Starting today, Amazon is slashing the price of the coveted The Hobbit Deluxe Illustrated Edition to the lowest price I've seen this year. This hardcover book set normally retails for $195, but right now you can get it for $85.18, a savings of 56%. This beats the previous price low of $97.50 back in January.

56% Off The Hobbit Deluxe Illustrated Edition

Whether it was the anime, the video games, or the card game itself, Yu-Gi-Oh has been a pop culture staple for over 25 years.

Today, it remains one of the most popular and enduring trading card games on the planet, and whether you're chasing meta-defining staples or just looking to fill out your binder with something flashy, the high-value cards always demand attention.

2025 has taken a breather compared to last year’s chaos. Prices are down, panic-buying has cooled, and both duelists and collectors are feeling the benefits.

But make no mistake, there are still plenty of premium pulls hidden in Yu-Gi-Oh's 2025 releases. Between Supreme Darkness and Alliance Insight, we've seen the final wave of Quarter Century Secret Rares. And just this past week, Starlight Rares officially returned to the TCG, turning heads and inflating wishlists overnight.

So, since we're halfway through 2025, I've been busy taking stock of the most valuable cards you can still pull from Yu-Gi-Oh's 2025 boosters. It's time to d-d-d-duel!

10. Mulcharmy Purulia

The first three episodes of Ironheart are now streaming on Disney+. The remaining three episodes premiere Tuesday, July 1.

Across centuries and cultures, innumerable stories have followed the same basic structure: Answering the call of adventure, a character breaks out of their everyday existence, venturing into the unknown to face untold trials and great peril, triumphing over adversity and returning to where it all began a changed person. This so-called “hero's journey" has shaped much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and others have embarked on high-octane escapades where they must save the world while confronting a variety of identity crises. Ironheart, the MCU’s 14th live-action Disney + series, certainly begins with similar intentions. But the magical powers intruding on Riri “Ironheart” Williams’ (Dominique Thorne) six-episode scientific crusade fail to transform her in any meaningful way. By the finale, we're left with a disappointing hero who seemingly hasn’t learned any lessons.

Though Riri was previously introduced as the tech prodigy whose vibranium detector kicks off the plot of 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ironheart is her origin story. It starts well enough: A genius MIT student with dreams of being bigger than "Gates, Jobs, Pym, and Stark combined," she's continuing her efforts to create an advanced Iron Man-like armored suit – until she's sent packing for helping her peers cheat on their assignments and causing too much destruction in the school labs. With Thorne establishing her character’s confident, often arrogant, and quite selfish nature in quick order, Riri steals the prototype suit and flies home to Chicago, where the story proper begins.

That's a rich place to start any hero’s journey – and one that mimics Tony Stark's in Iron Man. It’s refreshing to see a female character act as reckless and self-determined as Tony, but there’s a key difference in how far that recklessness and self-determination can take them: the endless resources of a rich white man like Tony aren’t available to a poor black woman like Riri. Enter Parker Robbins, a.k.a. The Hood, played with cool charisma by Anthony Ramos. He offers Riri the first of Ironheart’s many Faustian bargains: She can get all the money she needs to complete her suit in exchange for joining his gang of criminal misfits.

As Parker’s pseudonym and band of merry accomplices imply, he's a Robin Hood figure – but unlike the British legend, The Hood's gang of hackers, knife throwers, pyromaniacs, and bare-knuckle fighters steal from the rich to give to themselves. Armed with a magical cape that gives him the ability to become invisible and bend bullets Matrix-style, Parker supplies one of Ironheart’s central tensions: An existential tug-of-war between magic and science that recalls WandaVision. This exploration of energy, human consciousness, and mysticism is aided by some fun new witches who teach Riri that she can’t defeat The Hood's dark powers with calculations and machines alone. So maybe she learns one lesson; sadly, she doesn't heed the witch's warning that magic comes with a cost.

By episode three, Riri is forced to reckon with the compromises she’s making in pursuit of genius when the jobs get increasingly violent and the cape's devilish influence emboldens Parker's darkest ambitions. Their heists, which include shutting down an underground transport system and breaking into a Fort Knox-like greenhouse facility, hark back to the gritty, quippy early ’00s capers of Gone in 60 Seconds and the first few Fast and Furious films. Unfortunately, the fight sequences where Riri suits up aren’t as flashy. They’re low-stakes, and don't have quite the ambition or scale of previous armored battles in the MCU.

Parker and his gang have each been marginalized by society in some way, but it’s hard to root for their revenge mission against that society – with what little backstory Ironheart gives them, we have no reason to sympathize with their selfishness. Are they really any better than the people they steal from? Series creator Chinaka Hodge's answer seems to be a cynical one that sees Riri not just turn to crime to solve her problems, but to trigger malevolence in others. Specifically, Joe McGillicuddy (Alden Ehrenreich), a self-effacing and fearful black-market inventor striving not to follow in the footsteps of his crooked dad. Initially, this has all the makings of an intriguing, subversive sins-of-the-father storyline with Ehrenreich perfectly selling Joe's earnest pursuits. Instead, it reverts to convention by having him turn to the dark side (Palpatine-esque lightning powers included) when Riri lands him in trouble and biological upgrades turn him into a weapon of mass destruction.

