Š uvula LLC
Š Lunchbox Entertainment Inc.
Š Warhorse Studios
Š Microsoft/Getty Images, edited by Future
Š Sega
Š Stunlock Studios
The LEGO Mario Kart: Mario & Standard Kart, available for preorder right now, is a build that everyone can love. Casual builders will appreciate its bright primary colors and its big, chunky parts, which make for a surefire crowd-pleaser. Experienced LEGO builders will appreciate the intricacy of the Kart's construction and the absence of stickers; every piece of visual flair is printed directly onto the bricks themselves.
The new set's long, official name â LEGO Mario Kart: Mario & Standard Kart â denotes that LEGO Mario Kart is a subgenre under the larger LEGO Mario banner. By that logic, can we hope for more Kart sets of this size and scope? Yes, there are playset-scaled Kart sets (see at Amazon). But surely, there's an audience for a large Luigi in a Sports Coupe or a large Princess Peach on a Cat Cruiser.
Divided across 17 bags, Mario & Standard Kart is two separate builds. The first build is the Standard Kart. You construct a LEGO Technic mesh, held together by pins and reinforced by bricks, to form the Kart's floorboard. Then you attach the individual parts of the body shell via rods and clamps, including its rockets/exhaust pipes, its side panels, and its steering mechanism, which also forms the Kart's front exterior.
The steering mechanism deserves special mention because of how it marries form to function. One end fastens to the front of the set via clamps, and then you 'fold' it onto the hood, as if it were a storm door on a hinge. You rig it so that when you turn the steering wheel, the front wheels also turn accordingly.
The Kart construction process is more involved and detail-oriented than you might think. The build looks simple, but it takes a lot of tiny, little steps to create that big cumulative effect. It's a delightful contradiction that the build manages to look sophisticated â like labor went into its creation â despite its inherent childishness and whimsy.
Once you're done with the Kart, you build Mario, whose construction follows the same general procedure as The Mighty Bowser's from three years ago. First, you build the torso, with ball-and-socket connections at its extremities. Then you build two legs, which attach at the bottom. Then two arms, which you attach at the sides. And finally, the head and hat, which you attach at the top. Interestingly, the hat is the most complex part of the Mario build; you attach two separate, smaller builds to the top of Mario's head to create its signature, bent appearance.
Mario is ubiquitous, but building him meant that I also had to flesh out his smaller, less iconic details â the hair sticking out from under his hat, the marking on his gloves, the rolled up cuffs on his jeans. My 10-year-old son and I love building jigsaw puzzles together, and whenever we put together a famous painting, we notice colors and brushstrokes that we wouldn't otherwise notice or appreciate. That's what it's like to build Mario out of LEGO â you see little things that contribute to the whole, even if they don't stand out on their own.
Unfortunately, Mario is not separable from the Kart. He has no butt; his torso anchors directly onto a gray plate, which in turn attaches to the Kart seat. It is both frustrating and understandable why LEGO did this. A solo Mario build, with fully articulable limbs, would sell like hotcakes, and LEGO and Nintendo wouldn't give it away so easily.
No doubt, thousands of LEGO fans will figure out a way to modify this model and make it stand independently of the Kart. But for now, there is no official way to make this happen. Maybe it would be a good DIY project for a rainy weekend?
Regardless, the final result looks fantastic. The Kart mounts on a buildable stand, which you can tilt upwards or downwards and rotate 360 degrees. This gives you some flexibility; you can pose the Kart any way you wish, whether going uphill, or going downhill, or sliding into a banked turn. I pose my Mario by having him grip the steering wheel with his left hand and pump the air with his right hand. You can almost hear the "Whoo-hoo!"
If this is the direction LEGO's heading? I'm all for it. Two of the most impressive LEGO sets from the past three years have been Mario-themed. The Mighty Bowser debuted in 2022. The Piranha Plant debuted in 2003. The Mario & Standard Kart reaches that same high standard by balancing build quality with visual presentation. And the more big replicas of Mario iconography that we get, the better.
LEGO Mario Kart: Mario & Standard Kart, Set #72037, retails for $169.99, and it is composed of 1972 pieces. It will launch exclusively at the LEGO Store on May 15. Preorder now.
Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.
LEGO has released a lot of realy cool Disney and Star Wars sets over the years, but never has there been a crossover quite like this. A LEGO fan has decided to take the seemingly innocent young Simba set and turn it into a Millennium Falcon.
Reddit user Minute_Food_2881 (Brad Barber) took to Reddit last week to unveil his creation, which takes the fairly cheep LEGO Simba set and turns it into a Millennium Falcon. It's a rather impressive build considering the Disney set he's working with is only 222 pieces and costs less than $20. Although the finished set looks like some sort of sci-fi horror where flesh meets spacecraft, it is undeniably shaped like a Millennium Falcon and is priced incredibly reasonably compared to other Millennium Falcon LEGO sets (though the most recent one happens to be on sale right now for $67.99 at Amazon).
You can currently pick up the same set this guy used for only $15.99 on Amazon. He has also provided detailed instructions about how to build it yourself via the Rebrickable website for only $3. If you have a love for both Star Wars and The Lion King, now is your chance to combine those two things into something much worse.
Outside of this weird creation, LEGO actually did release a bunch of new Star Wars sets this month for May the Fourth. While there were no Millenium Falcons in this lineup, there was a new Jango Fett ship, a Star Wars logo build, and several cool new helmet. You can find a list of all of the new Star Wars builds available below or dive into our larger list of new LEGO sets for May for all of the latest options.
Š Ganz
Š Bethesda
Š 407 Games
Š Oro Interactive
Š Blizzard Entertainment
Š Saber Interactive/Astartes Team
Š The Coalition
Š semiwork
A big part of the fun with Star Wars Day each year is seeing a new wave of toys and collectibles revealed by companies like Hasbro, Sideshow, and Hot Toys. This year's event certainly didn't disappoint, as we got glimpses of a wide range of upcoming products, ranging from less than $20 to over $1500. What can we say? Being a Star Wars collector is nothing if not an expensive hobby.
From Sideshow's epic Luke Skywalker Red 5 statue to Hasbro's nostalgia-heavy Episode III figures to Hot Toys' mind-bogglingly detailed Jar Jar Binks figure, these were the coolest figures and collectibles revealed during Star Wars Day 2025.
Hot Toys revealed quite the impressive lineup of 1:6 scale figures for Star Wars Day, including a couple of major characters who have surprisingly never gotten the Hot Toys treatment before now. The real surprise is definitely the Jar Jar Binks figure. Love him or hate him, there's no denying that this Jar Jar looks like he walked right off the screen. He's even got seamless arm joints and two swappable face sculpts for recreating all those wacky poses.
Hot Toys is also filling a glaring hole in the Sequel Trilogy lineup by finally releasing a Poe Dameron figure. Fittingly, Poe is wearing his Resistance X-Wing jumpsuit. We're also getting another of the fan-favorite Republic Commandos in the form of Clone Commando Boss, and the company's new Star Wars Rebels-inspired line of animated figures is getting a Darth Vader to accompany the previously announced Stormtrooper figures.
Hasbro revealed a number of new figures in both the 6-inch Black Series line and 3 3/4-inch Vintage Collection line. Hasbro continues to capitalize on the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith by releasing new Black Series figures in packaging based on the classic RotS toy line. Next up are Aayla Secura and a Magnaguard droid. Black Series collectors can also augment their Imperial trooper collections with a Rogue One-themed 2-pack that includes both a Shoretrooper and a Death Trooper.
On the Vintage Collection front, Hasbro has a couple very interesting multi-pack releases in the works. The "Stormtroopers of the Empire 3-Pack" features a Snowtrooper, Scouttrooper and a Sandtrooper. The "Cantina Adventure 4-Pack" includes four aliens from the iconic Mos Eisley sequence, including Hammerhead, Walrus Man, Greedo, and Snaggletooth. It should go great with Hasbro's crowdfunded Mos Eisley Cantina playset.
Finally, Star Wars prop collectors will be happy to know that a new ForceFX Elite lightsaber based on the weapon used by Rebels' star Ezra Bridger is in the works.
Not to be outdone,. Sideshow Collectibles had a wide lineup of figures, statues, and art prints to reveal. Undoubtedly the showpiece of their Star Wars Day lineup is the Luke Skywalker: Red Five, Standing By Premium Format Figure. This massive 1:4 scale, mixed media statue features Luke decked out in his X-Wing jumpsuit and climbing up the ladder to his trusty ship. What really makes this piece special (and especially expensive) is that Sideshow went to the trouble of actually sculpting a portion of the X-Wing so that it hangs in mid-air.
Sideshow is also continuing to release 1:6 scale figures alongside distributing Hot Toys' releases. Sideshow is focusing on its "Scum and Villainy" line, which highlights the many aliens and creatures that don't necessarily receive attention from Hot Toys. The second wave of Scum and Villainy figures is focused on characters from Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi, like Bib Fortuna, Klaatu, and Vizam.
