed Demos Archive, which then discussed the findings independently with Groobo. On September 10, 2024, SDA posted an update announcing the removal of all Diablo runs by Groobo. The Diablo speedrunning community, meanwhile, kicked back into gear and started setting new records.

At a presentation, as reported by Ars Technica, dwangoAC said he pursued the investigation because "it did harm."

"Groobo's alleged cheating in 2009 completely stopped interest in speedrunning this category," Cecil said. "No one tried, no one could."

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Is Anthony Mackie the MCU's Permanent Captain America?

17 février 2025 à 17:09

Ever since he hung up his Captain America shield in Avengers: Endgame, there have been rumours that Chris Evans is returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to play Steve Rogers once again. It’s a suggestion he’s repeatedly denied, claiming that he’s “happily retired.” But this is one rumour he’ll likely need to continue batting away, its persistence driven by one key thing: in comic books, no one really dies.

Death and rebirth is a significant recurring event in the world of comics, and the original Captain America is no stranger to it. The assassination of Steve Rogers in the wake of Marvel’s 2007 Civil War storyline was a major moment in modern comic book history, and it resulted in another recurring comic book event – the passing of the mantle. In this case, it was Bucky Barnes who became Marvel’s new Captain America. But the position, much like Steve’s death, would prove to be temporary. Of course there was a way to bring Rogers back from the dead, a way to explain away the fatal bullet. And so Steve Rogers was put back in his “rightful” place.

Several years later, Marvel (sort of) did it again. Steve’s super-soldier serum was neutralized, turning him into a feeble old man incapable of carrying the shield (not to mention beating up bad guys). And this time it was Sam Wilson, AKA The Falcon, who stepped up to become the new Captain America. It’s this storyline that paved the road towards the MCU’s Falcon, Anthony Mackie, becoming the titular star of Captain America: Brave New World.

But, just a few years after Wilson became the all-new Captain America in the pages of Marvel comics, Steve’s aging was overturned and he returned to his shield-slinging duties once more. When you consider this story – and similar storylines for the likes of Batman, Spider-Man, and Green Lantern, among others – then it’s understandable why the rumours around Chris Evans’ return as Steve Rogers persist. The original always comes back. So, is Anthony Mackie’s red, white, and blue position in danger, or is he the MCU’s permanent Captain America?

“I hope so!” Mackie told us as part of a recent interview ahead of Brave New World. “I don’t know. I think when you look at Sam Wilson, I guess the life or the span of him being Captain America goes with how well the movie does. So go see the movie!”

I think that by the end of this movie, audiences are going to feel that Sam Wilson is Captain America, full stop.

While Mackie seemingly knows nothing of his character’s fate, he stands a better chance of holding onto the shield longer than Sebastian Stan ever would have. While the comics eventually saw Bucky’s tenure as Captain America come to an end, Steve Rogers’ most recent comeback saw Steve and Sam agree to work together and share the Captain America mantle. They both have a shield. They both wear the flag. They are both Captain America. And so even if Chris Evans does return in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday or 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, Mackie has a good chance of holding onto that important title.

But there is something else to consider. The MCU is not Marvel comics. Since it began all the way back in 2008, one of the more significant differences between the MCU and its printed parent is a greater sense of permanence. When a villain dies in the movies, they (usually) stay dead. We’re likely not seeing the return of Maliketh, Kaecilius, or Ego any time soon. And so it really does seem like Steve Rogers has said his final goodbye.

“We’re aware that, for some people, it’s hard to let go of Steve Rogers,” says Nate Moore, a veteran MCU producer and one of the guiding hands behind Captain America: Brave New World. “We love Steve Rogers, he’s so fantastic. But I think that by the end of this movie, audiences are going to feel that Sam Wilson is Captain America, full stop.”

When asked if Anthony Mackie is the MCU’s permanent Captain America, Moore simply says: “He is. He is. And we’re so happy to have him.”

That’s pretty clear cut: from the final episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier onwards, Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson is the MCU’s Captain America until the day the character’s storyline comes to an end. He has not been built to be replaced. This sense of permanence gives the MCU a subtly different flavour to its parent medium: the stakes are higher. There’s no coming back from the very worst. Natasha Romanoff is dead. Thanos is gone. Tony Stark is no more. And Steve Rogers is… well, he’s just too old for this shit.

“When Tony Stark dies, that's a big deal,” says Julius Onah, director of Captain America: Brave New World. “As a storyteller, you're just looking for the best dramatic playground for your actors to bring these characters to life. So it was a real treat for me to be able to [work with Sam’s role] in the MCU.”

“It’s going to be exciting to see how he leads the Avengers going forward,” Onah says, referring to the most important job anyone holding the title Captain America has to take on.

By installing a sense of permanence in the films, Marvel aims to avoid the somewhat cyclical nature of the comic medium. The studio doesn’t just want more of the same. “I do think [permanent change] does make the MCU feel different than it did in phase one through three,” says Moore. “Sam is Captain America, not Steve Rogers. He's a different person. And I think if you ask Sam who would be on the Avengers, it might be a different collection of people than Steve [would suggest]. So the way Sam might go about it could be completely different.

“But I think those questions are the questions we have fun with too,” he adds. “Because we want to explore every avenue – much like our fans do – and make sure if and when the time is right for the Avengers to come back, it's an Avengers that feels different, but also is worthy of the Avengers name.”

With so many original Avengers now out of action, it will be interesting to see how the MCU’s next major event differs from the Infinity War/Endgame years – broadly considered to be the peak of Marvel Studios’ output. But the one thing that we do know is that Anthony Mackie will be front and centre, leading the Avengers as the one and only Captain America. Because Marvel has never purposefully obscured the truth and later pulled some kind of casting stunt, has it?

Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Blindfolded Mario 64 Speedrunner Seconds Away From Heartbreak With Invalid Record-Pace Attempt

17 février 2025 à 16:33

The moment of tension one feels when they realize they're closing in on a record run is palpable. Doubly so if the competitor is a blindfolded speedrunner who can't see the chat telling him that his webcam is off.

Last week, as spotted by GamesRadar, speedrunner Bubzia was working on beating the world record for a blindfolded 70-star run in Super Mario 64. It's a record he set himself last June at one hour, 25 minutes, and 11 seconds. He'd spent days — 72, at the time of this incident — trying to topple his own record. And on February 10, while on good pace to break his record, Bubzia's webcam shut off.

Yesterday, it finally happened. My webcam died in the beginning of a 70 Star run, and I did not know until I finished an hour later. Luckily, it was a few seconds behind World Record 😅😅 pic.twitter.com/7BJzFwYHVH

— Bubzia (@Bubzia1) February 11, 2025

Bubzia had been having some difficulties with his webcam before the run started. "That's a new one, dude," he said in a run prior to the big one, where his webcam turned off about one minute and 34 seconds in.

The heartbreaker in question would happen after, at 23 minutes and 59 seconds into a really solid run. You can check out the YouTube VOD of his run to see the chat, in real-time, react. "This could be the funniest WR," one person in chat said.

The facecam is crucial because it's required for the run to be valid. On the Speedrun.com rules and regulations, it specifically states: "The player must be visibly devoid of sight during the gameplay, i.e. something must be covering the eyes." Ergo, if you couldn't verify Bubzia had his eyes covered the entire time, the run would not qualify.

Having a back-up of some kind, like a notification, might be a thought. But the second category-specific rule says runners can't have any assistance from other people. This includes hints from a Discord call or text-to-voice chat. After the first webcam failure, Bubzia confirmed he had "everything disabled" to alert him in case of a failure, and had received multiple Discord DMs trying to catch his attention while running.

For some viewers, it might be agonizing to watch someone run a game for over an hour, unaware their attempt has been invalid since the 24-minute mark. Bubzia's chat even leaned into the irony, hoping for the runner to not set a world record, to avoid the heartbreak when the blindfold came off.

So in that way, it may have been a relief that Bubzia's time came in a few seconds behind the world record. The pace clock concluded at 1:26:09, almost a full minute behind Bubzia's standing record.

"If this would have been world record, I would have cried," Bubzia said, after taking off his blindfold and realizing the facecam had been off. "Dude, I would have quit SM64, man."

You can follow more attempts from Bubzia, whose facecam is currently working at the time of this writing, on his Twitch here. And for more on speedrunning, check out our Speedrun video series of devs reacting to speedruns of their own games.

Image credit: @Bubzia1.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Armored Core 6 for PS5 Drops to $20 in Amazon and Best Buy’s Presidents’ Day Sales

17 février 2025 à 16:02

Presidents' Day marks one of the first big sale events of the year, and if you've been looking to save on video games there's been a fantastic variety on sale to look through. One of our favorite video game deals at the moment is on Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon for PS5, which is down to just $20 at Amazon and Best Buy.

This marks a 67% price drop from its $59.99 list price and a return to its lowest price yet, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. If you've been hoping to dive into its masterful world of mechs, now's your chance to do it and save some cash in the process.

Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon for $20

If you're still on the fence about adding this game to your collection, it's worth noting that we had a lot of praise for it in our review. IGN's Mitchell Saltzman said, "Armored Core 6 doesn’t look to reinvent the bipedal legs of the mech action genre, but it does update, refine, and polish them to an aggressive shine." He also mentions that it's "a welcome return of a classic mecha series."

If you're looking for even more game deals available during this sale event, have a look through our roundup of the best video game deals to shop during Presidents' Day sales. Right now some of the best offerings can be found at Best Buy, including discounts on big releases like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and more.

To see even more gaming deals, make sure to check out our individual roundups of the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals to see the latest and greatest discounts for each platform. For an overall look at the highlights for each console, have a look at our breakdown of the best video game deals.

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

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Shows No Sign of Slowing Down, Sells 2 Million Copies in Less Than 2 Weeks

17 février 2025 à 15:46

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s success is showing no sign of slowing down — it’s now sold 2 million copies in less than two weeks.

Confirmation comes from a tweet by developer Warhorse Studios, which hailed Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s success as a “triumph,” as it had done when the game sold 1 million just a day after going on sale.

It's an incredible result for developer Warhorse Studios' medieval Europe action role-playing game sequel, which launched on February 4 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.

Last week, Warhorse Studios parent company Embracer said Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 had done particularly well on Steam, where it saw over 250,000 peak concurrent players. For context, the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance hit a peak Steam concurrent player count of 96,069 seven years ago.

It’s worth noting that Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s actual peak concurrent player count will be bigger, given the game launched on console as well as PC. However, neither Sony nor Microsoft make player numbers public.

Embracer, which owns Warhorse Studios via its subsidiary, Plaion, said Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 “has been initially successful, not only in terms of player and critic reception, but also in terms of performance.”

“This reflects the dedication and hard work of our development studio, Warhorse Studios, and our publisher, Deep Silver,” Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors said.

“It is our strong belief that the game will continue to generate substantial revenues over the coming years, highlighting the exceptional quality, immersion and appeal of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. Warhorse Studios has a robust roadmap, including updates and new content over the next 12 months, ensuring an engaging and continuously evolving experience for the community.

“We are immensely proud of the teams involved in the successful release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which has significantly outperformed our expectations so far,” Wingefors added.

Kingdom Come Deliverance 2's post-launch roadmap includes three expansions to be released in 2025. In spring, expect free updates that range from a Barbers feature with additional customization options to Hardcore Mode and Horse Racing. Summer will then follow with what appears to be the first paid content drop, Brushes with Death, which Warhorse said follows protagonist Henry as he “aids an enigmatic artist with a shadowy past.”

The autumn season brings the Legacy of the Forge expansion, add-on content that looks into Henry’s past by exploring his adoptive father Martin’s history. Finally, winter sees the release of Mysteria Ecclesia, which sees Henry embark on a covert mission to “navigate the complex dynamics” of the Sedlec Monastery.

Getting started in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2? Check out our advice on Things to Do First and How to Make Money Fast Early to get you started, or head to our Walkthrough hub for a step-by-step guide to the main quest. We’ve also got guides for the myriad Activities and Tasks, Side Quests, and even Cheat Codes and Console Commands.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Why You Should Play Monster Hunter: World Before Wilds

17 février 2025 à 15:30

As one of Steam’s most pre-ordered games right now, we know Monster Hunter Wilds is going to be massive. We also know that Wilds will be some people’s first Monster Hunter game. While we’re sure it will have a solid enough tutorial for newcomers, the series is undeniably dense and complex, and so if Wilds is your first go at hunting monsters you may find value in trying one of the previous games first. So before hopping into the vast and dangerous expanse of Monster Hunter Wilds, there’s one game we really recommend you check out: 2018’s Monster Hunter: World.

We don’t recommend Wold because of some big narrative tie-in or cliffhanger ending that will leave you lost and confused when you embark on Wild's central plotline. We suggest it simply because Monster Hunter: World is the game that most closely resembles Wilds’ style and structure. Playing World is a great way to onboard yourself and prepare for the sometimes obtuse systems and gameplay loop the series lives and thrives on.

Why Monster Hunter: World?

If you’ve kept up with Capcom’s recent releases, you might already be asking, “Should I not play Monster Hunter Rise, the most recent game in the series, rather than go back to Monster Hunter: World?” It’s a valid question. But while Rise is the most recent Monster Hunter (and a very good game!), it's clear that Monster Hunter Wilds is a direct successor to 2018’s World rather than 2021’s Rise.

Rise may have refined the series’ signature gameplay with rideable mounts, the high-flying Wirebug grapple mechanic, and a few other flashy tricks, but they arrived at the expense of some of the larger and more layered seamless zones that World boasted. You see, while Rise is available on every platform these days, it was originally built for the Nintendo Switch, and that console’s more modest specs informed several of the creative decisions. This resulted in an emphasis on speed and smaller scale zones, which expedited the hunt-upgrade-hunt gameplay loop but lost some of the larger scale and fascinating friction of World. It is those elements that Rise dropped that Wilds seems to be trying to recapture and build upon.

World feels like the blueprint that Wilds’ much larger open areas are drawing from.

Monster Hunter: World features large zones and an emphasis on tracking monsters and other living beings through a detailed ecosystem, and so World feels like the blueprint that Wilds’ much larger open areas are drawing from. This is why we believe World is the perfect game to prepare you for what’s to come. Those more open zones, which act as stages for long, thrilling hunts stretched across wide swathes of varied terrain, is where modern Monster Hunter shines. We expect Wilds to deliver on all that, but why wait when you can get an early, informative taste of it in World?

Despite seeming like a direct successor, it’s important to note that Monster Hunter Wilds’ story isn't a continuation of the tale told in World. However, World’s approach to story and campaign structure will set your expectations appropriately for the direction of Wilds’ story. You’ll meet staple organizations like the Hunter’s Guild governing body, as well as your adorable feline sidekicks, the Palicos, all of which will be present in Wilds. However, these elements will be wholly unconnected from previous (and, most likely, future) entries. Think of all this as being like the Final Fantasy series, in which each entry is known to feature your bearded friend Cid, a massive Behemoth, bright yellow Chocobos, and other defining monsters roaming throughout the land, but all the games are distinct and unconnected, which allows every entry to put its own stamp on classic ideas.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Above and beyond getting a preliminary understanding of the Monster Hunter universe and how the Wilds’ campaign will be structured, the strongest case for playing Monster Hunter: World first lies in the game's challenging combat. Monster Hunter Wilds’ action is built around 14 weapons, each with their own playstyle and strategies. All 14 of them are also present in Monster Hunter: World, which means you can get a headstart on becoming comfortable with the eclectic systems that govern this series’ genuinely one-of-a-kind combat. Diving into World is a great way to familiarize yourself with each weapon’s techniques and decide which one suits your personal tastes and playstyle the best. Whether it's the quick and flashy dual-blades or the hulking greatsword, each weapon in Monster Hunter is distinct and demands focus to master. So consider Monster Hunter: World a training ground where you can learn weapon basics and build up proficiency. By the time you get to Wilds, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a master of your craft.

In the Monster Hunter series your weapon is everything. You don't level up and gain skill points through experience or other traditional RPG mechanics. Instead, all of your abilities and stats are delivered through your weapon. Think of your weapon like a character class or job in a more traditional action RPG – each one dictates your role on the battlefield and how you approach each and every hunt. Playing World will teach you how these weapons can be leveled up using parts collected from slain monsters, and how to build toward the higher-level weapons on your weapon tree.