There are a lot of daddy issues flying around Ironheart, but Riri's are the only ones with a loving foundation. Through flashbacks, we see the drive-by shooting that killed her mechanic stepfather, Gary (LaRoyce Hawkins), as well as her best friend, Natalie (Lyric Ross). Like many MCU heroes, Riri finds poignant, grief-stricken motivation in her loved ones’ deaths. She wants to protect the people closest to her, but never in Ironheart do we really see her do so. She just uses the suit to commit crimes and fix problems of her own making.

To Ironheart's credit, it does offer a stirring relationship dynamic between Riri and Natalie. It just requires the resurrection of the latter in the form of Neuroautonomous Technical Assistant and Laboratory Intelligence Entity – N.A.T.A.L.I.E. for short. An artificial intelligence created by a glitch in Riri's brain-mapping-assisted suit programming, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. has all the same mannerisms, memories, and personality traits as her namesake. This causes initial friction as Riri contends with this personification of her dead best friend. It’s yet another Iron Man parallel: The transformation of Tony’s digital assistant J.A.R.V.I.S. into Vision is something everyone in the MCU accepts but few can explain; it’s only when Riri accepts the uncertainty of how N.A.T.A.L.I.E. came to be that they can emotionally connect (and Thorne and Ross can resume infusing that connection with humour and heart).

Alas, by the series' end, Riri is back to her selfish and reckless ways. In an anticlimactic final scene, she’s propositioned by "another magical asshole," and makes an infuriatingly bad decision, one that undoes her entire journey. It's a defeatist ending that makes a cynical argument: No matter what soul-wrenching odyssey they’ve been on, any hero, villain, or average Joe would make a deal with the devil to get what they truly desire.

Puzzling has become one of my favorite hobbies recently. There's just something way too relaxing about just letting your mind wander as you slowly try to put a cool picture together. I've also found it's way cheaper to buy puzzles than LEGO sets, so this is the direction my adult life has gone.

Because of my proclivity for puzzling, I'm always on the lookout for good deals on jigsaw puzzles. While I usually try to stick to the more trusted puzzle brands, sometimes there is just a really good deal on an awesome image I can't pass up. Amazon is having one such sale right now in the form of stacked coupons.

The puzzles in this sale are from Blueforest, which isn't a brand I'm familiar with. However, they seem to have some really cool options on sale right now. There is also a 10% off coupon you can clip on each individual puzzle as well as various tiers of additional discounts you can receive if you buy more than just one. Here are some of the coolest 1,000-piece options I could find where both of these coupons applied.

1,000 Piece Puzzles on Sale at Amazon

I did a little bit of digging into Blueforest storefront on Amazon and they seem like a reputable enough brand. Digging into the comments revealed that most customers were satisfied with the overall quality and design of the puzzles, which is mostly what you're looking for. So all-in-all, the puzzles that are in the sale seem safe enough to recommend.

The sale itself is where it starts to get a bit confusing. There are multiple coupons you'll need to select to take advantage of all of the savings. First there's a 10% off coupon on each of these products that you'll need to click to receive an additional 10% on just that item. After that you can get a 6% discount for buying three, a 7% discount for buying four, and an additional 10% discount for buying five Blueforest puzzles all at once.

To maximize your savings you'll need to make sure you've clipped both coupons before adding all of these products to your cart. You should only have to apply each coupon once for it to go into effect for all of them. This is overall a great deal you can take advantage of ahead of Prime Day.

General Tips for Buying 1,000-Piece Puzzles

Buying a 1,000-piece puzzle is a commitment. It's one that you can easily just put on a shelf and forget about, but actually starting and finishing it takes time. Unless you are a world champion puzzler, it's going to take you more than one day to put one together. If you're new to puzzling or are just looking for a few tips for buying a puzzle with 1,000 pieces or more, we've got you covered.

Make sure you have enough space

The first thing you should consider before buying a puzzle is whether or not you have a place to put it together. Given the amount of pieces, it can be hard to keep track of all of them at any given time. You'll need ample space to both sort through and organize pieces and be able to leave or store it and come back to it later. If you don't already have a table that is ideal for puzzling, there are quite a few puzzle boards and tables you can buy to remedy that. There are also jigsaw puzzle mats to roll up your puzzle and put it away without undoing all of your progress.

Make sure you actually like the image

Perhaps the more obvious tip for buying a large puzzle is to make sure you actually like the image you're putting together before you make a purchase. A lot of puzzles feature a ton of tiny intricate details to keep you interested as you put it together, but some feature large swaths of single colors that could get tedious to put together. If you're already investing a bunch of your time into finishing a 1,000-piece puzzle, pick something that you'll be happy to see finished.

Invest in some puzzle glue

While most people put together puzzles just for the enjoyment of it all, it can also be fun to display the finished product once you're done. This is especially true if the puzzle is depicting a work of art, rather than just a photograph. It is, after all, a cardboard poster that you've put together yourself. If you plan on displaying your puzzle after you finish, you'll want to get yourself some puzzle glue to ensure the finished product actually stays together when you frame it.

Techland is taking players back to Harran after 10 years with a surprise free content release for the original Dying Light that it’s calling the Retouched update.

Come June 26, 2025, the thousands of players who haven’t been able to let go of the 2015 zombie parkour hit will be treated to improvements that should improve the experience across the board. The Dying Light: Retouched update includes visual enhancements, a remastered soundtrack, and more for players across PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and S. IGN has asked Techland about a potential Nintendo Switch version of the Retouched update.

It’s an exciting time to be a fan of the original Dying Light, but Techland wants to make one thing clear: Retouched is not a remaster. Franchise director Tymon Smektała said this update is more about improving the original experience without altering its system requirements.