Finally, Sideshow showed off the latest 1:10 statue from Iron Studios, which happens to be a shrunken-down version of their 1:4 scale Darth Vader statue. This Empire Strikes Back-inspired piece still looks mighty cool in the new, smaller scale.
Let us know in the comments below what your favorite Star Wars Day 2025 reveal was, and why it's Hot Toys Jar Jar.
For more Star Wars collecting fun, check out our ultimate guide to Star Wars figures, and check out the many Star Wars Collectibles available on the IGN Store.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
With streaming prices going up and movies and TV shows hopping from one service to another without warning, it's a good time to own your favorites on physical media. Whether it's to ensure you can always watch them regardless of what streaming services you subscribe to, or you just enjoy the act of collecting, it's good to know when the newest releases are coming out on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. You know, as long as you have a good way to play them (see our list of the best Blu-ray players for help on that front). Below, you'll find a full rundown of release dates and buy links for all the upcoming home releases you're likely to care about.
If you want a TL;DR of the biggest upcoming home movie and TV show releases, look no further than the list above. We keep it updated and change out the featured items regularly. Below, you'll find all the notable upcoming release sorted by release date.
May has some big home releases of movies both new and old. On the new front are Captain America: Brave New World, which releases alongside a new Captain America 4-movie collection. Soderbergh's Black Bag is also out this month, as is Woman in the Yard. Tons of classics are also getting the 4K treatment this month, including the OG animaged Lilo & Stitch (ahead of the upcoming live-action version), as well as Zemeckis's creepy What Lies Beneath, Jason Goes to Hell, Wayne's World 2, and more.
May 6
May 13
May 20
May 27
The entire Jurassic Park/World series is getting new 4K steelbook editions, divided into the Park and World trilogies. Speaking of Spielberg, Jaws is getting a big 50th anniversary release, complete with a 4K steelbook. Also out this month are Longlegs, The Monkey, and A Working Man.
June 3
June 10
June 17
June 24
July 1
July 8
July 15
July 22
July 29
August 5
Want more release dates? Check out our mega-post of all the biggest video game release dates to see what's coming to consoles and PC this year and beyond.
If you're looking to buy a new TV that will make your 4K movies shine, you'll definitely want to take a look at our favorites. Our tech editors have selected the best 4K TVs for gaming, which will also work great for movie-watching. And since both the PS5 and Xbox Series X have 4K Blu-ray play-back built in, you'll probably be doing plenty of gaming on them as well.
The LG G4 is currently our top pick for a gaming TV, but the price on those refelcts their quality. Which is to say they're really expensive. If you want a deal on a terrific TV in a more reasonable price range, you might want to consider picking an LG C3, which costs significantly less for the same size TV. Get the one that best fits your needs and your budget.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert at IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed.
The best Alienware high-end gaming monitor deal just got even better is on sale for this week. The 32" Alienware AW3225QF 4K QD OLED gaming monitor has just dropped to $899.99 with free shipping after a $300 off instant discount. If you're looking for the best 4K gaming monitor, this should definitely be on your short list.
The Alienware AW3225QF was first announced during CES 2024 and is Dell's one of only two OLED monitors that combines a 4K resolution with an OLED panel (the other being the 27" Alienware AW2725Q that was released earlier this year). This monitor incorporates Samsung's QD OLED technology; QD OLED panels are brighter than traditional OLED panels while maintaining near infinite response time, contrast ratio, and black levels that OLEDs are generally known for. The Alienware AW3225QF is HDR True Black 400 certified with up to 1,000 nits of peak brightness. It also boasts a factory calibrated 99.3% DCI-P3 color range, 1700R curve, 240Hz refresh rate, and G-Sync certification.
Connectivity-wise, the AW3225QF has two HDMI 2.1 ports (one with eARC) and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, all of which are capable of 4K at up to 240Hz. There are also a couple of USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports for attaching peripherals and a single USB Type-C port for charging. Dell backs this monitor up with a three-year warranty that includes burn-in protection.
Something to keep in mind is that 4K monitors require a pretty powerful GPU. 4K resolution has 2.25 times more pixels than QHD; if you want to play games in 4K, especially at frame rates of up to 240fps, you'll want a gaming PC equipped with an GeForce RTX 4070 at the minimum. If your PC is equipped with something as powerful as an RTX 4080 Super, RTX 4090, or RX 7900XTX, then this monitor would be the perfect complement.
Check out the best Alienware deals if you're looking for a good gaming PC deal to complement your purchase.
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.
Peacock TV just launched another seasonal coupon code. Get one year of the ad-supported Peacock Premium plan for only $24.99 - or about $2.08 per month - when you apply promo code: "SPRINGSAVINGS". That's 70% off the normal annual price of $79.99. Anyone who isn't currently subscribed to Peacock TV is eligible, and that includes past subscribers with expired accounts. This actually beats out its previous winter sale promotional price of $29.99.
In our recently updated Peacock TV streaming service review, Rosie Knight wrote, "When it comes to growth and evolution since its launch, Peacock has really had an impressive journey. In 2024 it feels like the service has found its niche as an affordable platform with a wide range of viewing options. When every other service is edging closer towards $20 a month, Peacock offers new straight-from-the-theater movies, an untouchable TV back catalog, and even live sports. It's a selection that keeps Peacock in the streaming conversation, while the affordability raises it up to one of the best options."
Since Peacock TV is owned and operated by NBC (Peacock, after all, is named after the NBC logo), you get access to NFL Sunday Night football games. Unfortunately, you will not be able to stream this year's Super Bowl LIX (Eagles and Chiefs) since it is being televised by Fox. You also get access to other live sports like Premier League, Big Ten Football, and WWE.
Peacock has a couple of other big wins. This is the only platform where you're able to stream all episodes of The Office for no additional fee. If you aren't familiar with the inter-work relationships between Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute, you are seriously missing out. If that still doesn't tickle your fancy, Yellowstone is another outstanding TV series that just recently ended with its fifth season. (This was a Paramount original that Peacock had the streaming rights to because Paramount made a deal with Peacock before Paramount+ existed. Complicated!) Video game aficionados will find plenty of things to like here as well, like the superbly animated new Super Mario Bros. kids' flick, the Five Night At Freddies supernatural horror, or the Twisted Metal TV series.
Check out more of the best streaming service free trials that are 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.
Rockstar Games has revealed that Grand Theft Auto 6's release date is May 26, 2026, and indie game publisher Devolver Digital says itâs already making plans to be there with a new game of its own.
The company took a lighthearted shot at what is indisputably set up to be the biggest game launch of 2026 with a release date announcement of its own on X/Twitter. Now that GTA 6 has a proper release date, Devolver Digital has announced plans to release a mystery title on that same May 26 date. Itâs a chaotic marketing strategy that Devolver Digital seems serious about following through on at least for now.
The mystery gameâs release date arrives after the company previously made the promise to launch a game of its own when Rockstar finally announced its long-awaited GTA 6 release date. We now know that date to be May 26 of next year, so naturally, Devolver Digital has a message: âYou canât escape us.â
You canât escape us.
â Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) May 2, 2025
May 26, 2026 it is then. https://t.co/eVa5bB1vrh
Devolver Digital has an extensive library of smaller-scale titles such as Hotline Miami, Enter the Gungeon, The Messenger, Katana Zero, Cult of the Lamb, and more. Whether the company plans to release a follow-up to an existing series or something new entirely remains to be seen. Upcoming entries in its catalog of games include Baby Steps and Stick It to the Stickman, two projects that are due out before 2025 comes to an end. Thereâs also Enter the Gungeon 2 and Human Fall Flat 2, which are both expected to arrive sometime in 2026, though developer No Brakes Games has already assured fans that it has no intention of releasing the latter on May 26.
We can confirm that Human Fall Flat 2 will NOT be releasing on May 26, 2026 https://t.co/zl3GbjSmia
â Human Fall Flat (@HumanFallFlat) May 2, 2025
More than a year out from launch, GTA 6 is already positioned to be a juggernaut video game. Itâll be Rockstarâs first numbered entry in its critically acclaimed sandbox series since 2013, with many doing everything they can to ensure theyâll be able to play on day one. Devolver Digital is doing its best to get a slice of that pie in a very Devolver Digital way, but weâll have to wait to see exactly how it will do so.
For more, you can read up on Rockstarâs history of delaying it big-budget releases. You can also learn more about how a game like GTA 6 affects more than just Rockstarâs plans by clicking here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Spoilers ahead for Marvelâs Thunderbolts*.
Marvel Studios has officially retitled Thunderbolts* as The New Avengers. The studio made the announcement on social media Monday with a change to the title on the filmâs poster. And lest you think this is just a social media stunt on Marvelâs part, the New Avengers poster is already being used by AMC Theaters and Fandango to promote Thunderbolts ticket sales.
Marvel also posted a video of the cast peeling the Thunderbolts title off the poster to reveal The New Avengers underneath it at last week's Hollywood premiere as well as a video of Sebastian Stan changing posters at a bus stop.
