The first gaming discounts of June (how is it even June?) have landed with all the subtlety of a final lap blue shell. Whether you’re looking to get stuck into some deeply replayable JRPGs, dominate in sports titles, or finally catch up on generational masterpieces you missed, there’s plenty of value across the digital shelves. Enough of my jibber jabber exposition, though. Let's get scrolling and saving.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, it’s been eight years since Tekken 7 punched its way onto Aussie consoles, and what a wild ride it was. Bandai Namco brought the heat with slo-mo finishers, explosive Rage Arts, and (for some reason) PlayStation VR support. This turned out to be a glorified training room where you could awkwardly stare at characters like Kuma in a non-threatening pose. Still, the core game slapped; Tekken 7 remains a hallmark fighting game that was accessible and highly technical, with great customisation options.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Street Fighter EX2 Plus (PS) 2000. eBay

- The Legend of Zelda (GBA) 2004. eBay

- Tekken 7 (PS4, XO) 2017. Get

Contents

• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO
• Headphones
• TVs

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch players can snap up Shin Megami Tensei V for nearly half price, a game which, fun fact, was first announced alongside the Switch itself back in 2017 and was long considered “vaporware” until it finally dropped in 2021. Meanwhile, Sid Meier’s Civilization VII is already available at a launch discount, a rare move for the long-running series which famously lets you nuke Gandhi. Gott nuke something and it beats doing it to the whales, I guess.

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A (-13%) - A$78
• Capcom Fighting Col. 2 (-11%) - A$49
• Shin Megami Tensei V (-47%) - A$42.50
• Sid Meier's Civilization VII (-25%) - A$67.10
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Patrick Star (-43%) - A$34

Expiring Recent Deals

• Sonic Frontiers (-18%) - A$49
• Golf Story (-90%) - A$2.20
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (-67%) - A$26.30
• Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (-75%) - A$19.90
• Just Dance 2021 (-57%) - A$34.30
• Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes (-50%) - A$39.90
• Dragon Ball FighterZ (-22%) - A$69.70

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

• Metaphor: ReFantazio (-57%) - A$49
• EA Sports FC 25 (-60%) - A$44
• NBA 2K25 (-73%) - A$32.30
• Tekken 8 (-42%) - A$49
• Hogwarts Legacy (-45%) - A$59.90

Xbox One

• Final Fantasy XII: Zodiac Age (-50%) - A$39.90
• Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (-37%) - A$44
• Lego 2K Drive (-28%) - A$28.70

Expiring Recent Deals

• Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater (-16%) - A$109
• Gotham Knights (-73%) - A$29.90
• CoD: MW2 (-32%) - A$75.50
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (-19%) - A$89
• Dead Space (-80%) - A$21.90
• Sonic x Shadow Gen. (-21%) - A$59
• Blasphemous (-75%) - A$9.30
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (-75%) - A$17.40
• Darksiders Genesis (-75%) - A$13.70

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

• Elden Ring (-41%) - A$59
• Elden Ring SotE Ed. (-31%) - A$79
• Tales of Arise (-75%) - A$25
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero (-32%) - A$77.90
• NBA 2K25 (-73%) - A$32.30
• Monster Hunter Wilds (-25%) - A$86

PS4

• God of War Ragnarök (-74%) - A$29
• GTA: The Trilogy Def. (-75%) - A$24.60
• Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD (-56%) - A$17.40

Expiring Recent Deals

• Ghost of Yōtei (-21%) - A$99
• Elden Ring Nightreign Seeker’s Ed. (-7%) - A$84
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows (-19%) - A$89
• Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (-19%) - A$89
• Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD (-16%) - A$260
• Death Stranding (-40%) - A$45
• Octopath Traveler II (-42%) - A$49.30
• Red Dead Redemption (-39%) - A$45.90

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from May 1 with this subscription

• Ark: Survival Ascended (PS5)
• Balatro (PS5/PS4)
• Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (PS5/PS4)

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

• Oblivion Rem. (-20%) - A$67.90
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice GOTY Ed. (-50%) - A$44.90
• The Last of Us Part I (-56%) - A$41.70
• 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (-19%) - A$185.30
• Red Dead 2 (-76%) - A$22

Expiring Recent Deals

• Limbo (-100%) - FREE
• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands (-100%) - FREE
• Hitman WoA - Episode: Sapienza (-100%) - FREE
• Oblivion Rem. (-17%) - A$70.50
• Satisfactory (-30%) - A$40.90

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Laptop Deals

• Lenovo ThinkPad P14s G5 (-29%) – A$1,855.23
• Lenovo ThinkPad P16s G2 (-29%) – A$1,946.23
• Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 (-29%) – A$1,483.46
• Lenovo IdeaPad Pro 5 16" (-28%) – A$1,539
• LenovoYoga Pro 7 14" AMD (-35%) – A$1,699

Desktop Deals

• Lenovo neo 50a G5 27" AIO (-47%) – A$1,379
• Lenovo neo 50q G4 Tiny (-35%) – A$639
• Lenovo neo 50t G5 Tower (-20%) – A$871.20
• Legion Tower 5i G8 (-29%) – A$1,899

Monitor Deals

• Samsung QE50T 50" (-31%) – A$596
• ARZOPA 16.1" 144Hz (-55%) – A$159.99
• Z-Edge 27" 240Hz (-15%) – A$237.99
• Gawfolk 34" WQHD (-28%) – A$359
• LG 27" Ultragear (-42%) – A$349

Component Deals

• MSI PRO B650M-A WiFi Motherboard (-41%) – A$229
• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (-7%) – A$876
• Corsair Vengeance 32GB (-35%) – A$82
• Kingston FURY Beast 16GB (-30%) – A$48

Storage Deals

• Seagate One Touch Portable HDD (-24%) – A$228
• Kingston 1TB USB 3.2 SSD (-17%) – A$115
• SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO (-63%) – A$29
• SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC (-53%) – A$9.90

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Legit LEGO Deals

• Wicked Glinda & Elphaba (-45%) - A$55
• Dots Big Box (-44%) - A$12.40
• Minecraft Wolf Stronghold (-40%) - A$35.90
• Hogwarts Castle: Dueling Club (-40%) - A$23.90

Expiring Recent Deals

• Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (-43%) - A$200
• Race Car and Carrier Truck (-42%) - A$29
• Harry Potter Aragog (-40%) - A$17.90
• City Police Prison Island (-30%) - A$139

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Hot Headphones Deals

Audiophilia for less

• EPOS 1061T ANC Headset (-41%) – A$446
• Jabra Evolve 20SE (-36%) – A$95
• Galaxy Buds2 Pro (-31%) – A$239
• Technics Wireless NC (-33%) – A$365
• SoundPEATS Space (-25%) – A$56.99
• Sony MDR7506 Pro (-18%) – A$199

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Terrific TV Deals

Do right by your console, upgrade your telly

• LG 43" UT80 4K (-24%) – A$635
• Kogan 65" QLED 4K (-50%) – A$699
• Kogan 55" QLED 4K (-45%) – A$549
• LG 55" UT80 4K (-28%) – A$866

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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Sinners have both hit meaningful milestones at the global box office, each passing the $350 million mark this weekend.