“When I looked online the day after [the update was announced], my heart skipped a beat. Quite a few of you were expecting a full remaster of some sort,” Smektała explained in a new blog post. “So, let's set the record straight: the Retouched Update is about squeezing out even more from the Dying Light you already love. It’s not a complete overhaul or remaster.”

Some of the visual enhancements players can expect include improved textures, lighting, and shadows. You might notice a wooden fence has a bit more detail or that certain metal surfaces will reflect light more realistically, for example. Techland is especially proud of how some floors and cement walls look in Dying Light: Retouched, sharing images of stone paths that feature more depth than before.

In the audio department, original Dying Light composer Paweł Blaszczak returned to remaster the soundtrack. The entire soundtrack has been re-recorded on tape for Retouched, with new tracks, ambient sounds, and even hit reaction audio also remastered for this week’s update.

“A lot of you have been asking in the last few months about the Retouched Update — where it was, why it was taking so long,” the post continued. “The honest answer is this: we were working with 10+ year old technology. Even with all the new experience we've gained over the years, figuring out how to apply those learnings to the original Dying Light engine while keeping everything stable was a challenge.”

The Dying Light: Retouched update is less Techland reanimating a long-forgotten corpse and more of an example of that team delivering a surprise for a game that has somehow managed to stand the test of time. Despite SteamDB listing a player peak of only 45,876, the original Dying Light has hovered around the 12,000-player mark for the last year. Those are impressive numbers for a zombie game that mostly leans on its single-player offerings, and it’s even more impressive considering Dying Light 2: Stay Human, which launched just three years ago, usually struggles to break 10,000 players.

The original Dying Light story will continue with the launch of Dying Light: The Beast, which recently pinned down a release date of August 22, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. It follows original protagonist Kyle Crane in a new story, and you check out our preview of how it looks so far here. Finally, you can read up on our original Dying Light review, where we gave the parkour zombie video game an 8.5/10.

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).

In BitCraft Online, a new Sandbox MMORPG developed by Clockwork Labs, the world is shaped by adventurers, with a player-driven economy on a unified server, and in-depth systems for professions, crafting, and building. Each player can claim their very own plot of land, expand it into a Settlement, and even create empires with the help of others. Maxroll put together an extensive BitCraft Online guide to help you get started.

Maxroll's BitCraft Beginner's Guide

Maxroll’s BitCraft Beginner's Guide is your gateway to understanding the game's essential systems and mechanics, from setting your first Home and earning Hex Coins, to working with fellow players to build thriving communities. The guide will teach you learn how to navigate early quests, choose and level up Professions, manage resources efficiently, and interact with core systems like Trading, Skills, Settlements, and Empires.

Maxroll's BitCraft Professions Guide

Professions are the backbone of progress in BitCraft Online, shaping your journey through gathering, crafting, and refining. Every activity—whether it’s mining ore, smithing armor, or brewing potions—is tied to a profession that defines your role in the game’s evolving world.

Maxroll’s Profession Guide offers a comprehensive overview of each profession, detailing the tools you need, the stations you'll use, and how your efforts contribute to unlocking recipes, gaining experience, and supporting other professions.

Check out these guides from Maxroll to dive deeper into the specifics of each profession:

• Smithing Guide
• Tailoring Guide
• Leatherworking Guide
• Farming Guide

Maxroll's BitCraft Currency and Travelers Guides

Hex Coins are the cornerstone of BitCraft’s player-driven economy. They're the main currency used for trading vital materials and progressing through the game’s various Professions. Especially in the early stages, managing your Hex Coin income efficiently can speed up your progression.

Maxroll’s How to Get Hex Coins Early in BitCraft Guide walks you through a reliable method to earn Hex Coins early by completing Traveler Tasks and crafting in-demand resources like Rough Planks and Rough Timber.

Plus, for a deeper dive into individual Traveler preferences and task rewards, check out Maxroll’s Travelers Guide.

Maxroll's BitCraft Compendium Guide

The Compendium in BitCraft Online is the ultimate tool for mastering the world around you: tracking resource nodes to highlight them on the map and organizing your knowledge of unlocked recipes. Helpfully, it also displays the materials required to craft the selected item and how it can be used.
Check out Maxroll's Compendium Guide for more information.

Written by IGN Staff with the help of the Maxroll BitCraft Team.

If you’ve had a Steam account long enough, your library is probably so stuffed to the gills with games you have barely touched or never even played that you’d do anything to find a way to start digging into that backlog. You might even ponder options some consider to be unnatural — like playing Steam games on your phone. Well, if the Steam Deck proved anything, it’s that plenty of people are happy to play Steam games on a compact, portable device, and your phone is just as up to the task. In fact, you’ve got a bunch of options for playing Steam games on your phone. We’ll dig into the simpler and more popular options, and give you a rundown of how to get playing.

Requirements

Steam Link: If you want to play games using Steam’s own service Steam Link, you’ll need a PC with Steam set up to serve as the host and a fast internet connection. Whatever games you want to play via Steam Link will need to be installed on the host PC, but you can install these before or after connecting to the host PC from your phone. You can use on-screen controls, but a controller will make the experience much better.

