This article contains spoilers for the Until Dawn movie.

I've been racking my brain over the conundrum that is adapting Until Dawn. Supermassive Games' deconstruction of horror cinema through choice-based butterfly effect mechanics is essentially a 10-hour playable movie—a damn fine one written by indie horror staples Larry Fessenden and Graham Reznick—so a film adaptation couldn't just be the same thing. But a film that isn’t indebted to the game and its "choose your own adventure" method doesn't feel appropriate either. Sony's desire to release an Until Dawn adaptation seemed misguided upon announcement, and after viewing the film, it's still a headscratcher.

That's because David F. Sandberg's Until Dawn movie betrays the core hook of Supermassive's Until Dawn.

Writers Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler chose to adapt Until Dawn as its title reads. In this case, "Until Dawn" translates into a time-loop-like horror scenario where five young adults find themselves hunted by various baddies, and they only escape if they can survive … until dawn. Should anyone die, they'll wake once a gigantic hourglass fixed to an ominous, skull-adorned mount drops its last grain of sand. Die enough times, and you become a wendigo lost to Dr. Alan J. Hill's delirious experiment. The core impetus of a missing sibling is still there—Ella Rubin's protagonist, Clover, is hunting for her missing sister—but otherwise, you're not on Blackwood Mountain aka Mount Washington (er…yet), and certainly not similarly punished for choices that alter narrative paths.

That's… not Until Dawn.

Death Shouldn't Be An Afterthought

In the game, death matters. It matters so much, in fact, that killing a single character sends ripple effects felt throughout the remaining storylines. There's no regeneration or second chances. Like, famously. That's the point of Until Dawn. The stakes are so astronomically high, the slightest nervous twitch of your controller during a "stay still" Quicktime event could doom multiple characters. Dauberman and Butler fail to translate the nerve-wracking experience of playing Until Dawn, landing on quite the opposite concept.

If anything, Until Dawn is a beginner's attempt at Cabin in the Woods. Glore Valley is drenched by a thunderstorm, except for a perfect circle of sunshine over the welcome center location, like some all-powerful horror movie god is controlling the rain—once again resembling Cabin in the Woods in terms of the “influencing environment” effect. The all-seeing overlord (Dr. Hill), the meta nature of characters joking about horror movie rules, and the different creatures unleashed each rewind? Despite countless plot configurations, the game's powerful storytelling is far superior to this random assortment of scary scenes tied to an hourglass clock. The game pulls players deeper into a web of intrigue, where the movie's Mad Libs nature drags viewers through a jumbled rotation of clowns-and-kooks randomness.

Points are awarded for at least using wendigos. In the game, Fessenden's "Stranger" character reveals that a 1952 mining cave-in led to cannibalism, and said cannibals turned into wendigos that now haunt Blackwood. Here, Clover and her friends start turning into wendigos due to Dr. Hill's experiments on Glore Valley from his sanatorium hideout (resembling his dingy in-game office). It's not a one-for-one translation, nor does it need to be, but the wendigos are overshadowed by a slasher villain vaguely costumed after Josh's psycho getup. There are also witches, porcelain doll-looking masks, creepypasta demons, and water that makes your entire body explode Scanners-style if you drink it. It's a hodgepodge of dangers that have nothing to do with Fessenden and Reznick's straightforward creature-centric game, outside of a few Easter eggs.

The most obvious connection is Peter Stormare as Dr. Hill, Josh Washington’s (Rami Malek) hallucinated psychiatrist who runs players through rigorous psychological tests that influence future in-game details. However, even Dr. Hill features stark differences in the film vs. the original game. In the movie, he's seen as a gas station attendant, but it's not long before he's outed as former game character Dr. Hill—who's in control of experiments on Glore Valley. It’s here where we have the only direct reference to the game’s most well-known character, Josh Washington. After Clover discovers Hill’s “office,” we see her patient profile alongside Josh’s.

There's some exposition about Hill's experiments as we watch prisoners cannibalize bodies and then turn into wendigos to highlight that connection to the game, but the reveal is followed by Clover defeating Dr. Hill pretty easily.

Except she doesn’t. Probably.

As the film ends, we return to the dirty sanitarium office where Dr. Hill explodes after ingesting some 'splodey water, and on surveillance monitors, we see Blackwood's lodge. We then hear Dr. Hill speak, suggesting he was Clover's hallucination, much like Josh's in the game. But, that's right before the credits because I guess Sandberg's movie is an offshoot prequel that, for some reason, has nothing to do with the actual events of the Until Dawn game? If there is a sequel, presumably it'll be about Josh's case of vengeance paid unto the Blackwood group except based on the film's rules … somehow.

Cheap Easter Eggs Aren't Enough

It's just all so generic. Turning Dr. Hill into the baddie removes intrigue and becomes a cheap cop-out, torn from the game but improperly refitted. Then the stinger of Blackwood hits, which again is confusing because in interviews, Sandberg insists his film takes place after the game's timeline—but Blackwood's reveal suggests it's not a sequel, but a prequel. Inconsequentiality plagues Sandberg's film in a way that makes you wonder why it's even tied to Until Dawn (*cough* intellectual property reasons *cough*), which only causes Blackwood's tease to be even more spoonfed and underwhelming. For so long, Until Dawn (the movie) bears no resemblance to Until Dawn (the game)—why pivot back toward the game at the last minute?

The reason is simple: to appease us fans. There are choice moments that attempt to help us relive the game, but they're crammed in like afterthoughts. Ji-young Yoo's spiritualist character Megan has everyone hold hands in silence, mimicking the game's quiet "hold your breath" Quicktime events. There's a shot bathed in red lighting where a wendigo is right by a frightened Clover, and that's a direct reference to the "Don't Move" instructions. But the game's cinematic nature doesn't yield many other level-based opportunities to recreate, nor does the film try. The adaptation’s biggest issue is it never fully comprehends how best to honor Supermassive's inspiration while telling a fresh horror tale.

What else might you recognize? The wendigo audio files are plucked from the game, reusing the same noises. There's also Abe's first death of being chopped in half, which could be respect paid to Josh's fake death in the game, or maybe that's just a lucky coincidence. Are the werewolf sketches in the witch's cabin a possible reference to The Quarry? Is the radio in the basement the same radio in the game where characters find out they must survive until dawn? Chances are yes, but these Easter eggs feel forced.

Look, I'm all for a "spiritual successor." But to do so, there has to be some resemblance to the thing you are named after. While I don't think Until Dawn is a terrible movie, it's a bad Until Dawn movie. It's a far cry from the urgency and invasive dread that Supermassive so easily conjures, speaking to what makes the playable horror movie such a blast to complete (over and over).

As is, the Until Dawn movie doesn't make much sense in context. The events of Glore Valley are a grab bag of ideas from other horror movies that would be nothing but a clip show without Dr. Hill's inclusion. But even with Stormare's reprised role, it's only Until Dawn at face value, nothing deeper. I get the interpretation of the gang's choices forcing them to keep restarting, but it's still too far off-base to consider this adaptation anything more than unfaithful. In the end, Until Dawn is a missed opportunity to bring Supermassive's smash-hit game to life.

If, like me, you have a bunch of DVDs on your shelf, some recent reports may have you worrying if any of your collection has, in fact, rotted.

Many physical media enthusiasts may be familiar with DVD rot even if you don't know that exact term. The overall problem of disc rot has affected all sorts of products for decades, from LaserDiscs to CDs to video games across various platforms, since any disc is susceptible to chemical deterioration thanks to a variety of reasons, and can then be affected by playability issues - including, at the most dire level, simply not being able to be read or played at all.

By and large, coming across disc rot in your own collection is a somewhat random and unlucky occurrence, but once in a while, there is a core issue related to how a disc was produced. Some specific discs with issues have certainly occurred in the past, but over time it’s become very apparent there is quite a recurrent problem with Warner Bros. DVDs produced between 2006 and 2009.

This problem recently got a lot of amplification thanks to an article by JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray, who unfortunately personally encountered the issue on WB-released Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn box sets produced during this era. But among a sect of collectors, this has been a well known issue for years, and covered in great detail by an expert in physical media, YouTuber Spencer Draper, AKA Damn Fool Idealistic Crusader, in a video posted in late 2021 (though he notes others had begun to spot the problem before that).

A Problem Discovered, and a Studio’s Response

As Draper and others began to explore the issue, they even did the detective work to realize that this wasn’t a problem for every single WB DVD produced during this era, but rather those that came from one particular manufacturing plant - the since-closed Cinram plant in Pennsylvania. That matching element was discernible from a tiny manufacturing labeling system you can find on the inner ring of the backside of the disc, where the data is held (more on that below).

A massive collector of film and TV across all formats, Draper estimates he probably owns between 5,000-6,000 films on everything from VHS to LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD and more. And as fate – and a rich cinematic and distribution history – would have it, a large portion of his DVDs were produced by Warner Bros. After first learning about this issue, Draper told me, “I did the mad panic check of every single disc, one at a time.”

The problem is, DVD rot is not always going to show up the same way. As Draper explained: “I found that even doing a scan or trying to do a digital backup wouldn't always guarantee that it was actually rot free and that the only way to really tell for sure was to go through the whole disc. And not just the feature, but all the supplements and the menus and things, and also trying to figure out what titles did [other] people have that I didn't but had gone bad.”

Draper began to contact Warner Bros. Home Entertainment about this issue, which was not an easy journey at the time (as detailed in his video), though as he noted in a follow-up video, WB eventually sent him a large package replacing every title he’d noted an issue with - if they were still producing it that is.

Regarding the studio’s current thoughts on and response to the matter, IGN reached out to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and were given the following statement:

“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is aware of potential issues affecting select DVD titles manufactured between 2006 – 2009 and has been working directly with consumers on replacements or alternate solutions for nearly a decade. Any consumer who is experiencing an issue can contact whv@wbd.com. This is not a new issue. A website recently experienced this issue themselves and decided to write a story about it (since updated) and that has caused the latest news. WBHE has been working with consumers for nearly a decade when it was first brought to our attention. We have offered replacements when possible, or an alternate title when needed. Some of the discs are now out of print or the titles no longer licensed for DVD release. In these cases, WBHE offered an alternate title as a replacement.”

This statement is not too dissimilar from the one WBHE gave JoBlo, though it does extend the years affected from ending in 2008 to 2009, which Draper notes matches what he’s found when checking the titles in question.

How Do You Know if Your DVDs Are Rotting?

So what do you do if you’re concerned about one of your DVDs being among those affected? Your first step should be to look at the copyright year on the back to see if it was produced between 2006 and 2009. Anything produced outside of those years should be fine (for now - more on that below).

But if you do see it comes from those years, Draper explains that at that point, “You need to look at the actual disc manufacturing codes on the inner ring [on the backside of the disc]. And if you see the letters ‘IFPI’ in there anywhere, you know it's one of the screwy ones.”

Keep in mind, these are tiny letters and numbers on the clear plastic inner ring, so they may be hard to spot (and you’ll likely need to magnify them with a magnifying glass or camera).

One quick way to know your disc is probably okay, even if it is from 2006-2009? Look at the back cover of the DVD case. Draper says if you see “a tiny blue stamp that says ‘Disc Made in Mexico,’” then you’re good since those were definitely produced at a different plant.

Ultimately, if you have a Warner Bros. DVD made within those years and want to skip all the hunting for the additional labels on the packaging or discs, Draper adds, “It doesn't hurt to just go ahead and check it. The easiest thing is to just put the disc in and just run through everything on ultra fast forward and then do the same on the extras. I know that sounds stupid, but that's one way of doing it.”

Draper has very helpfully made his own list of the titles he’s aware were affected, which is a great starting point for anyone concerned about this in regards to their own collection. Plus, his list also makes for a good way to be forewarned if you’re looking to buy an older title and want to try to avoid potential issues - even though in some cases that can be incredibly frustrating if there are no other versions available beyond those made during the dreaded rot era.

As a big horror fan, one title that stood out to me in that regard while looking over Draper’s list was the DVD sets for HBO’s Tales From the Crypt, with multiple seasons having proven to be affected. That series is said to have a lot of complicated rights issues associated with it, curtailing its availability, and currently it’s not available anywhere to legally stream, rent or purchase digitally. Worse, those WB-produced DVD sets were the only time the show was ever put on physical media, meaning that if you’re a fan who wants to track down Tales From the Crypt for your collection, you have to do so knowing there’s a very good chance the discs won’t all play correctly when you receive them.

