I've said it a ton over the last few weeks, but interest in Magic: The Gathering is at what feels like an all-time high. With the recently released Final Fantasy Universes Beyond crossover set, new players that may have never picked up a card are now inching ever so slowly towards one of the most addicting and time-consuming hobbies around. If you're one of these people, or someone looking to dip your toes into the wonderful world of hundred-dollar cardboard, IGN has you covered with our Magic: The Gathering beginner's guide.

Where to Start Playing in Person

For newcomers, the best place to start playing in person is with what we call "kitchen table" Magic. No formats, no banlist, no meta, just good old fashioned vibes. Find a starter kit you like, grab a friend, sleeve them up, and jump in. These starter decks are great ways to learn the rules. I'd also highly recommend picking up MTG Foundations, as this set is specifically designed with brand new players in mind.

MTG Formats

Every store is different, and not everybody enjoys playing the same formats all the time. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the most popular formats:

• Standard: This is the most entry-level 60-card, best-of-three format in Magic. You can use cards from the last two years, and cards will rotate out every Fall.
• Limited: Limited formats are 40-card events where you don't show up with your own preconstructed decks. The two options are Booster Draft, where pods of eight players will open booster packs and pick a card one by one, passing their pack to the next player until three packs have been drafted. Sealed is where you get six booster packs, open them, and build your deck from this pool.
• Pioneer: Pioneer is the next step up in terms of power level from Standard. This format is non-rotating, and only cards from Return to Ravnica to current sets are legal. No supplementary sets are allowed, like Commander decks or sets like Modern Horizons.
• Modern: Easily the most popular format among competitive players, Modern allows you to use cards from Mirrodin onward, save for Commander deck cards. Direct-to-Modern sets like Modern Horizons are legal, and are big contributors to the format's current meta.
• Legacy: Every Magic set is legal in Legacy, including Commander decks. This means it has some of the most powerful decks in the game, the most expensive, and is the most difficult to learn. If you're starting out, you likely will not touch Legacy any time soon, if ever.
• Pauper: One of my personal favorite formats, Pauper is essentially Legacy Lite. Every set is fair game, but you can only use common rarity cards. Many of Legacy's strongest cards are common, like Brainstorm and Ponder, so Pauper is a great format to learn when you're curious about these interactions.
• Commander: Commander is the format most new and casual players are familiar with. Commander is a format where up to four players battle it out with 100-card decks, where each deck is built around their Commander (a Legendary creature of their choice). You can only build your deck using your Commander's colors.

TCGPlayer Is a Great Place to Buy Cards

Where to Start Playing Magic Online

MTG: Online

Magic: The Gathering Accessories and Supplies

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

We've rounded up the best deals for Saturday, June 21, below, so don't miss out on these limited-time offers.

Donkey Kong Bananza Now Available to Pre-Order

Puzzles are always a fun gift idea, no matter if you're new to the hobby or a passionate puzzler yourself. If you're shopping around for a puzzle gift to give to someone this year, it can feel a bit overwhelming looking through all of the options available, given how many shapes and sizes there are to choose from. But we're here to help. We've gathered up a variety of great puzzle gift ideas in 2025 to help you find the perfect one.

There's more than just the puzzles themselves to look through, too. We've included a few more gift ideas that any puzzler is sure to appreciate, including puzzle tables and boards, storage options, and frames to show them off in once they're finished. No matter what you decide to pick up, there's a little something for a puzzler of any skill level to enjoy. Have a look through our selection of the best gifts for puzzlers below and stock up on the items you think they'll enjoy the most.

The Best Jigsaw Puzzle Gifts

There's an incredible amount of puzzle options to choose from nowadays. Above, we've highlighted just a few of our favorites that can be found in our roundup of the best puzzle brands. We believe that the puzzles from these companies are well worth your time and money, and they each offer a fun variety, too. These range from large 2,000-piece puzzles to ones with a fun spin that feature a surprise ending after piecing them together (Magic Puzzle Company puzzles), so you can find a fun pick to gift this year.

The Best Puzzle Table Gifts

It's important to have enough space to build a puzzle on, which is why a puzzle table is a great investment. There are numerous different design options to choose from, whether you want something larger to have set up in your home or would prefer to have a more portable option. Some even feature drawers to hold pieces if you're working on a larger puzzle, which is very helpful to keep everything organized.

The Best Puzzle Storage Options

Speaking of organization, some puzzles are simply too big to finish in one go, so a good storage option can be helpful to have around. With solid puzzle storage, you can keep track of where you last left off with a puzzle without any fear of losing pieces if you move it around. We've included quite a few different options so you can keep your latest venture neatly put together, no matter which size of puzzle you're choosing to tackle.

The Best Puzzle Frame Gifts

A puzzle frame is an excellent idea for the puzzler who wants to keep their latest creation. Why take it apart if you've fallen in love with the final product? There are plenty of different puzzle frames to choose from, each catering to various sizes of puzzle, so you can find an option that will look the best hung up proudly on your wall.

To make sure your puzzle stays together properly before fitting it into a frame, you're going to want a reliable puzzle glue to help you out as well. This RoseArt Jigsaw Puzzle Glue is a great option to go for, coming in at just $5.

