Digital monsters, superheroes, and Santa Claus are what you can expect this fall anime season. There's a new season full of anime to check out this Fall like the return of the highly anticipated My Hero Academia for its final season, the beautiful Star Wars Visions with Volume 3, and Science Saru's Sanda just in time for the holidays. Across Crunchyroll, HIDIVE, Hulu, and Netflix, as well as others, there are a lot of places to enjoy anime at the moment.

Check out some anticipated series in the video above or the slideshow gallery below, followed by the full list of new Fall season 2025 anime and where to watch them in the U.S. and their respective streaming platforms. Anime listed are available now unless otherwise stated.

Digimon Beatbreak (Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+)

Digimon, Digital Monsters, is back with a new anime this fall season. Digimon Beatbreak follows Tenma, a young boy who has an unusual connection to technology. It’s through this anomaly that he meets the Digimon known as Gekkomon. Toei Animation is, of course, producing the series like it has before, so fans can expect more Digimon action to enjoy. Between this series and the new Digimon Story: Time Stranger game, it’s a great time to be a Digimon fan. Digimon Beatbreak is available now on Crunchyroll, and Hulu.

Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider (Crunchyroll)

Another new series this season showcases Kamen Rider but not in the way you may think. Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider follows a 40-year-old man who is a lifelong fan of Kamen Rider and has aspirations of being a superhero himself. Of course it’s not a realistic goal, but a turn of events has pushed him towards realizing his dream. LIDENFILMS, the studio behind Tokyo Revengers and Call of the Night, is producing this series, so expect some butt-kicking action in this wild adventure of finding one’s purpose. If you’re a fan of similar series like Samurai Flamenco or just love Kamen Rider, this new anime is worth checking out this season. Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is available now on Crunchyroll.

May I Ask for One Final Thing? (Crunchyroll)

Speaking of LIDENFILMS, the studio is producing another fun series this season with May I Ask for One Final Thing? The series follows Scarlet, a princess trapped in an arranged marriage with a despicable and arrogant prince. When an embarrassing twist pushes her over her tipping point, Scarlet put on some fighting gloves and punches a bunch of despicable fools! The premiere is exciting, and it’ll be interesting to see how Scarlet navigates the consequences of her actions and the political landscape as the season progresses. May I Ask for One Final Thing? is available now on Crunchyroll.

Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 (Disney+ | October 29)

A galaxy far, far away returns in anime form with Star Wars: Visions Volume 3! This anthology series yet again showcases an eclectic group of anime studios tackling unique short films set in the world of Star Wars. Some studios are even producing sequels to their shorts from earlier seasons. From David Production of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure fame to Wit Studio and Trigger, there are many celebrated studios that anime fans may recognize. If you’re looking for quick quality hits of anime or you’re just a Star Wars fan interested in the anime medium, this series is worth checking out. Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 premieres October 29 on Disney+.

Disney Twisted Wonderland: The Animation (Disney+ | October 29)

Another series from the world of Disney drops this season as well. Disney Twisted Wonderland: The Animation follows Yuu, a high school student who gets mysteriously transported into a magical world and ends up at a school of magic that closely resembles the Queen of Hearts’ domain from Alice in Wonderland. The anime is actually based on a game of the same name with the creator of Black Butler, Yana Toboso, working on the concept and character designs. If you’re interested in the drama of Black Butler with a touch of Disney villains, this series may be a good fit for you. Disney Twisted Wonderland: The Animation premieres October 29 on Disney+.

Dusk Beyond the End of the World (HIDIVE)

Another new series this fall season is Dusk Beyond the End of the World. The series follows Akira, a young man who gets caught in the middle of growing tensions around AI development and a loved one. After what seems to be the end of his life, he wakes up hundreds of years later and eventually runs into a familiar face. P.A. Works, the studio behind Shirobako and Akiba Maid War, will helm production on this series. Intriguing future story aside, the action sequences are quite impressive from what we’ve seen so far. If you have some time outside of the many returning shonen anime this fall, this series may also be worth a watch. Dusk Beyond the End of the World is available now on HIDIVE.

Sanda (Amazon Prime)

Just in time for the holidays, this series about a descendant of Santa Claus might be one of the oddest this fall season. Sanda follows a young boy of the same name as he wraps his head around a sudden attack by a fellow classmate and a mysterious transformation that has him resembling Santa Claus. That’s right! This young kid transformed into a buff Santa! Studio Science Saru is producing this series, and it looks amazing from what we’ve seen so far. From the familiar use of color to the absurd character moments, Science Saru is showcasing their expertise yet again with what looks to be a fun and wacky series. If you’re a fan of Dan Da Dan and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, this series is right up your alley. Sanda is available now on Amazon Prime.

SPY x FAMILY Season 3 (Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+)

The lovable Forgers family is back this fall for season 3 as the secret balancing act of Loid, Yor, and Anya continues, but we seem to be learning more about the supporting characters this time around now that this pretend family has a good foundation. Wit Studio and CloverWorks return again to helm animation production, so expect fun and visually stunning sequences like the dueling excavators from the season premiere. Spy x Family Season 3 is available now on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Disney+.

One-Punch Man Season 3 (Hulu, Disney+)

Another highly anticipated return this fall is One-Punch Man! It’s been six years since we last saw the all powerful Saitama and the scheming Monster Association in Season 2. J.C. Staff, the studio behind Bakuman and Food Wars!, are back after the previous season to continue to produce animation for Season 3. After so many years, expectations are high, so it’ll be interesting to see how the series steps up from prior seasons as the Monster Association and Garou are still not done with their plans. One-Punch Man Season 3 is available now on Hulu and Disney+.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON (Crunchyroll, Hulu, Disney+)

Last but not least, a superhero anime epic is about to reach its conclusion with My Hero Academia’s final season. Last we left Deku and the gang, the major battle between the heroes and villains has settled down a little, with a few standouts still duking it out. It’s been almost exactly a year since the last season, and now fans will finally get to see this long-running favorite come to an end. Bones Film is producing the final season, so we expect to see some amazing visuals and character moments to send off this celebrated series. My Hero Academia Final Season is available now on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Disney+.

Those are some anticipated new and returning anime available to watch this fall 2025 season. If you want more anime, check out our list of the spring 2025 anime and summer 2025 anime in case you missed the last batch of new series.

All the New Anime Arriving in Fall 2025

Here’s the full list of anime coming out in Fall 2025 that will be available to watch in the US:

Crunchyroll

• A Gatherer's Adventure in Isekai
• A Mangaka's Weirdly Wonderful Workplace
• A Wild Last Boss Appeared!
• Alma-chan Wants to Be a Family!
• Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2
• Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle
• Dad is a Hero, Mom is a Spirit, I'm a Reincarnator
• Digimon Beatbreak
• GINTAMA - Mr.Ginpachi's Zany Class
• GNOSIA
• Hands off: Sawaranaide Kotesashi-kun
• Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota
• Isekai Quartet 3
• Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits- 2
• Kingdom Season 6
• Let This Grieving Soul Retire Part 2
• Let's Play
• Li'l Miss Vampire Can't Suck Right
• May I Ask for One Final Thing?
• Mechanical Marie
• My Awkward Senpai
• My Friend's Little Sister Has It In for Me!
• My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
• My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's
• Pass the Monster Meat, Milady!
• Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!
• Shabake
• SI-VIS: The Sound of Heroes
• So You're Raising a Warrior (10/30)
• SPY x FAMILY Season 3
• Tales of Wedding Rings Season 2
• The Banished Court Magician Aims to Become the Strongest
• The Daily Life of the Immortal King Season 5 (12/13)
• The Dark History of the Reincarnated Villainess
• The Fated Magical Princess: Who Made Me a Princess
• This Monster Wants to Eat Me
• To Your Eternity Season 3
• Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider
• Touring After the Apocalypse
• With You, Our Love Will Make It Through
• Yano-kun’s Ordinary Days

Netflix

• Ranma1/2: Season 2

Hulu

• Cat's Eye
• Digimon Beatbreak
• My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
• One-Punch Man Season 3
• SPY x FAMILY Season 3
• Wandance

HIDIVE

• Dusk Beyond the End of the World
• Hero Without a Class: Who Even Needs Skills?!
• My Gift Lvl 9999 Unlimited Gacha: Backstabbed in a Backwater Dungeon, I'm Out for Revenge!

Disney+

• Cat's Eye
• Digimon Beatbreak
• Disney Twisted Wonderland: The Animation (10/29)
• My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON
• One-Punch Man Season 3
• SPY x FAMILY Season 3
• Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 (10/29)

Amazon Prime

• A Star Brighter Than the Sun
• Ninja Vs. Gokudo
• Sanda
• Umamusume: Cinderella Gray Part 2

What anime are you watching this Fall? Let's discuss in the comments!

I first read The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson back in the mid-2010s, and ever since I have theorycrafted how I would play a Knight Radiant in my TTRPG campaigns. Conceptualizing how shardblades would function or how best to make a spren that wasn’t just a reskinned familiar. Thankfully, I can put that tiring task behind me thanks to the release of the official Cosmere RPG, which, after a VERY successful crowdfunding campaign, has been released. At long last, I can role-play my Windrunner character with my spren partner, Malbifina (Mal for short), and stand against the Desolation.

Developed by Brotherwise Games in close collaboration with Brandon Sanderson himself, the initial offerings for the Cosmere RPG focus solely on Roshar and the systems of the Stormlight Archive books, with three offerings: The Stormlight Handbook (the Player’s Handbook), The Stormlight World Guide (the Dungeon Master’s Guide), and Stonewalkers (a standalone campaign you can play through). For those who aren’t familiar with the Cosmere or Sanderson’s work, the Cosmere is a large galaxy-spanning, progressively more interconnected series of (mostly) epic fantasy novels by Brandon Sanderson. Composed of multiple worlds, each with its own unique and cleverly crafted magic systems, one of which is Roshar, home to Stormlight (magic lightning), spren (manifestations of different emotions and feelings), the Knights Radiant (super paladins), and millennia of war. We have a comprehensive reading guide, so to find out more and get a better picture, I suggest you head there and take a look.

