In the future, the human race has been divided into 14 different color castes that determine every individual's role and placement in the hierarchical structure of society. This underlying idea is at the core of Pierce Brown’s epic science fiction series, Red Rising, and tells the story of one man, Darrow of Lykos, and his mission to tear it all down.

First released in 2014, the first title, Red Rising, introduces us to the series' protagonist, Darrow, a Red Helldiver of Mars and the lowest of the citizens. Events out of Darrow’s control put him on a path that will see him go from the bottom of society to the top, becoming a symbol and legend that strikes fear into his enemies and inspires hope in his allies. Unlike many other science fiction series, Red Rising isn’t a tale of a utopian society that has spread out amongst the stars. Instead, it is a world of war, betrayal, and uneasy alliances, where some of the worst societal practices have flourished and evolved. Yet it is still a universe where hope still finds a way to survive, and joy and love can still be found, even in the darkest and most profound places.

Compared to other series, like Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere or George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, reading through the Red Rising series is a straightforward affair. The series is divided into two arcs, with the first three novels - Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star- being referred to as the “Red Rising Trilogy”. The second half, which takes place 10 years later, being the “Iron Gold Quadrilogy” and consisting of the remaining novels. Despite being a science fiction series, this series deals with mature themes and graphic violence, and isn’t advised for younger readers.

How Many Books are There in the Red Rising Saga?

Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series will comprise seven books in total, but currently, all but the final book have been released. The first three titles, composing the Red Rising Trilogy, are told strictly through the viewpoint of the character, Darrow. In contrast, the rest of the books, the Iron Gold Quadrilogy, are told through multiple characters' viewpoints.

Red Rising Trilogy Reading Order

Red Rising

Iron Gold Quadrilogy Reading Order

Iron Gold

The Colors of the Society, Explained

In the world of Red Rising, humanity is divided into distinct castes, each associated with a specific color, with individuals born with both a sigil and eye color that correspond to their class. Ruled over by golds, this “Society” has been in charge for over 700 years by the start of the first book. Here is a breakdown of all 14 colors and their respective roles within the Society.

The High Colors

• Golds
  • Rules over all other colors.
• Silvers
  • Composed of business owners
• Whites
  • Members of the clergy and judges
• Coppers
  • The lawyers, administrators, and bureaucrats of the Society

The Mid Colors

• Blues
  • Pilots and the bridge crew of ships
• Yellows
  • Doctors and scientists
• Greens
  • Programmers and techs
• Violets
  • Artisans and creatives
• Oranges
  • Mechanics and engineers
• Grays
  • Infantry, police, and security

Low Colors

• Brown
  • Janitors, cooks, and groundskeepers
• Obsidians
  • Large soldiers bred for war
• Pinks
  • Pleasure workers and slaves
• Reds
  • Miners and laborers

Warning: This review contains full spoilers for The Pitt Season 2, Episode 2!

“Was The Pitt always this funny?”

That’s a question I found myself mulling over a lot while watching Season 2, Episode 2. Season 1 certainly had its moments of levity, but there definitely seems to be more of a concerted effort to inject some humor into the mix this time around. Not that this is a bad thing by any stretch. We’ve seen how dire things can get at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, and no doubt the situation will take a turn for the worse soon enough. We might as well have some fun before then.

There’s a lot to be entertained by in Episode 2, whether it’s rookie nurse Emma Nolan (Laëtitia Hollard) undergoing her first day trial by fire or our heroic doctors responding to the dreaded penile injection gone awry. Then you have Javadi’s (Shabana Azeez) personal and professional struggles and Mel’s (Taylor Dearden) sorry situation, where a seemingly innocuous and very flirtatious patient turns out to be a real POS.

Rather than immediately hit the ground running with a barrage of depressing medical cases, the goal is clearly to explore the more surreal side of life in emergency medicine. And why not? Hell, it’s the 4th of July, so it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing the obligatory, gnarly fireworks accidents start rolling through. If anything, it seems like the show is attempting to lull us into a false sense of security before the other shoe drops.

This also raises the question of which of these bizarre cases is going to take a turn for the tragic first. I certainly have my concerns about Louie (Ernest Harden Jr.), as he seems like a guy who might have finally pushed his luck too far. And there’s the cloud surrounding the mysteriously injury-prone girl. As relatively lighthearted as the show feels at present, it sure hasn’t forgotten that life in the ER is one plagued by human misery.

It’s also nice to see the new interns start to develop more coherent personalities. Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) is rapidly becoming the character everyone loves to hate with his insufferable know-it-all routine. I can only imagine that he’ll get blasted with a cold, hard dose of reality before long. In the meantime, his abrasiveness helps take the pressure off of Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), who still isn’t doing much to endear herself to Robby (Noah Wyle). Of course she’s a big proponent of generative AI in the ER…

My main complaint with the direction of the season at this early stage is that we don’t get enough focus on Dr. Langdon (Frank Ball) as he tries to readjust to life in The Pitt. It really feels like he, not Robby, should be the focal point of Season 2 in light of everything he’s been through and his isolation from the rest of the group. Ball makes the most of what he’s given, though, with the quiet scene between him and Dearden’s Mel post-head injury easily being the highlight of the episode.