Furthermore, World teaches you early on that you can't just mash your attack button through most situations. The positioning of your character and angle of your attacks are the key to victory, rather than raw damage output. Knowledge of where on a monster’s body your weapon can have the most impact is half the battle. The Longsword is great for slicing off monsters' tails or long appendages, for instance, while the hammer is great for knocking enemies over by bonking them on the head hard enough. Knowing how best to utilize a specific weapon can turn the tide of any battle and set you up for success, so it's certainly worth hopping into Monster Hunter: World and getting familiar with where you can deal devastating damage to your enemies.

Having a solid understanding of the tempo of each hunt will be a huge advantage going into Wilds.

Your weapon is only one piece of World’s equation though. The Slinger is a tool attached to your hunter's left arm that allows you to use special gadgets and ammunition in a fight. Learning when to shoot a Flash Pod to blind an enemy monster or toss out some poison knives for chip damage can make or break a fight. The Slinger returns in Wilds, and knowing how to pepper in shots throughout a fight will take your game to the next level. You'll need to craft Slinger ammo from ingredients gathered from the environment, so having some familiarity with World’s crafting menus and recipes will go a long way when you start using Wilds’ own versions.

Once you've got to grips with World’s weapons and tools you'll begin to peel back the Monster Hunter series’ other recurring layers. Your general gameplay loop begins with following monster tracks, hoping to uncover the whereabouts of the beast in question. Along the way you'll use your pickaxe to mine ore, gather some honey for potion crafting, and grab whatever other materials you find along the way to the monster's location. It all becomes second-nature after a while, and having a solid understanding of the tempo of each hunt will be a huge advantage going into Wilds.

A hunt is not about rushing in, getting a quick kill, and moving on. Each expedition is designed to take some time, especially on the first go around. Learning how to dance with the fire-breathing Anjanath is leagues away from understanding the best equipment to prepare against something like the bomb-dropping Bazelgeuse, but understanding all of the different facets of these creatures builds foundational knowledge. And with Monster Hunter Wilds looking to capture the scope and scale of these adventures in a similar way to how World revels in the spectacle, it means the 2018 entry is the ideal training ground.

Plus, if you need yet another reason to check out Monster Hunter World ahead of Wilds’ release, you can get some free Palico armor if you import save data from World into Wilds, and an additional set of armor if you have data from World’s massive Iceborne expansion. It's a small thing, but dressing up your Palico never gets old.

While you never need to play a prior Monster Hunter game before starting a new one, Capcom’s RPG is a distinctly different animal than any other game out there. While the developer has been working hard to make the learning curve easier with each new game, there are so many unique systems that really the only way to truly prepare for Monster Hunter is by playing Monster Hunter. While there will be many who will find joy jumping right into the new game blind, there's never been a better time to try out Monster Hunter: World and familiarize yourself with the vernacular and community ahead of Wilds’ launch on February 28, 2025.

Jesse Vitelli is a freelance writer and published author. A former associate editor at Prima Games, he also has bylines at Kotaku, Inverse, Game Informer, and more.

Cthulhu Keeper Announced for PC

17 février 2025 à 15:00

Finnish game developer Kuuasema has announced Cthulhu Keeper, a new comedic strategy game inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft (and quite possibly Bullfrog's thematically similar 1997 classic Dungeon Keeper). It's in development for PC.

In it, you'll "build your very own cult and generate fear and chaos around you," according to the developers. It's set in the 1920's, and in it you'll form your cult by building out a lair and researching dark works to then be able to summon various Lovecraftian-influenced monsters. You'll expand your influence by recruiting cultists, canvassing the streets, and completing objectives. Naturally, rival cults will challenge you (along with the authorities), at which point you'll rely on traps and spells to defend your lair.

“We’ve poured our hearts and dark souls into creating a unique and challenging experience that blends classic dungeon-keeping with the unsettling atmosphere of Lovecraft’s stories," said Kuuasema chief gaming officer Kimmo Kari. You can wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Jedi Revan Statue Revealed by Diamond Select Toys

17 février 2025 à 15:00

Darth Revan may well be the most popular Star Wars character yet to appear in a live-action project. Star Wars collectors looking to add to their Revan shrine will soon have a new option, as Diamond Select Toys reveals the Star Wars: The Old Republic Jedi Revan Gallery PVC Statue.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for an exclusive first look at this dynamic Star Wars collectible:

This piece is essentially a sequel to DST's previous Darth Revan statue. It's specifically inspired by Revan's appearance in Star Wars: The Old Republic and depicts the character wielding a single purple lightsaber and white Jedi robes.

The Star Wars: The Old Republic Jedi Revan Gallery PVC Statue is designed at 1:8 scale and measures about 10 inches tall. Like the rest of the Star Wars Gallery line, it's designed to be a more budget-friendly option for collectors and carries an MSRP of $80.

The Jedi Revan statue will be released in Fall 2025. Preorders will open on the Gentle Giant Ltd. website and other retailers on Friday, February 21.

You can also currently preorder DST's Darth Revan statue, which is seeing wider release in 2025 after originally debuting as a Diamond Select Toys/Gamestop exclusive.

While you're at it, why not check out the many Star Wars collectibles available on the IGN Store?

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

PSA: Days Gone Remastered $10 PS5 Upgrade Not Available for Game Redemptions via PS Plus

17 février 2025 à 14:20

Days Gone Remastered was one of the standout announcements during Sony’s recent State of Play showcase, but some PlayStation Plus subscribers aren’t happy about its $10 upgrade.

Sony has confirmed that the $10 upgrade to the remastered version on PlayStation 5 is only available to those who own the PlayStation 4 disc or a digital copy of Days Gone. Game redemptions via subscription service PS Plus, therefore, are not eligible for the $10 upgrade to the PS5 remaster.

(Days Gone was available on the now defunct PS Plus Collection and was an Essential monthly game in April 2021.)

This means those who own Days Gone via PS Plus will have to pay the full $49.99 to play this new PS5 version of the game.

The detail of the $10 upgrade has caused some PS Plus subscribers to venture online to complain. A post on the PlayStation Plus subreddit, for example, is packed with comments from subscribers who say they would have paid $10 to upgrade to the PS5 remaster, but now will skip the game entirely.

“They would actually have made a decent chunk of change if PS Plus players were eligible, even if most didn’t want to play it they’d at least be interested in paying 10 bucks to try it out for an hour or two,” suggested squarejellyfish_.

“They should let Essentials upgrade cause I would pay the $10, but I will not buy it any other way,” added “teckn9ne79. “I will stick with the one I got.”

“Yeah this seems pretty stupid,” said dredizzle99. “There's no way I'm paying full price for this, but I'd happily pay for the upgrade at least just to check it out. Surely the majority of people that have it on PS plus are thinking the same thing, so they're basically losing all the potential sales from them.”

"They gave away the game for free so every copy is an extra £10/$10 they wouldn't have had but they decided to be awkward instead and cut out half the owner base," jackanyon95 said. "I'm not paying full price, it didn't even need a remaster."

However, it’s worth pointing out that some PS Plus subscribers aren’t surprised by Sony’s strategy here, and have pointed out the company will have crunched the numbers and determined this restriction will make the most sense financially. Still, Sony is currently being called “stingy” by some of its hardcore fans who had hoped for a rare spot of generosity from PlayStation.

Days Gone Remastered wasn’t the only new PlayStation game revealed at State of Play. Check out IGN’s State of Play February 2025 roundup for everything announced during the show.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Overwatch 2 Dev Blizzard Welcomes Marvel Rivals Competition, Says It’s Never Faced Another Game ‘So Similar to the One We've Created’

17 février 2025 à 13:38

Marvel Rivals was, from the moment it was revealed, compared to Overwatch. Taken at face value, Marvel Rivals is remarkably similar to Blizzard’s game; while Marvel Rivals uses Marvel heroes and villains for its playable characters, it is, like Overwatch, a competitive multiplayer hero shooter with some remarkably similar mechanics and gameplay systems. Both Marvel Heroes and Overwatch 2 are free-to-play, monetized as live services, and lean on the addition of new characters to keep things feeling fresh.

Marvel Rivals has enjoyed explosive popularity since launching in December, and it is speculated that this has come at the cost of interest in Overwatch 2. Blizzard’s game, according to the current narrative, is dwindling as NetEase’s Marvel Rivals gobbles up its players.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Overwatch 2 director Aaron Keller discussed the new reality Blizzard finds itself in, with Marvel Rivals now out in the wild and attracting tens of millions of players.

"We're obviously in a new competitive landscape that I think, for Overwatch, we've never really been in before, to this extent where there's another game that's so similar to the one that we've created," Keller said.

You’d think this would be a bad thing for Overwatch, then, but Keller called the situation “exciting,” and even said it was “really great” to see Marvel Rivals take ideas established by Overwatch in a “different direction.”

Still, Keller admitted Marvel Rivals’ success had forced a change in attitude within Blizzard when it comes to Overwatch 2, saying: “this is no longer about playing it safe."

To that end, Blizzard has announced radical changes coming to Overwatch 2 in 2025. While the roadmap ahead includes much of what you'd expect to see in terms of new content, the core gameplay itself will see a seismic shift, including the additions of hero perks and the return of loot boxes.

All eyes will be on Overwatch 2 to see if these changes spark a resurgence in interest. We're now nearly nine years out from the debut of Overwatch in 2016, and two-and-a-half from the launch of Overwatch 2. And while Blizzard does not make Overwatch player numbers public, we can see concurrent player numbers on Steam are as low as they’ve ever been since Overwatch 2 launched on Valve’s platform in 2023, with a 37,046 concurrent player peak over the last 24 hours.

Marvel Rivals, meanwhile, remains a top 10 most-played game on Steam, with a 310,287 concurrent player peak over the last 24 hours.

Overwatch 2 still has a ‘mostly negative’ user review rating on Steam. Indeed, in August 2023, Overwatch 2 became the worst user-reviewed game on Steam ever. Most of the negative reviews focused on monetization after Blizzard was heavily-criticised for forcing its premium predecessor to update into a free-to-play sequel, rendering the original Overwatch unplayable, back in 2022. Overwatch 2 subsequently endured a number of controversies including the cancellation of its long-awaited PvE Hero mode — the one feature, players said, that justified the sequel's existence.

IGN has loads more on Marvel Rivals, including the developer's clarification on datamining, and thoughts on the possibility of a Nintendo Switch 2 version.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Mortal Kombat 1 Dataminer Discovers Animations for Hara-Kiri Fatalities — and They Could Be Coming as Quitalities

17 février 2025 à 12:44

A Mortal Kombat 1 dataminer has unearthed what looks like compelling evidence that the gory fighting game will get Hara-Kiri Fatalities in the form of Quitalities.

Redditor InfiniteNightZ published a video, below, showing off what look like Hara-Kiri Fatalities in Mortal Kombat 1. A Hara-Kiri finisher, first introduced in 2004’s Mortal Kombat: Deception, sees the defeated player cause their own death with a self-Fatality.

What’s interesting here is that InfiniteNightZ found Hara-Kiri animations for recently released DLC characters, such as Ghostface, adding credence to the speculation that they will be added to Mortal Kombat 1 in a future update rather than left on the cutting room floor. “After seeing that they're adding it to the downloaded roster now, I think it's highly possible,” InfiniteNightZ said.

InfiniteNightZ then suggested the Hara-Kiri animations could arrive as Quitalities, given that’s how they’re referenced in the game’s code. Quitalities are quick-fire finishers that trigger when a player quits a multiplayer match, and have been in previous games in the series. “They are listed as Quitalities, there's still hope,” InfiniteNightZ said of the animations.

High-profile Mortal Kombat 1 dataminer Interloko found additional Hara-Kiri animations, after InfiniteNightZ’s find was made public.

Thanks @MatthewDim40523 for tag me
Here are another 2 missing from the video, so looks like only Omniman and Conan doesn't have one.

I didn't try to trigger it in the game because I'm bussy finishing some stuff of the demo of my own game https://t.co/TqBKyauY0G pic.twitter.com/hL4QzLRXwf

— Interloko (@interloko) February 16, 2025

Of course, this may all amount to nothing, and it’s worth noting that neither NetherRealm nor publisher Warner Bros. Games has announced Quitalities for Mortal Kombat 1.

Mortal Kombat 1 recently enjoyed a resurgence with the addition of a secret fight with Floyd, the pink ninja, and the community-driven effort to work out his unlock conditions. Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat 1 fans have the T-1000 guest character to look forward to, and potentially more DLC to come, although NetherRealm has yet to confirm that.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Issues Update on Rare’s Long in Development Everwild

17 février 2025 à 12:14

What happened to Rare’s Everwild? It’s been over five years since the game was announced back during Microsoft’s X019 presentation. Repeated no-shows during Xbox showcases and rumors of reboots have caused some to wonder whether Everwild had fallen by the wayside. Not so, Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said.

In an interview with XboxEra, Spencer listed Everwild as one of the games yet to come out that he was excited for, adding he’d recently visited UK studio Rare, which runs live service pirate adventure game Sea of Thieves, to get a look at Everwild and the progress the developers were making.

“Yeah, State of Decay is just one of the franchises I love back from the original one, so that one stays on the board. I do think the work that Double Fine’s doing and how Tim [Schafer] kind of solicits feedback from the team. And the other one, I’ll say because I was recently out at Rare. It’s nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they’re making.”

Spencer said Microsoft had been able to give the developers of those games (State of Decay, the next game from Double Fine, and Everwild) time while still having a packed schedule of releases (bolstered, obviously, by the acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard).

“We can give those teams time,” Spencer said. “And next week I’m going to be up in Vancouver with the Coalition [Gears of War developer] — and how fun is that?”

As for Everwild, it’s faced concern over the years after the aforementioned reboot rumor, which Microsoft has denied, and the exit of creative director Simon Woodroffe in 2020. Rare filled the director's chair with veteran designer Gregg Mayles, who previously worked on Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Pinata, and Sea of Thieves.

But what is Everwilds? Reports have indicated it’s a third-person adventure game with god game elements, but given how long it’s been in development, that may have changed. The last Everwilds trailer, released in July 2020, carried the following description: “Everwild is a brand new IP from Rare. A unique and unforgettable experience await in a natural and magical world.”

Microsoft has a long list of in-development games, including the Perfect Dark reboot, the next Halo, and Playground's new Fable game. Meanwhile, Bethesda is working on The Elder Scrolls 6, and Activision is of course working on this year's Call of Duty. In the shorter term, id Software's Doom: The Dark Ages launches in May.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

'Fallouts Like That Happen, It's Just Part of the Deal' — Mass Effect 1 and 2 Composer Jack Wall Discusses Why He Failed to Return for Mass Effect 3

17 février 2025 à 11:06

Composer Jack Wall has discussed why he failed to return for Mass Effect 3 having created the much-loved music for the first two games in the series.

Wall worked with developer BioWare to create the 80s sci-fi music-styled soundtracks for Mass Effect, released in 2007, and its sequel, 2010’s Mass Effect 2. Mass Effect 2 in particular is often cited as one of the greatest action role-playing games ever made, and Wall’s soundtrack, which includes the rousing ‘Suicide Mission,’ is considered a series high-point by fans.

But Wall failed to return for 2012’s Mass Effect 3, which came as a shock to fans. Now, in a new interview with The Guardian, Wall discussed why, pointing to a falling out with then Mass Effect development chief Casey Hudson.

“Casey was not particularly happy with me at the end,” Wall said. “But I’m so proud of that score. It got nominated for a Bafta, and it did really well … [even if] it didn’t go as well as Casey wanted.”

The Guardian suggested a “creative tension” between Wall and Hudson, but Wall remained vague. “Fallouts like that happen, it’s just part of the deal,” he added. “It’s one of the few times in my career that’s happened, and it was a tough time, but it is what it is.”

Wall did, however, go into a bit more detail on the challenges he and BioWare faced getting Mass Effect 2 out the door and Suicide Mission into the finished product, which may provide some insight into Wall and Hudson’s relationship at the end of the project.

“It was the biggest mind-f***ing thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” Wall said. “And there was no one available to walk me through it, because they were all freaking out trying to finish the game. I handed it in, and they had to do a lot of massaging on their end in order to get it to work, but they did it... and the result is still one of the best ending sequences to a game that I’ve ever played. It was worth all that effort.”