For Draper, a similar issue is with Volume Two of the classic RKO Tarzan films, which had its one and only physical media release from WB and is one of the affected titles. Its rarity means it’s often fairly high priced on the resale market, including on eBay. And then, even if you decide you’ve found a price you’re willing to pay, you have no way of knowing if the discs will turn out to be plagued by issues. Worse, even if everything looks fine when you receive them, it’s often fairly random if and when they might go bad after that. As Draper notes, while LaserDiscs were also prone to rot issues, there seemed to be a time they hit where if they hadn’t gone bad in this regard yet, you were probably fine. But the WB DVD rot issue is a lot more erratic, so a disc could be fine now, but then the next time you go to watch it, it won’t play.

What’s a Typical DVD’s ‘Life Expectancy’?

If there’s any silver lining, it’s that this widespread issue for this particular run of DVDs from this particular studio has also underlined that, by and large, we’re not seeing large-scale DVD rot occurring, even as DVDs themselves near their fourth decade of existence. Draper notes there were some poorly produced DVDs in the early days that suffered from rot, but those tended to be the exceptions.

In regards to how long a typical DVD’s life expectancy is, Sony’s official statement is that “A typical DVD disc has an estimated life expectancy of anywhere from 30 to 100 years when properly stored and handled.” That’s a pretty substantial 70-year gap in terms of possibilities, but as we hurtle towards the 30th anniversary of the introduction of DVDs in 1996, Draper isn’t seeing too much cause for concern anytime soon. “I have early Warner DVDs from 1997, the first [WB] year, snapper case era, perfectly fine. No issues whatsoever. It's like, ‘Well, they managed to nail these perfectly!’ These still work great.”

And so far, there also doesn’t seem to be any notable or widespread issues with Blu-rays. There have been some recent reports about Blu-ray concerns, but Draper notes there really isn’t any heavily repeatable examples he’s seen beyond some examples in France that likely can be sourced to a specific French manufacturer. (On the flip side, nearly all WB-produced HD DVD titles no longer play, for any who did initially invest in that doomed format when it was in a showdown with Blu-ray for dominance.)

At one point, Criterion had a similar disc rot issue with some Blu-rays to the one Warner Bros. has with those DVDs, where discs manufactured at a specific plant were highly susceptible to rot. In that case, not too many titles were affected and Criterion did well dealing with the issue, confirming the details, including the specific titles to look out for, and beginning an exchange program for the discs from later repressings.

As noted above, Warner Bros. are well aware of this ongoing problem with DVDs from that era and emailing whv@wbd.com can begin your process of trying to replace your discs, though Draper cautions he’s seen wildly different responses from those he’s spoken to, including how quickly – or not so quickly – someone gets back to you. And in some cases, you have to deal with pushing back on the hurdle of being asked for receipts on products few people will still have after so long (or perhaps never had, if it was a gift). Plus, while Warner Bros. may have newer editions of many of the titles in question, with many classic films now made using their MOD (Made on Demand) program, there are other films and series that are long out of print and WB will simply not be able to replace thanks to rights issues. WB’s statement does say they’ll then offer an alternate title in these situations, but that’s obviously far from ideal if you understandably just want the film or series you already had in your collection.

Draper wishes the company had been more candid and up front about this issue in the manner Criterion was with their similar occurrence, including providing their own list of titles that may be affected. (The list he made still stands in for concerned consumers since there is no official one.) They also haven’t publicly acknowledged that these rotted discs all came from the same plant, nor explained that there is a way to identify that.

Also, there’s the fact that even if you get a replacement disc of a more recent release of a film, it may very well be lacking bonus features that were only on that earlier version, something Draper has encountered firsthand with films like Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. That movie was recently given a Criterion Collection 4K UHD, but the 2006 Warner Bros. two-disc DVD has hours of exclusive extras that have not been replicated - and Draper’s copy has rotted.

We physical media enthusiasts often note that, in the streaming era, keeping a copy on your shelf has become one of the only ways to ensure you can watch a favorite film or series whenever you want and without any concerns given how little stability there is regarding when and where titles are available online. For the most part, that thankfully remains true, but the WB DVD rot problem points out a glaring trouble spot that can have you ruing the Pennsylvania Cinram plant long after its closure.

Header art designed by Amanda Flagg.

Happy Alien Day! Fans celebrate the iconic sci-fi horror franchise every April 26th and this year IGN marks the occasion by sharing with you these cool new videos from FX’s Alien: Earth.

We can exclusively reveal a new video showing the gestation of a creature aboard a Weyland-Yutani Corp. spaceship.

Running three minutes in length, the gestation video – which you can watch below – pays off a series of short teases we’ve been debuting across our social platforms this past week.

In addition to our exclusive gestation video, there’s also a new teaser FX has released that’s set aboard a Weyland-Yutani ship and shows a crteature within a crate. You can watch that below and find the new poster as well.

The teaser’s voiceover captures that good ol’ Weyland-Yutani hubris that always leads to really, really bad things happening: “This ship collected five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe, each one a unique deadly species … monsters!”

Here’s the official plot synopsis for the series, which is set in the year 2120 and premieres this summer on FX and Hulu:

“When a mysterious space vessel crash-lands on Earth, a young woman and a ragtag group of tactical soldiers make a fateful discovery that puts them face-to-face with the planet’s greatest threat in the sci-fi horror series Alien: Earth.

As members of the crash recovery crew search for survivors among the wreckage, they encounter mysterious predatory life forms more terrifying than they could have ever imagined. With this new threat unlocked, the search crew must fight for survival and what they choose to do with this discovery could change planet Earth as they know it.”

Sydney Chandler leads the cast of FX’s Alien: Earth, which includes Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Essie Davis, Samuel Blenkin, Babou Ceesay, David Rysdahl, Adrian Edmondson, Adarsh Gourav, Jonathan Ajayi, Erana James, Lily Newmark, Diem Camille and Moe Bar-El.

For more on the Alien franchise, check out the IGN community’s ranking of the Alien movies and find out how to watch the Alien movies in chronological order. Plus, discover why we think Predator: Badlands has an Alien connection.

The 2025 NBA Playoffs are finally underway, marking the beginning of the road to a new world champion. And just like the March Madness tournament that wrapped up recently, you can count on a few surprises along the way. There are plenty of hungry teams in the mix, but only one will reign supreme come June. Can the Celtics secure their first back-to-back championship since 1969? Or will the surging Oklahoma City Thunder finally bring home their first NBA title since moving from Seattle?

If you're wondering when and where to catch this weekend’s playoff action, we’ve got you covered. Below is the full schedule with every matchup, tip-off time, and the network each game will air on.

Where to Watch Upcoming NBA Playoff Games

Check out the schedule below to find out where you can watch every First Round game this weekend:

Saturday, April 26

• Cavaliers at Heat, Game 3 (10:00 AM PT on TNT)
• Thunder at Grizzlies, Game 4 (12:30 PM PT on TNT)
• Nuggets at Clippers, Game 4 (3:00 PM PT on TNT)
• Rockets at Warriors, Game 3 (5:30 PM PT on ABC)

Sunday, April 27

• Knicks at Pistons, Game 4 (10:00 AM PT on ABC)
• Lakers at Timberwolves, Game 4 (12:30 PM PT on ABC)
• Celtics at Magic, Game 4 (4:00 PM PT on TNT)
• Pacers at Bucks, Game 4 (6:30 PM PT on TNT)

How to Stream NBA Playoff Games Online

If you don't have cable, don't worry. You can still catch the NBA Playoffs online or through select streaming services. Some streaming services even offer a free trial, allowing you to test the service out while being able to watch some of the games while you're at it.

Matthew Adler has written for IGN since 2019 covering all things gaming, tech, tabletop games, and more. You can follow him on the site formerly known as Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

When Bethesda finally revealed Oblivion Remastered earlier this week, I could hardly believe my eyes. Somehow 2006’s trip to Tamriel, known for its weird, potato-faced characters and smeary stretches of low-res verdant grasslands, is now the best-looking Elder Scrolls game ever made. A long history of HD overhauls has conditioned me to expect underwhelming results from remasters – Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Dark Souls Remastered are barely indistinguishable from their Xbox 360 parents, for instance – and so to see the Imperial City that I explored nearly 20 years ago rendered in Unreal Engine 5 with ray tracing was momentarily unbelievable. Not only that, but the game has been enhanced with upgrades to combat, RPG systems, and a multitude of other details. All that considered, I wondered if Bethesda and the project’s developer, Virtuos, had got the title wrong. Surely this is Oblivion Remake, not remastered?

It turns out I wasn’t alone in that thinking. Numerous fans have declared it a remake, and even Bruce Nesmith, the senior game designer on the original Oblivion project, has said “I’m not sure [the word] remaster actually does it justice.” But while I doubted Bethesda and Virtuos’ remaster claim at first, after playing several hours it’s actually pretty clear – Oblivion Remastered may look like a remake but it plays like a remaster.

There are plenty of reasons why Oblivion looks like a remake and they can be easily summed up: Virtuos has done a huge amount of work, with "every single asset redesigned from scratch." In terms of what you physically see on screen, it is all brand new. Every tree, every sword, every crumbling castle. This means Oblivion lives up to modern graphical expectations. Not only is it beautifully textured, it also has gorgeous lighting and a whole new physics system that ensures every arrow and weapon strike affects the world realistically. And while all who you meet in the game are recognisably the same folks you crossed paths with back in 2006, every single NPC model is a brand new creation. It’s a hugely impressive overhaul that rejects the idea of making something that “looks like you remember” and instead aims for something that’s great by 2025 standards. It’s the best a Bethesda Game Studios RPG has ever looked, and if I had seen it before the remaster rumours began I’d probably have believed that it was The Elder Scrolls 6.

It’s not just visuals, though. Combat has been overhauled, and so swinging a longsword no longer feels like fencing with a balloon. The third person camera is now actually functional thanks to the addition of a reticule. Every menu, from the quest journal to dialogue to the lockpicking and persuasion minigames, have all had refreshed interfaces. The original, horrific levelling system has been replaced with a much more logical hybrid of Oblivion and Skyrim’s approaches. And finally you can sprint. With so many visual and gameplay upgrades, surely we are firmly in remake territory?

The big issue here is not so much one of technology, game changes, or project scope, but semantics. There are no industry-defined parameters for remakes and remasters, and publishers recklessly throw the terms around. Rockstar’s “Definitive Edition” remasters of the Grand Theft Auto trilogy are unmistakably blocky PlayStation 2-era games with upscaled textures and modern lighting effects. But the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, also branded a remaster, sports all-new graphical assets and looks like a game from the modern era. Things are even muddier when we get to remakes: Bluepoint’s Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls both rebuild their respective games from the ground up, but are faithful, 1:1 recreations of the original experiences. Resident Evil 2, meanwhile, sticks more-or-less to the original blueprint in terms of structure, but completely redesigns the way you interact with the survival horror icon. And then we have Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth, which radically overhaul the design, script, and even story beats of the original games. All five of these examples are considered remakes, but there’s very little shared philosophy between them.

At one point in time, the general consensus seemed to be that if the game had been rebuilt from scratch in a modern engine, it was considered a remake. Remasters, meanwhile, were more limited upgrades performed within the scope of the game’s original technology. Such a definition is clearly becoming fast outdated, though. Today, it seems more fitting to say that a remaster is a graphical overhaul that preserves the design of the original game (bar a few quality of life gameplay upgrades), while a remake redesigns a game from scratch. Such a definition would “downgrade” Demon’s Souls and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Delta to remasters, and ensure the remake term only applies to games that genuinely feel like new takes on old ideas.

Warning: This review contains spoilers for season 2, episode 3 of Doctor Who, "The Well."

“The Well” is an immensely frustrating episode of Doctor Who. There’s real promise scattered throughout its runtime, including some striking horror imagery that feels pulled straight from a Stephen King novel, but it struggles to build on that foundation. Flung 500,000 years into the future, the Doctor and Belinda arrive on a crumbling, ice-laced mining colony where something has clearly gone wrong. The infrastructure is in ruins, the crew has vanished, and only one shell-shocked survivor remains. Right from the off, there’s a cold stillness that slowly settles in and wraps around us like a brisk fog, permeating a slow, creeping dread. It’s a sharp contrast to the brilliant chaos of last week’s outing, but the shift to a slower, more ominous pace is a welcome one.

Surprisingly (unless you’ve read the leaks), it also serves as a direct sequel to 2009’s "Midnight" – a tense, near-perfect bottle episode built around one of the show’s simplest, most chilling ideas. For better or worse, the follow-up isn’t a retread of that one-off, and doesn’t try to be. But while “The Well” starts as a bold successor to an all-time great, it ultimately ends up slipping into pale imitation.