Nvidia GeForce Now: To use Nvidia’s GeForce Now streaming service, you don't need your own gaming PC, but you will still need a Steam account with supported Steam games since GeForce Now will tap into these. You’ll also need the GeForce Now app and an Nvidia account. On your phone, you’ll need at least a 15Mbps internet connection. Most modern Android phones are supported, but if you’re rocking an older device, you’ll need at least 1GB of available memory, Android 7.0 or later, and support for OpenGL ES2.0 or above. For iPhones, you’ll need iOS 15.4 or later. GeForce Now also has on-screen touch controls available, but a mobile controller is still recommended.

How to Play Steam Games on Your Phone with Steam Link

On your PC, open Steam and go to Settings > Remote Play and select Enable Remote Play. Stay at your computer and leave Steam open and running. With your phone on the same network, let the Steam Link app scan for your computer. If you have several computers, you may see multiple options, but it’s also possible you’ll only see one. Select your desired computer on your phone. A PIN will appear on your phone; type the PIN in on your computer.

After the above steps, the Steam Link app will perform a network test to confirm you have a reliable connection to the computer and dial in the stream quality. Once complete. You can select Start Playing from the app. This will launch Steam Big Picture mode and send the video feed to your phone. You can navigate normally with touch controls or a game controller, select games you want to play, and launch them. After the initial setup, you’ll be able to skip some of the steps to get playing and jump straight into selecting your PC to connect.

How to Play Steam Games on Your Phone with GeForce Now

GeForce Now is simple to set up and doesn’t require a PC. You’ll need to launch the GeForce Now app, and sign in to your Nvidia account. From there, you’ll have an opportunity to link your various game libraries with GeForce Now. To link your Steam account, tap the Menu icon and scroll down to find the Connections menu. Look for the Steam option and select Connect. This will open a separate browser window. Log into your Steam account. You’ll then be prompted to grant permission to “Sign into www.nvidia.com using your Steam account.” Accept this prompt. You may need to sync your Steam library, but the app will prompt you to do so if needed. From here, you can browse the games available in GeForce Now or view your library. Select any game you want to play, then press the green Play button. If you have a free membership, you may need to wait in a queue before you can play and have a limited session length, but a paid membership isn’t required to play.

More options available

This only scratches the surface of available options for accessing your Steam games from your phone. Steam Link may be the most direct, but there are other ways to gain remote access to your computer. GeForce Now is also not the only name in cloud gaming. Boosteroid and Shadow (see PCMag’s review) allow you to fire up a remote gaming rig, sign into your Steam account there, and then stream the games to your phone. Amazon’s Luna won’t let you access your Steam games, but it will let you access your GOG, Ubisoft, Epic Games, and EA libraries.

And with any luck, someone will figure out how to stably run SteamOS or Windows for ARM on recent smartphones to take advantage of the rapidly improving performance available at the high-end of the market.

Mark Knapp is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything electronics and gaming hardware. He has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry with bylines at PCMag, Reviewed, CNET, and more. Find Mark on Twitter @Techn0Mark or BlueSky at @Techn0Mark.

Sony has really delivered with the PlayStation family. It not only offers substantial gaming power, but it’s also home to some of the best exclusive games around. While it’s always a joy to tap into those games on a big screen TV or quality gaming monitor, there’s no denying the convenience of being able to play your favorite games when you’re on the go. Though there hasn’t been a true portable PlayStation in some years, your phone can actually serve as something of a stand-in, as long as you’ve got the console set up at home and a strong enough internet connection. Here’s what you’ll need and how to get started playing PlayStation games from your phone.

Requirements

Unfortunately, there’s no PlayStation cloud gaming option for your phone. You’ll need a PS4 or PS5 console set up, as it will run your games and stream them to your phone. You’ll need a PlayStation Network account on that console and at least a 5Mbps broadband internet connection for the console.

On your phone, you’ll need the PS Remote Play app (Android 9 or later / iPhone with iOS 14.5 or later). While touch controls are supported to some extent, it’s recommended you also have a Dualshock 4, DualSense, or DualSense Edge controller paired with the phone, though some phone controllers may work. (Here’s a quick guide on pairing the DualSense with various devices.) Your phone will also need a fast and stable internet connection.

You will also need compatible games installed on your PlayStation. VR games, games that require special accessories, or games that stream from PS Plus Premium will not work here.

How to Play PS5 Games on Your Phone

Before you can start playing, you’ll need to prepare your PlayStation console for game streaming. Power it on, and go to Settings > System > Remote Play and then Enable the feature for the desired users. If you’d like to be able to access your console even when it’s asleep, you’ll also want to go to Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode and select Stay Connected to the Internet and Enable Turning on PS5 from Network.

Next, ensure your PlayStation console and phone’s PS Remote Play app are signed into the same PSN account. Then, from the PS Remote Play app on your phone, select the PS5 option. The app will begin to automatically search for your console and establish a connection (if it fails to automatically connect, it may require a PIN, which you can find by going to Settings > System > Remote Play > Pair Device on your console). Once connected, you can continue on your phone. With a PlayStation controller connected, you can operate your PlayStation 5 normally, and your phone will simply serve as your display.

If you are trying to stream games from a PlayStation 4, the setup is quite similar. Enable Remote Play from Settings > Remote Play Connection Settings, then select your primary console in Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PS4. You’ll need to select the PS4 option in the PS Remote Play app and enter a PIN from your console to establish an initial link.

Mark Knapp is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything electronics and gaming hardware. He has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry with bylines at PCMag, Reviewed, CNET, and more. Find Mark on Twitter @Techn0Mark or BlueSky at @Techn0Mark.