After Mass Effect 2, Wall went on to make music for Call of Duty games, most recently composing the soundtrack for Black Ops 6. BioWare, meanwhile, is currently working on the next Mass Effect game following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. BioWare is yet to announce the composer.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Broken Arrow Is a Modern Warfare RTS That Emphasizes Vehicles

17 février 2025 à 11:00

Life is a highway, so they say. And in Broken Arrow, the upcoming modern warfare RTS from Steel Balalaika and Slitherine, it's a highway littered with exploded BMD fighting vehicles that I just took out with a heavy armored advance, before getting caught out by an AT attack on my flanks. Set in a fictional Eastern European war between Russia and the United States, it has a lot of tactical depth while remaining very easy to control.

The scenario is a bit cloudy from the couple of missions I played. I spent half the time driving an American dignitary around a joint Baltic States base in a tutorial mission, with the snarky implication that he only really cares about selling more tanks and planes. The other was securing a convoy route to Kaliningrad. There's not a lot of time wasted on the details of, say, why such a conflict wouldn't immediately go nuclear. Or what sparked it in the first place, for that matter. That's really not the focus. This is one for the Fulda Gap fans.

If you've ever played games like Steel Division, you'll find a lot of familiar mechanics here. Infantry, vehicles, aircraft, and support weapons are called in using a ticking income of requisition you get from holding control points, and reinforcements will spawn at specific bases before moving out to their final destination. Thus, a lot of attention has to be paid to making sure the way to the front is secure, or you might get sniped trying to bring in fresh troops.

Follow Orders

One thing I was immediately impressed by is how easy to control everything is in Broken Arrow. Units are very responsive to my commands to charge or fall back, even when I'm panic-clicking to try to fight my way out of an ambush. There are several targeting options for artillery, all of which are intuitive and easy to use. You select a munition, how long of a barrage you want, then draw a line or mark a spot and watch the shells fly. Aircraft have semi-realistic maneuverability stats, so you have to think about leaving room to turn around between strafing runs.

The fact that we're taking into account the need to bring supplies to the front at all is nice.

The Russian faction also uses drones, but they weren't available to me in either of the missions I got to play (both as the US), so it's hard to tell what their role will be. I'm particularly interested in the details there, since I've played plenty of modern war RTSes set in the "War on Terror" era, and drone warfare is one of the major factors that could take a game about our present moment and set it apart from those familiar tactical paradigms. I did get to play with some attack helicopters, which are just as responsive to commands as the other units and have a "stealth" mode where they can fly much lower to avoid detection, at a sharp cost of speed.

Support units in Broken Arrow are modeled by cargo trucks that can carry a variable amount of supplies, depending on if you just need to deploy a quick top-up to a problem spot or create a dedicated supply depot after your tanks got beat up in a head-on scrape. Once the supplies are dropped on the ground, they create a small, circular repair aura that will automatically get any vehicles inside it back to factory shape. This is a little bit of an arcadey abstraction, but it's not one I really minded much. The fact that we're taking into account the need to bring supplies to the front at all is nice.

Boots on the Ground

Infantry are especially fragile and easy to suppress, to the point that I didn't find myself using them that often. They can be garrisoned in buildings, but any amount of enemy armor seems to make light work of dislodging them. At least in the missions I played, there weren't a lot of opportunities for firefights in the streets, going house-to-house to capture a village, or holding the line with rifle squads. The focus seems to definitely be on the vehicles. But that could have just been a product of what this particular demo chose to show off.

There is a fairly detailed line-of-sight system that adds a lot of tactical depth. On one training exercise, I was able to park my tank in a bit of sunken ground where the enemy couldn't see it, peek out to take a shot, then reverse back into my hole where I was safe. In another battle, I basically used a highway overpass for cover. A lot of weapons have a longer effective range than their vision radius, making scouting valuable. Indirect fire is also a consideration, although I only had access to some lighter mortars in the demo. I'm very interested in what heavier options are available and how they could open up more possibilities.

Even on max settings, Broken Arrow does have a little bit of a budget look to it. The explosions are great, but the vehicle models are a bit flat, with fairly simple, clay-like textures that don't really react to light in a way that makes you go, "Wow!" This isn't exactly a Microsoft Flight Simulator-level replica of the F-15. But I'm generally playing so zoomed out that I'm not nitpicking the little details anyway.

From what little I've seen of Broken Arrow, I'm quite interested in finding out what the rest of its campaign, its multiplayer modes, and army builder will add to its snappy, easy-to-command RTS battles. We'll be able to take the full version for a ride this June.

'I Know It's Not What Everybody Else Is Doing' — Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Will Keep on Putting PlayStation and Nintendo Logos in Microsoft Showcases

17 février 2025 à 10:12

Microsoft, you might have noticed, now flags that its games are coming to rival platforms during Xbox showcases. It’s something we’ve seen in recent months as part of the company’s multiplatform video game push. For example, the recent Xbox Developer Direct included PlayStation 5 alongside Xbox Series X and S, PC, and Game Pass at the end of the Ninja Gaiden 4, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 segments.

As recently as Microsoft’s June 2024 showcase, that wasn’t the case. There, Doom: The Dark Ages was announced for PlayStation 5 immediately after the Xbox event, although subsequent individual trailers did feature the PS5 logo. BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard was down as coming to Xbox Series X and S and PC, skipping the PS5 version. It was the same for Diablo 4 expansion Vessel of Hatred and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Sony and Nintendo continue to take a different approach. The recent State of Play showcase did not mention Xbox at all, even though it included multiplatform games. For example, the Monster Hunter Wilds segment finished with the release date and PS5 logo only. No word of PC, Steam, or Xbox. Sega’s Shinobi: Art of Vengeance was shown as coming to PS4 and PS5, even though it’s also coming to PC via Steam, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Onimusha: Way of the Sword were in the same boat.

Sony, clearly, is sticking to what’s worked for its gaming business for decades now, reinforcing its consoles as PlayStation’s point of interest. Microsoft’s well-documented change in strategy, however, has come with a corresponding change in marketing.

In an interview with XboxEra, Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer was asked directly about Xbox showcases featuring the PlayStation logo now.

Here’s the question:

Is this just hey, this is the band-aid off guys, there’s still going to be different decisions but this is the new era. Get used to the way things are going to be. How would you frame that to the community?

And here’s Spencer’s answer:

I think it’s just being honest and transparent about where the games are showing, and we actually even had this discussion last year for the June showcase, and by the time we kind of made our decision, we couldn’t get all of the assets done and it felt weird to have some of them in and some of them out.
But I just want to be transparent with people — for shipping on Nintendo Switch, we’re gonna put that. For shipping on PlayStation, on Steam... People should know the storefronts where they can get our games, but I want people to be able to experience our Xbox community in our games and everything we have to offer, on every screen we can.
And obviously not every screen is equal. Yeah, like there’s certain things we can’t do on the other closed platforms that we can do on open platforms, cloud — it’s different. But games should be the thing that we’re focused on. And the strategy that we have allows us to do big games, while also supporting our native platform from hardware to the platform and services that we have and that’s going to be our approach.
And I know it’s not what everybody else is doing, but I just believe games should be the thing that’s at the forefront. Maybe it’s because of how I’ve grown up in this industry. I came from building games. But I think the games are the things that I see growing in their strength in what we’re doing and it’s because more people can play. So yeah, I’m just trying to be open and transparent with people.

With this in mind, expect to see more logos for PS5 and, in the future, Nintendo Switch 2 in Xbox showcases. So, when Microsoft hosts its inevitable June 2025 showcase, perhaps then we’ll see the likes of Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, and of course this year’s Call of Duty with a PS5 logo alongside Xbox.

Just don’t expect Nintendo and Sony to follow suit.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Ubisoft Announces Siege X, the 'Biggest Transformation' in Rainbow Six Siege History

17 février 2025 à 09:52

Ubisoft has teased a significant evolution of Rainbow Six Siege, promising to unveil what it calls Siege X in March.

Siege X is described as “the biggest transformation in the game's history, including new tactical gameplay, graphical and audio upgrades, and more.” This is not Rainbow Six Siege 2, rather a significant change for Rainbow Six Siege designed to set the competitive multiplayer game for its second decade of live service.

The Siege X teaser trailer is below.

Rainbow Six Siege struggled when it launched in December 2015, but Ubisoft’s work to improve the game is seen as one of the most dramatic turnarounds in video game history alongside Final Fantasy 14 and No Man’s Sky.

In the last decade, Rainbow Six Siege has proven a reliable money-spinner even when Ubisoft’s other attempts at live service have fallen by the wayside. In recent years, when Ubisoft has found the going particularly tough, Rainbow Six Siege has helped prop up those financial reports. Now, there's even more pressure on Siege X, given Ubisoft's high-profile troubles.

10 years is a long time for any video game to remain relevant and financially stable, and so it makes sense that Ubisoft would want to refresh Rainbow Six Siege with a headline-grabbing evolution. Ubisoft will announce more on March 13 at the Siege X Showcase.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The White Lotus Season 3 Premiere: Who That 'Bald Guy' Is and Why You Should Hate Him

17 février 2025 à 04:30

Full spoilers follow for The White Lotus through Season 3, Episode 1.

While the new season of Mike White’s hit HBO show The White Lotus has of course given us a bunch of new characters to welcome, inspect, and judge, it also has seen the return of not one but two faces from past seasons. We already knew that Natasha Rothwell’s Belinda Lindsey would be back from Season 1, but in a surprise moment, Jon Gries’ Greg Hunt, also from Season 1 as well as Season 2, also appeared in this first episode. And you know we all hate Greg…

Let’s brush up on our Greg history, why he’s public enemy number one for White Lotus fans, and what his reappearance in the premiere might mean for the new season.

Greg, Belinda, and Tanya in The White Lotus Season 1

If The White Lotus’ ensemble casts have had a “star” player in the past, that honor would go to Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya McQuoid, the hilarious but sort of lost soul of the first two seasons. As with many of the clients of The White Lotus resort, Tanya was very wealthy but also troubled. When we first met her in Season 1, she was visiting the Maui White Lotus with the intention of spreading her recently passed mother’s ashes. Spa manager Belinda helped Tanya through her grief and anxiety, so much so that Tanya proposed financing Belinda so that she could start her own spa.

Tanya also met Greg here, and a romantic relationship began between the two. But Tanya, suffering from constant anxiety and self-doubt, was trepidatious about it. As she said to Belinda, “I just know I’m gonna get hurt.” Tanya tried to end the relationship with Greg as a result, but his apparent good cheer and compassion for Tanya assuaged her fears. (We’d eventually learn that she should’ve trusted her instincts.)

Eventually, Greg revealed to Tanya that he was suffering from a serious illness and that she shouldn’t be surprised if he “dropped dead” at any time. Deciding to leave with Greg for Honolulu, and then possibly move to Aspen to be closer to him, Tanya also opted to not go into business with Belinda. Belinda was crushed by this decision but perhaps not surprised in the end.

The Death of Tanya in Season 2

Tanya returned for Season 2, as did Greg for the first few episodes, when the pair vacationed at the White Lotus in Sicily. Now married, with Greg’s health issues resolved thanks to Tanya’s wealth, things have changed. The type of toxic relationship of her past that she worried about in Season 1 seems to have taken root with Greg, and his previously amorous attitude to Tanya has dissipated – when she prompts him for some action in the first episode of the season, he announces that he has to go wash up first because he has “swamp crotch,” for example. Romantico!

Later, Tanya hears Greg on the phone in the bathroom whispering. He claims it’s just a work thing, and she brushes it off. But then in Episode 2, when she wakes up in bed, she finds Greg just blankly staring into the middle distance. It’s an odd moment, but it passes as he claims he’s fine. At breakfast, Tanya describes her idea of a perfect day in Italy, and Greg, acting nicer than he did the day before, agrees to the plan. “It’s your day to shine,” he says. But that night he tells Tanya that he has to leave their vacation early for work and return to the U.S. This leads to an argument where he reminds her that she made him sign a prenup and that he can’t know that she won’t “discard” him at some point the way she has many of her friends and employees over the years. The episode ends with Greg sneaking a phone call where he tells the person on the other end of the line that he loves them and that Tanya is “clueless as usual.”

Greg apparently had plotted with Quentin to kill Tanya and make it look like an accident so that he could inherit her fortune.

After Greg leaves, Tanya is befriended by a group of men who she eventually begins to suspect are out to kill her. By the Season 2 finale, Tanya’s suspicions are proven correct, but she takes out her would-be assassins with a gun in a glorious moment of haphazard triumph, only to then awkwardly die herself when attempting to get off the yacht where the final showdown took place.

The thing is, before she died, Tanya saw a picture of a young Greg with Quentin (Tom Hollander), one of the men who was trying to kill her. Greg apparently had plotted with Quentin to kill Tanya and make it look like an accident so that he could inherit her fortune. Whether or not the authorities ever figured out this plan is unknown by the end of Season 2.

What Is Greg Doing in Season 3?

Good question! We don’t know if he actually did inherit Tanya’s money or not. It’s possible that the police never connected him to the plot which resulted in multiple deaths, including Tanya’s. What we do know is that he is now hanging around the Thai White Lotus where Season 3 is set, and he apparently has a younger ex-model for a girlfriend now.

Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood), who is the girlfriend of Walton Goggins’ Rick Hatchett, meets Greg’s girlfriend at the bar, and they bond over their boyfriends who are both older, bald or balding, and generally cranky. Greg also apparently now lives somewhere near the Thai White Lotus.

But does he really? Is it possible this is another scam of Greg’s, and that Chelsea is being sucked into something she doesn’t understand? Will Belinda, back for Season 3, manage to find justice for Tanya by somehow outing Greg as being responsible for her death? There’s no reason for us to think she suspects Greg of any wrongdoing (and she hasn’t even encountered him yet at the resort), plus she doesn’t necessarily owe Tanya anything after the way she was treated. But Belinda is also one of the “good” figures in The White Lotus that we are always rooting for, and it seems like if anyone can right the wrongs that were done to Tanya, it’s her. Of course, ultimately, one of the big questions The White Lotus is always asking is whether or not good people ever really win in the end. Belinda, we’re counting on you.

'Holy $&#%, He's Done It Again!'— The White Lotus Season 3 Cast Breaks Down the Opening Shoot-out and the Return of THAT Character

17 février 2025 à 04:00

Spoilers follow for The White Lotus Season 3, Episode 1, “Same Spirits, New Forms.”

Season 3 of The White Lotus starts with a bang. Well, several bangs. While the show is famous for dropping a dead body into the opening scene of each season, the initial moments of the newest iteration raise the stakes considerably.

The cast of the HBO show sat down with IGN as part of IGN Fan Fest 2025 to break down the opening scene and react to the return of a much-despised character.

‘Something Has Shifted in the World of The White Lotus.’

Instead of a corpse being loaded onto a plane (Season 1) or floating in the ocean (Season 2), the premiere of the Thailand-set new season sees a full-fledged shoot-out culminating with at least one lifeless body face-down in the water. It was a moment both true to previous seasons of the Mike White-helmed series and an escalation of what fans have come to expect.

Michelle Monaghan (Jaclyn): Like, holy shit, he's done it again! I mean, honestly, this season, it is bigger. It is more action-packed. And you see that from page one. You are delving into the theme of Season 3, which is life and death, spirituality, and how light and dark coexist. And it really happens in that opening scene and it gets bigger and bolder and deeper as the season continues to roll out.

Aimee Lou Wood (Chelsea): I was so blown away. I just thought it was such a genius idea to have Belinda's (Natasha Rothwell’s) son (Zion, played by Nicholas Duvernay) open it because Belinda, she's the heart of Season 1, and she's who everyone wants to win. I thought it was so clever because it instantly makes it more melancholic and human and emotional. It's a shoot-out, but it also feels more human than ever, like the most human whilst also being the most big.

Carrie Coon (Laurie): It was clear that the storytelling had leveled up. It opened slightly differently in the first two seasons. You just see the bodies being put into an airplane or a casket. This was an action sequence with a scene and gunfire, and I was like, “Whoa. Something has shifted in the world of The White Lotus.”

Parker Posey (Victoria) It’s so much fun to read writing that's really inhabited. So it was like, I got the coffee and the tea out (and) I just sat down and I just barreled through it. By the last episode, I was so adrenalized. It was like I was so taken with the story that I forgot who died. I didn't remember until I went to set.

Sarah Catherine Hook (Piper): (White) went the action-packed route because (in) the first season it was just a conversation, and then the second season was a dead body floating in the water. But (with the shoot-out) immediately in my head I was like, “Okay, this is already going to be an action-packed season.”