To their credit, Russell T Davies and co-writer Sharma Walfall make a deliberate effort to avoid simply rehashing "Midnight." The entity has been reimagined with fresh rules and visual tricks, and there’s some impressive restraint in how little we actually see of it. They even found a few inventive ways to make this entity almost as terrifying as the first time we encountered it, and there’s still some clear intent in how the mysterious alien is handled. The creature’s design is mostly left to the imagination, and director Amanda Brotchie impressively leans into a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it embodiment.

But it’s hard not to feel that this return chips away at the power of the original. “Midnight” was about fear, groupthink, and the fragility of trust, while “The Well” just awkwardly gestures toward a scary monster and calls it a day. Where “Midnight” left gaps for the imagination to fill, “The Well” feels too eager to explain, too quick to visualise the horror rather than let it haunt from the edges. For all the unease Brotchie's direction carefully conjures, the story underneath feels disappointingly thin by comparison. The Midnight entity is no longer this terrifying enigma relying on mimicry and manipulation to sow paranoia and panic. Instead, it’s now a far more conventional monster of the week, jumping between victims in a parasitic chain in a clichéd pass-it-on setup that recalls horror flicks like It Follows or Smile. Gone is the intellectual dread, the eerie unknowability that made its first appearance unforgettable. It was a malevolent intelligence that even the Doctor couldn’t reason with or outwit, toying with language and fracturing a room using just its guile.

It shares so little resemblance to its original appearance, and it’s hard to escape the feeling that the reintroduction of one of Doctor Who’s most enigmatic villains is unnecessary at best, and actively disappointing at worst. Even taking the episode on its own merits, and putting aside the unavoidable comparisons, “The Well” still struggles to find any way to stand out. The supporting cast is painfully forgettable, the story lacks any substance beyond the Midnight reveal, and even Ncuti Gatwa feels off-tempo, his usual spark dulled by dialogue that forces a semblance of emotional catharsis from scene to scene instead of truly earning it. There are flashes of great tension and horror, but they’re trapped in a script that desperately struggles to find its footing anywhere else.

Entertainment has hit critical mass over the last decade, with more shows and movies being produced and released than ever before. It’s impossible to keep up with everything hitting the digital space, whether it be Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) or a traditional streaming network. With that in mind, we figured it was well past time for us to whip up a little something to help you keep up (and catch up) with all there is to watch in the big, wide world of digital viewing. And thus, the Streaming Rewind was born!

We’ll update this list at the end of each week so you can check out what you may have missed, and what’s coming up on the weekend. We’ll keep it a mix of popular releases and noteworthy lesser-known titles to help you find what’s worth taking the risk on as well as dive into a few things that we loved and why we loved ‘em, or just break down a show or movie that left us with some opinions. Sometimes, we’ll even have guest entries from other members of the IGN staff. If you’re not interested in all that and just want to see a bulleted list of what’s out there, pop on down to the New and Noteworthy and ICYMI sections.

Ash and Freaky Tales Hit Digital and Demand

It’s rare I combine two titles for one of these blurbs, but fate releasing Ash and Freaky Tales on digital and demand in the same week obligates me to talk about them both. They share absolutely no D.N.A with each other with one exception: they’re both weird little guys. Just oddball, out there movies that are there for people who want something a little more esoteric for their weekend viewing pleasure.

Ash (featuring performances from Eiza González and Aaron Paul) is there for folks who like their sci-fi weird and extra serious. It’s trippy and existential with an underlying mystery that extends beyond the “why are we here” of it all. Meanwhile, Freaky Tales is some straight-up silly nonsense. This one features a set of several anthology entries. Each is weirder than the last, but all of them involve beating the hell out of Nazis. It is not a good movie, but it is quite often a very funny movie. Even if perhaps it doesn’t mean to be. (Oh, and Pedro Pascal is in it.)

Andor Returns to Disney+

Cassian Andor and the Rebel Alliance are back, and not a moment too soon. The first batch of Andor Season 2’s episodes have dropped on Disney+, setting up a season of intrigue, espionage, desperation and, of course, rebellion. Though the release schedule is a little wonky (more on that below), I suspect we’re in for one hell of a ride as the last part of Andor’s pre-Rogue One journey comes to a close.

The Last of Us Had Its Big Moment (Max)

Welp. Joel has officially gone golfing. If you don’t understand what that means then please know that the bit is for your protection. If you do know what that means then you’re likely aware that fans are just as divided as ever on whether or not it was the right move, only this time it has the added complication of happening in a new medium.

A massive horde attack on Jackson keeps things moving this week, but only time will tell what’s to come and which of the townspeople made it out of the attack alive and bite free.

New and Noteworthy This Week:

• Andor, April 22 — Disney+
• Ash, April 22 — Digital and demand
• You Season 5, April 24 — Netflix
• Freaky Tales, April 25 — Digital and demand
• Fréwaka, April 25 — Shudder
• Havoc, April 25 — Netflix

ICYMI:

If you had too much going on last week, here are some of the notable things that premiered or debuted on streaming and digital that you may have missed.

• Captain America: Brave New World, April 15 — Digital and demand
• The Woman in the Yard, April 15 — Digital and demand
• Government Cheese, April 16 — Apple TV+
• #1 Happy Family USA, April 17 — Prime Video
• The Rehearsal, April 20 — Max

Marvel Comics may publish a great many stories set across numerous versions of the Marvel Universe, but they've rarely ever released comics that are specifically set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That appears to be changing, with Marvel revealing a prequel comic for the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Simply titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, the prequel is set four years prior to the events of the film. Written by Matt Fraction (Hawkeye) and illustrated by Mark Buckingham (Fables), this standalone issue will recount the FF's debut adventure, seemingly inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's original Fantastic Four #1. We know that the film is mostly skipping over the FF's origin story, so it appears that the comic will fill in for those who want to know how the team came to be.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new RPG and debut title from the French studio, Sandfall Interactive. With a blend of immersive storytelling and challenging gameplay, there’s nothing else quite like it. Maxroll has been hard at work on helpful guides for Expedition 33. There are guides to help you get started, teach you game mechanics, find valuable loot, and hone your builds. Maxroll’s Codex has weapons, skills, Pictos, and Lumina to help you prepare for the challenges you will face on the continent. If you’re the theorycrafty type, you can use Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Planner to make your own build, then share it on their Community Builds Section.

Getting Started

Get started in the world of Expedition 33 with character guides, beginner resources, and Pictos guides from Maxroll. If you're looking for a step-by-step companion guide to keep up as you play, check out IGN's Expedition 33 Walkthrough.

Beginner’s Guide

Maxroll’s comprehensive Beginner’s Guide for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introduces the game’s core mechanics like exploring the world, doing battle against Nevrons, each of the playable characters and their unique mechanics, plus introduces the game’s progression systems like weapons, attributes, Pictos and Luminas. Also check out IGN's 10 Things Expedition 33 Doesn't Tell You for a shorter guide of some easily-missed things you should know.

Combat Guide

Learn more about defeating dangerous Nevrons with IGN's Combat Guide. This is a beginner's guide with some tips and tricks, including advice for how to use Lune and Maelle.

Weapons, Attributes and Upgrades

Weapons are a core part of building your team in Expedition 33. Each weapon (and character skill) deals different types of elemental damage, some of which are more effective than others against different Nevrons. Each character has a variety of different weapons that have increased attribute scaling as you level them, plus unlock special bonuses at levels 4, 10, and 20. Read more about Weapons, Attributes and Upgrades.

Pictos and Luminas

Pictos are equippable items that give stats and a variety of unique effects. Each character can equip 3 Pictos, but you can use the Lumina system to gain even more special effects. If you’re struggling on an encounter, consider changing up your Pictos to gain more defenses, add damage or buff your team with things like Shell or Powerful. Learn more about Pictos and the Lumina system, a core progression feature in Expedition 33, and keep track of what you have and where to find them with IGN's Pictos checklist.

Early Game Pictos Guides

The Pictos system provides a lot of room to customize your party and build each character the way that you want, but there are a few Pictos which stand out as especially powerful during the early game. Keep an eye out for Dead Energy II and Critical Burn, complete side-content for the “lone wolf” style Last Stand Pictos and use Recovery to turn one character into a super-tank!

Characters

Learn about each playable character in Expedition 33, their unique mechanics, and skills with Maxroll’s Character Skill Guides.

• Gustave
• Lune
• Maelle
• Sciel
• Verso
• Monoco

More Guides

Maxroll also has a few more guides suitable for the midgame and endgame. These go into detail on how to unlock areas of the map, defeat certain enemies more easily, or which Pictos are the best.

How to Unlock all of Esquie’s Traversal Abilities

Esquie can break through obstacles, swim, fly, and even dive under the ocean. Learn how to unlock all of Esquie’s Abilities as you progress through the game.

Enemy Strengths and Weaknesses

Learn about the Strengths and Weaknesses for the enemies you encounter across the Continent. Abuse enemy weaknesses to deal 50% more damage, and avoid using elements they absorb, as those heal the enemy instead of damaging them!

Zone Progression

If you’re feeling lost after completing the game’s story, Maxroll has you covered with a Zone Progression Guide, which gives some recommendations on when to complete different optional zones. IGN also has a list of Expedition 33 side quests with their rewards, so you can determine which ones are worth completing.

Best Pictos

Learn the Best Pictos to equip in both the early game and the endgame. Maxroll’s guide details Pictos that provide generic power along with those that have more niche uses, empowering new build archetypes.

Codex

Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Codex has information on all of the different Weapons, Pictos, Luminas, and Skills available in the game. You can even adjust the level at the top to see how Weapons/Pictos scale.

Planner and Community Builds

Plan out your build using Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Builder, then share it using the Community Builds section ! Let’s go over a few of the planner’s key features:

Here are the features to keep in mind when using Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Planner.

1. Select your characters and set up the active party. If you want to create different teams (with unique setups for each character) you can also do so here. At the top select an optional tag like “Story” or “Post-Story.” You use this section to navigate between each of the characters on your team to change their setups.
2. Pick your weapon, then adjust the level. As you do the power and scaling change but attributes are not currently factored in.
3. - Select the 6 skills you’re using on the character.
   • NOTE: Gradient Skills are excluded here but you can learn more about them in the Codex!
4. Pick your Pictos, you can use each Pictos once across your entire team. Select the correct level to display the stats added by each.
5. Add Luminas here, the point count is displayed at the top.
6. Allocate attributes, maybe use something your weapon scales off of?
7. Your stats are displayed here, based on Pictos, Attributes, and base weapon damage.
8. Add some notes, tell people about your skill rotation or where you found some of the cool stuff you’re using.
9. Set your build to public to share it with the community.

Tomorrow Comes

That’s it for Maxroll’s new guides for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Why not head over to the build planner and start theorycrafting?

Written by IGN Staff with contributions from Tenkiei and Snail.

Amazon is currently running a massive 3 for $33 deal on 4Ks and Blu-rays. The bestsellers so far have been sci-fi classics like the Godzilla movies, but I’m personally all about adding to my horror collection.

Still, this is one of those deals that’s almost too good. I just want everything. To rein myself in, I wanted to settle on a theme, and I happen to organize by shelves by director. You know what director happens to have exactly three awesome horror movies, all of which are eligible for the deal? Jordan Peele. After scrolling through the entire sale, I’ve decided I'd go for Us, Nope, and Get Out, all for $33.

Nope, Us, and Get Out in 4K for $33

If you forced me to pick a favorite between these three movies, I’d lie to you. Well, I’d say one movie and then immediately feel like I was lying. Get Out, I truly believe, is one of the best directorial debuts in movie history. Lupita Nyong'o’s performance in Us is one of the best I’ve seen in horror, period. And I don’t think I’ll ever forget being awestruck by watching Nope on the big screen.

Nope is also the most recent physical release, and as such the one horror fans are least likely to have already. It’s also a movie I’d hesitate to call just “horror.” IGN’s 9/10 review of Nope describes it as “a sci-fi-horror-comedy that builds cinematic myths before casually knocking them over... from a studio director at the peak of his craft.”

To get this deal (or anything else from the sale), you just have to add all three movies to your cart. Amazon applies the promo automatically.

Jordan Peele's Next Movie Comes Out in 2026

Jordan Peele's next project is set to release in theaters in October 2026. I think it’s safe to say there are pretty high expectations here, but this is one director who’s more than likely to meet them. Peele's production company Monkeypaw is also releasing the sports horror movie Him later this year. In other mediums, the director is collaborating with none other than Hideo Kojima on a game currently titled OD.