The Best 3D Puzzle Gifts

For the puzzler who loves a challenge, you can't go wrong with a 3D puzzle. There are so many different options to choose from that each create an exciting build. Here we've included just a few of our favorites, from a miniature pinball machine to a huge puzzle of Winterfell castle and a fantastic Millennium Falcon build. These 3D puzzles are exciting options to piece together, and the final result is sure to look impressive once it's put on display. If you're looking for an affordable alternative to LEGO, all of these options are great place to start.

More Puzzle Guides

If you're curious to see more puzzle options that we recommend, it's worth having a look through our best puzzle brands roundup alongside our pieces on the best puzzles for adults and the best Magic Puzzle Company puzzles. If you're shopping for a movie fan, we also have breakdowns of the best Star Wars puzzles, the best Lord of the Rings puzzles, and the best Harry Potter puzzles that could help you find the perfect pick to buy.

With Amazon Prime Day on the horizon as well, now is a great time to shop around with various discounts popping up. The official sale event kicks off this year on July 8 and runs through July 11, so you'll have a full four days to track down some nice puzzle deals from the sale event.

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

Bleach may not get quite as much franchising attention as its "Big Three" counterparts Naruto and One Piece, but Ichigo Kurosaki's journey to help lost souls reach the afterlife certainly struck a chord back in the day. In the U.S., the focus on Japanese culture and mythology gave Bleach a unique look, with the Shinigami making for memorable creatures. Even after 20 years, the combination of supernatural action, comedy, and a little bit of edginess still holds up.

Bleach has stood the test of time and also made it beyond just a TV show, with several movies and even a continuation two decades after its initial release. If you’re jumping into the series in 2025 or want to fill the gaps of what you watched back in the day, I’ve put together this chronological guide on how to watch all of Bleach in order.

How Long Is the Bleach Anime?

Adapting Tite Kubo’s manga of the same name, Bleach has been airing since 2004, amassing 366 episodes across 16 seasons. The show originally ended back in 2012, right as the manga was entering its final arc. The anime had caught up to its source material, so rather than do a long filler arc, the show simply ended.

Thankfully, in 2020, during the 20th anniversary of the manga, it was announced that Bleach would return to adapt the last arc. This more recent anime adaptation is known as the Thousand-Year Blood War.

In addition to the anime, there are four films in the Bleach franchise. Like most with most shonen series, these movies don't directly adapt the manga and are technically not canon, as they feature entirely original plots and even original characters (though, in the case of Bleach, they are designed by the original manga creator Tite Kubo). Still, the films can be great fun, and often tease upcoming surprises in the anime.

How to Watch Bleach in Order

1. OVA 1: Memories in the Rain

This OVA (original video animation) was shown at the Jump Festa convention in Japan in 2004. It serves as a pilot episode for Bleach, so it technically goes first in the order. Sadly, the OVA is not available to watch legally, but an alternate retelling of the events of Memories in the Rain were remade in episodes 8 and 9 of the first season.

2. Bleach Season 1 - The Substitute Soul Reaper

• Agent of the Sinigami Arc (Ep 1-20)

3. Bleach Season 2 - The Entry

• Soul Society: The Sneak Entry Arc (Ep 21-41)

4. Bleach Season 3 - The Rescue

• Soul Society: The Rescue Arc (Ep 42-63

5. OVA 2: The Sealed Sword Frenzy

Taking place after the end of the Soul Society arc, this OVA was shown at Bleach Jump Festa 2005. It follows a Shinigami who was sealed by the Soul Society being set free and wreaking havoc until Ichigo and the society try to stop him. The OVA helps expand the history of the Soul Society, highlighting their past feats as well as their mistakes.

6. Bleach Season 4 - The Bounty

• The Bount Arc (Ep 64-91)

Season 4 is a filler arc, with an original, self-contained storyline focusing on a race of humans who consume souls to extend their lives.

7. Bleach Season 5 - The Assault

• The Bount: Assault on Soul Society Arc (Ep 92-109)

8. Bleach The Movie: Memories of Nobody

When the town of Karakura is invaded by unknown spirits, Ichigo and Rukia meet a mysterious Shinigami. This is a unique Bleach movie in that it doesn't really contradict the continuity, and actually fits really well with the story of the anime. The movie also has a good combination of lightheartedness and action.

9. Bleach Season 6 - Arrancar Part 1

• Arrancar: The Arrival Arc (Ep 110-131)

10. Bleach Season 7 - Arrancar Part 2

• Arrancar: The Hueco Mundo Sneak Entry Arc (Ep 132-151)

11. Start Bleach Season 8 - Arrancar Part 3

• Arrancar: The Fierce Fight Arc (Ep 152-153)

12. Bleach: The DiamondDust Rebellion

The second Bleach movie is essentially a big love letter to fan-favorite Hitsugaya, so if you don't like the character, prepare for an entire film about why he's cool. The DiamondDust Rebellion continues to expand on the corruption of the Soul Society and shows the complexities of the organization in a way that even the anime doesn't always get to do.

13. Finish Bleach Season 8 - Arrancar Part 3

• Arrancar: The Fierce Fight Arc (Ep 154-167)

14. Bleach Season 9 - The New Captain

• The New Captain Shusuke Amagai Arc (Ep 168-189)

An original, self-contained filler season focusing on a new Soul Reaper captain. It can be skipped for the sake of pacing, but it does offer some good moments and character development.