Patrick Schwarzenegger (Saxon): Mike continues to push the envelope of what he wants to do with each and every season. Obviously this season is completely different than the past, and that involves the opening sequence. I thought that it was amazing how he showcased the suspense of it all. And obviously with the gunshots, I mean, it's very relevant to something that would happen today. But I thought it was great and I think that there's more than a body potentially.

Jason Isaacs (Tim): He's a master storyteller. It reminds me of Dickens. Dickens used to be serialized in the newspaper, so he knew that the first chapter and then maybe the first paragraph needs to throw a hook right into the audience's imagination. And that's what he’s done. He does it brilliantly and then he reels you in really slowly. And then when the fish gets close, you're trapped.

Watson Goggins (Rick): Reading the first few pages, you notice the difference. There's not a body, there's a shoot-out. I think I stopped after the first three pages and thought, “I can't believe I'm reading the first episode of Season 3 of The White Lotus.” It's like reading a Tarantino script. You realize that you're in rarefied air.

‘I Was Hoping the Dead Body Would Be Me.’

Each season of The White Lotus presents a central mystery: Who died? The cast of Season 3 was both excited and fearful that the body we see in the premiere might be their own.

Leslie Bibb (Kate): If you're the dead body, you're going to have a great story. If you're not the dead body, you know that maybe there's a possibility, if Mike likes you and he feels moved, you could come back for a second season. We were reading some (fan questions and) Jason's like, “Why is everybody assuming my character's being killed?” And I said, “It's a compliment. You're like Drew Barrymore in Scream.”

Jason Isaacs: I figured that whoever it was wasn't going to die until the end. So if it was me, that would be fine. I just wanted to go on Mike's ride. It was such a joy.

Sam Nivola (Lochlan): I feel like I was sort of hoping the dead body would be me, and maybe it is! You don't know. But to be honest, I was like, "I don't really care." I'm going to read all these scripts in one sitting and I will find out in a few hours. I was just along for the ride.

Aimee Lou Wood: I think everyone goes through the script. You’re like, “Oh my God!”

Michelle Monaghan: You don't know. And as soon as we got cast, we received all eight episodes in our inbox. And the whole time, I'm just thinking, “This is insane.” And you have no idea which direction it's going.

Walton Goggins: Of course, that is a consideration, right? No one knows if it's going to be them. When you set out to read these scripts, it's like playing a game of Clue: what's the instrument and how does it happen and is it happening to me?

‘He’s a Character You Love to Hate.’

A huge surprise from Episode 1 is the return of Greg (John Gries), who first appeared in Season 1 and arranged for the murder of his wife and fan-favorite character Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) in Season 2. The cast talked about his surprising return.

Leslie Bibb: It's so exciting. In the script it just says “a bald man walks down.” That's when he sees Sarah Catherine. And I remember being like, “I wonder why Mike's talking about that.” And then it came back and I was like, "Oh my God, this guy's in all three (seasons)."

Carrie Coon: (He’s) the luckiest actor. He wasn't necessarily going to be the throughline I remember, but it ties into Belinda. That was actually the part about the Greg storyline that was most exciting to me was to see what happens to Belinda.

Sarah Catherine Hook: I was like, “Oh my God, (White is) so smart to keep (the story of) Tanya alive.” I feel like she is in this season with us. And I think that fans of the show, including myself, had some worries about the face of The White Lotus being killed off. So I was so relieved and so happy and just so impressed that he was able to pull it off so beautifully. And I think that's going to be a very, very enticing story for the audience.

Sam Nivola: I was like, “Why is he here? What is going on?” I was definitely scared. “Is he going to kill Belinda?” I think it's really smart the way that (White) ties these three seasons together. I think that the way he sort of came up with this thing is like a mathematician. It's just the perfect amount of connectivity without marrying it to the previous seasons.

Patrick Schwarzenegger: Once I started to read as a fan of the show, I was like, “Okay, that's a great ending of the pilot.” Something to keep new people interested.

Jason Isaacs: Michael Powell, the great British filmmaker, used to talk about planting bombs. And Mike sets the story out at a perfect pace and you think not much seems to be happening. “Wait a second. That is the guy that killed his wife. That's not going to end well.” He just knows exactly how to pique your interest just a little bit and pick up the pace.

Michelle Monaghan: He’s a character you love to hate. John is the exact opposite of Greg. It's crazy to me. He's the best person, the best person on the planet. (But) that storyline, there's some unfinished business there that Belinda needs to take care of. And I think that audiences are going to be so excited and so happy that she has a chance at redemption.

Aimee Lou Wood: That full circle is so satisfying.

For more from the cast of The White Lotus Season 3, be sure to catch IGN Fan Fest February 24-28 across IGN platforms.

AU Deals: Monster Discounts Hunted, Up to 85% off AAA RPGs Sale, Kingdom Come II Slashed, and More!

17 février 2025 à 02:12

Welcome back to a week stacked with must-have titles at prices more unbeatable than a FromSoftware game modded to be Ultra-Nightmare. As for standout gems, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes could slash its way into your library/heart at 44% off. Otherwise, Persona 5 Royal will let you live your best (or most rebellious) life, with extra content that wasn't in the original (read: an entire semester’s worth of gameplay). If those two somehow aren’t for you, start scrolling to get lost in the savings…

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news and with some serious overkill, I’m using a lightsaber to light 19 candles for Star Wars: Empire at War. This bad boy is an all-timer RTS and one of the best Star Wars tie-ins one could get in a sea of ordinary to bad ones. I remember being held in a Force Choke-esque thrall by its dual-layer strategy system: a galactic map for turn-based empire management and real-time battles on both land and in space. It translated into planet conquering, fleet building, and grand-scale warfare unlike any far, far away game at the time.

But mostly, I was tickled by the iconic hero units it offered and cool Easter eggs hidden. For the former, who wouldn’t dig hewing through rebels as an unstoppable Vader, like his horror visage in Rogue One? And I loved making a battle drag on too long to ensure an escaping Millennium Falcon would spawn.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Star Wars: Empire at War (PC) 2006. Get

- Guitar Hero: Van Halen (PS2/3,Wii,X360) 2010. eBay

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Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

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Purchase Cheap for PC

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

Xbox One

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

PS4

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PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Feb 4 with this subscription

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Legit LEGO Deals

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Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

Daily Deals: Rise of the Ronin, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Pikmin 4, and More

16 février 2025 à 21:15

The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Sunday, February 16, below:

Kirby and the Forgotten Land for $39.99

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is still one of the best Nintendo Switch games. Forgotten Land marks the first full 3D game in the entire series, with a massive amount of new gameplay mechanics and offerings compared to its 2D counterparts. The game also has an amazing soundtrack, which perfectly accompanies the fun and engaging environments. If you've yet to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land, pick the game up for a discount this weekend!

Rise of the Ronin for $39.97

Rise of the Ronin is one of the biggest 2024 PlayStation 5 exclusives to release, with the gamecoming from Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo. Set in 1863 Japan, you play as the Ronin and take down those coming from the West. This action epic offers well over 70 hours of content, with an excellent dive into a history somewhat unexplored in modern gaming.

LEGO Roses for $10.79

Who doesn't need a pair of LEGO Roses in their life? If you're searching for a late Valentine's Day gift, this pair of LEGO Roses can be a great option. It's the perfect gift to build with that special someone.

Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card

Elden Ring Nightreign, a new multiplayer game from FromSoftware, is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. You can explore the world and take on bosses with two other friends, making for a unique experience that's sure to stay engaging. Best Buy has opened pre-orders for Elden Ring Nightreign, and you can score a free $10 Best Buy gift card with any pre-order for a limited time.

Fantasian Neo Dimension for $39.99

Fantasian Neo Dimension is on sale for the first time since launch! Both the PS5 and Switch versions are available for $39.99, and this is one of the best turn-based RPGs you can buy right now. With a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi and music by Nobuo Uematsu, this is one experience any RPG fan does not want to miss.

LEGO Infinity Gauntlet for $51.19

The Infinity Gauntlet is one of the most recognizable items from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can take it home in LEGO form at a discount this weekend! This 590 piece set includes a stand to hold up and display the Infinity Gauntlet, with each of the six Infinity Stones on display. Don't miss out on your chance to save on this LEGO set!

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $39.99

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection has hit a new all-time low at Woot, priced at just $39.99. The first six Final Fantasy games paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which feature updated graphics, soundtracks, font, and more.

Pikmin 4 for $39.99

This weekend at Best Buy, you can save on Pikmin 4, with copies available for just $39.99. As the latest game in the Pikmin series, Pikmin 4 brings loads of new features for fans, new and old alike, to discover. In our 9/10 review, we stated, "Pikmin 4 adds variety to the series' traditional gameplay by offering options other than the grab-and-throw formula of the past, and brings an extra helping of top-tier levels after the credits roll."

LEGO Star Wars Mos ESPA Podrace Set for $54.39

The Mos Espa Podrace scene in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is one of the most iconic in all of Star Wars, and we've seen it recreated in multiple LEGO Star Wars games ever since. As part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for The Phantom Menace, LEGO released this diorama set of the Mos Espa Podrace scene. This set includes both Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer and Sebulba’s Podracer.

Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99

Amazon has the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99 today. These earbuds feature Spatial Audio, up to five hours of listening time per charge, and so much more. Apple AirPods 5 likely won't be out for a good bit, so now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of new AirPods if your old ones are giving out.

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $39.99

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time, and you can score a PS5 copy for $39.99. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you're still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms!

Splatoon 3 for $39.99

Splatoon 3 is one of the best multiplayer games available on Nintendo Switch, with all kinds of content available across single player and multiplayer modes. It's no secret that Splatoon is incredibly popular, and this game is no exception. At $39.99, you'll be challenged to find a better multiplayer game at this price.

Captain America: Brave New World Projected to Beat Estimates With $100 Million Domestic Box Office Over Presidents Day Weekend

16 février 2025 à 20:32

Captain America: Brave New World has launched above estimates with a projected $100 million domestic box office haul over the Presidents Day holiday weekend.

Box office revenue tracker Comscore said the latest Marvel Studios movie made an estimated $88.5 million in 4,105 theatres for the three days, with a projected $100 million for four days. Alongside $92.4 million internationally, Captain America: Brave New World is looking at an estimated $192.4 million global weekend.

According to Deadline, Captain America: Brave New World had a production budget of $180 million, and has a break-even point of around $425 million global box office.

To put Captain America: Brave New World’s early days performance into context, it’s secured the fourth-best Presidents Day launch on record, behind three other superhero movies: Black Panther ($242 million); Deadpool ($152 million); and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania ($120 million).

Captain America: Brave New World’s opening haul comes amid poor reviews. IGN’s Captain America: Brave New World review returned a 5/10. We said: “Captain America: Brave New World feels neither brave, nor all that new, falling short of strong performances from Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and Carl Lumbly.”

All eyes are on Captain America: Brave New World to see if it has enough staying power to reverse a negative trend for Marvel Cinematic Universe movies (apart from last year’s hugely successful Deadpool & Wolverine), and build momentum going into Thunderbolts* in May, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps in July.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Tributes Paid After Death of Half-Life 2 and Dishonored Artist Viktor Antonov Aged 52

16 février 2025 à 17:20

Viktor Antonov, visionary art director of games such as Half-Life 2 and Dishonored, has died aged 52.

Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw confirmed the news in an automatically deleted Instagram Stories post. “Brilliant and original,” Laidlaw said of Antonov. “Made everything better.”

According to a recent social media post by Marc Laidlaw, Viktor Antonov - Half-Life 2's visionary art director - has passed away.

Assuming this is true, we are extremely saddened to hear this news. pic.twitter.com/3MqNbXkS64

— LambdaGeneration (@LambdaGen) February 16, 2025

Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios and current president and creative director of WolfEye Studios, tweeted: “You were instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, also a friend with whom I have many fond memories.”

RIP Viktor Antonov.
I wish I told you how much admiration I had for you but we get caught in our lives until a surprise lime this hits us.
You were instrumental to the success of Arkane Studios and an inspiration to many of us, also a friend with whom I have many fond memories pic.twitter.com/phdnVH3Scy

— Raphael Colantonio (@rafcolantonio) February 16, 2025

Harvey Smith, former co-creative director of Arkane Studios, took to social media to echo Colantonio's comments. "All this about his impact and talent is true, but I will also always remember how much he made me laugh, with his dry, devastating wit. RIP," Smith said.

Former Bethesda marketing chief Pete Hines tweeted: "Saddened to hear of Viktor’s passing. What an incredible talent he was. His ability to breathe life and meaning into the worlds he built, like Dishonored, was special. Thanks for all the hours of joy you gave us, Viktor. You’ll be missed."

Antonov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and moved to Paris before entering the world of video game development in the mid-90s at Xatrix Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based studio that became Gray Matter Studios. He went on to become one of the chief creatives behind the world of Half-Life 2 for Valve, where he most famously designed Half-Life 2’s iconic City 17.

Later, Antonov worked on the influential Dishonored as visual design director at Arkane Studios, co-creating Dunwall. Outside of video games, Antonov was co-author on animated movies Renaissance and The Prodigies, and worked at an indie production company called Darewise Entertainment.

In a Reddit AMA held eight years ago, Antonov discussed his early career leading into video game development.

I was formed and started my career as a transportation designer. Then I worked in advertisement, but both of those industries were very established and didn't offer me much choice for creative risk taking. As a designer, I was very lucky to find a brand new industry that could use my skills. At this time, the video game industry did not have clearly define positions and an artist could create entire worlds. So I joined the gaming industry relatively early: my first game was Redneck Rampage, a crazy funny experience in which I was able to create a big part of the art & world, before moving to more "serious" projects.

Antonov based the Orwellian City 17 on his childhood city of Sofia, mixing elements from Belgrade and St. Petersburg. “I wanted to capture this specific atmosphere of Eastern and Northern Europe,” Antonov said.

Most recently, Antonov appeared in Valve’s 20th anniversary documentary for Half-Life 2, where he discussed the inspiration behind his work on the project and its visual design.

Image credit: Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary / Valve.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Can a 110-Year-Old Ex-Assassin Really Run for Congress? We Went to Our Congressman's Office to Find Out

16 février 2025 à 15:00

This post contains spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World.

After months, if not years, of denying that he was in Captain America: Brave New World, Sebastian Stan does indeed show up in the movie as James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. But his mere presence, giving a pep talk to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) when he needs it most, isn’t the most surprising part of Bucky’s appearance: it’s that the former Winter Soldier is running for Congress.

Wait, hold up… Can he do that? As Bucky notes in the scene, he’s 110 years old at this point in the MCU. While he doesn’t offer up any details other than he has speech writers and is heading out on the campaign trail, there are a ton of lingering questions. What district is he running in? Can a 110-year-old even run for Congress? What about an ex-brainwashed KGB assassin with a robot arm who actively fought the US government during the Sokovia Accords (aka the events of Captain America: Civil War)?

These aren’t questions we can answer ourselves, so IGN went directly to the source to find out… Specifically the office of Brooklyn Congressman Dan Goldman. While Representative Goldman was busy running the government and representing the 10th district of New York, we were able to hop on the phone with Marvel fan and Senior Advisor to Congressman Goldman, Simone Kanter.

Kanter, luckily, was familiar with the history of Bucky Barnes at least up through Avengers: Endgame, which he called one of his “most enjoyable theater experiences ever.” And he was (end)game to answer some questions about what might be involved in Bucky running for Congress.

First, some basic info here on running for office. As laid out in the Constitution, the rules for running for the House of Representatives are pretty simple. You need to be at least 25 years old, a citizen for seven years, and you need to live in the state in which you are aiming to be elected in at the time of your election.

So how does that impact Bucky? In the MCU Bucky was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, (not coincidentally where Congressman Goldman is based). And while he wouldn’t have to run in Brooklyn, Kanter thought it might be to his advantage. “If I were to give him political advice, I would advise that the place you have the strongest roots to are where you should run, as both a moral and necessary imperative,” Kanter said. “So I would say that if Bucky feels most at home in Brooklyn, that's definitely where he should run.”

I can't imagine a factor more enticing to want to vote for a member of Congress than a robot arm.