More horror movies included in the sale:

The 2021 Candyman remake, which Peele helped write, is also included in the sale. I’ll probably use that as my excuse to get another three movies.

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

Lazarus brings together some of the most celebrated names in not just anime but all of entertainment. The completely original sci-fi series is helmed by none other than Cowboy Bebop’s Shinichirō Watanabe, though critic Ryan Guar's review of the first five episodes states that Lazarus is far from a Cowboy Bebop revival. The animation was led by Mappa Studio (Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen) alongside Sola Entertainment (Tower of God), while Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick movies, designed the action sequences.

With so much hype (and a little bit of mystery), it isn't surprising that Adult Swim picked up the anime to air new episodes in the U.S. at the same time as Japan. If you’re wondering how to watch new episodes of Lazarus online, check out the details below.

How to Watch Lazarus

New episodes of Lazarus stream on Max (instead of Crunchyroll or Netflix) the day after they broadcast on Adult Swim. That means new episodes of Lazarus will arrive on Max every Sunday. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 and can be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu.

According to a Warner Bros. press release, subbed versions of Lazarus episodes will air and arrive on Max 30 days after the dubbed episodes.

How to Watch New Episodes Live

Lazarus is airing simultaneously in Japan and the United States. In the States, you can watch new dubbed episodes of Lazarus live on Adult Swim during its Toonami block on Saturday nights. Aside from cable, Adult Swim is included in live TV subscriptions like Hulu + Live TV (which offers a three-day free trial).

Lazarus Episode Release Dates

The first season of Lazarus will include 13 episodes total. Each episode will air live on Adult Swim before arriving on Max. Note that episodes air at midnight (technically Sunday), but are part of Adult Swim's Saturday block, which is why that date is used. Think of it as you'll be staying up, not waking up, to watch new episodes.

Assuming it won't have a mid-season break, here's what I predict the episode release schedule will look like for Lazarus Season 1:

• Episode 1: "Goodbye Cruel World" - April 5 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: April 6, 2025
• Episode 2: "Life in the Fast Lane" - April 12 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: April 13
• Episode 3: "Long Way from Home" - April 19 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: April 20
• Episode 4: "Don't Stop the Dance" - April 26 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: April 27
• Episode 5: "Pretty Vacant" - May 3 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: May 4
• Episode 6: "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" - May 10 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: May 11
• Episode 7 - May 17 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: May 18
• Episode 8 - May 24 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: May 25
• Episode 9 - May 31 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: June 1
• Episode 10 - June 7 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: June 8
• Episode 11 - June 14 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: June 15
• Episode 12 - June 21 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: June 22
• Episode 13 - June 28 (12am EST/9pm PST)
  • Streaming: June 29

What Is Lazarus About?

In a rare move for the anime industry, Lazarus is entirely original. No manga inspiration here, so no reading ahead to find out what happens. Here’s the official plot synopsis:

Lazarus Voice Cast and Characters

Lazarus was created by Shinichirō Watanabe. Here's the main voice cast in Japanese and English:

• Mamoru Miyano (Japanese) and Jack Stansbury (English) as Axel
• Makoto Furukawa (Japanese) and Jovan Jackson (English) as Doug
• Maaya Uchida (Japanese) and Luci Christian (English) as Christine
• Yuma Uchida (Japanese) and Bryson Baugus (English) as Leland
• Manaka Iwami (Japanese) and Annie Wild (English) as Eleina
• Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese) and Jade Kelly (English) as Hersch
• Akio Otsuka (Japanese) and Sean Patrick Judge (English) as Abel
• Koichi Yamadera (Japanese); David Matranga (English) as Dr. Skinner

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered PC players ran into trouble after a surprise update launched today, but Bethesda says a fix is on the way.

Players woke up to find that Virtuos’ massive re-release received an unexpected update earlier today. With no patch notes or clear answer as to what the update addressed, most proceeded with their play sessions as normal. Others, however, quickly found that the first Oblivion Remastered update was causing more problems than it fixed

Yoooo why would @virtuosgames push an update to Oblivion Remastered that removes all upscaling right before the games first weekend?!!?

No DLSS
No FSR

RIP playable performance....

** Disable auto updates or disable internet connection **@bethesda @BethesdaStudios SAVE US! pic.twitter.com/EwJ5eu5qUN

— Twon. (@Web3Twon) April 25, 2025

“Can't change the upscaling methods anymore,” one Reddit user pointed out. “It's set to ‘off’ and while the arrows are clickable nothing happens. So I closed the game, disabled fluid motion in the NVidia app (was testing something before the patch came) and started the game again. Loading times for my save are long again and still can't change upscaling settings lol.

“Now I am stuck with 40-60 fps in high settings with a 5800X3D and a 5080. Nice patch :D”

While some players haven’t noticed much of a change in performance, others are reporting new struggles related to low framerates. Many have also noted that upscaling settings have been completely closed off, leaving fans with major visual issues ahead of Oblivion Remastered’s first weekend in players’ hands.

Bethesda finally attempted to address concerns with a post published on its official support page. As for what today’s Oblivion Remastered update was meant to fix, the post explains the patch simply included “a few backend tweaks and nothing directly impacting game play.” Unfortunately, it seems those who own Oblivion Remastered through the Microsoft Store are the ones running into problems with their upscaling and anti-aliasing options.

“Any graphic settings adjusted prior to the Microsoft Store hotfix are still enabled and function normally," Bethesda clarified. "However, you will temporarily be unable to adjust those settings due to the issue with the settings UI. The team is taking a look and working out a resolution, we will share more info as soon as we can."

For now, there’s no telling when exactly a resolution for what was originally supposed to be an under-the-radar hotfix will arrive. In the meantime, it appears players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S consoles can continue playing with no issue.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion launched for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X | S earlier this week. For more on Bethesda’s shadow-drop re-release, you can check out why Bethesda and Virtuos aimed to maintain the jank of the original game and why some players still love it all these years later.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).

Video game adaptations seem to be the trend of the hour. Just this month we’ve had A Minecraft Movie, the Devil May Cry anime, and the ongoing The Last of Us Season 2. Now we're getting the movie inspired by Sony's 2015 survival horror game Until Dawn.

I remember Until Dawn releasing at the height of the YouTube “Let’s Play” era and was a game that was as much fun to watch other people play as it was to play yourself. The game featured high-quality cinematics, in-game choices with real consequences and, most importantly, some pretty darn good jumpscares.

It’s not worth talking too much more about the original game because the movie seems to take inspiration mostly from the name and not much else. IGN’s Until Dawn review says it "shares a title and some key details with the game that inspired it, though it mostly tries to do its own thing – to mixed results.” Still, curiosity and a general love of horror is enough for me to still be interested.

If you’re planning to watch Until Dawn in theaters or want a sense of how long you’ll have to wait until it’s available to stream, check out the details below.

How to Watch Until Dawn

Until Dawn just released in theaters on Friday, April 25. You can check for showtimes near you at the main theater links below:

• Fandango
• Regal Theaters
• AMC Theaters
• Cinemark Theaters
• Alamo Drafthouse

Until Dawn Streaming Release Date

Until Dawn will eventually stream on Netflix, which has a licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Recent Sony movies, like Venom: The Last Dance and Saturday Night, landed on Netflix exactly four months after their initial release dates. Assuming this same trend holds, Until Dawn will be available to stream on Netflix around August 25.

What About VOD?

Until Dawn will be available through digital marketplaces like Prime Video before it comes to streaming. VOD release dates vary, often based on box office performance, but generally shorter theatrical release windows mean Until Dawn could be available to rent by the end of May.

What Is Until Dawn About?

While the Until Dawn movie is technically inspired by the 2014 survival horror game, it features different characters and a standalone storyline. Here's the movie's official synopsis:

"One year after her sister disappeared, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they soon encounter a masked killer who murders them one by one. However, when they mysteriously wake up at the beginning of the same night, they're forced to relive the terror over and over again."

Until Dawn Cast and Characters

The Until Dawn movie was written by Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler and directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation). The movie stars the following cast:

• Ella Rubin as Clover
• Michael Cimino as Max
• Odessa A'zion as Nina
• Ji-young Yoo as Megan
• Belmont Cameli as Abel
• Maia Mitchell as Melanie
• Peter Stormare as Hill

Until Dawn Rating and Runtime

Until Dawn is Rated R for bloody horror violence, disturbing/grisly images, brief strong language, and sexual material. The movie runs for a total of one hour and 43 minutes.

Jesse Plemons has been cast as Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and he will be playing a younger version of the character the late Philip Seymour Hoffman played in the original Hunger Games films.

Lionsgate shared the news and noted that this future Head Gamemaker and rebellion leader will be seen at the beginning of the film "in District 12, capturing the reaping of the Tributes there."

As for the movie itself, it is based on Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name and "revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell." And yes, these are the same deadly games that Woody Harrelson's Haymitch Abernathy played in (and won).

If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, then you've probably already read all of the main LotR books. There's The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, and that's it – right? Wrong. There are actually seven other books that round out the series with more details around Middle-earth. As someone who has only read the core four books, this came as a surprise to me when I first found out. If you find yourself hungering for more of Tolkien's work, there's plenty more to read.

One of those books is currently so heavily discounted in the Amazon book sale that I had to pick it up for myself. Unfinished Tales of Númenor & Middle-Earth has dropped down to its lowest price ever and you can buy it for just under $7.

The Best Lord of the Rings Book Deal on Amazon

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has laid out its plans to take some of the pressure off of Strategists players just days after fans launched a community-wide Support strike.

Much of Marvel Rivals Season 2 has gone over swimmingly. New characters, maps, and modes helped the hero shooter push forward as the team promises quicker seasons and even more playable heroes, but its balance changes have introduced entirely new issues. Strategists – a character class that largely functions as Marvel Rivals’ Support pool – aren’t having much fun as Vanguards and Duelists have taken power.

The decreased viability of the Support class has been the topic of discussion in the Marvel Rivals community since Season 2 launched earlier this month. With other roles given more power on the battlefield, many Strategist players have reported not only an abundance of punishing matches but toxic ones, too, as teammates hop into text and voice chats to place the blame on them. It all reached a boiling point this past week when hundreds of players began taking to social media to declare they would stay away from the healer spot until NetEase explained how it might make the experience more enjoyable for all.

“We’re not asking to be glorified or seen as the ‘hardest’ role - because I don’t think we are,” one Reddit user commented. “We just want basic respect. It’s tiring to be called brain dead or worthless when your stats are solid and you’re playing your role the way it’s meant to be played.”

I Need Healing

Whether the strike has been successful or if players are simply choosing to stray from a challenging class, NetEase says it wants to take action. In a Dev Talk post published to its website today, NetEase addressed the concerns revolving around the Strategist class. Its approach to relieve some of the pressure is two-pronged and involves buffing the Support role while also making its Competitive mode more rewarding.

The team says Strategist “threat levels” will be elevated in an upcoming patch. This means potentially buffing heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark while hitting Vanguards like Captain America and Groot with nerfs to their survivability, while Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will get decreased damage range. Details on exactly which characters will receive changes have yet to be revealed.

“Since this is a mid-season balance adjustment, we aim to be cautious, keeping changes minimal to enhance the experience of certain heroes without drastically altering the overall meta,” NetEase explained. “As we move into S2.5, with Ultron's arrival and new Team-Up Ability adjustments, we'll consider broader, more comprehensive balance changes.”

Meanwhile, Competitive is a Marvel Rivals offering that has seen slightly altered stats since the launch of Season 2. Duelists, in particular, have had an advantage when it comes to performance ratings, while Vanguard and Strategists have been at a slight disadvantage. As a result, NetEase plans to adjust performance rating calculations “to ensure fairness across all heroes.”

“Balancing the game and rank adjustments is a challenging endeavor, and we can't guarantee perfection 100% of the time,” the Dev Talk adds. “However, we remain humble and attentive, striving to address issues promptly and enhance your experience. Stay tuned for official patch announcements for more updates. Thank you for your support and patience!”

Marvel Rivals Season 2 introduced Emma Frost as its newest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to include Ultron in the near future. While we wait to see if the upcoming balance changes please those participating in the Support strike, you can read up on a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).

Even if you enjoyed NieR: Automata and its predecessor, NieR: Replicant, you could be forgiven for not knowing that game actually got a sequel, and a pretty good one too. Unfortunately, that sequel, mobile game NieR: Re[in]carnation, hasn't been available for almost a year after being taken offline in April of 2024.

But fortunately, a Square Enix website is dropping some pretty wild in-universe hints that this might be about to change.

