When it comes to Android, the Google Pixel line has some of the best phones on the market. The Pixel 9 series that was released just last year has one of the greatest cameras on any smartphone currently on the market and AI features that are really quite fun to play around with. The price point on the "Pro" versions of these phones also makes them a great budget option for anyone looking for a good iPhone alternative.

If you're in the market for a new phone, Amazon and Best Buy have currently dropped the price of the Pixel 9 Pro XL to a new low. The price of the best overall phone from the latest generation has officially dropped below the lowest-ever price we saw on just the standard Pixel 9 last week.

The Best Google Pixel 9 Pro XL Deal at Amazon Today

If you're in the process of building out a new gaming PC and you're looking for the best gaming processor, this is it. Right now, the recently released AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D AM5 desktop processor is back in stock on Amazon and Best Buy at its retail price of $479 shipped. This is the official launch price with zero markup, and it's not bundled with anything you don't want or need. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming processor currently on the market (across both AMD and Intel) and a better choice for gamers than the more expensive Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

Back in Stock: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Desktop Processor

AMD's X3D series processors are optimized for gaming. In that respect, they bench better than even the most expensive of AMD's standard lineup of CPUs thanks to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology. Although perfectly capable of handling multitasking, rendering, and creation, the limited number of cores means they aren't the ideal processors for those tasks. At its retail price of $479, the 9800X3D is $110 cheaper than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K ($589) and $170 cheaper than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, even though it outperforms both of them in gaming. Unless you're a staunch Intel fan, or you're still on AM4 and don't want to upgrade all of your components, the 9800X3D is the obvious choice for your next gaming rig.

Tim Burton may not have directed a Batman movie in over 30 years, but his DC Universe is still going strong. Michael Keaton got the chance to reprise the Bruce Wayne role in 2023’s The Flash, a movie that (briefly) ported his Batman over to the DCEU. But even now, the Burton-Verse continues to expand through new comic book and novel spinoffs like the recently announced Batman: Revolution.

It’s gotten to the point where the question of how to watch and read the entire Burton-Verse is a surprisingly complicated one. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. Read on for a full breakdown of how the various Tim Burton Batman movies, novels, and comics fit together.

You can also check out our full guide to watching all the Batman movies in order.

How Many Burton-Verse Batman Stories Are There?

Counting the yet-to-be-released Batman: Revolution, there are currently seven projects set in Burton’s Batman universe - three films, two novels, and two comics. That lineup includes 1989’s Batman, 1992’s Batman Returns, and 2023’s The Flash, as well as the books Batman: Resurrection and Batman: Revolution and the comics Batman ‘89 and Batman ‘89: Echoes.

This lineup also excludes 1995’s Batman Forever and 1997’s Batman & Robin, which are no longer considered to be part of Burton’s Batman universe. We’ll get into the reasons why a bit later.

Where to Buy Tim Burton’s Batman

Although you can stream Burton’s Batman movies on Max and read the Batman ‘89 comics on DC Universe Infinite, it never hurts to go the physical media route these days. If you’re looking to buy the Burton-Verse movies and books, here are some good options:

Batman Favorites Collection [4K UHD + Blu-Ray]

Batman '89

Batman '89: Echoes

Batman: Resurrection

Batman: Revolution (Hardcover)

Every Tim Burton Batman Movie and Book in Chronological Order

*Each blurb contains a broad overview of the plot and mentions the heroes/villains who appear in that film or book.

1. Batman (1989)

This is the original movie that started it all. Burton’s first Batman movie pits Michael Keaton’s Dark Knight (still early in his superhero career) against Jack Nicholson’s Joker. The movie inspired a summer of “Bat-Mania” and proved there was a healthy appetite for darker, more mature superhero movies in Hollywood.

2. Batman: Resurrection (2024)

This novel by John Jackson Miller is set in the aftermath of the first movie, as Batman deals with the remnants of the Joker Gang and confronts the rise of the shape-shifting villain known as Clayface. The book is designed to bridge the gap between Batman and Batman Returns, including introducing Christopher Walken’s character Max Shreck and giving readers more insight into the collapse of Bruce Wayne and Vicki Vale’s (Kim Basinger) romance.

3. Batman: Revolution (2025)

Miller is returning for a second novel set between the events of Batman and Batman Returns. This time, Revolution will introduce the Burton-Verse’s version of Riddler, a lowly newspaper copy editor named Norman Pinkus who laments the fact that no one appreciates his aptitude for solving crimes. Pinkus will turn to a life of crime and capitalize on the city’s growing resentment toward the wealthy elite of Gotham.

4. Batman Returns (1992)

Burton and Keaton both returned for this film sequel, which is set a few years after the events of the first movie. This time, Batman goes up against Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman and Danny DeVito’s Penguin as Gotham City endures a hellish holiday season. Despite initial plans for a third Batman movie, both Burton and Keaton ultimately dropped out of what became 1995’s Batman Forever.

5. Batman ‘89 (2021)

DC’s Batman ‘89 comic serves as a direct sequel to Batman Returns and is set three years later. The six-issue comic, written by Batman screenwriter Sam Hamm and illustrated by Joe Quinones, draws inspiration from Burton’s abandoned plans for a third Batman movie. The book sees Billy Dee Williams’ Harvey Dent become Two-Face, while also introducing a version of Robin modeled after Marlon Wayans (who at one point was attached to play the role in Batman Returns). Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman also makes a return appearance, paying off on the tease from the end of Batman Returns.

Click here to learn more about how Batman ‘89 adds to the Burton-Verse.

6. Batman ‘89: Echoes (2024)

Just as Batman ‘89 is essentially Burton’s Batman 3 in comic form, Hamm and Quinones reunited for a follow-up that acts as a hypothetical fourth Burton movie. Three years after the events of Batman ‘89, Keaton’s Bruce Wayne has gone missing, leaving Robin and the new Batgirl to deal with the threat posed by Scarecrow (modeled after Jeff Goldblum) and Harley Quinn (modeled after Madonna).

7. The Arrowverse's Crisis on Infinite Earths: Part One (2019)

While only hardcore Burton-Verse completionists need to worry about this one, it's worth mentioning that Robert Wuhl briefly reprises the role of intrepid reporter Alexander Knox in the first chapter of The CW's Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover. That episode briefly shifts focus to Earth-89, where Knox is seen reading a newspaper in a park as red skies form over Gotham. It's one of numerous live-action DC cameos in the crossover.

8. The Flash (2023)

While it didn’t fare well critically or commercially, The Flash at least has the distinction of giving Bat-fans some closure on the saga of Keaton’s Batman. Keaton himself returns to play a much older Bruce Wayne, after Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen mucks about with the DCEU timeline and inadvertently trades one Batman for another. Meeting The Flash and learning about the threat of Michael Shannon’s General Zod is enough to coax Batman out of retirement for one last, high-stakes mission.

Tim Burton’s Batman Universe in Release Order

• Batman (1989)
• Batman Returns (1992)
• Batman ‘89 (2021)
• The Flash (2023)
• Batman ‘89: Echoes (2024)
• Batman: Resurrection (2024)
• Batman: Revolution (2025)

How Do Batman Forever and Batman & Robin Fit In?

1995’s Batman Forever and 1997’s Batman & Robin were once considered sequels to Batman and Batman Returns, despite the fact that neither Burton nor Keaton returned for these projects. The presence of supporting characters like Pat Hingle’s Commissioner Gordon and Michael Gough’s Alfred maintained some degree of continuity with the previous films. However, these two sequels are generally regarded as being inferior to their predecessors, as well as being far different tonally.

With the release of The Flash, DC now officially treats Batman Forever and Batman & Robin as being set in a separate version of the DC Universe. The Batman ‘89 comics now act as the definitive, canon sequels to Batman Returns, revealing what happened to Keaton’s Bruce Wayne between the events of Returns and The Flash.

The Canceled Batgirl Movie

Warning: this section contains spoilers for The Flash!

The Flash wasn’t always intended to be the end of the road for Keaton’s Batman. At one point, the character was being positioned for an ongoing role in the DCEU (before WB cut that cinematic universe’s future short). Reportedly, a previous version of the movie ended not with Batman dying in battle against Zod in the Flashpoint timeline, but with both Keaton’s Bruce and Sasha Calle’s Supergirl crossing over into the restored DCEU. That’s where WB’s canceled Batgirl movie comes in.

Keaton wound up reprising the role again in Batgirl, which reportedly cast him as an aged, Batman Beyond-esque mentor to Leslie Grace’s rookie Barbara Gordon. J.K. Simmons also returned as the DCEU Commissioner Gordon, while Brendan Fraser played the villain Firefly.

The Batgirl movie made it well into post-production before WB infamously pulled the plug and canceled it as a tax writeoff. It became a major casualty in the studio’s evolving plans for the DC line and the pivot to James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU. Barring any major leaks, Keaton fans will never have an opportunity to see what will likely be his final Batman performance.

