Hot on the heels of the news that Prime Video’s live-action Tomb Raider series starring Sophie Turner begins filming next year comes word that Netflix’s animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is coming to an end.

Variety reports that Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’s upcoming second season will also be its last. Season 2 launches on Netflix on December 11.

“When adventurer Lara Croft (voiced by Hayley Atwell) discovers a trail of stolen African Orisha masks, she joins forces with her best friend Sam (Karen Fukuhara) to retrieve the precious artifacts,” according to the season’s official plot synopsis.

“Lara’s thrilling new adventure takes her around the globe as she delves deeper into the hidden secrets of Orisha history, dodging the machinations of a dangerous and enigmatic billionaire who wants the masks for herself, while discovering these relics contain dark secrets and a power that defies logic. Power that may, in fact, be divine.”

Season 1 debuted in 2024. IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey wasn’t overly fond of the show, writing in his Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, Season 1 review that it "isn’t terrible, but it’s well below the high bar set by other animated video game adaptations on Netflix."

Prime Video’s live-action Tomb Raider series begins filming in January 2026, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge serving as creator, writer, and executive producer. Chad Hodge is co-showrunner, while Jonathan van Tulleken (Shogun) will direct and executive produce.

Beyond the final season of Tomb Raider, Netflix’s new big animated video game adaptation is Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, which premieres in October.

Civilization VII developer Firaxis has laid off an unknown number of individuals today, despite the insistance of Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick that the game's sales are consistent with expectations.

Today, a number of Firaxis employees announced across social media that they had been let go, including members of production, narrative, and art. Civilization VII publisher 2K confirmed the layoffs to Game Developer, saying the studio was restructuring and optimizing its development process for "adaptability, collaboration, and creativity." The company did not confirm the number of individuals impacted.

Firaxis released Civilization VII earlier this year, and the game has since received a mixed reception on Steam amid player complaints about the game's user interface, lack of map variety, and that it was missing expected features. Since then, Firaxis has released a number of updates to the game to improve it in these areas.

In the meantime, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of 2K parent Take-Two, has said that while Civilization VII did get off to a "slow start", the company's internal projections for the "lifetime value" of the game still match initial expectations.

“I think the key thing is that Civ has always been a slow burn. It's always been a title that had — I'm not really a big believer in the long tail theory of the entertainment business — but Civ is an example of that theory. And right now our projections for the lifetime value of the title are very consistent with our initial expectations for the title.

“So while we were off to a slow start and while we have had to make changes — and there are more changes coming — I feel like consumer uptake is better and better and we feel really good about the title. I think over time it's going to take its place in its civilization pantheon in a very successful, credible way.”

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.

The 2025 NFL season officially kicks off this week and if you're hoping to stream all of the games online, it is once again unnecessarily confusing. There is no single place where you can watch every NFL game live, and it gets even more confusing when you start factoring in some streaming exclusives coming later this year. If you're looking for the best way to watch as many NFL games as you can this season, you're likely going to need to be subscribed to multiple streaming services.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Streaming Services for NFL Games

For those who are only looking to watch the occasional game, most of the popular sports streaming services should do the trick. You can also get some games through other streaming services depending on the day. I'd recommend checking out the NFL website for an up-to-date schedule of games to find out where you can stream each one.

Fubo

Best Option for Most People

Hollow Knight: Silksong is already a huge hit on Steam despite causing Valve’s storefront to crash, posting massive concurrent player numbers.

At the time of this article’s publication, and as those storefront problems ease, Silksong was on a huge 453,993 concurrent players on Steam, making it the third most-played game on Valve’s platform behind only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2.

This number looks set to rise, too, as more people download the game ahead of its first weekend on sale. The question now is, just how big will it be? It’s already the 29th most-played game on Steam of all-time, with the likes of Helldivers 2 in its sights.

Silksong is one of the most anticipated games of 2025. Over six years after its initial announcement and as the most wishlisted game on Steam, Silksong finally launched today, September 4, across PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S priced $19.99 and weighing in at 7.62GB.

Of course, Silksong’s true player count will be much bigger across all platforms. Neither Sony, Nintendo nor Microsoft make player numbers public, but Silksong crashed those storefronts, too, so it will be massive everywhere. And let’s remember Silksong is a day-one Game Pass title. Yep, this one’s enormous, perhaps even the biggest indie game launch of all time.

Little was known about Silksong ahead of launch, so players are only now discovering its secrets. One of the first revelations is the achievements list (Silksong has 52 Achievements and 53 Trophies to unlock and discover).

Be sure to check out IGN's Silksong coverage, which includes the story of the superfan behind the YouTube Channel Daily Silksong News, who can finally rest after an incredible 1,693 days of videos.

Be sure to stay up-to-date with all the latest from IGN by clicking here and setting IGN as a preferred source in Google.

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

We now live in an era where we can’t always trust our eyes — and that has led none other than Lady Gaga to come under fire for potential AI usage in her latest music video for “The Dead Dance,” her new song for the Netflix show Wednesday.

So how did this happen, exactly? Let’s break it all down all the way from the beginning, including whether or not the signs actually do point to AI being used in the visual directed by Tim Burton himself.

First of all: Gaga on Wednesday! Yes, it’s happening. Lady Gaga was previously announced as a guest star for Season 2 of the beloved streaming series, and was revealed to be showing up in the second half of the season, which would air on September 3. A couple days before the release date on September 1, the show’s official social media accounts shared the first glimpse of her in costume as Rosaline Rotwood.

The old cliche is that war never changes, but what happens when the hellish actions of war manifest as monsters that trap people in time loops of their worst deeds? Well, even then it turns out the cruelty of mankind itself are still worse than any supernatural destruction, and Hell is Us uses its fantastical near-future setting to take a dark, authentic look at the horrors of war. While the actual act of fighting your way through the monsters of this devastated nation isn’t doing much that’s new to the action-adventure genre, Hell is Us kept me entertained throughout my 38-hour adventure nonetheless. Its combat is simple but satisfying and its world is full of puzzles that push you to really pay attention, which makes for a campaign filled with intrigue, grief, and sometimes a little frustration.

Hell is Us is equal parts exploration, combat, and puzzle solving. It’s a familiar formula if you’ve played games like God of War or Resident Evil before, but roaming the fictional country of Hadea as Remi, an exile smuggled out of the country as a child, proved to be a different kind of challenge. You're told upfront that there is no map, waypoint system, or indication of where to go next. I had to retrain my brain in the early hours of Hell is Us as I adapted to how it does things, like I was riding a bike without training wheels for the first time. While frustrating at first, that annoyance seemed to fade away around the midpoint of Act One, and I could feel myself more quickly pinpointing the necessary clues I needed to progress.

What starts as a quest for answers about Remi’s missing family, his whole reason for returning to Hadea, quickly becomes a series of puzzles and scavenger hunts that reveal a bigger picture. With both that mystery and a large number of items to collect, the lack of a traditional map or waypoint system meant I found it almost mandatory to keep physical notes on what I had seen. That was especially true as I assembled a lengthy list of puzzles and NPCs that required specific items I had yet to find, with some items that wouldn't even become available until later portions of the story.