As pointed out to us on BlueSky by journalist Willa Rowe, an official NieR website that's currently publishing a NieR special movel to commemorate the series 15th anniversary is teasing something NieR: Re[in]carnation-related via cryptic in-text hints and webpage source code. As a part of today's update to the novel, the just-published chapter 4 ends with some strange text that reads as follows:

[WARNING] : Recovery protocol initialized...[ERROR] : Redirecting to backup node: < https://www.jp.square-enix.com/nierreincarnation/ >[INFO] : Analysis comments added to the source code.
[FATAL] : Process forcibly halted.

What does THAT mean? Who knows? But wait, there's more. If you hit "View Source" on that page, there are even more weird teases in the code comments, as hinted at above. They read, in order:

SECURITY NOTICE: Unauthorized transmission detected. Signal disruption logged. Countermeasure protocol active. Redirecting to backup node: https://www.jp.square-enix.com/nierreincarnation/

TODO: Optimize rendering efficiency. Contradictions in "Her" emotions may interfere with signal clarity. Ensure transission remains undistorted.

FIXME: Visibility settings enabled for crashed observer system. He is watching...Adjust access permissions before deployment. His name is............

HACK: Log discrepancy detected. Records indicate previous modification attempts due to excessive interference from The Cage. Cross-check against original transmission before proceeding.

Okay, there's a lot here, some of which is inscrutable and some of which makes sense. "The Cage", for instance, is the main location where most of NieR: Re[in]carnation takes place. And "Her" is a key character (yes, that's Her name) in Re[in]carnation as well. Between that and the hyperlink, it's pretty obvious what all this is referencing, but what exactly will become of it remains anyone's guess.

The two final chapters of the novel are scheduled to publish on May 2, a week from today, and it's possible it may also pull back the curtain on whatever's happening here. Fans are speculating that it may be leading up to some sort of port or re-release of NieR: Re[in]carnation, which has been completely unplayable anywhere since it went offline last year. They're also pointing out that the chapters of the special novel, which are currently only available in Japanese (but which fans are translating), have some pretty significant tie-ins to all three other NieR games.

If you're unfamiliar with Re[in]carnation, I highly recommend keeping an eye on this, especially if the end result is another opportunity to play it. Re[in]carnation is a good game in its own right that many slept on due to its being a mobile gacha game, but critically, it's also the direct sequel to NieR: Automata, and effectively is NieR 3, for those who have been waiting for it. Who knows? Maybe a new Re[in]carnation release could include some new content that ties the ongoing stream of loose NieR-related threads together at last.

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

Bethesda Game Studios and Virtuos’ The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered includes the original’s infamous Dupe Item Glitch – and fans are loving it all over again 20 years later.

Since the mega-hit remaster launched for PC and consoles earlier this week, Elder Scrolls veterans have been beside themselves as they revisit iconic locations and characters from Bethesda’s classic fantasy RPG. It’s a total visual overhaul that remains so faithful to the original 2006 experience that Virtuos even thought to include some of its more memorable bugs and even a few handy glitches.

In Oblivion Remastered, players have found they’re still able to use a version of the original's Dupe Item Glitch, just the same as they did nearly 20 years ago. It allows the user to duplicate nearly any item in the game, and it only involves navigating through a few menus and a barrel or storage crate. That means unlimited arrows, ingredients, and even infinite money if you’re willing to be patient and haul everything to a merchant after you’re done. You can see our explanation of how to do the Dupe Item Glitch here.

There’s been some debate about a few other Dupe Item Glitch exploits that seem to have been fixed, but the consensus is generally that Virtuos’ move to keep such a niche bug in some capacity is amazing. Now, in 2025, both returning and new Elder Scrolls fans can see Cyrodiil just as it was in 2006, with many important wrinkles and bumps left intact, and the reaction is impossible to deny.

To those upset that Oblivion Scroll Duping got Removed I have great news!
DUPES ARE BACK BABY!!! pic.twitter.com/Y21CowLJqq

— The Spiffing Brit 🫖 (@TheSpiffingBrit) April 24, 2025

Haha scroll duping was the first thing I tried to do!

— Remonix (@remonixr) April 24, 2025

Time to fill my house with succulent watermelons pic.twitter.com/7jGrjdZBaI

— Dukeybutt (@duke_of_butts) April 24, 2025

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S Tuesday, April 22, 2025. Bethesda and Virtuos have said their goal was to maintain that classic experience from the jump, going as far as to say that they both still consider the re-release to be more remaster than remake, despite the vast number of changes it offers. Although the sentiment has not gone unappreciated, many fans have still found themselves debating about whether Oblivion Remastered should have actually been called Oblivion Remake.

For more, you can read about the way Bethesda chose to, once again, include horse armor as DLC. You can also check in on how the modding community dived into the remaster just moments after it launched, and another iconic bug that made its way into the 2025 release.

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).

Looking to get into virtual reality? Meta Quest 3 represents a significant step forward in virtual reality (VR) and a great starting point for everyone. It's available in two versions, the fully-featured Quest 3 and the more affordable Meta Quest 3S, which means there's a good option to get into VR no matter the restrictions posed by your wallet. The Meta Quest system is the best way to get into VR, and even offers exciting exclusive games like the Batman Arkham Shadow game, which requires a Meta Quest 3 or 3S to play.

We're keeping an eye out on any Meta Quest discounts as they appear. At the moment, you can score a great deal on a Meta Quest 3S (both the 128GB and 256GB models) with $30 off, which we've listed below. You'll also get a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+ for free with your purchase, which is a great bonus.

Meta Quest 3S Deals

Best Meta Quest 3 Deals and Bundles

Best Meta Quest 3 Accessory Deals

In addition to the hardware itself, there are some great Meta Quest 3 accessory deals at the moment. You'll get the most bang for your buck with a battery-equipped head strap that adds both comfort and playtime to your VR experience.

What Games Are Available on Meta Quest 3?

Eight years after Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Bros. announced the newest installment in the series: Batman: Arkham Shadow. This VR game is exclusive to the Meta Quest 3 and is developed by Camouflaj, - the creator of the Iron Man VR game - and Oculus Studios, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC. It's arguably the headset's best game, and a must for fans of the caped crusader.

Beyond a virtual reality trip to Gotham, there are many, many other games to play on the Meta Quest. We have a handy list of all the available games on the VR headset via IGN Playlist. Highlights include Asgard’s Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus, Metal Hellsinger VR, and Metro Awakening.

Batman: Arkham Shadow Is Great

In case you're wondering whether a new Batman: Arkham game works in VR, the answer is "yes." While it was develped by Camouflaj rather than series creator Rocksteady, it offers almost all of what fans of the core series appreciate about it.

Our Batman: Arkham Shadow review explains: "Batman: Arkham Shadow does an admirable job of adapting almost everything I love about the Arkham series to work in a full-fledged VR game, and it’s impressive looking for a game that’s exclusive to the standalone Meta Quest 3 headset. There are a few hitches and aggravating bugs that mean some parts don’t work quite as well as others, but its vigorous brawling, exploration, tricky puzzle solving, and stealth are all in full effect as you sneak and punch your way through Blackgate prison in a twisting undercover pursuit of a mysterious cult leader where just about everybody’s a suspect. It’s certainly smaller in scale than any full game since Arkham Asylum, but it’s far larger and more built-out than you might expect after Batman: Arkham VR, and a return to an enclosed prison setting makes it feel dense and intricate."

What Types of Deals Are There on Meta Quest VR Headsets?

Meta Quest offers usually fall into three kinds of discounts. Events such as the holiday season, Prime Day, Black Friday and announcements of newer models tend to push prices down, alongside:

• Discounts: Direct price reductions are the most common deals, especially during major sales events or as part of clearance sales, to make room for newer models.
• Bundles: Occasionally, retailers bundle a Meta Quest with popular VR games or essential accessories such as additional controllers, charging docks, or travel cases. These bundles provide extra value and enhance the VR experience out of the box.
• Refurbished Units: These units have been returned and restored to like-new condition. They typically come at a reduced price and include a warranty, offering a way to save money without compromising on quality too much.

What to Consider Before Buying a Meta Quest VR Headset

Unfortunately, virtual reality isn't for everyone. Those with severe eye health issues or those who suffer from motion sickness might have problems using this particular bit of kit. Here are some more points to consider:

• Compatibility: Ensure any additional accessories or hardware purchases are compatible.
• Space Requirements: VR gaming requires physical movement, so ensure you have adequate space to use the device safely.
• Future Models: Make sure to check out the features and specs on newer models before buying older ones to ensure it's a good fit.

We're keeping track of all things VR on the dedicated IGN VR hub, including the latest game releases. We're also keeping the VR hardware market on lockdown with our best VR headsets guide, which is worth a look for those who want to shell out on the latest VR tech.

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

Includes contributions from Robert Anderson and Hannah Hoolihan.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut RPG from Sandfall Interactive, is already off to a strong start. The studio announced today that Expedition 33 has hit a sales milestone of 500,000 copies sold.

"A milestone for us, reached sooner than we'd ever imagined," the team said in a post on X/Twitter. "Thank you all."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 went live yesterday, April 24, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. It's also a day-one Game Pass game, and despite launching a few days after the shadow-drop of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, the RPG still seems to be making waves. When Oblivion dropped, Clair Obscur's publisher Kepler Interactive even jokingly compared it to "Barbenheimer." The comparison, as it turns out, has been fairly accurate.

Developed by the newly formed studio Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG that takes heavy inspiration from the genre classics, from Final Fantasy to Persona. It follows a crew of Expeditioners in a fractured, post-apocalytpic world where every year, a giant being called The Paintress etches a new number and erases anyone older than it. The members of the Expedition, the next up on the block, have one goal in mind: travel to the ends of the continent and destroy the Paintress, ensuring she can never paint death again.

The reception of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been widely positive, sitting at 92 on MetaCritic and 91 on OpenCritic, putting it alongside Split Fiction and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as some of the year's most lauded games thus far.

In IGN's 9/10 review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, our reviewer described it as a "modern RPG classic," wearing its inspirations on its sleeve and painting itself into the pantheon of great RPGs.

If you're starting the adventure this weekend, or maybe already have, be sure to check out our tips for the important things to know before going into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

I’ve found the best cards from Journey Together and Paldean Fates on TCG Player for less than the cost of these booster bundles. If you’re collecting Pokémon cards for the actual cards (not just the thrill of cracking packs), TCG Player is your best friend. I’ve been watching both Journey Together and Paldean Fates, and the single prices are falling fast. Meanwhile, sealed bundles are creeping up. You can still grab them if you want the experience, but if you're hunting chase cards, buying singles is the smarter route.

TL;DR: Deals For Today

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Journey Together Booster Bundle

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Paldean Fates: Booster Bundle

Expedition 33 T-Shirt

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Steam)

Create, Paint & Animate Bundle

Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Earbuds

Soundcore by Anker Space A40

GameStop Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders

Pokémon TCG Charizard ex Super Premium Collection

Monster Blu Ray 4K Sale

WD_Black 2TB C50 Xbox Series X|S Storage Expansion Card

Beats Fit Pro

LEGO Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Mos Espa Podrace Diorama

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

Pokémon TCG 151 Single Card Crashes

CUKTECH 15 Ultra Power Bank

Cleer ARC 3 Open Ear Headphones

Pokémon TCG 151 Booster Bundle

3 Godzilla 4K Blu-rays for $33

Starting today, you can purchase three of the most recent Godzilla movies in 4K for only $33. Now is the time to add three films involving the legendary beast to your Blu-ray collection.

This sale is part of Amazon's larger three for $33 4K movie promotion that just started. There are quite a few other great films in there if you'd prefer to shop the full sale yourself.

49" Odyssey QD-OLED G9

57" Odyssey Neo G9 Curved Gaming Monitor

Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD

Samsung T5 4TB Portable SSD

Journey Together Booster Bundle

Journey Together Sleeved Booster

Journey Together Elite Trainer Box

Terapagos ex Ultra-Premium Collection

Pokémon TCG Stacking Tin

Paldean Fates Booster Bundle

Iono’s Bellibolt ex Premium Collection

Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

Poké Ball, Premier Ball, Moon Ball Tin Bundle.

Poké Ball, Great Ball and Ultra Ball Tin Bundle.

Surging Sparks Booster Bundle

Paradox Clash Tin

Azure Legends Tin

Pedro Pascal, actor and star in shows such as The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has spoken out against Harry Potter author JK Rowling in response to her ongoing comments online in opposition to the transgender community.

Pascal spoke up in the replies of a video posted on April 17 by writer and activist Tariq Raouf. In the video, Raouf opposes Rowling's support of the UK Supreme Court's recent decision to define "woman" legally as "a biological woman and biological sex" as regards equality legislation in the country. Per this definition, transgender women are excluded from protections under the Equality Act.