For more on the future of DC movies, find out why Gunn needs to keep Robert Pattinson’s Batman out of the DCU and brush up on every DC movie and series in development.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

The Accountant opens in theaters on Friday, April 25. This review is based on a screening at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival.

You can tell from the way the title is stylized on screen – as a mathematical exponent, like Alien³ – that The Accountant 2 has removed the self-seriousness from its predecessor’s otherwise delightful formula. Gavin O’Connor’s sequel is a blast, building on the story and relationships of 2016’s The Accountant to reveal a touching, hilarious portrait of fraught brotherhood within a charged and politically relevant plot. All the while, it leans full-tilt into a goofy setup that’s executed with utter confidence: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck), a.k.a. The Accountant, is a savant number-cruncher for the mob and part-time vigilante gunman whose autism is gently approached and realistically performed, but framed as though it were a superpower.

There’s less bean counting in The Accountant 2, but far more blood and bullets, starting with an opening scene in which former Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (or FinCEN) director Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) is gunned down while working a case in secret. Once the Commissioner Gordon to The Accountant’s Batman – fitting, as Affleck and Simmons have since played that dynamic in the DC Extended Universe – King has only been following leads in which he’s emotionally invested. His death leaves behind an intricate puzzle for Wolff to solve, alongside King’s Treasury Department successor, the returning Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson). The case that got King killed opens up a web of human trafficking between Central America and the southern U.S., exposing the ways in which undocumented immigrants who have little legal recourse are brutally exploited. Where the first film was mostly unsentimental about its central plot (which revolved around a robotics firm), The Accountant 2 conjures immense sympathy with its topical melodrama and the mystery of King’s death.

But as somber as this story seems at first blush, it’s also peppered with wildly amusing moments of character. That begins with Wolff’s re-introduction, during which he games a speed-dating algorithm by sprucing up his profile in all the right ways, only to botch every face-to-face encounter. It’s the perfect kind of silly, placing Wolff’s isolation front and center while setting up his impending reunion with his estranged brother, fellow contract killer Braxton (Jon Bernthal), whose help he seeks to solve King’s murder. Also assisting Wolff is his returning, remote, technologically savvy assistant Justine (Allison Robertson, replacing Allison Wright from the first film), a nonverbal resident of a mansion-like academy for young autistic students. She has her own legion of hackers-in-training this time, à la Professor X – who she even quotes at one point. Like I said: perfectly silly, even if the portrayal of neurodivergence constantly threatens to tip (but never fully does) into offensiveness.

A mysterious, scarily capable assassin known only as Anaïs (Daniella Pineda) seems to somehow be involved in King’s case, but The Accountant 2’s lopsided structure ensures that she disappears for lengthy periods. However, the layers it reveals to her seemingly single-minded character do retroactively justify those absences. After all, this is the kind of movie where no matter how many conveniences cause its jigsaw pieces to click into place, the result is no less entertaining.

Just like The Accountant, whose heightened tone and reliance on tried-and-true storytelling devices – enormous coincidences, long-lost family connections – wouldn’t feel out of place in a Bollywood movie,the sequel similarly runs a crowd-pleasing gamut. The action is capable and clear. The plot, while complicated in structure, takes the characters to interesting places (both geographically and emotionally). The comedy is fine-tuned and, most importantly, entirely character-and-performance based.

Things simmer on a medium flame until Bernthal shows up and instantly sets the screen ablaze. An actor long compared to Robert De Niro, he finally gets his own “You talkin’ to me?” moment in The Accountant 2, which paves the path for Braxton’s surprising vulnerability – he’s a lost, lonely soul who just wants his older brother’s friendship. Affleck, despite a voice that seems more influenced by The Simpsons’ Comic Book Guy this time around, returns seamlessly to the role of Wolff. Having retreated almost entirely to the solitude of his tricked-out Airstream trailer, he seems to want to connect as well, but his misreadings of his brother’s body language and intentions make this difficult. Braxton is frank and playful, and Bernthal imbues the character’s body language with an easy-going fluidity, which makes for an enchantingly funny contrast with Wolff’s unwavering stiffness.

The clashes between the brothers are the movie’s heart and soul – this especially comes to light during their downtime from vigilantism (and from Medina’s disapproval of their methods). One scene in an LA square dancing bar is a particular delight, between Braxton’s eagerness to throw hands, and Wolff’s wonderfully roundabout methods of flirtation, which involves him calculating his way onto the dance floor. It’s a sequence that demonstrates O’Connor understanding that movement and character are intrinsically bound, and in action cinema, you can’t really have one without building up the other.

The Accountant 2 is a surprisingly sentimental sequel, which keeps even the most scattered elements of its plot firmly glued together. It’s filled with the kind of unapologetic cheese that Hollywood action has long since replaced with irreverent, quippy snark, ensuring that its humor and drama go hand-in-hand at every turn, resulting in one of the year’s most well-rounded studio pictures.

I’ve reviewed a lot of headsets in recent years; some great and some not so great. They’ve tended to prioritize certain aspects over others in order to stand out, with a few being solid jacks-of-all-trades that find their way into my list for best gaming headsets. But even after putting all those through their paces, high-end or otherwise, few come close to a long-time favorite – I’m talking about the Audeze Maxwell.

I’m revisiting it since it has been one of my top recommendations for quite some time (especially for PS5 owners) and to see how it holds up in 2025. While newer headsets have more refinements and/or sophisticated features, very few come close to the Maxwell in terms of pure audio performance, as it’s built like a pair of audiophile-style headphones. That’s not to say it doesn’t do everything else right, because it’s still well-rounded with comfort, durability, and a solid mic. You’ll want to invoke some strict scrutiny when spending around $300 for a gaming headset, but the Audeze Maxwell still earns its stripes.

Audeze Maxwell – Design and Comfort

The first thing I noticed coming back to the Maxwell is just how hefty it is. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though – it’s built like a brick house and has been durable through the years, but it’s still the heaviest headset I’ve used, coming in at 490g. However, its weight never felt like it wore me down or made the experience uncomfortable. The headband, earcups, and forks are all solid aluminum to give it that high-end sturdiness, and there isn’t really any loud branding or outlandish stylization which keeps it looking sleek and understated in true audiophile style.

The Maxwell has thick, dense, and plushy foam earpads wrapped in leatherette with just the right balance between firmness and softness to provide long-term comfort. Clamp force is quite light as well, which is nice for your ears, but this means it relies a lot more on the headband to bear the weight on your head. While the Maxwell has a fairly basic design with a thin layer or foam between the steel headband and suspension strap, it’s sufficient for alleviating the pressure atop your head. That suspension strap is also how you get the headset to fit properly, and it’s one of the few shortcomings of the Maxwell – it snaps into a set of notches on the inside of the headset and it’s a pain to adjust. This doesn’t give you much room for finer adjustments, but once I found the right fit, I didn’t have to think about it again.

All the built-in controls for the Maxwell are on the left earcup. Alongside the earpad, you’ll find the master volume wheel and the in-game volume/chat mix wheel next to each other – you can easily mix these up at first, but I got used to distinguishing the two with enough time. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack in case you want to use it as an analog wired headset, a USB-C port for charging and connecting to devices, and the port for connecting the detachable microphone. On the outer side of the left earcup are the power button on the lower end and microphone-mute toggle on the upper end. These are large, hard-to-miss buttons that are easy to use and thankfully don’t get lost in the jumble of controls on the earcup.

The detachable boom mic can twist and form to get in the right position near your mouth, and it comes with a pop filter. But the real stars of the Maxwell are the 90mm planar magnetic drivers – while bigger driver size doesn’t always mean better sound quality, this is one case in which the headset lives up to those expectations. I get into the details later on when talking about sound quality, but it’s worth mentioning here since it is the main thing that stands out on the spec sheet.

Audeze Maxwell – Software, Customization, Battery Life

I wouldn’t have necessarily called it a drawback when it first came out, but the Audeze HQ software support is quite primitive. Thankfully, it’s more simplistic rather than being bloated or convoluted. There just isn’t much to configure other than EQ settings, but among the pre-made options available (which are intended to be suited for specific scenarios), none of them sounded quite right. That is until I tweaked the first customizable preset to find the right balance within its 10-band equalization – a little boost on the low-end and high-end helped bring out the best in the Maxwell. Once I locked in this preset, it became the only EQ setting I’ve used and it’s been wonderful for every scenario, gaming or otherwise.

There are a few other options you can tweak like microphone sidetone (to get feedback of your voice), the auto-shutdown timer, and volume of the headset’s voice prompts – you can also manually change the chat mix volume in the software as well. It keeps things simple, but when you see something like Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software or SteelSeries Arctis app, I do wish I could fine-tune things a bit more to dial-in microphone performance, for example.