The asterisk in the title of Thunderbolts had long been a matter of speculation until the ending of Thunderbolts revealed that Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, U.S. Agent and Sentry/Bob Reynolds were the New Avengers lineup spontaneously announced by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Marvel Studios' #ĚśTĚśhĚśuĚśnĚśdĚśeĚśrĚśbĚśoĚślĚśtĚśsĚś* #TheNewAvengers is now playing only in theaters.
â Marvel Studios* (@MarvelStudios) May 5, 2025
Get tickets: https://t.co/bFq0RNfp6K pic.twitter.com/HWfzmFBANq
Rebranding Thunderbolts as The New Avengers in its second week of release is a shrewd commercial calculation by Marvel Studios and Disney. While Thunderbolts performed well in its opening weekend, topping the domestic box office with $76 million, the Avengers films were billion dollar-grossing blockbusters.
Perhaps the movie will perform even better in the coming weeks now that general audiences know that the film is really a restart of the Avengers franchise.
The New Avengers â along with Sam Wilson/Captain America, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men â will return in Avengers: Doomsday, which is now filming in London. Doctor Doom star Robert Downey Jr. let the New Avengers reveal slip in an Instagram post over the weekend about him and his Doomsday co-stars going to see Thunderbolts but he later deleted the âNew Avengersâ mention from it.
What do you think of Marvel officially retitling Thunderbolts* as The New Avengers? Let us know in the comments.
Happy Monday! Microsoft just announced Gears of War: Reloaded, a remaster of the original 2006 game that will launch on August 26 on Xbox, PC and PlayStation. The shiny new version will come with improved visuals and audio, cross-play and cross-progression, and all the DLC from the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
"As we approach the 20th anniversary of Gears of War in 2026, weâre reflecting on what this franchise means. Itâs about the stories weâve told, the friendships weâve built, and the unforgettable moments weâve shared together. With Gears of War: Reloaded, weâre opening that door to more players than ever," said Mike Crump, Studio Head at The Coalition in the announcement post.
Not only do PlayStation owners get to play, the love can be shared across the console barricades.
"Gears of War: Reloaded is built for shared play â whether youâre teaming up in split-screen or jumping online. The Campaign supports two-player co-op, and Versus Multiplayer allows up to 8 players. With cross-play across all platforms, you and your friends can squad up no matter where you play â no Microsoft account required," confirmed Crump.
However, signing in with a Microsoft account unlocks full cross-platform functionality. It enables cross-progression, so your Campaign and multiplayer progress carries across devices. It also allows you to send invites and play with friends across platforms â like Xbox to PlayStation or Steam to Xbox."
Microsoft also delivered a full list of the improvements that all players - whatever the console - can expect to see:
As a little treat for the Gears of War faithful, Gears of War: Reloaded will be a free upgrade for any players who purchased the digital version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition ahead of today's announcement. If you're one of the special ones expect a code via Xbox DM ahead of the release.
Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.
Ubisoft has just released Title Update 1.0.4 for Assassinâs Creed: Shadows, and shared its full patch notes. So, letâs see what this new update brings to the table. Patch 1.0.4 is 17GB in size on Ubisoft Connect and 8.5GB on Steam. This update adds new free story content to the game. To be more precise, ⌠Continue reading Assassinâs Creed: Shadows Title Update 1.0.4 Released & Detailed â
The post Assassinâs Creed: Shadows Title Update 1.0.4 Released & Detailed appeared first on DSOGaming.
Microsoft has just announced a new remaster of the first Gears of War, Gears of War: Reloaded. This is the second remaster of Gears of War, as the first one was the Ultimate Edition. So, letâs see what Reloaded brings to the table. Gears of War: Reloaded will have 4K assets. It will also have ⌠Continue reading Gears of War: Reloaded Announced, Coming to PC This Summer â
The post Gears of War: Reloaded Announced, Coming to PC This Summer appeared first on DSOGaming.
The PokĂŠmon Trading Card Game singles market has taken a sharp dive, making it an ideal time to pick up high-value cards for less. With prices on many chase cards falling below recent norms, collectors can now complete sets or grab favorites without relying on luck from booster packs.
Interested in sealed products? Amazon is discounting a selection of TCG boxes and bundles. From legacy boxes to recent releases, many of these products are coming in over MSRP, which is why I want to let readers know that retailers putting pricing up isn't their only option during PokĂŠmania 2025. TCG Player is a secondary marketplace that is widely used in the US for the gold standard on current PokĂŠmon TCG values thanks to its value tracking across the secondary market. Let's get into it, regardless of ripping open booster packs or finding that dream chase card:
This set comes with four booster packs, a foil Infernape V, a foil Empoleon, and a jumbo-sized Infernape V card. It's a compact product with good display value and a steady mix of packs. This big box set is one of the only ways to buy Sword and Shield era booster packs at retail, and it's cheaper than the secondary market right now. Looking for Fusion Strike or Lost Origins singles and sealed product? I've got you covered there too:
This five-pack tin includes a random promo card featuring Kyogre ex, Xerneas ex, or Dialga ex. Two of the packs are from Surging Sparks expansion which is nice to see amongst the mix of Stellar Crown and Temporal Forces. If you're only after some illustration rares and nothing too expensive, you'll find plenty of single cards for you binder for less below:
The IGN Store has launched exclusive merchandise for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The collection includes prints, hoodies, t-shirts, mugs, and other themed gear. Prices start at $15 with a wide range of characters and designs represented.
This full booster box contains 36 packs from Surging Sparks. For players who want 36 packs to open in one sitting, this works out the cheapest, but it's still around $60 above MSRP. Most of the chase cards from this set can be bought for less:
Humbleâs latest bundle features fifteen games and bonuses from id Software, including DOOM Eternal, DOOM 64, and multiple Wolfenstein titles. It also includes a coupon for 10% off DOOM: The Dark Ages. For $28, the value is strong across retro and modern releases, making this a savage deal for FPS fans.
This includes 18 booster packs, three exclusive promo cards, a magnetic card holder, a playmat, and a deck box. It's built for collectors who want full presentation value. Once again, if you just wasnt a certain card, take a look at the singles market before you buy:
This box includes nine booster packs, a full-art Eevee promo, 65 themed sleeves, and a wide array of gameplay accessories. This is also nearly three times the MSRP, which is crazy. If you really want to box and contents, go for it, but there's better options on the secondary market right now:
This ETB focuses on Pecharunt with a sweet looking promo and comes with nine booster packs, themed card sleeves, dice, condition markers, and a collectorâs box with dividers. Same situation here, it's a cool addition to your collection, but this has gone up by around $10 from last week. Meanwhile the singles market is crashing:
This six-pack bundle features cards from the Paldean Fates line, which centers on Shiny PokĂŠmon. The pricing puts it just under the typical cost of buying packs individually, but it's still expensive compared to the cards that can be bought right now in this set:
Each box includes four booster packs and one foil promo featuring a random Eevee evolution. The included storage box has built-in dividers, which helps keep growing collections organized.If you fancy paying $15 per booster and want the stamped regular ex eeveelution card, go for it. The stamped cards go anywhere from $15 to nearly $60, so there's arguably value in this box when considering the promo.
Each bundle includes three collectible tins, nine total booster packs, and sticker sheets. This box in particular contains PokĂŠ Ball, Premier Ball, and Moon Ball tins.
The same situation here, but trainers will get PokĂŠ Ball, Great Ball, and Ultra Ball tins instead.
One of the cheaper ways to get Surging Sparks boosters right now, albiet overpriced (again). There's only five cards in Surging Sparks that can't be bought for under $50, check it out:
If you want to keep this sealed for your collection, go for it. Otherwise, this is a waste of money for three booster packs. Here's some cool single card options:
Elden Ring Nightreign is IGN's cover story for the month of May. We got to spend two days at From Software's office in Tokyo, and came back with a heaping of reveals, interviews, hands-on impressions, and more.
To kick things off though, we've got the exclusive reveal of one of the eight Nightlords players will be facing off against at the end of a run in Nightreign. Introducing Libra: Creature of Night. This madness inducing boss packs some really interesting mechanics, including a decision you must make at the beginning of the fight where you can decide whether or not to make a deal with the boss to gain some sort of benefit, like gaining more strength, or more elemental resistance, or a very powerful weapon. Be careful, because the better the deal, the steeper the price, and the cost of the deal is never known until you actually take it.
Check it out in the gameplay video above, and stay tuned all May long for more exclusive Elden Ring Nightreign IGN First coverage!
Mitchell Saltzman is an editorial producer at IGN. You can find him on twitter @JurassicRabbit
Actor Tony Todd, who died last November at age 69, makes his last screen appearance in Final Destination Bloodlines wherein the horror icon reprises his franchise role as the enigmatic William Bludworth. IGN has an exclusive clip from Toddâs scene in the new film, which can be viewed via the player above or the embed below.
âIt's actually a really special moment in the movie. A lot of people who've seen the film talk about how surprised they are, the level of emotion they feel during that scene,â Zach Lipovsky, who directed Final Destination Bloodlines with Adam Stein, told IGN last week.