Cosmere utilizes a D20-based system, similar to something like D&D or Pathfinder, where you will use a 20-sided die to make various skill checks, with other dice used to fulfill other needs (such as dealing damage). The action economy will also feel familiar, with basic actions during combat falling into either Actions, Reactions, or Free Actions territories, with Actions requiring anywhere between one and three of your pool per turn. Generally, on your turn, a player will have two or three action points they can use, with more powerful Actions requiring multiple points to pull off. Thanks to its intelligent use of icons denoting the different types and how many points an action takes to use, the whole process is rather new player-friendly and quick to grasp. But just because aspects may feel familiar doesn’t mean that the Cosmere RPG doesn’t do anything new, however.

Considering this is a system that was designed in part by Brandon Sanderson, a man with the ability to write an inhuman amount of books in a short period of time, it shouldn’t be a surprise that narrative and story play a large part in the actual mechanics of the Cosmere RPG, too. A special d6, referred to as the “Plot Die”, isn’t used for every check and is instead reserved for those moments that the GM deems as moments critical to the plot and story they are telling. Moments where the stakes could be raised, granting unforeseen opportunities that impact the story or granting you an “Opportunity,” which is a special resource that can be spent. On the flip side, your roll of the plot die may instead cause a complication to arise in your plan, perhaps causing you to get in an ally's way during a crucial moment, or another blunder that results in a failure.

This intertwining of narrative and story development also seeps into the character creation process and progression, resulting in a more open and flexible system that I found particularly enamored by. Before anything, you select your ancestry from either Human or Singer (and yes, you can mess around with Singer forms), which will help dictate what areas of the world or lore you specialize in. As a human, you can pick from what region you hail from, giving you an edge on checks on topics, legends, houses, and language, for example, that would make sense for your character to have. With your ancestry picked, you start fleshing out the sort of person they are.

Instead of picking a specific class like Warrior or Druid, players instead choose a Heroic Path, such as a Hunter, Leader, or Agent, each with its own unique skill tree and specialization lines that you can dive into. There are six base Heroic Paths (Agent, Envoy, Hunter, Leader, Scholar, and Warrior) available in the Stormlight Handbook, each with three specializations, and each has a special Key Talent that helps set each path apart from the others. When you level up, you aren’t leveling up a class but your character themself, meaning if you want you can continue down the path you have chosen already and unlocking new Talents (the abilities of the path) if you want, or you can freely choose a new path to start traveling down that makes sense for where your character finds themselves at that moment. No having to deal with complicated multi-class rules or different hit dice for health, none of that. It makes the idea of making a complicated and multi-faceted character more approachable and incentivized, and also just makes the leveling process quicker.

Once you hit level two, though, things really get exciting as, if you wish to, you are able to begin down a Radiant Path of your choice, and yes, all of them are here: Stonewards, Bondsmiths, Windrunners, Skybreakers, Dustbringers, Edgedancers, Truthwatchers, Lightweavers, Elsecallers, and Willshapers. Each Radiant Path will grant you a spren of your own you can come up with, access to that Radiant’s associated Surges, and of course, spending Stormlight and Investiture. If you have read the Stormlight books, then let’s be honest with ourselves, being a Knight Radiant is a big selling point of these books for us, but if you haven’t read them, think of these orders as super Paladins. Each order has access to pretty awesome powers, a little familiar, and eventually, you can even recruit squires to work with you. And just like the Heroic Paths, each Radiant Path features three talent trees you can dive into, with two focusing on a specific surge, Abrasion and Division, for example, with Dustbringers, and then a path that improves your bond with your spren, allowing you to swear further Ideals as a Knight Radiant. Yes, this is awesome, and yes, I have come up with more spren friends than I care to admit to since getting these books. Come at me, Unmade!

To help further define your character, you will also establish a purpose for them, something that drives the character in what they do, which will lead you to create goals for them to strive for. A goal may be something as simple as seeking revenge on someone to something more nebulous, such as finding new ways to heal others, but you are also required to come up with obstacles or character flaws that you have to contend with while striving for your goal. Perhaps in your pursuit of your goal to find new ways to heal others, your character could be blinded by some of the harm done in trying to confirm a hypothesis, or be willing to test ideas that may not be completely safe. Making this goal and obstacle component front-and-center not only helps the GM plan and tailor adventures to individual characters, but also makes the players think more about the characters they are playing as people and not just a character sheet. I've found that more role-playing is always a good thing in TTRPGs.

While I may enjoy the mechanics of the Cosmere RPG, as a fan of Sanderson’s books, I would dare say I may like these RPG books more for the details they reveal and how they dive deeper into the world of Roshar and Cosmere as a whole. Since you are able to play as a member of any of the orders of Knights Radiant, I loved looking through the descriptions and breakdowns of not only the various ideals, but also their respective Surges (i.e. the special abilities of a particular order). Reading through these books, especially the World Guide, gave me a better idea of the cultures and visual identity of the peoples of Roshar.

Brandon has stated that the material in these guides will be considered canon with the events in his books, and as such, a great amount of care has been taken by the team to consult and confirm with his lore keepers that everything fits. For readers who may not have finished Wind and Truth, the latest entry of the Stormlight Archive that was released in December 2024, you will want to be careful of spoilers.

In a strange way, the wealth of information these books present also really drew my attention to what the Cosmere RPG doesn’t give me to play around and roleplay with, and it’s here where a vast majority of my complaints reside. Take, for instance, the Heralds, legendary heroes that have held back the evil forces of Odium between desolations. Beings that entire religions on Roshar have been built up around, and whose influence is felt in nearly every facet of the lore. The books have nice sections talking about them, featuring gorgeous artwork, but the RPG is utterly lacking in details for folks that may want to try playing as one.

As someone who is typically in the “forever GM” chair, the fact that none of the books give me basic stat blocks for them is shocking to me. Why aren’t there rules or stats for the Honor Blades? Going even a step further, the fact that the rules don’t give me details for big bads like the various Unmade or even the shards of Odium, Cultivation, or Honor, just bum me out. To a lesser extent, I wish that these first books gave us at least a little tease on what fans may expect from how the other magic systems may operate or the direction they want to take with them. The Ghostblood Enforce enemy does feature “Burning Pewter” which only serves as a buff, and doesn’t give much of an idea on how burning metals will differ from using Stormlight. I realize that each of the worlds will eventually get their own tomes of goodness that dive deep into these things, but couldn’t we have gotten a small, itsy-bitsy tease of how allomancy or AonDor may work?

In addition to the physical books that will be available to the masses in November, Cosmere is seeing relatively frequent updates and additional supplemental materials being added to the Virtual Tabletop service. Not only are you able to snag digital versions of all the books right now, allowing you to build your characters and run games, CosmereRPGNexus.com also has scenarios that you can run and provide you with details and rules to create custom higher-tiered enemies to contend with. If you would prefer just having PDFs, though, you can purchase them all at Drive Thru RPG, too.

For diehard Sanderson fans, even if you have no desire to play a TTRPG, these books, particularly the World Guide, is a must-buy just for lore and the information it provides on Roshar. As TTRPG books, they do well enough, but the item and enemy offerings are lacking in terms of options, especially when compared to other fantasy RPGs. As both a longtime TTRPG player and lover of the Cosmere, it surprises me that some of what has been omitted has left me a bit disappointed. It just comes off as “just wait for the second Roshar set” to me.

The physical Cosmere RPG books will be released on November 12, with digital versions available for purchase now on DriveThruRPG or virtually on Demiplane.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Black Phone 2.

It’s time to put on your ice skates and slide down to your nearest cinema, because Black Phone 2 is now in theaters. The much-anticipated sequel to 2021’s surprise sleeper hit The Black Phone, this go-around features The Grabber returning to terrorize Finney and Gwen Blake all over again, but this time as a villainous specter instead of a flesh and blood adversary.

The movie has gone over well with critics after its Fantastic Fest premiere, with IGN’s Matt Donato saying in his 7/10 review that the sequel is a “fresh reinvention of traditional slasher tropes.” By all accounts, it’s a good time at the movies that’s sure to satisfy horror fans hungry for new thrills, and appears to be another winner for longtime horror director Scott Derrickson.

However, like with many of Derrickson’s previous efforts, he turns in a solid film, but not a great one. Watching Black Phone 2 crystallizes what its director does well and what he’s struggled with over the course of his career, and is perhaps the most cogent example of why Derrickson has become the patron saint of “pretty good” horror movies. Let’s take a look at why Black Phone 2 just misses out on being the next great horror classic.

Skating to Success

In many ways, Black Phone 2 is a step up from its predecessor. The 2021 original was a solid entry that admirably balanced drama and scares, and created a modern horror icon in Ethan Hawke’s The Grabber. It was also a movie that tied up pretty much all of its loose ends the first time around: Finney Blake (Mason Thames) successfully kills The Grabber in his final escape attempt and reunites with his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) at the end. There was no obvious direction for a sequel to go. Given that the movie was based on a standalone short story by writer Joe Hill, this makes sense. But The Black Phone was a big hit for Blumhouse, pulling in over $160 million worldwide and becoming one of the most well-known horror films of the 2020s so far, meaning a sequel was likely an inevitability.