15. Bleach Season 10 - Arrancar Part 4

• Arrancar vs. Shinigami Arc (Ep 190-205)

16. Bleach: Fade to Black

This is the Bleach movie with the best character drama, with a strong focus on Rukia, who is kidnapped by two spirits from her past, and Ichigo's attempts to rescue her.

17. Bleach Season 11 - Turn Back the Pendulum

• The Past Arc (Ep 206-212)

18. Bleach Season 12 - Arrancar Part 5

• Decisive Battle of Karakura Arc (Ep 213-229)

19. Bleach Season 13 - Zanpakuto The Alternate Tale

• Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc (Ep 230-255)
• Sword Beasts Arc (Ep 256-265)

Another filler season, but not just any filler season. This time, the Soul Reaper's swords, Zanpakuto, take human forms and declare war on their wielders. This is considered by far the best filler in all of Bleach, serving as a break from the Arrancar story arc while also offering solid worldbuilding and fun plot twists.

20. Start Bleach Season 14 - Arrancar Part 6

• Arrancar: Downfall Arc (Ep 266-299)

21. Bleach: Hell Verse (2010)

We're going to hell! Despite Bleach being all about spirits, the concept of hell isn't really that much of a part of the show, which makes this movie a refreshing addition to the lore. There are big Dante's Inferno vibes as well as some stunning backgrounds and creature designs.

22. Finish Bleach Season 14 - Arrancer Part 6

• Arrancar: Downfall Arc (Ep 300-316)

23. Bleach Season 15 - Gotei 13 Invading Army

• Gotei 13 Invading Army Arc (Ep 317-342)

Another filler arc, Gotei 13 Invading Army is about a big conspiracy in the Soul Society wherein every soul reaper is being replaced with a copy. Though not entirely canon, this season has some stunning action animation, and some great fight matchups that weaponize fan service to deliver thrilling moments.

24. Bleach Season 16 - The Lost Agent

• Lost Agent Arc (Ep 343-366)

25. Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Part 1

• The Blood Warfare Arc (Ep 367-379)

26. Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Part 2

• The Separation Arc (Ep 380-392)

27. Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War Part 3

• The Conflict Arc (Ep 393-406)

What Comes Next for Bleach?

The fourth and final part of Thousand Year Blood War, titled The Calamity, was announced as soon as Part 3 finished airing in December 2024. This next arc will finally bring the iconic story to a close by adapting the end of the manga, over 20 years after the anime first started airing. Expect epic fights, tragic moments, and some big revelations.

Rafael Motamayor is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything anime and animation.

Splitgate 2 developer 1047 Games has confirmed an undisclosed number of layoffs, with the co-founders of the studio opting not to take salaries as they bid to turn things around.

The free-to-play ‘Halo with portals’ shooter launched under a cloud after co-founder and director Ian Proulx took to the Summer Game Fest stage wearing a hat that read ‘Make FPS Great Again.’ During his speech, Proulx called out Call of Duty in what was considered a marketing gaffe.

When Splitgate 2 launched, it did so with a battle royale mode and a heavily criticized $145 microtransaction bundle. Splitgate 2 saw a peak concurrent player count of 25,785 on Steam, well below Splitgate’s 67,724 peak concurrent player count. Steam user reviews remain on ‘mixed.’

Steam stats do not paint the whole picture, of course, given Splitgate 2 launched across consoles as well as PC. Indeed, 1047 Games has said Splitgate 2 has had over 2.5 million players. But clearly, things have not gone as well as the studio had hoped. In an interview with IGN shortly after launch, Proulx said he was “surprised” by the reaction, admitting “we didn't expect this to be nearly as controversial as it was and we didn't intend for it to be.”

Now, 1047 Games has suffered a round of layoffs, which it characterized as “a small group” of staff in a post on LinkedIn. Also in the post came confirmation that co-founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian have opted not to take salaries, as the studio aims to improve the game.

Here’s the statement in full:

Today we parted ways with a small group of valued 1047 Games team members. We’re still perfecting the Splitgate 2 gameplay experience in response to community feedback, and we are redirecting resources to build the best game for our players. We are sad to see our teammates go, and we are actively working to help them secure new opportunities. Further, our co-founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian have opted not to take salaries as we lock in to deliver the next phase of the project. Thank you to those who’ve built alongside us — we are sad to say goodbye and would not be here without you.

To everyone who’s playing Splitgate 2, we’re continuing to work hard to deliver more things we know you’ll love. We are committed to building this game for the long haul.

While 1047 did not specify how many were let go, or who exactly, a number of key staff have announced their departures across social media platforms. Meanwhile, Splitgate 2 had a 24-hour peak concurrent player count of 10,059 on Steam, with 4,437 players on Valve’s platform at the time of this article’s publication.

Splitgate 2 secured a 7/10 in IGN’s review. We said: “Splitgate 2 is a decent successor to the original that expands on it, but never really surpasses it.”

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.

Grow a Garden has released its Summer update 1.11.0, propelling the Roblox game to comfortably the highest recorded concurrent player count in video game history. The patch notes are below.