Now is the time to retire that pedal-powered bike of yours and upgrade to electric. The price of electric assisted bikes has plummeted over the past year. Nowadays you can find a decent bike for well under $500. To kickstart the new year, AliExpress is offering the 5th Wheel AB17 500W 375Wh Electric Bike for a rock bottom price of $231.02 after you apply $30 off coupon code "30USAFF". This bike ships locally from a warehouse in the United States, with most orders being delivered within a week. That means you don't have to worry about tariffs, import fees, or egregiously long shipping times.

5th Wheel AB17 500W 375Wh Electric Bike for $231

2026 has already seen recent surges in the cost of DDR5 RAM and higher end Nvidia GPUs. Unfortunately this also affects the price of prebuilt gaming PCs, which is also expected to rise through this year. Obviously this isn't an ideal time to be buying new computer parts, but if that's not stopping you from upgrading, I would suggest jumping on a deal you find now rather than waiting a little longer. There are still good deals to be found.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $2280

Switch 2 owners, if there's one upgrade you'll absolutely need, it's additional storage. The Switch 2 only has 256GB of onboard storage, and chances are you'll run out of space down the road. Fortunately, Amazon just lowered the price of the 256GB Samsung P9 MicroSD Express card, which will double your available storage, to just $34.99. This matches the best deal that I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. You don't have to worry about performance, either. We recently reviewed this exact card and strongly recommend it.

256GB Samsung P9 MicroSD Express Memory Card

Nintendo Switch 2 compatible

Buydig - via its official eBay store - just dropped the price of the 65" LG Evo C5 4K OLED TV to $1,197.59 with free delivery after applying a 20% off coupon code "FAVEFINDS20". This price is actually lower than last year's Black Friday deal at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart and so I expect this deal to expire quickly. LG is the best selling OLED TV brand globally and the C-series is the most popular model. Buydig is an authorized LG reseller with over 600,000 positive feedback.

65" LG Evo C5 4K OLED TV for $1,197.59

Spoilers follow for the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series premiere, “Kids These Days,” and Episode 2, “Beta Test,” both of which are available on Paramount Plus now.

It’s crazy to think that, with Starfleet Academy, we are now on our sixth modern Star Trek television series in less than 10 years. This new age of Alex Kurtzman-led Trek started in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery, and while there have of course been highs and lows during that period, the one thing we can all hopefully agree on is that Kurtzman has tried to do different things with each show. From the “rebel with a cause” antics of Michael Burnham to the aged Admiral Picard flying around with a band of space pirates to the self-referential animation of the Lower Decks gang, these series have approached Gene Roddenberry’s world from new and varied angles.

And that trend continues with Starfleet Academy, which based on the first two episodes, both of which were directed by Kurtzman, not only gives us exactly what the title promises – a story about a school for prospective Starfleeters – but also what feels like a fresh and fun take on Star Trek itself.

Holly Hunter leads a wide and varied cast as Chancellor Nahla Ake, a once and future Starfleet captain who has been tasked with rebooting the Academy after a century of darkness for the United Federation of Planets in the aftermath of that galactic catastrophe known as The Burn. (Long story.) Reluctant to return to the Command Red uniform, it’s the chance to redeem herself – and the Starfleet of her past – for a misguided decision from years earlier that finally brings her back into the fold. That incident saw her sentencing a woman named Anisha Mir (a guest-starring Tatiana Maslany) to a “rehabilitation camp” as punishment for crimes committed, but with the consequence of the woman being separated from her child, Caleb.

So right off the bat you’ve got Star Trek touching on real-world issues, but the script by series creator Gaia Violo doesn’t actually have all that much to say about this topic beyond “family separation = bad.” Regardless, this is the plot tissue that will no doubt be driving the Ake character throughout the season, as well as the now Academy-age Caleb (Sandro Rosta), who Ake is reunited with in the “present” time – and thus given the chance to redeem the mistake she made all those years earlier.

The first 20 minutes of the hour-and-15-minute pilot are overly concerned with this business, plus some loud, CGI-y action scenes that aren’t terribly interesting. Modern Star Trek often goes big with the visuals and has the money to do so, which can be great under the right circumstances, but if the characters and story aren’t there, it’s in service of nothing. So it’s a great relief when Caleb arrives at Starfleet Academy – or rather, the USS Athena, which is a starship and also part of the Academy facilities – and meets his fellow cadets. For once he gets a shave and a haircut (and perhaps most importantly, one of those spiffy Starfleet-issue uniforms), the character and actor seem to lighten up, as does the show.

The core group of cadets, i.e. our main cast, includes Karim Diané’s Jay-Den Kraag, a young Klingon who – gasp – wants to be a doctor, Kerrice Brooks’ Sam, a hologram who doesn’t quite know how to fit in with organic beings, Bella Shepard’s Genesis Lythe, the daughter of an admiral who seemingly has it all figured out, and George Hawkins’ Darem Reymi, a member of a shape-shifting(-ish) species who’s kind of a dick… except totally isn’t, as it turns out by episode’s end.

There’s a moment early in the episode, when this group all run into each other in a corridor, that made me start to fall for the lot of them. Darem tries to pick a fight with Jay-Den over a pair of space-binoculars the Klingon has dropped, and Caleb gets in the middle of the altercation. It’s fairly standard “first day of school” stuff, but after the situation is resolved and everyone else leaves, Jay-Den tells Caleb, in a very un-Klingon moment, that his mother gave him the binoculars. “She taught me to see the… beauty in things,” he says. You can see him struggling to even say the words, while simultaneously reaching out to this stranger who showed him compassion. And immediately the potential for one of those great, classic Star Trek friendships is born.