At first, I was caught off guard by how front and center the puzzle component is in Hell is Us – not because I disliked that, but because it just wasn't what I expected going in. There are plenty of puzzles to solve with all the usual suspects represented: aligning symbols to open doors, delivering specific items to NPCs, deciphering safe codes, finding color-coded keys, stepping on pressure plates, and more. While I've only solved about three-quarters of them so far, most solutions have ranged from obvious to mild head scratchers – this is nice place for them to land because there are a lot of things to keep track of on your own at once, but I never got stuck in one place for too long (and the rewards typically were worth the effort).

The only mildly frustrating part of some puzzles is that you don't always know upfront if you have everything you need to solve them, or if certain key pieces are even available yet, as many items don't show up until you progress further. That would usually be such a minor inconvenience that it wouldn't even be worth mentioning; however, because Hell is Us takes pride in not automatically tracking the specifics of stuff like quests and puzzles, if you don't keep detailed notes or if you happen to take a few days off from playing, it can lead to running around in circles searching for an unknowable solution.

Speaking of running in circles, while the first act is initially pretty straightforward, I found myself getting a bit lost after a few hours. Without a map, it was tough to figure out where I had and hadn't been. You can't progress to new locations without uncovering specific clues or NPCs that give you information about those zones, so I began to lose steam towards the midpoint of Act One. However, this pain point completely went away in the following two acts thanks to the combination of more characters that reliably offer information about the quest and my own acclimation to how I was meant to decipher the bread crumbs of the story.

As Remi, you are a firsthand witness to Hell is Us’ themes of hate, violence, brutality, and humanity being its own worst enemy. They are seen in every NPC conversation, location, and piece of lore you find on the search for Remi's family. You would think that the worst of what you have to face are the Hollowed monsters plaguing the streets and countrysides of Hadea, but if history has told us anything time and time again, our worst enemies are always ourselves. It wasn't those haunting enemies that stuck with me past the credits, but the imagery of the world, the harrowing events described by its survivors, and the vitriol characters often had for one another.

It’s almost impossible not to draw parallels between the horrors portrayed throughout Remi's journey and current events happening in the real world. Hadea's towns are ravaged by war, filled with imagery of civilian executions and propaganda as two fictional races of people, the Palomians and Sabinians, constantly blame the other for everything wrong in the world. Add in the rise of those terrifying new Hollow creatures, which are impervious to traditional weapons, and it culminates in a believable alternate history with horrors rooted in our own.

Hell is Us wears its grim view of a collapsed civilization and its struggling population on its sleeve. Every major NPC can be asked about Hadea, the war, peacekeepers, the Hollow creatures, and both the Palomians and Sabinians. And unlike the obscure puzzles and riddles throughout the world, the characters speak plainly about their feelings on each topic – be that a young girl who wishes everyone on the other side would die or a member of the military who has no issues whatsoever with collateral damage. While these conversations won't progress any storylines or assist in sidequests, they all help to paint an effective picture of the current state of the world and how it came to be.

These conversations were enlightening, but they were also tough to swallow in today's world, especially when myself and many others use video games as a means of escapism. There were times when it often felt like too much, but the thought of ignoring these kinds of experiences felt cynical and disrespectful to those enduring similar tragedies daily. Even minor NPCs struck a chord as I encountered small settlements of survivors, many of whom have lost families, limbs, and more. Hell is Us never strays away from showing the cost of war, and it’s better for it.

These tragedies aren't just there for show, either, as they also feed into the important time loop mechanic. Time loops appear as concentrated spheres of negative energy derived from truly heinous actions such as public executions, murders, and other tragic events, and they can only be cleared by removing an area of its time loop guardians. Though most are optional, clearing them provides rewards like key items for certain puzzles or NPCs and various weapon upgrades, and also stops enemies from respawning in that vicinity, which was enough incentive for me to tackle them when convenient. The guardians appear as regular Hollow enemies at a glance, but are slightly tougher fights due to their higher health and attack power – although, more often than not they were still so easy I would only realize I had just faced a guardian after the fact, so they didn’t stand out as meaningful or memorable fights to match the somber moments around them.

Combat not quite scratching the itch I hoped it would was a consistent theme throughout most of Hell is Us. It has all the staples you'd expect in an action-adventure game: attack combos, charge attacks, parries, dodges, and special abilities that improve both your weapons and a drone that fights alongside you. But while it has the ingredients of a great combat system, they never come together to make something more impressive than the sum of those parts. That isn't to say combat is bad in any way, because is can still be quite fun – but it never really wowed me, either. Even the special executions for certain enemies, which shift the camera perspective in an attempt to punch up the stylishness of those moves, didn't amaze me despite being functionally useful.

Early on, Remi learns that standard weapons are useless against the Hollow enemies and quickly builds up an arsenal of limbic weapons with special properties – swords, twin axes, polearms, and more, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. As you explore and solve various puzzles or help the citizens of Hadea, you unlock glyphs that can be equipped to weapons to augment them with properties such as Rage, Ecstasy, Terror, and Grief. Upgrading weapons with different properties will not only change their appearance, but also change which abilities they can equip. I was a big fan of Rage as it supercharged my aggressive playstyle, allowing me to stagger enemies and giving me some range options. Meanwhile, Terror ended up being the augment for my second weapon as it allowed me to drain enemies of their health at a safe distance.

Hell is Us also takes a different approach to healing while in combat: dealing damage refills your health, but only if you cash in after landing an attack or combo without taking damage. This was a double-edged sword for me, as it’s an interestingly unique system, but one that meant I would often not worry about how much damage I was taking because I knew that landing one or two combos would be enough to heal me back up in a pinch. It allowed me to be more aggressive in the hopes of outhealing any damage I took, but occasionally my bravado would get the best of me and lead to either death or finishing a fight with critical health. My strategy had to change as I reached the later acts, with specific enemies that could chain attacks to interrupt or stagger me, preventing me from retaliating or causing me to get overwhelmed by a group.

That said, Hell is Us lacks enemy variety overall, with only five types of visually distinct Hollow enemies. That is a letdown, because I really liked their designs – which range from a humanoid with an eerie black void of black in place of its face and chest, to a mage with large ribbed wings that creates damaging zones on the ground – and was hoping to see the team behind them flex their creative muscles even more. It is similarly lacking in the boss department, with only two traditional bosses across the three acts. It does have a few gauntlets of enemies to fight through that act as pseudo bosses for certain areas, but they just don't have the same impact after delving through multiple floors of a dungeon.

Thankfully, the roster is padded out with 12 Haze-type enemies in addition to the Hollows. These don't have the same cool, distinct designs, instead looking like more generic shapes or creatures made of smaller colorful blocks. But what they lack in visual flair, they make up for in challenge, as these enemies were often the ones to either overwhelm me or give me a better fight. Early on, Hollow enemies become entwined with each other and various Haze enemies, preventing them from losing health until the attached Hazes have been subjugated. This creates a small dance of taking down the Haze and then attempting to defeat the Hollow before that Haze could respawn, adding a nice layer of complexity to the otherwise simple combat.

Get ready, users: Tron: Ares is on its way to becoming a reality, and I phrase it that way for a reason. Tron: Ares is poised to make good on the open ending of 2010’s Tron: Legacy with a plot focused on programs from the digital world making their way into the real world.

In early 2024, Disney invited IGN to visit the set of Tron: Ares to share a wealth of details about what a modern Tron movie looks like, and how it attempts to establish an identity (disc) of its very own.