Black Phone 2 capitalizes on the original’s fairly definitive conclusion by taking the series in a new direction, doubling down on the supernatural conceit by having The Grabber return as a ghost in the same way his victims did last time around. The villain is now the one calling Finney through the titular phone. Stalking his enemies as an axe-wielding phantasm doesn’t just give the sequel a fresh hook, but it makes sense as an extension of the story since the talking ghosts and Gwen’s psychic powers were already introduced in the first film. Derrickson uses this to make his filmmaking more dreamlike for many key sequences, which is where his acumen as a visual storyteller really shines. Drinking in the majestic snowscapes and surreal imagery is one of Black Phone 2’s biggest pleasures, blowing The Grabber’s drab concrete basement from the original out of the water.

Whereas Finney’s character arc culminated with him finally learning to stand up for himself by defeating a serial killer, the sequel is more Gwen’s story. Here, she comes to terms with the full extent of the powers she inherited from her mother even as they put her in harm’s way because of The Grabber’s ability to attack her on the astral plane. This is a smart move not just because it gives a different character a chance to shine, but it makes full use of the genre shift by allowing wholly new takes on the horror sequences. When Gwen is attacked by a foe others can’t see, it makes her come across as isolated from the living cast at the same time her powers connect her with the dead, including her mother. Yet although there’s plenty to praise, Black Phone 2 stumbles in a major area, namely a script that doesn’t do justice to the film’s best creative choices.

On Thin Ice

Black Phone 2 is co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, longtime collaborators who return from the first film. It’s hard to say whether they’re equally responsible for the script’s problems, but the writing is Black Phone 2’s biggest issue because it undercuts the strengths of Derrickson’s direction. Many of the film’s best elements are its visual choices: the decision to shoot the astral plane sequences on 8mm, giving them a grainy, distorted look that adds exponentially to the film’s atmosphere, featuring snowy mountains and frozen lakes as primary locations that are beautiful and ominous in equal measure, or the use of dream logic in key scenes, such as a phone booth materializing on a lake with no immediate justification. However, the movie frays at the seams when characters start talking about these things, often coming across like the filmmakers don’t trust their audience.

The first act is rife with tedious character decisions, such as Finney defaulting to an aimless pothead in his post-Grabber life, or wooden dialogue, including some serious “how do you do fellow kids” lines that make the actors seem like aliens trying to approximate teenage speech patterns. Things improve once Finney and Gwen make their way to a Christian youth camp that their mother worked at decades ago, even if it also uses the contrivance of an all-too convenient blizzard that just so happened to roll in that night. This ensures only the leads and a tiny cohort of camp employees are present and can’t leave as the plot ensues. Add thinly-sketched new faces and the characters treating the events of the first film as sacrosanct (what do you mean “of course everyone’s heard of The Grabber”? Is every serial killer automatically a household name?), and it adds up to a movie that can often feel stifled when people simply start talking.

The worst example of this is the scene following up the reveal that The Grabber killed Finney and Gwen’s mom, instead of the suicide that was suggested by the first film. The reveal itself is expertly done, with The Grabber using their psychic connection to let Gwen watch her mother’s death and her father Terrence (Jeremy Davies) discovering the body afterwards. But instead of allowing the scene to stand on its own as a powerful moment the audience can be trusted to absorb, the movie then has Gwen tearfully explain what happened to both her dad and Finney. It feels less like a family reunion so much as three actors standing around reciting the movie’s Wikipedia synopsis to each other. The writing isn’t always so painfully literal, but the script doesn’t complement Derrickson’s poetic visuals. Sadly, it’s something we’ve seen before in his previous films.

One Step Sideways

Scott Derrickson may not be in the same category as filmmakers who are commonly considered “auteurs,” but he’s been an underrated genre craftsman for many years. As a director with an affinity for horror, he has fairly consistently turned in handsome, commendable entries as far back as 2005 with The Exorcism of Emily Rose, a movie whose blend of courtroom drama and demonic possession has had far more staying power than its initial reviews may suggest. He continued this streak with Sinister, The Black Phone, and now Black Phone 2, making solid three star horror movies his comfort zone. Beyond his love for the genre, Derrickson has an understated but recognizable authorial voice, with a strong eye for building tension, a repeated use of Christian themes and imagery, and a rare gift for drawing great performances out of child actors, which is a talent he used to great effect in the first Black Phone.

Despite all these respectable attributes, none of Derrickson’s movies has become an iconic classic. He’s made multiple movies that evoke The Exorcist, but he’s never made The Exorcist. It all comes down to the fact that his screenplays, often written with collaborators like Cargill or Paul Harris Boardman, have never given him the foundation he needs to let his visuals and thematic interests make his work emotionally resonate with an audience long term. His movies are well-made, fulfill their genre expectations, and are clearly informed by his particular narrative sensibilities, but they don’t linger in the mind months or even years later as the best films do. It’s hard to say whether he hasn’t found the right premise or needs a new co-writer to help his work live up to its potential, but it feels like Derrickson has a great film in him that he hasn’t made yet.

This pattern held true even when he directed a Marvel film, the first Doctor Strange. Commonly considered a middle of the pack MCU entry, it has more going for it than it’s often given credit for. The movie is well-cast, has great and distinctive visuals, and even though it never reaches the same heights as the best of the Infinity Saga when it comes to being a full feature like The Avengers or Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it has specific scenes that are among the best of the Marvel Studios catalog. The Ancient One sending Strange’s astral form on a mindbending journey through the multiverse, Strange using his intellect and mastery of the magical concepts he’s learned to defeat Dormammu via trickery instead of brute force, and the beautiful moment where Strange and the Ancient One speak on the hospital balcony as she’s forced to finally accept her mortality are all fantastic, but they’re shortchanged by the standard Marvel movie script problems like underdeveloped supporting characters and ill-timed humor.

Nearly a decade later, Derrickson is still going strong but also somehow in the same place, and Black Phone 2 speaks to that circumstance. It’s a pretty good movie, but it’s held back by a script that doesn’t afford its characters enough depth and nuance to make it a great movie. Hopefully someday Derrickson crosses that threshold, but for now, Black Phone 2 is yet another entry that exemplifies why its director is still stuck in the doorway.

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

John Cena, Dave Bautista, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are the holy trinity of wrestlers-turned-actors, breaking through to the larger culture and stomping mudholes in the box office. Other wrestlers are landing prominent roles in shows and movies, but none have reached the same heights of mainstream megapower.

Why did these specific superstars emerge from the acting undercard and become major draws? How did they shatter the sports entertainment stigma? And what lessons could an aspiring in-ring thespian learn from their careers?

Suppose you’re a hard-working pro-wrestler who’s tired of making towns and taking bumps, and you’re eager to swap the sweaty canvas mat for a swanky red carpet. Lesson 1: Don’t be too quick to hang up your boots. Hollywood is where the big boys play, but in wrestling, it helps to be the Man.

1. Be “The Man”

The Rock, Batista, and Cena were all “top guys” in their respective eras before jumping to Hollywood. With tons of world championships, pay-per-view main events, and truckloads of questionable merch between them, each had reached the pinnacle of pro wrestling popularity before taking their talents to L.A. You’re unlikely to see a curtain-jerking “jobber” hosting SNL or changing the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe. Wrestling star power gives you a massive head start.

Name recognition obviously plays a huge part, but there’s more to it than that. Call it what you will: aura, rizz, electricity – if there’s an “it” factor, these folks have it. Whether it’s wrestling, acting, music, or anything else, if you’re successful in one medium, you’ve got a big leg up in another.

Before pro wrestling went corporate, a wrestler’s worth was measured in their ability to “draw money,” AKA selling tickets that put butts in seats all around the world. Movies aren’t much different, and not just in Hollywood. The legendary El Santo and his fellow luchadores starred in dozens upon dozens of Mexican action films in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Their in-ring fame and the undeniable drip of masked men in wide-lapel suits transformed them into cinema superheroes.

Status-obsessed Hollywood took a little longer to embrace the inherently carny heritage of pro wrestlers, but times have changed. A bankable star’s face on a poster once all but guaranteed boffo box office, and now that the monoculture has just about tapped out, studios are looking for established, big-name talents – and the followers they bring with them.

You don’t need to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer to have a great career in the movies – workers lower on the marquee have carved out awesome careers for themselves. The likes of Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura worked with skilled and respected cult filmmakers throughout the ‘80s, and countless wrestlers have become immortalized through minor roles and iconic cameos over the decades.

Pre-existing popularity is a huge help, but it’s no guarantee. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was arguably the most popular and lucrative pro wrestler ever, and his film career fizzled out after a couple of half-hearted attempts. “The Texas Rattlesnake” was an ill fit for acting, but he eventually found his true passion: shouting encouragement at young people doing obstacle courses in his backyard.

Austin wasn’t even the biggest Hollywood bag fumble. That honor goes to the late Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster was the biggest star of one boom period and a major player in another, but one huge misstep early in his career K.O.’ed his acting ambitions like Sweet Chin Music to the dome. Hogan could have had it all, but he stuck too close to wrestling. Which brings us to our second piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to run wild.

2. Run Wild

The rise of Hulkamania couldn’t have happened without Hollywood. Hogan’s ascent began with his pre-WWE role as “Thunderlips” in Rocky III, which inspired WWE owner Vince McMahon to poach the Hulkster and make him the face of a Rock N’ Wrestling revolution. Soon, Hogan was saying prayers and taking vitamins alongside ‘80s pop icons like Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, and Richard Belzer. It seemed only a matter of time before he dropped the leg on the movie business, leaving WWE in the dust.

Afraid of losing his biggest draw, McMahon took matters into his own hands. Rather than risk losing control of his top attraction, McMahon would fund his own blockbuster movie and convince Hogan to star with a juicy executive producer credit. The Hulkster accepted, and the two set off to write a film that would launch Hogan’s acting career.

While attending Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show in Bangkok this week, IGN was given the opportunity to sit down with Rainbow Six Siege X’s creative director Alexander Karpazis to talk about how much the tactical live-service shooter has evolved in the ten years since its launch in 2015, where it might go next, the possibility of a campaign mode and Switch 2 port, the use of generative AI in development, and more. Read on for our full chat below!