Tony Todd made his first appearance as the mysterious undertaker and later coroner William Bludworth in the original Final Destination in 2000. He reprised the role in Final Destination 2 and Final Destination 5 (only Toddâs voice is heard in Final Destination 3). Bloodlines will reveal new information about Bludworth's past.
Bludworthâs function in the series has been to explain the rules of death and the consequences of trying to cheat it to the doomed protagonists, and itâs what he does for the characters in this exclusive clip from Final Destination Bloodlines. But this time thereâs a poignancy to Bludworthâs inclusion as the ailing Todd appears visibly frail and thin. Working with the filmmakers, Todd helped craft what would be his farewell to the franchise and his fans.
âWe're really grateful that we had the ability to, from the beginning, design that experience for the audience with Tony and with all the writers and everybody. We knew he was ill for quite a while and he was extremely excited to be in the movie,â said Lipovsky.
âHe was very grateful for the ability to participate in the film and he was so joyful on set when he was there and he was cracking jokes and really excited to just have his ability to be in the film and give his character a lot more backstory. We give a lot of answers to who Bludworth is in the film, which is something that during the franchise, people have been clamoring for for a really long time. But we also knew, like you said, that this was also going to be a goodbye of the character. And that's something that we worked very closely with him to figure out really the best way of doing that because these films are about death and his mortality was very present as we were working with him.â
Lipovsky continued: âOne of the unique opportunities that came up was as he is at near the end of that scene, we asked him to actually throw away the script for a moment and just speak from the heart as to everything that he was thinking about as far as what the movie was about, what the franchise has been about, but also just what life's about and what is it all about in the end.
And the take that's in the film where he says, âLife is precious. Cherish every second because you never know when.â And the earnestness that he says that with [it] all came in the moment from him. And I think you really feel that when you watch the movie that he's obviously speaking as a character who knows that their death is coming, but he's also speaking as an actor who's speaking to the audience as far as what's important in life. And that was a really powerful moment on set when we filmed that with him.â
(L-R) Owen Patrick Joyner as âBobbyâ, Kaitlyn Santa Juana as âStefanieâ, Director Adam Stein, Tony Todd as âWilliam Bludworthâ, Teo Briones as âCharlieâ, Director Zach Lipovsky, Rya Kihlstedt as âDarleneâ, and Richard Harmon as âErikâ in New Line Cinemaâs âFinal Destination Bloodlines,â a Warner Bros. Pictures release. (Photo By Eric Milner)
Fellow director Adam Stein said that Todd ârelishedâ the chance to inject some dark wit into the scene and that those on set that day were moved to tears watching the terminally ill actor deliver what everyone knew would be his final big screen performance.
âA lot of the actors, ourselves, the crew, everyone was tearing up in that moment, except for him,â Stein recalled. âHe sort of relished it. He had this sort of mischievous smile and even when he delivers that line and then says, âGood luckâ in the way that he has, that sort of dark, mischievous way as he goes out the door. He knew exactly what he was doing and he relished the opportunity to kind of have that goodbye and have that bit of a wink and have that message work on multiple levels. And it was a lot of fun. But I think he also really was excited about the opportunity to have a platform to say goodbye to his fans.â
Final Destination Bloodlines opens in theaters on May 16th.
When it comes to PC gaming, 4K is the wave of the future. You no longer need an ultra-powerful PC to enjoy it thanks to features like Nvidia DLSS and AMD Fluid Motion Frames. Monitors like the Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDM, my number one pick, can display extremely detailed images, incredible colors, and high frame rates all while still offering excellent responsiveness. And if you look and find that the price or PC requirements are too high, there are a ton of great gaming monitors out there.
A 4K gaming monitor is the ultimate way to experience your favorite PC games, providing incredible sharpness with four times the resolution of a 1080p gaming monitor. I've been reviewing more and more displays featuring this high resolution, and more graphics cards are able to run it well, making it more accessible than ever. They also make for some of the best monitors for PS5. To help narrow your search, weâve tested and researched dozens of options, bringing you our top five 4K gaming monitors.
Additional contributions by Danielle Abraham and Matthew S. Smith.
If you're looking for the best of the best and don't mind paying for it, the Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP is the monitor for you. At 32 inches, it's the perfect size to take in all of the details of its crisp 4K resolution. Its WOLED â that's white OLED, not to be confused with QD, or Quantum Dot OLED â panel is exceptionally bright and offers incredible colors that are factory calibrated, making it a great choice for creative work as well as top-tier gaming. And because it has a dedicated white LED, it's more power efficient and should last longer than competing QD-OLED monitors.
As I noted in my review of this Asus ROG Swift monitor, what truly sets this monitor apart is its versatility. You're able to game in 4K in exquisite detail up to 240Hz, but it also offers a special 480Hz mode for next level clarity and responsiveness. This mode drops the resolution to 1080p, allowing more graphics cards to achieve that frame rate and enjoy its benefits. It also offers Extreme Low Motion Blur (ELMB) that improves motion blur even further. It's one of the only monitors on this list that offers a measureable improvement to motion blur and clarity so much that you'll be able to tell the difference right away even if you're a casual gamer. I've been a longtime Battlefield player but far from a pro and the difference was immediately noticeable, even without pixel-peeping.
There's also a massive suite of gaming features that can also offer an advantage in competitive matches. Some even push the line on what's ethical to use, like the Sniper Mode, which gives you a reticle and a zoomed in window, right in the center of your screen. We'll leave that up to you, but the Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP is easily the best 4K monitor right now.
Remember the days when 4K high refresh rate monitors cost hundreds, if not well over $1,000? Well, with the Arzopa M3RC, I think it's safe to say that less expensive 4K monitors have finally arrived. Coming in right around $300, this display offers a whole lot at an affordable price, and finally makes this gaming experience accessible to the masses.
If the brand name sounds familiar, that's because it has been one of the up-and-coming manufacturers of quality portable monitors. It has received quite a bit of attention for balancing features with affordability and is clearly applying those same principles here in its venture into the full-size gaming monitor market. Looking at the specs, it seems designed to make a splash and prove it has what it takes to level up to the current, more demanding requirements of PC gaming.
This display offers a native 4K resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate. Games look crisp and run smoothly, enhanced by its support for AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync compatibility. It uses a color-rich IPS panel that's surprisingly accurate right out of the box, which isn't something I can typically say about lower-priced monitors in traditionally more expensive categories.
In my experience, monitors that enter a space and challenge conventional pricing typically cut corners. While this monitor isn't without trade-offs, it does offer more than what I would otherwise expect to see. For example, it includes a USB Type-C video input, as well as a two-port USB hub, both of which are usually the first features left on the cutting room floor.
So, what exactly do you sacrifice for this accessible pricing? Brightness, though not as much as you might expect. Arzopa rates this at 350 nits, which is middle of the road instead of outright low. More concerning is how well the brand will continue to support the monitor should anything go wrong. While it comes with a 1-year limited warranty and there aren't widespread reports of support being a problem, it's worth keeping in mind with any smaller brand establishing itself in a market.
For it's asking price, it's worth considering either way. Especially considering how many early adopters appear to love it.
The Gigabyte M27U may stretch the definition of "budget," but not by much. Compared to most 4K gaming monitors around this price, it offers a better picture and great HDR experience thanks to its high peak brightness and edge-lit local dimming.
Picture quality is what you're after with a 4K gaming monitor and the Gigabyte M27U is best in class at this price point. In SDR, it tops out right around 400 nits, but turn on HDR and that jumps to just under 700 nits. That means brighter highlights and colors that jump off the screen for a more enjoyable gaming experience. It also features an array of local dimming zones which help improve contrast beyond what typical IPS panels are capable of.
The monitor also has a delightful range of gaming features. You can turn on an on-screen reticle for games that lack them, peek into the shadows with Shadow Boost, and more. It's impressively easy to access these features, and all of its picture settings, using Gigabyte's OSD Sidekick software, saving you from fumbling through menus with its physical controls. It's also a great choice if you plan to use it with more than one system or enjoy swapping to a console, as a built-in KVM allows you to switch inputs and take your mouse and keyboard with you with a push of a button. I often use this feature to quickly change between my laptop and desktop, work and play.
The only downside is that you'll have to choose between those local dimming zones and peak brightness. With the local dimming feature enabled, full screen brightness is reduced and you'll only see those high figures in highlights. Turning off local dimming unlocks it for the whole screen. In my opinion, it's a fair trade-off but you can count on a great gaming experience either way.
If you can't live without an ultrawide gaming monitor but also want the best resolution you can find for the 21:9 aspect ratio, look no further than the LG UltraGear GX9. It's a massive 45-inch display with a deep 800R curvature, great brightness, and even offers dual resolutions and refresh rates so you can tailor exactly the kind of gaming experience you want to receive.
