Whether you own a Nintendo Switch, a Switch Lite, or a Switch OLED, you know how versatile and fun this console can be. To make the most of your gaming experience, investing in a few accessories – some of which are Switch 2 compatible, including the Pro Controller as we've learned from the April Nintendo Direct – can take things to the next level.

From Switch controllers allowing better control (and less cramping) during intense gameplay, to screen protectors keeping your Switch safe from any scratches, the right accessories enhance performance and protection. We've logged countless hours on the Nintendo Switch using a variety of different accessories to help direct you to the most essential add-ons.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Nintendo Switch Accessories:

Although the standared Switch console comes with Joy-Con controllers and a charging dock, we still think there are a few extras worth adding to your purchase. Below we've gathered all of the Switch accessories we've tested and deemed worthy of any Switch user in 2025 and beyond.

1. Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

Best Switch Controller That Isn't Joy-Con

2. AmFilm Tempered Glass Screen Protector

Best Nintendo Switch Screen Protector

3. RDS Carry Case

Best Nintendo Switch Case

4. SanDisk 128GB Ultra

Best Nintendo Switch Memory Card

5. CRKD Nitro Deck

Best Switch Deck

6. Razer Barracuda X Wireless Headset

Best Nintendo Switch Headset

7. Satisfye ZenGrip Pro Gen 3

Best Nintendo Switch Grip

8. Hori Split Pad Pro

Better Joy-Con

9. GENKI Covert Dock Mini

Best Nintendo Switch Portable Dock

10. Nintendo Joy-Con Wheel

Best Nintendo Switch Steering Wheel

11. 8BitDo Arcade Stick

Best Nintendo Switch Fight Stick

12. HyperX ChargePlay Quad 2

Best Joy-Con Charger

13. Marseille mClassic

Best Nintendo Switch Upscaler

14. Emperor of Gadgets Portable Power Bank

Best Nintendo Switch Power Bank

How to Choose Switch Accessories

As accessories are add-ons for your Switch, you probably don't want to spend too much money on them. Luckily, the basics we'd recommend are normally under $50 for all three products: a case, a screen protector, and an SD card. These items immediately ensure protection and allow you to store more games, making it a great place to start.

3 must-haves:

1. Switch case
2. Screen protector
3. SD card

From there, you’ll want to focus on quality-of-life products based on your lifestyle and needs:

• For comfort: If the Joy-Con are uncomfortable for you, we'd recommend investing in another controller for a more ergonomic hold. Tip: Take it to the next level with a mount for your Switch OLED and a Pro controller so you can game on the go when you're not connected to your TV. The Fixture S2 monitor and Pro controller mount is a must-have for playing in handheld mode.
• For on-the-go charging: Get a power bank to extend playtime in general or while on the go.
• For more immersive gaming: Consider getting one of the best Nintendo Switch headsets we've researched and/or tested. When it comes to performance with the Switch, nothing beats the Razer Barracuda X right now.

As for other accessories like upscalers, docks, or printers, you can grab these down the road depending on your needs. No matter which accessories you decide to purchase, do the research to ensure the accessory is compatible for your Switch model.

Nintendo Switch Accessories FAQ

Will Nintendo Switch accessories be compatible with the Switch 2?

Now that we have more details about the Switch 2, we have better clarity over which current Switch accessories will play nice with the Switch, and it's a mixed bag. Because of the Switch 2's magnetic Joy-Con and bigger screen size, things like screen protectors, cases and other form-fitting attachments will not be compatible. Though the Switch's Joy-Con won't be able to snap into the Switch 2, they are compatible via Bluetooth; the Switch Pro Controller will also be compatible (but the Switch 2 Pro Controller is not compatible with the Switch). Your microSD card will also be incompatible; the Switch 2 will only work with a microSD Express card. However, hold onto any power banks and other accessories that use USB-C: The addition of an extra USB-C port on the Switch 2 means that you'll be able to use more accessories at once.

Which Nintendo Switch accessories should you buy first?

There are several Switch accessories you can buy, but if you've just purchased the console, there are a few things you should get first. The most essential accessories are a carrying case, a microSD card, and a screen protector. These items will allow you to protect your Switch and also download more games to the console. You may also want to look into getting a more comfortable Pro controller or a nicer set of Joy-Con since the base set is not ergonomic for long-term gameplay.

What accessories normally come with a Nintendo Switch?

The original 6.2-inch LCD touchscreen console comes with an AC adapter, a Nintendo Switch dock, and HDMI cable. Beyond that, there are left and right Joy-Con, along with straps for individual Joy-Con use and a Joy-Con grip for turning the two controllers into one for gaming on a TV.

With the 7-inch OLED model, you get all the same accessories as the original, but the Switch dock has a LAN port for a wired internet connection.

As for the Switch Lite, it’s also light on accessories. There’s no dock or HDMI, as you can’t connect it to your TV. The Joy-Con are also not detachable, so you’ll only find the console and USB-C charger in the box.

When do Nintendo Switch accessories go on sale?

Although the Switch itself doesn't go on sale very often, Nintendo Switch accessories will often see discounts throughout the year. The general rule of thumb is that the best times to buy a Nintendo Switch are also the best times to buy Switch accessories. Some of the more popular events where you're guaranteed to find discounts on gaming accessories are Amazon Prime Day in July and Black Friday in November.

Danielle Abraham is a tech freelance writer and unpaid music historian.

Georgie Peru is a freelance writer and also contributed to this article.

If you're a Nintendo Switch owner, you've probably noticed something pretty quickly – the internal storage fills up fast! The standard Switch only gives you 32GB, and even the upgraded Switch OLED bumps that up to just 64GB. Sounds decent until you realize that most of the best Switch games require at least 10GB of storage on average, if not more. Before you know it, you're out of space, especially if you're into downloading games from the eShop. That’s why having a Switch microSDXC card like the SanDisk 512GB Extreme is pretty much essential.

By popping an SD card into your Switch, you can load up on all the games you want without worrying about deleting old ones to make space. Depending on how much you want to store, there are SD cards that offer up to 1TB of storage. Just keep in mind that all your game save data will still live in the console's system memory by default. If you're moving onto the Switch 2, know that your old SD cards won't fly there; you'll need to move on to a MicroSD Express card to upgrade the Switch 2's storage.

TL;DR - These Are the Best SD Cards for Switch:

SD cards come in a bunch of different sizes, speeds, and prices. But if you're looking for the best experience, grab one with UHS-I compatibility and higher transfer speeds – that’ll help with smoother gameplay and faster loading times.

If you’re wondering which SD card is best for Nintendo Switch, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve handpicked some great SD cards that work seamlessly with your Switch, whether you want to install tons of games, save gameplay video clips, or need something to hand when you’re transferring data to other devices.

1. SanDisk 512GB Extreme microSDXC Card

Best SD Card for Nintendo Switch

2. Samsung EVO Select A2 512GB microSDXC Card

Best Budget SD Card for Nintendo Switch

3. SanDisk 1TB Ultra A1 microSDXC Card

Best High Capacity SD Card for Nintendo Switch

4. SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO microSDXC Card

Best High Speed SD Card for Nintendo Switch

5. SanDisk 1TB microSDXC Card - The Legend of Zelda

Best SD Card Design for Nintendo Switch

How to Choose an SD Card for Nintendo Switch

Investing in an SD card for your Nintendo Switch is a game-changer. But knowing what to look for is important too. You could just buy a cheap SD card that’s got a decent amount of storage space, but there are other factors to consider.

• Storage capacity: This should be your first consideration. Depending on the types of games you play, a 128GB SD card might suffice. But games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom that takes up 16GB might need a larger SD card. Not to mention your save files and any screenshots you take will add to the overall file size.
• Compatibility: If you’re looking for an SD card for Nintendo Switch, you’ll obviously need to make sure you find one that’s compatible with the console. The Switch supports microSD cards – this includes microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC. Be careful not to buy an SD or miniSD card as these will not work!
• Transfer speed: The higher the transfer speed, the better your gameplay experience will be. Speed classes are graded in 2, 4, 6, or 10, denoting the card’s minimum baseline speed. So a grade 2 equates to 2MB/s, 4 is 4MB/s, and so on. If you find a microSD card with a UHS (Ultra High Speed) class like UHS-1, you’re good to go.

Nintendo Switch SD Card FAQs

Do you need an SD card for the Switch?

For the Nintendo Switch, a microSD card is an essential Switch accessory. Without it, you'll only have enough space to install a few games on the system. An SD card will allow you to install dozens of titles on Switch without any worry of deleting games to free up storage.

Generally, Nintendo tends to keep its games on the smaller side, but there is a sizeable amount of third party titles available that are well over 32GB. This is the onboard storage for standard Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite models, so you won't even be able to install that game without an SD card.

How much storage do you actually need?

Most likely any SD card with 256GB of storage or higher will be more than enough for your Nintendo Switch. Some of the largest Nintendo titles, like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Xenoblade Chronicles 3, only weigh in at 16GB and 14GB, respectively. If you plan to primarily play Nintendo-developed titles, you should be more than fine with a 256GB SD card.

However, if you would like to play big third party releases on the platform, like Mortal Kombat 1, you should aim for an SD Card with over 512GB of storage. The latest NBA 2K game takes up over 60GB on Switch, which adds up quickly if you don't have a substantial SD card. Overall, the size of SD card best for you depends on the games you play, but it is essential for any Nintendo Switch owner to have one slotted into their system.

Will Switch SD cards be compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2?

No. Though more details on the Switch 2 confirm that most games will be backward compatible, SD cards for the standard Switch models will not work with the new Switch 2. You're going to need a MicroSD Express card if you want to expand the storage on the Switch 2. These cards are currently compatible with the standard Switch, but have generally been less accessible (and are more expensive) than standard SD cards.

Noah Hunter is a freelance writer for IGN, covering deals, shopping guides and more.

IGN's tech freelancer Danielle Abraham contributed to this buying guide.

Star Wars Day is May the fourth, which sounds enough like “May the Force be with you” that the internet turned it into a thing, and Disney was happy to play along. So each year, in the lead-up to May 4, all sorts of Star Wars gifts like games, movies, LEGO sets, accessories, and apparel go on sale. Below, we’ve gathered all the best deals on all things Star Wars into one place for your perusing convenience. So grab your lightsaber and let’s take a look at what’s on sale this year.

Star Wars Day Sales at Major Retailers

Star Wars Video Game Deals

New Star Wars LEGO Sets

LEGO already has a whole lot of Star Wars sets, but the brick-building company went all out this year by introducing no fewer than 10 new Star Wars LEGO sets. You can see them all here at the LEGO Store, but many are also available on Amazon if that’s your preferred retailer. They’re all very cool, especially the new Jango Fett starship, which is the latest in the 18+ line of Ultimate Collector Series sets.

Star Wars: Andor Season 1 on Sale

Star Wars Funko Pop Deals

Secret Lab Star Wars Gaming Chair Deals

Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards are a chance to celebrate your favorite shows, characters, and performances from the previous year. While a panel of judges may decide on the nominees themselves, the winners of each category are ultimately decided by fans. The anime streaming service officially announced the nominees for the 9th Anime Awards last month, and while the voting period is over, you still have time to catch up before the big event on May 25.

At the 2024 Anime Awards, the grand prize (and 10 other awards) went to Jujutsu Kaisen. In 2025, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End leads the charge with 25 nominations, though Dan Da Dan isn't far behind at 22. Here's how to watch this year's nominees for Anime of the Year.

Nominees for Anime of the Year

For this year's Anime Awards, Crunchyroll announced expanded eligibility requirements. Any series that aired between October 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024, which includes five anime 'seasons,' is eligible. With that in mind, here are the nominees for Anime of the Year:

Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan, produced by Science Saru, follows a pair of eccentric teenagers who discover that both aliens and demons are real. Season 2 of Dan Da Dan begins airing this summer, and one can hope they use an opening as catchy as the first season's.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu

Delicious in Dungeon

The only Netflix exclusive anime to make this list, the first season of Delicious in Dungeon ran for 24 episodes. Adapted from the manga by Ryoko Kui, the seinen anime follows a group of adventurers forced to find meal options in the depths of, well, a dungeon.

Where to Stream: Netflix

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

The Elven mage Frieren once travelled in a party that defeated the Demon King, but her long lifespan means she's outlived all of her friends. As she decides to take a young human mage under her wing, she considers how to find meaning in fleeting lifetimes. Frieren is, in my opinion, the nominee most likely to make you cry or have an existential crisis.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll or Netflix

Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju No. 8 (occasionally referred to as Monster No. 8 in English) is a play on the "Man Becomes a Monster to Hunt Monsters" trope that's always been popular in anime. Kafka Hibino originally joins a task force to take revenge on the Kaiju who destroyed his town, but a parasite flying into his mouth makes his plan a little more complicated.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll

Solo Leveling

While every other anime on this list started off as a serialized manga in Japan, Solo Leveling instead started as a Korean web comic on WebToon. A-1 Pictures produces the anime adaptation, which recently surpassed One Piece to become the most reviewed anime of all time on Crunchyroll.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll

The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries has been adapted into plenty of mediums over the years, including a manga licensed by Square Enix, but the seinen story reached new levels of popularity with its anime adaptation. Set in an alternate version of the Tang Dynasty, The Apothecary Diaries has aired for two seasons so far.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu

Check Out the Rest of the Nominees

Anime of the Year may be the biggest award, but categories include every genre of anime (this year added “Best Isekai Anime” to the list), as well as awards for characters, dubbed voice performances, and even opening songs. You can check out the full list of categories and nominees here.

When Are the Anime Awards?

The 2025 Anime Awards will take place in Tokyo on May 25. The event will be livestreamed on Crunchyroll, with more details to come. In the meantime, Crunchyroll is also celebrating "Ani-May," making a selection of their library free to stream and partnering with stores across the globe for merch deals and in-person events.

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is right around the corner, and if you’re planning on grabbing it, keep in mind that it only has 256GB of storage built-in. If you want to load up on games without having to deal with uninstalling and reinstalling over and over, you’re going to want to expand that storage. However, unlike the original Nintendo Switch, the new console now requires a MicroSD Express card – which are faster, but more expensive than other UHS-based SD cards.