Lost Origins saw reprints earlier this year, but now that they've dried up, we're seeing the usual climbs in this Pokémon TCG: Sword and Shield expansion. What I didn't expect was to see so many Trainer Gallery cards drop in value, but I think this is more of a market correction.

It was only at the beginning of the year that Gengar and Pikachu were in the pocket money binder at your local TCG and collectables stores, but those days are still a distant memory.

Crashers and Climbers: Lost Origin

With Pokémon Mania 2025 still going crazy, everyone is trying to grab new release sealed product at retail, which means it's a great time to snag some overlooked cards from older sets before they climb up.

For example, I got most of the cards in today's crasher section for around $5 each 12 months ago, so although they're currently lowering in price, they're still a great buy. Let's get straight into it.

Pokémon Card Crashers

Black Friday deals season is fast approaching. It's the biggest shopping holiday of the year and overall the best time to find discounts on just about everything. If you're hoping to save some money on gifts and essentials in 2025, this upcoming sales event is your best bet.

With that in mind, Black Friday has evolved well beyond a single day of deals. While plenty of shoppers still tend to do the bulk of their actual shopping over Thanksgiving weekend, you will definitely be able to find deals well before then.

When Do Black Friday Sales Actually Start?

Black Friday is November 28 this year, but we expect sales to drop much earlier than that. Based on last year, we expect all of the major online retailers to start offering "early" Black Friday disounts at the beginning of November and continue through the week before Thanksgiving. Right after that, the "official" Black Friday sales start going live.

Last year, Amazon was one of the first retailers to kick off the sale on the Thursday before Thanksgiving weekend. If the company follows a similar pattern in 2025, that would put the official start date of Black Friday sales somewhere close to Thursday, November 20 this year.

No major retailers have made an announcement about sale dates just yet, but it's probably safe to say that you'll be able to do most of your online Black Friday shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2025. Foor many brick-and-mortar stores, you may be able to expect the full discounts even earlier.

What Deals to Expect From Major Retailers

With the ongoing tariffs and recent price increases in the U.S., it's difficult to predict exactly what discounts we'll see during the 2025 Black Friday season. Tthe IGN Deals team has been covering shopping events all year and we have a decent idea of what you can expect, even if the prices will be higher than what we saw last year.

Amazon Black Friday

Amazon has one of the biggest Black Friday sales every year and tends to have discounts on just about everything. Based on previous Amazon sales like Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days, you can expect the same discounts on Amazon devices we saw earlier this year. The lowest prices will most likely be on Kindles and Fire TV sticks, as well as Echo speaker bundles. Amazon has also been pushing a pretty steep discount on the Luna controller and subsequent bundles during every major sale this year. These particular discounts will most likely be exclusive to Prime members.

Outside of Amazon devices, the online retailer will also automatically match prices on popular products that are offered at other retailers. That means you can expect discounts on things like Apple devices, LEGO sets, laptops, TVs, and just about every other brand not exclusively owned by another major retailer. Amazon's Black Friday sale will usually be offering the same low price (or lower) as any of its competitors for these types of items.

To get a better idea of what to expect this year, you can take a look at last year's Amazon Black Friday ad.

Walmart Black Friday

After Amazon, the next biggest Black Friday sale you can expect is at Walmart. These discounts will be both in store and online, but the online savings should start a bit earlier. Walmart usually has some of the best deals on Apple devices like iPad and AirPods. You'll usually also find some of the lowest prices of the year on Walmart-exclusive products like Onn electronics, select Vizio TVs, some gaming PC configurations (see: the recent GeForce sale), and certain home appliances.

In the past, Walmart has also had some great Nintendo Switch deals that Amazon wasn't able to offer. We'd expect to see this again this year, most likely on newer Switch 2 games or Pokémon cards. Expect some of these discounts to be available early for Walmart+ members, which has been the case for other major sales this year.

In addition to popular tech and games, Walmart also tends to have deals on groceries, clothing, and toys. Walmart has been especially known to offer particularly good LEGO discounts, but stock tends to be fairly limited.

You can check out the full Walmart Black Friday ad from last year for more information.

Best Buy Black Friday

The Best Buy Black Friday sale is usually the best collection of tech deals during the holiday season. Many of these discounts will be price-matched by Amazon and Walmart, but it will still likely have all of the same Apple devices, TVs, and video games on sale as everywhere else. You can also likely expect some sort of video game console deal on the PS5/PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X. With the continued price increases, this could just mean getting a free Best Buy gift card with your purchase, but it will still be a better deal than paying full price with no additional benefits.

In addition to consoles, video games, and video game accessories, Best Buy also tends to be one of the best places to buy handheld gaming PCs and laptops. With the recent release of the ROG Xbox Ally X, Best Buy has been the only retailer to keep stock. You can likely expect price cuts on the previous generation ROG Ally devices at Best Buy this year, as well as other popular handhelds. We also expect competitive pricing around newer laptops with the latest 50-series GPUs.

For more information on what to expect, check out the Best Buy Black Friday ad from last year.

Target Black Friday

The Target Black Friday sale is usually pretty similar to Walmart's Black Friday sale every year. Expect similar discounts on video games, toys, Apple products, and appliances that you'll find everywhere else. Where Target tends to differentiate from competitors in its exclusives. The retailer has partnered with a bunch of different home brands and is usually the only place you'll be able to buy those items at a discount during Black Friday shopping season. This makes it a great place to do your shopping if you're planning on buying any decor upgrades for your home.

Target has also been consistently offering some unique discounts on select toys that Amazon hasn't been able to price match. The most recent example is a LEGO sale on new 2025 sets. Amazon did match prices on a few of the sets, but not all of them. We'd expect this to happen on Black Friday too, so you'll need to check prices between retailers on the more popular toy items.

For more information on what to expect this year, check out the Target Black Friday ad from last year.

Costco Black Friday

Costco is a bit of a wildcard during the Black Friday season. The Costco Black Friday sale will usually have some of the best deals anywhere, but it's less consistent in what savings it offers each year. What we do know is that Costco always offers some steep discounts on furniture, jewelry, and electronics. The same discounts you find at Amazon for select TVs and video games will likely also be available at Costco. You can also expect steeper warehouse discounts, like on the Kirkland Signature jewelry or various furniture items that are only featured for a limited time.

In addition to things like toys, gifts, and household items, Costco usually has some pretty decent grocery deals during the holiday season. You can usually find these ahead of Thanksgiving on things like turkey, snacks, and various other items. You will still need to buy in bulk, but the stacked savings on top of that are usually worth it.

For more information on what to expect this year, check out the expansive Costco Black Friday ad from last year.

Tips for Black Friday Shopping Online

It may seem silly to start planning your Black Friday shopping right now, but doing so can help you save a lot of money when it comes time to actually start making purchases. Here are a few Black Friday tips that you should consider ahead of the event:

1. Set a Budget – Keeping track of how much money you can actually spend is important to avoid overspending. When everything is on sale, it can be easy to buy more than you really should just because things are at their lowest price of the year.
2. Create a Shopping List – Knowing exactly what you're trying to find discounts on is a great way to avoid making unnecessary purchases. It can also make it easier for you to compare prices between retailers or set price drop alerts ahead of time.
3. Compare Prices – Retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart make it really easy to do all of your shopping there. That being said, those retailers don't always have the best price on the items you're looking for. Make sure to compare prices across the web before you buy something for more than you have to.
4. Research Before You Buy – If you're making an expensive purchase, make sure you do at least some research before you buy it. This means looking for independent reviews or testimony from trusted sources about those products. You shouldn't necessarily trust Amazon reviews, for example.
5. Be Wary of Search Results and AI Summaries - Search platforms, such as Google, have a tendency to be flooded with sponsored links in the results as well as AI summaries that are potentially biased. Be careful to avoid clicking on a sponsored ad if you're looking for reviews or searching for specific products by price.

Borderlands 4 is a looter shooter that revolves around… loot. But what happens when you can’t get your hard-earned Legendary drop because it got trapped out of bounds or behind an invisible wall? Desperate Borderlands 4 players are running into that exact problem and are now pleading with developer Gearbox for a fix.

If you’ve played Borderlands 4 you’ll probably know the feeling. It’s the europhoria that comes from a Legendary drop among the confetti-like explosion of loot that erupts from a downed boss. This is something the Borderlands series has always done well, perhaps better, even, than any other looter shooter. When Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford recently said if more developers better understood why gamers love loot, then Borderlands would have “good competitors,” most agreed with him.

But if that Legendary flies off and lands out of bounds, the frustration is just as intense as the euphoria that proceeded it. Double the intensity if the Legendary spirals away after a particularly difficult boss fight.

This has been a problem with Borderlands 4 since launch, but it was exacerbated this week with the weekly endgame content reset, which rotated The Oppressor into this week’s Big Encore boss fight. The problem here is The Oppressor is a flying enemy (flying enemies in shooters are almost always more annoying to fight than any other), which means it darts about the sky, sometimes over areas the player can’t reach. And what happens when you land the killing shot as it’s in the air? The loot flies sometimes lands on a roof, behind an invisible wall just out of reach, or off the map entirely.

Players are, understandably, infuriated. “Do not waste your Eridium on this week's Big Encore Boss Opressor unless you want to lose loot,” declared redditor PuzzleheadedDust8094. “If you value your Eridium and dislike getting screwed out of your items because Gearbox can't seem to prevent your loot from flying outside of the arena or through walls, you absolutely should avoid fighting this boss UNTIL THEY FIX THIS.

“I have lost so much loot to bosses dropping stuff in places you can't get to because it's a giant death pit or because of bogus invisible walls. This week’s Big Encore boss might just be the biggest offender yet. I've lost (and I wish I was joking) 7 OUT OF 10 Big Encores worth of loot. That's 700 hard earned Eridium down the drain.”