Apart from its stunning 5120x2160 resolution, this monitor's 45-inch diagonal width is wide enough to reach into your peripheral vision and create the effect of drawing you into the middle of the screen. It's a recipe for immersion, especially with the fluidity afforded by its high native refresh rate of 165Hz.
While that might be perfectly fine for most games, if you are a competitive esports player, 165Hz just won't cut it. LG has an answer. Like my No. 1 pick on this list, gamers can toggle an FHD mode that lowers the resolution but allows you to turn the refresh rate all the way up to 330Hz. Paired with the naturally low latency of its OLED panel, it's able to offer top-tier responsiveness and motion clarity when you need it most.
If you've never gamed on an OLED gaming monitor before, you're in for a treat. This panel technology allows each pixel to be independently controlled for brightness, right down to turning it off. In practice, this gives you infinite contrast, so even without turning HDR mode on within Windows, you can enjoy a stellar high contrast, vivid colors, and a wider dynamic range than other panel types are able to provide. Turn on HDR, and it gets even better. This also applies to movies and other types of content, so even your entertainment outside of gaming will get a nice boost in picture quality.
Moving to a monitor of this caliber does carry a couple of trade-offs. The biggest is that you're going to need a powerful GPU to run games anywhere near its refresh rate. Remember, 4K at an ultrawide resolution is actually significantly higher than native 4K and harder to run. Its deep curve also isn't for everyone and can be distracting outside of gaming for some users.
If you can accept those caveats, this is an excellent pick and one of the few choices for a premium 4K ultrawide offering a high refresh rate available today.
Flat panels have been in vogue, but the Alienware AW3225QF steps in as the best choice for gamers who can't live without the curve. Its 32-inch size and 240Hz resolution ensure a gameplay experience that is immersive and smooth. With its quantum dot panel, colors are as rich as they are accurate. Its curve is gentle but works to draw you into your game without distorting text like deeper curves might. It's well-rounded and excellent.
The monitor features a 240Hz refresh rate which, when paired with its 0.3ms response time, makes it a great choice for competitive gamers. When I tested it, I found absolutely no ghosting, both in synthetic tests and real world games, so that won't be a concern as you frag enemies to pull in a last-minute win. And thanks to its wide VRR support and frame rate range, you can confidently jump into games knowing that your experience will be smooth and tear-free.
The above is true for most new flagship OLEDs, but what sets the AW3225QF is its HDR experience. In SDR, brightness usually hovers around 250 nits, but highlights can pop all the way to 1,000 nits in HDR. Unlike most competing monitors, it also supports Dolby Vision for streaming movies and TV shows, and also supports eARC for connecting a soundbar.
Whether you're a dedicated PC gamer or a console gamer looking to level up your experience with a gentle but noticeable curve, the Alienware AW3225QF is a killer choice.
If you're in the market for a new 4K gaming monitor, consider the features and type of image you hope to enjoy and compare that with your budget. Over the last couple of years, 4K gaming monitors have really come into their own. Ultra HD displays with high refresh rates are easy to find when they used to be rarities. Today, you can find options well below $400 and still enjoy refresh rates up to 144Hz with support for gaming features like Nvidia G-Sync and HDR support. While all decent 4K gaming monitors should deliver a crisp image, if you're willing to pay more, you can expect better image quality, brightness, features and settings, and panel types. Depending on what you're looking for, it can be wise to wait and save just a little longer than you planned to acquire the best monitor for your particular needs.
While 4K gaming monitors can deliver stunning visuals and will be a good choice for many gamers, they're not the best choice for everyone by default. If your PC is aging and has an entry-level graphics card, trying to play in 4K will likely result in games with unplayably low frame rates. There's no way around the higher demand such a high resolution places on your PC.
If your system is running a mid-range GPU from this generation or a high-end GPU from last generation, there's a good chance that upgrading to 4K could make a substantial difference for the better in your gaming experience. Upscaling technology has advanced a great deal over the last several years, allowing a much wider range of hardware to play well with it. You no longer need the best system on the block just to hit 60fps. If you're using an AMD or Nvidia graphics card that falls into the range described above, it's definitely worth considering.
1440p can be a better choice if you prefer higher frame rates over crisp visuals. Because it is much less demanding to run, it's possible to push games to higher frame rates on higher settings than is possible with 4K. However, with upscaling technologies like Nvidia DLSS and AMD Fluid Motion Frames, you no longer need a powerhouse PC to play many games at 4K. Those same technologies can push 1440p frame rates even higher, however, so it's wise to consider what you value most and what type of frame rate you hope to achieve.
Not necessarily. Thanks to advanced upscaling features like Nvidia DLSS and AMD Fluid Motion Frames, it's easier than ever to play games at 4K without having a top-of-the-line graphics card. If you want to play games in native 4K on ultra settings, you will still need a top-tier GPU. But, if you take advantage of either of the two technologies above, you can enjoy great visuals and frame rates with only a midrange GPU, like the AMD Radeon 7700 XT or Nvidia RTX 4070.
Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tomâs Hardware, Popular Science, USA Todayâs Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.
Š Paradox
Developer Ice Code Games (Hard West II, Rogue Waters) have announced Nightmare Frontier, a tactical turn-based strategy game that's also an extraction looter. Think "XCOM meets Hunt: Showdown with a dash of Cthulhu thrown in." Check out the announcement trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.
The developers describe the setup for Nightmare Frontier as follows: "The story of Nightmare Frontier unfolds in an alternate version of 19th-century America, shortly after a mysterious event that forever changed the world. The line between reality and an unknown horror has started to fade, and those who remain are left to uncover what truly happened that night â and whatâs behind the titular Nightmare. The streets were overrun by monsters emerging from the dark abysses of the terror dimension â the survivors called these creatures Dreadweavers. These beings are the physical embodiment of people's deepest fears. Players will step into the shoes of the ringleader, who, despite overwhelming terror, finds a chance for survival in this new reality. Leading other scavengers, they venture deep into the city, risking everything they have left in search of loot."
Nightmare Frontier aims to mix turn-based "gun-n-slash" gameplay with gameplay-altering horror, an enticing risk-reward system, and alluring loot. Wishlist Nightmare Frontier on Steam if you're interested.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.
Š Marvelous Inc.
Š Too Kyo
Š Bethesda
This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 4 and the video game The Last of Us Part 2.
The calm-yet-ruthless leader of the Washington Liberation Front was an imposing character in The Last of Us Part 2 video game. Isaac Dixon, played by the ever-fantastic Jeffrey Wright, cast a long, dark shadow over the conflict between the militaristic WLF and the religious Seraphites. But thatâs largely all it was: a shadow. Isaac has very little screentime in the game, with less than a handful of scenes through which to make his required impact. The gameâs restraint provides a great opportunity for HBOâs television adaptation, though, and The Last of Us season 2 leaps at the chance to delve deeper into the life of Isaac Dixon, once again played by Wright, in its strong fourth episode.
Iâve previously expressed my reservations about alterations made for the show, as I feel HBOâs depiction of Abby is an awkward half-change that only serves to weaken the storyâs impact rather than strengthen the adaptation. The very opposite can be said for Isaac, who in episode four is introduced and examined across two powerful new scenes written for the show. Not only do they provide a strong introduction to Isaac for newcomers, they also open a larger window into the life of a character longtime fans have been held at armâs length from. Itâs not quite the dedicated episode treatment Bill and Frank got in season one, but it does a similar job.
Episode four cold opens in 2018, a decade and change prior to the seasonâs current events. In the back of a military truck, FEDRA troops laugh and joke about their brutal treatment of âvotersâ. It's a new term for The Last of Us, but one mournfully explained by Isaac: regular citizens are mockingly called voters because FEDRA stripped them of their democratic rights. While Isaac delivers his lines in a calm, almost reserved manner, itâs clear from his tone that he despises the groupâs ruthless rule and murderous methods. And just in case that wasnât obvious, two minutes later he locks his squad in the truck with two live hand grenades. Isaac doesnât just disagree with FEDRA, heâs on a mission to destroy it.
Fifteen minutes later, weâre reunited with Isaac in the showâs current year of 2029, where heâs now head of the WLF. Heâs still calm and collected, softly discussing how he longed for expensive cookware in the years before the quarantine. But as the scene unfolds into a brutal torture session, it becomes clear that Isaacâs cool head is no longer a sign of quiet determination, but calculated brutality. The luxury copper-bottom Mauviel pans he now owns (a âstrange benefit of the apocalypseâ) are used to sear the flesh of a captured Seraphite, each burn a futile attempt to release the plans hidden inside their mind.
This second scene is inspired by Isaacâs introduction in The Last of Us Part 2, in which Abby briefly sees inside a bathroom where a Seraphite is tied up. Itâs clear that Isaac has been torturing him for information, but we see nothing of what is being implied. The showâs much-expanded version of that scene allows us to witness Isaacâs methods. Thereâs a quiet cruelty in the way Isaac has his prisoner offer out their hand to be burned. By not âsuccumbingâ to a more classically brutal torture method â thereâs no heavy-handed beatings, no aggressive waterboarding â it becomes clear that Issac sees himself as some sort of civilized interrogator. Itâs an expression of his superiority over what he believes to be a sub-human enemy.
