Remedy Entertainment has announced Control: Resonant, the follow-up to IGN’s 2019 Game of the Year, Control at the 2025 Game Awards. It’s due out in 2026 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X and S, and it aims to be anything but a straightforward sequel.

For starters, you’re not playing as Jesse Faden anymore. Instead, it’s seven years later and you’ll take control of her younger brother, Dylan. He was taken by the Federal Bureau of Control at age 10, ending up in a coma after being inflicted by The Hiss. And speaking of The Hiss, it’s escaped The Oldest House where the first Control was set, spilling out onto the streets of Manhattan and turning it into a very bizarre place (as you can see in the trailer), overrun and literally twisted and folded by supernatural forces.

But the protagonist and setting aren’t the only significant departures for Control: Resonant. The style of combat differs as well. You won’t be wielding Jesse’s transforming Service Weapon. Instead, Dylan gets up close and personal with a crude, transforming melee weapon called the Aberrant, which will be augmented by Dylan’s supernatural special abilities. At first glance, it reminds me a bit of the lightsaber/Force powers combo in Respawns Jedi Fallen Order and Jedi Survivor games. I asked Remedy about the combat feel of Control: Resonant, and creative director Mikael Kasurinen told me: “Our combat is quite unique, and it has that Control DNA. It's push-forward, fast, and proactive. You master the combination of weapon blows and supernatural abilities, and chase enemies down. Dylan is nimble and light on his feet; movement is integral to our combat loop.

“Preparation is also crucial, creating a build that clicks with you; and a huge part of the experience is tactical thinking: How to combine shape-shifting melee attacks with supernatural abilities while in motion.

“There are intricacies to how you shape your character, and a lot of different progression systems that allow you to become more versatile, and stronger.”

So yes, you’ll be able to customize your builds. You’ll also encounter side quests and other factions to contend with. Meanwhile, enemies will have paranatural attacks, and they can traverse the environment as quickly as you can.

Remedy says that you don’t have to have played the first Control to understand the story here, and that the two games are, well… siblings.

"This is not a safe sequel," Kasurinen promises.

Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full.

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.

Full spoilers follow for Pluribus Episode 7, “The Gap,” which is available now on Apple TV.

Portrait of two lonely people. This is a woman, and this is a man, and they have nothing, and nobody, left in the world. Two human beings who are dying… But little do they know that their salvation, and that of the human race itself, awaits them… in The Twilight Zone.

Wait, wait! Make that, The Pluribus Zone!

We’ve already talked about Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan’s love of sci-fi, and while he’s clearly woven many genre tropes into his very buzzy new show – from end of the world concepts to telling stories about the real world through the thinly veiled layer of metaphor – for some reason this week’s episode, “The Gap,” gave me Rod Serling vibes in particular. Maybe it’s how “The Gap” bears similarity to various Twilight Zone premises: in Carol’s case, the exploration of a loneliness that can drive a person to the brink of insanity (“Where Is Everybody?”); for Manousos, it’s his dogged determination to make it through a dangerous landscape (“I Shot an Arrow into the Air”); and for the pair of them, it’s the idea of the last woman and last man left alive who are forced together to save humankind (“Two”). Of course, those ideas in and of themselves aren’t unique to Serling’s classic show either, but the combination of them all here really has me in a New Year’s Eve marathon mood three weeks early.

After months of speculation and a revealing leak earlier this week, Capcom has finally, officially confirmed what we all knew: Leon S. Kennedy is in Resident Evil Requiem, and he's here to kick butt.

Tonight, at The Game Awards 2025, a fresh trailer for Resident Evil Requiem saw Leon fully revealed, swinging into action as the now-grizzled veteran zombie fighter we all know and love.

We learned what many of us had expected, that Leon will feature as one of two playable characters, alongside the previously announced Grace Ashcroft. While Grace's campaign focuses on survival horror, Leon's separate antics will focus on action.

Earlier this week, the reveal of new Resident Evil: Requiem cover art featuring Leon finally put to bed one of this year's biggest gaming mysteries — something developer Capcom has itself refused to address — just days ahead of Requiem's appearance tonight.

Rumors have persisted for months over Leon's involvement in Resident Evil: Requiem, with Capcom specifically declining to answer IGN's questions over the character back at Gamescom in August. The game's developers have even suggested that Leon would be a poor fit as a protagonist for the game's quieter sections as he is now too grizzled to be scared. But through all of this, Capcom left itself with just enough wiggle room for Leon to still be lurking somewhere — presumably during Requiem's more action-packed sequences.

Despite Leon's involvement now being confirmed, Requiem may still have secrets left in store. There was no mention tonight of a potential third playable character — something raised earlier this week by a GameStop listing that referenced Rosemary Winters.

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

The Dungeons & Dragons franchise has been steadily making more attempts to expand into video games, and we're seeing that next effort with Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, a new open-world single-player action-RPG that's all about wielding dark magic to battle foes.

Just revealed at The Game Awards 2025, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons is the next project from developer Invoke Studios, the creators of Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance. Set in the D&D universe, Warlock focuses on the adventures of the warrior Kaatri, who embraces newfound dark powers to unleash some otherworldly magic in her fight against the forces invading the land.

"Warlock is a third-person action-adventure game built around immersive, expressive magic where you use spellcraft to solve challenges and take down monsters — and you do it all in your own creative way across all facets of the game," said Jeff Hattem, creative lead at Invoke Studios.

​Prior to the reveal, we got an early look at Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons and learned from the developers about the game's approach to "immersive, expressive magic" in its third-person combat and exploration across a connected open world. In the CG trailer, we get to see a variety of foes, such as undead warriors and even a Beholder monster that has been the bane of many D&D veterans.

​According to the developers, the new action-RPG is all about stepping into the "warlock fantasy," and the main narrative will be leaning into the lore of the D&D universe to focus on the story of Kaati — played by Tricia Helfer of Battlestar Galactica fame — as she goes down the path of the warlock. As it goes with D&D, warlocks form bonds with otherworldly beings known as Patrons, and the relationship between Kaatri and her patron will be one of the campaign's core stories.

​The developers stated that the gameplay would lean into player agency, with players using Kaatri's abilities and magic to overcome challenges. Though the team would not say outright whether it has immersive-sim qualities, they pointed to their previous work on games like Watch Dogs, Deus Ex, and Far Cry for the type of experiences Warlock aims to channel.

That freeform nature is a critical part of the traditional tabletop experience. However, the devs were clear that this new action-RPG is not really a traditional RPG. They also believe that its player-agency-driven experience will serve as a solid entry point for newcomers to the D&D universe.