There’s a whole world of games available for smartphones, and it can make sense to grab a powerful gaming phone to enjoy those in their best forms. But with fast internet connections making it possible to stream games as well, you don’t have to rely on the power of your smartphone and the still-limited pool of games made for it. Microsoft has made it simple to tap into many Xbox games on your phone, whether you have an iPhone or an Android phone. Here’s a rundown on what you’ll need and how to get set up.

Requirements

You’ll need to confirm Xbox Cloud Gaming is available in your region (it is in the U.S.). You will also need to have a Game Pass Ultimate subscription (sorry, the base Game Pass tier won’t do it). Notably, you don’t need to own an Xbox of any kind or any games to take advantage of this method, though it will also allow you to stream some owned games if you’re already an Xbox-haver.

While Xbox Cloud Gaming supports a wide array of devices, you will need slightly recent software. Android phones have to be on Android 12 or later and should use either Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome (version 85 or later) as a browser. iPhones need to be on iOS14.4 or later and will work with Safari 14.0 or later or Google Chrome (version 85 or later).

Since Xbox Cloud Gaming runs over the internet, you’ll also need a fast connection. Microsoft requires a Wi-Fi or mobile data connection running with at least 10Mbps of down-link speed, with 20Mbps recommended.

Some games will work with touchscreen controls on your phone, but Microsoft recommends a compatible controller as well — some of these phone controllers and PC controllers should do the job.

How to Play Xbox Games on Your Phone with Xbox Cloud Streaming

Funnily enough, this service doesn’t rely on an app. Instead, you just open your browser on your phone and go to https://www.xbox.com/en-US/play.

From there, you’ll need to sign into your Microsoft/Xbox account that is subscribed to Game Pass Ultimate. Optionally, connect your controller and then select the game you want to play.

That’s really all there is to it. The site will fire up the game you want to play on a remote server and stream its video feed to your phone and send your controls to the server.

How to Play Xbox Games on Your Phone with Xbox Remote Play

While Xbox Cloud Gaming relies on a Game Pass Ultimate subscription and remote servers to stream the games to your phone, you can also stream games to your phone from your own Xbox console.

This requires an Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One console with remote features enabled. To enable these, press your console controller’s Xbox button and go to Profile & system > Settings > Devices & connections > Remote features and enable them. Return to the Settings page, then go to General > Power options and select Sleep.

On your phone, open your browser and go to https://www.xbox.com/remoteplay. Sign into the same Microsoft/Xbox account that is signed in on your console. Connect your controller to your phone. Then choose your Xbox console from the options and select Remote play on this device. Your phone will then stream the feed from your console and let you operate normally.

Mark Knapp is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything electronics and gaming hardware. He has over 10 years of experience in the tech industry with bylines at PCMag, Reviewed, CNET, and more. Find Mark on Twitter @Techn0Mark or BlueSky at @Techn0Mark.

Anyone can make a B movie. Not everyone can make an enjoyable, let alone halfway decent B movie. Take The Jurassic Games: Extinction, for example. In this sequel to 2018's The Jurassic Games (but you definitely already knew that), director Ryan Bellgardt essentially rewrites Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race remake, swapping vehicular manslaughter for prehistoric carnage. Or think The Condemned, but instead of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin punching Vinnie Jones, he's zipping away from T. rexes on hover scooters. The script is bananas and skimps on exposition because that's not what you're watching The Jurassic Games for, but in terms of delivering what's promised by its title and trailer? Bellgardt earns points for pushing the concept of a dystopian reality show where death-row inmates participate in VR dino bloodsport as far as possible, taking it from Romanesque gladiatorial stages to Capture the Flag-versus-raptors and beyond.

Just don’t expect anything more than unintentional late-night-cable laughs. Nine times out of ten, title-first genre films like Clownado (Sharknado with clowns, but worse) or The VelociPastor (a cheapo “kick-ass pastor turns into velociraptor” dud) can’t deliver what’s on the label, but The Jurassic Games: Extinction is fearless by comparison. Bellgardt doesn’t cheat us out of dino time, and that earns his movie a valuable dose of goodwill.

Of course, Extinction’s dinosaurs aren't trying to outdo their counterparts in the upcoming Jurassic World Rebirth. (Surely it’s a coincidence that this movie and its predecessor were released within days of new Jurassic World movies.) Don't expect anything practical – there's no Stan Winston magic here – but it's passable enough for an indie science-fiction thriller that animates entire alternate realities filled with Carnotauruses, Stegosauruses, and many other creatures of the Mesozoic Era. There's a video game touch to much of The Jurassic Games: Extinction that can't match the graphics of current PlayStation or Xbox processors, and yet I've seen far worse effects flipping past Syfy after midnight. When he’s not directing, Bellgardt is a VFX artist, and what he and the team he supervised for Extinction may have lacked in resources, they more than make up for in the volume of dinosaurs onscreen.

The Jurassic Games: Extinction is a direct continuation of The Jurassic Games, so you may want to plan a double feature if Extinction tickles your fancy. The hero and the villain carry over from the first movie: Tucker (Adam Hampton) is a Jurassic Games survivor turned cyber-mercenary bent on destroying the games – which are now under the control of his rival, Jo LaFort (Katie Burgess) – from within. They’re thrust into a tangle of wishy-washy storylines involving a rogue AI, the beta testers it “kidnaps” and forces to compete in The Jurassic Games, and LaFort’s maniacal quest to deliver another memorable broadcast in spite of these mishaps and Tucker’s sabotage.