Tron: Ares Is Proud Of Its Legacy… But May Keep It At Arm’s Length

Our set visit began with a roundtable discussion with the film’s producer, Justin Springer, whose involvement with the franchise began as a co-producer on 2010’s Tron: Legacy, and naturally, one of the first questions was about how Ares would continue that film’s story. Reports on the then-untitled Tron 3 had pegged it as more of a reboot, centered around a new program called Ares coming into the real world. That was especially confusing, seeing as, on paper, that sounds like a very logical continuation of the events of Tron: Legacy, which you’ll remember ends with Sam Flynn (son of Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn) bringing the sentient program Quorra back with him into the real world.

Springer essentially confirmed Ares as a soft reboot of Tron, mentioning a feeling on Disney’s part that Ares represented a “good time to move on” from the events of Legacy. But as our set visit continued, and certainly as we learned later in 2024 that Jeff Bridges would indeed return as Kevin Flynn (or whatever biodigital spirit version of him we see in the trailer), that sentiment felt more and more like semantics shmantics. No, it’s safe to say based on what we’ve seen up to this point that Tron: Ares is firmly a sequel to Tron: Legacy, even if the Flynns are no longer the center of attention.

When talking about how Ares, Springer put this into the context of how the Tron series has evolved since 1982, saying that if Tron asked what the inner world of a computer would look like, and Legacy followed that on with considering how that world would evolve in isolation, Ares should be focused on the question of what happens when the lines of the computer world and our own start to blur? Which, hey, when artificial intelligence is dominating the global conversation, feels like an obvious thing to dig into.

Lightcycles Are Practically-Built For The First Time Ever

When it comes to Tron imagery, it doesn’t get more iconic than the lightcycle. The sleek, rounded edges of the originals, and the glassy hardlight trails they leave in their wake, got a serious glow-up in Tron: Legacy. In both of those films, lightcycles were entirely digital creations, but with Tron: Ares all about bringing the digital creations of the Grid into the real world, it was time for lightcycles to shift into another gear.

Along with producer Justin Springer, we spent most of our set visit with Darren Gilford, Tron: Ares’ production designer, who returns from having worked on Legacy. Gilford’s done impressive work over the last twenty years updating the visual language of established IP for the 21st century, and not just for Tron.

Gilford was also the production designer for the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and he designed The Dark Knight’s rad-as-hell Bat-pod motorcycle. He carried that experience directly into Tron: Ares, tasked with creating practical, working lightcycles for the first time so they could be towed on filming rigs for some of the chase scenes we’ve seen represented in trailers and in the footage debuted during the film’s Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con this past summer.

The design of the Ares’s lightcycle is more iterative than evolutionary, hearkening heavily to the Legacy design, and definitely favors cool over comfort. I can be sure of that because each of the journalists in attendance got a chance to mount the thing while it was on its hydraulic rig and yeah, going belly down on a cyberpunk speeder looks a lot cooler than it feels. But hey, the pictures are sweet.

Gilford mentioned the importance of the lightcycle illustrating Tron: Ares’ theme of combining man and machine in its design, and the way you slot into it does evoke a sense of putting on a bike as opposed to getting on a bike. In a world where companies like Meta and Apple are pushing consumers towards wearable AR/VR tech that blurs the line between the digital and the corporeal, it makes a lot of sense for Tron: Ares to be finding ways like this for the action to reinforce those themes.

The Grids

During our walkthroughs with Justin Springer, we saw a lot of storyboards for what’s to come in Tron: Ares (perhaps even a little more than intended…) and one of the most intriguing elements hinted at is how the film will be approaching the idea of “The Grid”, the digital frontier which characters often find themselves rezzed into (never turn your back on a laser in a Tron movie, kids.) Now that we have footage from the trailers to back this up, I think I’m safe saying that there will be multiple Grids in the film.

Before we continue, though, there’s some canon context that may be helpful to reinforce, because Tron and Tron: Legacy’s digital worlds are actually not one and the same. The “grid” in 1982’s Tron is firmly ensconced within ENCOM’s computer intranet. That is to say, the digital world of the original Tron is a closed system under the control of the Master Control Program, an efficiency-focused artificial intelligence visualized as a spinning conical face. After Flynn finds himself zapped into that system, he overthrows the Master Control Program, ostensibly freeing all of the subjugated programs from their pre-determined functions and roles.

Can you imagine if you hit play on your favorite podcast on Spotify and your computer started stress-testing your GPU? Neither could the creatives behind Tron, because it was 1982 and no one was interested in diving that deep into the questions implied by that kind of revolution. The MCP was destroyed, the good guys get proof that Dillinger had stolen the credit for Flynn’s Space Paranoids game; a classic “story over, movie over” ending.

Tron: Legacy drills down on the metaphysical aspects of that ending a little bit more, as we learn Kevin Flynn created his own Grid outside of ENCOM to test the limits of digital creation, tests which eventually lead to the genesis of the ISOs, an immaculately conceived digital race of programs which weren’t written by Users. It’s this Grid which Kevin Flynn, his estranged son Sam, and the ISO Quorra liberate from the reign of Clu, Kevin Flynn’s authoritarian digital avatar. So that’s two Tron movies, each with their own Grid.

Without giving too much away, Tron: Ares seems poised to acknowledge these branching digital realities with at least three separate systems: one belonging to the Dillinger Corporation, one belonging to ENCOM, and one that’s still a bit of a mystery but is sure to get fans of the original Tron aesthetic excited (again, all three of these are represented in the trailer!).

Blending Real and Digital Worlds

The Tron franchise has a reputation of being at the cutting edge of filmmaking technology: the 1982 original is widely considered the first movie to extensively use computer-generated imagery, and Legacy helped pioneer 3D filmmaking in the 21st century, shooting on a custom stereoscopic rig. Legacy is also remembered for being on the bleeding edge of photorealistic digital character design… and a solid reminder of why we use the phrase “bleeding edge.” From a story perspective, the villain Clu being a clone of Jeff Bridges’ Kevin Flynn at his most ambitious makes a ton of sense… but the execution has aged worse than anything else in Tron: Legacy.

As for Ares’ technological raison d’etre, our time on the set didn’t afford us much sense of what that is. Recent comments from Tron: Ares director Joachim Rønning suggest that the film as a whole is the “holy grail of computer graphics”, and the footage we’ve seen so far certainly looks sharp as hell, but the jury’s out on whether or to what degree we can expect any brand-new tech to help bring the story to life.

What was well-represented during our time on set though was that Tron: Ares is using every method under the sun to bring its story to life. Though there was definitely some on-location filming, our set visit was restricted to the soundstages we toured in Vancouver, where we got to watch a scene being shot against the volume digital set technology that’s been rapidly adopted by studios in recent years. That scene was set in the real world, featuring Greta Lee’s Eve Kim at the base of a communications tower, which itself was on top of a snowy mountain. Lee was hauling a long cable over to a console in the tower, so this seemed like it was a piece of a larger action sequence being grabbed.