Audeze HQ is how you monitor battery life, which you probably won’t have to worry about often since the Maxwell is among the best in this area. It’s able to last around 80 hours from a full charge, and since using it for four days straight for roughly 10 to 12 hours a day, it still sat at about 50% charge. Gaming headsets in recent years have made strides when it comes to battery life (some of which also hit 80 to 100 hours off a full charge), and the Maxwell still stands with them, as I would expect from a headset as hefty as this.

Audeze Maxwell – Sound Quality and Performance

Sound quality is where the Audeze Maxwell shines brightest. With the aforementioned EQ settings, I found balance across all frequencies. And even at high volumes, none of them sounded grating whether I was listening to the layered J-pop tunes of Yoasobi, the chaos of a Final Fantasy XIV raid, or the gunfire of a competitive Counter-Strike 2 match while paying attention to subtle audio cues. It felt like having a home theater setup blasting into my ears with punchy bass, clean highs, and clear mids with a spacious delivery to create a rich audio profile that few headsets can match.

Those qualities also let it shine when it comes to positional/directional audio, and it’s the thing I always harp on with headsets for competitive gaming. In my handful of ranked matches in Counter-Strike 2, I was able to pluck out those specific sounds to anticipate enemy activity whether it be footsteps from a certain direction, them reloading so I can get the jump, or firefights off in the distance so I can rotate position on the map promptly. In all my recent headset reviews, I always give FFXIV a whirl and do my daily/weekly activities to test things out because it can be a very busy audio experience. The Maxwell is able to cut through the distinct sounds of spells casting, abilities going off, voice lines, and the soundtrack blaring – lesser headsets would crunch these sound effects, making them blend with each other and/or sound harsh.

Since the pair I have is also designed for PlayStation, it’s able to take advantage of the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio. It’s a proprietary spatial audio program and can make certain games sound like they’re being played over a home theater setup. I’m usually hesitant to use virtual surround sound options since they can sound artificial, but having used Sony’s Pulse 3D headset, Tempest 3D is a smart implementation. You get that same level of quality for surround sound out of the Audeze Maxwell – and I would hope so given how much more expensive it is, even compared to the higher-end Pulse Elite. It’s a nice bonus is you’re a PS5 owner, because single-player experiences can really come to life in a unique way – I don’t usually like describing things as “immersive” as it has lost some of its meaning when it comes to audio gear, but it does feel that way with headsets like the Maxwell.

While it’s not necessarily among the best in terms of clarity, the microphone quality itself is good. However, it stands out for its great noise isolation, which is certainly the best I’ve tested in recent years. The Maxwell has AI-based noise reduction, and with it on, the clack of my mechanical keyboard and other background noise would be blocked out. Even while talking and making noise on purpose, it’s able to focus on my voice and barely pick up anything else. The only mark against the Maxwell in this regard is that the static from sidetone is quite loud, more so than other headsets. It’s a minor gripe for an otherwise solid mic.

Looking to upgrade your PC setup?

Here are the best deals for Monday, March 10. Today is MAR10 day, so what best to lead off than a big discount on Nintendo Switch video games. Several of the hottest titles including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury are marked down today. Other deals include a discount on all current Apple AirPod models, a 65" Samsung OLED TV for just under $1,000, a five-pack of USB Type-C cables for just $8, a USB power bank for $9, and my favorite, 4 months of Hulu and Disney+ for just $2.99 per month.

MAR10 Day 2025 Deals on Nintendo Switch Games

In my opinion, the Amazon Kindle is one of the best electronic devices ever. Maybe the only piece of tech I use more than my Kindle is my phone, but even then, I have the Kindle app if I decide I just want to stick some knowledge into my craw. If you're ever looking for a good deal on Kindle devices, there are quite a few that pop up even outside of the big sale events.

At the moment our favorite deal is on the Kindle Essentials Bundle, which comes with a 2024 Kindle, a matcha colored fabric cover, and a power adapter for $146.97 ($15 less than what it would cost to buy them all separately.) We've included that deal and a few more below.

The Best Kindle Deals Right Now

Here's your chance to get a top notch OLED TV from Samsung at an excellent price. Right now, Amazon and Best Buy are both offering the 65" Samsung S85D 4K OLED Smart TV for just $999.99 with free delivery. This is an excellent TV to pair up with your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X since it has HDMI 2.1 inputs and supports 4K gaming at up to 120Hz.

65" Samsung S85D 4K OLED Smart TV for $999.99

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach got a new trailer over the weekend, alongside a release date, collector's edition, box art, and more. And as fans have pored over the details, one has noticed a fun connection to director Hideo Kojima's past work: Metal Gear Solid 2.

The box art for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach shows Sam "Porter" Bridges, portrayed by Norman Reedus, holding the child "Lou," who players of the first game will recognize. Reddit user ReverseTheFlash posted "He did it again," showing that box art alongside a Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty slipcase with a similar motif.

The Metal Gear Solid 2 promo shows Japanese singer Gackt holding a child in a similar composition. Though it's not a one-for-one, it's certainly fun to note the similarities between the two covers. It's also a reminder of a strange branch of Metal Gear Solid (out-of-universe) backstory.

During the run-up to the game's release, Gackt was featured in multiple promos for Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Part of this, it seems, included special slip-covers for the game in some territories, which have resulted in random MGS ephemera that's both intrigued and confused people over the years.

In case you're wondering why Gackt, specifically, was so involved with Metal Gear Solid 2's promotional campaign, Kojima offered an explanation in 2013. The reason he asked Gackt to "be on MGS2's TVCM is 'MGS1' was about DNA & 'MGS2' MEME. DNA consists 'AGTC', adding 'K' of KOJIMA becomes 'GACKT.' " So, there's that.

Considering Death Stranding 2's new trailer has plenty of Metal Gear vibes in it, it's no surprise fans are drawing the parallels here. Personally, I think any similarities are, at most, a sign of recurring ideas across Kojima's games. But still, it's fun to speculate and ponder, and it's always a good time to travel down memory lane with a promotional cover featuring Gackt.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on June 26, 2025 exclusively on PlayStation 5.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Whether you're looking to save on games, storage, or accessories, there are plenty of Nintendo Switch deals to check out right now. We've gathered up some of the best Switch deals currently available, including a selection of Switch games discounted at Woot like Super Mario RPG down to just $29.99. A variety of MAR10 Day deals have also dropped, from LEGO sets to toys, which we've included below.

Check out our favorite deals at the moment below, and for more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter/X.

When Is the Nintendo Switch 2 Expected?

At long last, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been revealed. While we don't know when this console will officially be released, we do know that there'll be a Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April that'll hopefully end with some preorder information. If you simply can't wait for that day, though, we have good news: you can register your interest at Best Buy. This is a smart idea so you can stay up to date on preorders in the coming months via email. For more information on preorders and what to expect from the Nintendo Switch 2 this year, check out our Nintendo Switch 2 buying guide.

Best Nintendo Switch Game Deals

Woot's back with a Spring Sale that features some excellent Switch game deals. From Super Mario RPG to Sonic X Shadow Generations to Princess Peach: Showtime, there are so many options on sale that are worth picking up for your collection. We've included just a few of our favorites from the sale above. We've also included some of the best Mario game deals we've come across in MAR10 Day sales.

MAR10 Day 2025: Preorder the LEGO Mario Kart Set

Mario LEGO Sets on Sale for MAR10 Day

Outside of the preorder above for the brand new Mario Kart LEGO set, there are plenty more great Mario LEGO set deals happening today. We've included some of the best options from Best Buy's sale above, including the LEGO Piranha Plant and Bowser’s Muscle Car Expansion Set.

Mario Plush Toys on Sale for MAR10 Day

There's also an adorable selection of plush toys discounted for MAR10 Day, including a red mushroom plushie and a ridiculously cute knit Kirby plushie. If you've been looking to pick up sweet stuffed toys for your collectible collection, or to snuggle, these are absolutely worth a look today.

Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals

The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you're going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That's a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we've left our top suggestions and deals below for your convenience.

Best Switch Power Bank Deals

Looking for a new power bank to keep your Switch charged up? The INIU 10,000mAh Power Bank has gotten an amazing discount down to just $9 after clipping the 10% off and 40% off clippable coupons on the product page. The Anker 737 has also gotten a very nice price drop at Amazon. It's already discounted down 27% to $109.99, but by clipping the $10 coupon on the store page you can bring the price down even further to just $99.99.

Best Nintendo Switch Accessory Deals

Whether you're looking for a new controller or case for your Switch, there are quite a few different accessory deals that are worth checking out. Here, we've listed just a few of our favorite discounts at the moment, including a deal on the 8Bitdo Ultimate Controller with a Charging Dock and a Super Mario PowerA case.