Of course, Isaacâs calm, conversational approach is no more or less effective than any other method. The Seraphite stonewalls him at every turn, even offering his hand out before being asked. This breaks Isaacâs demeanor, resulting in a deadly show of angry force. Itâs a demonstration of Isaacâs frustration with the results of the interrogation, yes, but thereâs something deeper here: he knows that his war against the Seraphites has only further calcified their cult mentality and galvanized their belief in The Prophet. The harder he pushes, the more immovable they become. His campaign against them has only ensured his own defeat.
The power of these two scenes is in their duality. In just two sequences, we have the entire history of Isaac: a man who stood up against oppression, only to become the oppressor himself.
A version of this story is readily available in The Last of Us Part 2, but only a true completionist will know it. Isaacâs history is revealed through snippets of dialogue and several written notes that, when pieced together, tell the tale of a revolutionary turned warmonger. A former marine, he joined the WLF during its infancy with a wish to erode FEDRAâs brutal regime. Following the murder of the groupâs founders, Isaac was voted into command and established a highly efficient yet incredibly ruthless military force, eliminating FEDRA from Seattle and forming a new city-like living space within the fortified walls of the SoundView football stadium. But his goals did not stop with the removal of Seattleâs fascist rulers; his campaign saw him become obsessed with the total annihilation of the Seraphites, a local religious âdeath cult.â The two groups have been in perpetual conflict ever since, the Seraphites only emboldened by Isaacâs assassination of their leader, The Prophet.
Isaacâs circumstances are just another part of the gameâs larger thesis on how violence begets violence. He is, ultimately, supporting background material â another dark echo of the same path both Ellie and Abby are following. As such, the fact that his story is revealed only through a handful of documents isnât an issue. The journey of the gameâs protagonists, the women controlled by the player and through whose eyes this world is experienced, is the important thing. It does mean that his story is little more than a framework of facts, though. And so the show, which isnât locked to a specific viewpoint in the same way the game is, has the opportunity to add much more colour to that framework. By spending time with Isaac in two very significant eras of his life, we see not only his core characteristics â his calm demeanor, his determination, his focused goals â but we also see how those facets are completely recontextualised as the environment around him changes.
Isaac is, of course, a character in Abbyâs side of the story rather than Ellieâs, and so I donât expect to see much more from him in the coming weeks. Provided the show sticks to the structure of the game as closely as it thus far has, it wonât be until season three that we get to see much more of the WLFâs inner workings. Regardless of how long we have to wait, my hope is that we get more of this type of character expansion, not just for Isaac but also key members of the Seraphites, too. If one of the showâs strengths is to bring new perspectives through original writing, then a more in-depth look at the conflict between those groups â something that arguably needed further expansion in the game â would be a great angle for showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann to take. Because if the show can expand its scope beyond just Ellie and Abby to analyse these characters further, its thesis on revenge, conflict, and violence can hopefully be given additional depth and value. Something wonderfully done here with Isaac, as heâs finally given the extra time he deserves.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.
Grand Theft Auto fans, there is some good news and some bad news. The good news is finally, after all these years, we have an actual day-and-date release time for GTA 6. The bad news? Itâs around six months later than the âFall 2025â we were originally told. To many in the video game industry, the new date of May 26, 2026 is a welcome sigh of relief â dozens of publishers and developers of all sizes were fearful of meticulously planning their release campaigns only to later discover theyâd be releasing in the same month as this herculean title. However, there are many undated heavy-hitters due to land next year that will now be frantically searching for a new date.
Whatâs clear is that Grand Theft Auto 6 has found itself touted as the lynchpin to the video game industryâs near future â any news on the projectâs development has a huge ripple effect. So how does a six-month delay reflect a significant change in Rockstarâs corporate culture, call into question this yearâs console market revenue, and potentially affect the Switch 2?
Last year, the video game industryâs total revenue hit $184.3 billion, a 0.2% increase from 2023. Contradicting analyst predictions of a slight downturn, it prompted a sigh of relief for video game manufacturers and publishers. However, in the console space, revenue dropped by 1% â and weâre already seeing the consequences. A downturn of console hardware sales combined with a heightening technology tariff war has forced prices up for both Microsoft and Sony. This generation needs a definitive console-shifting title â it needs Grand Theft Auto 6.
Research groups estimate the crime sequel to make $1 billion off pre-orders alone and $3.2 billion in its first year of launch. It took Grand Theft Auto 5 three days to make $1 billion, could it take Grand Theft Auto 6 just 24 hours? Circana analyst Mat Piscatella believes that âthereâs probably never been a more important thing to ever release in the industry,â because the gameâs impact will help define our understanding of the video game industryâs potential growth over the next decade. There are rumors that it could be the first-ever $100 video game, making it a new watershed moment for the industry. That new benchmark could give the industry the shot-in-the-arm growth many analysts say it needs. However, itâs also possible Grand Theft Auto 6 is simply too much of a monolithic outlier to create progress outside of itself.
In 2018, Rockstar Games had a publicity crisis on its hands. Reports of 100 hour weeks alongside formerly mandatory overtime whilst developing Red Dead Redemption 2, plus former and current employees speaking on intense crunch periods stemming from Grand Theft Auto 4, painted a stark picture of one of gamingâs titans. Since then, the company has reportedly undergone an internal reinvention of sorts â according to a Bloomberg report, contractors being converted to full-time employees and a âflexitimeâ policy enabling workers to take time off for every hour of overtime worked are just two of the many more compassionate policies enacted. Earlier this year, Rockstarâs old reputation threatened to rear its head as staff were made to return to the office five days a week to close out Grand Theft Auto 6âs development â a move which makes the reason behind the delay pretty clear. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed as much on BlueSky, explaining that his own Rockstar sources said that thereâs âToo much work, not enough time, and what appears to be a real desire from management to avoid brutal crunch.â Rockstar canât properly deliver a game that will change the video gaming world if it slips back into old habits; while the delay is disappointing to those playing, itâs undeniably a huge relief to those developing.
If youâre a publisher, releasing your game at the same time as Grand Theft Auto 6 is akin to throwing a bucket of water into a tsunami. Discussing the formerly scheduled âFall 2025â release window, a report by The Game Business highlighted how such a nebulous date was affecting publishers worldwide. One studio boss called Rockstarâs game âa huge meteor and weâll just have to stay clear of the blast zone,â while another questioned âif we move out of 2025, what if Rockstar do, too?â (An unsurprisingly predictive worry). We even have the likes of EA CEO Andrew Wilson implicitly commenting on the gameâs looming shadow in the context of the new Battlefield, citing âsome things happening in the year that may cause us to think differently about our launch timing.â
However, huge releases donât always overshadow those around them. Despite launching at the same time as Bethesdaâs Oblivion remake, Kepler Interactiveâs original RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 still sold over one million copies in just three days, with senior portfolio manager Matt Handrahan even joking that it was the video game industryâs Barbenheimer moment. Itâs hard to believe such a moment can exist for Grand Theft Auto 6, of course, and so it goes unsaid that such a quirky idea will not be part of any publisherâs campaign plans. Donât expect a Grand Theft Fable moment in 2026.
Currently, itâs unclear to what extent the new May 26, 2026 release date will shake up the plans of other publishers and developers. There are still many heavy-hitter titles that are undated including the likes of Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, EAâs new Battlefield title, Mass Effect spiritual successor Exodus and more. There will certainly be some developers now scrambling to change their internal release date plans, but the wider public will be none the wiser. However, this flag planting by Rockstar no doubt means that developers and publishers will feel more confident in announcing their release plans to the world. But they might want to hold on a minute.
It seems very unlikely that this will be the final date for Grand Theft Auto 6 for two reasons. Both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 were subject to two date delays, with the first delay being to the second quarter of the next year, followed by a second delay to the third quarter of that same year. Right now, Grand Theft Auto 6 is replicating that exact same timeline, delayed from Fall 2025 to May 2026, so one more delay to October/November 2026 seems a reasonably educated prediction.
That October/November window seems even more likely when you consider the potential for both Microsoft and Sony to create a new console bundle including the crime sequel, which will surely shoot up sales around the holiday period. Sony sold 6.4 million PlayStation 4s during October - December 2014, more than double the consoles they sold between April and September of that year. Of course there would have been the classic Christmas boost, but what else happened in that time frame? Grand Theft Auto 5 released on PS4.