Cool as the volume may have been to behold though, sometimes the old ways are best. We got to walk through the bridge of Ares’ command ship, a massive red-and-black chamber that definitely communicates the austere power and focus the Dillinger programs wield. After that, Darren Gilford brought us through the set of an executive suite at Encom headquarters, the centerpiece of which was an office walled in on all sides by glass. It belongs (belonged?) to Kevin Flynn, and Encom seems to have preserved it as a monument to their lost president (sometime around the year 1989, according to Gilford).

Flynn’s office is full of easter eggs, like a rolodex I spotted opened to the contact info of Tron’s “user” Alan Bradley… Gilford mentioned my flagging of that may make me the first person to spot an easter egg in Tron: Ares, and if there’s an award for that, I have not seen it come through the mail.

Star Wars: Jedi’s Cameron Monaghan Wields Dual Lightsabers In A Fight Scene

Finally, we also observed a rehearsal for a fight scene that incited a true “holy sh!t” moment for the Star Wars fans among the assembled journalists… and given we’re the nerds that got sent to the new Tron movie set, that was most of us. My colleagues and I were brought onto a blue screen stage where a dozen or so stunt performers were practicing fight choreography for a battle with Caius, a program played by Cameron Monaghan, who our audience may know for his role as Cal Kestis from the Star Wars: Jedi games.

The worlds of Tron and Star Wars collided in a big way when Monaghan walked out onto the stage duel-wielding a pair of lightsaber-esque batons and ready to kick all kinds of ass, with eerie similarity to his Jedi: Survivor character Cal Kestis. It was an especially surreal moment for me: I had just beaten the recently released Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and used the dual wield stance nearly exclusively. Was this some kind of glitch in the system? Had I been digitized into a computer world somewhere along the way? Am I still in the computer right now!?

I hope not, because then I won’t be able to see Tron: Ares when it comes out on October 10th. Are you excited for Tron: Ares? Let me know in the comments, and for more on the movie, check out my reaction to the footage they debuted at San Diego Comic-Con and for everything else, biodigital jazz or otherwise, keep it here on IGN.

Streaming has made entertainment more accessible than ever, but that doesn't mean it's cheap. Most streaming services have continuously hiked their own prices and limited password sharing, and confusing licensing deals sometimes make it surprisingly difficult to find an entire franchise in the same spot.

Nowadays it's common to debate, as I'm doing constantly, which subscriptions are worth keeping for the long haul. Plenty of streaming services – particularly the newer ones – offer free trials, bundles, and discounts to try and attract new subscribers. "New subscriber," of course, meaning "different e-mail address."

The best time to save on subscriptions is undoubtedbly Black Friday, when most streaming services offer their biggest discounts of the year. But if you're trying to find savings sooner rather than later, these are some of the best streaming deals available right now.

TL;DR: These Are the Best Streaming Deals Right Now:

Save With Bundles: Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, and ESPN Unlimited

I’m back with my monthly roundup of the best new books to keep an eye out for, and quite a few of our most anticipated reads of 2025 are dropping this month. From fantasy and romance to cosy crime, a Greek mythology retelling, and an age gap romance, there’s something for every reader.

So, here are the books that you won’t want to miss this September. Missed August’s roundup? You can find it right here.

The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

• Release date: September 9

PlayStation is no stranger to releasing unique colors for its accessories throughout its 30-year history. Since the PS5 launched in November 2020, PlayStation has expanded the DualSense controller line to include 12 additional standard colors, along with a swath of limited edition controllers featuring popular PlayStation characters and vibrant patterns. Whether you're looking to replace an existing controller, add to your collection, or just want to take a trip down memory lane, we've rounded up every PlayStation 5 DualSense controller color in order of release date.

If you're in the market for a DualSense alternative, our guide to the best PS5 controllers features a variety of different options we've reviewed.

All Dualsense Controller Colors by Release Date

White DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 12, 2020

Midnight Black DualSense Controller

Release Date: June 11, 2021

Cosmic Red DualSense Controller

Release Date: June 11, 2021

Starlight Blue DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Galactic Purple DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Nova Pink DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Grey Camouflage DualSense Controller

Release Date: October 14, 2022

Cobalt Blue DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 3, 2023

Volcanic Red DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 3, 2023

Sterling Silver DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 26, 2024

Chroma Pearl DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 7, 2024

Chroma Indigo DualSense Controller

Release Date: November 7, 2024

Chroma Teal DualSense Controller

Release Date: January 23, 2025

White DualSense Edge

Release Date: January 26, 2023

Midnight Black DualSense Edge

Release Date: February 20, 2025

Special Edition DualSense Controllers

In addition to the standard DualSense controller colors, Sony has also released several limited edition controllers over the past few years. Arguably the most popular limited-time offering was to celebrate PlayStation's milestone anniversary in November 2024, when Sony launched an entire PlayStation 30th Anniversary collection that included a standard DualSense controller, PS5 Slim, PS5 Pro, PlayStation Portal, and DualSense Edge controller, each sporting the iconic grey color of the original PlayStation console.

While you may still be able to get your hands on some special edition controllers, they are often well above retail price as Sony only manufactures a limited amount. In addition to the 30th Anniversary collection, Sony has also released limited edition DualSense controllers celebrating the release of God of War: Ragnarok, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the ill-fated Concord, Astro Bot, The Last of Us, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and most recently, Ghost of Yotei.

For those looking to add some games to their PC library as the chilly fall weather starts to roll in, September's Humble Choice lineup has officially been announced. This includes a wide variety of games, including WWE 2K25, Destiny 2: Legacy Collection, The Plucky Squire, and five others you can stock up on for just $14.99 if you sign up for a Humble Choice membership. On top of those games, this month also comes with one month of IGN Plus for free, which allows you to turn off ads across the site, get free games, and more.

Humble Choice – September 2025

Hollow Knight: Silksong is out now, but the huge rush to buy and download the game has caused some storefronts to crash.

Steam, for example, struggled to cope with the influx of customers, with Silksong’s store page returning an error page in the initial hours after launch. All this, remember, for a $20 indie game.

Sony is gearing up for the release of Ghost of Yotei by offering a series of limited-edition hardware that’s etched with imagery from the game. You can get PS5 consoles, DualSense Controllers, and console covers with black or gold etchings. All of them are now available to preorder at PlayStation Direct and are set to release on October 2. Below, we dig into what items are available, how much they cost, and more.

Featured in this article

All the new items are listed in the catalog above. For more information about them, you can scroll down.

PS5 Console - Ghost of Yotei Limited Edition Bundle (Gold or Black)

Gold PS5 Console Bundle

• Get it at Amazon - $599.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $599.99
• Get it at PS Direct - $599.99
• Get it at Target - $599.99
• Get it at Walmart - $599
• Get it at GameStop (Pro membership required) - $599.99

Black PS5 Console Bundle

• Get it at PS Direct - $599.99

The PS5 console bundle gets you Ghost of Yotei-themed PS5 and DualSense controller, with either black or gold designs on them, as well as a voucher to download a digital copy of the game.