The microtransaction-fueled free-to-play farming simulator had already shot past Fortnite’s concurrent peak of 15.3 million players, achieved during the Marvel-themed season finally back during Covid-era 2020, with an incredible 16.4 million concurrent players. At the time of this article’s publication, with players logging in for the Summer update, Grow a Garden was at an astonishing 21.3 million concurrents.

Minor spoilers follow for the opening scene of 28 Years Later.

At the turn of the millennium, a low-budget British production suddenly became an international hit. Its small gang of characters making their way in an eerily empty world resonated with millions, propelling their story into the zeitgeist, where it remains decades later.

That story is not 28 Weeks Later, although the lo-fi zombie thriller, which returns to the forefront of popular culture this weekend with the release of a long-awaited sequel, certainly fits the bill. But in this case, the British export we’re talking about is none other than Teletubbies, the delightfully weird kids’ show that makes a surprising cameo in 28 Years Later.

In the process, director Danny Boyle’s new horror movie may have inadvertently confirmed something that some Teletubbies fans have known all along: This children’s program about four humanoid creatures with TV screens where their stomachs should be is downright terrifying.

The 28 Years Later/Teletubbies Connection

Teletubbies only makes a brief appearance in 28 Years Later, but it’s a memorable one. In the movie’s opening scene, which takes place during the early days of the zombie-like Rage Virus outbreak that kicks off the entire franchise, we see a group of children huddled together in one room. They’re watching Teletubbies, but they don’t seem pleased about it — not necessarily because they dislike the show, but because a bunch of infected are about to burst into the house and murder everyone inside.

Moments later, that’s exactly what happens, as a gaggle of infected breaks down the door and overwhelms the children. Boyle thankfully spares us from watching it happen, but the blood splattered across the TV as the Teletubbies continue their adventures is all the confirmation we need. The movie mostly moves on from Teletubbies after that, as it jumps forward 28 years to tell its post-apocalyptic story, but the kids’ show does get one more nod in the final scene of 28 Years Later, which we won’t spoil here for anyone who’s still waiting to see the film for themselves.

But while there is plenty to say about how Teletubbies may explain where 28 Years Later is headed next in a planned trilogy of new movies, there’s even more to say about the Teletubbies themselves, and the nefarious truth behind their cold, empty eyes.

Theories of the Teletubbies

A quick rifling through the internet reveals endless theories about what Teletubbies is really about. The Teletubbies are all atoning for their sins in Purgatory, or perhaps they’re biogenetically engineered slaves, or human prisoners using a shared delusion to survive their incarceration. As for the Baby Sun that opens and closes each episode, it’s actually god — or maybe a demon. (These are all actual fan theories that people have posited about Teletubbies, most of which were rounded up by the good people at TV Tropes.)

In 2023, one disturbing theory, which claims the Teletubbies were inspired by a Bulgarian children’s mental facility where four patients died, went viral on TikTok. That theory has since been debunked, and, as far as we can tell, the facility in question never even existed. Still, the fact that Teletubbies inspires unsettling ideas like that clearly says something about the show itself.

A (Colorful) Post-Apocalypse

The most common Teletubbies fan theory centers on the idea that the show takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, and the evidence is pretty compelling.

For one thing, there’s the bunker the Teletubbies call home. The structure, which also resembles the Hobbit houses in The Lord of the Rings, is built into the landscape. But unlike those Hobbits, the Teletubbies’ home appears to go much deeper underground. It’s also technologically advanced, with various panels, buttons, and levers lining the interior walls. It looks like the kind of thing one might build if they needed to be able to survive underground for long periods of time.

Then there are the Voice Trumpets, essentially megaphones that emerge from the ground like periscopes. The Voice Trumpets give the Teletubbies their orders (and sometimes narrate the events of the show), but who controls them? Could it be surviving humans hiding even deeper below the surface of the Earth?

As for the Teletubbies themselves (Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa, and Po), they’re clearly not human. So what are they? The television sets in their stomachs suggest some sort of robotic design, while their human-looking faces could be the result of mutation — possibly caused by whatever destroyed their world in the first place.

But whether the Teletubbies are robots, mutants, or something else entirely, their purpose is likely the same. As the theory goes, these creatures have been sent up to the surface of their post-apocalyptic world to repair it for the humans surviving deep underground. Based on the state of things in Teletubbies, it seems like their mission is already well underway. But the distinct lack of life (aside from some plants and the occasional rabbit) suggests there’s still plenty of work to be done.

So what does all of this have to do with 28 Years Later? On the surface, not much, but the deeper you go into Teletubbies fan theories, the clearer it becomes that something evil is lurking beneath. Whether Danny Boyle meant to or not, his new movie gives a boost to those theories by using one post-apocalyptic story to reinforce the existence of another.

What are your thoughts on the 28 Years Later/Teletubbies connection? Let's discuss in the comments...

With both director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland returning the the infected fold, continuing the 28 Days Later franchise they started over 20 years ago with 28 Years Later, we're diving into the best apocalypse movies of all time.

Or post-apocalypse movies. Or, you know, just movies where civilization is either on the verge of collapsing, actually collapsing, or has already collapsed. Whatever stage of apocalypse you're after, we've got you covered.