"We're not trying to simulate the tabletop RPG experience, so there is no dice-rolling in the game — we're trying to really deliver a video-game experience first," said Dominic Guay, studio lead at Invoke Studios. "If you are not familiar with Dungeons and Dragons, you are not going to feel friction, like in that you're missing details of the world. But if you are a fan of the universe, you are going to be really excited about what we are doing with the lore of the series for Warlock."

After we only got a look at the CG trailer, the developers stated that a larger gameplay reveal is set for later in summer 2026. For more on reveals from The Game Awards 2025, check out our roundup of all the announcements from the show.

Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Even after two years since its reveal at The Game Awards 2023, Archetype Entertainment's sci-fi action-RPG Exodus is still something of a mystery. Set in an original sci-fi universe from Wizards of the Coast – of Dungeons & Dragons fame – Exodus focuses on the accelerated evolution of human and alien civilizations, with players deciding the fate of different factions and humanity within the warring galaxy. Also, Matthew McConaughey will play a pivotal character who will guide players on that journey.

Prior to the reveal of the newest trailer at The Game Awards 2025, we got an early look and learned from the devs how the time dilation system will influence the player's story, in what they refer to as an adventure that feels like "Indiana Jones meets Interstellar."

"We try to give players a lot of agency in everything they do. Our goal is to almost make them feel like co-authors in the story, and not just along for the ride," said Chris King, game director on Exodus. "When it comes to Jun's story, you basically make a ton of moral choices, and then you see them play out across multiple generations due to time dilation."

With sci-fi author Peter F. Hamilton working with Wizards of the Coast to build the history and lore of Exodus, along with developer Archetype Entertainment having many former-Bioware devs on board, it's certainly tapping into the same tone and scale of the much-loved Mass Effect series. But in Exodus, the developers aim to present player consequences in a different way, with time as a constant force.

Set in the Centauri Cluster in the far future, Exodus follows humanity as it struggles to survive in its new home, Lidon, after the collapse of Earth. With their new home world also collapsing, lone human scavenger Jun discovers they have the ability to control mysterious artifacts from a powerful alien force known as Celestials, which allows him to help give humanity a chance at survival. But over the course of their journey, Jun will first see the results of their choices, shaped by interstellar time dilation, forcing them to directly confront the positive and negative consequences in the ever-changing galaxy.

The latest trailer offers a clearer glimpse of the stakes driving Exodus' main story, which sees protagonist Jun explore the galaxy with their allies and encounter factions shaped by their choices – including some human factions that have evolved into alien-like races over generations. Much like the Mass Effect series from BioWare, Exodus leans into player choice, and this also includes options for players to customize Jun's appearance and gender to fit their type of story.

During the developer interviews, the creative team explained that, in addition to narrative choices, the core combat and traversal will also offer options, such as going all out with Jun's arsenal of weapons and celestial powers, or using more stealthy tactics to overcome rival factions and complete complex tasks.

According to Drew Karpyshyn, narrative director on Exodus and former BioWare writer on both the Mass Effect series and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the main story will show Jun's growth as an interstellar explorer and wielder of ancient alien technology tied to his lineage as a "Traveler."

"You begin the game as a lonely scavenger, but [Jun] has a connection to a powerful 'traveler' dynasty, and they also have access to some powerful alien tech, which only they can use," said Karpyshyn. "Over the course of the game, Jun reclaims their traveler heritage and becomes a champion, leader, and hero of the people, and ultimately, Jun is the only character able to stop the destruction of the human homeworld. I think people are really going to see the story of Jun when they get a chance to play it."

Exodus will also feature a variety of companion characters that can help in battle and help flesh out the story, and can even form some romances with. One particularly interesting companion from the trailer is an alien octopus who rides in a mech suit. Though this particular character is not romanceable, other allies will have opportunities to form deeper bonds in the story.

But one key character that is still something of an enigma is the ally played by Matthew McConaughey. Known as C.C. Orlev, he was once a legendary human explorer who went missing. Jun will eventually interact with Orlev, but only when they're needed the most. The trailer showed off a bit more of McConaughey's role in the game, and while it is a familiar wise elder type of archetype, it is still intriguing to see the actor make his video game debut with such an ambitious role.

Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Puzzle games have changed a lot since The Witness hit in 2016, which showed us new ways of interpreting game environments and connecting the dots. And even in 2025 we had the likes of Blue Prince shake up our understanding with the twist of a roguelike deckbuilding puzzler. In the years since, the lead designer of Braid and The Witness, Jonathan Blow, had been working on a new project with a bigger team than his previous games — it’s called Order of the Sinking Star, which was revealed at The Game Awards 2025. It’s an ambitious project on paper — Blow said to have 1,000 individual puzzles and can take up to 250 hours to complete at a normal pace (and upwards 500 hours for completionists), but it’s the way it layers its gameplay mechanics as you get deeper into the game that’s the more impressive part.

I recently saw an off-hands demo of Order of the Sinking Star, which is a grid-based isometric adventure with a branching overworld that encompasses a large majority of its individual puzzles. Blow showcased a number of these puzzles in real time; it started out with simple block-pushing mazes that worked as a brief tutorial for how different characters interact with obstacles — such as the thief who can only pull objects and the wizard who must swap places with objects in line-of-sight. However, later levels began to stack more variables that add complexity to the objective of simply going from point A to point B.

Mirrors that teleport you (or objects) across gaps equal to your distance from the mirror itself, or hostile creatures that will kill you if you move to an adjacent block on the grid, or beams that can phase you through walls; these are a few of the things I saw in action. Each puzzle teaches you how these mechanics work by introducing them in a basic challenge without explaining them outright and gets increasingly difficult as you progress — fairly standard stuff. Like Braid, you also have a rewind tool to move back as many steps as you want, which makes it easier to experiment with a puzzle’s variables instead of constantly having to restart a puzzle from the beginning. But it’s when these mechanics are used in multiple combinations that test your understanding of them and build on that knowledge when you have to consider your moves several steps ahead.

When mixing in the specific ways in which each character interacts with objects on the grid, you’ll have many more layers to consider as puzzles expand in size and complexity. I saw one room in the overworld that asked you to jump through gates on the grid to switch characters and tee up the obstacles for each of them — since the wizard must swap spots with blocks across from him, he’ll get stuck behind a block locked behind a gate so you have to find a way to pull a new block from across the grid to make sure the wizard get in the right position to when he has to teleport. Another twist I saw was having a character replicate themselves by phasing through multiple mirrors at once, making you control clones simultaneous, which leads to interesting solutions for certain puzzles.