That said, given we’ve seen Bucky in Washington, D.C. with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in the trailer for Thunderbolts, it’s possible he could be based there now. “Maybe he wants to run in the DMV area,” Kanter continued, calling out the colloquial name for the Washington Metropolitan Area. “He's hanging out in Arlington. Certainly an option. [There are] plenty of federal workers running for office out there. So I think it comes down to where he feels like he can best serve the country.”

Okay, but what about the age thing? There’s been so much discussion in our culture about aging politicians, that while technically Bucky could run as he’s 85 years older than the required age, would that be an impediment to his chances? Not at all, said Kanter, noting that “novelty is a bit of an enticing factor.”

Similarly, the whole robotic arm wouldn’t be an issue, either. “Personally as a voter, I'd find the robotic arm pretty cool,” said Kanter. “I can't imagine that there might be a factor more enticing to want to vote for a member of Congress.”

So far, so good when it comes to Bucky’s chances!

And then there’s the whole ex-KGB assassin thing. If you’ll recall, not only did Bucky attack Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in broad daylight in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it was also revealed in Captain America: Civil War that he killed Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey, Jr.) parents. “A track record of confirmed kills of US citizens on behalf of a hostile foreign nation might be a turn-off to certain folks,” Kanter said.

More murky is the outcome of the Sokovia Accords, and Bucky going on the run with Captain America (Chris Evans). According to Kanter, that would be down to public polling as far as how they view the Accords. He also called out the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, noting that “folks would be looking for a little bit more of a tighter leash from their government over some pretty powerful beings.”

It boils down to how he sells it on the campaign trail.

On the other hand, given that Bucky was a war hero before being revealed as The Winter Soldier, and there are even exhibits in Washington D.C. paying tribute to him as part of Captain America’s story, that could help balance things out. “This country especially has a soft spot for underdog stories and war heroes,” Kanter added. “We've seen a lot of appetite for forgiveness in the American electorate recently… It boils down to how he sells it on the campaign trail.”

Well, let’s talk about hitting that campaign trail. We glimpsed Bucky’s new look in the Thunderbolts trailer, and he’s sporting the same in Brave New World: stringy hair, cut down to his chin, and a beard that’s more than stubble. Would his whole style be a dealbreaker? Back in the day when politicians were supposed to be clean-cut, sure. Now? There’s a very specific precedent for why Bucky’s whole lewk might not be an issue. Or rather, a vice-precedent.

“I think Vice President JD Vance has brought back the beard,” Kanter said. “Apparently. I'm not sure how I personally feel about it. There's about half the country that's willing to vote for it, so I wouldn't call it a nonstarter.”

Kanter had a better suggestion, though, for what Bucky should have on his face: “I think you should bring back the mask from Winter Soldier; [he’s] way cooler with that on,” Kanter said.

Is it surprising to think about a masked candidate running for office? Don’t worry – Kanter had already thought this one through.

“Honestly, I was thinking about this, but then I did a double take when I thought about possible alternatives,” Kantor said. “And I really do think if Spider-Man threw his hat in the ring for any House seat in New York, he'd win with 80% of the vote.”

You hear that, Marvel? You just found your plot for Spider-Man 4. And hey, maybe Peter Parker can take some tips on running for office from Bucky… if he wins.

Top image credit: Photo by Tibrina Hobson/Getty Images

I'm Going To Start Collecting MEGA Pokémon Thanks To These UK Deals

16 février 2025 à 12:02

Building stuff is fun, but building Pokémon is just something else. These MEGA Pokémon sets are basically the best way to bring your favourite creatures to life without needing an actual Poké Ball. They've got moving parts, sick details, and a ridiculous amount of pieces to put together. There's a solid selection on offer at Amazon, but I think these are some of the best UK deals.

UK Deals: MEGA Pokémon Kits

Amazon has now knocked up to 38% off some of the best ones. If you've ever wanted to have Charizard, Pikachu, Eevee, or even a light-up Pokédex sitting on your shelf, now's a solid time to grab one.

The best part? These aren't just models that sit there. Most of them move, light up, or look straight-up epic. They remind me of the kind of TCG cards you'd flex in a deck like those insane full-art EX cards. Let's break down the best ones on sale right now.

MEGA Pokémon Motion Charizard

Charizard has always been one of the coolest Pokémon, and this build actually lets you make it move. It's got poseable wings, legs, arms, and a tail, plus a hand crank that makes it flap its wings. It's like seeing that classic Pokémon Red & Blue sprite come to life, or better yet, that moment in the anime where Charizard finally listened to Ash and started wrecking everyone.

The 1664 pieces make this a serious build, but seeing it in action is worth it. It's a real-life version of the Charizard EX card from Flashfire, with the insane flames and the "Stoke" move. If you've got the patience, this is one of the best sets to put together.

MEGA Pokémon Kanto Region Pokédex

This one is straight nostalgia. It's the OG Pokédex, the one Professor Oak gives you before you realize you're about to get wrecked by Brock's Onix because you picked Charmander. The build itself is solid, but the real star is the light-up feature and the five lenticular cards featuring Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, and Eevee.

It reminds me of Pokédex trainer cards that let you peek at your deck. If you ever spent hours memorizing Pokédex entries for no reason (like learning that Magcargo is hotter than the sun), you'll get a kick out of this. Definitely a cool display piece.

MEGA Pokémon Motion Eevee

Eevee is one of the most beloved Pokémon for a reason. It's got eight evolutions, each one cooler than the last. This set brings the classic version to life with moving legs, a wagging tail, and a head that actually tilts. It's like the perfect mid-run Eevee, ready to dodge an attack before it lands a Quick Attack or a Shadow Ball (if you're running Jolteon).

With 1366 pieces, it's a good challenge but not overwhelming. It has the same energy as the Eevee VMAX card from the Sword & Shield sets, with that huge dynamic pose making it a must-have. If you're an Eevee fan, this is an easy pick.

MEGA Pokémon Motion Pikachu

Pikachu's been a legend since day one, and this set lets you build your own and make it move. It's got a hand crank that makes its feet run and tail swing, so it looks just like it does when it's zipping around in the anime, dodging Hyper Beams and hitting opponents with a last-second Iron Tail.

The 1095 pieces mean you'll have a solid build session, but the result is peak nostalgia. It reminds me of the Pikachu Illustrator promo card. Rare, detailed, and just one of those things you want to own. If you grew up with Pokémon, this is a must-have.

MEGA Pokémon Charizard Action Figure

If you don't want to commit to the big Charizard set, this smaller action figure version still delivers. It has poseable wings and a fire effect coming out of its mouth and tail, instantly making it cooler than most statues you can buy.

At 222 pieces, it's a much quicker build, but it reminds me of Charizard GX from Hidden Fates which is an absolute beast. If you're looking for a fast, fun build, this one's worth picking up.

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.

Daily Deals: Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, LEGO Roses, Elden Ring: Nightreign, and More

15 février 2025 à 21:43

The weekend is officially here, and we've rounded up the best deals you can find! Discover the best deals for Saturday, February 15, below:

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $38.23

Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time, and you can score a PS5 copy for a new all-time low of $38.23. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you're still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms!

LEGO Roses for $10.79

Who doesn't need a pair of LEGO Roses in their life? If you're searching for a late Valentine's Day gift, this pair of LEGO Roses can be a great option. It's the perfect gift to build with that special someone.

Preorder Elden Ring: Nightreign at Best Buy, Get $10 Gift Card

Elden Ring Nightreign, a new multiplayer game from FromSoftware, is set to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on May 30. You can explore the world and take on bosses with two other friends, making for a unique experience that's sure to stay engaging. Best Buy has opened pre-orders for Elden Ring Nightreign, and you can score a free $10 Best Buy gift card with any pre-order for a limited time.

Fantasian Neo Dimension for $39.99

Fantasian Neo Dimension is on sale for the first time since launch! Both the PS5 and Switch versions are available for $39.99, and this is one of the best turn-based RPGs you can buy right now. With a story by Hironobu Sakaguchi and music by Nobuo Uematsu, this is one experience any RPG fan does not want to miss.

LEGO Infinity Gauntlet for $51.19

The Infinity Gauntlet is one of the most recognizable items from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and you can take it home in LEGO form at a discount this weekend! This 590 piece set includes a stand to hold up and display the Infinity Gauntlet, with each of the six Infinity Stones on display. Don't miss out on your chance to save on this LEGO set!

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection for $39.99

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection has hit a new all-time low at Woot, priced at just $39.99. The first six Final Fantasy titles paved the way for the series as we see it today. Many fans still regard both Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI as some of the best that Final Fantasy has to offer, with gripping narratives and engaging gameplay. This package includes all six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, which feature updated graphics, soundtracks, font, and more.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble for $19.99

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is the return to form many Monkey Ball fans have waited years for. You've got over 200 courses, tons of guest characters, and all sorts of modes—what's not to love? In our 8/10 review, we wrote, "Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is a brilliant return to form. Monkey Ball has finally found its way home again with a set of 200 fantastic courses that range from delightfully charming to devilishly challenging, backed up by tight mechanics and predictable physics that put me in total control of my monkey’s fate."

LEGO Star Wars Mos ESPA Podrace Set for $54.39

The Mos Espa Podrace scene in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace is one of the most iconic in all of Star Wars, and we've seen it recreated in multiple LEGO Star Wars games ever since. As part of the 25th Anniversary celebration for The Phantom Menace, LEGO released this diorama set of the Mos Espa Podrace scene. This set includes both Anakin Skywalker’s Podracer and Sebulba’s Podracer.

Apple AirPods 4 for $99.99

Amazon has the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $99.99 today. These earbuds feature Spatial Audio, up to five hours of listening time per charge, and so much more. Apple AirPods 5 likely won't be out for a good bit, so now is the perfect time to pick up a pair of new AirPods if your old ones are giving out.

The Best Jigsaw Puzzle Brands for Quality Puzzling in 2025

15 février 2025 à 19:02

Piecing together a puzzle is a great way to relax. Whether you enjoy the hobby on your own or with others, there's quite a few different formats to choose from these days, too. There are some puzzles that offer fun 3D builds that bring your efforts to life and some even tell a story with a secret ending that ties it all together. If you don't frequently build puzzles, though, finding a good option like the ones previously mentioned means tracking down a reliable brand first.

One visit to Amazon will show you that there's an abundance of companies offering different puzzles, which can feel quite overwhelming. We're here to help, though. In this list, we've gathered up some of our favorite puzzle brands that we believe are worth dropping money on and noted some puzzles from each that we highly recommend. If you've been itching to pick up something new to get stuck into, have a look at our collection of the best puzzle brands below.

Ravensburger

Ravensburger is a brand that's been around for a while, offering a wide range of puzzle sizes from smaller 500-piece options - and even lower, if you prefer - to a puzzle with 40,000 pieces. Yes, really! The puzzle pieces are cut to fit neatly into place, with the company stating on its website that its "puzzles are made using custom-built tools and steel strips, handcrafted by skilled artisans. This meticulous process ensures each piece fits perfectly, providing a flawless puzzle experience without any false fits." The company also notes that each puzzle goes through quality checks, so you know you're getting a product that'll last. It's also worth noting that Ravensburger puzzles are even used in the world jigsaw puzzle championship.

Below you can find some Ravensburger puzzles we'd recommend in a wide range of sizes. Starting from just 500 pieces and going up to a whopping 5,000, there's a puzzle for every challenge level available. We've even included a couple of their 3D puzzles if you want a finished product that you can set up afterward.

Recommended Puzzles From Ravensburger

Magic Puzzle Company

The Magic Puzzle Company really lives up to its name. Its magical puzzles combine a "traditional jigsaw puzzle experience with ideas from the worlds of tabletop games and magic," according to its website. It's become a very beloved brand as well, with its Kickstarter boasting 62,284 backers from when it was last updated. Each of its 1,000-piece puzzles features over 50 easter eggs for you to find, but the coolest part about them is the special secret ending you get after finishing the first part of the puzzle. This important element helps tie together the story from the first set of pieces in the box, making it even more satisfying to finish.

Each puzzle from the Magic Puzzle Company offers a unique experience with original art, to boot. We've included a few of our recommended puzzles below that each have something interesting to bring to the table, from the magical Mystic Maze to the colorful Gnomes' Homes.

Recommended Puzzles From Magic Puzzle Company

Springbok

Springbok is another well-regarded brand that's been around for a very long time - since 1963 to be exact. The company offers a variety of different puzzles to choose from so you can find an option that best suits your personal tastes and skill level. Each one is made with a lot of love, too. The company prides itself on creating quality puzzles, stating on its website that, "The quality of our dies and above average thickness of our chipboards ensures the interlocking pieces will come together flawlessly multiple times."

From piecing it together to admiring the final work and all of the details within it, Springbok's puzzles will keep you busy for quite a while. Below we've included a few fun puzzles from their collections, from a selection of sweet treats to a puzzle paying homage to some excellent films.

Recommended Puzzles From Springbok

Heye

Heye's puzzles come in a fun variety of unique designs and ones with incredible amounts of detail. On its website, you can find the 'Puzzle' category broken down into five sections: Art Lab, Cartoon, Fantasy, Fine Art, and Photo Art. Each of these is further broken down into more sections so you can explore the many different styles of puzzle that are available. Not only that, but Heye also offers a range of puzzle sizes, from 500 pieces to 6,000, so you can easily find one that fits the challenge level you're looking for.

On top of its creative puzzle designs, the company also notes on its website that, "HEYE puzzles have been successively converted to plastic-free production without plastic bags and shrink wrap." That's a very big win for sustainability. Below you can find just a few of our recommended puzzles from Heye.

Recommended Puzzles From Heye

Rokr

Not all puzzles come in a 2D format. If you're looking for something a little different to work with, Rokr offers a great collection of 3D builds that can up your puzzling game with their intricate designs. With 10 years of experience and, according to its website, 4,190 Happy Members, Rokr is a reliable brand for those looking to expand on their puzzling skills. Its models are built to last, too. On its website, the company states that it prioritizes, "the use of durable, child-safe materials to ensure that our products not only withstand the rigors of play but also provide a reliable and secure play environment."

Below we've listed just a few of our favorite puzzles from Rokr, from an illuminated globe to a miniature pinball machine. These come with varying amounts of puzzle pieces as well, so there's a little something for every challenge level here. If you're looking for a good LEGO alternative, we recommend starting witht his brand.

Recommended Puzzles From Rokr

Buffalo Games

Buffalo Games is another brand that's been in the game for a while, since 1986. The company has crafted numerous puzzles since then, with care for their construction at the forefront of its mind. According to its website, the company states that, "With a careful eye for quality and sustainability, our puzzles use the thickest graphic board, premium paper, and sturdy set-up boxes." Each puzzle is also "manufactured using a precision cutting technique that guarantees every piece snaps into place with our signature Perfect Snap™ technology."

Whether you want a puzzle with a scenic view or one that captures your favorite piece of entertainment, Buffalo Games has quite a few options to choose from. We've included just a few of our favorites below in varying sizes, from 300 to 2,000 pieces.

Recommended Puzzles From Buffalo Games

How Do You Know if a Brand Has Quality Puzzles?

It's always worth researching a brand when you come across a puzzle that interests you to learn more about them. Quite a few companies will have further details about them on their website to read so you can have a better idea about who you're buying from. Another great way to learn more about a brand is by reading reviews or comments from fellow puzzlers online who have bought from the brand previously. Doing this can help you make a good judgement call about a brand and if they're worth your time and money.

If you're in the mood to pick up even more puzzles, it's worth it to have a look at our roundup of the best jigsaw puzzles for adults. That selection even features a couple of the brands from this list, so you can see more of what they have to offer. And if you need a good table to work off of after picking up a new puzzle, why not check out our roundup of the best puzzle tables and boards for some recommendations?

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

OnePlus 13R Review

15 février 2025 à 18:00

The OnePlus 13 didn’t land alone. The exceptional flagship smartphone launched alongside the OnePlus 13R, which serves as a cheaper alternative at $599. While the look and feel will be similar to the OnePlus 13, the chipset, build, and cameras see some downgrades to keep the price low. But if you’re not looking to have the absolute best of the best Android phones, the OnePlus 13R is a great option for those who still want ample performance and a gorgeous display.