It’s about how the pursuit of fame or virality can short-circuit anyone’s ethics and morals, but The Jurassic Games: Extinction doesn’t have anything prophetic or profound to say on the subject. Staging live executions for TV ratings is bad, and AI can’t be trusted – yup, I knew that long before I pressed “play.” Surprise guests are pulled into the games, but touches like holding Tucker’s son hostage to keep his dad in line hardly translate into an emotional tour de force. Meanwhile, Bellgardt recycles stock material about artificial intelligence turning against its creators and a future society that hungers for murdertainment. Everything else is a messy grab bag: a shoehorned-in character has tamed a pack of velociraptors and rides them like he’s Mario and they’re Yoshi; deaths and "shocking" reveals land with a thud.

But all of this is secondary to the human-on-dino (and dino-on-dino) action, and that’s another area where Bellgardt doesn't let a small budget bring him down. Powerups are introduced that allow players to transform into dinosaurs, and these virtual Animorphs moments are visualized with the help of an Iron Man-esque heads-up display. The battlegrounds include coliseum arenas, Endor-like forests, and geometric realms that call to mind a laser-guided-raptor-infested version of Tron. Bellgardt gets creative and chaotic with his superpowered games and, most of all, lets there be plenty of combat. It’s trash, but at least it’s trash where a hotshot swordsman parries and slices through pixelated raptors while trying to navigate an ’80s retro-futurist maze.

The seasonal Audible deal has returned. Starting now and running through July 31 (including Amazon Prime Day), you can sign up for three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier plan and normally costs $14.95/mo. As a additional subscription perk, you get a free audiobook of your choice for each of those three months and you get to keep them indefinitely.

Both new and currently expired Audible customers are eligible

Anyone who doesn't currently have an active Audible membership should be eligible. That includes new subscribers as well as existing members whose subscriptions have since expired. There's always a small your-mileage-may-vary disclaimer with these types of promotions, but fortunately it's easy to check if you qualify: log into your account, and if you see the $0.99/mo banner right on Amazon's Audible page then you're eligible for this promotion.

3 Months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per Month

Nautilus’ two-episode premiere airs Sunday, June 29 on AMC at 10pm ET. New episodes air Sundays through August 17.

Some skepticism about AMC’s Nautilus is warranted. Has modern entertainment’s zeal for brand extensions and updating stories in the public domain reached the point where we’re making a TV series about how Captain Nemo came into possession of the fantastical submarine at the center of Jules Verne’s pioneering science-fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea? No need for such exasperation, however, because Nautilus knows exactly the type of show it needs to be: visually extravagant, a little dumb, and a whole lot of fun.

It starts with a combination of quite thrilling sequences in which Nemo – played by Star Trek: Discovery’s Shazad Latif as an Indian prince exacting revenge against the East India Company for imprisoning him – assembles his crew. The first comes as we witness the sinking of an EIC ship, during which Company men Director Crawley (Damien Garvey) and Captain Youngblood (Jacob Collins-Levy) come into focus as the antagonists, and Nemo takes as hostages high-society woman Humility Lucas (Georgia Flood), her no-nonsense maid Loti (Céline Menville), and powder boy Blaster (Kayden Price). There’s the sense that this kidnapping is not a terrible interruption for Humility – journeying, as she was, to an arranged marriage with the rather pompous Lord Pitt (Cameron Cuffe). And to the show’s (and Flood’s) credit, she comes across as rather delightful and curious about her new, submersible quarters. It’s maybe too good of a job: While Nautilus doesn’t quite drag it out, its middle episodes do indulge with some will-she/won’t-she about Humility staying on permanently that feel like fake suspense. More successful are the sparks between her character and Nemo: Flood and Latif have great chemistry as they push and pull against each other, perfect for the kind of swashbuckler Nautilus is at heart.

The rest of the team is introduced in the premiere’s flashback jailbreak. Its members largely stand out as distinct personalities – a wannabe revolutionary, a Maori cook, a large and mysterious man who speaks an unknown language – but they're kept as archetypes for much of the season. It’s justified in Nemo’s own single-minded focus on revenge, and they’re never shunted to the side, but I still wish wish characters like all-around fighter Suyin (Ling Cooper Tang) or first mate Boniface (Pacharo Mzembe) got their own spotlight episodes – or at least had more chances earlier to establish more of who they are and what’s driving them.

Nautilus’ best self emerges in the front half of the season, when it cruises in a more episodic mode. This being Twenty Thousand Leagues there’s the giant squid fight, but there are also detours to remote islands or sketchy palaces, mixed with the occasional mechanical danger. Hints of this also present itself in guest spots from actors like Richard E. Grant, Anna Torv, and Shabana Azeez (based on how little she appears, you can tell this was shot before she broke out on The Pitt). It’s the kind of fun you’d find in Syfy shows like Warehouse 13 or Sanctuary, maybe even Xena: Warrior Princess. The writing isn’t always the best – sometimes corny, sometimes laying the themes on a bit thick – but the actors do good by it, and it’s directed and edited with aplomb. Visually, Nautilus often looks extravagant; the interiors of the ship itself are something to behold, and the VFX hold together slightly better than those aforementioned Syfy shows, give or take a couple instances of noticeably flimsy CGI.

It’s less interesting to follow Company business through the introduction of army Captain Millais (Luke Arnold), who holds some mysterious connection to Nemo. Some of his arc is compelling and complicated enough to garner our sympathy, but it’s given more screentime than it needs. It’s also hard to really care at all about Lord Pitt, who’s both fittingly annoying and slightly boring.