More Accessory Deals:

• PowerA Joy Con Comfort Grips for Nintendo Switch - Black for $9.88
• Game Traveler Nintendo Switch Deluxe OLED Case for $14.99

When Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch?

The short answer is that you should buy a Nintendo Switch whenever there’s any kind of sale, regardless of the time of year. Amazon will likely offer the same console bundles on any other sale as it will on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, so there’s no real reason to wait if you’re in need of a Nintendo Switch.

That being said, there are sometimes some unique bundles and promotions during Black Friday that you won’t find any other time of the year. They usually include additional games (like the famous Mario Kart 8 bundle) or Switch accessories for free, but quantities tend to be limited. As always, do your research into the seller before you make a purchase and keep in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 is on the horizon.

Where to Buy a Nintendo Switch in 2025

• Nintendo Switch Console for $299.00
• Nintendo Switch Lite Console for $199.00

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2025, we're trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We've got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand-new offers. If you're trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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

The Last of Us Season 2 showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have confirmed “spores are back” following their omission from Season 1.

The latest trailer for the upcoming HBO show, below, teased the introduction of spores after they were left out of Season 1. We see Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, view an infected whose breath releases the spores.

You can’t stop this.#TheLastOfUs returns April 13 on Max. pic.twitter.com/DH8UzAugIV

— Max (@StreamOnMax) March 8, 2025

Warning! Spoilers for The Last of Us Season 1 follow.

In the video games, the cordyceps infection spreads via spores, which forces the characters to wear a gas mask at points. But for Season 1 of the TV show, spores were ditched in favor of tendrils, whose menace certainly appears more horrifying and cinematic. In Season 1, we see clickers sprout terrifying tendrils that simulate the way mushrooms communicate with each other through a root-like network.

There was a practical reason for the change, which is that using spores in the show would mean big-name stars like Pedro Pascal would be forced to wear a gasmask every other scene. While this works on The Mandalorian thanks to his cool helmet, a lot of the tension would be lost in The Last of Us, and tendrils are also way more menacing, visually speaking.

“It’s disturbing and it’s violative. I think it’s very primal in the way it invades your own body,” Mazin said in an interview with Variety about the decision to swap spores for tendrils, particularly in the final scene where Tess receives what can only be described as the world’s worst goodbye kiss.

It’s March 10, 2025, so that means Nintendo is back with a slew of Mario Day reveals revolving around everyone’s favorite Mushroom Kingdom mascot.

As highlighted by the MAR10 hashtag floating around social media today, March 10 has served as Nintendo’s official (and clever) Mario holiday for the last few years. The appropriately named celebration always features announcements and treats for fans of the iconic plumber, and this year is no different. Although we’ve not yet seen anything quite on the level of 2024’s reveals, which included the promise that The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 will arrive next year, 2025 has already delivered some exciting Mario news.

More Mario Offerings for Nintendo Switch Online Subscribers

Just hours before MAR10 Day officially kicked off, Nintendo announced that the Super Mario Bros. 3 original soundtrack had been added to its Nintendo Music application for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. That means earworms like the World 1 Map tune Ground BGM are only a tap away, but there are even more deal sweeteners now available for Mario fans. Last Thursday, as an early surprise, Nintendo added the Game Boy releases of Mario’s Picross and Donkey to its library of Switch Online titles. It’s all available to help make MAR10 Day feel a bit more special right now.

Lego Mario Kat Set Drifts Into Stores This May

Here we go! 🏆 Launching May 15th 🏁 #LEGOSuperMario #MarioKart pic.twitter.com/NZ13sCIFHo

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 10, 2025

Nintendo hasn’t been shy when it comes to adding more Lego sets based on its iconic cast of characters. While Mario has gotten plenty of love in this department in the past, the new Mario Kart build revealed as part of today’s festivities might be one of the toy line’s coolest yet. It’ll cost a whopping $170 when it drops May 15, 2025, but it also manages to pack in quite a bit of detail into the 1,972-piece kit.

Super Nintendo World Sweepstakes Offers 4-Night Stay for Lucky Fans

If you’re looking for every way you could possibly celebrate Mario Day, this new sweepstakes has you covered. As seen on the My Nintendo website, Nintendo account holders can now spend Platinum points to enter into a sweepstakes that will offer select users the chance to win a four-night stay at Universal Orlando Resort that includes access to each of its four theme parks. It’ll come with the freedom to enjoy Super Nintendo World when its Orlando location opens this May.

More Mario Day Events Across the Globe

If you’re in the market for a new power bank, the INIU 10000mAh is worth a look. Right now, it’s available on Amazon for $8.99—down from $22—when you use the 40% coupon and promo code 6XGER7UP . It’s a solid option for charging your phone, AirPods, and other small gadgets. This was a mighty deal last month and quickly sold out, so it's worth checking out if you missed out the last time.

March 10 is a big day for Nintendo. That's because it's MAR10 Day! Clever, right? In celebration of Mario, there's a variety of deals and drops on games and items related to the jumping plumber for Nintendo fans to check out. This ranges from LEGO sets to toys to games and so much more. We've included just a few of our favorite discounts from the sales below, but they only scratch the surface of what's out there right now.

Retailers including Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart, and of course, the Nintendo eShop are all participating in MAR10 Day with different deals. Have a look through the sales below to see what catches your eye before the discounts disappear.

MAR10 Day 2025 Deals on Nintendo Switch Games

MAR10 Day 2025: Preorder the LEGO Mario Kart Set

Mario LEGO Sets on Sale for MAR10 Day

Outside of the preorder above for the brand new Mario Kart LEGO set, there are plenty more great Mario LEGO set deals happening today. We've included some of the best options from Best Buy's sale above, including the LEGO Piranha Plant and Bowser’s Muscle Car Expansion Set.

Mario Plush Toys on Sale for MAR10 Day

There's also an adorable selection of plush toys discounted for MAR10 Day, including a red mushroom plushie and a ridiculously cute knit Kirby plushie. If you've been looking to pick up sweet stuffed toys for your collectible collection, or to snuggle, these are absolutely worth a look today.

If you're on the hunt for more Switch deals, it's worth checking out our dedicated roundup of the best Nintendo Switch deals. This features some exciting discounts on everything from games to hardware to accessories so you can save on a variety of items for your preferred platform. Or, if you'd like to see what deals are happening on other consoles, check out our breakdowns of the best PlayStation deals and the best Xbox deals.

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

While Resident Evil may have started as a video game franchise with some of the best zombie games, Paul W.S. Anderson and Milla Jovovich helped bring the series to the big screen with a film series that spanned seven movies. The films feature characters and villains from the games, but they tell their own separate stories and star Jovovich as a newcomer to Resident Evil lore. It's one of the best zombie movie franchises out there.

With a new Resident Evil movie reboot in the works, you might want to check out where the video game adaptations started off. If you want to watch all the Resident Evil movies in chronological order from the beginning, we have some very good news for you. All the films serve as sequels to their previous entries, meaning there is no difference between watching them in release order vs. chronological order.

With all that being said, here's a (mostly) spoiler-free look at how you can watch the Resident Evil movies in chronological order.

Jump to:

• How to watch in chronological order
• How to watch by release order

How Many Resident Evil Movies Are There?

There are a total of seven live-action Resident Evil movies, but only the first six are part of the original timeline. There are also four feature-length animated films —Resident Evil: Degeneration, Damnation, Vendetta, and Death Island — though we have not included those in the list below. Over the last two years, Netflix has taken a stab at Resident Evil as both a live-action and animated TV series. The live-action Resident Evil show was canceled after one season, while the animated series, Infinite Darkness, failed to make a splash.

How Long to Watch all of the Resident Evil Movies?

If you're looking to watch all 6 of the original Resident Evil movies, it will take over 9 and a half hour to finish the series. If you include Welcome to Raccoon City, that ads a an additional 107 minutes to your movie marathon.

Where Does Resident Evil: Death Island Fit on the Timeline?

The most recent film in the Resident Evil franchise is Resident Evil: Death Island - a computer animated film that released in 2023 - and you may be wondering where it fits on the timeline. Well, it's a sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta (which took place in 2014) and is set in 2015, which places it between Resident Evil 6 (set in 2013) and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (set in 2017).

Read our review of Resident Evil: Death Island

The Resident Evil Movies in Chronological Order

1. Resident Evil (2002)

2002’s Resident Evil introduced the world to Alice (Jovovich), an original character created for the films who awakens with amnesia before remembering she is a private security operative for the Umbrella Corporation. This first film shows how the genetically engineered T-virus, which causes dead people to return as zombies, was released in a lab called The Hive. It also reveals how the lab’s AI security system, the Red Queen, killed every living thing inside the lab to try to contain the virus.