OnePlus 13R – Design and Features

The OnePlus 13R is built like a brick. It’s neat, cleanly assembled, but a little bland next to the full-fat OnePlus 13. It gets flat aluminum edges with smoothly rounded corners, akin to what you’ll find on recent iPhones. The result is a phone that’s stable on a table but that feels slightly thicker in my hands. Given it’s also a sizable phone at 6.37 x 2.98 x 0.31 in, it can be hard to manage in just one hand, though it's actually a little smaller in every dimension than the iPhone 16 Pro Max or OnePlus 13. For its size, it’s also relatively light at 7.27 ounces.

Even if it's a little trim for a giant phone, you’re still getting a huge 6.78-inch display. It may not be as sharp as its top-tier sibling, but it still hits a dense 450 pixels per inch with its 1264 x 2780 resolution. That’s plenty sharp for most uses. The OnePlus 13R also boasts a brilliant 120Hz LTPO AMOLED panel that can sink down into sublime darkness or blast out vivid highlights as bright as a rated 4500 nits. And the high brightness mode lets the display readily keep up in bright conditions for easy readability. For a budget model, the OnePlus 13R is packing a flagship-quality display.

Movies and games look excellent on the display, and its variable refresh rate lets it drop down to low, battery-saving speeds when needed and then zip back up to 120Hz for ultra-smooth scrolling and navigation. The speakers combine well with the display, offering clear stereo sound and enough volume to listen to music or podcasts while taking a shower or cooking.

Where the OnePlus 13 moved to an unfamiliar but competent Ceramic Guard glass for the screen, the OnePlus 13R gets Gorilla Glass 7i, which I also recently saw in action on the RedMagic 10 Pro. OnePlus ships the phone with a pre-applied screen protector, though, and that has held up to the everyday abuse well enough, seeing only minor blemishes. The waterproofing is not as robust here, with the phone only offering IP65. That’s enough for some splashing, but I wouldn’t dunk this phone in water. It’s possible OnePlus used strong protection but opted not to seek higher certification, but I wouldn’t count on it.

The OnePlus 13R features both face and fingerprint recognition. The face unlock is rather quick, but doesn’t work well in poor lighting conditions. The fingerprint sensor is situated toward the bottom edge of the display, lower than on the OnePlus 13 and 12, making it a little hard to reach. It’s quite snappy to unlock when pressed though.

The rest of the OnePlus 13R is hard to tell apart from the OnePlus 13. The bottom edge is similarly lined with a dual SIM-card tray (eSIM is also supported), USB-C, a mic, and a speaker port. The top gets a small port to help with the earpiece speaker (though the OnePlus 13 had two such ports). There’s also an IR blaster to let the phone serve as a universal remote, and another mic at the top. The right edge includes a power button and volume keys that have a pleasingly stiff tactility. And the left edge includes OnePlus’s three-way notification slider.

OnePlus 13R – Software

As with the OnePlus 13, the OnePlus 13R is promised to receive 4 years of OS updates and 6 years of security updates. I’d love to see more, especially when Samsung and Google are making bigger promises, but it’s still pleasing to see OnePlus commit to this longer term support. That extra support also goes all that much further when OnePlus is offering it for this lower-cost model. It launched with Android 15, and OnePlus’s OxygenOS is a clean and flexible Android skin. I’ve found it generally easy to navigate and customize.

OnePlus 13R – Gaming and Performance

When I tested the RedMagic 9S Pro and OnePlus 12 last year, I was largely blown away by the performance of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip inside. While the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite has come for 2025’s top-tier phones to push even further ahead, the OnePlus 13R continues to rely on the stalwart Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and it doesn’t disappoint.

The OnePlus 13R manages largely equivalent performance to the OnePlus 12, with many of its benchmark results sitting within a 0-2% difference. Impressively, the OnePlus 13R also manages its heat better with less performance decline over the 3DMark Steel Nomad Light stress test, which runs 20 tests in a row and generates a lot of heat in every phone I’ve tested. In that stress test, the OnePlus 13R managed a high score of 1,698 points and a low of 1,203, providing 70.8% stability, this dominates phones like the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro and keeps the OnePlus 13R neck-and-neck with even the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

In 3DMark’s Wildlife Extreme and Solar Bay benchmarks, the OnePlus 13R even exceeds the latest iPhones. The OnePlus 13R also manages its heat well. While it does thermal throttle after running at full tilt for several minutes, it sinks down to a lower performance level that it proves capable of sustaining.

All that performance makes for a quick and responsive phone. The OnePlus 13R never felt slow in my testing, readily launching apps and jumping between them, keeping up with busy webpages as I scrolled through them, and gaming like a champ. Even after a half-hour of playing Wuthering Waves with the settings maxed out, the phone kept churning out near-60fps frame rates. The surface of the phone saw some spots with temps reaching 106 degrees Fahrenheit, which isn’t exactly comfortable, but the phone still wasn’t painfully hot.

The OnePlus 13R gets a 6,000mAh battery much like the OnePlus 13, but it’s a single-cell battery rather than dual-cell. The result is slower charging speeds, though 55W charging is hardly slow. Of course, with that large battery, the OnePlus 13R is happy to plug along all day even with heavy use, and I’ve seen it easily hop along through two full days and into a third with lighter use.

OnePlus 13R – Cameras

The OnePlus 13R may have similar internals to the OnePlus 13 that came before it, but it unfortunately makes a handful of downgrades in the camera department to help keep its price down. Here are the cameras it packs:

  • 50MP wide, f/1.8, 1.0-micron, 1/1.56”, OIS, EIS
  • 8MP ultrawide, f/2.2, 1.12-micron, 1/4”, EIS
  • 50MP telephoto, 2x optical zoom, f/2.0, 0.64-micron, 1/2.75, EIS
  • 16MP Selfie, f/2.4, 1.0-micron, 1/3.09”, Fixed Focus. 82-degree FOV

The OnePlus 13R has a strong start with its primary, wide-angle sensor. This captures lovely photos with plenty of detail, a nice warm color, and pronounced background blur that lets you avoid using artificial portrait modes.

Unfortunately, OnePlus didn’t do as good a job getting the three rear sensors to match one another’s visual quality. Taking one photo with each sensor from the same spot, they exhibit distinct color differences. The main sensor provides natural color, while the ultra-wide adds a little extra warmth with a yellowish tint. The 2x telephoto is simply drab by comparison to either, seeming to brighten up shots more than necessary.

The 2x telephoto proves its value when zooming in on photos. Between its high resolution sensor and extra zoom, it manages to get more detail at range than the main sensor. It would have been great to see even more zoom range, especially as the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus 13 both offer 3x telephoto sensors. Still, the 2x sensor is better to have than not.

The ultra-wide is a bit more contentious. Its low resolution makes images look fairly soft when viewed closely. It may capture more scenery and be sharp enough for sharing from phone to phone, but it simply comes up lacking in detail when viewed on a computer monitor.

Selfies are vibrant and largely crisp. Some finer details wind up a bit soft when zoomed in on, such as facial hair. But overall, the selfies look great even when blown up on a large monitor.

One area the OnePlus 13R trims features from the full-fat models is in video recording. The OnePlus 13 was quite impressive with its 4K/60 Dolby Vision capabilities. While the OnePlus 13R can record in 4K/60, it can’t do so with ultra-steady stabilization enabled. It also lacks HDR video recording of any sort. Any recording above 1080p/30 also appears restricted to the main sensor – no high-resolution, high-frame-rate recording with the telephoto sensor.

How to Play the Monster Hunter Games in Order

15 février 2025 à 17:30

A year removed from its 20th anniversary, Capcom’s monster-hunting franchise returns in 2025 with Monster Hunter Wilds. The prolific series has lived through several generations of home and portable consoles, reaching new peaks with 2018’s Monster Hunter World and 2021’s Monster Hunter Rise — the series’ best-selling games to date and Capcom’s two best-selling games of all time.

With Monster Hunter Wilds out on February 28, we’re looking back on the franchise's history with a list of the series’ most important games, ordered chronologically by release date.

How Many Monster Hunter Games Are There?

There are upwards of 25 Monster Hunter games when considering all base games, spinoffs, mobile entries, and enhanced versions. However, for this list, we've compiled the 12 most relevant Monster Hunter games. Our list excludes mobile- and arcade-exclusive games (Monster Hunter i, Monster Hunter Spirits, etc.); previously shuttered MMOs (Monster Hunter Frontier, Monster Hunter Online); and the FromSoftware-developed, Japan-exclusive, Animal Crossing-like game Monster Hunter Diary: Poka Poka Airou Village.

Which Monster Hunter Game Should You Play First?

There is no continuous story throughout the Monster Hunter franchise, so you can take your pick of which game to start with. If you’re jumping into the world of Monster Hunter in 2025, you might want to wait and and see reactions to the latest game, Monster Hunter Wilds, which will be released on February 28. If you’re eager to try the series before investing in Wilds, we recommend Monster Hunter World or Monster Hunter Rise. World should appeal more to those who value exploration and immersion; Rise is better suited for those who put a higher value on speed and fluidity.

Every Monster Hunter Game in Release Order

Monster Hunter (2004)

Monster Hunter, alongside Auto Modellista and Resident Evil: Outbreak, was developed as part of a three-game plan to explore the market potential of the PS2’s online network, Capcom’s Ryozo Tsujimoto told Eurogamer in 2014.

The first Monster Hunter laid the foundation for the franchise, introducing many of the series’ defining systems. Players, on their own or with others online, are given quests to hunt monsters, after which they use materials harvested from the world and the monster’s remains to craft and upgrade weapons and armor before embarking to fight, well, stronger monsters.

An expanded version called Monster Hunter G was released exclusively in Japan the following year.

Monster Hunter Freedom (2005)

The series found its home on portable consoles in 2005 with Monster Hunter Freedom, an enhanced port of Monster Hunter G tuned for single-player play on the PSP. This first portable entry in the franchise sold over a million copies, according to Capcom, beginning a trend in which Monster Hunter’s portable versions handily outsold its home console counterparts — a trend that held until the breakout success of Monster Hunter World in 2018.

Monster Hunter 2 (2006)

Capcom returned to home console for the series’ second proper entry, Monster Hunter 2 (aka Monster Hunter Dos). It was released exclusively in Japan for PS2. Monster Hunter 2 introduced a day-night cycle and gems, further enhancing your opportunities for weapons and armor customization.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (2007)

The second handheld game in the series, Monster Hunter Freedom 2 again took the core of its home console counterpart (MH2) and built upon it with new content and a single-player focus. The game was expanded further in 2008’s Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, which added new monsters, missions, maps, and the ability to have a Felyne fighter join the player in battle.

Monster Hunter 3 (2009)

Monster Hunter 3 (aka Monster Hunter Tri) debuted in Japan in 2009, before being released internationally in 2010. The third mainline MH game was initially in development for the PS3, though it would eventually be released as a Wii exclusive. In addition to new monsters, weapons, and locations, Monster Hunter 3 introduced the series’ short-lived underwater combat.

It later came to Wii U and 3DS as Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate with new monsters, a reworked single-player experience, updated graphics, and a new multiplayer area.

Monster Hunter Portable 3rd (2010)

Like the two mainline entries before it, Monster Hunter 3 was tweaked and ported to PSP as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd. Unlike the two portable versions before it, this game also got a console release on PS3 as Monster Hunter Portable 3rd HD Ver.

Despite never being released in the West, Monster Hunter Portable 3rd is the best-selling game among Capcom’s handheld-exclusive Monster Hunters with 4.9 million copies sold.

Monster Hunter 4 (2013)

Monster Hunter 4 was originally released exclusively for 3DS, exclusively in Japan. Only the enhanced edition, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate (Monster Hunter 4G in Japan), was released globally as a launch game for New Nintendo 3DS. This generation of Monster Hunter games most notably improved traversal by pairing increased verticality with more fluid player movement. It also improved the single-player experience with a deeper story and more NPCs.

Monster Hunter Generations (2015)

Capcom followed up MH4 with Monster Hunter Generations (Monster Hunter X in Japan), another installment released exclusively for 3DS. Generations had, as our review stated, “the appeal of a greatest hits album,” blending old and (at the time) new mechanics from the series’ then-10-year history. Most notably, Generations featured new wrinkles to customization and combat through Hunting Styles and Arts.

Generations later received an enhanced edition, known as Monster Hunter Generations XX in Japan and Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate internationally. It was the first Monster Hunter game released on Nintendo Switch.

Monster Hunter Stories (2016)

Monster Hunter Stories is a spinoff that takes the action series into the world of RPGs. True to the genre, Stories trades in the real-time action of the mainline games for a turn-based combat system and puts more emphasis on story and exploration.

It was originally released for 3DS, though it’s since come to PS4, Switch, PC, and mobile.

Monster Hunter World (2018)

Monster Hunter World is, to date, the series’ high point from both a critical and commercial perspective. With 27 million copies sold, it’s the series’ (and Capcom’s) best-selling game, and with a Metascore of 90, it’s also the series’ best-reviewed game.

With World, Capcom moved the primary development of Monster Hunter back to home consoles, specifically PS4 and Xbox One. For the first time, it made a concerted effort to reach a wider Western audience by moving to a more seamless open-world design, reducing the learning curve of the series’ intricate systems, fully supporting online play with global servers, and releasing simultaneously across all regions.

A massive expansion, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne, was released the following year. Similar to the Ultimate versions of past games, Iceborne added new monsters and mechanics to the base game, as well as an all-new story that rivals the size of the campaign in World.

Monster Hunter Rise (2021)

Monster Hunter Rise is the series’ second best-performing game, ranking only behind World in terms of sales and Metascore. As the subtitle ‘World’ denotes the previous game’s more global approach, ‘Rise’ indicates a greater focus on verticality, a design decision supported by the introduction of the Wirebug, a new mechanic that enabled wall-climbing and overall more fluid traversal.

Rise builds off of the previous Switch entry, Generations Ultimate, as much as it does World, given World and Rise were, for a time, being developed in tandem. As stated in our review, “much of the streamlining World did has been carried forward” in Rise, while “other things like separate Village and Hub questlines for single- and multiplayer and the ability to tweak a weapon’s playstyle a bit return from older Monster Hunter games.”

Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak was released the following year. The expansion includes a new storyline, monsters, and locations.

Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin (2021)

Capcom followed Rise with Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, a sequel to the 2016 RPG. Co-developed by Marvelous Inc. (Story of Seasons), Wings of Ruin leans into tried-and-true JRPG systems like turn-based combat, character customization, and an emphasis on story. Stories 2 again lets you fight alongside monsters (aka Monsties) instead of strictly hunting them, creating a party system that should be familiar to anyone who’s played a Pokemon RPG.

Monster Hunter Wilds (2025)

Monster Hunter Wilds will be the latest game in the series when it’s released on February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Wilds is a mainline Monster Hunter game that builds on the design principles of World and Rise. It boasts “dynamic, ever-changing environments” and the series’ “most evolved action and improved immersion,” according to Capcom.

As noted in our 2024 Monster Hunter Wilds preview, it’s shaping up to be “a Monster Hunter that embraces the parts of Rise that made it so much more inviting but also doesn’t shy away from the larger scale and spectacle that helped make World the more enduring entry.”

Upcoming Monster Hunter Games

Next up for the franchise is the aforementioned Monster Hunter Wilds, due out February 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. You can read up on all we know about Wilds through our extensive IGN First coverage:

Capcom is also working alongside TiMi Studio Group (Call of Duty Mobile, Pokemon Unite) on Monster Hunter Outlanders, a free-to-play mobile game with multiplayer hunters and “a massive open world.” A release window for Outlanders has not yet been announced.

Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.

Infinity Nikki Codes (February 2025)

15 février 2025 à 10:00

If you're looking for Infinity Nikki codes, IGN has you covered! In this article, you'll find a list of active and working Infinity Nikki codes that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses in February 2025, including Diamonds and Energy Crystals.