DualSense Wireless Controller - Ghost of Yotei Limited Edition (Gold or Black)

Gold DualSense Controller

• Get it at Amazon - $84.99
• Get it at Best Buy - $84.99
• Get it at PS Direct - $84.99
• Get it at Target - $84.99
• Get it at Walmart - $84.88

Black DualSense Controller

• Get it at PS Direct - $84.99

The DualSense Wireless controller is similarly decked out in Ghost of Yotei markings, available in either black or gold. Aside from the stylized design, it’s a standard PS5 controller with all the features you’d expect, including haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

PS5 and PS5 Pro Console Covers - Ghost of Yotei Edition

• PS5 Pro Cover
• PS5 Slim Cover

If you want the look of the Ghost of Yotei PS5 but you already own a slim PS5, you can pick up just the console covers. These PS Direct-exclusive items let you turn your standard PS5 into a Ghost of Yotei one without buying a whole new console.

For more, check out our full Ghost of Yotei preorder guide.

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

If you’ve been waiting for your next James Bond adventure, 007 First Light is officially up for preorder ahead of its March 27, 2026 release on PS5, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Alongside the standard edition, there’s also a Legacy Edition that comes with a collectible Golden Gun replica and other extras for longtime fans. Just after the base game or fancy the full collector’s package? It’s worth locking in your copy early.

TL;DR: Todays Best Deals

Today’s other deals span across home, tech, and nerdy building goodness. You can grab the LEGO Disney & Pixar WALL-E & EVE set for under $70, a great display piece for Pixar fans; the EUKI Compressed Air Duster at $39.99, a rechargeable alternative to canned air that’s handy for cleaning keyboards, PCs, and more; and the RUNBOX Slim Card Holder Wallet, now just $8.98 (70% off), offering RFID protection and a sleek, minimalist design. Don't forget about keeping an eye on Pokémon TCG preorders and deals below too, finding stock for a good price is harder than ever in 2025. Let's get into it:

007 First Light: Legacy And Standard Edition Preorders

The standard edition of 007 First Light includes the base game for $69.99 and is available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC (via Steam or Epic). Physical copies are offered for all consoles, though Switch 2 uses a game-key card rather than a full cartridge, meaning you’ll still need the card inserted to play but can lend or resell it like a typical game card. Preorders also come with the deluxe edition upgrade at no extra cost, adding early access for digital buyers plus exclusive DLC skins and outfits.
For fans who want something more collectible, the Legacy Edition ($299.99) comes packed with extras. Alongside the full game in a steelbook case, it includes a Golden Gun figurine with a stand and hidden compartment, a certificate of authenticity, and a bundle of deluxe DLC skins and outfits. Between the display-worthy replica and the bonus in-game content, this edition is tailored for Bond enthusiasts who want both a showpiece for their shelf and extra flair in-game.

LEGO Disney & Pixar Wall-E & EVE

EUKI Compressed Air Duster

Runbox Slim Card Holder

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution - Phantasmal Flames Preorders

With the Pokémon Center listings going live for preorder at any moment, it's only a matter of time until the first expansion for the new era of Pokémon TCG, Mega Evolution: Phantasmal Flames, comes pouring down to other retailers. First up will be Best Buy, normally around 24 hours after the Pokémon Center launch, followed by Target then secondary market and small seller allocations being available on TCGPlayer. Amazon and Walmart have been known to stock Pokémon TCG preorders in the past, but it's not always a guarantee.
Phantasmal Flames drops on November 14, with prerelease events running the week before, and the big headline is Mega Charizard X ex returning in full force. What makes this set even more exciting is its size , about 90 cards before secret rares, which makes it the smallest English set in nearly a decade. For collectors like me, that usually means a much more manageable chase, while still packing in plenty of heavy hitters for players.

The product lineup looks pretty stacked too. We’ll be getting the usual booster packs and booster box (36 packs), a 9-pack Elite Trainer Box featuring a shiny new Charcadet promo, and an Ultra-Premium Collection built around Mega Charizard X ex. On top of that, two theme decks for Mega Gengar ex and Mega Diancie ex are arriving a few weeks early on October 24, which is a fun way to get a taste of the set before launch. If you’re like me and love cracking packs, the booster box is the way to go, but the UPC is already looking like the big collector piece this time around.

What ties it all together is the Japanese set Inferno X, which hit shelves there in late September. That set had only 80 cards, and once you add in the Mega Gengar and Mega Diancie decks, you basically get the full Phantasmal Flames lineup. We’ve already seen some killer reveals, including the Mega Charizard X ex secret rare previewed at Worlds, so I’m fully expecting that to be the chase card when this launches. Between the smaller set size, Charizard hype, and some solid gameplay cards, I think this one’s going to fly off shelves and I’m definitely locking in my preorder.

Back To The Future Steelbook Preorders Are Live

The 40th anniversary Back to the Future steelbooks are a collector’s dream. Each movie in the trilogy is getting its own limited-edition release on October 14, with sleek new steelbook packaging featuring inside-and-out film artwork. Priced between $29.99 and $34.99, each edition includes the movie on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and digital, along with a treasure trove of bonus features, from archival documentaries and outtakes to new retrospectives with co-writer Bob Gale and cast/crew members.

Pokémon TCG: Holiday Calendar (2025) Cheaper At TCGPlayer

Marvel Legends Series Wolverine Premium Roleplay Mask

Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 + 4 Under $35

As part of Amazon’s Labor Day sale, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 has dropped to its lowest price yet, making now the perfect time to grab it. Normally priced higher, this updated collection delivers classic arcade skateboarding with a modern polish. In our review where we scored it an 8/10, we praised the game for proving “the series’ over-the-top skateboarding formula is totally timeless,” even if some of the tweaks to THPS4 and the soundtrack choices didn’t fully land. At this price, though, you’re getting an iconic piece of gaming history for less than ever before.

Pokémon TCG ETBs and Booster Bundles

When it comes to sealed Pokémon TCG products, the real bargains today are on ETBs and booster bundles. White Flare is sitting at just $75 on TCGPlayer, which is a nice break from the usual $90+ price tags. Even the newer Destined Rivals and Black Bolt boxes are running cheaper there than anywhere else. And if you don’t want to spring for a full ETB, Prismatic Evolutions booster bundles are going for as low as $59, which feels like an easy pickup if you’re chasing singles without committing to a whole box.

Pokémon TCG Collections, Tins and Boosters

If you’re more into variety packs than full ETBs, there are some great grabs in the collections and tins today. Cynthia’s Garchomp ex Premium Collection is down to $45 on TCGPlayer, which feels like a steal compared to Amazon’s $60 tag. The Slashing Legends Tin also jumped out at me at $29.99—that’s nearly half off what Amazon is charging. Even the smaller items are worth a look: Surging Sparks sleeved boosters are going for just $7.93, which is $15.98 on Amazon currently.

Pokémon Funko Pop! Preorders

I’m also eyeing a few of the new Funko Pop! preorders that just went live. Turtwig drops at the end of September for $15.99, while Ninetales and Absol are both set for mid-December at $14.99 each. These usually disappear around launch week, so if you’re the type who likes locking in new releases before they vanish, it’s probably worth snagging them now instead of hunting later at inflated prices.

Pokémon Funko Pop! Deals

Amazon’s been quietly slashing prices on a bunch of Pokémon Funko Pops, and some of them are cheaper than a booster pack. The biggest surprise for me was Horsea at just $4.31—that’s wild considering it normally goes for $12.99. There are plenty of others worth adding to your shelf too, like Fidough for $7.99, Dratini for $11.30, and even the 10-inch Pikachu for $62, which is a solid drop from its usual $75.99. Whether you’re filling gaps in your collection or just want a budget-friendly pick-up, today’s lineup has a nice mix of starters, legendaries, and fan favorites.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

If the announcement of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight at Gamescom has you itching to jump back into some of the other LEGO games, Humble is here with a very nice surprise.