And by the way, the resolution to that almost-fight? It comes from Robert Picardo’s The Doctor, who is back from Star Trek: Voyager even though this show is set about 800 years after that beloved 1990s series. (The Doctor’s a hologram, after all.) We don’t get too much yet on what he’s been up to in the intervening eight centuries, but Picardo is fun as ever in his dual job of ship’s medical officer and Academy instructor/babystitter.

Indeed, the cast is chock-full of what appear will be recurring and supporting players, like Gina Yashere’s Lura Thok, the half-Klingon/half-Jem’Hadar/all-hilarious first officer of the Athena, various cadets who are already familiar by the end of Episode 2, and Discovery holdovers like Tig Notaro’s Jett Reno and Oded Fehr’s Admiral Vance. It’s giving off vibes of Deep Space Nine’s deep bench of players beyond the main cast, so here’s hoping the show’s writers can pull off that juggling act, particularly in the shorter seasons of the modern era (Starfleet Academy Season 1 has 10 episodes).

And then there’s Paul Giamatti’s Nus Braka, the villain of the first episode whose past is tied to that of Chancellor Ake and Caleb. The actor plays the half-Klingon/half-Tellarite for hoots, and he is a funny and disruptive presence, but I wonder how many episodes he’ll actually get this season. He’s been billed as a recurring character, but I could see too much of Nus becoming a bad thing. Plus, space pirates have never felt big enough to be long-term Star Trek baddies.

As for Hunter, she doesn’t seem terribly comfortable in the role in these first two episodes. Obviously they’re trying for something different here, with the no-shoes, curl up with a good book in the captain’s chair vibe, and I’m here for it. But some of her line readings are a bit rough, and you know what Harrison Ford used to say to George Lucas, master of that other spacefaring epic – “You can type this shit, but you sure can't say it.” Hopefully Hunter, who after all is an Oscar-winning actress, is still just getting used to the role and the whole outer space scene.

If you're in need of at-home printing but you don't want to deal with the upfront cost of buying a printer or the hassle of purchasing ink cartridges when they run out, then HP is offering a plan that might be perfect for you.

HP's All-in-One Plan is a convenient service that leases you a printer for a low monthly fee. Along with the printer, you get an unlimited supply of ink, continuous warranty coverage, and a monthy allotment of prints. There are several plans to choose from, with each offering a different printer and print allotment depending on your needs.

Bowflex isn't the only option when it comes to adjustable dumbbell sets. PowerBlock is another trusted brand at a much lower price point. For a limited time, Woot is offering a pair of PowerBlock EXP Stage 1 Adjustable Dumbbells (5-50lbs) for just $239.99, or 50% cheaper than the Bowflex SelectTech 552. There's a $5 shipping fee, which is reasonable when you consider the fact that the package is going to weigh over 100 pounds. Amazon Prime members get free shipping.

For those who need more than 50 pounds of weight per dumbbell, Woot is also selling PowerBlock expansion kits (50-70 pounds and 70-90 pounds) for just $119.99 each. The Bowflex SelectTech 552, on the other hand, is not expandable and you would have to pay $800 for the upgraded 1090 model.

PowerBlock Adjustable Dumbbells Are on Sale

Kathleen Kennedy may officially be stepping down as President of Lucasfilm, but has given one parting gift to Star Wars fans eager to see the cancelled The Hunt for Ben Solo movie: Hope.

When asked in an interview with Deadline about the progress on films currently in development in the Star Wars universe, Kennedy confirms that the script for the standalone Ben Solo film was very promising, despite it seemingly no longer being in active production.

“And as you have read, Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns”, says Kennedy. “It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk”.

That risk may well now be in the hands of the incoming leadership at Lucasfilm. Replacing Kennedy will be Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan. Filoni will be the creative lead as Lucasfilm’s President and Chief Creative Officer, while Brennan will be Co-President of Lucasfilm. Both have long histories with Star Wars, so it will be exciting to see how they see the future for the almost 50-year-old series.

The revelation that a Ben Solo movie starring Adam Driver was once in production first took place in October 2025, when the Kylo Ren actor stated that the project had been in the works for over two years. Ocean’s Eleven and Magic Mike director Steven Soderbergh, who would be helming the film, then stated that he had handed in a version of the plot to Kathleen Kennedy, but was then told that it was the only completed script to date that Disney has turned down for a Lucasfilm project.

Ever since the movie’s death has come to light, superfans of the Star Wars sequels have come out in full force, desperate to see the story of Han and Leia’s son come to life, even going as far as to fly “Save The Hunt for Ben Solo” banners over Walt Disney Studios in California.

Soderbergh’s movie is not the only script to have been submitted to Lucasfilm of late, though, with Kennedy going on to confirm that many other Star Wars projects are on hold. “I’ve got to tread a bit carefully here”, the former Lucasfilm President prefaces. “Jim Mangold and Beau Willimon wrote an incredible script, but it is definitely breaking the mold and it’s on hold. Taika has turned in a script that I think is hilarious and great. It’s not just my decision, especially when I’ve got a foot out the door. Donald Glover has turned in a script.”