Active Infinity Nikki Codes (February 2025)

Below, you'll find all the active and working Infinity Nikki codes in February 2025, the free rewards you get for redeeming them, and their expiry date (if known):

  • 1.2VERDISCORD - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15k Bling (NEW!)
  • 1.2VERREDDIT - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15k Bling (NEW!)
  • 1.2VERGLOBALGROUP - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15k Bling (NEW!)
  • Newstoryawaits - 60x Diamonds, 100x Shiny Bubbles, 100x Threads of Purity, 30,000 Bling
  • Newyearbliss - 60x Diamonds, 100x Shiny Bubbles, 100x Threads of Purity, 30,000 Bling
  • ハイキングDISCORD - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15,000x Bling
  • 无限暖暖新春补伧 (China server only) - 100x Diamond, 50x Threads of Purity, 20,000x Blings
  • 相聚于花焰绽放之附 (China server only) - 100x Diamond, 100x Shiny Bubbles, 100x Threads of Purity
  • 朝朝岁岁都暖暖 (China server only) - 100x Diamond, 50x Shiny Bubbles, 30,000x Bling
  • 心意加码福利 (China server only) - 10x Revelation Crystals
  • PEARFECTGUIDES - 10x Shining Particles, 15K Bling
  • NIKKIXWEBTOON - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15K Bling
  • ニキプレゼント1205 - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15K Bling
  • おめでとう - 50x Threads of Purity, 15K Bling
  • リリース - 10x Shining Particles, 15K Bling
  • インフィニティニキ - 15x Shiny Bubbles, 15K Bling
  • 無限暖暖公測開啟 - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15K Bling
  • 無限暖暖公測FB社團限定 - 10x Shining Particles, 15K Bling
  • インフィニキDISCORD - 50x Threads of Purity, 15K Bling
  • GROUPSTYLIST - 10x Shining Particles, 15K Bling
  • REDDITSTYLIST - 50x Shiny Bubbles, 15K Bling
  • DISCORDSTYLIST - 50x Threads of Purity, 15K Bling
  • INGIFT1205 - 50x Threads of Purity, 15K Bling

Expired Infinity Nikki Codes

The Infinity Nikki codes listed below have expired and are no longer working as of February 2025:

  • NIKKIFIREWORKS
  • NIKKIEXCURSIONTIME
  • NIKKINEWBLOOM2025
  • HEARTFELTGIFTS
  • NIKKIBEWITHYOU
  • NIKKIRELEASE
  • dreamweavernikki
  • NIKKI20241022
  • infinitynikki1205
  • BDAYSURPRISE
  • GIFTFROMMOMO
  • GIFTTONIKKI
  • nikkihappybirthday2024
  • NIKKITHEBEST
  • QUACKQUACK

How to Redeem Infinity Nikki Codes

To redeem Infinity Nikki codes, follow the steps below:

  1. Unlock your Pear-Pal during the Chapter 1: Wishes Without Wings - Land of Wishes main quest. It's about 20 minutes into your Infinity Nikki adventure.
  2. Open the Pear-Pal menu by pressing ESC on PC (or the Menu button when using an Xbox controller on PC), the Menu button on PlayStation, or by tapping the Pear-Pal icon in the top-left corner on mobile.
  3. Click on the gear icon to open the Settings menu.
  4. Scroll over to the Other tab.
  5. You’ll see a “Redeem Code” option here. Click on “Apply” and a Redeem Rewards pop-up menu will appear.
  6. Input your code into the “Enter the redeem code” field and tap “Apply.”
  7. If successful, a pop-up will appear showing your free rewards.

Why Isn't My Infinity Nikki Code Working?

If the Infinity Nikki code that you're trying to redeem isn't working, it's likely due to one of the following reasons:

  • There's a typo in the code.
  • The Infinity Nikki code is expired.

When inputting a code into Infinity Nikki, make sure there are no typos (Os instead of zeroes, capital Is instead of lowercase Ls, etc.) and that there are no accidental spaces before or after the code. If your Infinity Nikki code still doesn't work, it's probably expired and can no longer be redeemed.

How to Get More Infinity Nikki Codes

The best way to get more Infinity Nikki codes is to join the official Infinity Nikki Discord server. Once you're in, head to the #self-assign-roles channel and opt-in for the Redeem Code role. You'll receive a notification when a new code is released so you can receive your free rewards ASAP!

Alternatively, bookmark this Infinity Nikki Codes article, as we update it each time a new code comes out. The Discord server has missed a couple of codes posted to other channels, so we'd recommend checking our article every so often.

What is Infinity Nikki?

Developed by Infold Games, Infinity Nikki is a cozy, open-world RPG. You play as Nikki, as she's whisked away to the world of Miraland, a place where people make Wishes with the help of Stylists. You'll find and create a plethora of outfits and accessories, take on quests, and gather many types of collectibles with the help of Momo, Nikki's adorable feline companion.

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG or making miniatures.

Dress to Impress Codes (February 2025)

15 février 2025 à 17:00

If you're looking for DTI codes, IGN's got you covered! In this article, you'll find a list of all the active and working Dress to Impress codes in February 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses in DTI, including outfits and accessories like hats, bags, and jewelry.

Active Dress to Impress Codes (February 2025)

Here are all the active Dress to Impress codes in February 2025 and the free rewards you get for redeeming them:

  • CUPIDSCLOUD - Cloud accessory, expires March 1, 2025
  • ELLA - Skirt
  • 1CON1CF4TMA - Sweater dress
  • B3APL4YS_D0L1E - Doll accessory
  • MEGANPLAYSBOOTS - Boots
  • CH00P1E_1S_B4CK: Streetwear outfit set
  • S3M_0W3N_Y4Y: Axe
  • UMOYAE: Blue dress
  • KREEK: Bear hat
  • FASHION: Black and white dress
  • LANA: White shorts, shirt, and legwarmers
  • LANABOW: White bow
  • BELALASLAY: Black jacket with pink halter top
  • LANATUTU: White dress
  • IBELLASLAY: Red, green, and blonde hairstyle
  • M3RM4ID: Orange mermaid set
  • TEKKYOOZ: White handbag
  • M0T0PRINCESSWAV: Gold crown
  • LABOOTS: Black boots
  • ITSJUSTNICHOLAS: Black jacket
  • ASHLEYBUNNI: Bunny slippers
  • LEAHASHE: Sweatshirt and sweatpants
  • KITTYUUHH: Black cat
  • C4LLMEHH4LEY: Puffy dress and bear headband
  • SUBM15CY: Necklace and eyelashes
  • D1ORST4R: Bag and bow

All Expired Dress to Impress Codes

Below, you'll find a list of expired DTI codes that no longer work and can't be redeemed as of February 2025:

  • SWEETHEART (was only redeemable between February 15 and February 16, 2025 at 8AM PT)
  • LNY2025
  • YEAROFTHESNAKE
  • HAPPYNEWYEAR
  • NY2025
  • WINTERUPDATE (was only redeemable between 8 AM - 11 AM PT on Saturday, 14 December!)
  • 4BILLION
  • CHOOPIE10K
  • THEGAMES
  • EYELASHES
  • REWARD4CLASS1C

How to Redeem Dress to Impress Codes

Follow the steps below to redeem Dress to Impress codes and claim free rewards in DTI:

  1. Open the Dress to Impress Roblox Experience.
  2. Click on the handbag icon on the left-hand side to open the DTI Codes menu.
  3. Enter your code in the "Type here..." field.
  4. Check for any spelling mistakes or errors.
  5. Click the checkmark icon to redeem the code.

Why Isn't My Dress to Impress Code Working?

If the code you're trying to redeem in DTI isn't working, it's likely because of one of two reasons:

  • The Dress to Impress code is expired
  • There's a spelling mistake in the code

When inputting a DTI code in Roblox, make sure it's spelled correctly (for example, a capital I isn't a lowercase l, 0 and not O, and vice versa) and that there are no spaces before or after the code. We'd recommend copying and pasting codes straight from our article to ensure they're correct as we've tested and verified that the codes on this page are working ourselves.

If your DTI code still isn't working after checking for typos, it's more than likely expired and can no longer be redeemed in Dress to Impress.

How to Get More DTI Codes

To get more Dress to Impress codes, the best way is to join the official DTI Discord server. While we check for new codes daily, the quickest way to know about new Dress to Impress codes is to follow the Roblox experience's official Discord server where updates are posted in real time.

You can also check the Dress to Impress X account and the official DTI Roblox Group page.

Are There Any Upcoming DTI Codes?

Now that the Sweetheart Dress rework code has been released, we don't know of any other upcoming Dress to Impress codes. It's possible we could see a new code when Style Showdown is released on March 1, 2025, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

What is Dress to Impress in Roblox?

Dress to Impress is a popular dress-up Roblox Experience available on PC, console, and iOS and Android mobile devices. In it, you put on your best outfit to complete a specific theme and walk the runway in a bid to earn votes from other players and become a top model. As you gain votes, you gain ranks and can access more clothing and accessories, so make sure you're truly dressed to impress!

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG or making miniatures.

UK Deals: I'm Snapping Up These Pokémon TCG Triple Boosters Whilst Everyone's Sleeping On Them

15 février 2025 à 16:30

Pokémon TCG sets come and go. before you know it, those packs you ignored are worth double on the resale market. Some seriously overlooked triple-pack blisters are still easy to grab at retail, but I don't think that'll be the case for much longer. With Stellar Crown, Twilight Masquerade, Shrouded Fable, Obsidian Flames, and Paldean Fates all being hot in their own way, these blisters give you a great shot at pulling some of the most stunning and valuable cards of the Scarlet & Violet era.

UK Deals: I'm Snapping Up These Pokémon TCG Triple Boosters

I'll be honest, I've already grabbed a few of these. If you're thinking about picking up some Pokémon TCG products before the end of 2025, these blisters are where I'd put my money. Not only do you get three booster packs, but the promo cards in each of these sets are bound to become more challenging to find once these go out of print. And trust me, once people realise what they're missing, these will be selling for way more than their current price.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Stellar Crown 3-Pack Blister

I think Stellar Crown might be the most underrated set in the Scarlet & Violet series right now. Everyone's been raving about Temporal Forces and Twilight Masquerade, but Stellar Crown has some perfect pulls. If you love Special Illustration Rares, this is the set for you — cards like Terapagos ex (170/142) and Bulbasaur (143/142) look insane. The prices of these are already climbing. My personal favourite? Squirtle (148/142) has that mischievous energy I love to see on a classic Gen I Pokémon card.

What is the best part about picking up a Stellar Crown triple-pack blister? The value in these packs is solid from ripping them open to stashing them away. The set will only get rarer as people chase down all those gorgeous crystal-style Terastal Pokémon, so grabbing a few blisters now feels like a smart move.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Twilight Masquerade 3-Pack Blister

Twilight Masquerade is going to be the set people regret not buying more of in a year or two. Why? Greninja ex (214/167). This card has already hit £300, and I don't see it dropping anytime soon. It's got everything — nostalgia, incredible artwork, and that cool factor that keeps Greninja one of the most popular Pokémon ever.

Outside of that, Twilight Masquerade is packed with bangers. I'm a big fan of Bloodmoon Ursaluna ex (216/167) — it's a powerhouse card with a unique playstyle. The Special Illustration Rare artwork makes it feel like something straight out of a Studio Ghibli film. Then there's Cassiopeia (094/064), easily one of the best Trainer cards we've seen in years regarding collectibility and playability. If you want to get ahead of the hype, these blisters are easy to pick up.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Shrouded Fable

Shrouded Fable was overshadowed by the bigger Scarlet & Violet sets, but that means better opportunities for anyone paying attention. Since fewer people are opening these packs, the best cards are going to be harder to find — and we've already seen Duskull (068/064) and Dusknoir (070/064) start to rise in value thanks to their incredible linked artwork and competitive playability.

I love the Special Illustration Rare Pecharunt ex (093/064). It's the best promo Legendary we've had in ages, and the Pecharunt-themed deck is one of the coolest to play with right now. I'm also betting that Persian (078/064) will be a sleeper hit for collectors. It's a stunning Gen I artwork card, and we all know those tend to age very well in the Pokémon TCG market.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Obsidian Flames

Obsidian Flames hasn't gotten the love it deserves for a Charizard set. But that means the triple-pack blisters are an absolute steal right now. Everyone knows Charizard ex (Special Illustration Rare, 228/197) is the biggest hit. Still, even the regular Charizard ex (Ultra Rare, 125/197) is seeing solid demand. If history has taught us anything, any Charizard-heavy set is worth picking up before prices go crazy.

That said, Ninetales (Illustration Rare, 190/197) is my favourite card in this set. The artwork is stunning — seriously, this might be the best Ninetales card ever printed. If you're a collector, these blisters are worth picking up for the Charizard factor alone. Still, there's way more to Obsidian Flames than just fire-breathing lizards.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates Tech Sticker Collection

Look, I love Shiny Pokémon cards. And Paldean Fates is packed with them. This set has over 130 Shiny Pokémon, and the pull rates make it one of the most fun sets to crack open. But I think these blisters are worth picking up now because of Shiny Pikachu (131/091). This thing is already going for nearly £50. Demand will only go up with no guarantee that we'll get another Shiny Pikachu anytime soon.

Beyond that, Shiny Gardevoir ex (233/091) is the best-looking card in the set and one of the most playable. And if you're a fan of Gen I nostalgia, Charmander (109/091) and Charmeleon (110/091) are must-haves — they're part of one of the best Charizard decks in Standard right now. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole evolution line is expensive down the road.

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.

Captain America: Brave New World Is the MCU’s Military Fetishism at Its Worst

15 février 2025 à 14:00

Warning: This piece contains full spoilers for Captain America: Brave New World.

Gear up Marvel fans, because Captain America: Brave New World is now in theaters. The fourth entry in the Cap series and the first installment starring Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson as the title character has a lot going on, from finally tying off all of the loose threads from The Incredible Hulk to laying the groundwork for the next incarnation of the Avengers. Unfortunately, Brave New World stumbles both as an enjoyable action film and as a story with a coherent political philosophy. IGN reviewer Tom Jorgensen said that Brave New World “feels neither brave, nor all that new,” and a large part of that comes down to the film not committing to the kind of dramatic meat a movie about Sam Wilson’s Captain America would need to feel fresh and vital.

In fact, compared to many of the MCU’s previous efforts, Brave New World feels timid and spineless, retreating to the safety of easy both-sides platitudes and romanticizing the U.S. military. Let’s take a look at why Captain America’s latest adventure sadly misses the mark.

The President Ross Problem

If you thought Thaddeus Ross, here played by Harrison Ford taking up the role from the late William Hurt, was only going to be a glorified cameo, you would be wrong. Not only does Ross become the Red Hulk as shown in the marketing, he’s essentially the film’s second lead. Having now ascended to the Oval Office, Ross is the axis on which the film pivots, because the core dramatic question in play is whether or not he can become a better man after his years as the “Hulk Hunter” general who has plagued superhumans in the past. Multiple conversations between characters where Ross isn’t even present hinge on whether or not they believe he is capable of moral change, with Sam Wilson being one of the voices mostly in the affirmative, and the film’s villain, Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns, being in the negative.

Sam spending so much time defending Ross despite the latter clearly being morally compromised raises the question of why he has so much faith in a man who once imprisoned him.

That a movie supposedly about Sam Wilson inheriting one of the most prominent superhero legacies in the MCU is so preoccupied with the humanity of what has up to this point in the franchise been a tertiary character is more than a little strange. Sam spending so much time defending Ross despite the latter clearly being morally compromised raises the question of why Sam has so much faith in a man who once imprisoned him. The idea that Sam might be playing softball with Ross is only paid lip service in dialogue with Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), but the thread never goes anywhere. This becomes worse when Ross asks Sam to help him rebuild the Avengers, and Sam asks what would happen if they disagree on how to handle a situation, something that literally does not happen at any point in the movie. It’s a dramatic trigger the movie sets up and never actually pulls.

Brave New World refusing to make a proper distinction between Sam and Ross doesn’t just rob the movie of potential drama; it warps the film’s political philosophy to the point that Sam can’t stand for anything besides vague “we should all see the best in each other” grade school moralizing. It also means that Ross, in no small part due to Ford’s committed performance, becomes the most interesting person in the movie (which is funny when comic Red Hulk wasn’t that great to begin with) because his barely contained rage and struggle to be the man he wants his daughter to see him as makes him into a well-defined character. Sam, on the other hand, is mostly coasting on Mackie’s charm and easygoing chemistry with Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon. When Ross sternly tells Sam that he’s “not Steve Rogers,” I couldn’t help but think the reason why is because Steve’s worldview was something the audience could understand. Sam’s? Not so much.

Enlist or Desist

Spending so much time on litigating the President’s redeeming qualities is also indicative of a wider problem of the MCU’s fealty to the United States government, in particular the Armed Forces. It’s not a unique observation to say that the MCU has slipped into military fetishism in the past, but it reaches a new level in Brave New World, to the point of damaging the film’s narrative credibility. Virtually every major character in the movie is either a current or past member of the US military, Secret Service, or associated with warfare in some other capacity, such as the Serpent Society. The argument could be made that this makes sense in the context of a Captain America story or political thriller, but that idea falls apart when you look at the history of these characters in the comics.