Zooming out to a bird’s eye view of the overworld showed just how expansive Order of the Sinking Star will be — and in a way that felt overwhelming. You start exploring the puzzles available in any of the cardinal directions, letting you go as far as you want in one direction and leaving open the option to go in a different one in case you get stuck. The overworld itself has puzzles that unlock new sections of the map as a way of progression, creating additional layers to the puzzle-solving And perhaps you’ll have a eureka moment in the process that will shine a light on previous puzzles to make more of these pieces make sense.

The thing I’m hesitant about is its overwhelming nature being intimidating that it becomes daunting to engage with. And retaining the knowledge that you’ve built up for subsequent puzzles may just get lost over time if you take an extended break from playing. From what I’ve seen, even tracking what you did and didn’t complete in the overworld might get tough even though the map does have glints to highlight key locations to visit and explore.

I asked Blow about how he and the team have thought about guiding the player and balancing a general hands-off approach. He said they’re considering implementing a hint system or a limited-use mechanic to nudge players in the right direction, but it’s tricky since he doesn’t want it to become a crutch. He went on to mention that the environmental design of puzzle rooms can be instructive as well and intends to contain visual cues for what’s important to look at as you find solutions.

There also seems to be an underlying story with each series of puzzles where different sections of the overworld put you in control of characters from various timelines in the game’s lore. And the ways these timelines intersect and showcase cooperation between various civilizations might have something to say about what happened to their world and perhaps have a broader message about human cooperation. So far, it feels similar to The Witness where very little is told to you and the mystery slowly unravels, but this time you have distinct characters with voice lines who will interact with each other in small ways as they cross paths throughout the game’s puzzles.

Order of the Sinking Star is also meant to showcase the proprietary game engine and programming language that Blow has been working on in tandem, and intends for it to be available as an open-source tool shortly after the game’s release. As far as release date, all we know for now is that Order of the Sinking Star is set to launch sometime in 2026 on PC and other platforms at a later date.

Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full.

Michael is the tech reviews editor at IGN, but regularly contributes to games coverage with reviews, features, and news.

J.J. Abrams and Left 4 Dead creator Mike Booth took to The Game Awards 2025 to announce that their mysterious new co-op video game is a sci-fi third-person shooter called 4:Loop.

A video for Bad Robot Games' PlayStation 5 and PC project was unveiled during today’s show, revealing a twisted new version of Earth filled with deadly creatures (and a lot of purple lights). The first 4:Loop trailer teases gameplay that requires players to form a world-saving team that will live and die by how it learns from its failures.

For all of tonight’s biggest highlights, you can check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025. You can also keep up with our running list of all of the winners.

Developing…

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

After some unusual teases and a trademark inadvertently showing Larian Studios' hand, the Baldur's Gate 3 developer's next game has been officially revealed at The Game Awards with one heck of a disturbing trailer. It's Divinity. Just Divinity.

We don't have any details on the game itself, but we can glean some from the very cinematic trailer. We saw a medieval-looking festival with all sorts of revelry, and a giant wicker man ready for burning. Inside the man, an actual man is chained and tortured as they burn the effigy down. But as he melts away (it's gross, okay?), his blood (?) drips into the soil, weird screaming plants come up, the wicker man goes nuts, there's a lot of screaming, and then we see the statue that's had everyone guessing for the last couple of weeks. Divinity!

Notably, this is not a new Divinity: Original Sin game, but more specifically Divinity, its predecessor. Larian first released Divine Divinity in 2002, followed by Beyond Divinity in 2004, Divinity 2 in 2009, and Divinity: Dragon Commander in 2013. Divinity: Original Sin came out in 2014, with Original Sin 2 as a direct follow-up. Unlike Original Sin, the other Divinity games are action RPGs rather than turn-based. With far more eyes on the studio after the successes of Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3, it makes sense that Larian would want to return to its roots a bit and show off its own IP.

Larian's hit a series of home runs with its RPGs. We gave Divinity: Original Sin 2 a 9.6/10, saying, "Divinity: Original Sin 2 may have been designed in the spirit of decades-old RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 2, but that legacy serves only as a foundation for the expansive game Larian has built on top of it." More recently, we gave Baldur's Gate 3 a 10/10, saying, "I don't want to say every CRPG going forward should aspire to be like Baldur's Gate 3. Not everything needs to be nearly this big and ambitious, or even this dense. But it is a landmark moment in the genre, and if I had to point to one paragon that I would like everyone else making these to take inspiration from, this is absolutely it."

For those wondering why Larian's not working on a Baldur's Gate 4, sorry, they've already explained themselves and Baldur's Gate's future remains in the hands of Hasbro.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

The Game Awards 2025 kicked off with a huge announcement: Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic.

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is led by Casey Hudson, former director of the much-loved Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy. The development studio is Edmonton, Alberta-based Arcanaut Studios.

It's described as a narrative-driven, single-player RPG and spiritual successor to Knights of the Old Republic. Lucasfilm insisted Fate of the Old Republic is not a direct sequel or continuation of KOTOR, and will introduce new characters for an all-new story. It's said to be in the early stages of development. The teaser trailer is below.

Here's the official blurb:

Players step into the role of a Force user in a galaxy on the edge of rebirth. Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic will blend innovative storytelling, memorable characters, and heart-pounding combat for an unforgettable experience where every decision deepens the player’s journey toward light or darkness.

“Working on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic was one of the defining experiences of my career,” Hudson said. “With Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, we’re telling a completely new and different story with everything we’ve learned since - crafting an adventure about choice, destiny, and the timeless struggle between light and dark. It’s a dream come true to once again collaborate with Lucasfilm Games.”

“We look for partners who have the drive and the leadership to build something groundbreaking, and that’s what we see in Casey,” said Jay Ong, President of Disney Games Group. “Under Casey’s direction, Arcanaut Studios is assembling a team with a deep passion for storytelling and building immersive worlds. Their vision for Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is exactly the kind of ambitious, high-quality experience we want to deliver for our players.”

"The Old Republic era is a rich and beloved part of the Star Wars™ galaxy, and we are thrilled to be exploring a fresh story that we’ve never seen before in Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic,” added Douglas Reilly, VP and GM of Lucasfilm Games. “Arcanaut Studios shares our enthusiasm for the galaxy far, far away, and their plan for this new narrative is inspiring. We believe fans will be delighted by the journey that awaits them, and we can't wait to share more."