Following this ruling, Rowling posted a celebratory photo on Twitter/X of herself smoking a cigar and drinking a beverage by the ocean, saying, "I love it when a plan comes together," referring to her past donations to the organization that filed the suit, For Scotland Women.

If you're on the hunt for some great PS5 deals, we're here to help. Here we've gathered up some of the best PlayStation deals available at the moment, including the fantastic PlayStation 5 Slim Astro Bot bundle. With this you're getting Astro Bot for free alongside a PS5 Slim console, what could be better than that? Another great deal is on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which has received its first discount this year. You can see these deals and so many more below. Here are IGN's top picks for the best PlayStation deals today.

PS5 Slim + Astro Bot Bundle

Best PS5 Video Game Deals

There are plenty of exciting game deals available for PS5 users right now. One of our favorites at the moment is on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which has received its first price drop since release. There are even more great game deals to be found at Woot, Walmart, and Amazon, including on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Persona 3 Reload.

Best PlayStation VR 2 Deals

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Where to Buy: PS5 Pro

Where to Buy: PlayStation Portal

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you're looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you'll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction. The latter of which poses its own risks.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

If you're looking to pick up some video game-inspired replicas or figurines while traveling, you might want to think twice about bringing anything that looks like a Call of Duty weapon in your baggage.

That's the takeaway, at least, from a recent post by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discussing prohibited items. As spotted by Dexerto, the TSA account on Facebook highlighted a replica figurine of the Monkey Bomb from Call of Duty's Zombies mode that officers at Boston Logan International Airport found in a checked bag.

If you don't pay much attention to toy trends, you might think that LEGO sets for kids are all that's available. That hasn't been the case for a while – in fact, the brick-building company makes plenty of sets for adults.

Over the past five years, LEGO's definition of what it means to be an "adult" set has changed significantly. It used to be a label strictly applied to the difficulty of the build, rather than its outcome. In some instances, it still signifies that. But in many other instances, the age recommendation is a reflection of interest rather than proficiency. Is it built for play? Or is it built for display?

LEGO has honed this adult outreach recently, by designing builds for framing or arrangement in vases. It's LEGO as a lifestyle – as an art installation on a wall or a decorative keepsake on a coffee table.

Here are the best LEGO Adults sets in 2025 – the builds that are changing perceptions of what it means to be a LEGO fan. You can also check out our picks for the best LEGO sets overall for more options.

TL;DR Best LEGO Sets for Adults in 2025

Optimus Prime

Lord of the Rings - Rivendell

TIE Interceptor

River Steamboat

Vincent van Gogh: Sunflowers

Motorized Lighthouse

Tiny Plants

Pac-Man Arcade

Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet

Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City

Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera

The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr

Great Deku Tree

The Endurance

Jaws

The Insect Collection

Four years since its launch in 2021, the Botanical Collection has become one of LEGO's most successful lines. Targeted at a growing adult audience, the LEGO Botanical Collection features buildable flowers and plants that are, from a distance, indistinguishable from the real ones.

That's the point of them – to be LEGO sets for adults. Rather than collecting dust, forgotten, on a random shelf, they can hang up on a wall. Or sit on a window sill. Or be placed in a vase as a table centerpiece. This is LEGO as a lifestyle, to be decorative rather than interactive, and they make for great gifts for your loved ones.

Best LEGO Plants and Flowers

Below we've laid out allof the details of our 10 favorite LEGO Plants and Flowers sets you can buy right now. Most of the flower LEGO bouquets we've featured can be placed in a vase, while the LEGO Plant sets come with a buildable base or pot.

LEGO Bonsai Tree

LEGO Succulents

LEGO Orchid

LEGO Wildflower Bouquet

LEGO Bouquet of Roses

LEGO Tiny Plants

LEGO Cherry Blossom

LEGO Poinsettia

LEGO Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet

LEGO Flower Arrangement

How Many LEGO Plant and Flower Sets Are There?

According to the filter search option on LEGO's official site, there are 23 LEGO Botanical Collection sets available for purchase as of April 2025.

Why LEGO Botanical Collection?

The LEGO Botanical Collection is a fantastic entry point for new builders; the sets are fairly simple to put together, and the end results can brighten a room. They are pretty and quirky, requiring neither water nor sunlight to keep them looking fresh.

And secondly, these sets make excellent gifts for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, anniversaries, graduations, and more. For any holidays that celebrate loved ones or family, LEGO has you covered.

For more, be sure to check out our picks for the best LEGO car sets as well as the best LEGO architecture 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.

There was no movie released in 2024 as divisive as Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The bold, unique, and, to some, bizarre epic was the talk of the town immediately upon its premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and became a major subject of both praise and ridicule as the year progressed. But now, the filmmaker will present the story in another form, as Megalopolis is set to be released as a graphic novel.

The reinterpretation of the film will be titled Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel, and Abrams ComicArts will be publishing the book sometime in October, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It will be written by Chris Ryall, who is perhaps best known for his adaptations of major genre writers’ works including Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Clive Barker. Illustrations will be done by Jacob Phillips, whose work includes Newburn and That Texas Blood.

“I was pleased to put the idea of a graphic novel in the competent hands of Chris Ryall with the idea that, although it was inspired by my film Megalopolis, it didn’t necessarily have to be limited by it. I hoped the graphic novel would take its own flight, with its own artists and writer so that it would be a sibling of the film, rather than just an echo,” Coppola told the outlet in a statement.

“That’s what I feel Chris, Jacob Phillips and the team at Abrams ComicArts have accomplished. It confirms my feeling that art can never be constrained, but rather always a parallel expression, and part of the bounty we can make available to our patrons, audiences and readers.”

Megalopolis follows a forward-thinking architect (Adam Driver) who believes it is his destiny to build a modern utopian city, but in the process makes an enemy of his city’s mayor (Giancarlo Esposito), who wants nothing more than to squash his plans to revitalize New Rome — as this is, of course, a Roman fable of sorts — into Megalopolis.

The film is not currently available to stream but is available to rent or buy where you get your movies.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

EA's highly anticipated Skate revival will require an "always on" internet connection.

In an updated FAQ on the official blog, developer Full Circle gave a "simple answer: No," adding: "The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving. You’ll see bigger things evolve, like changes to the city over time, as well as smaller things, like live events and other in-game activities."

An "always on" requirement means games cannot be played offline, even if you avoid multiplayer modes or prefer to play alone. However, in this case, Full Circle prefers Skate to be connected to the internet "to deliver on [its] vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection."

"That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest," the developer added.

That's because in September 2024, the team began its Always-On Playtest. The new phase "tests the game in a permanent live environment, with servers running around the clock."

Skate’s early access launch is set for 2025, although there's still no confirmed date at this time. It was announced during EA Play way back in 2020, but at the time was stated as "very early" in development. Since then, Full Circle has kept the community up to date with closed community playtests of early builds and, last month, added microtransactions.

You can spend real-world money on a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which in turn is used to buy cosmetic items. It sounds like Full Circle wants to test Skate’s microtransaction purchase system, as it told players it wanted them to have a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store."

"We know that using real money during a playtest is a little unusual, but we think it’s the best way to properly assess and adjust the system before launch," the team added in today's blog update. "If you see prices or other things changing over time, please understand that this is normal. And of course, you will receive the amount you spent during playtesting in San Van Bucks (SVB) when we reset for Early Access launch."

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.

It seems as though the highly-anticipated Blade movie has finally been drained of all its blood. The once-upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film has gone through its fair share of roadblocks over the years, but it appears the project has officially stalled with little hope that it will ever pick up where it left off — which means no Mahershala Ali as the Daywalker himself, possibly the biggest blow of all MCU blows.

Rapper and artist Flying Lotus took to X / Twitter this week to discuss his role in the project, and he let slip that Blade is, in fact, no more. "I guess we are so far from it even being a possibility now but. Yeah I was signed on to write music for the new BLADE movie before it fell thru," the DJ, who recently directed Shudder’s new sci-fi horror ASH, explained. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."

The day prior to Flying Lotus’ tweet, Sinners costume designer Ruth E. Carter confirmed during an appearance on The John Campea Show that she was set to design costumes for Blade prior to production falling apart — and worse still, the film was supposed to be set in the 1920s, which would have undoubtedly made for some seriously cool costume design, not to mention production design as well.

And because bad things tend to come in threes, actor Delroy Lindo — who was also attached to star in the film alongside Ali as Blade for a period of time — also opened up about the demise of the production just days before Carter’s reveal.

"When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he recently told Entertainment Weekly. "And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."

Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic Con back in 2019 and if all had gone to plan, fans would be looking forward to immersing themselves in the film this coming November. The project has cycled through several directors at this point, but none, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, have stuck with the film.

With everything this adaptation has been through, it’s almost hard to believe that it's been just six months since the movie was removed from Marvel’s release schedule back in October 2024 — and it has yet to confirm a new release date for it. That said, a month after the film was pulled from the calendar, MCU boss Kevin Feige made it known that the studio was still planning to make a Blade movie happen some way, somehow.

"We are committed to Blade. We love the character, we love Mahershala's take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You're all up to date on what's happening," he said during an interview with Omelete in November 2024. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

If you're looking for an adorable addition to your board game collection, look no further than Mycelia from Ravensburger. Featuring some incredibly cute illustrations of little mushroom creatures, this game tasks you with bringing dewdrops to the Shrine of Life with the help of magical creatures you'll encounter throughout the world of Mycelia. If that premise has caught your attention, you'll be very happy to know that it's on sale right now for $21.98 (see it at Amazon).

Get 45% off Mycelia at Amazon

Capcom has dropped a sneaky little Resident Evil 9 tease in plain sight.

In celebration of hitting a staggering 10 million players, the Resident Evil 4 dev team uploaded a short video to social media earlier today, April 25, showing Ada Wong having a quiet word with one of gaming's most iconic villains before cutting to Leon, the infected horde around him donning party hats as they mosey towards the church.

It then cuts to a rock song, Dr Salvador strumming his chainsaw like a guitar — yes, really — and the camera pans back to show a fist-pumping Leon. Behind him is a rustic sign with the words "Thank you for playing" emblazoned across it.

You can see it in full below:

エージェントの皆様へ
感謝の気持ちを込めて記念映像をご用意いたしました。ぜひ音付きでお楽しみください。

Attention all agents,
We've prepared a special video to express our gratitude to all of you, which we hope you'll enjoy (with sound ON)!

RE4 Dev Team pic.twitter.com/cKaS198UVY

— Capcom Dev 1 (@dev1_official) April 25, 2025

Turn that sign onto its side, however, and the boards on the sign make the roman numeral "IX," aka the number 9.

While it's possible this could all be entirely coincidental, as horror game leaker Dusk Golem points out, there's clearly no lower plank on the same sign in earlier parts of the video, so it was certainly added intentionally. Make of that what you will.

"I know what you did here," said one surprised responder, appending a wide-eyes emoji.

Capcom has confirmed the next mainline entry in the Resident Evil series will be directed by Resident Evil 7 director Koshi Nakanishi.

"It was really difficult to figure out what to do after [Resident Evil 7]," Nakanishi said at the time. "But I found it, and to be honest it feels substantial. I can't share any details just yet, but I hope you're excited for the day I can." It's thought — if not confirmed — it'll take place on an island inspired by Singapore.

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.

When I first saw a demo of Dune: Awakening over a year ago, I went from being skeptical that a survival game on the famously barren world of Arrakis could even work, to being absolutely hyped to get my hands on it. Now, after enduring the unforgiving conditions and hostile lifeforms of a desert planet for nearly 20 hours in the closed beta, I’m confident developer Funcom has the foundations of an absolutely stellar MMO that makes fantastic use of one of the greatest science fiction worlds ever created. Harvesting raw materials from the brutal wasteland, constructing bases, upgrading your character and loadout, and then bringing all of that to bear against raiders and rival houses is just about as good as I’d hoped for. That said, I still feel like I only got a small taste of the larger game, as all of the major social spaces, most of the PvP, and especially any of the all-important endgame areas were kept out of reach. And it’s also no wonder the release date for Dune: Awakening was pushed back a month while I was in the beta, as the build I played was absolutely rife with bugs and performance issues that will definitely need ironing out. Even so, I was quite impressed by the vast majority of what I saw, and am more optimistic than ever that they might just be able to pull this thing off.