“Everything I just reeled off to you is taking a bit of a chance because none of those filmmakers are just walking in trying to do same old, same old”, she continues. “I’m excited by that, but the studio’s nervous about that, and that’s kind of where it sits at the moment.”

The waiting game looks set to continue as Lucasfilm, and in turn, Star Wars, enters a new era. Which dormant Star Wars project would you want to watch the most? Let us know in the comments!

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

The Rip debuts on Netflix on January 16.

Netflix’s The Rip is a deceptively good film, but its compelling premise about cartel stash houses and corrupt law enforcement is nearly undone by an impractical script. And in terms of action, the mostly by-the-numbers approach to gunfights doesn't win it any favors. That said, solid performances from the cast, especially that of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and a last-minute twist save The Rip from mediocrity.

The Rip starts well enough. Hours after the violent death of their captain, Lieutenant Dane Dumars (Matt Damon) and Detective Sergeant JD Byrne (Ben Affleck) are grilled regarding their potential involvement in the incident. Questions about their whereabouts during the crime, personal relationship with the deceased, and notions of stolen drug money are met with aggressive body language and hesitant responses. Subtle shifts in lighting color the interrogations, where a darker room hints at someone being dishonest. Essentially, director Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin' Aces, The Grey) does a great job of sowing seeds of doubt early on.

The Rip’s uneasy vibe slowly develops over time. As new information is revealed, it becomes increasingly difficult to pin down who might’ve done what and why. The tension truly ramps up, however, after an “anonymous” tip comes in about a stash house holding a sizable amount of cash. When Dane and his fellow detectives head over to investigate, they end up finding more than they bargained for. The result: a nerve-wracking yet entertaining stand-off between the cops, a drug cartel, and everyone in between.

What makes The Rip work as an action thriller, at least initially, is the interactions between these morally ambiguous characters. The idea that longtime friends/co-workers could be swayed to murder one another over large sums of money is compelling. And that’s before witnessing any secret text messages or ominous phone calls threatening violence. Unfortunately, the film’s uneven script often betrays the tension-filled premise. While there are a few good verbal exchanges, some of the dialogue fails to convey the seriousness of the situation. When a person is confronted over their questionable actions and their response is basically a shrug, it makes it seem like they don't care about the potential consequences. Worst of all are the film's transparent attempts at misdirection which only wind up leading to an outcome we've been expecting all along. Of course this guy who seems absurdly guilty isn't the real villain.

That’s not to say that The Rip’s ending is predictable. Key moments still play out in interesting ways, despite how inevitable they may feel. The issue is in how unrealistic some of its characters can be. When a seemingly pragmatic person says something unreasonable, damning even, it’s hard not to see their incriminating banter as anything other than a red herring. This sort of thing sucks all of the tension out of the film as the real culprits become readily apparent; at that point, all of the suspense that has been built up completely vanishes. And so The Rip begins to lose some of its spark. This feeling doesn't change when the bullets start flying either; even if the shootouts were exciting, they don’t last long enough to be impactful.

Thankfully, The Rip is saved by its talented cast and exciting final moments. Steven Yeun is convincing as the apprehensive and seemingly straight-laced Detective Mike Ro. The same can be said of Catalina Moreno and Teyana Taylor, who play Detectives Lolo Salazar and Numa Baptiste respectively. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are the standouts though. Damon’s calm yet commanding demeanor reflects Lieutenant Dumars’ desire to safeguard his team while Affleck’s Byrne is more aggressive by nature. Eager to figure out what side of the law everyone stands on, he’s less likely to mince words – as evidenced by Affleck’s sharp line delivery.

Damon and Affleck are great whenever they're on screen. But they excel when playing opposite one another. Their clashing personalities keep things interesting whether they’re fighting or sharing a heartfelt moment. This is true even to the point of making The Rip’s last-minute twist, which does a good job of addressing the film’s ongoing mystery, feel exhilarating. Being so thoroughly invested in Dumars and Byrne’s plight, I was on the edge of my seat by the time the smoke actually cleared.

After months of rumors, Kathleen Kennedy is officially stepping down as the President of Lucasfilm after 14 years and will be replaced by Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan, Walt Disney Studios announced Thursday. Filoni will be the creative lead as Lucasfilm’s President and Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm, while Brennan will be Co-President, Lucasfilm. Both execs are longtime Lucasfilm veterans. Lucasfilm’s new leadership split seems reminiscent of how DC Studios is co-led by James Gunn overseeing creative decisions and Peter Safran in charge of the studio’s business side.

“When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” said Kennedy in a statement. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”

With so many exciting sporting events happening year-round, it can be tough to know where to stream each one. Thankfully, Fubo should have all your bases covered, no pun intended. Fubo is a live TV streaming service that features over 200 live channels, including 35 regional sports channels and ESPN Unlimited—more than any other streaming service. So, you can bet that Fubo will probably have the game you're looking for.

Not ready to dive in just yet? No problem! Like many other streaming services, Fubo offers a free trial so you can test it out. Check out our full rundown below, including how to activate the free trial, what channels are included in the service, where to watch Fubo, and more.

Does Fubo Have a Free Trial?

The ripple effects from the RAM shortage have already been resonating throughout the PC industry, but the situation just got even worse for PC gamers. The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti has apparently reached end-of-life status, only one year after its release. Nvidia wants to scale back on its lower priced video cards that are equipped with a large amount of VRAM (the 5070 Ti has 16GB). There's pretty much zero chance you'll find a standalone RTX 5070 Ti GPU at even close to MSRP now, but fortunately there's still time to find a reasonable price on a prebuilt gaming PC equipped with one.