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic is in early development for PC and consoles. Be sure to check out everything announced at The Game Awards 2025 for more, as well as the winners list in full.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Just in time for the holiday season, Steelseries is finally offering the first ever discount on its flagship Steelseries Arctis Nova Elite wireless headphones. They're normally priced at a steep $599.99, but for a limited time there's a 10% off coupon code "FROST10" that drops the price to $539.99 with free shipping. Steelseries direct is the only place to get it on sale.

10% Off SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite Gaming Headset

Capcom's upcoming space adventure Pragmata was back at The Game Awards today with some pretty significant news after years of delays. It has a release date at last: April 24, 2026.

In addition, we learned today that a gameplay demo is now available today on Steam. And in addition to previously-announced platforms PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, it's also coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in a pretty significant get for the new console.

Pragmata follows an astronaut named Hugh stranded in space, aided by a friendly artificial intelligence named DI0367, who he refers to as Diana. She takes the form of a little girl who rides on Hugh's back as he fights his way through hostile space alien-robot things, and hacks them so that they're vulnerable to his abilities. Together, the two take on a lunar station AI that's trying to keep Hugh from returning to earth. Based on today's trailer, it looks like the pair might visit a city somewhat like New York City, though it seems to be located on the moon.

Pragmata has been around the moon a few times in the last few years. It was first announced back in 2020, with a pretty cryptic trailer showcasing the two main characters, with a 2022 release date attached. Later, it was delayed until 2023, and then put on hold with an apologetic trailer. It resurfaced at Sony's State of Play earlier this year looking far more ready for primetime. And we got to preview it at Gamescom this year, too. Not long after, I chatted with the game's developers about how their game about artificial intelligence relates, or doesn't, to current real-life discussions of the technology.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Davide Soliani, the lead creator behind the Mario + Rabbids games, has revealed Bradley the Badger — his first new project since leaving Ubisoft and forming a new studio.

Bradley the Badger mixes classic platforming gameplay with fresh twists and a rather meta-feeling story that sees players helping the video game mascot through its creator's unfinished work. Tonight's trailer, shown during The Game Awards 2025, featured obvious nods to Bloodborne, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Last of Us, and... Marvel star Evan Peters as Bradley.

The game is the first from Day 4 Night Studios, Soliani's new outfit founded alongside Red Dead Redemption, Shadow of Mordor and Perfect Dark veteran Christian Cantamessa. The pair are joined by a trio of other former Ubisoft employees — Cristina Nava, Gian Marco Zanna and Luca Breda — who previously worked on publisher's the Mario + Rabbids, Just Dance and Ghost Recon franchises.

Exploring the team's new game as Bradley, you'll visit numerous work-in-progress creations and have to traverse through them using an in-game Developer Kit. There will even be a few live-action scenes, framing your progress as you help Bradley's creator.

"Bradley the Badger is a love letter to games, creativity, and everyone who has ever felt stuck in their career or artistic journey," reads an official blurb. "The experience will expand beyond the game worlds with brief live-action moments, exploring various tropes, genres, and styles drawn from contemporary popular games and media."

Soliani found fame and captured the internet's heart as the lovable creator behind Mario + Rabbids, an unlikely but thoroughly enjoyable strategy game mash-up released for Nintendo Wii. Soliani's emotional response to seeing the game announced to a warm reception back at E3 2017 became legendary, but the creator left Ubisoft in 2024 after 25 years, following the launch of the game's sequel, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, which Ubisoft boss Yves Guillemot later said he regretted launching too soon, rather than waiting and making a bigger splash on Switch 2.

“What we are crafting at Day 4 Night is a reflection of everything I’ve ever wanted to experience as a player - joy, adventure, poetry, action, wonder, and the pleasure of working with friends," said Soliani. "It’s a lullaby for my soul and a serenade to our industry, to the magic and the madness of creating worlds from nothing. It’s a story about triumphs, challenges, dreams, to light the path we walk together."

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

The Game Awards don't start for another half hour, but video game announcements are still finding a way to sneak in anyway. Compulsion Games just revealed that South of Midnight is coming to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 in spring of 2026.

This comes from a pair of tweets/X posts from the official Compulsion Games account, announcing each platform release respectively.

Every creature holds a secret in the mythical Deep South - South of Midnight launches on PlayStation 5 in Spring 2026.@PlayStation @PlayStationCA @PlayStationUK @PlayStationEU @PlayStationFR #ps5 #ps5pro #southofmidnight pic.twitter.com/kSnUINy8fb

— Compulsion Games (@CompulsionGames) December 11, 2025

Every creature holds a secret in the mythical Deep South - South of Midnight launches on Switch 2 in Spring 2026.@NintendoAmerica @NintendoCanada @NintendoUK @NintendoFrance #Switch2 #NintendoSwitch2 #Southofmidnight pic.twitter.com/ByCJygSqTT

— Compulsion Games (@CompulsionGames) December 11, 2025

Depending on what the final release date ends up being, this will likely time out to be roughly one year from South of Midnight's initial release, which was on April 8, 2025 of this year. This puts South of Midnight in good company with a number of other Xbox Game Studios games that have gone onto rival platforms, including Pentiment, Grounded, Sea of Thieves, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake. A remake of the original Halo was announced earlier this year for both Xbox and PlayStation.

South of Midnight might have flown under the radar for some, but it's worth checking out. Our reviewer gave it an 8/10, saying it's "a straightforward but well-executed action-adventure game elevated by the artistry and heart of the American Southern culture that’s wrapped around it."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Steelseries direct is currently offering PC gamers an outstanding deal on its top rated gaming headset. Right now you can pick up a blemished box SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro wireless gaming headset for just $239.39 after coupon code "FROST10". Free delivery on your order as well. This is the lowest price I've seen for this headset, which is especially impressive now since SteelSeries recently raised the prices on its headsets as a response to the tariffs.

SteelSeries Nova Pro Wireless Gaming Headset for $239.39

Roguelite FPS Deadzone: Rogue just got a release date for its newest free DLC, Zone 4 - Apophis. It will add new missions and story to the game, along with new enemies and encounters, more weapons, as well as adding extra systems, elements, perks, and augments. The Zone 4: Apophis Content Update for Deadzone: Rogue is launching on December 17, and as an added bonus that date also marks the start of a free-to-play access period if you haven't had a chance to jump in yet.

Deadzone: Rogue was officially released in August this year on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and is currently rocking a Very Positive ranking on Steam. You can play solo or with co-op team of up to 3 players, and puts you on board the colony ship ISS-X, which is unfortunately also home to facing murderous robots and mutants. Ain't that always the way?

It's the work of indie studio Prophecy Games, which was original part of the Hi-Rez Studios group but went solo in 2020. It's other game is Tribes 3: Rivals, a team-based first person shooter.