Tom Cruise’s eighth Mission: Impossible film is now up to $353.818 million globally, with positive word of mouth helping fuel a 33% drop from opening weekend. IGN's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning review returned a 6/10. We said: "The action thrills, but the soapy tone keeps greatness just out of reach for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning."

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, meanwhile, is now up to $350.1 million after seven weekends in theaters. Incredibly, Sinners is the only film in the top 10 highest-grossing of 2025 so far not based on an existing IP. IGN's Sinners review returned a 9/10. We said: "Ryan Coogler’s first horror movie expertly blends plenty of vampires and music into a compelling story about twin brothers – played by Michael B. Jordan – returning home to their Mississippi hometown in 1932."

Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch movie, however, overshadows all, with a huge $610.8 million globally after just two weekends. IGN's Lilo & Stitch review returned an 8/10. We said: "Lilo & Stitch is one of the stronger results of Disney’s non-stop remake campaign, taking the emotional core of the original and amplifying it in a stirring manner." The question now is, will it end up beating A Minecraft Movie, which is now up to $947.1 million after nine weekends?

Elsewhere, Karate Kid: Legends launched with $47 million globally. IGN's Karate Kid: Legends review returned a 6/10. We said: "Karate Kid: Legends has some fun additions to the usual formula for this series, including Joshua Jackson stealing the show from the series' stalwarts, but doesn’t connect emotionally thanks to some distracting filmmaking techniques."

The franchise-best Final Destination Bloodlines is up to $229.3 million. And finally, Florence Pugh-fronted MCU film Thunderbolts, which Marvel rebranded as The New Avengers soon after launch, is on $369.6 million globally as it winds down at the box office.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

This summer, two huge superhero movies are set to do battle at the box office, with DCU reboot Superman launching on July 11 and MCU behemoth The Fantastic Four: First Steps hitting theaters a fortnight later, on July 25. But as the DC and Marvel fandoms spar online, DCU chief James Gunn has said he is uninterested in getting involved in internet rivalry, and would rather focus on all that’s good about each film.

On social network Threads, Gunn was asked if he had any word on The Fantastic Four in the context of fans pitting Marvel and DC against each other.

“They come out two weeks after us,” Gunn replied, “there's room for us both! I love my friends at Marvel. You can find whatever discussions you'd want to find online. I'd focus on all the positivity around the films instead of getting sucked up in online fan wars.”

Gunn, of course, has a long history with Marvel, having written and directed the much-loved Guardians of the Galaxy series of MCU movies. But he is no stranger to DC, either, having written and directed the well-received 2021 Suicide Squad movie.

Gunn is now co-head of the rebooted DCU alongside Peter Safran, and wrote, directed, and produced Superman. He is steering the DCU in a direction parent company Warner Bros. hopes will result in more success than the previous DCEU enjoyed. To this end, a number of DCU films and TV shows are in the works, and it seems inevitable that DC will clash with Marvel again.

Take, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, for example. It’s due out June 26, 2026. That’s just over a month before Spider-Man: Brand New Day comes out on 31 July 2026. And in the land of television, DCU has HBO show Lanterns out at some point in 2026, when Marvel Television will have a number of series hit Disney+, including Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, and Vision Quest.

For now, though, the focus is very much on Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with each film under enormous pressure to post huge numbers at the box office. Whatever side of the comic book fence you sit on, July is set to be an awesome month for superhero fans.

And let’s remember, Marvel and DC have joined forces to announce what is sure to be one of the top-selling comic book projects of 2025. The two publishers are teaming on a pair of one-shot crossover specials featuring Batman and Deadpool. That makes this the first genuine crossover between the Marvel and DC Universes in more than 20 years. Best of all, they aren’t stopping with Deadpool/Batman #1 and Batman/Deadpool #1. Marvel and DC are already developing a follow-up crossover for 2026.

Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

It’s hard to believe it’s already June, but here we are—only a few weeks away from the official start to summer. That means plenty of deals are available on outdoor essentials to get you through the long days ahead, including grill accessories, power stations, tool kits, and lawn mowers. Maybe you'd rather hang out indoors to escape the heat? Well, controllers, PS5 games, and even Apple’s latest MacBook Air are all discounted today. With Father’s Day coming up, many of these items also make great gifts for the father figures in your life.

TL;DR: Deals for Today

Beyond these great deals, the Pokémon Destined Rivals TCG just dropped on Friday, leading a bunch of chase cards to crash. While some cards have regained value over the past couple of days, pre-order remorse is still alive and well. But whether you want to grab just a single card or a sealed pack, now might be a good time to buy. A pre-order for the Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy bundle is also available at Walmart before the launch in a couple of weeks.

2025 MacBook Air (13-inch, M4)

SteelSeries Stratus Duo Wireless Gaming Controller

The Last of Us Part I and II for PS5

Anker USB-C Charger (Nano 65W)

JBL Bar 700

Fremo TP300 Portable Power Station

Craftsman VERSASTACK Mechanics Tool Set

PlayStation DualSense Controller

JLab Talk Pro USB Mic

Cuisinart 13-Piece Wooden Grill Tool Set

Five Nights at Freddy's: Tales from the Pizzaplex Graphic Novel Collection Vol. 1

EGO Power+ LM2135SP 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Kit

Charmast Portable Charger with Built in Cables

Pokémon Destined Rivals Sealed Products and Single Cards

After the best market value on Pokémon Destined Rivals sealed products? Some great deals are available from TCG Player, as big box stores continue to hike up the prices.

Don’t want to deal with the ripping open boosters to find a chase card? TCG Player has a bunch of single cards available, and the prices continue to fluctuate as I write this.

MTG Final Fantasy Pre Order

LEGO has released a ton of new Harry Potter sets for June, but perhaps the most quirky and delightful build in the bunch is the Chomping Monster Book of Monsters set. It's a recreation of the iconic book we first see in the third Harry Potter film (The Prisoner of Azkaban) and it absolutely looks the part. More importantly, though, it actually chomps.

The new Monster Book of Monsters set has a lot of cool details on the outside that made it fun to put together, but it's what on the inside that makes it fun to play with after. LEGO provided IGN with a copy of the set for a test build and I got the chance to put it together myself. At only 518 pieces, I was able to build the whole thing in one evening before I went to bed and had my nephews playing with it the next morning.

Set #76449 is actually the second iteration of the LEGO Monster Book of Monsters. The first rendition was a Gift with Purchase (set #30628), called The Monster Book of Monsters, released back in 2020 with a lot fewer pieces and a more simplistic style. The newer Chomping Monster Book of Monsters looks a lot more realistic and includes actual chomping action. It also includes a Neville Longbottom minifigure that is holding a much smaller version of the book. It's a fairly easy build, but it was fun to put together and the chomping action was a nice touch.

The build is split up into four sections and you get one bag of LEGO bricks for each part. You start by putting together your little Neville Longbottom minifigure. He has two different face options to chooose from, so you can make him either smiley or terrified. I decided to go with smiley and placed him near the pieces as I put together everything else. The first part of the build is basically putting together the framework for the book.