At least for the time being, Best Buy is still offering the Acer Nitro 60 gaming PC, which comes equipped with a GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, for $1,799.99 with free delivery after a $500 instant discount. This is currently the best price I've seen for an RTX 5070 Ti prebuilt that also includes a capable CPU and a generous amount of DDR5 RAM and SSD storage.

Acer Nitro 60 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for $1,800

Today, Capcom is holding a Resident Evil Showcase event set to feature "brand new gameplay and news" for Resident Evil Requiem, among other things.

The showcase is taking place at 2pm PT, 5pm ET, and 10pm UK, with a post-show discussion stream to follow, though it's unclear exactly what that will be about.

Resident Evil: Reqiuem is just a few weeks away, and we've already seen quite a bit of it, including the long-awaited reveal of Leon S. Kennedy, who is apparently going to be playable as well, and what seems to be a tease of an open world...or at least a pretty big shift in how the series has historically treated its settings.

Now that the showcase itself is over, it turns out it was actually...pretty thin as far as new information. It was entirely related to Resident Evil: Requiem, and almost fully focused on stuff you can buy in connection with the game. Here's a quick rundown of the five big takeaways from the showcase today:

Resident Evil: Requiem's Difficulty Settings

Resident Evil: Requiem will have at least three different difficulty settings, and one in particular seems pretty cool. There's a Casual mode for those who just want to focus on the story, and it comes with an aim assist. And there's a Standard mode, which is just what it sounds like.

But the really neat one is Standard (Classic) difficulty, which is the Standard difficulty but with an added challenge, where Grace will need to collect ink ribbons for typewriters in order to save her game.

Bloody It Up

A new game mechanic was revealed today related to the crafting system. In RE: Requiem, a number of items are only craftable using infected blood, which is obtained by killing zombies. Though Grace isn't much of a fighter, she does have a gun on her (appropriately called Requiem) that she uses to get out of tight jams, and she'll need to use it to take down zombies so she can get their blood and craft more useful survival tools.

There's a Lot of Stuff You Can Buy, If You Want

A surprising amount of today's showcase was dedicated to stuff you can buy in real-life that ties in with the game. There's a watch collaboration with Hamilton for two different watches, one for Grace and one for Leon, that they'll wear in-game, and only 2,000 of each watch are being made for sale. There's the amiibo, which we already knew about, and a special Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller themed around Requiem. There are special Resident Evil orchestra concerts coming, and obviously, the Deluxe Edition of the game and all its bonus content. And Capcom is releasing figurines of both Grace and Leon. If you're interested in buying any of that stuff, it's all easy enough to find, but this section of the video really did feel a bit shopping channel given the circumstances.

These Zombies Are...Different

There's something different about the zombies in Resident Evil: Requiem. Rather than just violent and lurching, some of them seem to have other personality traits, and have carried over characteristics from their lives before. For instance, one custodian zombie continues to clean the building even after being turned. There's another man frantically pushing elevator buttons. And at the end of the trailer, there's one that straight up talks to Grace. Like, seems to be holding a normal, smooth, human conversation. What's going on here? Is this a different virus than the usual one? Mysteries!

Elpis

What? Pipis? No, you said Elpis? Okay, sure. At the end of the showcase, there was a mention of some sort of "secret" Leon is carrying, referencing something called "elpis." We have...no idea what that is! We know now that it's potentially related to the murder of Grace's mother, Alyssa, and we can maybe guess that it's connected in some way to that zombie bite mark fans keep seeing on Leon in trailers. But this is another mystery that will need further investigation. Or, as Leon S. Kennedy put it in the trailer, a second opinion.

Resident Evil: Requiem is coming to Xbox, PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch 2 on February 27, 2026.

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

Major Game of Thrones reunion alert: Lionsgate just released the first trailer of the upcoming gothic horror film The Dreadful, which stars Sophie Turner and Kit Harington.

The trailer, below, gives fans a glimpse of a woman (Turner, fresh from her first look photo reveal as Lara Croft in Amazon's Tomb Raider TV series) and her superstitious mother-in-law (Marcia Gay Harden) doing their best to survive in medieval England when a man she knows (Harington) returns from war without her husband, whom he fought alongside. The woman and her mother-in-law then take in another soldier who has returned home, only to murder him. As their relationship grows fraught, the woman’s desire to move on with the soldier her husband knew threatens everything.

Lionsgate also revealed an official synopsis alongside the trailer: “Set in medieval England, Anne and her domineering mother-in-law Morwen struggle to survive on the outskirts of society. But when a man from Anne’s past returns from war, a curse begins to take shape through a mysterious knight and threatens to destroy them all.”

If the plot seems a bit familiar, you’re not going crazy. In fact, The Dreadful is based on the iconic 1964 Japanese horror film Onibaba. It’ll be interesting to see if this film even holds a candle to that one, which is part of the Criterion Collection and widely regarded as one of the best Japanese horror films out there.

It’s such a beloved film that none other than Willem Dafoe, who counts the picture as one of his favorites, previously held the rights to remake the it — but he revealed during his Criterion Closet visit video that he couldn’t figure out a way to do it because “it’s so specific to its time.” He went on to say that every time he tried to “put a spin on it” he “ruined the source material.”