The plan didn’t work and the zombies escaped the lab. Alice and her team have to try to contain the outbreak by finding an anti-virus that is thought to still be in the Hive.

This first film included several references to the first two Resident Evil games, not the least of which was the first tease of the iconic Resident Evil 3 villain, the terrifying, rocket-wielding Nemesis.

Read our review of Resident Evil.

2. Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)

Resident Evil: Apocalypse is a direct sequel to the original film and brings back Jovovich’s Alice to once again take the fight to the undead. Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson did not return to direct this new film due to other commitments, but he did stay on as a producer while Alexander Witt took the helm. Apocalypse sees Alice attempting to escape Raccoon City before it is attacked by a nuclear missile that is attempting to stop the spreading T-virus plague.

Nemesis is also a big part of this second film and he’s seen terrorizing the survivors throughout it, but that is hardly the only nod to the games. There are many influences pulled into Apocalypse, including characters Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) and Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and certain shots that were recreated for live-action, including a shootout at police department in the beginning that is reminiscent of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis and a scene in a cemetery that very much harkens back to Resident Evil CODE: Veronica.

Read our review of Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

3. Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)

2007’s Resident Evil: Extinction reveals that the T-virus has spread across the world. In addition to the return of Alice, the storyline also follows several attempts by the Umbrella Corporation to clone her, in hopes of replicating her powers. As the story progresses, the primary Alice and other survivors are working their way toward Alaska in an attempt to outrun the ever-expanding zombie apocalypse.

Extinction continues to bring in more aspects and characters of the games, including Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) and Albert Wesker (Jason O’Mara).

Read our review of Resident Evil: Extinction.

4. Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)

Resident Evil: Afterlife is the first film after the original to see Anderson back in the director’s chair, where he stays for the rest of the series. Set one year after the events of Extinction, Alice and her clones work together to assault Umbrella Headquarters HQ and Albert Wesker. Unfortunately, all doesn’t go as planned and Alice finds herself without the powers that have assisted her so well in this zombie apocalypse.

Afterlife continues the streak of bringing in characters from the games, and this time it's Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller) that gets the invitation.

Read our review of Resident Evil: Afterlife.

5. Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

2011’s Resident Evil: Retribution picks up after the events of Afterlife. Alongside introducing such game characters as Leon S. Kennedy (Johann Urb), Ada Wong (Bingbing Li), and Barry Burton (Kevin Durand), Retribution also sees Alice teaming up with Wesker in an attempt to stop the reactivated Red Queen AI from the first film, who now controls Umbrella and wants to eliminate all life on earth.

Read our review of Resident Evil: Retribution.

6. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017)

The aptly named Resident Evil: The Final Chapter is the last feature film in the series to involve husband-and-wife team Anderson and Jovovich. It follows Alice as she returns to Raccoon City and the Hive in order to stop the Red Queen and Albert Wesker, but also reveals more of the origin of the T-virus and who is really behind all the chaos that has been building since the first film.

Read our review of Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.

Bonus: Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

Directed by Johannes Roberts, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City is a reboot of the franchise and requires no prior knowledge of the movies. Along with the new director comes a new cast and a story that more closely follows the events of the first two Resident Evil games. Several familiar characters from the games and earlier movies return, including Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario), Chris Redfield (Robbie Amell), Jill Valentine (Hannah John-Kamen), Albert Wesker (Tom Hopper), Leon Kennedy (Avan Jogia), Ada Wong (Lily Gao), and more. The film’s story is set in Raccoon City and tells the early days of a zombie outbreak.

Read our review of Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City.

Resident Evil Movies in Order of Release

• Resident Evil (2002)
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007)
• Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016)
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
• Resident Evil: Death Island (2023)

The Future of Resident Evil Movies

Although Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City wasn't received particularly well by audiences, rumors have been swirling for years about another movie. Those rumors were finally confirmed in January, with Barbarian director Zach Cregger set to direct the newest instalment. Instead of carrying on the existing movie timeline, the currently untitled movie will reboot the Resident Evil movie franchise. Deadline reports that Sony has also set a release date for the film: September 18, 2026.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Most people associate Monster Hunter with actually hunting monsters, but capturing is an important piece of the pie, too. As Monster Hunter Wilds players have discovered, capturing a monster and hanging around long enough can result in a funny little interaction playing out.

As shown by Reddit user RDGtheGreat over on the r/MonsterHunter subreddit, hanging around a captured monster long enough will let you catch a little behind-the-scenes magic. Namely, the monster getting up and leaving.

After capturing a Nu Udra and waiting around, the giant cephalopod just kind of gets up and leaves. Jokes about it all feeling like a wrap on a film set were made a few times over, it's some good fun.

For actual in-universe theories as to why this is happening, well, it's not like the research team has giant cages or anything. Monster Hunter Wilds taking a more catch-and-release approach to their studies certainly seems appropriate, and fits with the general attitude of Alma and the rest throughout the story.

Whatever the lore reasons are, it's a fun little moment. I find it neat that the developers at Capcom thought this scenario through and planned a little animation, rather than just a fade out. It looks a little silly with this monster, now lacking in several limbs and other appendages, scurrying off into the distance. But it's a neat touch that possibly adds some deeper insight as to how Alma and the crew are conducting their research.

Patch 1.000.05.00 just went live for Monster Hunter Wilds, fixing some quest progression blockers and addressing bugs. Performance tunings are still on the way, as the game still sits at a 'mixed' overall rating on Steam as of this writing.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough in progress, a Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your Monster Hunter Wilds Beta character over.

IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Actress Kaitlyn Dever has discussed playing Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, admitting she finds it hard to stop herself from looking at reaction on the internet.

Much toxicity surrounds the character of Abby in particular, with some choosing to voice their frustration at the fictional character's actions by harassing Naughty Dog employees including Neil Druckmann and actress Laura Bailey. This included threats and abuse targeting her, her parents, and her two-year-old son.

HBO was even wary of this reception while filming Season 2, as Dever was given extra security in case of escalated action. "There's so many strange people in this world because there are people that actually genuinely hate Abby, who is not a real person. Just a reminder: not a real person," said actress Isabel Merced, who plays Dina in Season 2.

Now, in an interview with ScreenRant, Dever was asked if she pays attention to the anticipation surrounding Abby's portrayal in the show.

“Well, it's hard not to see those things on the internet,” she responded.

“It's hard not to stop myself from looking at it every once in a while, especially going into this, for sure. And I want to do this character justice and make the fans proud by bringing her to life in this kind of way.

But my main focus was just the collaboration between Neil and Craig [Mazin], and making sure I was really getting to the core of who she is and what drives her and her emotional state; her anger and her frustration and her grief and all of that. I wanted to make sure that that was what I was focusing most of my energy on.”

Last month, Druckmann said the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2 won't feature Abby as such a muscly character as her role in Season 2 doesn't need to emulate certain video game mechanics.

Druckmann and fellow showrunner Craig Mazin told Entertainment Weekly that Dever didn't need to bulk up for the role because Abby didn't need to feel as distinct mechanically to Ellie.

"We would've struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role," Druckmann said. "In the game, you have to play both [Ellie and Abby] and we need them to play differently. We needed Ellie to feel smaller and kind of maneuver around, and Abby was meant to play more like Joel in that she's almost like a brute in the way she can physically manhandle certain things.

"That doesn't play as big of a role in this version of the story because there's not as much violent action moment to moment. It's more about the drama. I'm not saying there's no action here. It's just, again, different priorities and how you approach it."

Mazin chimed in too: "I personally think there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger. And then the question is: 'Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?' That's something that will be explored now and later."

The now and later comment likely refers to HBO's plans to extend The Last of Us Part 2 beyond a single season, unlike the critically acclaimed Season 1 which covered the entirety of the original game. Mazin has said previously that Part 2 features a lot more story to cover, so while Season 3 isn't greenlit as of yet, they've built Season 2 with a "natural breakpoint" after just seven episodes.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

It's Mario's big day, and Nintendo's plumber is getting a new Lego set with quite a few pieces in the box. Lego has revealed a new Mario Kart Lego set today, March 10, with almost 2,000 pieces and an "18+" age recommendation, arriving on May 15, 2025. It's available to preorder now at the LEGO Store.

Originally spotted popping up on some store listings, Lego has officially unveiled the set, which includes both Mario and his Standard Kart from the Mario Kart series. It's a detailed model, meant for display and decor, with a special stand meant to showcase Mario and his kart at various angles.

On Lego's site, the company clocks the Mario Kart build at 1,972 pieces with a recommended "18+" Ages rating. This is due to the complexity of the build, it seems, and the intention of the product versus sets meant for play. "This building kit is part of a large assortment of LEGO Sets for Adults designed for people who enjoy hands-on creative activities to relax," Lego said in its description.