MicroSD Express cards have theoretically been around for a while, but there are only a few of them on the market right now, as creative professionals haven’t really found much of a use for them. However, with the Switch 2 launching in the next month, there will likely be a deluge of Express cards to fill that gap.

Just remember that because the system isn’t out yet, I haven’t tested any of these Nintendo Switch 2 SD cards yet. However, most of them come from reputable manufacturers that have a track record of making excellent storage expansion cards.

Why MicroSD Express?

Unlike many devices, the Nintendo Switch 2 is mandating a MicroSD Express card for storage expansion. Nintendo hasn’t really explained its reasoning behind the decision, but it’s not hard to see why it might want to require faster storage.

For one, the flash storage built into the system is the same kind of UFS flash that powers most smartphones. This storage is much faster than the eMMC drive in the original Switch, and it’s likely Nintendo wanted its developers to be able to count on that kind of storage speed, no matter if the game is being stored internally or on an expansion card.

The only thing you can use a regular old MicroSD card for is loading screenshots and videos you took on your first-gen Switch. That means unlike something like the PS5, which allows you to store last-generation games on slower external drives, Nintendo isn’t allowing for any wiggle room here. If you want to expand the Nintendo Switch 2 storage, you’re going to need a MicroSD Express card.

1. Lexar Play Pro

The Best MicroSD Express Card

2. SanDisk MicroSD Express

The MicroSD Express Card You Can Actually Buy Right Now

3. Samsung MicroSD Express for Switch 2

The Official Option We Know Very Little About

LEGO has revealed eight new Harry Potter sets. Some of them are now up for preorder on Amazon, but all of them are set to arrive on June 1, 2025. We've gathered all of the preorder listings below so you can see them at a glance.

These new sets are just the latest in a long line of Harry Potter LEGO collaborations throughout the years. The most recent new set that we saw for the franchise was the Knight Bus Adventure back in March, so the sudden jump to eight new sets in June seems like a significant increase.

New LEGO Harry Potter Sets for June 2025

The prices on the new sets range from $23 to a whopping $260 and there's a little bit of something for every type of Harry Potter fan here. The most expensive new set is the main tower component of the Hogwarts Castle, which is actually just one part of a much larger Hogwarts Castle set that is still getting new releases. On the other end of the spectrum is the adorable little Fawkes set that comes with a sorting hat and the Sword of Gryffindor for just $23.

For those looking for cool sets in the middle price range, there's the Chomping Book of Monsters set you may recognize from The Prisoner of Azkaban. It actually has a built-in chomping feature that looks like it brings the whole thing to life. There's also the Thestrail Family set, which includes two poseable creatures you can only actually see once you've witnessed death (in the books and movies, that is).

Out of all of the new LEGO sets that were revealed, my overall favorite is the Book Nook: Hogwarts Express option. It is a beautiful depiction of the iconic train stationed at platform 9 and 3/4 and it also just so happens to be a pair of book ends. It's an awesome Harry Potter gift for any fan who wants a bonus display for their shelf.

Should you preorder at Amazon or LEGO direct?

Currently, the only Harry Potter sets that are available to preorder are through Amazon, but all of these options will eventually become available at LEGO direct as well. Both websites are good places to buy LEGO for different reasons, and this is especially true for preorders. Amazon offers a preorder price guarantee that ensures you get the absolute best price for that set if a discount arrives before the release date. Alternatively, the LEGO store will offer you a free gift with your purchase and LEGO points for Insiders.

New LEGO Sets Available Now

If you're looking for all of the LEGO sets releasing this month rather than in June, we've got you covered. The most prominent new additions to this month are all of the new Star Wars LEGO sets, but you can also check out the full list of new options to see everything.

Anime just keeps getting bigger. It was reported to be a $19+ billion industry in 2023, so we can only imagine where it's at now. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to watch anime without paying a dime. While you might have to skip out on the occasional Netflix original, there's something for everyone in the hundreds of anime series and movies out there for free.

If you watch anime, you probably know that there are plenty of what we'll call "risky" anime sites, most of which ride a legal gray line or head straight into piracy territory. This list is limited to free anime sites we know for sure legally acquired their streaming licenses.

Whether you want to see what the hype's about with Solo Leveling, are planning a Naruto marathon, or want to dive into classics like Sailor Moon, here are the best sites to watch anime for free.

Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll has always offered a free subscription tier with a decent library of anime. Still, some of the most popular and simulcast series get locked behind the service’s Premium membership. If you’ve encountered the Premium paywall for a particular series, I have some good news: Crunchyroll has made 20 of its most popular anime free to watch as part of the streaming site's "Ani-May" celebrations.

Whether you’ve been wanting to see what the hype’s about with Solo Leveling, need to catch up on My Hero Academia before the final season, or want to check out a classic like Cowboy Bebop, there’s almost certainly something in the mix for you to enjoy this month. Check out the full list of what’s streaming for free below.

20 Anime You Can Watch for Free on Crunchyroll Right Now

Apple’s MacBooks have a track record for being the best laptops out there. With their consistently reliable performance, sleek designs, and top-notch software, you know you’re getting a quality product that’ll last for years. And if you’re already deeply entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem with your iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, grabbing a MacBook over a MacBook alternative just makes the most sense. But figuring out exactly what you need from your device has its challenges, so we're here to help.

TL;DR – The Best MacBooks to Buy Right Now:

All of Apple’s latest MacBooks run on the tech giant’s own powerful processors. However, most won’t need the monstrous capabilities of the M4 Max chip unless you’re doing 3D rendering or advanced workflows. Luckily, you can go with something better suited to everyday usage, like the M4 chip on the lightweight MacBook Air. Want to get a bit more creative? The MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro processor may be right up your alley.

No matter what MacBook you go with, you can take full advantage of macOS, which remains competitive with Windows 11 and Linux. Plus, all these MacBooks support the lastest macOS 15 Sequoia – a big software update with AI at the forefront.

Looking for discounts? Check out the best MacBook deals.

1. Apple MacBook Air (2025)

The Best MacBook for Most People

2. Apple MacBook Air (2024)

Best Budget MacBook

3. Apple MacBook Pro 14 M4 (2024)

Best MacBook for Multitasking

4. Apple MacBook Pro 14 M4 Pro (2024)

Best MacBook for Creative Pros

5. Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max (2024)

Best Powerhouse MacBook

What to Look for in an Apple MacBook

Although it’s a bit overwhelming to pick the best Apple MacBook, using one is pretty much the same across models. One of the best things about the laptop is that they all run the most current version of macOS. This means each model will run as smoothly and elegantly as possible with the latest security updates. However, there are certain key differences that make selecting the best MacBook for you a little tough to figure out. Here’s what to look for in a MacBook in 2025.

First and foremost, you should really think about what you’re going to use the MacBook for. If you want a MacBook for video editing or photo editing, then go with the MacBook Pro for its power and larger display. If you’re a writer, then go with the MacBook Air (2025) for its speed and portability. If you’re on a budget, then go with the MacBook Air (2024) for its lower price.

Processing Power

You really get into the weeds when it comes to processing power. Apple offers multiple chipsets in their MacBooks: M1, M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M3, M3 Pro, M3 Max, M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. Released in 2020, the M1 chip is the tech company’s first chipset that’s designed in-house. It’s speedy and efficient, but it’s still a few years old. The next generation chip is the M2, which is faster and zippier, and the M3 and M4 only adds perfromance from there. If you want a step up in power, the tech company also has the M4 Pro and M4 Max chipsets, which are reserved for the 2024 MacBook Pro models. These chips are insanely powerful.

Size

Additionally, size matters when it comes to the MacBook. Apple offers two sizes for the MacBook Air – a 13.3-inch display for the older MacBook Air and a slightly larger 13.6-inch “notch-style” display (which is similar to the Apple iPhone 14) for the newer Air model. As for the MacBook Pros, there are three options: 13.3-inch, 14.2-inch, and 16.2-inch displays – the latter two are also “notch-style.”

Price

In terms of pricing, MacBooks start at $999 (sometimes as low as $799, if it’s on sale) with the M2 MacBook Air (2022) and can go all the way up to a whopping $6,499 with the M3 Max MacBook Pro (2023) for a model with a 16.2-inch display, 96GB of memory, and 8TB of SSD storage.

The most important thing to look out for when picking a MacBook is how you’re going to use it. For most people, the MacBook Air (2024) is the best choice because it features a modern and lightweight design, an M3 processor, a webcam with sharp and crisp picture quality, and a long battery life. If you want more power, then step up to the MacBook Pro (2023). But whichever MacBook you pick up, you’ll have a great user experience thanks to the latest macOS Sonoma software.

After grabbing a MacBook, you may want to consider some peripherals, and AirPods should be near the top of that list. One of our experts did hands-on testing of the Apple AirPods 4 with ANC, giving them high marks. The reviewer even stated the earbuds “go head-to-head in several categories with the AirPods Pro 2.” So, getting these lower-cost AirPods is a great idea.

MacBook FAQ

Are MacBooks good for gaming?

The main draw of a MacBook is that they are excellent laptops for work and productivity. So while you can play some games on a Mac, that doesn't mean that they were built for gaming. Despite the raw power many of these laptops possess, they are not yet the best options for gaming. Check out our guide to the best gaming laptop for better options.

Valve may have revolutionized mobile PC gaming with the Steam Deck, but more and more handheld gaming PCs are coming to market, giving it some stiff competition. The Asus ROG Ally X knocked Steam’s offering from our top spot thanks to its impressive performance, fast memory, and long-lasting battery. With the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 announced at CES 2025, you'll have plenty of options for gaming on the go. Whether you’re after the Steam Deck itself or one of the best Steam Deck alternatives, we’ve selected excellent handheld gaming PCs ready to chew through the top PC games.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Handheld Gaming PCs:

Rather than dealing with the bulk of one the best gaming laptops, handheld gaming PCs keep far more compact dimensions, making it easier to play from just about anywhere. Even though these devices are significantly smaller than the best gaming PCs, it doesn’t mean they’re underpowered, as many handheld gaming PCs are packing the performance prowess to cruise through AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Ghost of Tsushima. And if you get sick of playing on a smaller screen, the best Steam Deck docks work seamlessly with most handheld gaming PCs so you can hook up to your gaming TV.

While we’re on the cusp of a handheld gaming PC revolution, we've gotten our hands on a good chunk of these highly-capable devices. Below are the seven we deem worthy of consideration. From the high-performing Lenovo Legion Go to a slightly less powerful option for indie games like the Asus ROG Ally Z1, something is bound to suit your needs.

Contributions by Danielle Abraham, Ural Garrett, Georgie Peru

1. Asus ROG Ally X

The Best Handheld Gaming PC

2. Valve Steam Deck

The Best Steam Deck

3. Lenovo Legion Go

The Best High Performance Handheld Gaming PC

4. Asus ROG Ally Z1 Extreme

The Best Windows Handheld Gaming PC

5. GPD Win 4

The Best Handheld Gaming PC with a Keyboard

6. Ayaneo Air

The Most Portable Handheld Gaming PC

7. Asus ROG Ally Z1

The Best Handheld Gaming PC for Indie Games

Upcoming Handheld Gaming PCs

Now that the Lenovo Legion Go S is here, we have a first glimpse of the next generation of handheld gaming PCs. It's a rough note to start on, but keep in mind that the AMD Z2 Go is the weakest of the new generation of handheld chips. There will be handheld gaming PCs coming out over the rest of the year that are powered by the more powerful versions, like the Z2 Extreme. Just keep an eye out for the Lenovo Legion Go 2 and the Asus ROG Ally 2 – or whatever it will be called. Another handheld announcement from CES 2025, the Acer Nitro Blaze 11, comes with a massive 11-inch screen, the biggest we've seen on a handheld from a major company.

Finally, there's the upcoming Switch 2 handheld that we will hear more about during the Nintendo Direct in April. While it isn't a PC gaming machine exactly, it does appear to include mouse-like Joy-Con controllers that could make it feel similar.

Handheld Gaming PC FAQ

Should I buy a handheld gaming PC or a gaming laptop?

Depending on how you want to game and what games you want to play will determine whether you should grab a gaming laptop or handheld PC. Handhelds score higher points in longevity, battery life, optimization, portability, and thermals. But handhelds are only designed to play games up to a certain specification. Gaming laptops cram in the latest GPU, CPU, and RAM, likely sacrificing battery life, thermals, and price. However, some are absolute beasts ready to take on even the most graphically intensive games. Laptops offer more functionality when it comes to editing and other work.

Check out our guide on the Steam Deck vs. gaming laptops for more information.

What’s the best Steam Deck alternative?

The Asus ROG Ally X is our top pick and also one of the best Steam Deck alternatives. This gaming handheld offers an easy-to-use interface, speedy performance, and stunning design. Most importantly, the Windows 11 gaming handheld lets you access your entire PC gaming library.

How does the Switch 2 compare to the Steam Deck?

It's too early to say for sure, but given that the Switch 2 is using newer hardware, it will probably be a little bit more powerful – though by how much we won't know until it's out on June 5. Check out our in-depth comparison to find out more.

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

Solving puzzles may happen in your daily life from various word puzzle games like Wordle, or through strategy-based games and puzzle books, but piecing together a physical puzzle is a great way to focus your brain, relax and unwind. As a hobby for all ages, there are hundreds of jigsaw puzzles to choose from these days. However, as avid puzzlers ourselves, we put together a list focuses on what we've found as the most challenging yet rewarding puzzles with adults in mind, and even included some 3D gems in the mix. Many of our picks below would make for great Mother's day gifts, but you can buy them for yourself too.

TLDR: These are the Best Puzzles for Adults

What’s even better is they come in a variety of different styles and designs once put together. Whether you want the finished product to reflect your favorite franchise, game, artwork, or a piece of beautiful scenery, there are puzzles for everyone to enjoy. The below list includes a nice range of sizes as well, from 1,000 pieces to a whopping 3,000 pieces, so you’ll still have quite the challenge when putting them together.