Turner previously revealed the inspiration for the film in an interview with Collider back in August 2025. “It's based on the Onibaba, which is an amazing film from… I don’t even know what year it’s from, but it is loosely based around that. I would say it’s a bit like The Green Knight. It’s kind of supernatural and weird and really scary.”

The Dreadful was written and directed by Natasha Kermani, who made horror films Lucky and Abraham’s Boys as well as a segment for V/H/S/85. The film is set to arrive in theaters on February 20.

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

One of the best OLED monitor deals ever is back. Dell recently lowered the price of the 34" Alienware AW3423DWF QD-OLED gaming monitor from $900 to just $499.99 shipped. But today there's a way to get it for even less, $449.99 to be exact. It does require a bit of legwork to get the extra discount, but everyone should be eligible. The AW3423DWF is one of Alienware's highest end gaming monitors, with a gorgeous QD OLED panel, WQHD resolution, and a respectable 165Hz refresh rate. Alienware OLED monitors also include a 3 year warranty with OLED burn-in protection.

34" Alienware AW3423DWF QD OLED Gaming Monitor

Follow these instructions for the extra $50 off:

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are plenty of great deals to grab today, especially if you’ve been on the hunt for a new gaming monitor. A bunch of LG and Samsung displays have received a significant price drop. It’s not just monitors on sale, as I’ve found a particularly great deal on a JBL portable Bluetooth speaker for easy listening from anywhere. Maybe you want something fun to fill those long nights? Well, the discounted Saga of the Swamp Thing Box Set has six volumes for you to cozy up with, or you’ll find a few great games on sale. Check out all the best deals today below:

TL;DR: Best Deals Today

Flashforge Adventurer 5M CoreXY 3D Printer for Under $200

Save $60 on the JBL Flip 6 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Big Savings on LG, Samsung, AOC Monitors

Anyone in the market for a new gaming monitor will want to hop on these unbelievable gaming monitor deals. BuyDig on eBay is an authorized reseller of top gaming monitor brands, and with over 99.3% positive feedback on 2.5 million items sold, it’s a reliable place to buy. Currently, BuyDig has an awesome coupon code for an extra 20% off select displays. Just enter FAVEFINDS20 at checkout to enjoy additional savings on LG and Samsung monitors. Whether you’re after a massive curved OLED display or an excellent budget gaming monitor, there’s a deal for you.

Best Buy also dropped the price of a couple of monitors. The Samsung 37" Odyssey G75F 4K is one particularly great deal to check out, as $300 has been knocked off the price tag. For something a little more budget-friendly, our favorite affordable option, the AOC 27" Q27G40XMN Mini-LED QHD, is also discounted for Best Buy’s Winter Sale.

Saga of the Swamp Thing Box Set Is Nearly Half Off

Save $11 on Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for Switch 2

256GB Lexar Play Pro is $10 Off

Jones Soda Co. Fallout Vault-Tec Supply 12 Pack on Sale

Fallout Season 2 has new episodes dropping each week, and one way to really kick up the viewing experience is with a nice bottle of Vault-Tech-approved refreshments. This 12-pack from Jones Soda features three iconic flavors: Sunset Sarsaparilla, Nuka-Cola Quantum, and Nuka-Cola Grape. Plus, you get a bottle opener. Select Costco locations currently have it for just $20.59, compared to Amazon's current price of $74. After you’ve gotten your drink on, be sure to check out all my favorite Fallout gear and collectibles. However, you won’t be able to use your bottle caps as currency.

The Anker Nano Charger 100W is 33% Off

Save 40% on Raidou: Remastered - The Mystery of the Soulless Army Launch Edition

Hisense 65" Class U6 Series MiniLED QLED UHD 4K Smart Fire TV (2025) Hits Lowest Price Ever

20% Off Coupon Deal for The Lord of The Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for PS5 Is Nearly Half Off

Turtle Beach Rematch Wired Gaming Controller for Switch 2 Is Lowest Price Ever

tomtoc Slim Carrying Case for Nintendo Switch 2 Is Down to Lowest Price

3 for $33 4K UHD Movies

Best Buy Video Game Winter Sale

The New Year's Sale may be over, and now we’re on to the Best Buy Winter Sale. Luckily, the savings are similar, bringing solid discounts on tons of popular titles. From Borderlands 4 for Xbox Series X getting 40% knocked off its price tag, to NINJA GAIDEN 4 for PlayStation 5 seeing a $30 price drop, there are some pretty awesome deals worth checking out.

Due to increased demand for hardware from AI data centers, 2026 was already going to suck for anyone looking to upgrade or build a gaming PC. Now it looks like things are getting even worse, as the RTX 5070 Ti is apparently dead, according to a report from Hardware Unboxed.

According to Hardware Unboxed's Tim Schiesser, a source at Asus claimed at CES 2026 that the RTX 5070 Ti has essentially reached end of life, with Asus unable to get supply to continue shipping the graphics card. This is reportedly due to the 16GB of VRAM on the card, which is likely driving up the costs of production. And with the more-expensive RTX 5080 also sporting this VRAM allocation, it wouldn't be surprising for Nvidia to prioritize its production.