On October 21, most Hulu and Disney+ plans (including bundles) are increasing by $2 to $3 a month. You can see the breakdown of all those price increases here. This is the third time Disney+ has raised prices in three years, which makes it a valid time to debate keeping the subscription at all.

If you are dedicated to the land of Disney, which has become a cornerstone of family households as well as any fans of the MCU and Star Wars, it's worth looking at potential workarounds ahead of the price hikes. A couple of dollars a month can add up.

Last Chance to Grab Annual Disney+ Subscriptions at the Lower Price

We may take it for granted today, but imagine telling a younger version of yourself that one day there will be a magical app that will gather everything Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic in one place you can watch whenever and wherever you want. That's what Disney+ is, in large part thanks to all of the companies Disney owns.

However, there are so many streaming services out there and it can be tough to keep them all, no matter how much they claim to offer. With Disney+ announcing a new round of price hikes (for the third time in three years) that go into effect next week, you might be rethinking your current slate of subscriptions. You can still sign up for annual subscriptions at the lower cost, but otherwise, this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about the current Disney+ subscription plans, bundles, and more.

Everything You Need to Know About Disney+

As of October 2025, Disney+ offers two standalone plans - Disney+ Basic and Disney+ Premium - and the main differences between the two are whether you get ads, if you are able to download content to watch on the go, and if you get Dolby Atmos.

Another big decision is whether you're interested in one of the many Disney+ streaming bundles. The newest streaming bundle includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited, but you can also bundle Disney+ and Hulu with HBO Max. We break down what's included in all of these options below, and hope it helps make the decision of joining or not an even easier one!

Does Disney+ Have a Free Trial?

Disney+ does not currently offer any sort of free trial for new subscribers. One potential work around for this is to sign up for a Hulu + Live TV free trial, which grants you access to Disney+ as a bonus bundle. This is also the best way to try out the new ESPN Unlimited service. Otherwise, there are quite a few other streaming services that do offer a free trial.

Disney+ Plans and Prices (As of October 2025)

All Disney+ plans increased in price on October 17, 2024 and will increase again on October 21, 2025. This next round of price hikes increases pretty much every subscription by around $2-$3. Disney+ also recently announced its merger with Hulu starting in 2026, which has led to the Hulu and Disney+ bundle becoming the "de facto" subscription the streamer recommends you.

The following information has been updated to reflect these changes. Below is the most up-to-date information we've found from the Disney+ help page.

Disney+ Basic - $9.99/month ($11.99/month starting October 21)

• Steam Disney+ with ads
• No downloads
• Supports up to 5.1 audio
• Up to 4K UHD video quality
• Watch on four screens at once at no extra cost
• Over 300 titles in 4K UHD and HDR

This is the cheapest Disney+ option and is excellent for those who don’t mind watching a few ads and don’t feel the need to have movies and shows ready for those times when no Wi-Fi or cellular service is available. If you travel a ton or have kids and want to load up some episodes of Bluey or Spidey and His Amazing Friends on a tablet for a vacation, you may want to consider an upgrade to the premium plan.

It’s also important to note that, while Disney+ Basic does offer over 300 titles in 4K UHD and HDR, it does not offer Dolby Atmos like Disney+ Premium does.

Disney+ Premium - $15.99/month or $159.99/year ($18.99/month or $189.99/year starting October 21)

• Stream Disney+ with no ads
• Unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices
• Watch on four screens at once at no extra cost
• Over 300 titles in 4K UHD and HDR
• Dolby Atmos

There are only two tiers of Disney+, and this is the top one. With the increase in price, you get everything Disney+ Basic offers, but you also don’t have to sit through ads and can download as much as you want on up to 10 devices.

Another big benefit you get from upgrading to Disney+ Premium is the addition of Dolby Atmos, which is one of the leading surround sound technologies on the market. In addition to having sound enveloping your room, Dolby Atmos features spatial audio that allows creators to place sounds in specific places and fully immerse you in your favorite stories.

Disney+ Bundle Options

Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic - $10.99/month ($12.99/month starting October 21)

• Disney+ with ads
• Hulu with ads
• No downloads
• Watch on four screens at once at no extra cost
• Over 300 titles in 4K UHD and HDR

This bundle is for those who want to watch everything Disney+ and Hulu have to offer, but don’t mind watching ads and don’t need to download content to their devices. With Hulu merging with Disney+ in 2026, this has essentially become the "standard" Disney+ plan.

In the last few years, the base iPhone has been pushed to the sidelines as Apple reserved the flashiest upgrades for the Pro models. This time, against the redesigned Pro and new Air, the gap appeared even wider. Except, while the new iPhone 17 looks the same as before, it not only catches up on last year’s Pro additions, but also goes toe-to-toe with the 17 Pro in more ways than one.

The iPhone 17 brings several long-overdue features that were missing on its predecessor and have been available on budget Android phones for generations. Most notably, the screen now has a variable refresh rate, which means it’s smoother and can always remain on. Paired with other quality-of-life upgrades, like faster charging and a smarter and sharper selfie camera, this year’s entry-level iPhone feels far more premium than ever, and at the same $799 starting price, an excellent value among the best smartphones you can buy.

Apple iPhone 17 – Design and Build

Design is the one aspect that’s a constant reminder that the iPhone 17 is the base variant of Apple’s 2025 lineup. Unlike the Air and the Pro, the iPhone 17’s exterior is nearly indistinguishable from the 16. The two cameras on the back are still laid out vertically on the top left corner, and the body is composed of the same brushed metal sides sandwiched between a glossy front glass and a matte rear one.

Look closer, however, and there are a handful of giveaways. The iPhone 17 is a hair taller, courtesy of the larger screen, and a touch heavier. Because of the thinner bezels up front, though, this bump up in size doesn’t affect its ergonomics, and it continues to be a comfortable form factor for most people. I do wish, though, that Apple had figured out a way to make it less wobbly when lying on a flat surface. I’m not a fan of the new color options, either, which are not as punchy as before.

One other difference is that the glass over the display is now stronger, and as per Apple, three times more resistant to scratches. That seems to match my experience – when I dropped the 17 on a hard surface, it came out unscathed.

While unchanged, the iPhone 17 looks clean and charming, but I do hope Apple updates the design next year.

Apple iPhone 17 – Display

As an iPhone 16 user, the iPhone 17’s screen felt like a significant step-up. While it has the same sharp resolution as before, it’s now bigger at 6.3 inches, and since the bezels have been slimmed down further, watching content feels more immersive. It also gains a higher 120Hz refresh rate, making everyday operations, like scrolling and playing compatible games, far smoother.

Even though it seems like a cosmetic upgrade, the 120Hz screen makes a huge difference in day-to-day experience. Previously, when I returned to the iPhone 16 after spending days with a 120Hz-capable phone, its display felt like a relic and just not as fun to use.

More importantly, the screen can lower the refresh rate down to 1Hz to preserve battery life, and enable, at long last, an always-on lockscreen – an ability that’s remained exclusive to the Pro for the last four years. In this mode, once you lock the phone, it dims the screen and continues to show you the time, notifications, widgets, and wallpaper. This cut down how often I unlocked my phone, as I could just glance at the time and other information without picking it up while it’s on my desk.

The one feature that I didn’t expect to appreciate as much as I did was the screen’s new anti-reflective coating. Coupled with the improved max brightness of 3000 nits, the iPhone 17’s screen now matches its Pro peers and is much better for reading outdoors under direct sunlight.

Apple iPhone 17 – Software

The iPhone 17 ships with iOS 26, which overhauls the software’s interface with a fresh design language called Liquid Glass. It replicates the “optical qualities of glass,” bringing translucent elements that refract light and colors beneath them and react playfully to your input. I wasn’t sold on iOS 26’s look when it first arrived, but over time, I’ve come to appreciate how entertaining it is to operate. I also like that in certain ways, it makes the UI more practical, such as relocating the Settings app’s search bar to the screen’s bottom.

What’s surprising, though, is that iOS 26 doesn’t dramatically upgrade the iPhone’s AI tools. Siri, in particular, still feels like it’s stuck in a pre-AI era and redirects the more complex queries to ChatGPT, which can take multiple steps. AI editing in the Photos app, too, isn’t as powerful as Google’s or Samsung’s counterparts, and struggles to erase objects from complicated scenes.

The two highlights from my iOS 26 experience were the new call screening tools. With Hold Assist, for example, the iPhone waits in line for you on a customer support call and notifies you when the live agent is ready. Similarly, the “Call Screening” bot answers unknown callers on your behalf, and once it collects details, like their name and reason for calling, it lets you know, and you can decide whether you want to pick it up. While these additions are not revolutionary and have been available on competitors for years, they are handy to have, and I relied on them at least a couple of times a day.

Apple iPhone 17 – Performance and Battery Life

Even after a year, my iPhone 16 has hardly shown signs of slowing down, but that hasn’t stopped Apple from equipping the iPhone 17 with an upgraded A19 chip.

The new processor isn’t all too different from the 16’s A18, barring a couple of exceptions. Its GPU is outfitted with Neural Accelerators to boost AI tasks, and it shows in real-life testing: the iPhone 17 takes less time to process AI queries, like cleaning up photos and analyzing scenes via Visual Intelligence. Though it has the same 8GB of RAM, the base storage has been doubled to 256GB.

In addition, the iPhone 17 runs on a new Apple-designed wireless chip, the N1, which enables better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as improves the performance of features like Personal Hotspot and AirDrop. These upgrades were sorely needed, as both AirDrop and hotspot, at times, refused to work on the iPhone 16. The 17 also gains the Pro model’s dual‑frequency GPS for ensuring location services work better inside buildings.