The Legend of Zelda Hyrule Map Jigsaw Puzzle

How to Choose a Jigsaw Puzzle

As an adult, choosing the right puzzle for you requires a bit more thought than it did as a kid. There's more to it than just finding a picture you like and making a purchase. If you're new to the puzzle game, here are some key things to consider before you buy:

How Many Pieces?

The difficulty of a puzzle can almost always be directly attributed to how many pieces there are. For most adults a 100-piece puzzle will likely be too easy, but a 1000-piece puzzle might cause you to get frustrated and lose interest. Because of this, you need to consider how much time you're willing to dedicate before you choose a piece count. If you want something you can finish in a single afternoon, a 500-piece puzzle is likely enough of a challenge.

How Big Is It?

Another thing to consider when purchasing a jigsaw puzzle is how big it is once its completed. If you purchase a massive puzzle that won't fit on your table, you may have trouble ever finishing it. Make sure you have enough room available that you'll be able to slowly piece your puzzle together over multiple days. You can also buy yourself a good puzzle table or board if you need extra space.

Do You Plan on Displaying It?

Perhaps the most important factor in your puzzle purchase is what you plan on doing with your puzzle once you're done. If you are looking for something that's just fun to put together, you will want to focus more on the number of pieces and how the colors fit together in the image. However, if you're looking for something to display when you're done, you'll want something that looks more like a work of art. You'll also likely need to purchase puzzle glue and a frame, depending on what type of puzzle it is.

Need a better table for puzzling? Check out our picks for the best board game tables and board game storage that work great for all of your puzzles as well.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

For Disneyland's 70th anniversary, Disney is bringing Walt back to life as an Audio-Animatronic for a new show that will take guests through his life and give them a chance to hear from him as if they just dropped in for a visit to his office. Ahead of its debut on July 17, 2025, Disney invited us to Walt Disney Imagineering to learn more, and here are the newest things you need to know.

Walt Disney - A Magical Life will take place at the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland and will run for approximately 17 minutes. The first 15 minutes will feature a new take on the "One Man's Dream" short film that goes through Walt's life and is currently playing at Hollywood Studios, and the final two minutes will feature the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic.

The screen will rise and guests will see him standing in his office, which is a combination of his actual one from Burbank and the set developed for his many TV appearances. He will then tell "heartfelt stories, anecdotes, and words of wisdom" using his own voice. Yes, they aren't using AI or a new voice to put words in his mouth as they want to make this very authentically Walt Disney.

You can read all about how Disney is bringing Walt back to life as an Audio-Animatronic right here, but the attention to detail here looks to be the key to this show and figure being a success. Everything from his suit to his shoes to his Smoke Tree Ranch tie has been painstakingly recreated from the actual clothing and accessories he wore.

While we didn't get to see the Audio-Animatronic itself, Disney did show us the very impressive life-size model of Walt they built to reference when making the figure that will be in the show, and it was shocking how real it looked. His skin had blemishes, his nails were manicured but not perfectly, every piece of hair was punched into his head and they used the same type of hair product to give it the same sheen, his eyes were a bit weary, he had wrinkles, and he even had nose hairs and little hairs on his hand to heighten the believability.

He also had this "glimmer" in his eye that was created because the Imagineers told us many people would say Walt had this shimmer in his eyes when you talked to him, and they wanted to preserve that as well.

This version of Walt was inspired by the one that appeared in his well-known Fletcher Markle Canadian Broadcasting interview from 1963, meaning it was an older Walt who "was at his pinnacle."

“He's got the New York World's Fair shows in development, he's got Mary Poppins, he's got the Secret Florida project, and Disneyland's doing great," Tom Fitzgerald, senior creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, said. "He's got all these motion pictures and things, and he just has so much going on, he's so alive, and he’s so excited to share all of this with us.”

Also, for those worried about Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which is currently playing at the Opera House and was one of Walt's big projects during his life, can rest easy knowing it will return after the initial run of this new show. The stage is actually a rotating one and it will eventually switch between the two shows, showcasing the early stages of Audio-Animatronic tech that Walt helped pioneer and the latest with the new show.

Evolution of a Dream and a Celebration of Disney Cast Members

There will be so much more to look forward to at the Main Street Opera House alongside Walt Disney - A Magical Life, including an all-new gallery experience called 'Evolution of a Dream' that will feature returning and never-before-seen images, artifacts, and art of Disneyland during and after Walt's life, and even a small recreation of his apartment.

Some of the most exciting pieces will be pencil drawings and other concept work of the first and secondary preliminary plans for Disneyland that haven't ever been seen in the public like this before. Additionally, some of the earliest memorabilia and merch from the early days of Disneyland will be on display to show what guests of the 1950s and beyond went home with after visiting the park.

The Walt Disney Family Museum was instrumental in helping put this exhibit together, as they donated more than 30 artifacts to be displayed, including original items from Walt's private apartment and some of his most cherished awards.

There will also be a section all about the history of Audio-Animatronics that will tell the story of how Walt helped bring it to life and how it evolved towards Walt Disney - A Magical Life. To help tell the story, there will be original and replica figures from Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room, it's a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.

That's not all, as guests will be greeted to another exhibit as they leave Walt Disney - A Magical Life that will be a celebration and history lesson all about Disney Cast Members a.k.a. Disney employees. Guests will get to see first hand the impact these cast members have had on Disney Parks and beyond, and mural on display there will pay tribute to Disneyland history plus "what's to come."

Walt Disney - A Magical Life and the rest of these exhibits are only one way Disneyland is celebrating its 70th Anniversary, which actually begins on May 16, 2025, despite this new show and the actual anniversary happening on July 17.

For more, check out our story of how a century of Disney magic began for Disney 100th anniversary and our rankings of the top 25 Disney animated films of all time.

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

Following Microsoft's out-of-the-blue announcement that it is raising Xbox console prices, people online started to worry about a similar possible price hike for the PS5. It's already happened in other countries, after all. For anyone looking to pick up a PS5 console sooner rather than later, we've gathered up all the major retailers that currently have PS5 consoles in stock at MSRP.

At the moment, PS5 Disc, PS5 Digital, and PS5 Pro consoles are still widely available at a variety of different retailers, which we've broken down in a bit more detail below.

PS5 Astro Bot Bundle

PS5 Disc Edition

PS5 Digital Edition

PS5 Pro

Disney invited us and a few others into the secret halls of Walt Disney Imagineering to see how they are bringing their founder back to life through the magic of Audio-Animatronics for Walt Disney - A Magical Life for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, and it is shaping up to be a project filled with respect, authenticity, incredible little details, and a ton of Disney magic.

Walt Disney - A Magical Life will debut at Disneyland's Main Street Opera house on July 17, 2025, which will be exactly 70 years after Disneyland itself opened, and the show will invite guests from all across the world into Walt’s office to learn more about his story and how he changed the world of entertainment forever.

While we didn’t get to see the actual Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney, what we did see and hear about has given me the confidence and excitement that Disney may just pull off this ambitious and meaningful project in spectacular fashion.

One Man’s Dream

When we were welcomed into a room at Walt Disney Imagineering for this presentation, we were told what guests can expect from Walt Disney - A Magical Life and why this was the right time to have Walt return to the only Disney Park he ever walked in.

“It's a huge responsibility, as I'm sure you could imagine, bringing Walt Disney to life in Audio-Animatronics,” Tom Fitzgerald, senior creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “And I think we are giving the same care and attention that Walt and his team did with Lincoln many decades ago. We worked very closely with The Walt Disney Family Museum and our archives department, we looked at hours and hours and hours of footage and interviews to pull together what we think is the most authentic presentation possible, and we believe Walt's story is as valid and relevant today as it ever was. The idea of following your dream. The fact that you will have setbacks, but you can turn those setbacks into success. No matter what, follow that dream.”

Most importantly, the team assured us they are taking every precaution to bring Walt back the right way and not rush things. This project has been in development for more than seven years, and the idea of a Walt figure has even been an idea at the company for decades. However, it just didn't feel right until now.

“We have worked very diligently, for many years, with the Walt Disney Family Museum and with members of the Disney and Miller family and the board,” Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz, executive producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “And so we've taken care to make sure that the family is along the journey with us and that we feel that we presented a faithful and theatrical presentation that keeps Walt alive in the medium that he pioneered and in the way that we present stories in our parks.

“To that effect, we’re authentically recreating the way Walt used his hands to accentuate points, his very expressive eyebrows, and even that glint in his eye that so many people who worked with him and knew him said he had. Also, the words spoken by Walt are spoken by Walt. They are taken from interviews over the years and pieced together so that everything Walt is saying is actually his own original words.”

While we didn’t get to see the actual Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney yet, what they did share was a moment I’ll never forget. There was a storyboard in the room we were in that showed a glimpse of the tale guests will see in Walt Disney - A Magical Life, and when they pulled that aside, a life-size model of Walt Disney that they built for reference when making that Audio-Animatronic was right there. I can’t truly describe the feeling of seeing this, but it felt as though Walt Disney was in the room with us.

He was leaning against a desk, as he was known to do when talking and how he will appear in Walt Disney - A Magical Life, and every detail was accounted for. His hands were recreated from a bronze casting of his actual hands that was created by Adrian E. Flatt back in the 60s, he was wearing a suit made out of the actual material of suits he used to wear, each strand of hair was perfectly punched into his head and styled with the same grooming products he used to give it the same sheen it would have had, he wore his Smoke Tree Ranch tie he loved, and so much more.

Even beyond that, there were blemishes on his skin, small hairs on his hands and coming out of his nose, a weariness in his eyes alongside wrinkles, and even his nails were manicured in a way that wasn’t perfect but felt appropriate for a man who went about his day after an appointment. And that glimmer in his eye. I know it sounds cliche, but it worked. When you are looking at him, there is this undeniable light in his eye that makes this model even more believable thanks a bit of Imagineering magic.

We’ll see how the actual Audio-Animatronic turns out, but I truly felt as though Walt was there and that I was looking at a true piece of art crafted by a talented team of artists at the top of their game. It honestly left us speechless.

“Today, with all of our phones, every guest can zoom in and do an extreme close-up of our figures,” Fitzgerald said. “So, we had to sort of reinvent how we portray them. They have to look good from a distance, but they also have to look just as believable in an extreme close-up. That's new for us, particularly with human-based figures. We did a lot of innovation in coming up with a look that would be as realistic and authentic as possible to bring Walt Disney to life in the way that he brought Abraham Lincoln to life, but for a new era.”

This also links to another question we all had - Why was now the right time to bring Walt back? The answer is a complicated one, but it’s a mix of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary coming up, the technology reaching a point where they can do it the right way, and having the right people in the right places to honor his legacy.

A Legacy Well Preserved

Walt Disney’s daughter, Diane Marie Disney-Miller, passed away in 2013, and one of her biggest accomplishments was co-founding the aforementioned Walt Disney Family Museum with her family. This museum opened its doors in 2009 in San Francisco and holds over 30,000 items related to Disney.

The Walt Disney Family Museum was heavily involved in this project, and I had the chance to speak to its director, Kirsten Komoroske, about Walt Disney - A Magical Life, what they donated for the show and exhibit, and also how Walt’s living family feel about the project.

“Disney told us quite a while ago about Walt Disney - A Magical Life because they wanted to make sure that the family, including Walt's grandchildren, were involved and felt comfortable,” Komoroske said. “And I think that the primary feeling the grandchildren had was that, Walt was so fascinated by the technology and the Imagineers felt like their tech had advanced to a point where they could do this right and do it in a way that really did capture the man as he was in his professional life. There was just a lot of thought given to doing this thoughtfully and respectfully.”

The museum donated over 30 items for this exhibit, including artifacts and furniture used in Walt’s private apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street. Some of these items include a green velvet upholstered rocking chair, glass lamps, and a floral embroidered tilt-top table that have never been publicly displayed at Disneyland before.

There will also be many of his awards and humanitarian accolades for guests to see. A few that caught my eye were his Emmy Award from 1955 for ‘Walt Disney’s Disneyland’ TV show, his Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Johnson in 1964, and even his plaque from the Racing Pigeon Association that honored him for “The Greatest Contribution Ever Made to the Sport of Racing Pigeons” thanks to the 1958 film ‘The Pigeon that Worked a Miracle.’

These items and more will all be part of the exhibit, Evolution of a Dream" that will open alongside Walt Disney - A Magical Life, offering even more a look into the life and work of Walt.

Most importantly, Komoroske shared with me that she believes this exhibit is continuing the legacy of Walt and Diane's mission of preserving his memory.

“Diane really wanted to tell the whole story of her father, who started from very humble beginnings and had some very significant failures, including losing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and entering into some distribution deals that he ended up on the wrong side of,” Komoroske said. “But she really wanted to show that, despite these failures, he kept going and kept trying new things. He could have hung up his cleats after Mickey Mouse because he was such a success. But no, he wanted to do animated feature films, then he wanted to get into live action, and then he wanted to start a theme park. So she wanted people to be inspired by, it doesn't matter where you start from, it matters how you journey through life. And so to have that message at Disneyland more substantially is something the family is very, very grateful for.”

A Step Back in Time

The Walt Disney we’ll be visiting in this show will be of him from around 1963, as the team took great inspiration from his well-known Fletcher Markle Canadian Broadcasting interview from that year.

“This is when Walt was really at his pinnacle,” Fitzgerald said. “He's got the New York World's Fair shows in development, he's got Mary Poppins, he's got the Secret Florida project, and Disneyland's doing great. He's got all these motion pictures and things, and he just has so much going on, he's so alive, and he’s so excited to share all of this with us.”

As previously mentioned, he’ll be standing in his office and welcoming everyone to learn about his story. This office will be a mix of the actual one he had in Burbank and the office set that was developed for his many TV appearances. Easter Egg hunters will be delighted to know it will be filled with things to look for, including a photo of Abraham Lincoln, plans for Disneyland, and so much more. It’s all meant to feel like you’ve “dropped in and you get to have some great moments with him.”

I check Pokémon TCG prices daily, and I spend way too much of my paycheck on singles—some for the kids, most for me. I even risked my marriage for an LED-lit Pokémon card wall. Worth it.