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

With all the reveals, leaks and drama that surround The Game Awards, it's easy to forget about the actual winners themselves. Luckily for you, as well as tracking every big game reveal, announcement and trailer from the show, we'll updating this page in real time as the winners of The Game Awards 2025 are announced.

Can anything beat Grand Theft Auto 6 for the Most Anticipated Game trophy? Will Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 take home Game of the Year? Will muppets somehow be involved in the show again this year? Does the appearance of Evanescence as the live musical act mean Geoff Keighley was a teen goth? Expect answers to some of those questions right here, as they happen.

How to Watch The Game Awards 2025

You can watch The Game Awards 2025 with us at any of the links below. The show will begin with a special pre-show, which will start at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET.

• IGN.com
• IGN's YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter / X
• Twitch
• IGN mobile apps
• Humble YouTube
• Eurogamer
• VG247
• Rock Paper Shotgun

The Nominees

Game of the Year

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Donkey Kong Bananza
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II

Best Game Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades II
• Split Fiction

Best Adaptation

• A Minecraft Movie
• Devil May Cry
• The Last of Us: Season 2
• Splinter Cell: Deathwatch
• Until Dawn

Best Narrative

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Silent Hill f

Best Art Direction

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Score And Music

• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Hades II
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Best Audio Design

• Battlefield 6
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Silent Hill f

Best Performance

• Ben Starr (Expedition 33)
• Charlie Cox (Expedition 33)
• Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yotei)
• Jennifer English (Expedition 33)
• Konatsu Kato (Silent Hill f)
• Troy Baker (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle)

Innovation In Accessibility

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Atomfall
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• EA Sports FC 26
• South of Midnight

Games for Impact

• Consume Me
• Despelote
• Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
• South of Midnight
• Wanderstop

Best Ongoing Game

• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• No Man's Sky

Best Community Support

• Baldur's Gate 3
• Final Fantasy XIV
• Fortnite
• Helldivers 2
• No Man's Sky

Best Independent Game

• Absolum
• Ball x Pit
• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Hades II
• Hollow Knight: Silksong

Best Debut Indie Game

• Blue Prince
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Despelote
• Dispatch

Best Mobile Game

• Destiny: Rising
• Persona 5: The Phantom X
• Sonic Rumble
• Umamusume: Pretty Derby
• Wuthering Waves

Best VR/AR Game

• Alien: Rogue Incursion
• Arken Age
• Ghost Town
• Marvel’s Deadpool VR
• The Midnight Walk

Best Action Game

• Battlefield 6
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• Hades II
• Ninja Gaiden 4
• Shinobi: Art of Vengeance

Best Action Adventure Game

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Split Fiction

Best RPG

• Avowed
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• The Outer Worlds 2
• Monster Hunter Wilds

Best Fighting Game

• 2XKO
• Capcom Fighting Collection 2
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
• Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
• Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage

Best Family Game

• Donkey Kong Bananza
• LEGO Party!
• LEGO Voyagers
• Mario Kart World
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
• Split Fiction

Best Sim/Strategy Game

• The Alters
• FINAL FANTASY TACTICS - The Ivalice Chronicles
• Jurassic World Evolution 3
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII
• Tempest Rising
• Two Point Museum

Best Sports/Racing

• EA Sports FC 26
• F1 25
• Mario Kart World
• Rematch
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds

Best Multiplayer

• Arc Raiders
• Battlefield 6
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Peak
• Split Fiction

Most Anticipated Game

• 007 First Light
• Grand Theft Auto VI
• Marvel's Wolverine
• Resident Evil Requiem
• The Witcher IV

Content Creator of the Year

• Caedrel
• Kai Cenat
• MoistCr1TiKaL
• Sakura Miko
• The Burnt Peanut

Best Esports Game

• Counter-Strike 2
• Dota 2
• League of Legends
• Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Valorant

Best Esports Athlete

• brawk
• Chovy
• f0rsakeN
• Kakeru
• MenaRD
• Zyw0o

Best Esports Team

• Gen.G - League of Legends
• NRG - Valorant
• Team Falcons - DOTA 2
• Team Liquid PH - Mobile Legends: Bang Bang
• Team Vitality - Counter-Strike 2

Players’ Voice

• Expedition 33
• Dispatch
• Genshin Impact
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Wuthering Waves
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
• Ghost of Yōtei
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Silent Hill f

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

The best possible gift you can buy for a gamer is more games. The newest video games don't come cheap and they have the potential to provide hours and hours of entertainment. But what do you get for the gamer in your life who already has all of the games they could ever want? If you're looking for some great gift ideas for 2025, I've got you covered with 10 of the most popular gamer gift options of the year.

1. Nintendo Switch 2

Lenovo has dropped the price on one of its best equipped gaming laptops for the holidays. The Legion Pro 5 Gen 10 gaming laptop, featuring an OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, and RTX 5070 Ti GPU, is down to $1,640.99 after you stack two coupon codes: "EXTRAFIVE" and "LENOVOHOLIDEAL". That's about $700 off in combined savings. The RTX 5070 Ti is a powerful mobile GPU that will easily run game you throw at it, even on the display's 1600p resolution.

Update: The price has dropped from $1,690.99 to $1640.99 thanks to a second coupon code.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 10 RTX 5070 Ti Laptop for $1,641

The Game Awards is back again to end this year with a celebration of the best games of 2025 and an exciting look into the future. While we may not know all the surprises in store for us this year, we do know we will be covering everything live and gathering it right here for you.

This article will be the place to catch all the biggest reveals, trailers, gameplay, shocking moments, and more, and we'll be updating it as it happens, so be sure to keep checking back! You can also check how how you can watch the show with us and what to expect as well!

How to Watch The Game Awards 2025

You can watch The Game Awards 2025 with us at any of the links below. The show will begin with a special pre-show, which will start at 4:30pm PT / 7:30pm ET.

• IGN.com
• IGN's YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter / X
• Twitch
• IGN mobile apps
• Humble YouTube
• Eurogamer
• VG247
• Rock Paper Shotgun

What to Expect at The Game Awards 2025

You can check out our full predictions of what we know, think, and dream will be at The Game Awards this year right here, but we're still going to talk about the biggest things you need to know going into tonight's show.

One of the biggest teases leading up to The Game Awards was the mysterious statue that appeared in the Mojave Desert last week. While many potential games were debunked, a logo was uncovered that leads many to believe this will be from an upcoming Divinity project from Baldur's Gate 3 developers, Larian Studios.

regal.inspiring.thickness pic.twitter.com/lY1duUcE1B

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) November 29, 2025

The Game Awards' Geoff Keighley has also been teasing some of the games that will be part of the show, and we know among them will be Resident Evil Requiem, Tomb Raider (which has leaked), Invincible VS, Exodus, Phatom Blade Zero, and Saros.