Apart from that, you’d be hard-pressed to find a task that fazes the iPhone 17. In day-to-day use, from multitasking to scrolling resource-heavy websites, the A19 ran without breaking a sweat. Gaming performance isn’t as strong as the Pro's, and though it can smoothly run the majority of games on the App Store, some of the heavier ones, like Assassin's Creed Mirage, can stutter at the highest graphic settings. The lack of a Pro’s vapor chamber cooling system was apparent, too, as the iPhone 17 routinely got overheated and uncomfortable to hold during longer gaming sessions and wireless charging.

Speaking of which, faster 40W wired charging has trickled down from the Pro to the iPhone 17 as well this year. The iPhone 17 now takes just 20 minutes to go from empty to 50%, compared to the iPhone 16’s 30 minutes. Wireless charging, on the other hand, has largely remained identical. You can top it up from zero to 50% in 30 minutes on a MagSafe/Qi2 wireless charger.

Thanks to the A19’s improved efficiency and a slightly larger battery, the iPhone 17 also has longer endurance. On a single charge, it can comfortably last a day and a little more, with around five hours of screen time.

Apple iPhone 17 – Cameras

The iPhone 17 inherits its predecessor’s 48-megapixel main camera, but swaps out the 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor for a higher-res 48-megapixel one. In most scenarios, the iPhone 17 captures sharp and natural-looking photos. While its HDR isn’t as aggressive as the Google Pixel's, it produces a balanced dynamic range that handles bright backgrounds well, without unnecessarily overexposing the frame. I didn’t notice a whole lot of difference in the ultrawide camera’s quality, but it shows up in low-light scenes, where the higher-res lens comes in handy to better capture details around the edges.

At night, the iPhone 17’s camera still, unfortunately, struggles with moving subjects and indoor lighting, where images lack sharpness and color accuracy. More importantly, against bright light, it still annoyingly produces flares in shots. No dedicated telephoto lens either, yet, unlike Google, which added one to the Pixel 10 this year. Apple’s “optical-quality” 2x crop, though acceptable for quick zoomed-in snaps, is no match for the depth or detail you get from a physical lens.

The upgraded 18-megapixel selfie camera, however, is another story. It now sports a square sensor, which allows it to shoot a wider field of view -- ideal for group selfies. Its AI also automatically detects when more people join the frame and expands the field of view, like rotating from portrait to landscape, without forcing you to play finger gymnastics. The addition of Center Stage is a welcome change, too, and on video calls, the iPhone 17’s camera will track your movement to keep you in frame.

On the iPhone 17, you can also record videos on the front and rear cameras simultaneously, albeit it limits you to 30fps. It’s a nice party trick, and my friends and I had fun with it at a sports event, but since then, I mostly forgot about it. It will likely appeal more to professional content creators.

The Camera Control button is still here, too. Apple hasn’t made any modifications to its flimsy mechanism, so I continue to just use it to open the camera app and never to actually control it.

For this weekend only, Lenovo has dropped the price on one of its most popular gaming laptops to its lowest price ever. The Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 gaming laptop, equipped with an OLED display and RTX 5070 Ti GPU, is down to $1,717.49 after two stackable coupon codes: "BUYMORELENOVO" and "EXTRAFIVE". That's over $750 off in combined savings. The RTX 5070 Ti is a powerful mobile GPU that will easily run game you throw at it on the display's 1600p resolution.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 10 RTX 5070 Ti Laptop for $1,717

Who's your starter Pokémon in Pokémon Legends: Z-A? Wait, wait, let me guess: is it Totodile?

Odds are, I was correct, at least based on a poll we've conducted surrounding the launch of Z-A yesterday. Our poll's been up for 22 hours and has over 11,000 votes from IGN readers, and it reveals that of the three Z-A starter Pokémon, over half of IGN's audience is picking Totodile over Tepig or Chikorita.

At the time this piece was written, water-type Totodile had 56% of the vote, with 24% choosing grass-type Chikorita, and only 20%, one-fifth of our readers, picking fire-type Tepig -- and we agree with the winner: Totodile is the best pick, stats-wise, with some caveats we go over in our Pokemon Legends: Z-A Best Starter Guide. Update: At 32K votes, Totodile remains locked at 56%, Chikorita at 25.3%, and Tepig at a tepid 18.7%).

This might not be a shock to anyone, though, as Totodile has long been a fan-favorite. Just look at the bitey boy! Chikorita and Tepig have historically gone less-loved, and Tepig in particular is an outlier in this trio as both Totodile and Chikorita hail from Johto, while Tepig was a starter in Pokémon Black, White, Black 2, and White 2.

That said, while I personally went with Chikorita (having picked Totodile in Generation 2 every single time and wanting a change-up), I gotta say, Tepig by far has the best final Mega Evolution of the three. All members of this trio get new Mega Evolutions in Z-A, and while I won't spoil them here, Meganium's was rather disappointing and Feraligatr's just looks weird. Emboar though? Looking awesome.

Don't overthink it though. All three starters are perfectly viable for the entirety of Z-A's campaign, and it's very easy to catch all three Pokémon for your PokeDex once you hit the endgame, so you won't be missing out.

You can learn more about the starter Pokémon and their evolutions in our Wiki guide if you're still on the fence. Then check out our in-progress Pokémon Legends: Z-A Walkthrough, plus our Side Missions List to make sure you don't miss anything. We've also got a Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokedex, and most importantly, a guide to All Clothing Stores and Clothing in Pokémon Legends: Z-A so you can catch 'em all in style. And my review-in-progress of Pokémon Legends: Z-A is now live, if you want to check out my impressions of the first 24 hours, with a full review coming next week.

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.

Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anora and Predator: Killer of Killers to excellent television series like Shogun, The Bear, and Alien: Earth, there is always something awesome to watch.

Given recent news that Hulu will soon be fully integrated into the Disney+ app, now's a great time to check out a bundle that includes both Hulu and Disney+. On the other hand, both services will be getting price hikes this month, making it worth doing some research before locking in a new subscription. Below, we've detailed all of the best Hulu deals and bundles so you can get started on your streaming adventures with its library right away.

Our Top Pick: The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Streaming Bundle

Battlefield 6 movement is top of mind for EA, Battlefield Studios, and players, as the community’s latest debate has formed around the topic of “zoomers” vs. “battledads.”

Few gaming communities take movement mechanics as seriously as first-person shooter fans. As gamers new and old now drop into what has become one of the most popular Battlefield games ever, everyone's talking about what kind of player Battlefield 6 should cater to.

Apparently I'm a "Battledad" now cuz I enjoy playing games slower and don't want to always be zooming around.

It's ok young one, it'll hit you too one day. You'll get it and understand why it's still fun.

— CRREAM (@CrReaM) September 18, 2025

While FPS games like Call of Duty have ramped up movement shooter mechanics with things like jet packs, wall-running, and, more recently, Omnimovement, players have long seen Battlefield as the yin to that yang, offering a more methodical approach to the tactical military shooter sub-genre. So, when the August Battlefield 6 beta revealed mechanics that leaned more into movement shooter territory than the series had ever experienced before, longtime fans – often not-so-lovingly referred to as "battledads" – were quick to ask for changes.

EA and BF Studios obliged, announcing that Battlefield 6 movement had been tweaked to “create a more balanced and traditional Battlefield experience,” later that same month. Changes included reduced horizontal speed and a hit to jump momentum that many had used to dance around others. Shooting while jumping or sliding was also nerfed, thus causing a stir amongst newer fans — often called zoomers — who typically favored movement shooters, such as Call of Duty. You can probably see where this is going.

Battlefield 6 developers have removed building momentum and bunny hopping, and yeeting yourself 10-30 feet off ledges and cover.

DICE has introduced aim penalties when sliding and shooting, jumping and shooting and trying to spam movement.

Movement community is in shambles. https://t.co/FDiALnPDxU pic.twitter.com/3szUfUcFzT

— Xfactor Gaming - Battlefield 6 (@rivaLxfactor) September 18, 2025

“Another AAA studio gutting movement to cater to people that play games one hour a week that will never run into people utilizing movement tech anyway,” content creator and X/Twitter user @Reave said at the time.

“Oh go fly a kite, bro,” content creator and X user @TeioStreams replied. “If you want movement in your shooter go play COD. Battlefield’s a different kind of game.”

This is where the line in the sand remains for fans today, now months later. Launch has come and gone, and while many of those same battledads and others feel the movement is just right, those on the zoomer side are asking for Battlefield 6 movement nerfs to be reverted.

As pointed out by PC Gamer, EA and BF Studios fall somewhere in between.

We're looking at adjustments for sure to find a good in-between, we already have some changes that are cooking on our side and monitoring the feedback for more🙂

— Florian - DRUNKKZ3 (@DRUNKKZ3) October 12, 2025

DICE principal game designer Florian Le Bihan remains active on social media as players parse out the best path for Battlefield 6. His recent comments may disappoint players on both sides, as he teases smaller adjustments without impacting base movement speed.

“We won't go back to Open Beta movement but we are working on some slight adjustments that will help with some parts that feel a bit clunky,” Bihan said when asked for a proper return to Battlefield 6 movement from the public August build earlier this week. “We'll share more about that as soon as we can!”

The zoomer crowd is on the edges of their seats, waiting to see just how close they can get to a return to the fast-paced Battlefield 6 movement they enjoyed. Battledads aren’t quite as enthusiastic, with some sharing fears of “overcorrection.”

Go back to your CoD slop if you think the movement now is worse than in the beta. Beta was fine but now it is even better

— Clemens S (@MrCleman1) October 12, 2025

“My main concern is they’ll over-adjust again, just like what happened with [Battlefield 2042],” one popular Reddit post says. “They went from massive maps that felt too open to mostly small or mid-sized ones only. It was a total overcorrection. Don't repeat the same mistake with movement DICE.”