It’s this focus that leads to some stumbles in later episodes. The adventures of the week take less precedence, and the desire to tie up loose ends leads to things feeling somewhat rushed. Fortunately, even these lesser passages are floated along by some very freaky sea life and dastardly plotting, and Nautilus manages to right the ship by the end. It even manages to take a dive (albeit a shallow one) into the complexities of revolt, imperialism, and exploitation.

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell has just dropped the price of its flagship Alienware Area-51 prebuilt gaming PC, equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card to $4,899.99 with free shipping. This is a competitive price - especially for an Alienware computer - compared to the similar off-the-shelf prebuilts on Amazon. The RTX 5090 is undisputedly the most powerful graphics card on the market and is pretty much impossible to find for under $3,000 by itself.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PC for $4,899.99

Frontier Developments is walking back the use of generative AI in Jurassic World Evolution 3 following backlash from fans.

Jurassic World Evolution 3 finally sprouted legs when its official reveal trailer was published as part of Summer Game Fest 2025 earlier this month. Its existence marked the end of a four-year wait for a third game in the dinosaur strategy simulation franchise, but much of the excitement was quickly soured when fans discovered that Frontier had used controversial generative AI technology to create certain scientist portraits in-game.

Shortly after this realization, fans gathered to campaign against the use of AI in Jurassic World Evolution 3 in hopes that Frontier would reverse its decision in favor of content created by actual human beings. It’s a movement that seems to have achieved the desired results, as the team behind the Jurassic Park video game now replied to a popular Steam post to confirm that generative AI portraits will be removed.

“Thanks for your feedback on this topic,” the post says. “We have opted to remove the use of generative AI for scientist portraits within Jurassic World Evolution 3.”

Those who visit the Jurassic World Evolution 3 Steam page will now find that Steam’s AI Generated Content Disclosure can no longer be found above the list of its system requirements. It’s a move that’s already being celebrated by the Jurassic World Evolution 3 community as they look forward to seeing art that wasn’t created by artificial intelligence.

“Thank you. As a dev myself, this was wholly unnecessary from the start and such an own goal that I'm happy to see the pivot, and to be able to wish the team the best for a successful launch,” one Steam user said. “Been such a fan of JWE1+2 (and PC/PZ), so this change takes me from a never-buy to a buy-at-launch!”

Frontier W

Jurassic World Evolution 3 will not use any generative AI!

I repeat: Jurassic World Evolution 3 will NOT USE ANY GENERATIVE AI!

💯 pic.twitter.com/x3O0y9VJpP

— Evolution Square (@EvoSquareYT) June 24, 2025

Well, it looks like it's the perfect frontier game now. They removed the Generative AI from #jurassicworld evolution 3. pic.twitter.com/K0YCkQpias

— Herald Of Geese (Stealer of geese) (@GeeseHerald) June 24, 2025

Frontier confirmed in a statement to GameWatcher that Jurassic World Evolution 3 still has a release date of October 21, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. In the meantime, you can read up on how other companies, such as Epic Games, Microsoft, and Capcom, are using AI in their video games.

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).

If you're looking for an OLED gaming monitor with a 4K native resolution and a 40" or greater screen size, your options are limited. Fortunately, this rare deal just popped up today and might be right up your alley. Amazon Best Buy is currently offering the 42" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TV for just $699.99 with free shipping. This is the best price I've seen for this particular size model. Although it's technically a TV, the 42" Evo C4 also doubles as an excellent gaming PC monitor.

Update: The price has gone back up on Amazon, but Best Buy is now offering the same deal.

42" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Gaming TV or PC Monitor for $699.99

Sony has given PlayStation VR2 (PSVR 2) owners some much-needed love by showing off four new VR games coming to fans within the next year.

The company detailed some of the PSVR 2 games players can look forward to in a PlayStation Blog post. The four titles are Dreams of Another, Grit and Valor – 1949, Hotel Infinity, and Meteora, with each offering a completely different virtual-reality experience from the last.

Dreams of Another

Topping the list of new PSVR 2 games is Q-Games’ latest entry in the PixelJunk series, Dreams of Another. This is one VR game that players already knew about, but its appearance today still comes with a new look at its mesmerizing gameplay and how virtual reality will allow players to thoroughly explore dreamlike worlds in both first- and third-person. It’s currently set to come to PC, PlayStation 5, and PSVR 2 later this year.

Grit and Valor – 1949

If you’re looking for something less serene and more action-y, then Milky Tea Studios’ Grit and Valor – 1949 might be for you. This is a real-time tactics rogue-lite from earlier this year that will soon allow PSVR 2 players to control alternate history battlefields in World War II. That means navigating through menus with the tips of your fingers and even picking up and placing units as if they’re real-life models when it launches August 21, 2025.

Hotel Infinity

Manifold Garden developer Studio Chyr is bringing its puzzle expertise to PSVR 2 with Hotel Infinity, a mind-bending experience that looks to twist player perspectives in more ways than one. Its gameplay trailer shows the slightly creepy hotel — and puzzles — VR fans can get lost in when it arrives later this year.

Meteora

Rounding out the list of Sony’s new PSVR 2 games is Meteora, a space racing game where players step into the rocky shoes of a flaming meteor in what is described as a “combat racing” game. This one is about rising to the top of leaderboards in what looks like a colorful and explosive experience, and it’s coming to PSVR 2 in 2026.