This is the longest step in the whole process and it admittedly takes quite a bit of time until it really starts looking like something. You're building what will later become the chassis that your little chomping motor and wheels will later sit in, so it's important you get everything facing the right direction. It really helped me that you use red bricks to indicate the back and blue bricks for the front or I definitely would have made a mistake along the way.

It doesn't actually resemble anything like a monster book until you start adding some of the exterior pieces. There are light brown panels with a ridge that will look like pages once you're finished putting them together. The dark brown pointy pieces you add on the front and sides are what really start making it look like what you see on the box. You'll also add smooth panels on the back of each rectangle that will eventually fit together to form the entire base of the book.

The one thing I didn't particularly enjoy about this build was how repetitive it felt to build both sides of the book itself. There were some small differences between the top and the bottom of the book, but for the most part the build felt exactly the same. So it ended up being a bit repetitive to have to do basically the same step twice. That being said, it was extremely satisfying when I finally got to be able to connect the two halves at the spine. You thread a few long pieces through the back hinge and suddenly you've got what looks to be a hollowed out book.

The next portion of this build is where it really started to become fun. Once you're done with the overall structure, you move on to building the cover of the book. You start out with a series of large flat brown pieces that form the base of your cover. These are held together by two long flat pieces that are also thankfully color coordinated to indicate which side is up. Once you have the base assembled, you start adding all of the cool little details that bring the set to life. This includes the actual title of the book as well as the beady little eyes and spikey little feelers.

Once you snap the cover onto the top of your book frame, it starts looking like a legit Monster Book of Monsters. And while the cover is really the turning point, it's all of the additional details you add on after this that start to give it an air of life. As you build the frame and the cover of the book you will have added a bunch of what appear to be little LEGO arms near the front pages. These will become the holders for the book's spiny little teeth. There are twelve of these in total and once they're snapped in you can articulate them in whatever direction feels right.

The larger teeth get added after that, which is when it starts to look like it could actually chomp you. The instructions tell you to add one set of teeth at a time, but I decided to build them both first and add them all at once for dramatic effect. When all of the teeth are attached, you'll have what looks to be a Monster Book of Monsters that's actually capable of doing some chomping.

The final step of this set is the most interesting part. At this point you've built a fairly realistic monster book, but it's still an empty shell waiting for some internal components to get it running. Now you essentially have to build a working pull-back car that you place inside so it can get to chomping on its own.

The motorized aspect of this build is pretty straightforward, but it's a nice break from all of the detail work I had just done to be suddenly building a little wheeled car. It was also really fun to see how well the little car I'd just built snapped into place on the inside of the book itself.

After I fully put everything together, I immediately tried out the rolling chomping action. It's a neat trick that turns what looks like a display set into an actual toy you can play with. The roll-back mechanism only goes so far back, so it doesn't actually roll that far, but the chomping action makes up for the lack of distance. As it moves forward you can actually hear the teeth clacking together. I had both of my younger nephews play with the set afterwards and they enjoyed playing with it almost as much as l did. The gimmick wears off fairly quickly after you've done it a few times, but afterwards you still have a really cool looking set you can display somewhere.

The price of the set is fairly reasonable at $60, placing it well below some of the most expensive sets on the market right now. Any of the franchise-specific sets that come out are always going to be more expensive than a non-franchise set with a similar number of pieces, and this has consistently remained true for all LEGO Harry Potter sets. All-in-all, it's a set I'd recommend to any fan of Harry Potter and LEGO. It's a fun and simple build you can knock out in an afternoon, and the finished product would make for a great Harry Potter gift you can display on a shelf or your desk.

The Krusty Burger is a health inspector's nightmare, responsible for spawning the Krusty Burger, the Ribwich, The Clogger, and the Steamed Ham (per Principal Skinner). It comes with seven minifigures, including Krusty the Clown, Sideshow Bob, Homer Simpson, and Officer Lou. You can purchase it for $209.99 on June 4, although LEGO Insiders can order the set via Early Access beginning on June 1. You can sign up for free here.

To learn more about the set and its creation, we interviewed its designer. Ann Healy is a 39-year-old Senior Model Designer who's worked with the LEGO Group for the past six years. Here, lightly edited for clarity, are her thoughts on creating LEGO The Simpsons: Krusty Burger, the first new LEGO Simpsons set in nearly a decade.

What other LEGO sets have you had a hand in designing over the past six years?

Healy: I worked for three years on the LEGO Friends line. A few years ago, I got the opportunity to work on a Disney favorite of mine: The Sanderson Sisters’ Cottage set from Hocus Pocus. That project took years in the making to come to market, and I’m quite proud of it.

More recently, I have been working on the LEGO Icons team. From last year’s products, I designed the McLaren MP4/4 & Ayrton Senna set and the Poinsettia LEGO Botanicals set.

What drove the decision to revive the Simpsons brand after such a long hiatus?

Healy: We saw that even after a 10-year stretch since a new Simpsons set, there was still a lot of love for The Simpsons amongst LEGO fans. Our market research showed that there is huge brand loyalty for The Simpsons, appealing to people globally. Designing the Krusty Burger in LEGO brick form serves as a natural continuation of our Simpsons line and gives us the opportunity to make new, never-before-seen LEGO minifigures.

LEGO designers often build in their free time, working towards builds that they hope will one day become sets.

Coincidentally, the original Simpsons House and Kwik-E-Mart LEGO sets were some of the last sets I purchased before I knew I would be coming to work at The LEGO Group. In my first week working here, I found an early prototype of the Krusty Burger set on a shelf in our office. For context, LEGO designers often build in their free time, working towards builds that they hope will one day become sets. It gave me hope that someday, I might get the chance to work on something like that.

Five years later, to my surprise, our Head of Marketing pulled that same prototype off the shelf and said it was time to revisit The Simpsons! I volunteered right away as a lifelong fan of the Simpsons. I couldn’t believe my luck!

Describe the process of designing and building this set as best you can. How many times did you have to build the entire model in the course of finalizing it?

Healy: I started with refining and updating the old prototype, figuring out the general layout and developing a building-instruction flow. I worked digitally first, then built the model physically. From there, I would go back and forth between digital and physical, seeing if the model would work with real bricks. We have design team check-ins where I showed progress on the model and got suggestions from our Creative Lead and the other model designers.

I had several check-ins with the IP partner, where I would show them the latest updates and they could give feedback on the model and mini figures. I also had internal review meetings with our Model Governance and Building Experience teams, where we build the model, review every construction step, evaluate the play experience and test the strength of the model.

I did not keep track of every time I rebuilt the model, but I would estimate at least 20 times. The last time I built the Krusty Burger set was when the first production boxes arrived from the factory. I built it one last time for quality assurance!

Krusty Burger isn't a fully realized location in the show in the same way that Moe's Tavern is, or the Kwik-E Mart is, or the Simpsons’ house is. Which TV episodes did you use to map out the Krusty Burger and determine how it's set up?

Healy: Disney was a great partner in sending us reference images and layouts when available. Also, I watched as many episodes of The Simpsons as possible, so I could translate the TV animation into a real, physical, toy playset.

Season 20, Episode 21, “Coming to Homerica,” is the episode we used the most in reference, because it features the Mother Nature Burger that we reference several times in this LEGO set. The “Ribwich” from Season 14, Episode 12, “I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can,” is also featured.