The only true rule here is that the world has to actually end in some meaningful, impactful way. None of that "the Empire State Building got blown up!" or "an asteroid fragment just took out France!" mass destruction. We're talking nature batting last. Humanity is, for all intents and purposes, wiped out. No close calls here. So sorry to ID4, Armageddon, and others of that disaster movie ilk. Be better. And by that we mean be more cataclysmic.

You'll find almost every flavor of world-ending peril here: from zombies to plagues to Lovecraftian demons to the tried-and-true nuclear wipe-out. Let directors like John Carpenter, Stanley Kubrick, George Miller, Alfonso Cuarón, and more take you through our worst nightmares. You know, for fun!

10. Melancholia (2011)

Part of auteur Lars von Trier's (apropos) Depression Trilogy, Melancholia is insightful, existential, and emotionally raw. Sure, it involves Earth's impending impact with a rogue planet, but instead of being a giant action spectacle, it's a beautiful, honest, difficult-to-watch story about two sisters -- played by Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg -- who are affected dramatically differently by the world's oncoming end. It's a devastating movie that also vibrates with sensitivity and tranquility.

9. In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Part of what horror master John Carpenter refers to as his Apocalypse Trilogy (preceded by The Thing and Prince of Darkness), In the Mouth of Madness stars Sam Neill as an insurance fraud investigator who's sent to find a missing best-selling horror author (think this world's Stephen King). What he unravels instead is a Lovecraftian New England town where a true madman has ushered in the End of Days thanks to his pact with the Old Gods. It's a meta exploration of the effects of horror on readers and consumers (that old pop culture-causes-violence chestnut) with a mix of paranoia, insanity, and a stubborn skeptic getting his unholy comeuppance.

8. Miracle Mile (1988)

Imagine you get a heads-up about nuclear armageddon. A 70-minute head start to get the eff out of dodge. The lucky stars align and someone in the group you're with has a clear, easy exit plan. The only hitch? You just found the love of your life and can't leave them behind.

That's the premise of the underrated white-knuckle '80's gem Miracle Mile, in which Anthony Edwards' character has to take, what he hopes is, a slight detour to rescue his new gal, played by Mare Winningham. Will he make it to her in time? And, if so, will the two of them make it out of LA without being disintegrated? You think Los Angeles traffic is bad now? Yeeesh.

7. 12 Monkeys (1995)

Is Bruce Willis a frazzled convict who time-travels back from a grim post-apocalyptic future to stop the mysterious Army of the Twelve Monkeys from unleashing a killer man-made virus that wipes out most of the world?

Or is he just insane?

Remaking French short "La Jetee," director Terry Gilliam coaxes a heartbreaking performance out of Willis -- one of the finest of his career -- as he stumbles between institutionalized anarchist Brad Pitt and sympathetic doctor Madeleine Stowe. Complex, emotional and rewarding, this dystopian mystery demands to be watched on repeat.

6. Dawn of the Dead (1978)

It was hard to grab just one zombie flick for the list, and while 2004's Dawn of the Dead remake is a vicious, terrifying journey, we're heading back to the '70s for George Romero's original.

What Romero began in 1968's Night of the Living Dead expanded into horrific proportions with Dawn of the Dead, as the zombie outbreak that seemed to last only one night in the original now transformed into an unending zompocalypse with no reprieve in sight. During the hellacious hysteria of death and carnage, survivors barricade themselves inside a mall, hoping for the calamity to blow over. With landmark makeup effects, social commentary about materialistic modern society, and an unrelenting brutality, Dawn of the Dead is where it's at.

5. Threads (1984)

In the early to mid '80s there were a handful of movies that dealt with the horrors of nuclear war and radiation fallout in ways that shocked the world -- like Special Bulletin, Testament, One Night Stand, When the Wind Blows, and more.

More effective, simply because of how many people TV was able to reach back then, were two TV movies. America had The Day After, which was bone-chilling, while England (and Australia) had Threads. Threads is a scary, rattling reminder of how easy it would be for a few people to wipe out everything we know and love. It's a visceral cautionary tale of what it might be like if the bombs fall, ushering in misery and death to all. Quite literally Hell on Earth. This is not for the faint of heart.

4. Children of Men (2006)

Exploring a different avenue than most apocalyptic dystopias is Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men, where world-wide infertility has basically doomed the human race to die out within the next 60 to 70 years. Because society must now slowly watch its numbers dwindle, as everyone spirals toward inevitable extinction, civilization is in chaos and the world's become a morose, fading empire.

Children of Men is a pivotal drama, a technical marvel, a violent thriller, and a sophisticated look at a world ending in a whimper. Clive Owen plays a former activist tasked with transporting a very special package (the first pregnant woman in 18 years), leading to a possible glimmer of hope for humanity. But is this one miracle enough to hold back the tide of doom?

3. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Stanley Kubrick's Cold War slapstick masterwork, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is also one of the most original, daring and best apocalypse movies ever made.

Paranoid loony General Jack D. Ripper initiates a plan to nuke the Soviet Union. General Buck Turgidson, US President Merkin Muffley, and Soviet ambassador Alexei de Sadeski bicker in the War Room. The drunken Russian president threatens to unleash a Doomsday Machine device that will automatically destroy life on Earth. The film is funny ("Gentleman! You can't fight in the War Room!"), absurd (Slim Pickens rodeo-riding his way to mass destruction) and chilling (Vera Lynn's end-credit song over the mushroom clouds). Sometimes laughing through the End Times (This Is the End, Shaun of the Dead, etc.) is the only way to go.