So, I figured it's time to put that obsession to good use. Every week, I'll break down the biggest risers and fallers in the Pokémon card market—what's crashing, what's climbing, and what’s actually worth your money right now.

As of May 2, prices on cards like Magikarp 203/193 and Pikachu ex 238/191 have nosedived by over 30%, while Rayquaza VMAX and Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat are making moves in the opposite direction. Whether you're hunting bargains or watching the next big spike, here's what to buy and what to keep an eye on this week.

Pokémon Card Crashes

Gaming chairs are one of the best investments a gamer can make. After all, during those long gaming sessions, where are you going to sit? While gaming keyboards and gaming monitors can really lift your gaming experience to the next level, none of it really matters if you don't have a comfortable chair to sit in. Our top entry, the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen, is a perfect example: It's a chair big enough for pretty much any body, and it's comfortable and sturdy enough to sit for hours.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Gaming Chairs:

I've been reviewing gaming chairs for years, and the overall best ones you can buy provide a place to sink into for hours of gaming without fatigue or pain. Including features like customizable lumbar support, adjustable armrests, and a movable headrest to beef up the ergnomics only adds to a more comfortable, distraction-free space to focus on your favorite PC games.

However, there are an excess of options to choose from. To help you out, I've cut this list down to six tested and researched chairs offering solid frames, high-quality material, and all the creature comforts you could want.

1. Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen

Best Gaming Chair

2. Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair

Best Budget Gaming Chair

3. Haworth Fern

Best Ergonomic Gaming Chair

4. Hinomi H1 Pro

Best Mesh Gaming Chair

5. Razer Enki

Best Fabric Gaming Chair

6. Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen XL

Best Big and Tall Gaming Chair

How to Choose the Best Gaming Chair for You

• Price: This will probably be the biggest determining factor. Going out with a set budget is helpful, as you’ll find chairs ranging from under $50 to more than $1,000. Cheaper gaming chairs, like the Corsair TC100 Relaxed, still deliver the comfort of more expensive ones. You just need to be prepared to sacrifice features, like 4D armrests or adjustable lumbar support. I’d stay away from anything under $100, especially if the chair makes promises that appear too good to be true.
• Design: Comfort is king; nobody wants to spend hours in a seat that causes back or neck pain. Finding a chair that’s the right size for you is essential for preventing discomfort. Luckily, most chairs list their dimensions. You’ll want a wide, well-cushioned seat, a long backrest, and a good range of height adjustability. All that should sit on a sturdy metal frame capable of holding your full body weight. If you’re looking into a racing-style chair with bucket seats, like the AndaSeat Kaiser 3, pay special mind to the bolsters, as they can dig into your thighs.
• Materials: For the most part, gaming chairs offer PU leather, fabric, or mesh. PU leather is easy to clean but may not always be super durable, and it gets hot when wearing shorts. Fabric, which is used on the E-Win Champion, won’t be as easy to clean, though it’s less of a heat magnet. Mesh is the most breathable option. However, you’ll lose the cushioned seat and backrest in favor of a suspension system, which can be a hit or miss. The Razer Fujin Pro is one chair that gets mesh right.
• Ergonomics: After locking those in, a movable headrest, adjustable armrests, and customizable lumbar support can enhance the chair’s ergonomic, but these features often make the chair more expensive. Other quality-of-life additions, like a tilting or rocking mechanism, also help with relaxation between heated gaming sessions.

Keep all this in mind so you know how to pick the perfect gaming chair for your needs.

Gaming Chair FAQ

What's the point of a gaming chair?

Because gaming chairs are glorified office chairs, their main selling points are, frankly, aesthetic. Gaming chairs are often a bit more expensive than comparable office chairs and don't have the same comfort features as seats designed for working in all day. Still, if you love the way that gaming chairs look and you're going for a certain vibe in your gaming den, the best gaming chairs do truly shine. You just might want to look at the best ergonomic chairs if you want something that's truly going to take care of your aching back.

How much should you spend on a a gaming chair?

While you can buy a gaming chair for $80 or less, doing so is just asking for eventual pain. Something inexpensive is usually nothing more than a cheap plastic frame (versus steel) with some thin fabric or pleather upholstery on top.

You can get a quality chair for as little as $200, and that’s the absolute bottom floor of affordability we’d go for. Spending $300 or more will get you access to better options. If your budget allows you to soar a bit higher, more expensive gaming chairs start to come with built-in lumbar support, cooling gel layers, and even more adjustable ergonomics, not to mention RGB LED Kits and more. It all depends on what matters most to you in the long term.

Mother's Day is fast approaching - May 11, if you need to mark your calendar - and if you're on the lookout for a nice gift idea, we're here to help. Whether you want something that's a bit more budget-friendly or you don't mind splashing out on a fancier gift, we've included a wide selection of options here that any mom is sure to enjoy. Some of them are even on sale as well right now, so you can save a little extra cash while shopping around.

Make Mother's Day special this year by treating them to something nice. Here are our recommendations of the best Mother's Day gifts to buy in 2025.

The Best Mother’s Day Gifts To Buy in 2025

Gifts Under $100

For those who don't mind spending a bit extra, we've gathered up quite a few items under $100 that are worth giving as a Mother's Day gift this year. From earbuds to listen to their favorite music, audiobooks, or podcasts to some nice running shoes and even a beautiful bouquet of flowers, there are plenty of options to check out.

Gifts Under $50

If you're looking for some gift ideas that aren't as pricy as the ones listed above, this selection features a collection of items that fall below the $50 price point. We've gathered up a wide range of options to look through as well, from a gardening tools set to a board game to a streaming device, so you can find the perfect pick for Mother's Day this year.

Gifts Under $25

If you're looking for gift ideas that won't make a massive dent in your wallet, we've gathered up plenty of different options to look through. A few of our favorites include some sweet candles, cozy slippers, jewelry, and a bag of delicious chocolates to enjoy.

Imperial is easily one of Marvel’s biggest and most ambitious new comic book projects in 2025. This series is the latest major project from Jonathan Hickman, the architect behind game-changing Marvel storylines like House of X and the new Ultimate Universe. And just as those projects revamped their respective franchises, Imperial is shaping up to create a whole new status quo for Marvel’s cosmic heroes like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

To get a better idea of how Imperial will upend the cosmic playing board, IGN chatted with Hickman via email. Check out an exclusive preview in the slideshow gallery below, and then read on to learn more.

To start, we wanted to know about the origins of Imperial. Was this a story Hickman was itching to tell, or did Marvel specifically approach him with an eye toward replicating the past success of Krakoa and Ultimate Invasion? As Hickman explains, 2025 was the right time to look at Marvel’s cosmic lineup with a fresh eye.

“I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe,” Hickman tells IGN. “That I was available and interested, and that it’s been of ongoing interest to the company, and that the model of launching something like this had just been done with the Ultimate line, all added up to it feeling like this was an opportunity to do Imperial. It’s come together well and I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book.”

The new Ultimate line has been a big success for Marvel over the past two years, and there are some obvious comparisons to be made in terms of how Imperial is being used as the foundation for a new line of cosmic books. We were curious how similar Hickman sees this initiative? Are there any lessons from launching the Ultimate Universe that he’s taking into Imperial?

“You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed with in the current market,” Hickman says. “A small, tight line of books that readers can invest in and not feel overwhelmed, and where creators can execute their vision for the individual titles without drowning in external continuity seems to be a pretty solid model of how to launch something like this.”

Hickman continues, “The big difference, obviously, is that this isn’t set in an alternative Marvel Universe, so we won’t be doing the ‘real time’ aspect of the Ultimate line. Which has its pluses and minuses, but I think most people will be pleased about.”

Imperial also brings to mind 2006’s Annihilation crossover, another major storyline that ended with a huge status quo shift for Marvel’s cosmic heroes and an overall shift in the balance of power. In fact, Annihilation paved the way for the modern Guardians of the Galaxy as we know them. Does Hickman see any similarities between Annihilation and Imperial?

“No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that,” Hickman says. “The ‘what-you-get’ end results might be similar in that all of a sudden there are a bunch of Marvel cosmic books you care about. But plot/story-wise? No.”

Elements of Imperial are clearly building on Hickman’s previous Marvel work. For example, the recent “Hunt for Xavier” crossover in the X-Men line tackled a loose end from the Krakoan era. It set the stage for Imperial by resurrecting the former Shi’ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with the fugitive Charles Xavier, as the two embark to rescue their daughter Xandra. Imperial also features the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, an element first teased in 2015’s Secret Wars before going on to play a role in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther series.

Despite these callbacks to his previous work, Hickman reveals that Imperial isn’t necessarily as connected to those books as it might seem.

“Well, I’m kind of notorious for mining my own continuity inside of the greater Marvel one, but I’d say well over half of this is more like me picking up pieces from a bunch of extended stories that have been done over the years by other creators than me just picking up plot threads from my previous books,” Hickman says. “Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect.”

Imperial is also notable for pushing the Hulk family in a more cosmic-oriented direction again. The preview art makes it clear that Hulk and She-Hulk are returning to the wartorn world of Sakaar, hearkening back to 2006’s seminal Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman makes it clear that this is no coincidence, and that there’s a good reason to return to Sakaar in 2025.

Hickman teases, “All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by.”

Finally, we asked Hickman about the decision to divide the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. How is the creative team you trying to take advantage of having two artists bringing this conflict to life?

“Both of those guys are crushing it,” Hickman says. “I’ve been very pleased and surprised at how they’ve tackled some of the story beats, character designs, and wild locations this thing has. And with the book having a compressed publishing schedule (we actually moved it forward at the beginning of the year), the only way it could be done was for them to tag team it. The trick there is they have to complement each other and that’s clearly the case here.”

Imperial #1 will be released on June 4, 2025.

For more on the world of comics, find out what you should read in this year’s FCBD lineup, and check out our exclusive interview with the writers of TMNT: The Last Ronin II.

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

Max is home to some incredibly high-quality films and shows, including House of the Dragon, Succession, The Penguin, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, which is currently in season 2. You can read our spoiler free The Last of Us season 2 review to see our thoughts.

If you've been hoping to start up an account to dig into that library, we're here to help. We're keeping track of the best price right now for Max subscriptions, along with any deals as they appear. This includes bundle deals like the Max, Hulu, and Disney+ bundle, which is one you absolutely don't want to miss out on. This mega bundle starts at just $16.99/month, which is an astonishing price to have three very popular streaming services right in the palm of your hand. You can learn more about that bundle deal and Max's subscription plans below.

Subscribe to Max - Save Up to 20% With Annual Plans

Are you going to invite them in… again? That’s right, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler’s new film Sinners has taken the box office by storm — so naturally, it already has plans to return to IMAX screens following the Thunderbolts* run.

The movie is set to do an extra week theatrical run at eight 70mm IMAX screens nationwide: Los Angeles, Irvine, New York, San Francisco, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas, as well as Toronto as the ninth screen in North America as a whole. Tickets went on sale May 1 for a weeklong run from May 15-21 — and unsurprisingly, the re-release run is already selling fast.

“Audiences have spoken and we listened. If ever a film needed to be experienced in this incredible larger-than-life format, it’s Sinners,” Jeff Goldstein, President of Global Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures said in a statement.

“Ryan has delivered a film that has been embraced by fans who appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into creating a film for this screen-filling format and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to see it — or see it again — in 70mm IMAX.”

Sinners is currently sitting at just over $181 million at the global box office, and positive word of mouth could see it push through the $200 million barrier towards $250.

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

Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX is finally here for North American audiences. The new Gundam series features a new "alternate history" storyline, a name that’s harder than ever to pronounce (allegedly “G-Queue-x”), and, of course, a new line of model kits. In IGN's review of the GQuuuuuuX theatrical release, critic Juan Barquin calls the new series “exactly the kind of inventive reimagining of Gundam we deserve.”

There’s the notable influence of another massive sci-fi series in the credits of the new Gundam anime. GQuuuuuuX is directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki (co-director of End of Evangelion), and written by Yoji Enokido – who also wrote stone-cold anime classics like FLCL, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ouran High School Host Club, and Bungo Stray Dogs, as well as scripts for several episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion – and the Evangelion creator himself, Hideaki Anno. One can only imagine where this series will go with these minds behind it.

If you’re wondering where to watch new episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX or catch up on the original Gundam series beforehand, I’ve listed everything you need to know below.

How to Watch Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX

While you can probably enjoy GQuuuuuuX regardless of your Gundam experience, the “alternative” history is likely best enjoyed with knowledge of, well, the original history. You can watch the original Gundam anime as well as most Gundam series on everyone’s favorite anime streaming service Crunchyroll.

Gundam GQuuuuuuX Characters and Voice Cast

• Amate Yuzuriha (Machu) voiced by Tomoyo Kurosawa
• Nyaan voiced by Yui Ishikawa
• Shuji Itō voiced by Simba Tsuchiya
• Challia Bull voiced by Shinji Kawada
• Char Aznable voiced by Shin Yuuki
• Xavier Olivette voiced by Seiichiro Yamashita
• Comoli Harcourt voiced by Akane Fujita
• Annqi voiced by Mariya Ise
• Jezzi voiced by Yukitoshi Tokumoto
• Nabu voiced by Shoya Chiba
• Kaine voiced by Yuusuke Nagano
• HARO voiced by Rie Kugimiya
• Pomeranian voiced by Kosuke Echigoya
• Denim voiced by Goto Kousuke
• Dren voiced by Takeda Taichi

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

The thing we all knew was going to happen has finally happened: GTA 6 has been delayed. Originally scheduled for release during 2025, what is almost certainly the most anticipated game of all time is now due to arrive on May 26, 2026.

But that doesn’t mean that 2025 is going to go down in history as a disappointing year for games. Far from it! Already this year we’ve had some phenomenal releases in the form of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Blue Prince, and Split Fiction, and there are plenty more in the pipeline. Dozens of them, in fact. There’s Ghost of Yotei if you need a second samurai fix this year, Borderlands 4 for your co-op chaos needs, and even a brand new console and accompanying games from a little company called Nintendo.