The latest Humble Bundle is a LEGO Worlds Collide Bundle, which offers 17 LEGO games for as low as $15. Considering the full collection is worth $499 in value, that's an excellent bundle to jump on while it's available.

Humble’s LEGO Worlds Collide Bundle

Hollow Knight: Silksong is out today, over six years after its initial announcement. Fans who have been waiting that entire time for the game finally have their hands on it in what is sure to mark an exciting new era for a community that’s driven itself to often-surprising lengths of hype and anticipation.

But for one fan in particular, today is not just a beginning, it’s an ending, an ending of a nearly five-year project that’s become a staple part of the Silksong community during the long wait for Team Cherry’s game. Today, September 4, 2025, marks the final video for the YouTube channel Daily Silksong News.

Daily Silksong News is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a YouTube channel run by Silksong community member Araraura, where he publishes a daily video covering what, if any, news about Hollow Knight: Silksong has surfaced on that day. But simple as the premise is, Daily Silksong News is impressive due to Araraura’s sheer dedication. Since the start of the channel, Araraura has made 1,693 videos. He tells me he hasn’t missed a single day.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has its long-awaited Patch 10 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. This is the big anniversary update that makes a number of significant changes and additions to Saber Interactive’s explosive third-person action game.

It’s worth noting that while Patch 10 is live now, Season Pass 2 and the Black Templars and Imperial Fists cosmetics do not go live until later today, September 4.

Patch 10.0 adds new game modes and maps, along with the Chaos Armour Pack, Champion Customisation, new weapons, and more.

The Chaos Armour Pack is available for free. You can finally change the armour set of your Heretic Astartes in PvP, but you have to unlock the set first. Each class requires you to score a certain amount of kills per match to unlock the corresponding skin.

LEGO has officially unveiled the heavily rumored LEGO Star Wars Death Star set. It’s an enormous build, comprised of 9,023 pieces, and it comes with a whopping 38 minifigures, including the two droids (see the listing at LEGO Store). The price might be jaw-dropping as well, as it comes in at $999.99, making it the most expensive set you can buy. It will be available October 1 for LEGO Insiders (sign up free here) and October 4 for everyone else.

The official name for the set is LEGO Star Wars Death Star - Ultimate Collector Series (75419). It’s not the full sphere-shaped build you may be expecting, either, but roughly one half of the Death Star. The flat portion is open, revealing a cross-section of the ultimate space weapon. Purchasing the Death Star gets you the TIE Fighter with Imperial Hangar Rack set free as a Gift With Purchase.

In the many rooms that comprise the build, you’ll find tons of references to the original Star Wars film trilogy. There’s the garbage compactor room where our heroes get stuck in A New Hope. There’s the room where Vader strikes down Obi Wan, and the communications hub where Han Solo, in Stormtrooper-armor, has a too-casual conversation with a superior officer.

Then there’s the conference room with the table where Vader and his commanders discuss the blowing up of planets. And the Emperor’s throne room, where Luke and Darth Vader have their final battle in Return of the Jedi. In other words, it’s a packed Death Star.

Among the 32 minifigures included in the set are Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, along with Stormtrooper-armored alternates. There’s Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, Chewbacca, and Obi Wan. There’s the Emperor and Darth Vader, along with various commanders, two Red Guard, six Stormtroopers, and more. You can see the full lineup in below.

Minifigures Included in LEGO Star Wars Death Star

• Admiral Piett
• C-3PO
• Chewbacca
• Colonel Yularen
• Darth Vader
• Director Krennic
• Emperor Palpatine
• Galen Erso
• General Tagge
• Grand Moff Tarkin
• Han Solo
• Han Solo (Stormtrooper Disguise)
• Hot Tub Stormtrooper (The Skywalker Saga)
• Imperial Crew Member (x2)
• Imperial Dignitary
• Imperial Gunner
• Imperial Navy Officer
• Imperial Navy Trooper (x2)
• Imperial Officer
• Imperial Royal Guard (x2)
• Imperial Shuttle Pilot
• KX-9A-1
• Luke Skywalker
• Luke Skywalker (Jedi)
• Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Princess Leia
• R2-D2
• R2-Q5
• Stormtrooper (x6)

It seems like LEGO has been announcing big new sets left and right lately, with sets based on Willy Wonka, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more just in the past couple of weeks. You can see all the latest sets in our roundup of every LEGO set coming out in September or check out more of the biggest LEGO sets money can buy.

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

This is a non-spoiler review for all seven episodes of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon - Season 3. The series premieres Sunday, Sept. 7 on AMC.

Everyone's terse, scraggly-haired zompocalypse outdoorsman Daryl Dixon is back for a new round of European adventures, and -- yup! -- dystopian BFF Carol Peletier is still at his side. Season 3 of this Walking Dead spinoff continues to prove that more interesting things are being done in these new spinoffs -- particularly on this Daryl show -- than were explored in the final few seasons of the original series. There are some typical bumps and bruises, yes -- in the form of annoying characters and outrageous coincidences -- and Season 3 itself doesn't "up the ante" in any significant way, but it's still a solid chapter in Daryl and Carol's odyssey, with some of the best action the Walking Dead saga's ever produced.

Two things at the top here: Firstly, the season takes place in Spain (and was shot in Spain, giving everything a unique feel for the franchise). I know the italicized words above pointed at a spoiler-free review, but this was kind of a given. It's in all the promotional materials. The last we saw of Daryl and Carol, they were headed to England through the Chunnel but... there're in Spain, y'all. The season opener -- which has 28 Days Later vibes -- deals with this, while also gifting us with a fun guest spot for Stephen Merchant. It's why there are seven episodes this year instead of the usual six.

Secondly, the show (still) works well because Daryl is kind of a blank character. Let's put this another way: We know catastrophically little about Daryl given that he's been a main character on a whopping 14 seasons of television. He had an abusive childhood and can hunt and the zombie years have turned him into a near-unstoppable warrior, but that's really it. He was underserved on The Walking Dead, but on his own show he's the perfect character to have traveling to new places, meeting new people, and getting into new adventures. He comes with baggage that makes him the right amount of grumpy, and cautious, but he's a hero at heart. Having him experience other cultures, even in a ruined world setting, is why his series is superior to the back half of the old show.

This year, Daryl is reeling from the loss of Isabelle, even if they barely had any time at all as an established "thing." While the trippy Chunnel experience seemed to heal Carol, giving her final closure with Sofia, it sort of hardened Daryl, to the point where he and Carol now disagree about helping folks. Carol is more charitable and Daryl is even more closed off, singularly driven to getting back home. It's a simple, effective dynamic for Season 3 that nicely steers away from the dangerous waters of "are they actually gonna make 'Caryl' happen?" from Season 2.

And to Daryl's point, maybe these two should butt out of certain affairs because, as we know, things are tough all over. Even the most thriving communities tend to have dark secrets, so Season 3 is very much about "okay, what's wrong about THIS place?" Like how basically, for better or worse, The Walking Dead franchise is one long Woodbury, with each new locale having it's own Governor-style obstacle to overcome. The Spanish town at the center of this season is Solaz Del Mar, a survivor faction nestled inside a gorgeous, fortified medieval city. It's got it all, but of course there's always a catch.