We'll meet again, my friend.

2. The Road Warrior (1981)

Though there have been some jokes over the years about whether or not the economic and environmental house of cards collapse that creates the Mad Max Wasteland may only actually be in Australia, no other movies have influenced, and changed the course of, post-apocalyptic movies like the Max movies.

What began as a demolition derby Ozploitation sensation with George Miller's Mad Max evolved into a whacked-out, carnage-filled every-man-for-himself death ride in the sequel, The Road Warrior.

Decades later, after the original Mad Max Trilogy, George Miller even returned to the Wasteland, going bigger, bolder, and bronzer with Mad Max: Fury Road and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. It was between Fury Road and Road Warrior for this spot on the list and while Fury Road is a modern action masterpiece that builds out the world of Max like never before, we're gonna sit pretty here with Road Warrior given how much it changed the entire '80s movie landscape.

1. The Road (2009)

Based on the acclaimed Cormac McCarthy novel, The Road is an unyielding, haunting look at the remnants of humanity carrying on... just to keep carrying on. It's never explained how the world ends, though it's clear some environmental cataclysm has occurred (one that's observable in a flashback from a window) that's coated the globe in death. Everything is either dead or dying off, people have turned to murder and/or cannibalism, and it will only be a generation or two before humans gasp their final breath.

A father and son, played by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee, travel down the Eastern coast, hoping to find better, warmer living in Florida. The Road is as apocalyptic as you can get. Just a dire, bleak trek through exponential decay, where one clings to hope just for the sake of sanity.

Well, that was grim! How are y'all feeling? What's your personal favorite apocalypse movie? Vote above and let us know below...

Jane Austen's work has been widely celebrated for its social commentary, wit, and overall exploration of a very specific era. Her most famous book, Pride and Prejudice, has been adapted into various films and tv shows as well as repurposed for modern audiences. As the book that inspired the hit Netflix series, Bridgerton, it isn't hard to see just how far the work of Jane Austen has spread into our culture.

Now LEGO is taking it one step further by creating the first ever Jane Austen set. The tribute is the current gift with purchase you can get directly from the LEGO website, and it will only be available until June 27 or while supplies last.

LEGO Tribute to Jane Austen's Books Set

Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bernthal has been cast in the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Sony/Marvel film. Shooting begins in England this summer.

It remains to be seen how Bernthal’s ultra-violent vigilante Punisher will quite fit into the MCU’s PG-13 Spidey franchise.

While other actors have played Punisher in feature films before, this is the first time Bernthal’s incarnation will be on the big screen after appearing in both the Netflix and Disney+ Daredevil series as well as his own solo streaming series.

The Punisher's ally Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, previously made the leap to the big screen in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Bernthal and Spider-Man star Tom Holland previously acted together in the 2017 movie Pilgrimage. Bernthal recently explained the advice he gave Holland at that time as they were both auditioning for their respective Marvel roles while making Pilgrimage.

Before they reunite for the MCU's fourth Spidey film, Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal will next be seen together in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will also bring back Zendaya’s MJ and Jacob Batalon’s Ned, while also introducing Sadie Sink to the franchise in an unknown role (although rumor has it she’s playing the X-Men’s Jean Grey).

The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas has also been cast, which has fans speculating that she might be playing Miles Morales’ mom, Rio.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters on July 31, 2026, which means it’s now opening before the recently delayed Avengers: Doomsday.

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

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

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

How Many Books are There in the Red Rising Saga?

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

Red Rising Trilogy Reading Order

Red Rising

Iron Gold Quadrilogy Reading Order

Iron Gold

The Colors of the Society, Explained

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

The High Colors

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

The Mid Colors

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

Low Colors

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

Russell Crowe is set to reunite with his Man of Steel co-star Henry Cavill for the upcoming remake of Highlander.

First details on what is no doubt a major addition to the cast come from Collider, which says the 61-year-old Gladiator star is now onboard in a key role for John Wick creator Chad Stahelski’s new reimagining. Fans can expect to see him serve as Cavill’s mentor in the film, providing a new version of the part played by Sean Connery in the 1986 original (via Deadline).

How the Highlander remake will update the story for modern audiences, as well as additional casting information, remains under wraps for now. However, Stahelski previously told Collider: "We’re bringing it forward from the early 1500s in the Highlands to the beyond present-day New York and Hong Kong. There’s big opportunity for action… and it’s a bit of a love story — but not how you think.”

IGN Store has partnered with Bethesda Softworks and world-renowned artist Dave Rapoza to create Hellwalkers - the latest piece in IGN’s exclusive museum-quality IGN Artist Series.

Available only on IGN Store, Hellwalkers - IGN Artist Series 004 vividly captures the menace and power of the legendary Doomslayer, as made possible by the equally legendary artist Dave Repoza, a lifelong Doom fan himself.

IGN Store has 400 premium weight art prints ($70) and 100 premium acrylic art prints ($275) - both measuring a bold 18 x 24 inches. These pieces are brutal, iconic, and highly-collectible.

Each print is individually numbered and signed by Dave Rapoza and the acrylic print is truly fine art, backed on gator board and featuring a Certificate of Authenticity (laser-etched on the Doomslayer’s Shield Saw).