Here’s everything you have to look forward to in the rest of 2025 that doesn’t have the words “Grand Theft Auto 6” in the title.

What’s next?

With GTA 6 originally scheduled for later in the year, you almost certainly hadn’t made any space in your gaming calendar over the next couple of months. But just in case you did, there are some massive drops imminent. Doom: The Dark Ages arrives on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC on May 15, and looks to be an incredible goth reimagining of the shooter we know and love. Following not long after is something for all the Souls fans, as Elden Ring Nightreign drops on May 30 for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. This one’s a co-op roguelike, so brand new territory for FromSoft, but if you’ve been looking for a faster take on the studio’s core formula, then it could be the mainstay of your multiplayer nights for the foreseeable future.

Skip forward a month into June and you can strap in for Hideo Kojima’s next wild adventure in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Arriving on June 26 exclusively for PS5, its trailers are already packed to the brim with wild and weird ideas, so we’re expecting this one to push the envelope much further than its FedEx simulator predecessor. Talking of games where its difficult to walk over large surfaces without things going horribly wrong, Dune: Awakening lands on PC on June 10. Watch out for the sandworms and drink plenty of water, please.

Switch 2

With GTA 6 now gone, the biggest event of the year is unquestionably the Nintendo Switch 2. The new console launches on June 5, alongside its first major game: Mario Kart World. Also releasing on the same day are the Switch 2 editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, so you’ll be able to play those classics at much better resolutions and frame rates. Then there’s the Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour, the console’s mini-game based tutorial, as well as a bunch of third party games coming to the system, including Hogwarts Legacy, Spit Fiction, Street Fighter 6, Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut, Cyberpunk 2077, and – of course – Fortnite.

June is just the start, though, as just a few weeks later Donkey Kong Bananza will arrive on July 17 to ensure the Switch 2 isn’t without its mandatory 3D platformer. And from what we've seen so far, it looks worth going bananas for. Later in the year, you can also look forward to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Pokemon Legends: Z-A and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment. Oh, and a little game called Hollow Knight: Silksong, which apparently really will arrive on Switch 2 and everything else this year.

Big Hitters

It wouldn’t be the end of the year without a three or four months of big hitters leading into the Christmas holiday. While not formally announced yet, we’re sure to get a new Call of Duty as well as EA Sports FC 26 around that time.

September will see the launch of two massive shooters: Borderlands 4 on the 12th, and Marathon on the 23rd. You know what kooky violent fun to expect from Borderlands, but this time the gun drops are promised to be even better. Marathon is more of an unknown, but an extraction shooter from the minds behind Destiny is surely something to keep an eye on.

PlayStation’s long-awaited Tsushima follow-up, Ghost of Yotei, will arrive on October 2, and bring with it a tale of vengeance against a group of shadowy masked samurai – hopefully this year’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows only left you wanting even more of that plotline.

There will likely be a few others to get excited about, too. While we have no confirmed dates, we’d expect highly anticipated games scheduled for 2025, like The Outer Worlds 2 and Crimson Desert, to also arrive in the last section of the year.

2025 Release Timeline

That’s far from everything on the horizon. For a larger list of things coming this year, take a look at our timeline of the biggest games confirmed to be coming in the year’s remaining months.

• Doom the Dark Ages - May 15
• Blades of Fire - May 22
• Elden Ring Nightreign - May 30
• F1 25 - May 30
• Mario Kart World - June 5
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - June 5
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - June 5
• Deltarune: Chapter 3 + 4 - June 5
• Dune Awakening - June 10
• FBC: Firebreak - June 17
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - June 26
• Tamagotchi Plaza - June 27
• EA Sports College Football 26 - July 10
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 - July 11
• Donkey Kong Bananza - July 17
• Shadow Labyrinth - July 18
• Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - July 24
• Tales of the Shire: A Lord of the Rings Game - July 29
• Mafia: The Old Country - August 8
• Madden NFL 26 - August 14
• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater - August 28
• Lost Soul Aside - August 29
• Hell Is Us - September 4
• Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion - September 5
• Terminator 2D: No Fate - September 5
• Borderlands 4 - September 12
• Marathon - September 23
• Ghost of Yotei - October 2
• Directive 8020 - October 2
• Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - October 2025
• Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment - Winter 2025
• Crimson Desert - Q4 2025
• Pokémon Legends: Z-A - Late 2025
• Little Nightmares 3 - 2025
• Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - 2025
• Kirby Air Ride - 2025
• Dying Light: The Beast - 2025
• Hollow Knight Silksong - 2025
• Ninja Gaiden 4 - 2025
• The Outer Worlds 2 - 2025
• Cronos: The New Dawn - 2025
• Professor Layton and the New World of Steam - 2025
• Witchbrook - 2025

Matt Purslow is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Valve's MOBA hero shooter Deadlock is still in an invite-only testing phase, as the company continues to develop and iterate. But a recent livestream mix-up looks like it revealed the existence of a second, even more exclusive playtest with some unseen characters and redesigns.

Leaks have swirled from a livestream hosted by a top Deadlock player, who reportedly appeared to open the wrong Deadlock build on stream. (Thanks, Eurogamer.)

The roster, as shown on-stream and captured by viewers, shows several new faces like the old-school Doorman, bespectacled Bookworm, and gothic Vampirebat, as well as visual alterations for characters like Ivy. Though the streamer quickly closed out after realizing their error, you can't really un-spill the beans at this point.

No other info has circulated as of yet, though this leak is still fairly fresh. Deadlock is no stranger to leaks, as its own existence and content was the subject of numerous leaks. And while the existence of a test build for larger numbers of players to tinker with upcoming updates is not new either, it's a bit strange for Deadlock, which is still in an invite-only early state.

Reactions seem mixed, as some on the r/DeadlockTheGame subreddit have expressed frustration with feeling like they were already in on a playtest. Even in its more-public build, Deadlock has seen changes big and small, and even cut a full lane from the game. Valve has used the Hero Labs mode in the past to let players further test new heroes, but it seems like this is an additional method to further test with a select crowd.

Despite being invite-only, Deadlock has garnered a surprising number of players and picked up some notice from fans of both shooter games and MOBAs. A new game from Valve is already noteworthy, but its strange rollout and continued status as an invite-only game has only added to its mystique. Now, it looks like there's another, even more exclusive build for players to speculate over.

It's important to keep the real news in perspective though, as one Reddit user points out: "Oh great as if one Lash wasn't bad enough, now there are two of him!"

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

The first three episodes of Poker Face premiere on Peacock on Thursday, May 8. New episodes stream weekly through July 10.

American television is in the middle of a boom of throwback dramas about competent professionals solving new problems every episode. But before The Pitt saw its first patient or Elsbeth resumed legal proceedings in the world of The Good Wife, there was Poker Face, whose second season continues to prove how well a revival of the Columbo-style mystery known as the howcatchem works in this new TV era. At a time when trust in institutions is at an all time low, Rian Johnson’s series offers an unlikely hero who’s perpetually on the fringes of society, fighting for victims who would otherwise never see justice.

These strong fundamentals were all established in season 1, where human lie detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) went on the run from the mob and found herself wandering from town to town solving quirky murders. Season 2 quickly puts aside that larger threat and lets Charlie just drift on her own, picking up odd jobs that connect her to both the killers she foils and their victims.

In Poker Face’s cleverest innovation on the Columbo formula – which broke from whodunit convention by showing its culprits in the act and hinging the drama on how they’d be caught (hence “howcatchem”) – each episode opens on the killer’s perspective before flashing back to reveal how Charlie’s been lurking over their shoulder the entire time. The switch allows the writers to quickly build up their villains and then demonstrate the tragedy of their crimes, whose fallout often has wide-reaching implications beyond their victims’ lives. Take season 2’s most skillful use of this tendency: In “Hometown Hero,” Simon Rex earns our sympathy as Rocket, a minor league baseball pitcher recognizing he’ll never live up to his full potential. The episode’s murder victim even sort of has it coming, but the greater crime – putting his team itself at risk – is committed against Rocket’s fans.

He’s one of the many Poker Face killers with an outsized sense of entitlement; other examples this season include a daughter who cares for her abusive mother in hopes of inheriting her fortune and a child who can’t stand any threats to her collection of gold stars. Johnson has focused on class warfare in his Knives Out films, but there’s more breadth to the themes on Poker Face – though its killers are just as odious.

But the greatest strength of the show is Lyonne. She brings so much energy and charm to every scene as Charlie tries to befriend almost everyone she meets. There’s plenty of humor in her perpetual wonder at how she gets dragged into so much drama – this in spite of her repeated badgering of people who don’t really want to talk to her. But her warmth is often rewarded in unexpected ways: When she encourages a firefighter’s aspirations to be a tap-dancer, it leads to a favor that allows Charlie to catch a killer red handed.

Such zany scenarios are par for the course: Season 2 doubles down on the silliness of its predecessor, sometimes to the point of surreality, like the episode where Kumail Nanjiani plays a cop version of real-life “Tiger King” Joe Exotic. It often gets meta, too, which works in a loving tribute to Heat but feels overdone in the Johnson-directed, Knives Out-mirroring premiere. Because Poker Face leans so hard into its absurdity, it’s a better showcase for guest stars with deep comedic backgrounds: Richard Kind, David Alan Grier, and John Mulaney all put in memorable appearances this season. Onscreen villain extraordinaire Giancarlo Espositio, by contrast, is sadly underwhelming in his episode. He just doesn’t get enough time to make his killer live up to the standards of cold menace set by Gus Fring or Moff Gideon.

Still, there’s consistency and appeal to Poker Face’s case-of-the-week format – though season 2 gives Lyonne more recurring co-stars to pal around with. Good Buddy (Steve Buscemi), a wise voice who gives Charlie advice and occasional help via CB radio, is a welcome addition to the formula. (He’s also a fitting audience for her musings about life on the road.) I’m much more dubious about the late-season addition of Alex (Patti Harrison), a lonely failed entrepreneur who never lies and becomes a sort of sidekick to our streetwise protagonist/polygraph. It’s a decent idea to have backup, given how dangerous it is to be perpetually confronting murderers without a gun or badge. But in the first Alex-centric episode, the comes at expense of the fresh relationships Charlie forms within each episode.

Stellaris and Crusader Kings 3 developer Paradox Interactive has something "ambitious" to show us next week.

While the team stopped short of showing any concrete details at all, it did remind us that Paradox has been developing and publishing strategy games over the last 25 years "that have taken you from the Roman Empire to the stars," and teased it was now "preparing to announce the next major title in the genre."

The mysterious new game — known only by its codename, Caesar — has been openly discussed on the studio's forum in a number of "Tinto Talks" developer diaries. Over this time, it has been welcoming community feedback on its feature ideas, key game systems, and historical research, but "now the time has come to reveal Ceasar to the world."

The latest Tinto Talks — named after the studio that's developing it, Barcelona-based Studio Tinto — talked about the mechanics of Protestant religions and the "final situation involving all Western Christian confessions, the War of Religions," coming to its "entirely super-top-secret game with the codename Project Caesar."

That, plus the clue that the announcement video will premier on the official Europa Universalis YouTube channel, suggests the mysterious project may be a new addition to that series… but nothing's certain right now.

That hasn't stopped fans speculating, though, with many coming to the same conclusion that it's probably connected to Europa Universalis, too.

"Dev Diaries haven't called it EU5 but everything we have been teased thus far heavily implies it," reminded one player on Reddit. Another, replying to someone else pointing out that the video will debut on the Europa Universalis channel, teased: "There might've been clues along the way huh."

"I mean, it was an open secret for over a year thanks to the Tinto Talks Threads on Paradox forums," explained someone else.

To find out more, and discover if the rumors are right, tune in to Paradox's video at 9am PDT (12pm EDT, 5pm UK time) on May 8, 2025, and discover "a new era for grand strategy."

We had a great time with the last Europa Universalis game, awarding it 8.9/10 in IGN's Europa Universalis 4 review, saying: "Europa Universalis IV brings accessibility and flexibility to the strategy series without compromising its complexity."

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

This article contains spoilers for Thunderbolts.

This isn’t just the MCU’s fault, but Marvel and other modern comic book franchises have turned us into Easter egg hunters, the equivalent of the Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme in real life. You see that nametag identifying Commander Dunphy (William Mark McCullough) in Captain America: Brave New World? Get ready for an explanation of D-Man, the homeless superhero dressed as Wolverine and Daredevil. A license plate that says “63A5M-3” in Spider-Man: No Way Home? You bet that’s a reference to 1963’s Amazing Spider-Man #3, the first appearance of Doctor Octopus. But the most recent Marvel movie, Thunderbolts, takes a very different route with its “Easter eggs,” as they don’t fit the modern definition of Easter eggs at all… They’re more actual references that enrich the texture and viewing of the film in the context of the greater MCU, rather than being needle-scratches, bringing the action to a halt.

The point being that over the past quarter century, Easter eggs on film, and in Marvel movies in particular, have shifted from being a literal bug to being a feature. Maybe the feature. They are analyzed on YouTube videos, broken down in breathless articles, and shockingly often the main point of discussion of a movie the weekend it opens is the Easter eggs… Not the actual content of the movie itself.

So it feels like a revelation to watch the most recent MCU film and see moments that are clear nods to previous MCU movies, do not bring the movie to a grinding halt, and instead are utilized by director Jake Schreier and screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo to emphasize and contrast the team in the film against other, previous teams and individuals in the universe.

The most obvious of these is setting most of the third act of the movie in and around Avengers Tower, now named The Watchtower under its new owner, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). To be clear, Avengers Tower is not an Easter egg; it is a location in the film. However, compared to the Avengers, who briefly called the building their home base, the Thunderbolts are mostly out of place there. The building is half-finished, with only what might be Tony Stark’s bar mostly intact (but maybe in the wrong spot? Or was it the bar where Nat and Bruce flirted in Age of Ultron?). It is, in and of itself, used as a way of delineating the Thunderbolts as a team that has to take the elevator, not fly out in a Quinjet. They, themselves, aren’t finished yet; they have a lot of work to do individually and as a group.