Daryl and Carol find a temporary home with these fine folks after inadvertently saving the right people... and killing the wrong people. Which is to say that, by hook or by crook, our heroes will manifest a necessary violent confrontation between citizens and governing bodies that wouldn't have happened if they hadn't stumbled into town. Presiding over Solaz Del Mar is Óscar Jaenada's suave Federico, a ruler who definitely doesn't take to outsiders, but also a man who's under the thumb of an even bigger despot, seated in the historic El Alcazar in Seville.

So there are many fish for Daryl and Carol to fry, and at the heart of it all? The gateway call to action? Young lovers Roberto (Hugo Arbués) and Justina (Candela Saitta) -- a couple that gives metaphoric hope to Carol, who now just might be open to finding actual love herself. Also, a couple that gives Daryl heartburn, as he's temporarily taken himself out of the crusader business. And even though, you know Daryl and Carol are ultimately going to help these desperate people defeat their oppressors, it's easy to side with Daryl at the outset because Roberto can be quite grating. While Daryl exists to rarely speak his mind, Roberto is the antithesis, just a swirling combo of impetuous TV tropes that lead to him making rash decisions, getting captured (more than once), and generally causing more trouble than the visiting buttinski Americans here.

Does Roberto have reason to be reckless? Sure. His town isn't ideal and the cruel patriarchy has other designs for Justina other than letting her be with Roberto, but on a fairly decent season of a franchise that's been around for 15 years, he comes off as a lazy catalyst. Fortunately, in the plus column for Season 3 is a massively impressive city siege that brings together the best elements of Walking Dead stunt work. Plus, Season 3 even splits up Daryl and Carol for a time, pairing them with others -- like Alexandra Masangkay's Paz and Eduardo Noriega's Antonio, respectively -- giving this Daryl Dixon series some breathing room.

Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are still a great pair, as you'd expect. Their bond runs so deep now that they can just exist in the same space and you feel the characters' history together. In a different decade of TV these two could just have new adventures each week, going all over the globe, A-Team/Kung Fu/Incredible Hulk style. The Walking Dead began as something intensely serialized and then sort of melted into a show reminiscent of a bygone era. Bottom line: If you're still locked into Walking Dead, Daryl Dixon remains the best of these last gasps.

This article contains spoilers for Alien: Earth through Episode 5, “In Space, No One…”

Up until now, Kumi Morrow (Babou Ceesay) has been painted as the villain, or at least a main antagonist, of FX’s Alien: Earth. He’s a cyborg with a knife that pops out of his arm like some sort of futuristic Wolverine, he’s mercilessly focused on his goals, and when we first meet him, he’s locking Zaveri (Richa Moorjani), a crew member of the doomed spaceship Maginot, out of the Mother interface room on the ship, allowing the xenomorph to kill her. We’ve watched him manipulate children and threaten to kill families, and he will seemingly stop at nothing to retrieve the xenomorph eggs and other assorted “monsters” that are the property of Weyland-Yutani and are currently stuck in Boy Kavalier’s (Samuel Blenkin) science playground/private island called Neverland.

Episode 5, however, flips the script by showing us that Morrow isn’t the villain; he’s just as doomed and complicated as everyone else on the series. Not only that, it does this by turning him into none other than Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver).

Magic: The Gathering is on the verge of introducing a new Spider-Man set, but prior Universes Beyond sets aren’t being forgotten.

Aside from the unlikely team-up between a Warhammer 40k Tyranid and Sonic the Hedgehog, our all-seeing eye(s) have spotted that the Commander Decks from 2023’s The Lord of the Rings set have popped up at Amazon again.

Clearing old stock, or a fresh printing? It’s hard to say, but with two of the four decks discounted, it’s worth a look.

Lord of the Rings MTG Commander Decks: Back in Stock at Amazon

Demon Slayer changed the game for anime movies based on TV shows when studio ufotable decided to adapt the Mugen Train storyline into a feature film rather than a season of TV. Not only did that movie go on to become a monumental hit, but it remains a high point of anime, a self-contained story with a good balance of action and character development.

Now it seems the promise made by that movie — that Demon Slayer was not restrained by its medium and could deliver the best adaptation in the best medium for it — has fallen completely flat. That's because Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle is a major step down from what Mugen Train achieved, a movie that feels like an unedited compilation film, a poorly stitched-together series of episodes with horrendous pacing and a never-ending series of flashbacks in what is obviously a very incomplete story. Not all is lost, however, because we do get some cool character moments, some nice visuals, and arguably the best back story the franchise has done.

The movie starts right where Season 4 ended, with the Demon Slayer Corps now scattered and surrounded by hordes of demons inside Muzan's ever-shifting demonic castle dominion after an attempt to kill the king of demons failed. It goes without saying that this movie is not for newcomers, and the plot is virtually incomprehensible if you have never seen the previous seasons — much like Infinity War is not meant to be your first MCU movie. Be warned, however, that Infinity Castle is not just a continuation of Season 4 (Hashira Training Arc), but it also connects to storylines going as far back as Mugen Train. This is the start of the grand finale, after all, so we're beginning to see payoffs to several storylines.

Indeed, Infinity Castle (the first part of a trilogy) raises the stakes and makes it clear from the get-go that even if Tanjiro is probably going to make it out of this fine, the same can't be said of his fellow warriors. Whether it's in the big fights against high-ranking demons or even just in the many small skirmishes against dozens of small demons, the Demon Slayer Corps members are overwhelmed and in grave danger, which adds to the tension of the film.

The story is essentially divided into three fights. First off, we have Shinobu encountering the Upper Rank Two demon, followed by Zenitsu fighting his own personal demons, and finally Tanjiro getting his rematch against Akaza. The first two parts reach a satisfying climax to the respective character arcs, while Tanjiro also clears a big stepping stone in his story. The biggest compliment one can give this movie is that Zenitsu is finally no longer annoying, but rather gets a compelling dramatic story in Infinity Castle. The standout part of the film, however, is the back story to arguably the biggest non-Muzan villain in the franchise — Akaza. Though Demon Slayer has presented plenty of demon flashbacks in the past, this is by far the most effective one in what it says about the allure of demons, and the cruelty of humanity, all without actually excusing or condoning the actions of Akaza.

Visually, studio ufotable gets great mileage out of the Infinity Castle location, with the ever-shifting scenery adding to the danger and the stakes as characters constantly get blocked by a randomly appearing building, or transported elsewhere by a disappearing hallway. It's a creative way of breaking up the repetitive fight scenes — of which there are many. Elsewhere, the fight animation is about what you'd expect from Demon Slayer, not particularly better with the higher budget, which is more of a testament to the animators and VFX artists at ufotable than anything else in that they already deliver big-screen spectacle on a weekly basis.