Other referenced episodes of note include:

• Season 6, Episode 15, “Homie the Clown” – Homer performs at a Krusty Burger
• Season 12, Episode 13, “Day of the Jackanapes” – Bart and Sideshow Bob go to the Krusty Burger.
• Season 10, Episode 1, Lard of the Dance” – Homer tries to sell grease from the restaurant.
• Season 7, Episode 15, “Bart the Fink” – Features the IRS Burger takeover.
• Season 19, Episode 1, “He Loves to Fly and He D'ohs” – Homer hides in the Krusty Zone ball pit.
• Season 15, Episode 10, “Diatribe of a Mad Housewife” – Shows the Krusty Burger drive thru sign.
• Season 21, Episode 4, "Treehouse of Horror XX" – Features the Krusty Burger in “Don't Have a Cow, Mankind.”

What's your favorite deep cut Easter Egg in the build?

Healy: Above the Krusty Burger drive-thru window, there is a kitchen display screen, showing that someone has placed an order for 700 burgers. This is a reference to the Season 5 episode “Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood,” in which Krusty has unwisely opened a Krusty Burger oil rig in the middle of the sea.

What was the most challenging aspect of designing this build? How were you able to overcome it?

Healy: The most rewarding challenge of designing this set was building the Krusty Burger Sign with LEGO bricks. The IP partner paid a lot of attention to the proportions of Krusty’s face within the sign, giving us reference material and tips on how to best capture his likeness. We even got hand-drawn doodles of the Krusty the Clown from them! One of my model-designer colleagues used to work as an illustrator and used his skills to capture Krusty’s features in brick-form even more accurately.

In addition, it was challenging to get the heavy Krusty Burger sign to stand up and remain stable on a single axle. Our Element Lead on the design project suggested we use a new element she was developing, an axle sleeve, to increase the weight the rod could hold upright. This new element did the trick.

The most rewarding challenge of designing this set was building the Krusty Burger Sign with LEGO bricks.

Is this a one-off revival of the Simpsons brand? Or is this the beginning of a longer partnership, where we can expect to see more LEGO Simpsons themed sets in the near future?

Healy: I cannot speculate on future products, per the LEGO Group’s and our partners' policies. Nonetheless, as a huge Simpsons fan myself, I am hopeful that fans have a positive response to this set!

LEGO The Simpsons: Krusty Burger, Set #10352, retails for $209.99, and it is composed of 1635 pieces. You can purchase it on June 4 for the general public, or starting on June 1 for LEGO Insiders. You can sign up for LEGO Insiders for free here. And stay tuned! We will be building, photographing, and reviewing LEGO Krusty Burger later this month,

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.

As the chill of June sets in, it's the perfect time to trade spreadsheets for screenplays. Instead of navigating the labyrinth of endless options across Australia's six major streaming platforms, we've curated a selection of standout films and series to warm your winter nights.

From award-winning dramas to binge-worthy series, this guide is your ticket to the month's must-watch content. So, grab your favourite blanket, silence those notifications, and dive into a world of entertainment tailored just for you.

Table of Contents

• Foxtel/Binge
• Netflix
• Disney+
• Apple TV+
• Amazon Prime Video
• Stan

New in June on Foxtel and Binge

TV litter pick: Mix Tape – 12 Jun : Former teenage sweethearts reconnect decades later through shared musical memories, reigniting past emotions and questions about their future.

Movie litter pick: Wicked – 26 Jun : Explores the origin story of Elphaba and Glinda, two witches whose friendship and destinies shape the Land of Oz.

What notable movies are coming to Binge?

• Rewriting Trump – 1 Jun
• Smile 2 – 4 Jun
• Anora – 11 Jun
• Wicked – 26 Jun

What notable series are coming to Binge?

• Great Canadian Bake Off S8 – 3 Jun
• Mr Loverman – 4 Jun
• Below Deck S12 – 10 Jun
• Mix Tape – 12 Jun
• Revival – 13 Jun
• Love It Or List It NZ – 25 Jun
• Eva Longoria: Searching For Mexico – 27 Jun

Sign up for a free 14–day Binge trial

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New in June on Netflix

TV litter pick: Squid Game S03 – 27 Jun : An animated journey through Pharrell Williams' life, showcasing his musical evolution and creative milestones.

Movie litter pick: Piece By Piece – 7 Jun : Contestants engage in deadly games for a cash prize, revealing human nature's darkest facets.

What notable movies are coming to Netflix?

• Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal – 4 Jun
• Piece By Piece – 7 Jun
• Titan: The Oceangate Disaster – 11 Jun
• The Waterfront – 19 Jun
• KPop Demon Hunters – 20 Jun

What notable series are coming to Netflix?

• Ginny and Georgia S03 – 5 Jun
• The Survivors – 6 Jun
• Fubar S02 – 12 Jun
• The Fairly Oddparents: A New Wish S02 – 12 Jun
• Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders S02 – 18 Jun
• The Ultimatum: Queer Love S02 – 25 Jun
• Squid Game S03 – 27 Jun

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New in June on Disney+

TV litter pick: The Bear S04 – 26 Jun : Chef Carmy and his team navigate the pressures of the culinary world, striving for excellence amidst chaos.

Movie litter pick: Ironheart – 25 Jun : Teen genius Riri Williams builds her own advanced suit of armor, stepping into the superhero world.

What notable movies are coming to Disney+?

• Predator: Killer of Killers – 6 Jun
• Ocean with David Attenborough – 8 Jun
• Call Her Alex – 10 Jun
• Ironheart – 25 Jun

What notable series are coming to Disney+?

• Call Her Alex – 10 Jun
• The Bear S04 – 26 Jun

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New in June on Apple TV+

TV litter pick: Stick – 4 Jun : A sports dramedy following a former hockey star's return to coaching, blending humor with heartfelt moments.

Movie litter pick: Echo Valley – 13 Jun : A suspenseful thriller where a mother confronts dark secrets to protect her daughter from a dangerous past.

What notable movies are on Apple TV+?

• Echo Valley – 13 Jun

What notable series are coming to Apple TV+?

• Stick – 4 Jun
• The Buccaneers S02 – 18 Jun
• Smoke – 27 Jun

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New in June on Amazon Prime Video

TV litter pick: Babygirl – 3 Jun : A provocative drama exploring a young woman's journey through love, betrayal, and self-discovery.

Movie litter pick: Deep Cover – 12 Jun : An undercover agent infiltrates a drug cartel, facing moral dilemmas and identity crises.

What notable movies are coming to Prime Video?

• Babygirl – 3 Jun
• Nascar to Le Mans – 12 Jun
• Deep Cover – 12 Jun
• Beyond After – 24 Jun

What notable series are coming to Prime Video?

• We Were Liars S01 – 18 Jun
• Countdown S01 – 25 Jun
• Marry My Husband – 27 Jun

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New in June on Stan

TV litter pick: This City Is Ours – 4 Jun : A gritty crime drama delving into power struggles and corruption within a city's law enforcement.

Movie litter pick: The Surfer – 15 Jun : A psychological thriller featuring a man confronting his past while facing surreal challenges on a remote beach.

What notable movies are coming to Stan?