Here we go! 🏆 Launching May 15th 🏁 #LEGOSuperMario #MarioKart pic.twitter.com/NZ13sCIFHo

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 10, 2025

The tenor of this build certainly seems aimed at the older, "advanced" builder of Lego. It also works with the Lego Builder app, which offers in-app building instructions and tools that let builders zoom and rotate around a 3D image of the model as they build. The final result is a posable, Lego-made Mario in his Kart.

Lego and Mario have built up a solid relationship over the years, with the collaboration resulting in numerous crossover sets. There's the Lego Super Mario line, which erred more on the side of interactive play and incorporated some game elements into its set design.

Activision has confirmed the release date for the return of original Verdansk map to Call of Duty: Warzone.

Verdansk returns to the battle royale on April 3 alongside Season 3, Activision said alongside the following tease: “Get ready for the drop zones and familiar terrain that players loved, alongside new updates to explore.”

There’s even a teaser trailer, below, to whet players’ appetites.

Verdansk returns to Warzone as part of its fifth anniversary celebration. Since launching in March 2020, the free-to-download Warzone has seen more than 125 million players. Fueled by stay-at-home gaming during the pandemic, Warzone changed Call of Duty forever, and in the years since has become tied to the release of each annual premium game in the shooter series.

However, Warzone has suffered a troubling 12 months, with an ongoing backlash over cheating that Activision is struggling to get a handle on, and a perceived lack of content fueling what many in the community believe is a shrinking playerbase. The pressure is on Verdansk to breathe new life into Warzone, and Activision will be hoping a spot of nostalgia for the way the battle royale was at launch will help it along.

The April 3 release date for Season 3 of Warzone and Black Ops 6 is a little later than expected, as the countdown on the current battle pass had suggested a reset on March 20. Last week, Activision said "we’re taking the time to deliver a great experience."

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Nintendo Switch 2 filings have revealed Near Field Communication (NFC) support, which means Amiibo will probably work with the next-gen console.

As spotted by The Verge, Federal Communication Commission (FCC) filings confirm the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) feature is located in the Switch 2’s right Joy-Con, as with the original Switch. The question is, will Switch 2 support existing Amiibo that already unlock in-game content?

Elsewhere, the filings confirm you can charge the Switch 2 from either its bottom USB-C port or the new top one, functionality fans expected following the console’s official reveal. Switch 2 will also support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) networks with up to 80MHz of bandwidth, up from Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) on the original Switch. There’s no mention in the filings of Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E, The Verge pointed out.

And finally, Switch 2 is still rated for a maximum of 15V, but the filings mention an AC adapter that goes up to 20V, leaving actual charging speed unknown.

Last month, a Nintendo patent suggested Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers could be attached upside down. It seems the Switch 2 operates with gyro mechanics in a similar way to how phones work without screen lock. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, which had rails for the Joy-Cons to attach and lock into place, the new controllers feature magnets that presumably allow them to be attached on either side.

While this won't make much of a difference on the hardware front, it will allow players to essentially choose where they'd like certain buttons, the headphone port, and so on. If it makes it into the final product, the flipping ability may spark interesting gameplay mechanics, too.

If the Nintendo Switch 2 will work as the patent suggests, Nintendo will likely outline the feature fully at the special Nintendo Direct event. This will take place at 6am Pacific / 9am Eastern / 2pm UK time on April 2.

The Nintendo Switch 2 likely isn't far from release either, as while Nintendo hasn't confirmed any window yet, some suggest it will be between June and September. This is because hands on events are taking place up until June and Greedfall 2 publisher Nacon said the console will be out before September.

The Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed earlier in January with a brief trailer that confirmed backwards compatibility features and the addition of a second USB-C port. Most details, such as its other games and what the heck the mysterious new Joy-Con button does, were left out, though the Joy-Con mouse theory did gain a traction.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The James Bond rumor mill continues following the shock news that Amazon had taken full creative control over 007, and we’re no closer to knowing who will play the famous spy in whatever’s next.

However, according to a new report, James Bond will remain a man and still be British or from the Commonwealth. The Mail on Sunday said that Amazon circulated an internal memo stipulating James Bond would not change gender or nationality under its tenure.

That’s sure to please Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day from 1995 to 2002. Speaking to The Telegraph, Brosnan said ‘it’s a given’ that 007 should be British.

However, if an actor from the Commonwealth is possible, that leaves the door open to Australian Chris Hemsworth, who has expressed his interest in playing the character in the past. In 2019, the Thor and Extraction star told Balance magazine, after the publication pointed out his performance as British Formula One driver James Hunt made him a perfect candidate: “When we were shooting Rush someone had said that and I thought, ‘Cool, if this is my audition tape, then great.’ I don’t think you’ll ever meet anyone who doesn’t want to have a crack at James Bond. I’d love to do it.

“But that’s up to so many elements and is way beyond myself; it’s not one you can pitch yourself on to either. It’s something that the community of Bond fans, Barbara Broccoli and the whole crew there agree on, and it has to be a very organic decision from them. There have been a lot of names thrown out there and a lot of brilliant people can tackle that one.”

Hemsworth's comments have now resurfaced following the Mail on Sunday's report and word that a man from the Commonwealth could play Bond. The Today Show Australia took the speculation and declared: "It's a surety. He is in."

Assassin’s Creed Shadows may be the latest game in the long-running series, but its feudal Japan setting places it at the midpoint of the series’ historical timeline. That’s because Assassin’s Creed doesn’t progress chronologically; this long-running franchise hops forwards and backwards in time between each entry, exploring significant events from as far back as the Peloponnesian War in Ancient Greece, and right up to the dawn of the First World War.

With 14 games in the mainline series and counting, the timeline of these events is increasingly complex. That’s why IGN has pored over every scrap of lore to make sense of the series' centuries-spanning timeline, the overarching story, and how the games all fit together. The result is this timeline, which covers all the key events in the Assassin’s Creed timeline in chronological order.

The Isu Era
75,000 BCE

Before we can jump into the timeline, we need to cover a little bit of lore. Waaaay back when, a highly advanced civilization of god-like beings ruled the earth. Known as the Isu, they created the human race to act as their slaves. Humanity was kept under Isu control through the use of the Apples of Eden, a collection of incredibly powerful artefacts. People generally dislike being enslaved, though, and so two humans – Eve and Adam – stole an Apple of Eden and escaped the Isu, triggering something of a revolutionary war.

The war between the Isu and humanity continued for a decade, but was cut short when a solar flare hit the earth. The Isu were obliterated. The remains of humanity, meanwhile, were able to rise from the ashes and inherit the earth.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
431 to 422 BCE - Peloponnesian War

As the Peloponnesian War rages in Greece, a mercenary named Kassandra discovers The Cult of Kosmos; a shadowy organisation that has secretly been orchestrating the war. Among their number is her long-lost brother, Alexios, who was kidnapped by the Cult as a child and turned into a demigod-like human weapon. Kassandra learns that the Cult targeted Alexios because he possesses the genes of their grandfather, legendary Spartan King Leonidas, who was a direct descendant of the Isu.

Kassandra embarks on a mission to halt the Cult’s plan to dominate Greece, during which she learns that the organisation is using an Isu device that calculates possible futures to help control the war. Kassandra kills the key members of the Cult and destroys the Isu device, bringing the conflict in Greece to an end.

During her quest Kassandra is reunited with her biological father, Pythagoras, who is also a descendant of the Isu. Pythogoras gives Kassandra the Staff of Hermes, an Isu artifact that grants immortality, and asks her to become the eternal guardian of Atlantis.

Assassin’s Creed Origins
49 to 43 BCE - Ptolemaic Egypt

During the era of Cleopatra’s rule over Egypt, The Order of the Ancients – another shadowy organisation that worked in collaboration with the Cult of Kosmos – kidnaps a peacekeeper called Bayek and his son. The Order believes Bayek’s bloodline is the key to unlocking an Isu vault, but he is unable to do so. In the fight to escape his kidnappers Bayek accidentally kills his son. Devastated, he vows to take revenge on those responsible.

Bayek and his wife Aya work to dismantle The Order, which establishes control over Egypt using its puppet Pharoah, Ptolemy, and by bringing both Cleopatra and Julius Caesar into their ranks. While the couple are able to track down and kill the men who wronged them, they learn that The Order is not a local villain but in fact a globe-spanning conspiracy intent on controlling politics and religion by finding and using the Isu’s Apples of Eden. In an effort to fight against The Order’s oppression Bayek and Aya establish The Hidden Ones; a secret collective of spies and assassins that operate out of Egypt and Rome.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage
861 - Islamic Golden Age

Almost a century later The Hidden Ones have established a number of strongholds across the world, including the mountain fortress of Alamut in Iran. There Basim, a street thief from Baghdad, is trained as an assassin and tasked with investigating The Order of the Ancients’ activities in his home city. Basim discovers that The Order seeks an Isu temple buried beneath Alamut and helps the assassins fend off The Order’s invading forces. Inside the temple Basim finds a technologically advanced prison which once held Loki – an Isu now considered a god by the Norse people. Basim learns that he is a reincarnation of Loki and vows to take revenge on those who imprisoned him in his former life.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
872 to 878 - Viking Invasion of England

During the following decade Basim travels with a Viking clan to England in hunt of more members of The Order of the Ancients. There, the clan’s leader Sigurd and his sibling Eivor travel the country in search of allies to help them establish their settlement, Ravensthorpe. As the pair aid neighbouring communities they learn of the tyranny of King Alfred, a leader within The Order who wishes to overthrow the current regime and replace it with a Christian system.