And that expands outwards to their final fight, which takes place in Midtown, around Grand Central Station. Unlike the team in The Avengers, who stood on the elevated road over Grand Central, got a heroic spinning shot, and fought back an alien army, the Thunderbolts are under the bridge… They’re down, not up. And their heroic moment isn’t about facing down the Chitauri; it’s flipping over a piece of concrete.

There are moments throughout this “fight” scene that call to mind the end of Avengers, as well. Yelena (Florence Pugh) is tossed in the air, a la her sister Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) in Avengers. A little girl who is saved is framed almost exactly the same way Beth the waitress (Ashley Johnson) was after she was saved in the 2012 film. Heck, once the team is named the New Avengers, the score plays a version of the Avengers theme music, but with several notes inverted. It’s all a little off. It’s not quite right. And purposefully so, because this is a team, as we’re immediately shown in the end credits, that is not comfortable with being Avengers, and neither is the world. The end credits parade of dubious headlines from news outlets is another reference, this time to the breathless, positive headlines about Iron Man over the opening of Iron Man 2. The world saw his coming out as the dawn of a new age of heroes. For the Thunderbolts, now Avengers, this might be the end.

All of these immediately call to mind previous movies, just like an Easter egg would, and contrast with what we’re seeing on screen. But they’re not distracting; they’re enlightening in terms of what the filmmakers intended, if you pick up on them. And isn’t that the way things are supposed to be? Rather than the Easter Egg Industrial Complex (EEIC) that exists today, where the mere mention of things in a trailer or movie are deemed Easter eggs – “Did you notice Yelena Belova from Black Widow is in Thunderbolts” for example, is not an Easter egg; it’s a character that appears in the movie – layering in textures in your film makes for a better, richer repeat experience than simply returning to read a list of names on a computer, a la X2.

Is it hyperbole to say this is the path forward for the MCU? Maybe. But for a movie otherwise devoid of Easter eggs, the references are more thrilling and interesting than any comic book namedrop. Unless there was one, and we missed it. In that case, we’ll have to head back to the theater and check.

Last Epoch sports a whopping 15 Mastery classes. Masteries are essentially a subclass that allows you to lean in on one aspect of your build. They range from traditional roles like Sorcerer to more out-there options like Falconer (which sees you flying around the map using your bird friend for damage). It can be difficult to choose which ones to focus on with so many options, but this Last Epoch Mastery tier list will help.

How We Ranked the Best and Worst Masteries in Last Epoch

What makes a Mastery strong, weak, or somewhere in between depends on how many key checkboxes it ticks for potential builds. Every build has a long list of things it can use to make its clear (i.e. mapping) and bossing (i.e. single target), and defense as strong as it can be, but some are stronger than others, or have stronger synergies than others.

For example, ‘more’ damage multipliers are stronger than increased damage multipliers, so if a Mastery offers more of the former, it’s more likely to be higher up on this list. Be sure to read passives closely to determine how they scale damage — they will tell you! There are also stats like critical hit chance, critical hit multiplier, flat damage, armour shred chance, armour shred effect, and plenty more that pull a lot of weight.

Defensively, critical hit damage reduction or critical damage avoidance are, well, critical for most builds, as random damage spikes are a great way to die, and these let you avoid them entirely. Resists are also important — while you can always get them on gear and idols, having the option to get them on the Mastery passive tree gives you flexibility. Meanwhile, damage reduction is arguably the best way to survive in the game, so of course it’s a fairly rare stat to find. You also have recovery (leech, health regeneration, health/ward on hit, etc.) and eHP (Ward and/or Health) to worry about, and a ton of other things. All that is to say, any Mastery that offers these in a manner that’s point efficient is more likely to be toward the top of this list.

As for Mastery skills, these are evaluated largely based on their numbers and damage potential for both bossing and clearing, with a little consideration given to how they feel to play. A skill may be S-Tier but if it feels clunky to play, that may contribute to a Mastery ranking a bit lower than it could. Of course, if you’re not the type to mind mechanics like snapshotting, you’re welcome to rank a given Mastery higher.

Last Epoch Season 2 Masteries Tier List

• S-Tier: Paladin, Void Knight

Best overall clear, bossing, and defense, with no significant weaknesses

• A-Tier: Falconer, Bladedancer, Shaman, Druid

Strong clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in one area

• B-Tier: Marksman, Lich, Beastmaster

Good clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in one or more areas

• C-Tier: Necromancer, Forge Guard, Runemaster

Decent to good clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in one or more areas

• D-Tier: Spellblade, Warlock, Sorcerer

Poor to good clear, bossing, and/or defense. Lacking significantly in multiple areas

S-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

S-Tier: Void Knight

If you want to delete screens with a giant purple sword and never die, Void Knight (and Erasing Strike) is for you. It scales well too when it transitions into the World Splitter version. A Warpath version is also just as viable, and happens to be both top tier and new player/casual friendly.

Void Knight has more mobility and effective HP (eHP) than it used to, and sports the same huge clear and very respectable bossing damage. It also has the distinct benefit of being able to move and do damage simultaneously, which is always a huge boon for damage per second (DPS), while feeling very smooth to play.

In terms of numbers, it sports 200% added damage effectiveness on all skills (and 600 on Erasing Strike), which is very much where you want to be.

The passive tree offers resistance to and penetration for Physical and Void damage, leech and leech rate, damage reduction, increased health, slow and chill resist, mana solutions, attack speed, and plenty more. Standout nodes include Sorrow & Steel (damage, armor, and area of effect in one tidy package), Void Corruption (a huge amount of critical hit chance and multiplier), and Mortal Cleave (culling, damage, and critical hit chance all in one). There’s even more to mention, but you get the idea: Void Knight has it all.

S-Tier: Paladin

Developer Eleventh Hour Games (EHG) admitted it overdid it with the Sentinel rework, which is why Judgement Paladin took four of the top 5 spots in the Terminate Uber Abberoth race. So, there should be no doubt whatsoever this Mastery deserves S-Tier.

As with Void Knight, Paladin has extremely potent skills, doesn’t die, and does massive damage. Judgement alone is obscene, offering 350% damage effectiveness and 200% critical multiplier against 15 mana cost and 4s cooldown, paired together in one-two healing and damage punch. The thing is, every single one of its other skills are about as potent, which can’t be said for any other Mastery. Symbols of Hope and Holy Aura both follow the damage and defense in one theme, while Healing Hands just offers a metric ton of healing (primarily for those extra tough bosses).

The passive tree offers the most resistances in the game, plus plenty of recovery and damage reduction, mana, attack and cast speed, block, armor, penetration, and more. Standout nodes include Covenant of Light (which buffs Healing Hands and Holy Aura simultaneously), Covenant of Protection, and Reverence of Duality and Convenant of Dominion, which collectively offer ridiculous amounts of damage, sustain, damage over time mitigation, and defense (sometimes all at once).

Though Judgement steals the show, Bleed Hammerdin and Smite are strong build options as well if you want to go a little off-meta.

A-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

A-Tier: Falconer

EHG has stated its goal when nerfing overpowered (OP) builds is to make them “just under OP”, and that’s exactly what happened with the Falconer Mastery and its popular builds. Outrageously powerful when it launched, it’s now simply silly good (the horror!).

Movement speed on this one is unrivaled, and damage is top tier, thanks in part to easy access to critical hit multipliers and Dexterity scaling options. Even better, it has the option to employ both simultaneously thanks to Aerial Assault: just grab your bird and it’s bombs away.

Its only real weakness is defense. You'll need to use Dodge alongside Silver/Dusk Shrouds and/or Glancing Blows to avoid damage, keeping you on your toes. An almost complete lack of resistance options on the tree is a factor as well, as this puts a lot of pressure to get resistance on your Blessings, idols, and gear when you might prefer other options.

You can lean into the Falconer's lack of defense with a Zero HP Ballista Falconer build that hits incredibly hard, but requires you to cheese incoming damage using Silver Shrouds and Dodge. Safe to say we won't be using this in hardcore.

Apart from Ballista, Umbral Blades is one of the top Falconer builds, which can be built using Shadow Daggers before you swap over to a Dexterity stacking version with Talons of Valor bow and Razorfall boots. If you like the idea of slicing enemies up and dashing all over the place while flying around on your feathered friend, you’ll find it a joy to play. It is button intensive, however, especially if you insist on maximizing DPS.

A-Tier: Bladedancer

While Falconer is more popular, Bladedancer is about as strong and well-rounded. Clear, single target, and defense are all where you’d want them to be, thanks to the suite of high-DPS skills, powerful passive support, and useful iframes from Lethal Mirage. If you want a strong but fast melee class, this is the one.

Standout nodes on the passive tree include Pursuit (efficient damage and movement speed), Argent Veil (makes dodge a lot more reliable), and Death’s Door (damage reduction for low life builds). More broadly, Glancing Blows, Dusk Shrouds, and Dodge form a powerful defensive layer, and Dexterity stacking, crit, leech, Frailty, armour shred and armour shred effect are all on offer. In short, you have everything you need to succeed. The only thing really holding Bladedancer back is that it’s not quite as over the top numerically as things like Judgment Paladin.

In terms of builds, you can go with Shadow Daggers, Shadow Cascade, Chakrams (take the Chakram node on the Shurikens tree), or Lethal Mirage using Black Blade of Chaos (requires a 2H sword of the same name). The Chakram version at least should be Uber Abberoth viable.

A-Tier: Beastmaster

The summoner Mastery. It’s not as tanky as Void Knight or Paladin, but Beastmaster still took 2nd place in the Uber Abberoth race. Granted it’s partly due to Storm Crows, which has top tier DPS due to snapshotting which isn’t Beastmaster exclusive, though the Summon Wolf companion buffs surely helped. In any case, Beastmaster Summons is a proven archetype, though they take some time to get going.

You can go heavier on the Beastmaster skills by building around Poison Nova Scorpion (check out CookBook’s version). It’s well-rounded in terms of damage and clear but usually suffers from low movement speed, so if you’re coming from something like Rogue, it’ll be a shock. There are options to alleviate it—Haste via The Scavenger belt and increased Haste effect on idols, for example—but it will never be a fast build.

The passive tree offers ever-important damage reduction, health, healing, health regeneration, endurance for companions, crit support, and stun. There is a lack of damage, but you can grab this elsewhere.

A-Tier: Shaman

A melee and/or elemental Mastery, Shaman is one of the highest Arena pushing builds: it can reach Wave 500-700+. The clear is quite fast, albeit not top tier, with a similar story on defense.

Tornado is a lot more damage than it seems, and the vacuum effect is great, making it the star of the show. Earthquake and Avalanche see little play due to high mana costs and/or requiring Spriggan Form which is clunky. However, using Aftershock idols can be welcome for some extra damage (so you’re essentially using Earthquake without suffering the problems of Earthquake). Summon Storm Totem is fairly popular, as well. If nothing else, it’s a nice decoy with decent damage.

As for the passive tree, you get a lot of Penetration (though you have to go through the defensively weak Attunement to get much of it), cooldown reduction, mana, auto trigger skills, attack and cast speed, elemental damage packaged with resists, Haste, and a lot more. The highlight skills include Fist of Stone (stun, Endurance, and health regen all in one), Lagon’s Answer and Conflux (auto and double cast Storm Bolt alongside area of effect (AoE) and damage reduction is efficient, to say the least), and Swirling Maelstrom (more auto casting fun, with health, mana, and Endurance Threshold on top). There’s even more to rave about, but you get the jist.

A-Tier: Druid

The shapeshifting Mastery, Storm Werebear is top of the pile here. Boasting great DPS, it can kill Abberoth (possibly even the Uber version), do 1000 corruption (the most you ever want to push due to severely diminishing returns), and around 300 Wave Arena (and as much as ~700). The eHP is very nice, to boot. If you like a combo playstyle and the idea of mauling enemies to death while filling the screen with tornadoes, this is a well-rounded, engaging Mastery to go for. Its primary weakness is that it’s not very fast at farming, though, so if you want to progress fast, Druid may not be the right fit.

Taking Werebear replaces four of your skills with new ones more fitting for a bear. Rampage and Maul sport the always appreciated package of movement and competitive damage, while adding in Knockback for good measure. Roar meanwhile offers Knockback and Stun, and can be configured to sustain Rage (basically bear mana). Its skill tree sports a no cooldown version of Rampage (yes please), can make Rampage trigger Storm Bolt, and supports Stun, Rage and Health on hit (via Invigoration), and reduces the cooldown of Maul, among other standouts.

Spriggan Form is very strong as well, bringing a ton of defense to the table, but is better supported by Druid/Beastmaster, and so won’t be discussed further here. Swarmblade is no slouch either (just not with Locusts), while Entangling Roots falls by the wayside. It’s not a terrible skill, but it’s mostly a buff skill for totems, which proves clunky as you can’t use it reasonably from Spriggan Form.

As with everything in the top tiers, the passive tree here offers more strong nodes than we have room to go into. There’s Spirit Warden for health, mana, and sustain, Focused Wrath for damage coupled with Rage decay rate buffs, Bush Stalker (crit and leech on crit), Fetid Resilience (multiplicative damage over time), Primal Shifter/Tiger Spirit (armour, damage, crit chance, and crit multiplier, all of which can be made to apply to minions as well), and Impervious (which grants damage reduction for doing melee damage). There’s plenty more, but the point stands: Shaman is clearly here to play.

B-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

B-Tier: Lich

The classic ‘sacrifice your life for bonuses’ archetype, Lich can hang with the better Masteries thanks to potent skills like Reaper Form and a meaty passive tree.

Drain Life has underwhelming stats, but can be useful with the Hecatomb node to convert your minions into mana. Aura of Decay is an appealing skill for the poison archetype (which gets a lot of support on the passive trees), but unfortunately is very weak in practice, because scaling applies to damage received and there are no great ways to mitigate it or turn it into an upside. Death Seal on the other hand is excellent, providing a huge 300% damage effectiveness boost and reducing damage taken to half. As with most things Lich, it’s slightly risky but well worth it.

As for Reaper Form, it’s only 100% damage effectiveness but this increases a lot via the passive tree. Additionally, it’s a movement skill, and it’s AoE damage that gains you health, making for a strong all-rounder. Again, it drains you, but you can overcome this with recovery options.