• The Surfer – 15 Jun
• Joh: The Last King of Queensland – 22 Jun

What notable series are coming to Stan?

• This City Is Ours – 4 Jun
• Black Mafia Family S04 – 6 Jun
• The Gold S02 – 9 Jun
• Alone S12 – 13 Jun
• Hal and Harper – 26 Jun

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Netflix has not only revealed a new teaser trailer for the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, but it revealed the new episodes will be released in three batches - Volume 1 on November 26 at 5pm PT, Volume 2 on Christmas (December 25) at 5pm PT, and The Finale on New Year's Eve (December 31) at 5pm PT.

Volume 1 of Stranger Things' fifth season will contain four episodes, Volume 2 will have three, and the finale will be its own singular event. These episodes will be released worldwide at the same time, and you can see when they drop in your region right here.

The fight isn’t over yet. Get ready for the epic series finale of Stranger Things.

Volume 1: November 26, 5pm PT*
Volume 2: Christmas, 5pm PT*
The Finale: New Year's Eve, 5pm PT*

*releasing worldwide all at once, date may vary based on your local timezone #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/HladehlYiE

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

As for what those episodes will be about, Netflix has shared the following;

“The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna," The official description reads. "But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.

"As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."

Netflix previously revealed the episode titles of Stranger Things Season 5, and they will arrive over three years after the finale of Season 4.

For more, check out the burning questions we still have from Stranger Things Season 4 and everything else announced during Netflix Tudum 2025.

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.

Netflix Tudum 2025 has revealed a ton of exciting details about the most-anticipated shows and movies heading to the streamer in the future, including when Stranger Things Season 5 will arrive, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery's release date, and Squid Game's Season 3 trailer.

There were a ton of announcements during the Netflix Tudum 2025 livestream, and we've gathered all the big news right here to ensure you don't miss a thing!

Stranger Things Season 5 Release Dates Revealed Alongside New Teaser Trailer

The fight isn’t over yet. Get ready for the epic series finale of Stranger Things.

Volume 1: November 26, 5pm PT*
Volume 2: Christmas, 5pm PT*
The Finale: New Year's Eve, 5pm PT*

*releasing worldwide all at once, date may vary based on your local timezone #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/HladehlYiE

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

Netflix has revealed that the fifth and final season of Stranger Things will be released in three batches - Volume 1 on November 26 at 5pm PT, Volume 2 on Christmas (December 25) at 5pm PT, and The Finale on New Year's Eve (December 31) at 5pm PT.

As for what those episodes will be about, Netflix has shared the following alongside a short teaser you can see above;

“The fall of 1987. Hawkins is scarred by the opening of the Rifts, and our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna," The official description reads. "But he has vanished — his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding.

"As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming — and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone — the full party — standing together, one last time."

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Release Date Revealed

XII.XII.MMXXV. Thou shalt be seated.

Save the date for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the newest Benoit Blanc whodunnit from Rian Johnson, fresh off its announcement at #TUDUM. pic.twitter.com/Ihw0Nn8LW4

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery's latest teaser trailer not only revealed more about Benoit Blanc's latest adventure, but it also shared it will arrive on Netflix on December 12, 2025.

We don't know much about this new mystery yet, but Blanc himself has described this as his "most dangerous case yet." What we do know is that Daniel Craig's Blanc will be joined by Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church.

Squid Game Season 3 Trailer Teases the Final Games

Every game must come to an end.

Squid Game. The final season. June 27. #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/WmNWe6Gd0D

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

Squid Game Season 3 is set to debut on Netflix on June 27, and Tudum shared with the world a new trailer that showcases what these final games have in in store for Lee Jung-jae's Gi-hun and more.

“The new season will focus on what Gi-hun can and will do after all his efforts fail,” series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said. "He is in utter despair after losing everything and watching all his efforts go in
vain. The story then takes an interesting turn, questioning whether Gi-hun can overcome his shame and rise again to prove that values of humanity — like conscience and kindness — can exist in the arena.”

Netflix Reveals the First Six Minutes of Wednesday Season 2

Make yourself uncomfortable.

Here’s the first 6 minutes of Wednesday Season 2. #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/Vcotl0HV3J

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

Netflix has released the first six minutes of Wednesday Season 2, which is set to debut in two parts on August 6 and September 3. Alongside a look at every Easter Egg hidden in the footage you can see above, Netflix also confirmed that Lady Gaga will guest star in Wednesday Season 2 Part 2 as Rosaline Rotwood - a "legendary Nevermore teacher who crosses paths with Wednesday."

Happy Gilmore 2 Trailer Reveals More of the Sequel That's Nearly 30 Years in the Making

Summer just got happy-er. Adam Sandler stars in Happy Gilmore 2 arriving July 25 #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/lEHgAN5J3H

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

It's been nearly 30 years since Happy Gilmore was released, and Netflix is celebrating by revealing a big trailer for the sequel that is set to be released on July 25. Netflix also revealed some of the cast we can expect to see join Adam Sandler's Happy Gilmore, including Julie Bowen, Ben Stiller, Christopher McDonald, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio (Bad Bunny), Sadie and Sunny Sandler, and Blake Clark.

Professional golfers like John Daly, Paige Spiranac, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Will Zalatoris will also be joining the fray.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein Gets a Teaser Trailer That Shows Off Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein and the 'Misbegotten Creature He's Created'

Only Monsters Play God. Frankenstein, a film by Guillermo del Toro, is on Netflix this November. #TUDUM pic.twitter.com/tqowqZ3dXC

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which is an adaptation of Mary Shelley's iconic novel, got a new teaser trailer that shows off Oscar Isaac's Victor Frankenstein and the "misbegotten creature (Jacob Elordi) he's created."

Alongside a glimpse at these film that will be released in November, fans of del Toro's work will note "plenty of familiar imagery in the new teaser, from Isaac’s Victor standing on a decaying staircase holding a candelabra (see: Crimson Peak) to a blood-red angelic figure surrounded in flames (see: the Angel of Death in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the blue Wood Sprite and the sphinxlike Death in Pinocchio, and even the Faun in Pan’s Labyrinth)."

One Piece Season 2 Trailer Reveals the First Look at Tony Tony Chopper

ATTENTION ALL PIRATES! 🏴‍☠️ The doctor is in!

Tony Tony Chopper, voiced by the incredible Mikaela Hoover, made a show-stopping appearance at #TUDUM along with the Straw Hat Crew!

⛵ 🌊 One Piece Season 2 sets sail in 2026. pic.twitter.com/F5SV207ybS

— Netflix Tudum (@NetflixTudum) June 1, 2025

The latest trailer for Season 2 of One Piece has arrived and it has given us our first look at Tony Tony Chopper, who is voiced by Mikaela Hoover (Beef, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Superman).

For those unfamiliar, Chopper is a blue-nosed reindeer-boy hybrid and is able to treat various illnesses and wants to travel the world and cure all the diseases that pop up.

“What excited me about playing Chopper is the tug of war between his standoffishness and his huge heart,” Hoover told Tudum. “He tries so hard to hide his emotions and put on a tough exterior, but underneath, he’s a big softy, and his love can’t help but come out.