What we think might be there is some DLC for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a wider console release for Hades 2, the full reveal of the remake of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Fallout Season 2, a new look at 007 First Light, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, Marvel's Wolverine, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Forza Horizon 6, OD: Knock, Physint, Judas, The Duskbloods, and perhaps the final entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy.

As for what we dream will be there, we can only hope for another look at GTA 6 or The Witcher 4, DLC for Hollow Knight: Silksong, a new 3D Mario, the new Sony Santa Monica game from Cory Barlog, Bloodborne 2, a new look at the next Mass Effect, Half-Life 3, and much more!

What are you hoping to see at The Game Awards 2025? Let us know below and stay tuned for a full recap of all the biggest moments from the night right here!

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

Tomb Raider has a chartered history, with Lara Croft delving into ruins and tombs all over the world. Overcoming any and all obstacles set in her path, Lara has elevated herself into an exclusive and lauded pantheon of iconic video game protagonists.

As we gear up to see what exactly gets revealed at The Game Awards, we’ve created a chronological list of every Tomb Raider game so those interested can start (or restart) their spelunking adventures from the very beginning.

Jump to:

• How to play in chronological order
• How to play in release order

How Many Tomb Raider Games Are There?

There are a total of 20 Tomb Raider games that have been released as of 2025. These games are split over 3 different timelines, each distinct from one another, offering different plotlines and a slightly different spin on Lara and her supporting cast.

14 of these games have been released for home consoles, 6 also supported handheld portable consoles, and 6 were supported on mobile devices. Tomb Raider: The Prophecy, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Lara Croft Go, Lara Croft: Relic Run, and Tomb Raider Reloaded are all stand-alone titles, and therefore will not be included on these lists.

Which Tomb Raider Should You Play First?

If you're coming to the franchise for the first time in 2025, we recommend starting with the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. The first entry in the "Survivor" trilogy sets the stage for Lara Croft's most recent series of expeditions that runs through the latest mainline game, 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Tomb Raider Games in Chronological Order

If you're hoping to take a chronological journey through all of the Tomb Raider games, it's important to note that there are actually 3 different timelines you can play through.

• Original Saga Timeline
• Legend of Tomb Raider Timeline
• Survivor Trilogy Timeline

First Timeline - Original Saga

1. Tomb Raider (1996)

The first ever Tomb Raider title centred around Lara being hired by businesswoman Jacquelin Natla to find a mysterious artefact called the Scion of Atlantis. After finding all three fragments of the Scion scattered around the globe, Lara is betrayed by Natla and must face off against her on a volcanic island filled with monsters.

2. Tomb Raider: The Curse of the Sword (2001)

A Game Boy Color exclusive sequel to the Game Boy Color version of the original Tomb Raider, this adventure sees Lara tracking down a mystical sword and attempting to destroy it before the long-dead Madame Paveau can resurrect from the underworld and use her dark magic to subjugate the world.

3. Tomb Raider II (1997)

This time Lara is on the hunt for the Dagger of Xian, a magical weapon once used by the Emperors of China. A cult leader by the name of Marco Bartoli who is also seeking the dagger for it’s magical ability to turn the owner into a dragon.

4. Tomb Raider III (1998)

In the third mainline installment of the original saga, Lara sets out to find the Infada Stone, one of four crystalline artefacts crafted thousands of years ago from the remnants of a meteorite. Realising the nefarious Dr. Willard is aiming to use the statues to speed up the evolutionary process; she sets out to find the remaining three artefacts before the entire planet is mutated.

5. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)

In The Last Revelation, the Egyptian god of chaos Set is unknowingly released by Lara as she explores a tomb in Egypt. With Set and his forces wreaking havoc on Cairo, Lara is assisted by Semerkhet and strives to summon the god Horus who is the last hope of quelling this world-ending threat.

6. Tomb Raider: Chronicles (2000)

After the ambiguous ending of The Last Revelation, Winston the butler and other friends of Lara recount tales of her historic adventures to commemorate her. Delving through the catacombs of Rome, fighting through a Russian naval submarine, and exploring an island haunted by demonic forces, the titular Chronicles set in stone how well travelled and skilled Lara is, but is she really gone?

7. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)

Framed for the murder of her former mentor, Werner Von Croy, Lara explores Paris and Prague in an attempt to clear her name and solve the murder. The last survivor of the Lux Veritatis Society, Kurtis Trent, is stalking Lara and is hiding a deep dark secret about his true nature.

Second Timeline - Legend of Tomb Raider

1. Tomb Raider Anniversary (2007)

A remake of the original Tomb Raider title from 1996, this game again sees Lara questing to find the Scion of Atlantis. With redesigned puzzles and physics, there was a shift from item collection and pulling switches (both prevalent in the original title), to physics-based puzzles and environmental set pieces.

2. Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)

This title acts as a reboot and reimagining of the origins of Lara, as she races across the world in search of the mythical sword Excalibur, desperate to find it before her former friend Amanda Evert can beat her to the punch.

3. Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)

The third installment in the Legend trilogy, Underworld sees Lara searching for Mjolnir, which acts as an ancient key to Helheim, the realm of the dead. Exploring the ruins of various cultures and mythological underworlds, Lara once again confronts the villainous Natla who is searching for Mjolnir herself.

Third Timeline - Survivor Trilogy

1. Tomb Raider (2013)

In a new, grittier take on Lara Croft, her first expedition to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai goes awry and she becomes stranded on an isolated and hostile island. Facing off against the Solarii Brotherhood cult, Lara must stop the Ascension ritual from proceeding and also prevent a successor from being chosen for the bloodthirsty Sun Queen of legend.

2. Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)

Rise of the Tomb Raider has Lara exploring Siberia for the legendary city of Kitezh whilst battling Trinity, the paramilitary organization that continually crosses paths and butts heads with Lara. As they both sprint to rediscover Kitezh, will the legendary immortal guardians of the kingdom, the Deathless Ones, reveal themselves to be much more than just a myth?

3. Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)

The third and final installment in the Survivor Trilogy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider has Lara trekking through the Americas to find the city of Paititi before a Mayan apocalypse consumes the entire planet. With the monstrous Yaaxii and the ever present Trinity on her back, will she succeed before it’s too late?