If you only just recently got spat back up by a Shai Hulud, Dune: Awakening is an upcoming massively multiplayer survival game from the team of developers who gave us the quite underrated Conan Exiles. The premise is simple: you find yourself on Arrakis and have to find a way to not die there, and if you know even a little about the setting, then you should understand just how tall of an order that is. In typical survival game fashion, you’ll start off with almost nothing, and turn piles of rocks and scraps of metal harvested from the wilds into tools to help you survive, building shelter along the way to protect yourself from the harsh environment. While you might (and frankly, wouldn’t be blamed) for wondering how the heck jogging around a massive, featureless desert could possibly be fun, Funcom has actually done a great job of filling each region with shipwrecks to plunder, hidden caves and fortresses to blast your way through, and mountain ranges to climb. And while there’s plenty of empty space with nothing but unremarkable piles of sand to greet you, these spaces are actually used to great effect as obstacles keeping you from the next area, which must be navigated across quickly, lest you find yourself on the business end of a giant sand worm.

For example, early on you’ll be limited to a very small area that’s cut off from higher level areas that contain better loot and materials you need to craft better equipment. But crossing the massive distance of sand that stands between you on foot is a death sentence, as you’ll undoubtedly draw the attention of an angry worm in the process. To get to the other side, you’ll have to go through the steps of constructing your first vehicle, a small motorbike, then race across the gap as quickly as you can. This clever use of empty space brilliantly turns what I thought would be a weakness in the setting into a strength, and finding ways to cross a completely barren area with a Shai Hulud hot on your tail actually made up some of my favorite moments.

Similarly, the oppressive nature of the sun, which forces you to dart from shaded area to shaded area, turns the entire planet into a high stakes game of “the floor is lava” that can make otherwise uneventful jaunts from one place to another into an entertaining minigame. Refusing to take sun exposure seriously will drain you of ever-valuable water, wipe out your health, and kill you in pretty short order, which kept me on high alert, and since each region increases the heat level, you’re constantly having to invent new equipment back at your base to give yourself the best odds at survival. Sure, it can be a bit of a pain now and again when you hit the head and come back to find the sun’s shifted position and you’re now frying to death in the merciless heat, but hey, that’s just the price you pay for living on Arrakis, my friend, and I mostly enjoyed this little minigame that just made survival that much more tricky.

Of course, in addition to crossing arid deserts and dodging sunlight, you’ll be fighting off bands of bloodthirsty raiders and exploring forgotten places with a gun or sword in hand. The third-person gunplay isn’t groundbreaking by any means, as you’ll duck behind cover, toss grenades, and and return fire in pretty by-the-numbers encounters, but for an MMO with a massive number of players on the server, it’s still quite admirable that they managed to pull off gunplay that feels this snappy. And with a whole bunch of skill trees to pick from and build into – like the tricky and stealthy Mentats or expert survivalist Planetologists – there’s tons of ways to differentiate your character from the rest of your guild. As for myself, I focused most of my skill points into the tried-and-true soldier, which I expected might be a tad boring, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself very happy to be grapple-hooking around and tossing deadly gadgets to and fro.

Running and gunning with friends at your side is especially entertaining, and there were moments, like when my co-op partner used her Bene Gesserit skills to force an enemy to walk out into the open, then I threw a grenade to take them out, where combat really shines. There was also just the tiniest sampling of PvP in the beta build, focused on a couple crash sites that allowed for player-on-player violence, but due to server populations being fairly low in the closed beta, it was hard to get a sense for how this aspect will shake out. In any case, the vast majority of PvP hot zones are in the endgame areas I wasn’t allowed to progress to, so it seems we’ll probably have to wait for the full game to get a good feel on PvP anyway.

As a longtime fan of Dune, it also just feels so good to explore and learn more about a world that I’m quite fond of, and Funcom has clearly put a ton of effort into worldbuilding and lore, even despite taking quite a bit of creative liberty by placing Awakening within a parallel reality and canon than the books/movies. There are little details that have a massive impact on gameplay, like how incredibly valuable water is treated as the ultimate resource – you’ll drain blood from every fallen enemy, turn your own bodily fluids into water with a stillsuit, and take down bases just to pillage every drop of liquid gold they’ve got hidden away. And since water is required to make advanced materials used for crafting more higher level equipment, you’ll need to harvest and stockpile as much as you can, in addition to drinking it just to keep yourself alive. I won’t go into spoilers, but this kind of attention to detail touches just about every aspect of the world, including the factions and characters you meet along the way, which should be a treat for any fan of the setting.

If there’s anything to be concerned about with this otherwise thoroughly engaging beta, it’s the fact that I encountered a whole heap of bugs and performance issues during my time with it, which included everything from crashes to framerate dips, characters and objects getting stretched out bizarrely, and more. With the final version set to debut very soon, I was then pretty relieved when, in the middle of the beta, Funcom announced a month-long delay, presumably to address these issues. As always, it’s tough to gauge how much of this is cause for concern when betas are sorta designed to help highlight and patch these sorts of issues, but the sheer number of problems me and my friends encountered while playing was definitely cause for alarm with the launch date so near.

2025 is a big year for DC. James Gunn’s Superman film will launch the new DCU theatrically, DC Studios has several film and television productions in the pipeline, and the Absolute Universe in the comics is making big waves in DC’s publishing division. But despite all the excitement for this new slate of DC universe media, there’s one massive question hanging over all of it: What’s going on with Wonder Woman? The William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter creation is one of the most well-known superheroes and a key figure in the DC universe, but you’d hardly know that from looking at recent DC franchise media.

Outside of the comics, Diana of Themyscira has been having a rough go over the past several years. Her live-action film franchise flamed out after the mixed reception of Wonder Woman 1984, she doesn’t have a project in the current DCU lineup (with Gunn and company instead opting for a show about the Amazons), she’s never had a dedicated animated series, and what was supposed to be Diana’s first ever solo video game was cancelled despite being announced all the way back in 2021. Given all the poor girl’s gone through, it’s worth asking what the heck Warner Bros. is doing with the most iconic female superhero of all time. Let’s take a look at how Warners and DC are fumbling the ball with Wonder Woman.

One Hit Wonder

At the height of competition between the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DCEU in the late 2010s, the first Wonder Woman film was one of the latter’s most undeniable success stories. The 2017 film received largely positive reviews and pulled in over $800 million at the global box office. After Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad both polarized audiences, Patty Jenkins’ take on Diana connected with filmgoers in a way the last few DC films hadn’t. That’s not to say it’s a perfect movie; it has third act problems and Gal Gadot’s performance as Diana is more about poise and looking convincing in the action scenes instead of character depth. But there was no reason that a movie that performed that well shouldn’t have been the start of a long-running and lucrative blockbuster franchise.

Yet that’s not exactly what happened with the second entry, Wonder Woman 1984. Compared to its predecessor, the 2020 sequel was a significant letdown, dividing critics and failing to recoup its budget theatrically. Not all of that can be blamed on the film itself; the movie was released day and date on HBO Max and in theaters because many filmgoers were still hesitant to go out during the COVID pandemic. Even then, the poorly structured narrative, tonal inconsistencies and unaddressed skeevy elements (did we forget about Diana having sex with Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor while he was in another man’s body?) did little to help endear the film to audiences. It was a mediocre at best sequel that failed to follow up on what made the first film a success.

But even with 1984’s shortcomings, Wonder Woman shouldn’t have been put on the shelf. A third entry was phased out of development, and there’s been no movement on another Wonder Woman feature in the time since. Given how many reboots and relaunches characters like Batman, Spider-Man and the like get, it’s a shame to see Wonder Woman be left out to dry after one disappointing movie. Other franchise media could have picked up the slack, but there’s been a severe lack of Wonder Woman even when we’re not talking about the silver screen.

Diana Prince, Missing in Action

With the new DCU kicking off a fresh wave of DC adaptations, you would think Wonder Woman would be a priority for the new regime. But the rather presumptively titled Chapter One: Gods and Monsters slate of the DCU doesn’t have a dedicated Wonder Woman project as part of the lineup, with DC Studios head James Gunn and producing partner Peter Safran instead opting for several lesser known properties, like Creature Commandos, Swamp Thing, Booster Gold, and The Authority. Obviously there’s nothing wrong with adapting obscure IP (it worked for Gunn with Guardians of the Galaxy, after all), but these projects are coming alongside new takes on Superman, Batman and Green Lantern. Yet Wonder Woman is nowhere to be seen.

Instead, the DCU has announced Paradise Lost, a television series centered on the Amazons of Themiscyra that takes place before Wonder Woman’s birth. Exploring the history of the Amazons and giving more definition to Wonder Woman’s side of the DC mythology is perfectly fine, but making a show based on the Wonder Woman franchise that won’t actually have Wonder Woman in it is giving serious Sony Marvel Universe vibes. It calls into question why DC Studios doesn’t think Diana is the primary draw over the world-building associated with her. Why is it so important to get the DCU’s Batman off the ground so quickly that we might wind up with two live-action Batman franchises running simultaneously, but not to have a Wonder Woman in your DC universe?

It’s an adaptational attitude towards the third member of DC’s Trinity that is all too familiar. The DC Animated Universe from the ‘90s and early 2000s did feature Wonder Woman as a prominent figure in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, but she didn’t receive a solo show like Batman or Superman did. In fact, Wonder Woman has never had a dedicated animated series even after nearly a century since her first publication. She’s also a regular character in DC Universe direct-to-video animated films, but has only been the starring hero of two of them: Wonder Woman in 2009 and Wonder Woman: Bloodlines in 2019. Given how popular superhero fiction has been for the past couple of decades, we can’t help but wonder (ha) why it’s so hard to get a Wonder Woman project made.

Let Me Play as Wonder Woman, Dammit

That question feels especially poignant after the recent cancellation of the Wonder Woman game that was in development at Monolith Productions. It’s hard to say if other DC related games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and MultiVersus being massive bombs spelled doom for the Wonder Woman game, but its lengthy development period all being for nothing feels like a cosmic joke when you remember that it would’ve been Diana’s very first game in the leading role. At a time when character action games look to be making a serious comeback, it feels like the perfect moment for an action adventure game starring Diana that plays similarly to God of War or Ninja Gaiden. If Kratos is too busy elsewhere, surely Wonder Woman can take up his old gig of cracking the skulls of monsters based on Greek mythology?

And sure, if you want to be pedantic, Diana has been playable in the Injustice games, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, and various LEGO DC titles. But let’s be serious here. There is no good excuse for Wonder Woman to not have a AAA action game to her name. That DC never followed up on the success of Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham franchise with games based on Wonder Woman, Superman and the Justice League is a frankly ridiculous squandering of potential revenue, and it’s made all the more insulting that Diana’s first appearance in the Arkham timeline involves her getting killed off as a non-playable character in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Don’t worry, though: The male members of the Justice League survived. Those ones were evil clones.

All of this, from the flagging film franchise to the lack of cartoons to the shameful video game representation, adds up to a stunning lack of respect on Warner Bros. and DC’s part for the cultural pedigree of one of their most iconic characters. If they think so little of the third biggest hero in their roster, why should we believe they have any more respect for the thousands of other characters associated with the DC brand? With luck, Gunn’s Superman reboot will usher in a new wave of DC adaptations to help move us away from the embattled DCEU. But as Warners moves forward with their relaunched franchise, hopefully they don’t forget the value Diana Prince can add to their enterprise. After almost 100 years, she and her fans have waited more than enough.

Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter.

Predator: Badlands’ debut trailer has certainly sparked a number of questions among fans, not least about the design of the new Predator himself.

In an interview with Bloody disgusting, director Dan Trachtenberg revealed a number of new details about Predator: Badlands, including his fresh take on the famous sci-fi hunter.

The new Predator is called Dek and is played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi. Dek is described as an underdog Yautja “runt” in the protagonist role. Predator movies typically feature Yautja (the name given to the race of alien hunters) in antagonist roles.

Dek selects his hunting ground, a “Death Planet” called Kalisk, and it’s here he fights to prove his worth to his father and for acceptance within his own clan.

Dek, clearly, has a different design to the Predators that have come before him, with some saying he looks a lot more human-like than expected. Dek is also not as big or tall as some of the Predator villains we’ve seen in previous films, which fits with his “runt” protagonist role.

Predator: Badlands is Dek’s story, but he’s not alone on Kalisk. He also works with a character played by Elle Fanning, who as IGN has discussed, very much looks like a synth from the Alien franchise.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered has become something of a lightning rod for the ongoing debate around Nintendo’s pricing for the Switch 2 and its games, with some fans saying the company behind Mario could learn a thing or two about video game pricing from Bethesda.