We’ll have to wait to see how substantial any upcoming movement changes end up being, but one week removed from launch, one thing is certain: the Battlefield 6 team is moving quickly. New hotfixes for community requests and glitches have been published nearly every day, with recent examples including the reduction of Conquest ticket sizes (which was promptly walked back following fan outcry) and a fix for spotty hit registration. Upcoming updates promise changes to Battlefield 6’s pesky lighting system, as well as a crackdown on XP farms.

Battlefield 6 launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S October 10 and sold 7 million copies in its first three days. For more on Battlefield 6, visit IGN's Battlefield 6 guide for a complete list and video of all campaign collectible locations, tips for getting an edge in multiplayer, and more.

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

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X is finally here, and what makes this handheld gaming PC special is its ability to run multiple game launchers within the Xbox Full Screen Experience. This makes the device much easier to use than other handhelds that force you to deal with the Windows Desktop on a touchscreen. The only real downside here is that most of the third-party launchers that Microsoft is currently allowing within the Xbox app haven’t been optimized for controllers. So, for most of them you will still have to poke at your screen a little bit. But hey, at least you can download and install the apps themselves without having to launch a web browser.

Xbox

Because the Xbox Ally X is a Windows 11 device – at least by default – you will have to sign into a Microsoft account to even use the handheld. When you boot up into the Xbox app for the first time, it’ll ask you whether or not your current Microsoft account is the same as your Xbox account. For most people the answer to this will be yes.

If not, under where it says “Use a different account,” scroll down to “Microsoft account” with the D-Pad and hit the A button – or you can just tap it with your finger. Then, hit “Continue” then follow the instructions on-screen to get signed into your Xbox account. Once you’re signed in, a screen showing your Xbox profile picture will appear with a big green button that says “Let’s Go”. Click that and then you’ll be in the Xbox app.

Once you’re all signed into your Xbox account, use the controller to navigate over to the Library tab – it’ll look like a bunch of books on a shelf. Once you’re there, tab over to “My Apps” and you’ll see the other apps you can install.

Steam

Within “My Apps,” find the Steam Logo and then navigate over to it and hit the A button or just tap it with your finger. It should already be installed, and it’ll open in a new window. As soon as you open the program, it’ll start by checking for updates, and then it’ll open into Big Picture Mode, where you’ll have to pick your language and time zone.

Once that’s done, you’ll see the sign-in page. Either enter your user name and password, or if you’re like me, and you use Steam Guard, scan the QR code with the Steam mobile app. There’s also a “create Steam Account” button under the QR code if you don’t already have an account. Once you’ve signed in, Steam will download your user data, then walk you through a tour of Big Picture Mode. And, there you go, you’re signed into Steam and ready to download your games.

Epic Games Store

Go back to the Xbox app, then navigate to “My apps” and click on or tap the Epic Games Store option. Unlike Steam, you’ll have to download it, but the Xbox app will take care of that for you. Just wait for the green spinning circle to stop and then follow the on-screen instructions to navigate through the installation wizard. It’s likely you’ll have to use the touch screen a couple times throughout this process.

Once the Epic Games Store is installed, you’ll get the sign-in screen. There are several options to sign in, especially if you’ve already linked your account to your PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo account through something like Fortnite – or you can just sign in with an email and password. Once you’ve signed in, and you get past the two-factor authentication, you’ll be able to download your games. However, keep in mind that Epic has not implemented gamepad controls in its app, so you’ll have to use the touchscreen to navigate the app, and it’s not the best experience. But, hey, it works!

Battle.net

Just like the Epic Games Store, you can download the Battle.net app by finding it in the “My apps” section, tapping it or clicking on it. Once the app is downloaded, you’ll be asked to select a language. Once that’s selected, the app will go through its installation process. Just hit yes when it asks you for permission and you’ll get through it.

Once the app is installed, it should show a very skinny vertical sign-in page. If it doesn’t, and it kicks you back to the library in the Xbox app, just re-open the Battle.net app and it’ll bring you to the login screen. From there either sign into your account or create a new one, and then it’ll bring you to the app. However, just like the Epic Games Store, Blizzard hasn’t worked in controller support, so you’ll have to use the touch screen to navigate the program.

GOG

Go back to the Xbox app and navigate to the “My apps” page again. Then, click on or tap the GOG Galaxy logo to install the new app. Once it’s downloaded, you’ll be guided through the navigation process, and you will probably have to use the touch screen to get through it. Once it’s done, make sure “launch GOG Galaxy” is checked and hit finish. Then, you’ll get another narrow login screen. From there either enter your email or password, or use one of the other sign-in methods.

Once you’re signed in, the app will open, and you’ll be able to download games from GOG. However, just like Battle.net and Epic Games Store, you won’t be able to use the gamepad to navigate the app, beyond setting it to Desktop mode to emulate a mouse.

Ubisoft Connect

Again, like the other third-party launchers, go back to the Xbox app and navigate to the “My apps” tab of the library page. Once you’re there, navigate to the Ubisoft Connect logo and click it, or tap it with your finger. Like with the other launchers, this will download the app and start the installation process. Then, use the touch screen to get through the installation process. The app will go through a couple of splash screens where it’ll check for updates, and then it’ll send you to the login screen.

Simply enter your email and password, and then tap “login” with your finger. Once that’s done, you’ll be in the Ubisoft app, where you can navigate your library and download games. However, unlike a lot of the third-party platforms, you can navigate this app with the controller, which makes it one of the easiest launchers to actually use.

Everything Else

Any other game, app or launcher that isn’t immediately displayed in the Xbox “My apps” tab will need to be installed and used in desktop mode. That’s not ideal, but you can access the desktop in two ways. The easiest is to hold down the Xbox button and then navigate down to the Windows Desktop button and hit the A button. Or, you can just use your finger to swipe up from the bottom of the screen and tap the Desktop button.

Once you’re in Desktop mode, you can use Microsoft Edge to download and install whatever your little heart desires. Though, keep in mind that with the way the Xbox app works right now, you won’t be able to add other apps to the Full Screen Experience, which can be a pain if it’s an app you need to use regularly. Hopefully Microsoft either changes this or simply adds way more apps that you can download in the Full Screen Experience. We’ll just have to wait and see for that, though.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

Atari, which has heavily mined its early consoles for nostalgia dollars with re-creations like the Atari 2600+ and the Atari 400 Mini, has now also exhumed the corpse of one of its earliest competitors: The Intellivision. The company has announced the Intellivision Sprint, a modern take on that console with 45 built-in games that you can play on your HDMI-capable TV. Atari also released an overwrought video announcement with an admittedly sick Waveshaper & Oscillian track.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's what you need to know: The Intellivision was released in 1979 to compete with the underpowered-by-comparison Atari 2600. It featured two controllers that docked into slots in the top of the console and were connected to it by these coiled cables that I would compare to a phone cord, but I guess that's a dated reference at this point, too. IGN has a brief history of the Intellivision that you can read for more.

The Intellivision Sprint includes one HDMI port and a pair of wireless controllers that recharge by docking them in the top of the console. The full list of built-in games includes B-17 Bomber, Boulder Dash, Snafu, and Astrosmash. As noted by The Verge, the Sprint won't work with game cartridges, but there is a "USB-A port for library expansion," according to the press release about the Sprint.

In addition to an HDMI port and that USB-A expansion port, around the back you'll find a USB-C port for power and two more USB-A ports labeled "Port1" and "Port2" – Atari's product page for the console says those support original Intellivision controllers, if you can track down the appropriate adapters. A quick Google search revealed a number of them, though I've never tried one and can't tell you which is worth buying. The $149.99 Intellivision Sprint is up for preorder now and ships starting on December 5th in the US.

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.

The LEGO Icons Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow's Pirate Ship set splits the difference between toy and collector’s item in a delightful way. It’s detailed, complicated and a great display piece, but still includes a eight character minifigures to place around the build. This set represents LEGO's current goal of enticing older audiences by presenting a more difficult, adult-focused build that still appeals to their sense of whimsy and play.

As someone who absolutely adored the Pirates movies as a child, I really enjoyed this build and felt it was surprisingly challenging in a way I didn’t expect from LEGO. If you’re a long-time fan of the film franchise like me, but with an adult budget to spend, this may be the perfect set to tackle next.

The set comes with 22 numbered bags, a packet for the fabric sails, a few bags containing the mast pieces and rigging, and seven large pieces loose in the box that make the foundation of the hull.

You start the build with the hull pieces, connecting them and reinforcing the base, then building up from there. This actually ends up being the middle “slice” of the hull, which allows you to build on a flat surface as opposed to a stand like some of LEGO’s other ship builds.

This first stage is what takes the longest, or at least feels the longest. Starting with the large hull pieces, you build up, creating the lower deck and all of its details. This includes laying the foundation for the moveable cannons – of which there are 16 total – and the walls that support the build above.

A quick note on the rods and moving parts: when building the sliding pieces that create the canon barrage above, ensure none of your pieces are bent and the white L brackets are slotting correctly into the sides so the overall motion is smooth. A few of my pieces were a little bent out of the bag which made the motion on one side of the ship a little stiff and hard to use while the other side was smooth.

Back to the cannons. Now that the foundations are in place, it's time to build out the armaments on the lower deck. The original Black Pearl from the film has nine gun ports on the lower deck, plus more above, but thankfully the LEGO version cut that number down. This Black Pearl is equipped with 16 moveable cannons total (8 on each side) which you are instructed to build over the course of multiple bags. This was a bit of a slog after I realized how many I had to build. The set does spread out the building process over multiple bags, but I still found it a repetitive process, even if I did get treated to a new minifigure every time I started a new section.

The labor is worth it though because in the end it creates a very cool visual effect as the cannons slide out of the gun ports in unison and I played with them constantly as I continued building.