Rather than making the 5070 Ti impossible to get, this is instead making the graphics card much more expensive. Already, on Newegg, prices have ballooned since Hardware Unboxed's video premiered. As of this writing, there are still a handful of listings available below $1,000, but most sellers have already bumped prices up to $1,100 or more – and remember, this is a GPU that's supposed to retail for $749. These are similar to prices that we saw when the graphics card first came out, and it's unlikely that it's going to stop here.

At the moment, it seems like only Nvidia's highest-end cards are affected. The RTX 5060, RTX 5050, and RTX 5070 are still within range of their starting prices. Though, according to this report, the RTX 5060 Ti, which also has 16GB of VRAM, could be next on the chopping block.

Schiesser also claims the same sources within Nvidia board partners said that the RTX 5080 Super – along with the rest of Nvidia's mid-generation refresh – have been put on hold or canceled due to RAM supply issues. So, if you've been on the fence about upgrading your graphics card, you might want to either jump on it before prices go up further, or wait for the RTX 60-series launch sometime next year.

I reached out to Nvidia and Asus for comment, and Nvidia told me, "Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is strong, and memory supply is constrained. We continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability." Even so, Asus abandoning the RTX 5070 Ti suggests costs have gone up enough to severely limit the supply of the graphics card either way. I'll update this article if I hear back from Asus.

Topsy Turvy

A big reason behind these supply issues is the state of the memory market. Ever since November, RAM prices have been exploding, with memory kits costing nearly four times as much as they did in October 2025. This is due to large AI models and data centers needing vast quantities of memory, which is driving up demand for RAM. We even reached the point where Crucial, Micron's consumer RAM brand, has shut its doors.

Just yesterday I reached out to Anshel Sag, Principal Analyst for Moor Insight and Strategy, and he told me that this memory crisis we've entered is likely to last into 2027 or even 2028. He said that while past memory shortages were typically cyclical, this one might be different because "with AI we might see a structural change to how memory is consumed." Until now, the crisis has seemed limited to the actual memory modules, but if the RTX 5070 Ti is effectively discontinued like Hardware Unboxed suggests, the problem has spilled over into mid- to high-end graphics cards.

The most powerful graphics cards were already affected by this shortage, judging by RTX 5090 prices. That graphics card launched for $1,999, but right now will set you back at least $4,500, if you can even buy it at all.

Prebuilt gaming PCs haven't been hit by these component price jumps yet, as the manufacturers buy product in bulk. But if the market keeps going the way it's going, it's a matter of time until the only gaming PC you can reasonably buy is packing an 8GB RTX 5060 or Radeon RX 9060 and 16GB of RAM. So much for Nvidia and AMD pushing 4K gaming as the new normal.

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

The short-term outlook doesn't bode well for the GPU market. Hardware Unboxed recently announced that the GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card may have just hit end-of-life status, since major board partners like Asus are officially marking them unavailable... indefinitely. Back in December, PCMag and other outlets reported that Nvidia could cut back production on its mid-range graphics cards - including the RTX 5070 Ti, RTX 5060 Ti (16GB), and RTX 5070 - by up to 40% due to the DRAM shortage and Nvidia's AI data center focus. The popular take is that Nvidia deems that these GPUs have too much VRAM for their price point and they'd rather improve their profit margins elsewhere.

Fortunately, all is not lost. For the time being, you can actually get an Asus branded GeForce RTX 5070 12GB graphics card for below MSRP. If you're looking to upgrade your graphics card now, then your window may be closing to get one at a reasonable price. Even if the RTX 5070 continues production, I don't expect the price to stay this "low" forever.

Asus GeForce RTX 5070 Graphics Card for $539.99

The Magic Puzzle Company is one of my favorite jigsaw puzzle brands on the market right now. Each puzzle is made up of 1,000 unique pieces and filled with fun little easter eggs throughout. Best of all, when you finally complete the puzzle you are treated to a secret ending that is different for each one. I personally love these puzzles because every image has some serious 'Where's Waldo' vibes and utilizes different artwork from popular artists I would have otherwise never known about.

If you aren't already familiar with the earlier Magic Puzzle Company Puzzles, I'd recommend checking out Series One to get started. However, if you're a seasoned veteran you'll be happy to know that Amazon has just released two new Series Five puzzles for 2026 and they look quite delightful.

New Series Five Magic Puzzle Company Puzzles

George R.R. Martin has said that if he never completes Game of Thrones sequel Winds of Winter (or the book after that), there's no plan for anyone else to step in. Instead, his Song of Ice and Fire series simply "won't be finished."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his lack of progress on his next novel, Martin said he would "hate" to give up on the series — though admitted he was still around 1,100 pages in.

This figure — 1,110 pages — is one that he's quoted since at least December 2022, when he mentioned the same number during an appearence on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. (Yes, it really has been that long. And if it makes you feel even older, A Song of Ice and Fire's most recent entry Dance with Dragons came out in 2011, during Obama's first term.)

"It would feel like a total failure to me," Martin said when asked if he should just accept he will never finish A Song of Ice and Fire. "I want to finish."

And yet, the 77-year-old author has seemingly been kept distracted over recent years, with work as a producer on Game of Thrones' various TV spinoffs and AMC series Dark Winds, as well as his continued publishing of various A Song of Ice and Fire companion novels. (During the interview, Martin revealed he had begun two new Dunk and Egg adventures in 2025, set in Winterfell and in the Riverlands, though it didn't sound like he had yet finished either.)