What could be the bigger surprise, though , is that Nintendo may be one of the parties most affected by this delay. Recently, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick pledged full support for the Switch 2, leading fans to speculate about if Grand Theft Auto 6 may also be eyeing a Switch 2 launch. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogyâs Definitive Edition saw a surprise launch onto the Nintendo Switch, so thereâs precedent for an adult franchise on a typically family-friendly console. Many believed the Switch technology wasnât powerful enough to run a game like Grand Theft Auto, however last year modders released a video showing off an in-progress port of GTA 5 running on Switch using the gameâs leaked source code. While it does seem unlikely that Nintendo would have factored Grand Theft Auto 6 into the Switchâs first-year success, thereâs a clear, strong relationship between publisher Take-Two and Nintendo that shouldnât be ignored. When looking at the console market as part of the overall video game industry, Nintendo is still a huge part of that no matter how much of an island they may seem. The Nintendo Switch was still host to an array of generation-defining games including The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear Solid, Crysis and more. And with Cyberpunk 2077 arriving on Switch 2 at launch, complete with its current gen-only Phantom Liberty expansion, we shouldnât ignore the potential for âmiracleâ ports.
Whatâs clear is that there is a hell of a lot riding on Grand Theft Auto 6. Many different head honchos of the video game industry, from studio heads to chief analysts, believe that this generation-defining game will be the one to break the industryâs growth stagnation. Itâs hard to deny the global feverish demand and anticipation for a game that has effectively been in the works for over a decade. There are impossibly high expectations on the teams at Rockstar Games to deliver something that not only single-handedly restores the video game industry back to its pre-pandemic growth, but also presents an entirely new kind of video game experience that will become the new benchmark for developers and publishers moving forward. Rockstar only has one shot to get this right â whatâs six more months after 13 years?
Sab Astley is a freelance writer who has written for IGN, Polygon, TotalFilm, Rolling Stone, Radio Times, and Metro UK.
Modder âCanariousâ has just released the first 4K Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. This pack focuses on improving the textures of armors, weapons, clothing, and jewelry. So, letâs take a closer look at it. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, Oblivion Remastered came out last month on PC. For the most part, ⌠Continue reading First 4K Texture Pack for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered â
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Full spoilers follow for Thunderbolts.
Load out and lock in, Marvel fans, because Thunderbolts is now in theaters. The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe reshuffles the MCUâs status quo in a big way in the third act, setting up a new Avengers roster that will presumably be a major part of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. We spoke with the filmâs co-writer, Eric Pearson â who's worked on everything from The Consultant to Thor: Ragnarok to The Fantastic Four: First Steps â to dive into all the little details â and big spoilers â in Thunderbolts.
As Pearson â who shares a writing credit with Joanna Calo â explains, the core idea of Thunderbolts started with Florence Pughâs Black Widow character, which then led to the inclusion of David Harbourâs Red Guardian, who was also in that 2021 film, and Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost from the Ant-Man and the Wasp side of things.
âIt was always the idea to follow Yelena Belova as the lead of this, which brought in Alexei [Shostakov aka Red Guardian],â Pearson tells IGN. âGhost, [I] just always wanted to use her.â
Laurence Fishburneâs character Bill Foster from Ant-Man and the Wasp, who has ties to Ghost, was also in an early version of the script.
âThere was a version where Bill Foster was involved for a bit as part of the Ghost storyline, and there was a version at first where he was not involved and we brought him in I think in the second draft,â says Pearson. âBut yeah, it was always [mostly] the same team from the beginning.â
The informal team, which is informally called the Thunderbolts, also includes Sebastian Stanâs Bucky Barnes, Wyatt Russellâs John Walker, and by the end of the film, Robert âBobâ Reynolds. The latter character is new to the MCU; altered by Julia Louis-Dreyfusâ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to have superhuman abilities, he becomes the Sentry â who Valentina intends to be a replacement for the Avengers.
One major difference in earlier versions of the script was that Sentry wasnât always in the movie, and in fact Russellâs John Walker was intended to fill the role of, as Pearson puts it, âthe punching villainâ at the end of the film.
âValentina, as part of her manipulation of him, had convinced him that his super-soldier serum needed upkeep,â recalls the writer. âShe was actually implanting this time bomb in him that was going to go off at some point. ⌠And so he, in his own way, hulks out and becomes someone that they have to fight.â
The only problem was that another Marvel movie was also in the works at that point that also featured a character hulking out: Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World.
âIt just didn't feel right [to do that],â says Pearson. âMy goal ⌠was ending this Marvel movie with a hug, not a punch. They were going to never win a fight against a Hulk character, so they were going to have to eventually just talk him down.â
And so entered the Sentry, whose adventures Pearson remembered reading while in the Marvel Writers Program. And with the Sentry of course also comes his dark side, which is known as the Void. In the film, this dark persona is activated, attacking New York and turning everyone in his path into shadows.
âIf that's just heroic ambition and self-esteem on one side and depression and self-loathing on the other side, it works the same way,â says Pearson of replacing John Walker as the antagonistic force with Sentry. âAnd if we do that, then Bob and the Sentry and the Void are pretty much all of our characters' emotional journey wrapped up into one entity. ⌠He was the ultimate person that they couldn't defeat in any physical way and needed to find an emotional solution for.â
In the climactic moments of Thunderbolts, Yelena and the team willingly go into the shadow realm to stop the Void and, through the power of empathy and that good old group hug that Pearson promised, they help Bob undo all the damage he caused. This happens just in time for the team to stumble into a press conference held by Valentina where she dubs them the New Avengers, confirming a theory we at IGN posited earlier this year.
During the closing credits, we see a bunch of fun magazine covers and the like which question the validity of these âNew Avengersâ before a mid-credits scene where Red Guardian tries to convince a fellow shopper to buy a box of Wheaties that has the teamâs picture on it. (His dream, realized!) And then the post-credits scene is set 14 months later, where we learn the New Avengers are having difficulties securing the rights to their team name because of interference from Sam Wilson, aka Captain America. Cap doesnât show up, but Bucky mentions him by name. This would seem to indicate that Sam is working on forming his own team of Avengers, just as ex-President Ross had asked him to lead back in Brave New World.
Interestingly, the post-credits scene was not written by Pearson. As is often the case with these things, it became a post-production endeavor (in fact, Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier has confirmed that it was shot on the set of an upcoming production in the past several weeks, presumably Avengers: Doomsday).
âI'm super jealous of it because it's so fun and it's so great,â Pearson says. âAnd one of my favorite moments in the whole movie is just Wyatt Russell: âI don't know what any of these buttons do. Nobody labeled them.â It just cracks me up.â
The post-credits scene ends with a moment fans have been waiting for for a long, long time: The New Avengers get a notification of an approaching spacecraft, and we see a ship with a big â4â emblazoned on the side. The Fantastic Four have finally arrived in the MCU!
Pearson explains that this was not always how the team were supposed to land in the so-called Sacred Timeline.
âWell, because when they started shooting Thunderbolts, I was actually in Burbank writing Fantastic Four and checking in on how Thunderbolts was going because I was just like, âHow's my baby? Is it walking? Is it running?ââ he laughs. âAnd everybody was saying that Thunderbolts was going really great. And from being in the Fantastic Four room, I knew that it felt very far at the time from the Thunderbolts world. So this connection came in much later and probably has some link towards what they're doing next in... Sorry, I shouldn't say probably, I'm doing total conjecture here, but just based off of how they architect these things, I'm sure that there's going to be a next step in a movie coming out soon.â
Considering that the stars of FF (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach) have already been announced by Marvel for Avengers: Doomsday, itâs not that hard to piece together where this is all goingâŚ
Now that we know the Thunderbolts are actually the New Avengers, it makes perfect sense why the team will be major players in Avengers: Doomsday. They all got directors chairs in the big Doomsday cast announcement after all (aside from poor Taskmaster, of course, who doesnât survive Thunderbolts). Since Sam Wilson doesnât appear to have actually formed a new team of Avengers yet, the New Avengers will presumably be the first line of defense against Robert Downey, Jrâs Doctor Doom. And the Fantastic Four too, maybe? Thatâs just the tip of the helicarrier when it comes to questions we have after Thunderbolts, however.
Bucky being revealed to be a US congressman was one of the weirder beats in Brave New World, and the payoff in Thunderbolts doesnât help matters. He trips over his words in a press interview and his political responsibilities donât stop him from getting on his motorcycle and firing explosives at O.X.E. vehicles⌠so why was he even part of Congress to begin with?
In the drafts of the film Pearson worked on, it turns out Bucky had a different day job.
âThat happened after me,â he explains. âThat was a Kevin [Feige] idea from what I understand, because it was all the same scenes but Bucky was, he was kind of a lobbyist a bit, or a better analogy would be like when you hire an old baseball player to shake hands at a car wash. Like politicians were using him as a way to propagandize, so you're meant to meet him [and be like] âOh, this is humiliating, what a terrible fall for Bucky.â And then you're like, âOh wait, he's actually infiltrated this world of politics and commerce because he's investigating Valentina and he's got this congressman who's an ally to him and they're working together and then he goes on the hunt.ââ
As for whether or not heâs even still in Congress when heâs part of the New Avengers? We have no clue.
Clearly Sam Wilson is not getting along with the New Avengers and is trying to take the copyright for the team name from them. Bucky says he tried to get through to Sam but that the conversation didnât go well. So why is Sam being a jerk about this? Doesnât he want to build a team of superheroes? He and Bucky have worked together many times in the past, so what is his problem with the New Avengers when Bucky is on the roster? Hopefully Doomsday sheds some light on this front, because as it stands it feels out of character for Sam to act this way without a good reason.