“I believe there is a little Chopper in all of us,” she adds. “We all want to be loved and accepted. We go to great lengths to keep the people that we love safe. There’s a purity to his nature that reminds us of what’s good in the world.”

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck Team Up For The Rip

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are teaming up again for Joe Carnahan's The Rip, a film about a team of Miami cops who discover millions of dollars stored in a derelict stash house. As "outside forces learn about the size of the seizure, everything is called into question - including who they can rely on."

"The Rip came out of a deeply personal experience that my friend went through, both as a father and as head of tactical narcotics for the Miami Dade police department,” Carnahan explains. “It's inspired in part by his life and then, by my enduring love for those classic ‘70's cop thrillers that really valued the character and interpersonal relationships and became touchstones of that era — films like Serpico and Prince of The City and more recently, Michael Mann's Heat.”

The Rip will be released on January 16, 2026, and Damon and Affleck will be joined by Steven Yeun, Kyle Chandler, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Sasha Calle.

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.

If you were wondering whether Mark Hamill might play Luke Skywalker once again as a Force ghost, think again. The legendary actor has ruled out a return to the world famous sci-fi franchise, saying it’s now time for Star Wars to move past legacy characters and focus on the future.

In an interview with ComicBook.com to promote his new movie, The Life of Chuck, 73-year-old Hamill was asked about a potential return as Luke’s Force ghost in upcoming Rey-led Star Wars movie, New Jedi Order. His answer was loud and clear: no chance. After all, Luke left his robes behind in 2017's The Last Jedi.

FromSoftware has acknowledged matchmaking issues on Elden Ring Nightreign during its first weekend, and offered suggestions to players affected.

Today, May 31, FromSoftware tweeted to address players who were struggling to find other players when launching an expedition in the multiplayer Elden Ring spin-off. If you do, try restarting the matchmaking process, FromSoftware suggested. That’s not a great help, admittedly, but at least we know the developer is aware of the problem. “Thank you for your patience and understanding,” it added.

FromSoftware followed that social post with another, this time acknowledging issues on PlayStation consoles specifically. Those on PS4 and PS5 who are having difficulty matchmaking should check their NAT type, FromSoftware said. “NAT type 3 may affect matchmaking on PSN,” it explained.

• Check your NAT type with the following steps:
• Home > Settings > Network > Connection Status > Check Connection Status

There is no specific advice for Xbox at this time.

Yesterday, producer Yasuhiro Kitao took to social media to comment on Elden Ring Nightreign’s early sales success (2 million units in its first day).

“Nightreign has some peculiar aspects to its game design and is different from our recent titles in various ways,” Kitao said. “Nonetheless, many of you have bravely jumped into this world, and for that we're immensely grateful.

“As with Demon's Souls or Sekiro, it may be confounding at first, but just like those games, Nightreign offers its own challenges and experiences. Once you overcome the initial hurdle, it'll surely provide a sense of accomplishment that's also its very own.

“We hope you enjoy it.”

So, what might this tweet be about, specifically? Well, Nightreign is still on a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, with much of the negative sentiment revolving around its brutal solo experience, its lack of duos co-op, lack of voice chat, and other archaic mechanics. That age-old multiplayer struggle to find enough friends to make up a coordinated three-player group is very much a part of the Elden Ring Nightreign experience, too. A patch to make solo play easier is due out next week.

As explained in IGN's Elden Ring Nightreign review: "Let’s get the most important caveat out of the way first: if you are hoping to tackle Nightreign entirely solo, and are anything less than a hardcore Elden Ring player that actively seeks out ways to make that already difficult game even more challenging, Nightreign isn’t for you. Yes, there is technically a single-player option, but it is so poorly balanced that I would be shocked if it isn’t patched and adjusted within the first month of release. And this is coming from someone who lives and breathes these types of games."

We’ve got plenty of Nightreign tips and tricks to help you take down all the eight Nightlord Bosses, and if you’re wondering how to unlock the two locked Nightfarer Classes, check out How to Unlock the Revenant and How to Unlock the Duchess, plus How to Change Characters.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

While there may not be as many sales today as last weekend for Memorial Day, there are still many deals to be had. Whether you’re after a plug-and-play mic to take your streaming game up a level or want a new controller for your PS5, we’re seeing some deep discounts. With Father’s Day only a couple of weeks away, maybe you’re looking to snag a great gift for the father figures in your life? Portable chargers, a grill set, or even a new lawn mower might be right up their alley. Check out all the best deals we’ve found today:

TL;DR: Deals for Today

Pokémon Destined Rivals is here, and we’re already seeing chase cards crash in value, leaving some with pre-order regrets. But that means you can just grab some single cards rather than shelling out a ton on booster packs. Still want a sealed pack? We’ve got you. Plus, there’s a Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Bundle pre-order available from Walmart that’s not a bad deal.

PlayStation DualSense Controller

JLab Talk Pro USB Mic

Cuisinart 13-Piece Wooden Grill Tool Set

Metaphor: ReFantazio PS4 & PS5

bella PRO 10.5-qt. Touchscreen 5-in-1 Indoor Grill & Air Fryer

Five Nights at Freddy's: Tales from the Pizzaplex Graphic Novel Collection Vol. 1

EGO Power+ LM2135SP 21-Inch Self-Propelled Lawn Mower Kit

Charmast Portable Charger with Built in Cables

Pokémon Destined Rivals Sealed Products and Single Cards

After the best market value on Pokémon Destined Rivals sealed products? Some great deals are available from TCG Player, as big box stores continue to hike up the prices.

Don’t want to deal with the ripping open boosters to find a chase card? TCG Player has a bunch of single cards available, and the prices continue to fluctuate as I write this.

MTG Final Fantasy Pre Order

Walt Disney World has officially kicked off its Cool Kid Summer - a celebration that includes new Little Mermaid and Villains shows, a nighttime parade called Disney Starlight, big discounts on tickets and Disney resorts, indoor dance parties with arts, crafts, games, and characters, and so much more.

Disney invited us to check out the big Cool Kid Summer offerings, and we’re here to break down the reasons why a trip down to The Most Magical Place on Earth this summer may be worth it for your family and your wallet.

1. Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After

Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After is one of the two big shows to debut during Cool Kid Summer and replaces Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Hollywood Studios’ Sunset Showcase Theater. This show puts the spotlight on Disney’s beloved Villains, and it's led by Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent.

This show is all about giving these villains the chance to tell their side of the story, and the Magic Mirror summons the audience to help choose which of these three villains is the most misunderstood of all. In a fun twist, guests get to cheer for the villain they think is the most misunderstood, and they get to take center stage in victory. This lends to the rewatchability of the show as the ending will vary depending on the crowd’s response.

While there are only three performers in Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, a ton of Disney villains make appearances on the many portraits that adorn the stage and its striking curtain. These three villains have “broken through the glass” into our world, and it’s a moment that’s been a long time coming.

“To me, this show just has a sense of inevitability,” art director Matheus Fiuza told me. “It has always meant to have been there. We've always meant to have a beautiful show about villains and now they're getting to have their moment in glory and it's just one of the most thrilling things to be able to do.”

This is just a taste of the Villains takeover at Disney World, as it was already announced that Magic Kingdom will be getting its very own Villains land in the future.