Oblivion Remastered, developed by remake specialist Virtuos using Unreal Engine 5, has a long list of visual and feature improvements. It runs at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, as you'd expect, but other changes are more meaningful. Everything from the leveling systems to character creation and combat animations to in-game menus have been improved. Meanwhile, there's lots of new dialogue, a proper third-person view, and new lip sync technology. The changes are going down well with fans, some of whom believe Oblivion Remastered would be more accurately described as a remake. Bethesda, however, has explained why it went down the remaster route.

The base Oblivion game costs $50 and includes all the DLC originally released. It’s an impressive, high value package, and for many it makes Nintendo’s Switch 2 game pricing look even worse.

Compare and contrast, as many are doing, Oblivion Remastered to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, which costs $70, or The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2, which costs an eye-watering $80. There’s a $10 upgrade path for existing owners of the OG Switch versions, and Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can upgrade for free. But Nintendo’s standalone pricing here has sparked a backlash online, especially when you consider the jump to $80 not only for Tears of the Kingdom, but for a number of other Switch 2 games.

But it gets worse for Zelda. IGN has confirmed that Breath of the Wild's Nintendo Switch 2 Edition does not come with the Expansion Pass, which means you have to pay an additional $20 to play the DLC on the Switch 2 if you don't already own it.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild comes with improved visuals and performance, achievements, as well as support for the new "Zelda Notes" service in the Nintendo Switch Online app. If you already own Breath of the Wild on the Switch, you won't get those features automatically; you need to upgrade to the Switch 2 Edition to gain access.

If you don’t own the game, you can buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Breath of the Wild for $70, $10 more than the game initially retailed at (so basically the price of the original game and the pack). But it won't include the DLC Expansion Pack, so if you want access to that, it's another $20 on top of that. That makes $90 total for the full Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch 2 experience.

A whopping $90 for the most current version of a game that came out in 2017 on the Wii U feels painful, especially in light of Mario Kart World retailing at an unheard-of $80, and the Nintendo Switch 2 itself costing $450.

And here we have Oblivion Remastered, which some are saying is good enough to be called a remake, with all the DLC thrown in for $50. You can see why Nintendo is coming out poorly in the wake of comparisons.

Oblivion, a full-blown Unreal Engine 5 remake is $50 and its also on Game Pass Ultimate

Zelda Breath of the Wild Switch 2 edition is $70 with a few enhancements...

I dont know how anybody can defend Nintendo for its Switch 2 game prices pic.twitter.com/7d6VGSlBgc

— JayWood2010 (@JayWood2010) April 22, 2025

"Nintendo will look at them and say ‘those guys could have made $30 extra,' " joked redditor Cultural_Writing2999. "It's hard for them to learn much of anything over the sound of all that money being printed," geldonyetich added.

This response taps into the idea that Nintendo is charging what it’s charging for Switch 2 because it knows people will pay for it. As Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, told IGN: “Nintendo is charging this price because they feel they can and that people will pay."

We've got a comprehensive guide to everything you'll find in Oblivion Remastered, including an expansive Interactive Map, complete Walkthroughs for the Main Questline and every Guild Quest, How to Build the Perfect Character, Things to Do First, every PC Cheat Code, and much more.

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.

Hideo Kojima has revealed he cast Margaret Qualley for the role of Death Stranding's Mama after seeing her in a Spike Jonez fragrance advertisement.

Sharing the viral commercial in a tweet earlier today, April 25, Kojima wrote: "I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding."

The advert shows Qualley dancing to a bassy dance track, much like Fat Boy Slim's viral video for Weapon of Choice, which starred a twinkled-toed Christopher Walken.

Qualley plays Bridges member Mama — Målingen — in Kojima Productions' Death Stranding, one of the greatest, gadget-inventing scientists working in the United Cities of America. With her twin sister, Lockne, also played by Qualley, she also created the Chiral Network, Bridges' communications network which allows for instantaneous data transfer.

In the Kenzo fragrance advertisement, Qualley performs an unusual but choreographed dance routine wherein she shakes, grimaces, and occasionally spasms, at one point firing lasers from her fingers. In another segment of the unusual performance, she dances as she struggles to control her limbs. You can watch the full, bizarre, and incredibly entertaining performance below:

I saw this and offered her the role of Mama (Lockne) in Death Stranding. https://t.co/UDJa2NjbO6

— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) April 25, 2025

"You are a visionary, Kojima-san," replied one fan, while another quipped: "I do this most mornings, Kojima-san. Hire me too."

Kojima is working on Death Stranding 2, which is out on June 26, 2025, the live-action Death Stranding film with A24, and the Xbox-published OD, which he describes as "a game I have always wanted to make." He's also working on a PlayStation exclusive action espionage project.

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.

While we're getting excited about trying to pre-order a Nintendo Switch 2, there's a stunning new range of amiibo launching with the console too. Now, these are available to pre-order from the UK's My Nintendo Store itself.

Altogether, there are seven new amiibo being added from across two different games: four from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom & three from Street Fighter 6.

Joining the Tears of the Kingdom amiibo already available, the newest entries being added to the collection with the Nintendo Switch 2 are Yunobo, Riju, Sidon, and Tulin—each one a member amongst the key races in Hyrule, priced at £16.99 each.

As noted on the Tears of the Kingdom website, Legend of Zelda amiibos can be scanned (using the NFC point on the right Joy-Con) to receive extra in-game items and key materials. It hasn't been revealed as to what rewards each of the new amiibo will provide, but they'll make stylish additions to your collection either way.

That goes double for the three current members of the Street Fighter 6 amiibo collection: Jamie, Kimberly, and Luke—each priced a good amount higher than the TOTK versions at £24.99 each.

Along with currently unspecified extra in-game rewards, each Street Fighter 6 amiibo will allow you to save particular player settings; button settings, outfit, and colour; so you can jump into the fight right away, no matter whose copy of the game you're playing with.

Ryan Reynolds has cast doubt on the chances of Deadpool joining either the Avengers or the X-Men, saying being a part of either team would mean the character was "at the end."

Given the huge success of Deadpool & Wolverine, and Deadpool’s obsession with joining the Avengers in the film, some had speculated that Marvel Studios would be keen for the 'Merc with a Mouth' to join forces with the likes of Captain America and Professor X and star in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday.

Last month's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal was heavy on veteran X-Men actors. Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden are all now set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, confirming the X-Men are in the film in a big way. Grammer famously played Beast in the Fox X-Men franchise before making his MCU debut via The Marvels' post-credits scene. Stewart played Charles Xavier/Professor X in the X-Men films before appearing briefly in the MCU via Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati. McKellen, who played Magneto, has not yet appeared in the MCU. Neither has Cumming, who played Nightcrawler, Romijn, who played Mystique, nor Marsden, who played Cyclops. It begs the question: is Avengers: Doomsday secretly an Avengers vs. X-Men movie?

But Reynolds’ name was not on the long list of stars confirmed to appear in the superhero extravaganza (Channing Tatum, who played Gambit in Deadpool & Wolverine, did make the cut). And now new comments from Reynolds himself suggest a formal Deadpool promotion to the Avengers or X-Men is not on the cards.

"If Deadpool becomes an Avenger or an X-Man, we're at the end,” Reynolds told Time. “That's wish fulfillment, and you can't give him that.”

However, Reynolds appeared to suggest a surprise appearance as Deadpool in a supporting role might be more appropriate, pointing to how well Wesley Snipes' cameo as Blade went down with fans in Deadpool & Wolverine.

So, if joining the Avengers or the X-Men isn’t right for Deadpool, what’s next for the character? Reynolds revealed he’s hard at work writing something new that involves an “ensemble,” but he kept his cards close to his chest.

"I'm writing a little something right now, that's, I don't know, it's an ensemble," Reynolds added. "But, I like that [Deadpool] is isolated."

This could mean another Deadpool movie that leans heavily on cameos, as Deadpool & Wolverine did. Perhaps Snipes' Blade could be involved. It seems like Channing Tatum would be keen to play Gambit again. Other characters who appeare in the movie include Jennifer Garner's Elektra and Dafne Keene's Laura Kinney/X-23.

So, what do we know about Avengers: Doomsday? Apart from the cast list, nothing is set in stone. Earlier this month, Anthony Mackie said he believed Avengers: Doomsday – in which he will reprise his role as Sam Wilson/Captain America – is “going to give the audience that old Marvel feeling that they always had.”

Mackie is the latest Doomsday cast member to go on the record about the upcoming Marvel epic following Ant-Man’s Paul Rudd and Human Torch’s Joseph Quinn. Also this month, an apparent Avengers: Doomsday set photo leak sent the Marvel Cinematic Universe fandom into overdrive, with some claiming it signals bad news for the X-Men.

Fans were already speculating that Oscar Isaac might appear in Avengers as Moon Knight because he pulled out of this month’s Star Wars Celebration event “due to changes in his production schedule.”

Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige has confirmed that the Avengers livestream did not include the entire cast of Doomsday — “We revealed many, not all,” he said over a video call at CinemaCon.

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.

22 games will be pulled from the PlayStation Plus library next month, including Grand Theft Auto 5, Payday 2: Crimewave Edition, and the last playable versions of first-party titles Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2.

PlayStation Plus is an online gaming service for PlayStation platforms that includes free monthly games, limited-time trials, online multiplayer, and member-exclusive discounts. It also includes a catalog of hundreds of current and classic games for Extra and Premium members.

As noted by Push Square, the removal of 22 games on May 20 includes two high-profile first-party Sony PS3 games, both set to exit the PS Plus Premium library.

That's because both Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 are no longer purchasable on the the PS Store, making the PS Plus Premium streaming service the last place to play them unless you happen to have both games and a working PS3 still at home. Both titles are being removed less than a year after they were added to the library at the end of 2024.

Resistance is a series of alternate history first-person shooters Insomniac developed following its work on the Ratchet and Clank games. Three Resistance games were released for the PS3 before Insomniac moved on to other projects like Marvel’s Spider-Man and new Ratchet and Clank games.

While it's unusual for Sony to remove first-party games from this service, it's not unheard of, as demonstrated by the shock removal of both Horizon games — Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon: Forbidden West — in August 2024. But at least you could still buy both of those games when they were removed; Resistance: Fall of Man and Resistance 2 will now completely disappear for modern consoles.

Interestingly, Resistance 3 and Resistance: Retribution will remain on the service. It's also worth noting that more recent first-party PS4 game InFamous: Second Son is also leaving PS Plus.

Insomniac's Resistance series has been dormant for some time now. In February, Insomniac founder and outgoing president Ted Price revealed that there was a real push to get Resistance 4 made, but unfortunately the game never received the green light. Resistance, like Horizon developer Guerrilla's Killzone shooter series, has fallen by the wayside.

Games leaving PS Plus on May 20, 2025

• Grand Theft Auto 5
• MotoGP 24
• The Sims 4: Island Living
• Resistance: Fall of Man
• Resistance 2
• Walkabout Mini Golf
• Synth Riders
• Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord
• Before Your Eyes
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners
• The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution
• Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2
• Stranded: Alien Dawn
• The Lego Movie 2 Videogame
• Ghostrunner
• Payday 2: Crimewave Edition
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
• Journey to the Savage Planet
• Portal Knights
• Enter the Gungeon
• Batman: Arkham Knight
• InFamous: Second Son

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.

Breath of Fire IV is back from the dead on PC, 25 years after its original launch.

Capcom’s much-loved role-playing game first launched on the PlayStation in Japan and North America in 2000, then in Europe a year later. The PC port came out in Europe and Japan in 2003.

It revolves around a man called Ryu (not that other Capcom Ryu) who can turn into a dragon. He teams up with other warriors to prevent an emperor from destroying the world.

As part of its ongoing Preservation Program, GOG has fully updated Breath of Fire IV for modern PCs and released it DRM-free on its platform.

The enhanced version is fully optimized for modern systems, with Windows 10 and 11 compatibility. There’s both English and Japanese localizations, along with improved graphics powered by an upgraded DirectX renderer, new display options like Windowed Mode, V-Sync, Anti-Aliasing, and refined gamma correction for better visuals. The audio engine has also been upgraded, restoring missing environmental sounds and adding new configuration options.

Breath of Fire IV isn’t the only classic game revived on GOG today. The list below includes Ultima Underworld 1+2, as well as Ultima 9. This means the entire Ultima series is now preserved and available within GOG’s Preservation Program.

Here’s the full list:

● Ultima Underworld 1+2

● Ultima 9: Ascension

● Worlds of Ultima : The Savage Empire

● Ultima Worlds of Adventure 2: Martian Dreams

● Worms: Armageddon

● Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood

● Realms of the Haunting

● Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon

● Stonekeep

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.