After discovering an Isu artifact Sigurd begins to experience visions that convince him he is a god. Returning to Norway to investigate the hallucinations, Basim reveals that Eivor and Sigurd are reincarnations of Odin and Týr – the Isu who imprisoned Loki – and that he has been hunting them down to enact his revenge. Eivor survives the attack and traps Basim in a simulated world generated by an Isu computer shaped like the Yggdrasil tree. Traumatised by the events, Sigurd passes leadership of the clan to Eivor, who heads back to England to defeat King Afred at the Battle of Chippenham and return to Ravensthorpe as a hero.

Assassin’s Creed
1191 - Third Crusade

The next three hundred years see The Hidden Ones adapt and change, eventually becoming known as the Assassin Brotherhood by the end of the 11th century. Its foe also evolves; King Afred’s quest for a God-fearing system morphs The Order of the Ancients into the The Knights Templar. But while the cult’s structure is new, its goals are not: the Templars are still hell-bent on establishing a new world order.

During the era of the Third Crusade, the assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad works with the Brotherhood in the Holy Land to steal an Apple of Eden from the Templars. While the theft is successful, Altaïr’s arrogant tactics result in the death of fellow assassin Kadar. The Brotherhood's leader, Al Mualim, tasks Altaïr in hunting down and assassinating nine Templar leaders in order to make up for his mistake.

Altaïr completes his task, but with each Templar killed he gradually pieces together their conspiracy to use the Apple of Eden’s powers. But there’s a twist: Al Mualim had worked with and then double-crossed the Templars to secure the Apple for himself, and plans to use its powers to forcefully impose “peace” upon the world. Altaïr has no choice but to kill his former master and take control of the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed 2
1476 to 1499 - Italian Renaissance

Fast forward to the Italian Renaissance and Ezio Auditore Da Firenze finds himself inducted into the Assassin Brotherhood as he seeks revenge for the death of his father and brothers (an execution arranged by, you guessed it, the Templars). Using his father’s assassin equipment and new tools developed by Leonardo Da Vinci himself, Ezio wages war against the Templar-aligned Borgia family. It’s a quest that sees Ezio take possession of an Apple of Eden, which reveals the location of a secret Isu vault beneath the Vatican. The Templars already know this secret, though, and Grand Master Rodrigo Borgia is made Pope so that he can access the Vatican’s hidden chamber. And so there’s no other option: Ezio has to challenge the literal ruler of the Catholic church to a boxing match.

Emerging victorious, Ezio uses the Apple to unseal the vault. Inside he’s confronted by a vision of the Isu Minerva, who informs the assassin of an impending doom due to befall the earth in 2012. She reveals that a network of Isu vaults hidden across the world could be the key to surviving this future disaster.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
1499 to 1507 - Italian Renaissance

Ezio may have defeated the Pope in a fistfight but he didn’t kill him, a decision that backfires when Borgia’s Papal Army besieges Ezio’s Monteriggioni villa and steals the Apple of Eden. In retaliation Ezio helps the weakened Assassin Brotherhood build up its strength and numbers, a quest that sees him become the leader of the Italian Bureau. The Assassins dismantle the Borgia regime in Rome and reclaim the Apple of Eden, which Ezio hides in an Isu vault beneath the Roman Colosseum, safe from the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Revelations
1511 to 1512 - Ottoman Civil War

In search of more information about the mysterious Isu, Ezio travels to the former Assassin Brotherhood headquarters, Masyaf, to investigate a library built by Altaïr. Annoyingly, the Templars have already discovered the library and begun to collect the five keys required to unlock it. To halt their progress, Ezio travels to Constantinople where he allies with the Ottoman Assassins against the local Byzantine Templars. His efforts disrupt the Templars' goal to re-establish the Byzantine Empire and secure the library keys it had claimed.

Inside the Masyaf library Ezio discovers Altaïr’s remains. The former Assassin leader had locked himself inside with his own Apple of Eden in an effort to keep it out of the hands of the Templars. The Apple projects a message from Jupiter, another Isu, who reveals that important data that could aid humanity survive the apocalypse has been collected in the Grand Temple. Understanding that this knowledge is not meant for him but instead a mysterious observer, Ezio leaves the library and keeps the Apple locked inside as Altaïr had intended. He retires from his duty but shortly thereafter dies due to the injuries accumulated over his three decades working with the Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows
1579 - Sengoku Period

We currently know very little about the storyline of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but what we do know is that in the 16th century an African mercenary travels with a Catholic Jesuit missionary to Japan. There he meets Oda Nobunaga, a powerful lord in the process of politically unifying the country’s warring clans. Nobunaga makes the African man one of his samurai. Taking the name Yasuke, the African man helps invade the Iga province in 1581 as part of Nobunaga’s campaign. Iga is home to Naoe, the daughter of shinobi master Fujibayashi Nagato. Despite coming from opposing sides of the conflict, Yasuke and Naoe eventually unite in pursuit of a shared goal.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
1715 to 1722 - Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy, scoundrel Edward Kenway finds himself caught up in a new Templar conspiracy after killing an Assassin and taking their place. He attends a secret meeting where he learns that the Templars have arrived in the Caribbean in search of The Observatory, an Isu machine capable of spying on any human. With it they hope to blackmail world leaders. However, only the ‘Sage’ can unlock the Observatory; a human reincarnation of the Isu Aita. The Templars seek the current reincarnation of Aita, a pirate named Bartholomew Roberts.

Seeing an opportunity to use The Observatory for profit, Edward embarks on a quest to find Roberts and disrupt the Templars. He allies with a group of pirates and helps establish an independent pirate republic before finally uniting with Roberts. The pair unlock The Observatory but disagree on what to do with it. Edward is soon betrayed by Roberts, who takes the skull-shaped artifact powering the device and locks Edward inside. Proving savvy enough to escape, Edward soon tracks down Roberts to retrieve the stolen skull and take his bloody revenge. He then returns to The Observatory, where he assassinates Templar leader Laureano de Torres y Ayala and seals the skull away, deciding the safety of the world is more important than his personal quest for riches. His war against the Templars concluded, Edward returns to his home in England where he lives out his days with his daughter, Jennifer, and son, Haytham.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue
1752 to 1776 - French and Indian War

Shay Patrick Cormac is sent by the Assassin Brotherhood to retrieve an Isu artifact from a temple in Lisbon. Shay’s disturbing of the temple causes an earthquake that almost completely destroys the city. Struck down with guilt, Shay decides to leave the Brotherhood and steal their map of Isu temples. The Assassins attempt to kill Shay for his betrayal, but he is rescued by Templars who take him to New York.

Over a number of years Shay gradually climbs the ranks of the Templar Order, killing a number of prominent Assassins as he does. His work puts him on the trail of his former master, Achilles, whom he tracks to the Arctic in hope of halting the Brotherhood’s search for more Isu temples. There, he and fellow Templar Haytham Kenway – yes, son of Edward Kenway! – injure Achilles but stop short of killing him, leaving him alive to ensure he prevents the Assassins from unearthing any more Isu temples.

In 1776, on a trip to Versailles to eliminate an Assassin, Shay suggests that the Templars start a revolution in France in response to a recent uprising sparked by the Assassins in America.

Assassin’s Creed 3
1754 to 1783 - American Revolution

The Templars set their sights on unlocking the Isu’s Grand Temple. Haytham Kenway murders a man in London to obtain the key, and then travels to the Mohawk-guarded site of the Temple in the American Colonies. Haytham fails to work out how to unlock the Temple, but finds himself falling in love with a Mohawk woman named Kaniehti:io. Together they have a child, Ratonhnhaké:ton, but Haytham eventually abandons his new family.