2. The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure

The other big new show for Cool Kid Summer at Walt Disney World is Hollywood Studios’ The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure. This show is a fully reimagined production that has replaced Voyage of the Little Mermaid, which ran from 1992 to 2020, and it even includes a new song titled ‘Daughters of Triton.’ This new show is a roughly 18-minute retelling of The Little Mermaid that is a mix between live-action performers, puppets, and animation.

We had the chance to speak to Katrina Mena Rick, senior creative producer at Disney Live Entertainment, and she shared that what’s different about this version of the show is that it is “told through Ariel's eyes, which is why it's so whimsical, bright, and colorful. It's through the lens of a 16-year-old girl’s view and the excitement that she feels wanting to enter the human world.”

Speaking of Ariel, we were also able to speak to Jodi Benson, Disney Legend and star of The Little Mermaid, and she is thrilled to see this show come to life and said it was a “lovely surprise” to have Kiss the Girl included this time around. However, this show is important to her for more than just the addition of a song.

“We want the audience to have joy, love, and hope,” Benson said of the show. “We want people to leave the theater feeling lifted up and encouraged, and it definitely does that. It definitely brings back all those beautiful memories of the original for me.

"I'm just so happy that the show is back, and the new and technical aspects are breathtaking and it's wonderful to see the combination of live action and animation. It really is a magical show."

3. Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is the much-anticipated nighttime parade that will officially debut at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on July 20, 2025. Fans of the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland’s Paint the Night Parade will understand how beloved these parades are, and this one looks to celebrate both the past and modern eras of Disney.

The story of Disney Starlight is told through the power of the Blue Fairy’s magic and guests will watch “dreams and wishes come true” with such characters as Peter Pan, Wendy, Asha, La Familia Madrigal (Mirabel, Isabela, and Bruno), Elsa, Aurora and Prince Phillip, Tiana and Prince Naveen, Belle and the Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Miguel and Pepita, Moana, Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, Snow White and Dopey, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Aladdin and Jasmine, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

4. Cool Kid Summer at Disney World’s Four Parks and Resorts

The fun of Cool Kid Summer extends to each of Disney World’s four parks and some select hotels, and a lot of these activities and parties are indoors, which means there are plenty of excuses to enjoy some A/C while your kids have a great time.

• Magic Kingdom
  • Those visiting Magic Kingdom have two big things to look forward to for Cool Kid Summer, including the Galactic Blast at Tomorrowland that will turn Rocket Tower Plaza Stage into a space-inspired DJ dance party with appearances by Stitch. The nearby Merchant of Venus will also be a place to cool down with indoor crafts inspired by Elio.
  • The second thing to look out for at Magic Kingdom for Cool Kid Summer is the Big Top Bash at Storybook Circus, as guests can join DJ Ringmaster and Pluto for a summertime dance party with kid-friendly midway-style games and hands-on activities inside Big Top Souvenirs.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Get Animated at Animation Courtyard is the big Cool Kid Summer activation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as it’s a big indoor DJ dance party featuring Mickey Mouse, Disney Junior characters, magicians, jump rope performers, games and crafts, and much more.
• EPCOT
  • Goofy has turned EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall into GoofyCore and it's a place for kids and kids at heart to get a break from the sun and dance and play games. DJs will lead the party that’s filled with games like Loopy Limbo, Parachutes ‘n’ Pipsqueaks, four corners, Goofy Says, and much more.
  • Phineas and Ferb will also join Cool Kid Summer on June 1 near the entrance of EPCOT in celebration of their new season that is set to debut on Disney Channel on June 5.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • Cool Kid Summer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is all about exploring and adventuring, as guests can explore nature-based adventures with their favorite Disney Characters and hands-on activities while earning a limited-time Wilderness Explorers badge.
  • There will also be a chance to celebrate with a Dino Institute Intern at A Celebration Sing-Along at Discovery Island, which will have songs that highlight both the real and mythical creatures that can be found at the park.
• Disney Resort Collection Hotels
  • Guests staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will be able to enjoy character visits, family games, music, and more during Cool Kid Summer.

With Danny Boyle returning to the world of 28 Days Later with next month's 28 Years Later, there's one particularly salient topic on the minds of zombie... uh, infected fans everywhere: What is the state of the Rage Virus victims in the film's post-apocalyptic world almost 30 years after the catastrophe first hit?

I spoke to Boyle about 28 Years Later earlier this week, and he filled me in on a few details regarding those poor, fast-running SOBs. (Some of whom, it turns out, aren't so fast-running anymore.)

"There have been evolutions [of the infected] because we didn't want to just stand still with them," Boyle tells IGN of the creatures in the new film. "There has been kind of mutations that have developed, if you like."

Don't forget, while the infected of the 28 Days/Weeks/Years series fit nicely into the zombie subgenre, technically speaking they're not dead. Rather, they're living humans who have been infected by the Rage Virus. As such, that means that they would need to find ways to survive over the years. Hence the evolution that Boyle is hinting at.

The director shot 28 Years Later in a 2.76:1 widescreen aspect ratio, which is typically reserved for 70mm epics, and part of his reasoning for going that wide was to create a feeling of dread in the viewer regarding the infected. With that wide frame, the things could be practically anywhere in your field of vision.

"You hope that it gives a sense of unease really ... that they could be anywhere, because we know they move very fast," he says, before clarifying that most of the infected move fast these days... but not all. "Apart from these new ones, the 'slow-lows' which of course move very slowly, but they're still dangerous."

Indeed, they are quite gross, and as Boyle says, there's a reason for their name. "They're very slow. They hang about low level," he laughs. "So they're called the slow-lows. I wouldn't advise messing with them."

Boyle and his team used a variety of production methods and cameras to achieve various effects in the film, including how they photographed the infected. In the case of the slow-lows, sometimes that meant attaching cameras to the actors playing them in an attempt to put the audience right down in the mud with the creatures.

The film's production notes also hint at some other variations on the infected. The first generation that have managed to survive the past 28 years now roam the UK naked and like animals. And then there are "berserker" and "alpha" infected, seemingly super-charged with strength and also, perhaps, carrying a semblance of intelligence as well.

"Just in technical terms, we still wanted to capture them in a brittle, almost unreliable way, because that was what we found [worked] with the first film," says Boyle.

Unique rigs carrying as many as 20 iPhones at the same time were also used for key sequences involving the infected, with Boyle going for what he calls "a poor man’s bullet time.” But that was just one method used to capture the grisly, startling images of the film's monsters.

"We would use special shutter angles to enhance that reliability, that very kind of rapid motion, that slightly staccato motion to create a kind of brittleness," he says. "We also used this old Panasonic camera called an EVA1, I think it's called, which is a kind of red with its filter out. It becomes a red camera really, which allows us to see almost like an infrared look, which is the look we wanted to create for some of the nighttime material."

Slow-lows, three-decade-long infected, berserkers, and alphas... One has to wonder what other horrors await the characters of 28 Years Later. We'll find out when the film arrives on June 20.