The passive tree provides options for Intelligence stacking, mana, health, ward, recovery, and more. The standouts here include Dance With Death, Hollow Lich, Unclosing Wounds, and Ageless Plagues, all of which offer terribly efficient damage buffs. There’s also automatic minion generation (Harvested Legions), critical strike chance and attack/cast speed buffs (Clairvoyant Insight), and Ageless Ascetic for buffs to movement, attack, and cast speed as well as leech. Not the best, but also not bad at all.

B-Tier: Marksman

Your classic Archer subclass. Hail of Arrows and Heartseeker are the popular builds. While not required, the former really wants the Sanguine Hoard unique quiver, but it shouldn’t be hard to pick up. If you like the idea of setting up a big bleed combo, it’s worth playing. Meanwhile, Heartseeker is pretty great if you like the idea of auto targeting projectiles. Just be sure to go with Bleed or Poison very early, before transitioning into the Icicle version once your gear is ready.

One of the strengths of Marksman is it offers tons of HP on hit, and because you tend to be shooting out a ton of projectiles, it can hit a lot. Multishot is a bit weak on base with 120% damage effectiveness and base 6 phys, though this improves greatly with all the multiplicative damage nodes on the passive tree, as well as some flat damage. Plus, it has a low mana cost. Meanwhile, Hail is nice because it doesn’t care about crit and sports 325% damage effectiveness by default. Detonating Arrow is simply underwhelming numerically, so it’s no surprise it’s not played.

On the passive tree you’ll find support for dodge, crit, movement speed, additional arrows, damage, recovery, and heaps more. Some of the best nodes among them include Heightened Senses (crit avoidance and crit multiplier), Thief’s Quiver (health and leech), and Death From Afar (stun and armour shred). As is typical for Rogue Masteries, it’s not going to win awards for defense, but you’ll never have to worry about damage or clear if you play your cards right.

C-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

C-Tier: Necromancer

Another summoner Mastery, this time with undead flavour. With a reasonably strong suite of skills and a passive tree that covers a lot of bases, it’s fitting that Necromancer can often hit 200-400 Waves in Arena.

Summon Skeletal Mage is a nifty skill in that it reduces enemy health regeneration by 20% (most useful against bosses) and can be converted to a Traversal skill; you'll be focusing on a single powerful minion rather than an undead army, however. On the tree, you’ll find lots of support for Poison, Necrotic, Cold, and Fire, so there’s something for almost everyone.

Sacrifice sees little to no play because the Mastery has terrible personal damage support — it’s playable, but minions do the same thing for you but better.

Dread Shade offers a huge flat and increased percentage damage boost temporarily (at the cost of health), and can be made to explode your minions for big Necrotic damage (Doom Brand) or enhance Infernal Shade. There’s also the option to convert all Necrotic investment into Poison if that’s your jam. And then there’s the Beyond Death node which turns minions into exploding Zombies, Duskheart which converts Shade into a damage over time skill, and Symbiotic Apparition which grants you Shade’s buffs.

Assemble Abomination, meanwhile, summons a powerful tanky minion. To make the most of it you’ll need to employ snapshotting (basically gear and skill swapping, which many players despise), but it’s still reasonable without.

Finally, Summon Wraith has respectable damage thanks to Dread Shade and Wraith’s many critical strike passives. As usual, there’s lots of support here on the tree for Fire, Necrotic, or Poison variations, but also a Bleed one. And like Shade, it can convert into a damage over time skill (Spectre of Death).

Notable notables on the Necromancer tree include Elixir of Hunger for health, increased percentage health, health on hit, and attack/cast speed, and Rite of Undeath for 120 total resistances on top of a nice damage boost. More broadly, you won’t find yourself short on recovery damage, minion support, armour and resistance shred, ward or ward retention, or crit in both its forms. There’s not much in the way of defense here outside of recovery and minion tanking, which holds it back some.

C-Tier: Runemaster

Runemaster is a rarely-seen-in-RPGs caster archetype that lets you combine spells together to make unique spells (any Gauntlet fans in the house?). While you don’t have to play it this way, Rune of Invocation — the skill that enables this — is the reason to play Runemaster, offering extreme versatility via invocations, many with very impressive damage numbers.

Hydrahedron is one of the highlights — casting this spell via Rune of Invocation is part of what makes the Mastery and build 1000 corruption viable. Defense is still a serious concern, but if you keep on the move, you should stay alive. For those with a bigger budget, there’s Focus Autobomber, which uses the Brand of Deception and Runic Fortress passives to strong effect. The DPS isn’t anything special, but it’s very tanky. The idea here is to stack Strength, Intelligence, and Ward for armor and shock. As a bonus, it’s easy to play.

Flame Rush is a movement skill with legitimate damage numbers paired with damage reduction, and can serve as a respectable damage skill when desired. Frost Wall, meanwhile, can brag about a very high 400% damage effectiveness, 100% chance to chill, and Freeze chance. Plus, it’s a damage over time skill, so it has less gearing requirements, and it’s a strong bosser thanks to Decree of the Burning Wind (on the Runemaster passive tree).

Runebolt is no slouch either, offering a 200% crit multiplier and mana regeneration while getting around resistances with Decree of the Bountiful Ocean. Lastly, Glyph of Dominion measures up well numerically, while providing guaranteed slow. There’s also an interesting interaction there with Decree of Eternal Tundra for lots of ward per second.

As for the passive tree, there’s all kinds of support for Ward, mana, elemental debuffs, cast and movement speed, reduced critical strike damage, cooldown recovery, and armour and damage for Fire builds and Freeze multiplier and damage for Lightning builds, among other things. It’s not outrageous like you see with the higher tier Masteries, but it’s still competitive.

C-Tier: Forge Guard

Forge Guard can hold its own as a Mastery, just not as well as the big boys. To put it another way, they do much of what it does but better. Still, there are some unique build options here that are great if you’re looking for something different.

Skill-wise, Manifest Armor is nice as a decoy and rewards STR/armor stacking (the primary unique build option). Shield Throw offers high added damage effectiveness, while Ring of Shields brings great defense to the table (especially with the Shield Crafter passive). Still, comparing it to Symbols of Hope, it comes up short, as it’s situational and purely defensive.

Smelter’s Wrath has a lot of potential as it scales offense and defense and boasts 600% damage effectiveness. Unfortunately, it’s a channeling skill with no option to change that, so it’ll slow you down and leave you a bit vulnerable. Next, you have Forge Weapon with a beefy 600% damage effectiveness, alongside summons for defense which scale off your weapon. Not bad at all.

In terms of passives, the only really standout one is Guardian for a lovely combination of health, stun chance, and regen. Steel Aegis, Iron Attunement, Walls of Solarum, and Osprixbane are certainly no slouches, but when evaluating the best nodes in other Masteries, Forge Guard leaves something to be desired. Apart from that, you can find efficient damage scaling throughout the tree.

D-Tier Last Epoch Masteries

D-Tier: Spellblade

It may be D-Tier, but even D-Tier still means viable. Spellblade is not lacking in DPS at all and is pretty speedy, but can struggle a great deal with defenses. The better your positioning, the less you’ll get one-tapped, but it’s still going to happen occasionally. If you don’t mind that and like the idea of combining magic with melee, it’s worth a go.

Flame Reave is playable but underwhelming. The base stats are strong enough, but damage cuts in half at a distance, AoE is limited, and the mana cost is fairly high. Worse, it only hits once per cast, which is a big no-no when compared to skills like Frost Claw that hit 20 times per cast (and for a lot more total damage), or Judgment on Sentinel—mind you, just about everything comes up short there!

On top of that, it lacks unique buffs and debuffs, and its crowd control node proves ineffective in practice. Too many of the nodes require downsides that aren’t worth it, as well. It can still get you to the mid-game or so (around 500 Corruption), but not nearly as efficiently as other skills, and unlike those, it will hit a wall.

Enchant Weapon is a potent DPS boost (65% situationally and 15% permanently), and if going the Ignite route, allows you to trigger Ignites instantly; always a powerful method of damage delivery. There’s also some ever-potent Leech for Lightning or Fire variations, and Chill for Cold. Surprisingly, there is no Freeze support.

Firebrand is similar to Reave in that it can hit 300 Corruption but not do much beyond that. It doesn’t have all the drawbacks of Reave and is quite enjoyable to play—imagine rapidly shooting fire beams at enemies up to mid-range—but unfortunately the damage isn’t quite there compared to top skills, so you’ll have a harder time than you need to when progressing, and will eventually fall on hard times. Still, if you’re looking for something off-meta and don’t need the best of the best, this is a good skill to go for.

Surge offers mobility, damage, tons of crit, and debuffs (including Stun), as well all all kinds of elemental and Ward support. Meanwhile, Shatter Strike loves crit while also providing some defense and offense in the form of cold debuffs, culling, Knockback, armor, Ward, and more. All in all, you absolutely will not have issues scaling damage, and it won’t even require much gearing, though obviously, better gear will take it even farther.

As for the passive tree, it provides ward support in every form, and intriguing nodes like Flame Walker for some mobile fire damage and fire resistance shred, and Arcane Shielding and Shattered Aegis for damage reduction and armour (worth the 10 points). Apart from those, you’ll find resistances, damage, health, and mana available. Unluckily, there’s little support for Parry. It’s a decent tree for sure, but there’s nothing outrageous to help it keep up with the top tiers.

D-Tier: Warlock

Warlock builds are focused on damage over time, which makes them easy to gear and in that sense, very new player and casual friendly. Curses are also a major element, amplifying damage by debuffing enemies. While builds like Witchfire are viable, they don’t do much better than other Masteries, and so rarely push far on the ladder.

Cthonic Fissure, Profane Veil, and Chaos Bolts are your star skills, all slotting into both the popular Bleed and Witchfire (Fire/Necrotic damage) variations. The damage they bring is what keeps Warlock at all competitive; Profane Veil even offers some defensive utility by making you invincible to everything but damage over time temporarily while granting damage over time itself.

Defense is where it all kind of falls apart. While you have access to high eHP and recovery (and Profane Veil) thanks to nodes like Spiteful Decay and Spirit Leech, that’s about it, which is a far cry from the better Masteries.

Fire/Necrotic focus builds will find The Ashen One passive is a must-grab for Witchfire, while Crimson Favours and Cauldron of Blood serves Bleed builds well.

D-Tier: Sorcerer

The classic caster class, Sorcerer is very much viable, but unfortunately doesn’t do a lot to stand out. Frostbite Frostclaw is one of the better builds available, proving itself as an all-rounder, but suffering from mana issues and lacking speed.

Skill-wise, you have some strong stats on Static Orb, and as always vacuum skills like this (and Black Hole) hold their own. It gets more interesting with skill nodes like Static Armor that grant a situational 25% less damage taken, and Overwhelming Barrage which dramatically increases stun chance. There are also options to convert it into a cold and Freeze skill for yet another defensive layer.

Ice Barrage sports some respectable numbers as well, and its 40 Freeze rate is competitive with Frost Claw — even better, it auto targets enemies, and has the option to creating a Chill effect AoE or a shield that blocks projectiles.

Arcane Ascendance is powerful but prohibitive, due to its high mana cost (somewhat offset on the tree), lack of crit, and lacking secondary damage. Still, its tree makes it quite versatile, providing access to Knockback, Slow, Haste, auto casting, and more.

As for Black Hole, this is a potent single skill with 600% damage effectiveness and some vacuum utility. It’s arguably best used as single target, but can be customized for clear. On the tree you’ll find even more utility in Knockback and Blind, and options to convert into Fire or Cold for builds focused on those elements.

Lastly, Meteor has huge base stats (190 fire + 950% damage effectiveness), but at a high mana cost, demanding you build around it with mana stacking and Archmage, whjch aren’t in a great spot.

On the passive tree you get lots of ward support in all its forms, substantial damage buffs, and cast speed, elemental debuffs, leech, and penetration. It’s certainly not the whole package, but it’s not nothing, either. The Mana Bulwark node — which deals damage to mana before health — is tempting, but unfortunately this is an ineffective mechanic in practice.

Sean Ridgeley is a freelance contributor for IGN and lives for all things RPG, FPS, horror, and fighting. When he’s not grinding Last Epoch, Path of Exile, or Overwatch, he can be found headbanging in moshpits.

The release date for Elden Ring Nightreign is closing in fast. Ahead of launch day, FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have released an overview trailer, detailing just what's in store for the co-op survival action game.

Today's overview trailer went over what's in store, highlighting the basic set-up and what players will be doing, run after run, in Elden Ring Nightreign. Players drop into a shifting version of Limveld that changes with each attempt, working with players to take down enemies, acquire items, and gain power to help them take down one the Nightlords as a ring of fire encroaches on them.

Working together is a crucial part of Elden Ring Nightreign. The trailer showed how players can pick each other back up after falling, and collaborate to take down larger foes. It also showed the roster of Nightfarers, the unique characters you'll choose from when you leap into the world of Limveld.

Elden Ring Nightreign: Confirmed Roster

There will be eight Nightfarers assembled to defeat the Nightlord in Nightreign. These are your different classes you'll take into battle in Limveld, changing up how you approach the run. Today's trailer specifically named and highlighted six warriors:

• Wylder
• Guardian
• Ironeye
• Duchess
• Raider
• Recluse

There were two additional characters that seemed to be teased. One was a sword-wielding character with a parry, that appeared on a character selection screen and in some gameplay. The other looks to be a doll-like character with a white dress and harp.

Each Nightfarer can wield different weapons, while also bringing their own playstyle, skills, and Ultimate Arts to the match. More are expected to arrive in the future, but this looks to be the launch roster for now.

Relics and Memories

Relics can be won from different runs, and can alter your character in interesting ways. Some might bump up your stats, while others might add new aspects to your skills. There are also cosmetic costumes to be won, including some inspired by past FromSoft games like a Solaire outfit.

Memories can be activated to shed more light on the Nightfarer's past and purpose. The overview trailer showed both conversations with people in the Roundtable Hold, and objectives the player can chase after during runs, leading to both special encounters and more story details about your chosen Nightfarer.