In the MCU, Sam Wilson was an Air Force pararescueman before he met Steve Rogers. But in the comics, he was a social worker in Harlem who worked with the underprivileged in his community. Joaquin Torres? He was a young man who provided food and essential supplies for Mexican immigrants crossing the border. Leila Taylor (Xosha Roquemore), Sam’s Secret Service friend in the film? She was a Black rights activist who was heavily skeptical of the US government. Taking so many characters of color who were in some way adversarial to the people in power in the source material and making them unquestioning members of the government apparatus is an alarming choice. It highlights not just a lack of creativity, but also a lack of conviction on Marvel Studios’ part to give its characters genuine political dimension.

That’s not to say you can’t have good or insightful stories with military-themed superheroes. Some characters simply have military service in their bones. Steve Rogers will always be a World War II veteran who fought the Third Reich. Carol Danvers’ history as an Air Force pilot is an essential part of her backstory. James Rhodes would feel incomplete without his time in the Armed Forces. But the MCU has added military stylization to many characters who don’t need it, raising the question of why they feel the urge to turn so many vigilantes into agents of the state. It’s hard to take Tony Stark’s insistence in The Avengers that “we are not soldiers” seriously when it seems Marvel Studios doesn’t agree.

Loyal to the Dream

What makes Brave New World’s military fetish feel especially sour is that the MCU is capable of making films that don’t worship the army. The franchise taking so much inspiration from the original Ultimate universe (which had darker/edgier takes on many characters and a lot more military or government service going around) and changing the Avengers from an independent group of superheroes who united to serve a higher cause into a paramilitary strike force assembled by government agency SHIELD may have been the genesis of this problem, but the series managed to transcend that in various films during the Infinity Saga.

Iron Man 3 is a staunch critique of the US military-industrial complex and the ways government propaganda can create minority villains to demonize so they can justify invading foreign countries. Captain America: The Winter Soldier showed why a spy agency like SHIELD would be the perfect place for Nazis to fester with official positions within the government. Thor: Ragnarok made the case that nations built on bloodshed like Asgard cannot and should not be saved. But the time when Marvel was willing to make movies with political nuance are far behind it, instead focusing squarely on the morality of individual characters’ actions instead of the macro consequences. That’s how you wind up with a film starring a Black Captain America that feels far more concerned with a white President Ross.

This tendency is also just a complete misunderstanding of Captain America as a character. People who haven’t read the comics or who automatically associate Cap with his government because of the name and costume don’t get that he’s not and never has been a political stooge. Steve Rogers has physically fought both Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan in comics canon. He has gone on the run from the government several times, abandoning the name and shield for identities like Nomad or the Captain when he felt he couldn’t support the current regime. Captain America, both Steve and Sam, are representations of a greater ideal, symbolizing what America should be, not what it is. But while watching Captain America: Brave New World, none of that spirit has made the translation into the MCU’s milquetoast take on Sam Wilson’s Cap.

There’s a famous panel in Daredevil #233 by Frank Miller where in conversation with an army general, Steve Rogers says “I’m loyal to nothing, General – except the dream.” It’s probably the most perfect summation of Captain America ever written. Alas, it’s also something the MCU sorely needs to remember.

Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Bluesky.

The Duelhawk Ultra 2 is a High-End Gaming Chair You Should Avoid

15 février 2025 à 05:38

Gaming chairs have a lot of bad stereotypes – you’ll hear “they’re uncomfortable, they’re poorly made, they’re more concerned with good looks than good ergonomics.” While these don’t apply to every chair (and certainly not the best gaming chairs we've reviewed), the Duelhawk Ultra 2 checks far too many of those negative boxes to be a good recommendation. Its high asking price and uncomfortable design makes this a gaming chair best avoided.

Duelhawk Ultra 2 – Design and Features

The Duelhawk Ultra 2 is the successor to the original Ultra which was released in 2022 for around $450, which was positively reviewed overall and, for all intents and purposes, was a pretty standard racing-style gaming chair. On the surface, the Ultra 2 looks pretty similar and trades the all-PU leather or all-fabric design for a mix of materials. The back and seat are a bit flatter, and it has lumbar and neck pillows but doesn’t have the elastic straps to keep it in place.

Zoomed out, it looks like a fresh version of the Ultra, which is what you would expect…until you see that Duelhawk has tripled the price and is asking for $1,300, seemingly marked down from $2,199. Wait, what? That makes the Duelhawk Ultra 2 one of the most expensive gaming chairs you can buy, positioning it alongside Steelcase and Herman-Miller – that’s quite a change from the original.

Let me be clear here: I don’t have anything against expensive computer chairs. They have their place, but as I looked closer at the Ultra 2 on paper and gave it a close once-over in photos, I struggled to see what was different enough to justify tripling the price of the original.

Now that it’s here and I’ve spent a week testing it, I can say for sure: it’s ridiculously overpriced. There are positive qualities about it such as the high-quality materials and top-notch choice in fabrics, which Duelhawk boasts. The PU leather is soft and breathable, and the fabric on its seat and back is stylish and pillowy (though it captures pet hairs almost immediately).

The mechanical and structural bits are also quite good. It uses an aluminum wheelbase and oversized casters for easy movement. The tilt base is clearly heavy-duty, as is the gas piston that controls height. The armrests have this nice mirrored plating that’s almost identical to Secretlab, and I really like the look, even if the pads on top are too stiff to lean your elbows on for very long.

Looking for a chair worth its price?

Be sure to check out our roundup of the best gaming chairs!

I also like that the seat and back are both wide and can accommodate different sitting styles, like crossing one or both legs underneath you. It's also well-suited for people of different sizes, from 5’3” to 6’3” height and up to 300 pounds in weight.

The Ultra 2 tries to distinguish itself with its “advanced ergonomics.” There are certainly ergonomic elements to it with the memory foam lumbar and neck pillows that are adjustable using its unique rail system, also trimmed in a nice and soft fabric. The backrest also bolts into the tilt base with a thick steel leaf, so anytime you lean back, the lumbar support stays in the right position.

This does mean that there isn’t any traditional recline, however. Since the backrest is attached to the base instead of independent arms like most other bucket-style gaming chairs, you can’t simply pull a lever and lean back into a deeper horizontal position. Rather, you can lean back into a deep rock but the seat tilts with you. You can adjust the tension of its movement using a knob on the bottom or lock it into an upright position using a lever on the bottom.

One of the most interesting features of the chair is that aforementioned rail system, centered in the backrest to adjust the lumbar and neck pillows. A cartridge fastens to the back of each pillow which is threaded through the gap and clamped in place. When you need to make an adjustment, you lift up the bottom of the pillow to unlock it from the rail and move it up or down along metal notches. This system also allows air to travel through for improved breathability. The chair is light on other adjustments – you can adjust seat height using a lever on the bottom and the armrests, which offer the usual height, angle, depth, and rotation adjustments, but that’s it.

Duelhawk Ultra 2 – Assembly

Assembling the Ultra 2 isn't complicated, but still manages to be annoying. If you've ever built a gaming chair before, most of the steps will be identical. It comes completely disassembled, which means you need to attach the arms, tilt base, casters, gas piston, and wheelbase, and the backrest then needs to be attached to the seat. This process doesn’t stray too far from the usual basics.

The differences come with attaching the backrest to the seat and the cushions to the backrest. To be clear, I've built many chairs that have a similar attachment system for the backrest. However, the Ultra 2 is so inexact in its design that it is difficult to do by yourself. There's a slot in the tilt base where the backrest lead fits in, but the problem is that the slot is so wide that it doesn't actually hold the leaf in place and it can easily pop out.

Imagine the awkwardness of trying to balance a heavy seat and a long heavy backrest, holding it perfectly in place while also trying to thread a bolt through and fasten it with the included hex wrench. After ten minutes, I just flipped the entire backrest upside down and let gravity help hold it in place because normal assembly tactics were just not working with the given directions. If you have someone to help you, it won't be too bad, but trying to do this by yourself is just obnoxious.

Attaching the pillows is simple enough, but be sure not to mix up the cartridges between the lumbar and neck. They are bagged separately and I would suggest leaving them that way so they don't get mixed up in the process. There seem to be subtle differences that are hard to make out by eye, but if you do mix them up like I must have, the headrest will rattle with an obnoxious metal-on-metal sound any time it’s moved. You'll also want to make sure that you leave the headrest fairly loose so it's easier to adjust.

Duelhawk Ultra 2 – Performance

With the chair built, I was excited to sit in it and enjoy all of the added comfort the proclaimed “meticulously engineered and advanced ergonomics” would bring. To its credit, the seat cushion is soft, the fabric is pleasant to the touch, the pillows are soft, and you can reliably get them to stay in place after adjusting. The chair feels solid and durable and I’m not worried about it breaking anytime soon.

Unfortunately, that's about where my positive sentiments end. The first thing I noticed when leaning back in it for the first time is that I could feel the hard mounting plate of the cartridge through both pillows and especially in the lumbar. The pillows are made of memory foam, but it's not thick enough to hide the hard edges underneath and completely undermines whatever comfort they might otherwise provide.

While more lightweight users may not face this issue, I’m by no means a heavier person, coming in at 175 pounds – and yet, I could feel it in my back plain as day. The discomfort wasn’t as prevalent in the neck pillow, but I was still able to feel it.

The rail system is smart in concept, but it’s poorly executed. Essentially, the back has a steel ladder embedded in it and the pillows hook into notches to stay in place. It works, but it’s loud, and feels clunky, literally. The headrest is also hard to adjust, even with the screws on the cartridge loosened to the point that I worry they’ll come out over time. It routinely got stuck in place in such a way that I had to use my shoulder to apply more force or physically stand up to adjust it.

Thankfully, the lumbar is much easier to move, which is a consolation considering that you’re stuck with this system without any kind of additional lumbar support. You don’t have much of a choice given the chair’s plain backrest is flat and uncomfortable. The best solution I found was to remove the cartridge, but then have the pillows only held in place by your body weight. I kept the neck pillow mounted since the hard edges weren’t as prominent and took to just readjusting the lumbar whenever I sat forward.

The armrests offer enough adjustability to feel supportive whether you're typing on a keyboard or playing a game with a controller. They do feel outdated, however. I've been very pleased to see the gaming chair industry move towards softer materials for the armrests, and while these are not made of a hard plastic, they're firm enough to make my elbows sore if I leaned on them for more than a couple of minutes at a time.

At this price point, it’s impossible to ignore its limitations... This is a gaming chair that is best avoided.

The recline system also leaves more to be desired as the product page feels a bit disingenuous. It claims up to 175 degrees of recline, but because this works in conjunction with the seat, which admittedly is more ergonomic, it's just not practical to lean back that far for any length of time. Your knees wind up pointing toward the ceiling and, frankly, it makes you feel like you’re going to fall backward.

Increasing the tension of the tilt is also a necessity. My sample came very loose, so the first time I sat in it, I actually almost fell backward. Tightening it down is a chore since it's harder than necessary to turn the knob sufficiently to get enough tension. There's definite room for refinement here.

So, what you're left with is a chair that is very similar in appearance to an average gaming chair that would be hundreds of dollars cheaper (if not, over a $1,000 less), and still be less comfortable and missing features.

Amazon Has a Big Discount on the Coolest Pokémon Mega Set Today

15 février 2025 à 02:32

There are a lot of really cool LEGO Nintendo sets on the market, but unfortunately, none of them are Pokémon sets. There are, however, some really awesome Mega Pokémon sets you can buy and they are actually pretty great. One such set is this motion Eevee set that is on sale for 50% off on Amazon today.

This 1366-piece building set includes a crank that allows for authentic running movement. It's a similar design to the recent LEGO Mario & Yoshi set that came out just last year, but quite a bit cheaper.

The Best Mega Pokémon Set Deals Today

There are two different versions of this set available: Eevee and Pikachu. Only the Eevee set is currently receiving such a massive discount. This set is currently down to its lowest ever price, give or take a few cents. This a great deal on a really cool set that we don't see very often.

The set itself moves the legs, tail, and head via an internal mechanized structure. It uses many of the types of pieces you'd expect to find in a LEGO technic set to achieve this level of motion. The crank that makes it all happen is set in the buildable base and needs to be manually turned to achieve the running motion advertised in the set. If you like this set, you can check out more from this line below.

Are LEGO bricks compatible with Mega Bloks?

The short answer to this question is that regular MEGA Bloks will generally work with other LEGO sets. So in the case of these Pokémon sets, you should have no problem placing the characters on top of another LEGO creation. That being said, there are some inconsistencies with compatibility between the two brands and some types of pieces may not fit together well.

Why Aren't There any LEGO Pokémon Sets

As much as I would also love to see some actual LEGO Pokémon sets rather than the MEGA sets that already exist, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon. This is due to the licensing agreement between Mattel and The Pokémon Company that gives them exclusive rights to these types of sets.

Looking for more Presidents' Day sales? We've found the best Amazon deals from the sale and more.

The HP President's Day Sale Starts Now: The Best Deals on Omen Laptops and Prebuilt Gaming PCs

15 février 2025 à 02:30

The HP President's Day Sale is now live with some great deals on Omen gaming laptops and prebuilt gaming PCs. This year's sale is better than previous years thanks to a 20% off coupon code "DUO20" that works on select gaming laptop and PC configurations. HP is also one of the very few large-scale OEM PC manufacturers that is still offering an RTX 5090 system available for order. Check out the full list below.

President's Day Gaming PC Deals (and New Releases)

President's Day Gaming Laptop Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.

Preorder the HP Omen 45L RTX 5090 Prebuilt Gaming PC

HP just added the option to add the GeForce RTX 5090 GPU as an upgrade to one of its flagship HP Omen 45L prebuilt gaming PCs and, fortunately, it is very reasonably priced for a prebuilt RTX 5090 desktop relative to what we've seen from other brands. Put your order in sooner than later because, unless HP has readily available 5090 GPUs in its inventory (unlikely), these prebuilts will probably have a bit of a lead time before they ship out.

HP Omen 45L RTX 4090 Gaming PC

For $1,400 less, you can opt for this Omen 45 prebuilt gaming PC equipped with an RTX 4090 GPU. This is still the second most powerful GPU on the market - faster than the RTX 5080 Super by a fair margin - and only lags about 20%-30% behind the RTX 5090 in rasterized performance. In his RTX 4090 review, Chris Coke writes, "The RTX 4090 may be huge and expensive, but holy smokes if it doesn’t blow the competition out of the water... Until the rest of the pack can catch up, between its impressive hardware specs and its DLSS 3 AI wizardry, even the $1,599 price doesn’t seem unreasonable for the unrivaled frame rates that this card can crank out." The 4090 is also great for AI thanks to its 24GB of VRAM.

HP Omen 35L RTX 4080 Super Gaming PC

If you don't have the urge to flex those 5090 or 4090 muscles, and you only care about eeking out top notch 4K gaming performance, then the RTX 4080 Super delivers power in spades and at a much more reasonable price point. You'll be able to handle any game in 4K at high frame rates, even with ray tracing enabled. It's 5-10% faster in performance than the RTX 4080 thanks to its higher base clock speed, higher CUDA core count, and higher memory bandwidth. It trades blows with AMD's most powerful GPU, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, but the RTX 4080 Super pulls ahead in ray tracing performance and where DLSS 3.0 is supported. It's nearly identical in performance to the new RTX 5080 GPU.

HP Omen Gaming Laptops

The OMEN is HP's most popular series of gaming laptops. They offer great performance at a very affordable price point. All Omen laptops are equipped with GPUs that have the maximum TGP rating allowed for that particular model. For example, both the RTX 4060 has RTX 4070 boast a 115W TGP (+ 25W dynamic boost). Both 16" and 17" models are on sale for Presidents' Day.

HP Omen Transcend OLED Slim Gaming Laptops

The Omen Transcend is HP's newest gaming laptop and it's lighter and thinner than the standard Omen, weighing in as low as 3.6lbs. It boasts better build quality and materials like a premium all-metal (aluminum) chassis, Corning gorilla glass display, and some models are even equipped with a gorgeous OLED panel. The Omen Transcend is an excellent option for anyone who wants a slim and easily portable laptop while still being able to play the latest games.

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.

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