Id software has proven for more than 30 years that Doom truly is eternal. Since its world-shaping debut in 1993 to the epic, weighty, powerful play style of The Dark Ages, the Doom franchise’s Doomslayer has stood at the forefront of gaming as an immortal icon. This IGN Artist Series is a must-own for any serious Doom fan, and will not be reprinted once it is gone. The piece is destined to become a collector’s item, and is a perfect edition to any Doom fan’s wall.

Dave Rapoza is a self-taught artist who grew up in Carver, MA. For nearly 20 years his stunning artwork has been turning heads. Rapoza’s artwork has graced Marvel Comics covers, Magic: the Gathering, Paizo Publishing projects and a huge range of others. He has also contributed art to Diablo IV, League of Legends and the Witcher 3, among many other games.

"My first experience with Doom was playing the original in my neighbor’s kitchen on their ancient computer—it made a big impression on me, especially the music and definitely helped spark my love for games,” Repoza said. “Whenever I take on something like this, I try to tap into what made me a fan in the first place and boil that down into a single image. It’s a fun challenge, and I’m proud of how this one turned out. Hope you enjoy it!

The IGN Artist Series is IGN’s love letter to the pop culture icons we all love to watch, play, and discuss. Available for under a day, IGN Artist Series 001, 002, and 003 was produced in partnership with Bethesda and Amazon Prime Video and featured Fallout’s The Ghoul, Maximus, and Lucy MacLean, from artist Kevin Tong.

Wizards of the Coast took to MagicCon Las Vegas 2025 to show off its Magic: The Gathering (MTG) and Avatar: The Last Airbender collaboration, revealing a sneak peek at the art and abilities featured on the Avatar Aang and Aang, Master of Elements cards.

Aang’s introduction into the MTG universe was unveiled with a time-lapse showing how some of that shiny new, hand-drawn art was created. The first of the two new cards is the all-encompassing Avatar Aang, a Legendary Creature – Human Avatar Ally. It reads, “Whenever you waterbend, earthbend, firebend, or airbend, draw a card. Then if you’ve done all four this turn, transform Avatar Aang.”

Coming November 21, 2025https://t.co/Iu2diNITry#MTGxATLA pic.twitter.com/G1Q4Az3bSC

— Magic: The Gathering (@wizards_magic) June 20, 2025

Meanwhile, there’s the very space-y Aang, Master of Elements, Legendary Creature – Avatar Ally card. While Avatar Aang sees the titular character in his all-powerful Avatar state, this one shows Aang connecting to his power in another way. It reads, “At the beginning of each upkeep, you may transform Aang, Master of Elements. If you do, you gain 4 life, draw four cards, put four +1/+1 counters on him, and he deals 4 damage to each opponent.”

A closer look at the Magic: The Gathering and Avatar: The Last Airbender collaboration will arrive August 12, 2025. The set will then see its full launch come November 21, 2025.

Each Magic: The Gathering collaboration marks a major moment for Wizards of the Coast and fans alike. Its most recent crossover introduced a set of Final Fantasy cards into the mix, including appearances from locations and names from across the series, including Cloud, Moogles, Tidus, Sephiroth, Noctis, and more. It’s been such a hit that many cards have been subjected to significant price increases.

For more on the world of Magic: The Gathering, you can see read up on all of the other expansions dropping throughout 2025. This includes the long-awaited Marvel’s Spider-Man set, which fans got a closer look at in March.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Last week, Microsoft unveiled what we all suspected was coming: an Xbox handheld. And while the ROG Xbox Ally X isn’t the true “handheld Xbox” some people probably wanted, it has the chance to bring handheld PC gaming into the mainstream in a way we haven’t seen since the Steam Deck launched back in 2022.

If Microsoft and Asus are able to nail the details, particularly around the operating system and the price, the Xbox Ally could be the first glimpse at Microsoft’s next generation of “consoles.” But there’s a catch: Handheld gaming PCs are by their very nature exercises in compromise. Microsoft did say that every shiny game it showed off at its summer games showcase would be "playable" on the Xbox Ally X, but it’s a little more complicated than that.

I have no doubt the Xbox Ally X, with its Z2 Extreme SoC (system on a chip), will be more than powerful enough to run AAA games. But the real star of the show is going to be the less demanding indie games that Microsoft quietly adds to Game Pass every month – and that might be the point.

Limited Power?

The AMD Z2 Extreme was announced back at CES 2025. But six months later, there’s still not a single handheld you can buy on a store shelf that’s powered by this chip. Meanwhile, the forthcoming Xbox Ally X isn’t just using the Z2 Extreme – it’s using the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme, which is basically the same, but with a 50 TOPs NPU stapled onto it. Still, we have no idea how well it will actually play games, just that it’ll at least be faster than the Z1 Extreme.

Even with the added performance, you should temper your expectations, especially when it comes to AAA games with high-end graphics effects. The highest-performing handheld I’ve used, the Lenovo Legion Go S with the Z1 Extreme and SteamOS, still struggles to run games like Cyberpunk 2077 at higher settings at its native resolution – and that game came out nearly five years ago.