Years later, the Mohawk settlement is burned to the ground and Kaniehti:io is killed. Seeking revenge, Ratonhnhaké:ton renames himself Connor Kenway and trains with a reluctant Achilles to become an Assassin. Against the backdrop of the American Revolution, Connor eliminates the Templars hidden within the British forces. His quest eventually reunites him with Haytham, with whom he hopes to work with to establish some kind of peace. However, Haytham believes it’s vital that the Templars control the nation, and the pair’s conflicting ideals end in a son killing his father. Connor takes the Isu Grand Temple key and buries it, denying the Templars their end goal.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation
1765 to 1777 - Spanish Occupation of Louisiana

Occuring in parallel to Connor’s journey, New Orleans-based assassin Aveline de Grandpré learns of a Templar plot to control Louisiana. Following the trail, Aveline learns that the plot is part of a much larger conspiracy organised by the ‘Company Man’, who is using slaves to unearth an Isu temple. On her crusade to disrupt the Templars and free the slaves, Aveline collects three components that link together to form a Isu device called a ‘Prophecy Disk’.

Aveline eventually discovers that the Company Man is her own stepmother, who has been grooming her with the intent of inducting her into the Templars. Aveline kills her stepmother and then activates the Prophecy Disk, which tells the story of Eve; the leader of the human rebellion against the Isu.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
1789 to 1794 - French Revolution

Arno Dorian is orphaned as a child when Shay Cormac murders his father in Versailles. He’s taken in by François de la Serre, the Grand Master of the French Templars, and grows up alongside his new sister, Élise. As an adult, Arno is framed for the murder of de la Serre and imprisoned in the Bastille. There he meets a member of the Assassin Brotherhood who offers to help Arno track down his adoptive father’s killer.

The Brotherhood’s investigation uncovers a rift within the Templars led by the extremist François-Thomas Germain – the man behind de la Serre’s murder. Germain plots to revolt against France’s monarchy and ignite revolution. As Paris falls into chaos, Arno and Élise work together to track down Germain. They pursue him to an underground Templar crypt where he attempts to use a Sword of Eden, a powerful Isu weapon, to kill Arno. However, the sword unexpectedly explodes, killing Élise and wounding Germain. In his final moments the Templar reveals that he is the current Sage. Arno later seals Germain’s remains in the Paris Catacombs, ensuring they stay out of reach of the Templars.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
1868 - Victorian England

In 1868, twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye arrive in London in search of The Shroud, another Isu device. They soon discover that the Templars have seized complete control over the city through use of industry figures, political leaders, and organised crime. The twins split up to complete parallel goals: Jacob focuses on assassinating the Templars’ leadership, while Evie attempts to beat the Templars in the race to find The Shroud.

While all of his lieutenants are killed during Jacob’s bloody spree, Templar leader Crawford Starrick still manages to learn that The Shroud is being held in a vault beneath Buckingham Palace. He steals the device, but his plans to kill Britain’s leaders are halted when Jacob and Evie assassinate him. The twins return The Shroud to the vault, netting another victory for the Assassin Brotherhood.

In the following years, Jacob is made head of the London Assassins and Evie manages to track down and assassinate grisly serial killer Jack the Ripper. The pair later move to the countryside, where Evie raises her daughter, Lydia, as an Assassin. During the First World War, Lydia is tasked by Winston Churchill to investigate a German spy facility in London, which just so happens to be staffed by Templars. Lydia’s mission concludes when she kills the espionage network’s leader, who is revealed to be the latest Isu Sage.

Transition Period
1914 to 2012

While the majority of each Assassin’s Creed game is set during a historical time period, the series as a whole uses a framing story set during the modern era. During the transition period between Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s Victorian era and the start of the modern storyline, the Templars create Abstergo Industries. A pharmaceutical company established in 1937, Abstergo is part of the Templars efforts to control the world through capitalism. In the late 1970s, Abstergo begins development of the Animus: a virtual reality machine capable of exploring the memories of a person’s ancestors. By exploring the past, Abstergo hopes to control the future.

Assassin’s Creed 1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, and 3
2012

In 2012, bartender Desmond Miles is abducted by Abstergo Industries and forced to use the Animus. Abstergo intends to use Desmond, who is descended from Altaïr, to locate the Apples of Eden and other Isu artefacts. Thankfully for Desmond there’s an Assassin Brotherhood mole working at Abstergo, Lucy Stillman, and she helps him escape from the facility.

Desmond is brought to a Brotherhood safehouse where he works with Lucy and her teammates, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane, to explore the memories of another one of his ancestors: Ezio. Desmond learns of the impending apocalypse via Ezio’s encounter with Minerva beneath the Vatican, kickstarting the Assassins’ quest to prevent the end of the world.

By exploring more of Ezio’s memories, Desmond is able to find the Apple of Eden that was hidden beneath the Roman Colosseum. Unfortunately, the Apple projects a vision of Juno, a villainous Isu who possesses Desmond and forces him to kill Lucy. The traumatic ordeal puts Desmond into a coma, but he’s still able to explore Ezio’s final memories despite such a medical emergency. Through them he observes Ezio’s discovery of Altaïr’s library and Jupiter’s message revealing the existence of the Grand Temple.

Awakening from his coma, Desmond travels with Shaun and Rebecca to the Isu Grand Temple in New York where they meet with William Miles, Desmond’s father and the leader of the modern Assassin Brotherhood. By reliving the memories of Connor Kenway, Desmond is able to locate the key to the Temple. Inside, the group discover that the Isu technology can prevent the apocalypse but at the cost of killing Desmond and unleashing the imprisoned Juno, who plans to control humanity. Desmond decides to sacrifice himself, believing humanity will be able to defeat Juno.

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
2013

Abstergo uses samples taken from Desmond’s body to continue their hunt for Isu technology via his ancestor’s memories. In hopes of discovering the location of The Observatory, Abstergo assigns “The Noob”, an unnamed researcher, to explore the memories of Edward Kenway.

During their assignment The Noob is tasked by the company’s head of IT, John Standish, to hack Abstergo’s computers in hunt of information on the Assassins. Standish is eventually revealed to be the modern-day Sage, and he intends to use The Noob as a host for Juno. However, it turns out that Juno is not yet ready to emerge into the world, and so Standish attempts to murder The Noob to keep her existence secret. Unfortunately for him, he’s killed by Abstergo security, who believe him responsible for the hacks.

Assassin’s Creed Unity
2014

In a bold attempt to track down the remains of former Sages, Abstergo releases “Helix” to the public; a video game-like software that allows players to experience genetic memories. Guided by an Assassin called Bishop, an unnamed initiate relives the life of Arno Dorian in search of the remains of François-Thomas Germain, a Sage from the 1700s. Learning that Arno sealed Germain’s bones away in the Paris Catacombs, Bishop believes the Sage’s remains are safe from Abstergo’s grasp.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
2015

The following year, the initiate is tasked with finding The Shroud, an Isu device hidden in London. By exploring the memories of Jacob and Evie Frye the initiate learns that The Shroud is hidden beneath Buckingham Palace. Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane are sent to retrieve it but Abstergo beats them to it. By hacking a senior Templar’s computer, the Assassins learn that Abstergo intends to use The Shroud to create a living Isu. It is revealed that Juno also has her eyes on The Shroud, and has been manipulating Abstergo employees in an attempt to sabotage the Templar’s plans.

Assassin’s Creed Origins
2017

Layla Hassan, a researcher for Abstergo, has ambitions of joining the company’s Animus Project. In an attempt to prove her talent she develops a new version of the Animus capable of exploring memories via a DNA sample, completely skipping the need to find a biological descendant. On a trip to Egypt she discovers the mummified remains of Bayek and Aya and uses their DNA to relive the origins of The Hidden Ones. Layla is then contacted by William Miles, who offers her a position in the Assassin Brotherhood.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
2018

Using DNA samples recovered from the Spear of Leonidas, Layla is able to relive the memories of Kassandra and discover the location of Atlantis. In the mythical city she comes face to face with the Greek mercenary, kept alive for centuries thanks to the Staff of Hermes. Kassandra explains that the world needs balance between the Templars and Assassins to prevent disaster, and reveals that Layla is prophesied to bring that balance. As her final act, Kassandra gifts Laya the Staff of Hermes. Relieved of her duty to guard Atlantis, she dies in Layla’s arms.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2020

After observing fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, Layla and the Assassins recover Viking remains in New England and use them to explore the memories of Eivor. Through them Layla discovers the existence of the Yggdrasil computer which is located in an Isu temple in Norway. Simultaneously, the Assassins learn that the magnetic field disturbances are a result of the apocalypse-preventing Isu technology that Desmond Miles activated in 2012.

Laya travels to the Norway temple and uses Yggdrasil to enter its simulation, hoping to find a way to stabilise the magnetic field. Inside she meets Basim, trapped there by Eivor, and a figure called “The Reader”, a manifestation of Desmond’s mind. Abandoning her mortal form, Layla works with The Reader to prevent future apocalypses. Basim, meanwhile, escapes the simulation and claims the Staff of Hermes, which is revealed to contain the consciousness of Loki’s lover, Aletheia. He then joins the Assassin Brotherhood and uses their Animus to begin his quest to track down Loki’s children.

Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.