How to Play ALL the Tomb Raider Games By Release Date

• Tomb Raider (1996)
• Tomb Raider II (1997)
• Tomb Raider III (1998)
• Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999)
• Tomb Raider (Game Boy Color, 2000)
• Tomb Raider Chronicles (2000)
• Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword (Game Boy Color, 2001)
• Tomb Raider: The Prophecy (GBA, 2002)
• Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003)
• Tomb Raider: Legend (2006)
• Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007)
• Tomb Raider: Underworld (2008)
• Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010)
• Tomb Raider (2013)
• Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2014)
• Lara Croft: Relic Run (2015)
• Lara Croft Go (2015)
• Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018)
• Tomb Raider Reloaded (2023)

What’s Next for Tomb Raider?

Crystal Dynamics confirmed a brand new Tomb Raider game was in development back in 2022. While details are slim, it is confirmed to be using Unreal Engine 5 and is set to be published by Amazon Games. Crystal Dynamics have also expressed on Twitter that this new adventure “will continue Lara Croft’s saga”, which may insinuate this new title is a continuation of the Survivor trilogy that concluded with Shadow of the Tomb Raider in 2018. More recently, The Game Awards announced that Lara Croft would be featured at the 2025 ceremony, and we're already seeing trailer leaks online.

Outside of gaming, Netflix's animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is finishing up its second and final season. You won't have to wait long to see more Lara on your screen - Amazon's live action Tomb Raider series will start shooting next year. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is on board as writer and executive producter, while Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner is slated for the titular role. It's the season of Tomb Raider, baby.

Samuel (Sam) Heaney is a freelance guides writer at IGN and Minecraft expert. He's a typical Brit who loves cups of tea and gin and tonics. Oh, and he's also a huge Marvel nerd. You can find him on Twitter @SamHeaney.

Rick Riordan, the author of the wildly popular Percy Jackson series of young adult novels, loves to write. To date, he’s published more than 50 fantasy and adventure books covering modern-day spins on Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. Riordan, who at one time was a middle school English teacher, says that beyond all of his published works, he’s left as many or (potentially) more stories on the cutting room floor, dating back to his time as a student.

I spoke with Riordan ahead of the Season 2 premiere of the Disney+ adaptation of his Percy Jackson series of novels about the particular challenges of bringing a now-beloved franchise to life.

“The hardest part of writing a book is finishing it, and I am not saying that to be snide or anything,” Riordan says. “When I was in sixth grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I couldn't make myself finish even a short story. I would get halfway through and say, 'Oh, this is too hard. I'll try another one, and that'll be easier.' I have dozens of unfinished stories [and] novels from when I was that age. The hardest thing is to say, 'I know I don't like this right now' – what I'm in the middle of writing – 'but I'm going to finish it anyway and then I'll go back and read it and see how it is.' That's the difference between getting it done and not getting it done.”

Riordan says when he got older and began writing the Percy Jackson novels, there was one character in particular that he put more than a little bit of himself into. “A writer once said that you can't write a character who is not in some part you, that doesn't have at least a sliver of your personality. I think overall, I feel most drawn to [Camp Half-Blood Activities Director] Chiron, the centaur. We're both teachers and it is our job not to tell kids what they need to think or what to do, but to help them figure that out for themselves, to coach them into becoming their own heroes. Teaching, I think at its best, is exactly that.”

Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, adapted from Riordan’s novel The Sea of Monsters, just dropped its first two episodes on Disney+. Riordan says there’s one fan-favorite scene in particular he can’t wait for the audience to see.

“I think the scene with the sirens is very important,” Riordan says. “That's a pivotal scene in the relationship between Annabeth and Percy. It’s something that fans love. It's become a touchstone for them. They're looking for that scene, and I know a lot of eyes are going to be on it, so we paid a lot of attention to it to make sure we're doing it right [in a way] that it is both faithful to what's in the book but also a little bit surprising.”

As the new season of the TV show rolls out, Riordan is eager for fans to watch and understand just how much work into crafting the blockbuster adaptation.

“I think the entire process would be eye-opening [to fans],” Riordan says. “I don't think that it's possible to appreciate how much work is involved until you've actually walked on the set. In fact, I had this experience just a couple of weeks ago. My literary agents for Percy Jackson came to visit us on the set in Vancouver, and they've been with Percy Jackson for 20 years. They have been in every conversation. They know this stuff intimately, and I've been keeping them updated. Nevertheless, until they were on set and walking through the studio, they turned to me and said, ‘Now I get it. I had no idea.’ You have to be there to understand it.”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Season 2: Episodes 1 and 2 are streaming now on Disney+. New episodes premiere each Wednesday. Read our review of the first two episodes here. And for more on Percy Jackson, check out what to expect form the series' new Fortnite island.

Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment at IGN, leading entertainment content and coverage of tentpole events including IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He's spent 20 years working in the games and entertainment industry, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton

Puzzles are always a fun gift idea, no matter if you're new to the hobby or a passionate puzzler yourself. If you're shopping around for a puzzle gift to give to someone this year, it can feel a bit overwhelming looking through all of the options available, given how many shapes and sizes there are to choose from. But we're here to help. We've gathered up a variety of great puzzle gift ideas in 2025 to help you find the perfect one ahead of the holidays.

There's more than just the puzzles themselves to look through, too. We've included a few more gift ideas that any puzzler is sure to appreciate, including puzzle tables and boards, storage options, and frames to show them off in once they're finished. No matter what you decide to pick up, there's a little something for a puzzler of any skill level to enjoy. Have a look through our selection of the best gifts for puzzlers below and stock up on the items you think they'll enjoy the most.

The Best Jigsaw Puzzle Gift Ideas

There's an incredible amount of puzzle options to choose from nowadays. Above, we've highlighted just a few of our favorites that can be found in our roundup of the best puzzle brands. We believe that the puzzles from these companies are well worth your time and money, and they each offer a fun variety, too. These range from large 2,000-piece puzzles to ones with a fun spin that feature a surprise ending after piecing them together (Magic Puzzle Company puzzles), so you can find a fun pick to gift this year.

Puzzle Tables and Boards

It's important to have enough space to build a puzzle on, which is why a puzzle table is a great investment. There are numerous different design options to choose from, whether you want something larger to have set up in your home or would prefer to have a more portable option. Some even feature drawers to hold pieces if you're working on a larger puzzle, which is very helpful to keep everything organized.

Puzzle Storage Options

Speaking of organization, some puzzles are simply too big to finish in one go, so a good storage option can be helpful to have around. With solid puzzle storage, you can keep track of where you last left off with a puzzle without any fear of losing pieces if you move it around. We've included quite a few different options so you can keep your latest venture neatly put together, no matter which size of puzzle you're choosing to tackle.