Cyberpunk is a bit of an outlier, as it’s still capable of pushing even the RTX 5090 to its limits, but as games get more demanding on the high-end, system requirements are only going to go up. So while the Xbox Ally X will technically be able to run this upcoming crop of AAA Xbox games, it’s going to be at low settings, and likely a lower frame rate.

That shouldn’t discourage you, though. I’ve spent the last two years obsessing over these little handheld gaming PCs, and out of my hundreds of hours playing on them, I can tell you that very little of that was playing games like God of War or Cyberpunk. Instead, indie games like Hades 2 have consumed my life.

Indie Games are Magic

When the Nintendo Switch came out back in 2017, I initially thought games like Breath of the Wild were the point – and maybe they were. But as I grew continually sick of poor performance in games that were trying to be huge AAA console experiences, my Switch settled into its role of being a second place, after Steam, for me to buy my favorite indie games to play in bed or on the train. Then the Steam Deck came out.

Handheld gaming PCs were around before the Steam Deck, mind you, but they were niche products that were fiddly to use, especially without some kind of keyboard attachment. Now that we’re living in this post-Deck world, though, computer manufacturers like Lenovo and, yes, Asus, have found ways to make handheld gaming PCs genuinely excellent. And I don’t have to buy indie games a second time to play them, either.

Instead, if I want to put some time in Hades 2, I just log into Steam and I’m good to go – my save even carries over. The beauty of the Windows-based handhelds is that applies to all the PC game storefronts, whether I’m playing games on Game Pass or even the Epic Games Store.

For me, this has resulted in a sort of multi-tiered PC gaming setup. I still play beautiful AAA games like Doom: The Dark Ages on my desktop, where I can pump the settings up to max and enjoy high frame rates. I don’t even try to install that kind of game on my handhelds anymore, instead, they give me a chance to dive deeper into games like Rift of the Necrodancer or Slay the Spire. Before handheld gaming PCs blew up, those were the types of games I’d play for a few hours to see what the hype was about before I inevitably went back to playing World of Warcraft.

I’m not alone in this either. Earlier this week, I polled my colleagues here at IGN, and I was surprised to find that most aren’t using their handhelds to play blockbusters. Instead most are using their handheld to play indie games and JRPGs, the latter of which tend to be much less reliant on a high frame rate to be enjoyable.

The compatibility that’s inherent to Windows PC gaming handhelds is a great way to make indie games a much bigger part of your gaming diet. But for that wider compatibility (read: playing a game from something other than Steam), either I have to fiddle around with Linux on SteamOS or deal with the headache of using Windows on a handheld. But that’s why the prospect of a handheld-friendly version of Windows 11 is so exciting.

By removing the friction it takes to get into games from third-party launchers on Steam Deck, while also hopefully maintaining the benefits of a streamlined, gaming-centric operating system, the ROG Xbox Ally X has the chance to be the best of both worlds. After all, Asus markets both its existing Ally X and the upcoming Xbox Ally X with the hashtag "#PlayAllyourgames.” Now, hopefully this team-up makes that happen without the touch screen-induced headache I get from existing Windows handhelds.

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

Netflix’s Castlevania and Devil May Cry showrunner Adi Shankar has turned his attention to the Duke Nukem series after acquiring the screen rights from Gearbox Software.

The animated adaptation creative lead teased his next project during an interview with Esquire. Although projects like Devil May Cry Season 2 are currently top of mind, it sounds like something based on the legendary tongue-in-cheek first-person shooter franchise is currently in the works.

“I'm being approached with different IPs and companies that want to work with me,” Shankar said. “I bought the rights to Duke Nukem. Not the gaming rights, but I bought it from Gearbox.”

Duke Nukem is an unmistakably ‘90s video game franchise that got its start in 1991, but it wasn’t until 1996 that it would find its FPS footing with Duke Nukem 3D. Although a laundry list of sequels arrived throughout the 15 years that followed, its 2011 entry, Duke Nukem Forever, was heavily criticized by critics and fans alike. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360-era title did so much to damage the blond, buzzcut hero’s reputation that there has not been a new Duke Nukem installment since.

Shankar is already cooking up ideas for what a present-day take on Duke Nukem could look like. It’s unclear if fans can expect to see an animated Duke Nukem show in the vein of Shankar’s other projects, a movie, or something completely different, but it’s clear Shankar is trying to put together a project of some sort behind the scenes.

“It's a middle finger to everybody,” Shankar said when describing his vision for Duke Nukem. “When Duke Nukem blew up, a bunch of people sat around trying to turn it into a brand, when it's just a middle finger. Duke Nukem can't be made by a corporation, because the moment a corporation makes Duke Nukem, it's no longer Duke Nukem. I don't intend on having anyone tell me what to do on this one.”

We’ll have to wait to see what Shankar has in store for the ‘90s icon. For now, no casting, plot, or release date details for the Duke Nukem show have been revealed. It's unclear how the recent rights aquisition will impact the Legendary Entertainment Duke Nukem movie reported on in 2022.

For a better look at what to expect, you can read up on his other Netflix projects. We gave Season 1 of Devil May Cry an 8/10 in our review, with Castlevania Season 1 earning an 8.1/10 from us upon its release in 2017. Shankar is involved in other Netflix projects, too, including the Castlevania: Nocturne spinoff series, an Assassin’s Creed series, and even an animated PUBG show.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).