Will we see two distinct teams of Avengers in Doomsday? Avengers and Avengers with a Z, maybe (but hopefully not)? The main plot of Thunderbolts takes place after Brave New World since Valentina references Thaddeus Ross becoming Red Hulk during her impeachment hearing, and the post-credits scene is over a year after that. What was Sam doing all that time? Will he recruit the likes of Falcon, Thor, Ant-Man, etc. to make his own team that is separate from the New Avengers, and will they battle Civil War-style before they eventually unite to face Doom? And where do the X-Men fit into all this!?
Weâre only a few months away from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is arriving on July 25, 2025. Since the F4 are coming from an alternate reality in the multiverse and not the MCUâs Sacred Timeline, this indicates that ship has just made a reality-hopping journey. Yet wouldnât that really only make sense as the end of First Steps? The F4 changing realities is probably the end of the film or a post-credits scene of its own. If so, we basically already know how First Steps ends. Or do we? Is Marvel playing a trick on us, and is there more to this tease than it seems?
We asked Pearson if the FF are going to be the linchpin of the MCU moving forward.
âThe fans are the most important part of the MCU,â he responds. âLike what they react to and what they love helps dictate so much of what's going on. Fantastic Four ⌠they're all of great importance. And then there is the Sue and Reed at the head of it as the most brilliant mind in the universe and the most caring heart in the universe. They're certainly going to steer the car for a bit, but the universe, the multiverse right now is pretty big, so I don't want to calculate any weight on their shoulders.â
What did you think of Thunderbolts? Letâs discuss in the commentsâŚ
Eric Pearson, who co-wrote the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts with Joanna Calo, has revealed some of the characters who were considered for the movieâs post-credits scene, among them Baron Zemo and Kang the Conqueror.
In a conversation with the writer, he explained to me that while he took a couple of stabs at post-credits scenes for Thunderbolts, the Hollywood strikes interfered with the production of the film. Things were paused for six or seven months and then had to go back into pre-production, but the Marvel landscape had changed by then. And that led to a rethinking on the post-credits front as well, which of course are typically used to tee up incoming MCU projects.
âSo I was throwing together at the beginning a post-credit sequence that had to deal with Kang,â says the writer.
Of course, while the villainous Kang was being positioned to be a major bad guy in the Multiverse Saga, actor Jonathan Majorsâ legal problems led to his being fired by Marvel and the character essentially dropped from the ongoing MCU story. But there were other, more surprising characters considered for Thunderbolts as well.
â[Another idea] had to deal with more of a direct relation to the fact that [Julia Louis-Dreyfusâ] Valentina [Allegra de Fontaine] sent Yelena after Clint Barton, after Hawkeye, [for] the Hawkeye show,â continues Pearson. âBut as time passes, you're like, well, is anyone going to make that connection still to the thing that they haven't seen in two or three years?â
Again, it makes sense that such an old reference â the Hawkeye Disney+ series debuted in 2021 â wouldnât really fit in a 2025 movie release. But then there were also the characters who would seem to fit in the sense that they were part of the Thunderbolts comic-book landscape.
âWe wanted to do something different than âauthority figure forces criminals to work together,ââ says Pearson. âAnd once you take that out, the people from the comics who have put them together [the team] in the past, the Baron Zemos, the Thunderbolt Rosses, they don't fit the narrative in the same way. So while we're very aware and we talked about these ideas and, hey, if there was ever a way to include them, it's great because it makes sense and it honors the comics. But we also didn't want to break our story that we were excited about just to do fan service.â
Pearson also confirmed that Thunderbolt Ross, most recently played by Harrison Ford in Captain America: Brave New World, was never considered for Thunderbolts (similar names notwithstanding). That said, Zemo, who has been played by Daniel BrĂźhl in Avengers: Civil War and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, at least made it into a draft, albeit briefly.
âThere was definitely a [post-credits] tag that I did a million years ago where Zemo is like Keyser SĂśze,â says Pearson, referring to the character from The Usual Suspects. âLike he's been pulling the strings from prison in some way. But I don't think that iteration lived longer than like, âHey, what about this?â âNope, not that.ââ
Thunderbolts is in theaters now!
The following article contains spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 4.
The Last of Us season 2 hits its midway point with its strongest episode so far. It adapts one of the most memorable sections of the game â Seattle Day One â and so that means we get Ellie and Dina checking out Downtown before moving onto the Channel 13 TV studio and escaping the WLF through the subway tunnels.
There are five key sequences from the original game that are adapted for this episode. Here weâve compared them against the original source material, analysing whatâs changed and whatâs stayed the same. You can see both versions in the video above, or read on below for our written explanations.
Ellie and Dina arrive in Downtown Seattle shortly after this episode begins. This section of the game was open by design, and so allowed you to look around several different buildings. We get just two of them in the show; Westonâs Pharmacy and Valiant Music Shop. The pharmacy gets only a couple of minutes of screentime but it does feature an adaptation of The Last of Usâ key gameplay mechanic: opening drawers and looking for junk.
Valiant Music Shop, meanwhile, gets more love. The showâs set has windows adorned with music-themed vinyl decorations, just as it does in the game. On the ground floor is the same red drumkit, and Dina plays around with them just as she does in the game. Itâs upstairs where the main event happens, though, when Ellie discovers a guitar in an overgrown room. Bella Ramseyâs performance of A-haâs Take On Me is very similar to that seen in the game, with a talk-y vocal style and slow melody.
Episode 4 introduces us to the leader of the WLF, Isaac Dixon. This sequence is adapted from much later in the gameâs sequence of events, when you play as Abby rather than Ellie, although due to the gameâs overlapping dual timeline structure it seems likely that this sequence takes place at the âcorrectâ time in the show.
During Abbyâs half of the game, we see her visit the WLFâs forward operating base. There she meets Isaac, who is briefly seen conducting a torturous interrogation on a member of the Seraphites. In the show, we see a version of this scene play out in its entirety. Similar to the game, the WLFâs captured Seraphite has been stripped completely naked, but the show sees them tortured in a kitchen rather than a bathroom. Isaacâs brutal methods of torture were only implied in the game, but in the show we see him actively injuring his prisoner in an attempt to learn more about the Seraphitesâ plans.
Ellie and Dinaâs trip to the Channel 13 TV studio was naturally going to be the central event of this episode. In the game this is the sequence when the duo are first confronted with the murder cult-like methods of the Seraphites, as well as marking their first move towards finding where Abby is. The show recreates the key elements of the TV studio in grisy detail; WLF soldiers are strung up above the studio floor, and the Seraphitesâ symbol is drawn on the wall in blood just as it is in the game. Ellieâs investigation of the area is interrupted by members of the WLF who, as in the game, are horrified to see what has become of their comrades.
The escape from the TV studio is shown to be a little more frantic than it is in the game, and the stormy weather adds even further drama to the scene, but in general the set design and pathway Ellie and Dina take feels authentic to the game, even if itâs not a one-to-one recreation.
One of The Last of Us Part 2âs most exhilarating sequences is Ellie and Dinaâs journey through the Seattle subway tunnels. Bathed in red light and infested by clickers, itâs a genuinely terrifying level. Unsurprisingly, HBO went to lengths to capture the striking visuals here, with the abandoned subway cars eerily lit by the WLFâs red flares and searching flashlights.
There are key differences between the game and the show's version of events, though. This is very much a survival horror sequence in the game, with just a small but incredibly deadly collection of infected to avoid. The show, meanwhile, makes this more action packed â rather than have the infected lurk around the subway cars, they arrive as a charging, clawing horde. This makes the sequence much more action-oriented, with Ellie and Dina scrambling to get away rather than sneaking through the tunnels.
There are changes made to the sequenceâs climax, too. In the game, Ellie gets trapped in the turnstile and Dina saves her by shooting an attacking clicker in the head. In the show, both Ellie and Dina get trapped in the turnstile, and Ellie allows herself to be bitten by the attacking clicker to protect Dina. Itâs this bite that results in Ellie revealing her immunity to Dina. In the game, that reveal comes a few minutes prior, when Ellieâs gas mask is shattered by an attacking runner. Because spores are not a concern in the show (at least for now), the characters do not wear masks and thus this turn of events couldnât be used.
The last scene of this weekâs episode recreates the culminating part of the gameâs Seattle Day 1: Dina reveals to Ellie that sheâs pregnant. In both versions, Dina shares the news at the Pinnacle Theater, which the duo has made their home base. In the game, itâs a subdued and anguished moment, with Dina looking notably stressed by the idea. The showâs take is quite different, as the reveal pretty much instantly turns into an impassioned kiss between Ellie and Dina.
For more from The Last of Us, check out our spoiler-free season two review and our spoiler-filled review of the fourth episode. You can also catch up with our comparison of the previous episode.
Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.
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