Puzzle Frames

A puzzle frame is an excellent idea for the puzzler who wants to keep their latest creation. Why take it apart if you've fallen in love with the final product? There are plenty of different puzzle frames to choose from, each catering to various sizes of puzzle, so you can find an option that will look the best hung up proudly on your wall.

To make sure your puzzle stays together properly before fitting it into a frame, you're going to want a reliable puzzle glue to help you out as well. This RoseArt Jigsaw Puzzle Glue is a great option to go for, coming in at just $5.

3D Puzzle Gifts

For the puzzler who loves a challenge, you can't go wrong with a 3D puzzle. There are so many different options to choose from that each create an exciting build. Here we've included just a few of our favorites, from a miniature pinball machine to a huge puzzle of Winterfell castle and a fantastic Millennium Falcon build. These 3D puzzles are exciting options to piece together, and the final result is sure to look impressive once it's put on display. If you're looking for an affordable alternative to LEGO, all of these options are great place to start.

Bonus: Book Nook Kits

If you think 3D puzzles are a cool gift idea, but aren't sold on the concept of giving someone a giant model they'll have to put somehwhere, we have a great solution to that. Book Nook kits are cozy little 3D builds that are designed to fit on a book shelf among your books. Tons of brands offer these kits, even LEGO has some.

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

During Black Friday, Dell lowered the price of its venerable 34" Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED gaming monitor from $900 to just $499.99 shipped. That was a new historical price low, but today there's a way to get it for even less - $449.99 to be exact. It does require a bit of legwork to get the extra discount, but everyone should be eligible. The AW3423DWF is one of Alienware's highest end gaming monitors, with a gorgeous QD OLED panel, WQHD resolution, and a respectable 165Hz refresh rate. Alienware OLED monitors also include a 3 year warranty that includes OLED burn-in protection.

34" Alienware AW3423DWF QD OLED Gaming Monitor

Follow these instructions for the extra $50 off:

• You'll need to create an account if you haven't already (don't worry, it's free)
• Once you've logged in, click on "My Account" under your account name on the top right
• Click on "Dell Rewards" in the far left panel
• Copy the 10% off Alienware Monitors coupon code

• Add the monitor to cart and apply the coupon code
• Price will end up being $449.99 plus taxes

The Alienware AW3423DWF is a 34" monitor featuring a 3440x1440 WQHD resolution with 1800R curve, 0.03ms response time, and 165Hz refresh rate. This monitor is equipped with a Samsung quantum dot OLED panel. This is the best type of panel for gaming thanks to its near instantaneous response time, true black levels, and near-infinite contrast ratio. The AW3423DWF features a 99.3% DCI-P3 color range and is factory calibrated with a Delta E less than 2. It is HDR True Black 400 certified and boasts up to 1,000nits of peak brightness.

In our Alienware AW3423DWF review, Chris Coke compared it to its more expensive predecessor, the AW3423DW. He wrote that "Though $1,099 (its MSRP) is far from cheap, the Alienware AW3423DWF feels like a great value compared to the original. It offers the same stunning picture, and dropping G-Sync Ultimate really makes no noticeable difference in actual gameplay. What’s left is a monitor that is extremely similar for $200 less than it was earlier this year. That’s a win and an easy recommendation to make if you’re in the market for a high-end display with a spectacular picture."

Check out more of the best Alienware deals going on right now

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.

Do you have someone who loves diving through dungeons, exploring magical worlds, doing random voices, or just wants something you can do with your family and friends this holiday? Luckily for you, there are plenty of great gift ideas out there for Dungeons & Dragons goodies, and get ready for that special holiday one-shot with your friends or just to give your family something to play and do instead of talking about politics and all those other awkward conversation topics.

TL;DR - Top DnD Deals Right Now

1. DnD Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands
2. Dungeons & Dragons Stranger Things: Welcome to The Hellfire Club Adventure Game
3. DND Spinner Dice DNDND 7-in-1 Fidget Spinner Metal D&D Dice Set
4. DnD Handbook Bundle
5. Dungeons & Dragons Icewind Dale: Rime of The Frostmaiden (D&D Adventure Book)
6. Dungeons & Dragons Eberron Bundle
7. Curse of Strahd Campaign Book
8. DnD Tomb of Annihilation
9. 7 Sets (49PCS) Polyhedral Dice sets
10. Limited 50th Anniversary Edition Strongheart Figure

'Tis the season for great deals and bundles, and Dungeons & Dragons has some great ones. For brand new DnD players, or a group that has been showing interest in trying out the game, there is no better gift than the brand new Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set that was released earlier this year. With a bunch of dice, an easy-to-understand card-based gear system, and three distinct types of adventures (one focusing on combat, exploration, and roleplaying) this is a wonderful jumping-in point!

Shop Top DnD Deals

For folks that simply want to upgrade to the new 2024 version of 5th Edition, Wizards of the Coast is offering a bundle that includes the brand new versions of the Monster Manual, Player’s Handbook, and Dungeon Master's Guide. With enhanced monster stat blocks, reworked classes, and new tools for the DM, these books are great to add to your shelf, and all three still work with all existing 5th Edition books as well.

For experienced players and DMs, there are sales on some truly classic adventure modules, including the Tomb of Annihilation and the Curse of Strahd, both of which every D&D group should experience at least once in their lifetime, as both are such quintessential stories for the game.

If a modern and topical quest is more your and your friends’ style, then the Stranger Things: Welcome to The Hellfire Club Adventure Game is also on sale and is a cool piece of Stranger Things merch. This special box, featuring the heroes that the characters from the Stranger Things series play as, will let you finish the campaign that Eddie never got to back in the last season. It's also seen in our

Of course, to play those games, you will need some dice too, and thankfully, some dice are also on sale. Grab yourself multiple sets of dice so you and your friends can all start new characters with fresh, untainted new dice, or grab that special player in your life a sweet metal spinning dice. This nifty contraption is all your dice in a single, pocket watch-like package that spins and gives results.

What makes a good D&D Gift?

When it comes to my general philosophy and approach to getting a TTRPG gift for a friend, there are three things I consider. First, is the person a Game/Dungeon Master (the person who does the actual running of the game, aka GM or DM) or are they a player (someone who takes part in the story)? Lastly, I try to figure out how they play, asking myself “do they play online with folks,” or “do they get together in person with a regular group to play”?

For the Dungeon Masters

For the GMs, I would look toward campaign or adventure books, like the Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation books. These are self-contained stories that provide the person running the game with all they need to run a great multi-session story for their players.