Lords of the Night

The Nightlords are your ultimate goal, and on your way to it, there are bosses to take down too. The trailer shows a few familiar faces for Elden Ring players, including one similar to Astel, Naturalborn of the Void and what looked like Godfrey. Bosses cap off each day, with a powerful Nightlord waiting at the end of the third day.

To beat them, you'll need to both gain more actual experience and acquire items to enhance your power throughout the day, so you're ready for the fight when the boss arrives. This "loop" of scavenging during the day, then fighting the boss at night is crucial to making it through a run and stopping the fall of night.

Elden Ring Nightreign is set to arrive on May 30, 2025 for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

It's never too late to become a Star Wars fan. If you're just getting started with the franchise and are trying to catch up with everything canon in Star Wars, we've got you covered with a full chronological guide to the entire Star Wars timeline.

While three new live-action Star Wars movies are in development, the next new addition to the Disney-owned franchise is the TV series Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, arriving on Star Wars Day. See our list of all the upcoming Star Wars TV shows and movies for more info.

Jump to:

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

But what about all of the Star Wars content that you can binge right now, and how do you watch it in the order it was meant to be seen? Well, fear not! We have a list of all the current Star Wars movies and shows you can watch right now in chronological order and by release date. And it's never been easier, now that all of these titles are available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

We will continue to update the list as more movies and shows are released.

Star Wars Movies and Shows in Chronological Order

1. The Acolyte (Series, 2024)

Chronologically, The Acolyte is the earliest part of the Star Wars timeline that you can watch. Set at the end of the High Republic era, long before the Skywalker Saga kicks off, this Disney+ series follows a young former Jedi named Osha (played by Amandla Stenberg) who works with her old Master, Sol (played by Lee Jung-jae) to investigate the murder of another Jedi. The series received generally mixed reviews, earning a 6/10 in our The Acolyte season 1 review.

2. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Movie, 1999)

Released in 1999 and starring Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson, and Natalie Portman, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace explored what happened long before the original trilogy, making it the starting point for a chronological watch. It introduced us to a young Anakin Skywalker (played by Jake Lloyd) who would hopefully be the one to bring balance to the force. Though not an overall critical hit at the time (as it sits at 51% on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s since garnered a much more positive reception, as even Ewan McGregor noted during interviews for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

3. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Movie, 2002)

The second installment of the prequel trilogy, which came out only a few years after its predecessor in 2002, is the next stop in a chronological watch. Taking place ten years after Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, it centers on an older Anakin (played now by Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (played once again by Ewan McGregor) as they discover new and terrifying threats in the galaxy, which in turn leads up to the Clone Wars.

4. Star Wars: Clone Wars (Animated Series, 2003-2005)

Clone Wars is a 2D animated series that ran on Cartoon Network from 2003-2005 and explored what happened during the titular wars, making it the perfect story to slot in between Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Anakin and Obi-Wan returned as characters as well, but were voiced by different people (Mat Lucas and James Arnold Taylor, respectively). Even though this series came to an end in 2005, the Clone Wars stories continued with a movie and new series in 2008.

5. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie, 2008)

Before the rise of the new Clone Wars series, there was a computer-animated film of the same name that released two months before the series did to kick it all off. It serves as a pilot episode to the show, taking place shortly after Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. It also saw James Arnold Taylor returning as the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, but had Matt Lanter replacing Mat Lucas as Anakin and featured Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, who would all carry on into the new series, too.

6. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Animated Series, 2008-2020)

Two months later, Star Wars: The Clone Wars followed the 2008 computer-animated film and ran on Cartoon Network. It takes place in the three years between Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, serving as a continuation of the aforementioned Clone Wars series from 2003, and featured several familiar faces and returning voice cast members (such as those listed in the film above). All of the events within the series eventually led to the prequel trilogy’s grand finale: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

7. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Movie, 2005)

The third and final installment in the prequel trilogy was Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, which released in 2005. Following all of the thrills from The Clone Wars, this film takes place three years after Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and sees a major shift in Anakin, eventually bringing the prequel trilogy of the Skywalker Saga to a close. And while Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope starts up a new chapter of that Saga, there are plenty of stories still to explore in the time between in this galaxy far, far away.

8. Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Animated Series, 2021-2024)

Star Wars: The Bad Batch serves as a sequel to The Clone Wars series and takes place in the aftermath of said wars. It follows a group of elite clone troopers, known as Clone Force 99, and the mercenary missions they take on post-Clone Wars. Its second season is currently running until March 29th, so it’s the perfect time to start catching up in your chronological watch.

9. Solo: A Star Wars Story (Movie, 2018)

In the time before the original trilogy of the Skywalker Saga, there’s a film that details the origin of one of its most important characters: Han Solo. Solo: A Star Wars Story is set 10 years before the events of Stars Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and starred Alden Ehrenreich as the titular smuggler, following him and Chewbacca on an adventurous heist. He’s not the only character we get a bit of backstory on before the original trilogy, though.

10. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Series, 2022)

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a mini series that was released in 2022 and follows the titular Jedi 10 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, with Ewan McGregor returning to the role. Though originally planned as a limited series, the door is always open for another season if fans want, according to Lucasfilm. And, if you want a quick way to take in all six episodes of the series without any pacing issues, it's even been recut by a fan into a full-length movie!

11. Star Wars Rebels (Animated Series, 2014-2018)

Also taking place a little over 10 years after Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, and five years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars Rebels is an animated series that follows the Rebellion’s small beginnings in a galaxy far, far away. It ran for four seasons with 75 total episodes, so you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied as you follow the stories about the rise of the Rebellion.

12. Star Wars: Andor (Series, 2022-2025)

Similar to Star Wars Rebels and also taking place five years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Star Wars: Andor follows the formation of the Rebel Alliance, with Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna) leading the series. The first season features 12 exhilirating episodes and season two is currently airing on Disney+. The building of this Rebellion eventually leads to…

13. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Movie, 2016)

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is set just before the events of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and follows a group of Rebels, Cassian included, as they plot to steal the plans for the Death Star. This film was the first of the standalone Star Wars spin-offs and featured a stellar cast alongside Luna, including Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, and many more.

14. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Movie, 1977)

And all of these events finally lead us into the trilogy that started it all, and the next chronological chapter of the Skywalker Saga. Released in 1977, Stars Wars Episode IV: A New Hope centered on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) as he begins Jedi training under Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) and sets out on a journey to rescue Rebel Alliance leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) with the help of smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). It’s an incredible classic that started this whole journey in the first place, and chronologically will set you up right in the middle of your Star Wars journey.

15. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Movie, 1980)

Star Wars came back bigger and better with Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Set three years after its predecessor, this film follows our favorite Rebels as they continue to fight back against Imperial forces, and as Luke begins training with Yoda. It also sees Darth Vader reaching out to Luke in an attempt to lure him to the Dark Side. It’s dramatic, action-packed, and sure to keep you invested as you jump into the final film of the original trilogy.

16. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Movie, 1983)

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi brings the original trilogy’s Skywalker Saga to a close. Set one year after the events of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, this story revolves around the Rebel fleet as they aim to take down the newly-rebuilt Death Star. It’s a climactic finale that also sees Luke confronting Darth Vader once more, tieing up remaining strings as the Rebels make their final assault. It’s a film that leaves the fate of the galaxy in new hands, and open for new stories.

17. Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Series, 2019-Present)

In the time between the fall of the Empire and the rise of the First Order, there are several stories to appear - and one of the most exciting comes from Star Wars: The Mandalorian. This space western is a series running on Disney+ that instantly won over fans with its exciting story of a bounty hunter named Din Djarin (played by Pedro Pascal) and his adventures with little Grogu.

Season 3 is set after the events in The Book of Boba Fett listed below - and the series shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Mando isn’t the only story of a bounty hunter that needs covering in a chronological watch of Star Wars, though.

18. The Book of Boba Fett (Series, 2021)

A familiar name to many Star Wars fans, Boba Fett (played by Temuera Morrison, who also appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones as Jango Fett and re-recorded lines for Boba in the DVD re-release of the original trilogy) is another bounty hunter who roams the galaxy. Serving as a spin-off of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, and set around the same period of time, The Book of Boba Fett follows the titular character as he leaves the life of a bounty hunter behind to take over the territory formerly run by Jabba the Hut. It currently only has one season out with seven episodes that run almost an hour each.

19. Star Wars: Ahsoka (Series, 2023)

Ahsoka centers on the titular former Jedi Knight as she investigates an emerging threat to the galaxy. And for those who have been wondering where the show fits on the timeline, we have some potential answers. In an interview with SFX magazine (via GamesRadar) Sabine Wren's actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo stated that, "Ahsoka runs along the same timeline as The Mandalorian season 3, and the shows are all connected. There's just so many parallels." In our 7/10 review of the first two episodes, IGN said: "Dave Filoni’s new Disney+ series Ahsoka has plenty of action but still gets off to a slow start by getting viewers up to speed with the events of Star Wars Rebels."

It was recently announced that an Ahsoka season 2 is officially in development.

20. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Series, 2024)

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew "is set concurrently with The Mandalorian and Ahsoka," according to Empire Magazine (via Screen Rant). The Goonies-inspird series follows a group of ordinary suburban kids from the planet At Attin who find themselves mixed up in a space-pirate adventure. Jude Law stars as Jod Na Nawood.

21. Star Wars: Resistance (Animated Series, 2018-2019)

Arisen from the ashes of the Empire comes a new threat to the galaxy: The First Order. This rise is first explored in Star Wars: Resistance, an animated series that premiered on Disney Channel and Disney XD. It follows a young pilot named Kazuda (or Kaz) Xiono who’s recruited by the Resistance (namely Poe Dameron - played by Oscar Isaac) to spy on the First Order. It takes place just before the events of the sequel trilogy, laying the groundwork for what’s to come in the next chapter of the Skywalker Saga.

22. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (Movie, 2015)

The sequel trilogy kicked off with Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, which introduced us to a brand new band of Rebels. At the center of these films was Rey (played by Daisy Ridley), who joins up with ex-Stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega), Resistance pilot Poe (played by Oscar Isaac), and our beloved smuggler Han Solo (played once again by Harrison Ford) as they work with the Resistance (led by Carrie Fisher’s General Leia Organa) to track down Luke Skywalker (once again played by Mark Hamill) and take down the First Order, with Kylo Ren (played by Adam Driver) as the film’s main antagonist. It’s a reunion of old and new that started the sequel trilogy off with a bang.

23. Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (Movie, 2017)

The search for Luke Skywalker leads straight into Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Kicking off immediately after the end of The Force Awakens, this story follows Rey as she seeks to recruit Luke’s help. Given the First Order’s relentless pursuits, The Resistance could use it, but she’s not the only one out looking for ways to gain the upper hand. Finn gets help from a mechanic named Rose Tico (played by Kelly Marie Tran) and the two work together to help Resistance members escape the First Order. This film also serves as the farewell to Carrie Fisher, and was lovingly dedicated to her at the end.

24. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (Movie, 2019)

The final installment of the sequel trilogy, and grand finale of the Skywalker Saga in general, sees our crew of Resistance fighters take their final stand against Kylo Ren and the First Order. However, the First Order isn’t working alone, as Emperor Palpatine makes his return to aid them. Unfortunately, this film wasn’t a massive success amongst critics. Our own reviewer called it “a film engineered to hit the viewer on multiple levels while struggling to settle 42 years’ worth of story elements,” but noted that it’s “if nothing else, a tribute to [the Skywalker Saga’s] legacy.”

25. Star Wars: Visions (Anime Series, 2021)

With the Skywalker Saga over and done with, it’s time to explore new stories in this galaxy far, far away, and that’s exactly what Star Wars: Visions does. This series is actually a collection of animated short films done by some of the best Japanese anime studios out there. For each episode, the creators were given complete freedom to tell a story of their choosing outside of the usual canon and with their own visual style. It currently has two volumes available to stream on Disney+ with Star Wars: Visions Volume 2 added this year.

Star Wars Movies and Shows by Release Date

• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Movie, 1977)
• Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (Movie, 1980)
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (Movie, 1983)
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Movie, 1999)
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Movie, 2002)
• Star Wars: Clone Wars (Animated Series, 2003-2005)
• Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Movie, 2005)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Movie, 2008)
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Animated Series, 2008-2020)
• Star Wars Rebels (Animated Series, 2014-2018)
• Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (Movie, 2015)
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Movie, 2016)
• Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (Movie, 2017)
• Star Wars: Resistance (Animated Series, 2018-2019)
• Solo: A Star Wars Story (Movie, 2018)
• Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (Movie, 2019)
• Star Wars: The Mandalorian (Series, 2019-Present)
• Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Animated Series, 2021-Present)
• Star Wars: Visions (Anime Series, 2021)
• The Book of Boba Fett (Series, 2021)
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (Series, 2022)
• Star Wars: Andor (Series, 2022-Present)
• Young Jedi Adventures (Animated Series, Spring 2023)
• Star Wars: Ahsoka (Series, 2023)
• Star Wars: The Acolyte (Series, 2024)
• Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Series, 2024)

Upcoming Star Wars Movies and Shows

There's a lot for Star Wars fans to look forward to in the years ahead. We're approaching Star Wars Day 2025, which will see the release of Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld on Disney+. The six-episode anthology series follows two bounty hunters: Asajj Ventress and Cad Bane.

Otherwise, Andor: Season 2 is currently ongoing, with the final three episodes dropping later this month. The only other projects with a release date or window is Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian & Grogu (May 22, 2026) and Season 3 of the short-film anthology Star Wars: Visions.

The longer list of undated projects in development includes Taika Waitaik's Star Wars movie (seemingly on an indefinite hold), James Mangold's Dawn of the Jedi movie, Dave Filoni's Mando-Verse New Republic movie, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's New Jedi Order movie with Daisy Ridley, Simon Kinberg's new Star Wars trilogy, Shawn Levy/Ryan Gosling's Star Wars movie, and Star Wars: Ahsoka Season 2.

You can check out our full list of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV series for more details.

David Griffin is the Senior Editor, Features and Content Partnerships for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.