That being said, a lot of the emotional pay-offs are undercut by the film's overuse of flashbacks. This is a pattern that the anime has been guilty of for a few years now, but when presented in a single feature film the flaws are more glaring. The 155-minute runtime introduces a good dozen flashbacks that intercut the fight scenes at critical moments and severely slow down the pacing while also making the runtime feel longer. This is not necessarily a dealbreaker when watching a series on TV, because you at least have a week to digest the flashbacks and the information they deliver. In a feature film, however, they get no time to breathe. It is jarring to see the huge tonal shifts the movie goes through on a scene-by-scene basis when you cut from a fight to a flashback every few minutes. Perhaps this problem will be fixed when we get the inevitable TV edit of Infinity Castle, but as it stands this is simply lacking.

It's time for Samsung's B-team Galaxy devices – the company has officially announced its new budget smartphone, the Galaxy S25 FE, and its latest and greatest tablet, the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. The two devices are available today from Samsung's website, starting at $649.99 and $1,199.99, respectively.

The new Galaxy S25 FE is all-around the same phone as the S24 FE, with 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, a 6.7-inch, 120HZ OLED display, and the same 50MP main, 12MP ultra-wide, and 8MP telephoto camera specs; but there are some tweaks to the formula. For instance, the S25 FE's front-facing selfie camera is now 12MP instead of 10MP.

Battery capacity is up (4,900mAh, up from 4,700mAh) and it now supports 45W wired charging rather than 25W. The company doesn't say whether the phone features built-in magnetic Qi2 charging, but it would be weird if it did, considering the mainline Galaxy S25 phones don't either – but traditional wireless charging is, you know, still there. It has an Exynos 2400 chip versus the 2400e before.

Oh, and say goodbye to the pastel green and blue colors of the S24 FE. This year's phones come in dark gray, white, navy blue, and an "Icy Blue" color that, based on the images Samsung shared with IGN, really looks like a timid, barely-there lavender.

The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is likewise a minor spec bump, with a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Plus chip (versus the 9300 Plus in the S10 Ultra), the same 14.6-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display that peaks at 1,600 nits. Memory and storage are unchanged versus last year: It gets 12GB RAM for the 256GB and 512GB storage tiers, and 16GB of RAM for the 1TB tier. Expandable storage is a little more generous, though – now you can use up to a 2TB microSD card instead of 1.5TB. Finally, battery capacity is up a tad at 11,600mAh, versus 11,200mAh last year.

The one big change is that instead of a follow-up to the 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, the company has announced the Tab S11. It's a cheaper entry-level option than the S10 Plus, starting at $799.99, but it has a smaller, 11-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display with 1,000-nit brightness (up to 1,600 at its peak). The S11 comes with 12GB RAM, with storage ranging from 128GB to 512GB, expandable via microSD to up to 2TB. Battery capacity for the entry-level S11 is 8,400mAh, and the device supports 45W wired charging. Both the S11 and the S11 Ultra come in gray and silver colorways.

Based on what Samsung announced today, the S25 FE still won't be the top budget Android phone you can get; it still has the much cheaper, $499 Pixel 9a to compete with, after all. But Samsung does make solid Android tablets, and the new Tab S11 options should keep that going. Shame about the missing 12.4-inch option; but hey, smaller tablets can be nice, too, and so can lower prices.

Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.

South Park has continued its assault on Donald Trump in its latest episode, ending on a shock development for the U.S. president’s relationship with Satan.

Warning! Spoilers for South Park Season 27 Episode 4 follow:

This week (South Park is on a bi-weekly schedule now), we see the Labubu craze hit South Park Elementary. Labubus, for the uninitiated, are a line of collectible plush toys created by Hong Kong illustrator Kasing Lung and typically sold in blind boxes. They have taken the world by storm, with interest — as any parent’s wallet will probably attest — peaking over the summer amid a surge on social media platforms such as TikTok.

In South Park we see the kids accusing each other’s Labubus of being fake (yes, this will probably hit home for any parent of young children watching). Fake Labubus, dubbed Lafufus in the real world, are becoming a big part of the playground banter for all the frustrating reasons you’d imagine. A bemused Jesus Christ is brought in as school counselor to sort the fighting out.

Jesus meet Labubu. Labubu meet Jesus. pic.twitter.com/0m2451t3Jk

— South Park (@SouthPark) September 4, 2025

Red asks Butters to hang out with her on her birthday, but asks him to buy her a specific, rare Labubu as a present. Butters learns all about Trump’s tariffs as he hunts the Labubu down in an Asian restaurant converted into an opportunistic Asian pop up store. A blind box costs $85, which Butters doesn’t seem thrilled about. The price hike is due to tariffs, he’s told. That cost is being passed on to the customer! Of course, the Labubu in the blind box isn’t the right one, forcing Butters to roll the dice once again. The U.S. government is blamed for the high cost, he’s told.

Butters experiences the reality of tariffs when he has to buy a Labubu doll for his girlfriend’s birthday in an all-new episode tonight, September 3 at 10/9c on Comedy Central and tomorrow on Paramount+. pic.twitter.com/P5xtAARbvv

— South Park (@SouthPark) September 3, 2025

Meanwhile, Trump-obsessed Fox News is trying to work out the nature of the President’s relationship with Satan. “We’re just sort of hanging out,” the Prince of Darkness tells the gaggle of reporters outside Air Force One.

It’s the question on everyone’s mind! pic.twitter.com/9ZYTpSeTwa

— South Park (@SouthPark) September 4, 2025

Back at South Park Elementary, Jesus is still trying to wrap his head around the Labubu craze and why the kids are fighting over them. A TikTok unboxing video from one of the students explains all, but then things take a darker turn as we see the student use the Labubu to perform a satanic ritual, complete with vomited chicken blood, to bring the Labubu to life. “Labubus are demonic,” Jesus is told.

Butters uses a claw machine to win the ultra rare Labubu Red wants, and gives it to her at her birthday party. She uses it to perform a ritual, accidentally summoning Trump and Satan. Jesus, desperate to put an end to the demonic tyranny of the Labubus, arrives on the scene. Jesus tells Satan to leave Earth, but Satan can’t. He’d love to leave Trump, he says, but he’s “bound to him.”

Then, the shocking reveal: Satan can’t leave Trump because he’s pregnant. “Yes, we’re together. We’ve been together for months. And I want to leave him, but I can’t,” Satan declares, “because I’m pregnant. So now you all know. I am forced to stay in this situation for several more years.” Yes, Satan is having Trump’s “butt baby.”

This season's South Park episodes have so far skipped a week, with reports indicating the show's bi-weekly release schedule will remain in place for the rest of Season 27.

The latest run of South Park episodes, which are currently airing on Comedy Central and Paramount+, have drawn some of the series' best-ever ratings, as well as global attention, for their no-holds-barred depiction of President Trump. But episodes are taking longer to produce, with just four arriving in the eight weeks since Season 27's debut.

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone make each episode week-by-week, which makes for a chaotic production but topical shows. The elongated production time allows the pair more time to work on each episode, something Paramount is reportedly happy with.

It’s worth noting that during their San Diego Comic-Con 2025 panel, which took place the day after the Trump-skewering season opener aired, Parker said the pair were unsure what the next episode would be, revealing the decision was “super stressful.”

All eyes are on South Park after its Season 27 premiere went so hard on Trump that the White House issued a statement in response.

The F.C.C. recently approved Skydance’s $8 billion merger with Paramount, which had needed Trump administration approval. However, Parker and Stone have a big-money deal of their own: a reported $1.5 billion contract to make 50 episodes of South Park over five years for Paramount.

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