If he did die before completing A Song of Ice and Fire, the series simply "won't be finished," Martin insisted. "It'll be like The Mystery of Edwin Drood," he continued, mentioning the novel that Victorian author Charles Dickens left incomplete at the time of his death. (Numerous other authors have offered their own endings to Edwin Drood over the years, and it has been adapted several times with these attached.)

Universal Fan Fest Nights is back again at Universal Studios Hollywood beginning on April 23, and this year it will feature Scooby-Doo Meets Universal Monsters, One Piece, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, and Super Nintendo World experiences exclusive to this after-hours event.

Tickets are now on sale for the second-ever Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, and it will run for 12 nights only: April 23-25; May 1-3, May 7-9, and May 14-16.

Universal Fan Fest Nights is a separately ticketed event and, alongside the experiences you can read about below, it will feature character interactions, cosplay and photo opportunities, and curated food, beverages, and merchandise. As for those exclusive experiences, they are as follows, directly from Universal:

• Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot: This all-new, immersive walk through adventure is designed to give guests the sensation of stepping into a live-action mystery with the Scooby-Doo gang and the Universal Monsters. Guests will travel to the destination via Studio Tour tram where they have a chance to walk along a movie studio backlot with Scooby-Doo himself and his pals Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy. The exciting escapade will challenge them to solve a mystery involving the most legendary Universal Monsters in cinematic history, including Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein and Wolf Man, as they navigate portions of Universal’s world-famous outdoor film sets, from the cobblestone streets of Little Europe to the iconic Court of Miracles, the original filming locations for historic Universal horror films Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941).
• ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show: ONE PIECE returns to Universal Fan Fest Nights, but this time as a live show extravaganza at the WaterWorld show venue. Inspired by the success of the Universal Studios Japan production, ONE PIECE: Grand Pirate Show will invite guests to a whirlwind performance featuring a cast of ONE PIECE fan- favorite characters. With action, comedy and chaos taking center stage, guests will be transported to the very heart of the world of ONE PIECE – enveloped in friendship, freedom and mayhem.
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: This new, unique, walk-through experience will take guests into the depths of the Forbidden Forest in search of a lost Hippogriff. With guidance from a Hogwarts Professor, they will encounter magical creatures and familiar beasts as they face a series of obstacles which will require the guests to summon their bravery and spell-casting skills to help a Hippogriff in need.
• SUPER NINTENDO WORLD – Colorful Yoshi Celebration: This year’s Universal Fan Fest Nights introduces a vibrant, multi-colored Yoshi celebration in SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. This all-new adventure will welcome guests to explore the land, where they will have a chance to meet new, colorful Yoshis who can be found throughout the Mushroom Kingdom.
• DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Secrets of Waterdeep: This fan-favorite immersive experience returns due to popular demand, along with some enhancements. Inspired by the World’s Greatest Roleplaying Game™, Dungeons & Dragons, this epic walk-through experience will welcome guests and fans to partake in a one-of-a- kind adventure and explore the fantastic world of D&D. Guests will join the Harpers—a heroic spy network—to foil a plot by the legendary beholder Xanathar and save the city of Waterdeep. This engaging experience features the legendary beholder Xanathar, uniquely created by the masterful puppeteer, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. For over 40 years, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop has been a world-renowned innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation.

There are a lot of ticket options for Universal Fan Fest Nights, including some that get you into the park during the day before the event. These include General Admission, Universal Express, Universal Express Unlimited, After 2PM Day/Night, After 2PM Day/Night, 2-Night General Admission, Ultimate Fandom Pass, Early Access Ticket, Universal Fan Fest Nights VIP Tour, and Pass Member Special Pricing. Once again, you can check out the full details and purchase the tickets right here.

In addition to all the fun planned for Universal Fan Fest Nights, guests will also be able to enjoy select attractions throughout the event, including Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Jurassic World—The Ride, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride—3D, Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride and The Simpsons Ride.

For more, check out our interview from IGN Fan Fest 2025 with Stephen Siercks, the Senior Director of Entertainment at Universal Studios Hollywood, all about bringing this event to life for the first time.

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

It's no secret that AliExpress consistently has the lowest prices on popular and well-reviewed 3D printers. Some of the most popular 3D printer brands, including Creality, Anycubic, and Flashforge, have official storefronts on AliExpress, and the prices there are usually much lower than on Amazon. Because they're sold by the manufacturers themselves, you get a genuine product with the full warranty, as well as AliExpress' own protections including a 90 day free! return policy.

The AliExpress marketplace itself has recently evolved as well. Most of these brands now stock their printers in warehouses based in the United States. That means they ship locally, with most printers being delivered within a week. They aren't affected by tariffs, import fees, or egregiously long shipping times.

Below, I've picked out the best deals on popular and well-reviewed 3D printers; the entry-level models start at under $200 and are a great choice for anyone just starting out and not ready to invest a ton of money, and the higher-end models have all the features a seasoned professional could ask for, but without the exorbitant price tag.

Note: Sometimes the AliExpress site is a bit wonky. Make sure you are logged in to your account to see the full discounts. If a printer comes up as undeliverable to your address, copy and paste the link again.

3D Printer Deals at AliExpress

Flashforge Adventurer 5M CoreXY 3D Printer