Late last month, mega publisher EA fired 300 workers, including around 100 at developer Respawn. The studio, founded by ex-Call of Duty developers, is responsible for Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi games, and was reportedly working on a third game in its beloved Titanfall series before its staff roster was cut. Now cancelled, the rumours suggest that this Titanfall project was an extraction shooter – a difficult-by-design PvPvE genre that currently only enjoys niche popularity. But an extraction shooter set in the world of Titanfall and Apex Legends could have been the genre’s ticket to the big leagues. So if not EA, who will take the “Tarkov-like” beyond its enthusiastic niche and into the mainstream? The answer may be just months away.

"As part of our continued focus on our long-term strategic priorities, we’ve made select changes within our organization that more effectively aligns teams and allocates resources in service of driving future growth," an EA spokesperson said of the layoffs that cut away at Respawn. It’s a sentiment EA employees have heard before. This move follows a rash of downsizing in other segments of EA’s portfolio, including at developers Codemasters and BioWare, and a more general 670 company-wide employees back in March of last year. This trend has many decrying the state of the games industry as unsustainable and calling for unionization.

But what of that rumored Titanfall extraction shooter? Naturally, its apparent cancellation has many fans disappointed; the existence (and lack of public appearance) of a new Titanfall game has become something of an in-joke in recent years. Further, rumors of a new extraction shooter from a triple-A studio has shone a spotlight on a style of game that has struggled to garner a significant audience thus far. And whether or not the cancelled Respawn title was indeed an extraction shooter, more people are discussing the potential of a genre that is in its infancy.

“This is an enthusiast genre which has, thus far, not significantly broken out to the mass market player,” Mat Piscatella, Video Games Industry Advisor at Circana, tells IGN.

Last month, developer Bungie finally revealed gameplay footage for Marathon, the upcoming extraction shooter that some predict will launch the genre into the mainstream. It's a game that's already found itself in hot water, accused of plagarising art assets. But while there are ethical questions around Marathon's production, the response to the game itself after press went hands-on with it seems largely positive. Perhaps this is to be expected from the studio with a reputation for stellar first-person shooter experiences like Halo and Destiny. But, come September, Marathon will be launching into a very different market, and the extraction shooter is a relatively untested genre. Will pedigree and tight FPS design be enough to carry the game to success? Analysts say: perhaps.

“If I were to bet on any developer being able to bring this genre to the mass market it would be Bungie,” Piscatella says.

For those unfamiliar, extraction shooters tend to be made up of a combination of player-versus-player and player-versus-environment gameplay loops. Small squads of players are dropped into a world, where they fight AI enemies and sometimes other player-controlled squads, to complete goals and gather resources, then escape the map. The genre was popularized by Escape From Tarkov, an incredibly unforgiving take on the formula characterized by its high-risk, high-reward firefights, which garnered a respectable audience during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Since then, a number of other developers have tried their hand at the genre with varying degrees of success. One of the most prominent is last year’s Helldivers 2, developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony. It leans heavily on a campy schtick, community engagement, and in-game events, which has made it a standout among extraction shooters. Also, and perhaps most importantly, it’s a co-op only affair, with none of the tense PvP encounters that make games like Escape from Tarkov so challenging. According to Piscatella’s data, Helldivers 2 was the eighth most-played game on Steam in April, and ranked 34 on PlayStation.

“Helldivers 2 is the outlier success among this group,” Piscatella explains. “In April, approximately 9% of US active Steam users played Helldivers 2, while around 3% of PS5 players engaged with the game at least once. No other [extraction shooter] reached more than 2.3% of active players on any platform on which that particular game was played.”

It’s immediately obvious that these stats are small when compared to more popular genres like battle royale or multiplayer FPS games. As hugely popular as Helldivers 2 seems to dedicated PlayStation owners, the mainstream is Fortnite, Call of Duty, and EA’s FC – games that garner much, much larger audiences. But Piscatella is quick to point out that the extraction shooter is a burgeoning genre with a great deal of potential, and it faces the same challenges as any other genre does in its early days.

“Small or developing genres often only get big after one game makes it so,” he says. “The dance/music genre was a pretty small niche until Guitar Hero showed up. Console FPS games didn't usually sell all that well at all until Halo. MMOs comprised a relatively small portion of the market until World of Warcraft became the biggest thing in the world. Maybe Marathon does that for extraction shooters. Maybe it doesn't. Nothing is guaranteed for any new game in today's market.”

Other popular games in the extraction shooter genre include Deep Rock Galactic, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Delta Force. The latter is a free-to-play title launched late last year and has been enjoying a steady rise in popularity in recent months: as of this writing, it ranks 15th in daily players on Steam, with somewhere around 135,000 players at peak. This is a respectable number, but nowhere near the numbers consistently put up by the battle royale genre and its titans. And let’s face it: executives have exhibited a certain amount of tunnel vision chasing the high monetization bars set by the Fortnites, Warzones, and PUBGs of the world.

There’s an argument that this sort of fixation has led to a certain amount of creative stagnation in the development space, and studio heads are less willing to take a chance on an unproven genre such as extraction shooters (it’s perhaps telling that Call of Duty’s attempt at it was an under-supported, now abandoned mode added to Warzone, rather than its own flagship release). In that way, Marathon represents the first significant triple-A effort to bring the genre to the masses. And it’s going to need all the help it can get along the way.

“Bungie being the developer certainly does not guarantee Marathon success,” Piscatella says. “In order for [it] to break through it would certainly help if the game could win over dedicated fans of the genre so they could advocate for the game among family and friends.”

Beyond word of mouth, Bungie will need to ensure smooth onboarding for prospective players. In particular, converting core players familiar with first-person shooters will likely figure into Bungie’s rollout strategy, but long-term retention will all boil down to the gameplay.

“It would…be helpful if Marathon were to have a ramping path for people that are more familiar with the big FPS titles like Call of Duty to help initiate trial and conversion,” Piscatella explains. “It would also have to nail the whole ‘easy to pick up, difficult to master’ trick that many mass market hits are able to pull off.”

The reality is that these are all the same problems faced by any new title, and the one true decider of success or failure is the market, which, as Piscatella points out, is extremely unwelcoming.

“It is a very fickle market at the moment. People have their favorite long-running games that are constantly being updated, are familiar, have significant social and monetary hooks, and many of these titles are free-to-play or easily accessible without an upfront purchase price. So, the challenges facing Bungie and Marathon are not dissimilar to those facing any new game.”

Fickle market notwithstanding, the biggest challenge facing Marathon is the untested nature of the extraction shooter genre as a whole. Escape From Tarkov has enjoyed its accolades, but that game benefitted from an audience inflated by pandemic lockdowns, as well as a gameplay loop that appealed to the core gamer segment. Subsequent titles have only seen middling performances (with Helldivers 2 being the outlier), so it’s easy to understand why studios have been reticent to devote significant resources to such a project, especially when the battle royale genre has proven its dominance.

In that way, Marathon should prove to be a useful litmus test for the rest of the industry. It’s surprising to see a studio like Bungie going all-in on an extraction shooter in this environment, and if it receives a strong reception you can expect other developers and publishers to take its lead. Of course there are dozens of factors to account for - things like monetization and market trends - and nobody can predict how things will unfold. But Bungie certainly has the clout and design chops to make something special. And it’s going to take something special to take the extraction shooter genre from niche to mainstream. You can be sure that, come September, the industry will be eagerly watching the launch of Marathon.