After you finish the bulk of the hull, the build speeds up significantly. This is due mostly to the fact that you start to get into the details, including one of my favorite parts of the whole build: the curves on the bow of the ship. I’m always delighted when a LEGO set includes curved details; to me it feels novel and unexpected in a brick building system like LEGO, and the bow of the ship exhibits that perfectly. Its curving lines emulate the in-movie version well and I found it to be a really creative solution to accomplish those specific curves and angles.

On to the next stage, which I consider to be the real showstopper of this set: the Captain’s Quarters. After a few quick steps building the upper deck and connecting the second movable element – the steering wheel – you get to dive into decorating the captain’s quarters at the rear of the ship. Designed to mimic the iconic dinner scene with Barbosa and Elizabeth from Curse of the Black Pearl, this area includes delightful little details like a stack of maps, goblets, and of course the iconic (definitely not poisoned) green apple.

This section again establishes that balance between collector’s item and toy. The back and roof of this room are easily detachable with bars and clips, perfect for posing characters in a scene, but able to be reattached securely for displaying the ship as a whole.

The rear wall of the ship itself is an incredible show of LEGO’s engineering. Using clear 1x1 blocks and curved pieces originally designed to be a car fender, you create the illusion of elaborate arched windows. Black filigrees clip in above to mimic the Pearl’s elaborate carved woodwork while three clear, domed lanterns sit above. Overall, it's stunning and I admired it often while I continued on.

A few bags is all it takes to assemble the underside of the ship and the two stand pieces the whole ship rests on. It is a little tricky to make sure everything is aligned in order to join the massive – and at this point pretty heavy – hull with the now assembled keel and stand. I had luck gently laying the hull on top and then moving just the front of the ship around, as it's a little less cumbersome to not have to support its weight at the same time, until it clicked in place. After this step, you’ll have most of the build done!

Next, you’ll finish the details on the top deck and sails. There’s a lot of “fiddly” pieces here which I had a little trouble with and may be something to keep in mind when considering this set if you have different dexterity or hand mobility. The masts themselves aren’t too tricky to assemble, but the sails can take some time, so patience is encouraged at this step! Also note: when you are retrieving your sail pieces from their packet, double check you have the right size. There are 5 or 6 different sizes and shapes – all of which are the same black cloth – so double check you’ve collected the correct item before proceeding, unlike me!

The final step of the build is the last details on the deck, including the two movable anchors that sit on the bow of the ship, the angel masthead, and the removable cover for the front deck which also houses the ships single dinghy. With all those pieces in place, you have a complete Black Pearl!

Overall this set took longer than expected to build, clocking in at around 10 hours, but I love the final product and I appreciate that the process felt appropriately challenging at times and actually took some effort. That’s a defining feature of these sets geared towards older audiences and I would say the Black Pearl definitely warrants its 18+ age range. The look of the ship itself is a faithful representation of the iconic ship from the beloved Pirates franchise and it’s a great addition to any collector’s home.

LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Ship, Set #10365, retails for $379.99, and it is composed of 2,862 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.

Streaming services are getting increasingly bloated, more competitive, and more convoluted, and many people are realizing it's actually more expensive than a standard cable subscription if you want to have it all. However, if you're looking for a simple solution that offers live TV, sports, news, plus a massive back catalog of content that includes just about everything from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more, then Hulu + Live TV just might be the perfect service for you. And if you don't care about live TV, then the Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle is what you're looking for instead.

Does Hulu + Live TV Have Free Trial?

Hulu + Live TV features over 95 channels in the base service including local network affliliates and news from ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. Additionally, it features popular channels such as Comedy Central, ESPN, FX, Food Network, Disney Channel, HGTV, The History Channel, ID, Lifetime, MTV, NFL Network, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, and more.

Can You Watch Live Sports on Hulu + Live TV?

Yes! You can watch many of the most popular sports on Hulu + Live TV including NFL, NCAA, NBA, MLB, NHL, international soccer, UFC, and more. Whatever's airing live on TV will be available to watch, so if you're looking to watch your favorite non-local team, you may need to subscribe to a premium service to catch those games. However, there are a number of sporting events regularly available on local channels as well as CBS Sports Network, NFL Network, ESPN, and FS1, just to name a few. It's one of the best overall streaming services for sports.

This means that you can watch MLB and stream NFL games with this service as well.

Matthew Adler is a Commerce, Features, Guides, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.

If you're looking to cut the cord with cable, then Hulu + Live TV is one of the best alternatives right now. Hulu + Live TV is a complete streaming package that combines the base Hulu subscription with over 95 live TV channels as well as Disney+ and ESPN. For a limited time you can get your first 3 months of $64.99 with no hidden fees to worry about. Afterwards, you'll be enrolled into the standard $82.99 rate plan unless you choose to cancel before your subscription ends.

Hulu + Live TV deals don't come around often and they don't last very long. This particular promotion ends at 3pm PT on October 23. New subscribers and anyone who hasn't had an active subscription in the past month are eligible. Current subscribers of Hulu, Disney, or ESPN are not eligible.

Hulu + Live TV Deal Expires 10/23

Lenovo's most powerful Legion gaming PC just dropped to a new price low for this weekend only (this deal probably ends on Monday). The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 gaming PC equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and RTX 5090 graphics card is marked down to $3,859.99 after two stackable coupon codes "SPOOKYLEGION1" and "BUYMORELENOVO". That's over $1,300 off in combined savings. This configuration is exclusive to Lenovo direct and you won't be able to find it at traditional retailer sites like Amazon, Newegg, or Best Buy.

Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 10 RTX 5090 Gaming PC for $3,860

Maintaining a tidy desk area doesn't have to be labor intensive or expensive. Compressed air canisters used to be the standard but nowadays there is a more versatile and cost effective solution. Amazon is offering the JVSCAM Cordless Rechargeable Electric Air Duster (Air Blower) for just $19.99 after you apply coupon code "U6C8Z5P7". Most electric air dusters under $50 on Amazon are pretty much identical, so if you're looking for an air duster in that general price range, I'd recommend just getting whichever one is least expensive. There are other more powerful and better built options like the Wolfbox MF100, but they cost 3x-5x more.

JVSCAM Cordless Electric Air Duster for PC for $19.99

Back to the Future was such a cultural phenomenon — but interestingly enough, there’s still mystery surrounding the production. Michael J. Fox, who played Marty McFly, recently published his memoir Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum, and in it he detailed something of an on-set feud with Crispin Glover, who played McFly’s father George.

As reported by ScreenRant, Fox claimed that that Glover “created friction” with his acting style on set. "Nobody puts Crispin in a box,” he explained. “But that didn’t prevent the camera crew from literally building a box around him."

The actor had "his own ideas as to how and where" his character should move, which created some tensions with the crew.

"As Crispin approached the camera, he was meant to stay in a lane between the clothesline and me. But Crispin had a different plan,” Fox wrote. “My guess is that he saw George as a wanderer, a free spirit who traveled in random patterns — in this case, perpendicular to the camera."

After a short hiatus, the Magic: The Gathering Crashers and Climbers are back - and there are some decent drops on Spider-Man cards that you may have on your radar.

There are some fun synergies popping off, too, leading to climbs for cards that came out when I was 8 years old - a poignant reminder that, like death and taxes, Magic is forever.

Let’s get into it.

MTG Crashers This Week

Now that the Spider-Man set is here, a lot of the pre-launch pricing has settled down and that means you can grab some fantastic cards on the (relative) cheap.

Gwenom, Remorseless is down to just $13 now, and is a 4/4 with deathtouch and lifelink who can play card from the top of your library. The fun thing is that you pay for those cards with life instead of mana, hence why that lifelink keyword is handy.

Next up in Spidey’s baddies, Norman Osborn/Green Goblin is a 1/1 that can’t be blocked, triggering Connive and giving him the potential to climb in power. Pay the mana cost, and he turns into Green Goblin, able to cheapen spells from the graveyard that you discarded through Connive. He’s $15 now.

Anti-Venom, Horrifying Healer we’ve already touched on, and he’s now $12 or so. I’m personally planning to pick him up once we get to around the $10 mark I think.

Next up, the meme-worthy Imposter Syndrome has levelled out at around $10. It lets you create a non-legendary copy of a creature that attacked.

Finally, if you wanted to build a five-color Spider-Verse deck, Cosmic Spider-Man is just $10 now. He’s got a ton of keywords that he transfers to other Spider Hero characters, and makes an ideal Commander for anyone looking to drop a ton of them into the same deck

MTG Climbers This Week

Number one on our climbers this week is Mortuary, a card that’s 27 years old and basically bounces creatures from your graveyard straight to the top of your library.

It’s simple enough, and it’s been a few dollars at most. Now, TCGPlayer has it climbing to around $30 thanks to the emergence of Gwenom, Remorseless, which can pay life to cast cards from the top of your library.

Next up, when is a Turtle Ninja not a Ninja Turtle? When it’s Taeko, the Patient Avalanche, of course. Nothing to do with the upcoming TMNT set, this card enters tapped and powers up as cards leave the battlefield without dying. It’s reached $15, having been around $5 just a week or two ago. Turtle power, indeed.

Next up, Attunement came out in 1998 and works very nicely for turning Norman Osborn into Green Goblin and causing chaos. Did the designers in 1998 ever anticipate that sentence? It’s unlikely, but the card is up to $11 right now.

Goryo’s Vengeance is a nice bit of graveyard recursion that gets you flinging a big nasty from the graveyard back for one last hurrah, all for just two mana. It’s up to $15.

Entangler is a very fun one. It pairs with Anti-Venom, Horrifying Healer (more from him shortly), allowing him to block multiple creatures at once. That’s particularly useful given he ends up negating that damage and powering up with counters in return. After being under a dollar, Entangler is now reaching closer to $10.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.