Sony unleashed the PSVR 2 as its VR peripheral sequel device in February 2023. Despite introducing a slew of new features and upgraded tech, reports signaled PSVR 2 suffered from an underwhelming launch. It was mostly doom and gloom for the headset until Sony eventually revealed that the PSVR 2 had actually managed to outperform the launch of the original PSVR, coming in at just below 600,000 units sold six weeks post-launch.

However, one year later, in March 2024, Bloomberg reported that Sony would be pausing PSVR 2 production in order to ensure its backlog of unsold units would be sold. Just last week, it was announced that action-rhythm mega-hit Beat Saber would be ending support for VR devices on PS4 and PS5 starting immediately. Although four games are now on the way, many have wondered if Sony still actually cares about PSVR 2 for quite some time.

Today’s announcements at least show that Sony has a bit more gas in the tank when it comes to PSVR 2. For more, you can check out our original PSVR 2 review, where we gave the device a 9/10.

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).

Games would be nothing without the incredible art that goes into the worlds, characters and icons you see on your screens, and every year the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), iam8bit, and fortyseven communications celebrate that fact with the Game Maker’s Sketchbook. It's a selection of some of the best work of the past year from the games you love.

“The artistic skill and creativity on display in this year’s Game Maker’s Sketchbook entries were truly inspiring,” said Meggan Scavio, President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

“We’re deeply grateful to our jurors for their time and thoughtful evaluation of such an outstanding body of work. Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists! We’re honored to present their artwork both online and in person at this year’s Summer Game Fest Play Days.”

The images are selected by a jury panel made up of people from the worlds of game, animation, movies and fine art.

You can see a full list of the entries below, and you can purchase prints of your favorites until July 7 from the iam8bit store. All the proceeds from your purchases will go to the AIAS Foundation.

Character Art Category

• Concept Art
  • Game - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
  • Artist(s) - Per Gullarp (Principal Concept Artist)
  • Developer - MachineGames
  • Publisher - Bethesda Softworks
• Hero Design
  • Game - Marvel Rivals
  • Artist(s) - Dino, Yuzhen Zhang, Peilin Zhong
  • Developer - NetEase Games
  • Publisher - NetEase Games
• Michelle - Character Sheet
  • Game - Sorry We're Closed
  • Artist(s) - C. Bedford
  • Developer - à la mode games
  • Publisher - Akupara Games

Curiosities

• The Craftsman’s Heart puppet theatre set
  • Game - The Midnight Walk
  • Artist(s) - Klaus Lyngeled, Olov Redmalm, Victor Becker
  • Developer - MoonHood
  • Publisher - Fast Travel Games
• Merch
  • Game - Bang Bang Barrage
  • Artist(s) - zhudaoyu
  • Developer - Monkey Bread
  • Publisher - Spiral Up Games
• Personality Test Shareables
  • Game - Black Mirror: Thronglets
  • Artist(s) - Beverly Chen, Ena Kim, Hannah Nicklin
  • Developer - Night School Studio
  • Publisher - Netflix

Environment Art

• The Great Gold Dome
  • Game - Riven
  • Artist(s) - Jeremiah Castro, Lance VerMeer
  • Developer - Cyan Worlds, Inc.
  • Publisher - Cyan Worlds, Inc.
• Sailing
  • Game - IKUMA The Frozen Compass
  • Artist(s) - Matthias Oberprieler
  • Developer - Mooneye Studios
  • Publisher - Mooneye Studios
• Scene Concept Design
  • Game - Marvel Rivals
  • Artist(s) - Dino, Kaidi Lv, Xufeng Xie, Pengxian Wang
  • Developer - NetEase Games
  • Publisher - NetEase Games

Iconography

• Ability Icons
  • Game - Eighth Era
  • Artist(s) - Evgeny Kobylkin
  • Developer - Perfect Day Games
  • Publisher - Nice Gang
• Codex Icons
  • Game - Two Falls (Nishu Takuatshina)
  • Artist(s) - Tara Miller, Laurent Gaumer
  • Developer - Unreliable Narrators
  • Publisher - Unreliable Narrators
• Gui Design
  • Game - Marvel Rivals
  • Artist(s) - Dino, Tian Zhang, Ciyin Weng, Jingji Xie
  • Developer - NetEase Games
  • Publisher - NetEase Games

Impact

• Maxine - PvP Arena Mode
  • Game - Eighth Era
  • Artist(s) - Emanuele Pavarotti
  • Developer - Perfect Day Games
  • Publisher - Nice Gang
• Key Art
  • Game - One Move Away
  • Artist(s) - Remi Gourrierec, Michel Donzé, Alex Flynn
  • Developer - Ramage Games
  • Publisher - Playstack
• “Dinner” Key Art
  • Game - Goodbye Universe
  • Artist(s) - Daniel Beaulieu
  • Developer - Nice Dream
  • Publisher - Skybound Games

Storyboard

• Reveal trailer storyboard
  • Game - The Midnight Walk
  • Artist(s) - Olov Redmalm
  • Developer - MoonHood
  • Publisher - Fast Travel Games
• Chapter 2 visual script storyboard
  • Game - The Midnight Walk
  • Artist(s) - Olov Redmalm
  • Developer - MoonHood
  • Publisher - Fast Travel Games
• THE HEX - Beatboards
  • Game - Warframe: 1999
  • Artist(s) - Production Company: THE LINE, Director: Venla Linna, Producer: Tom Kay, Beatboards: Julien Perron
  • Developer - Digital Extremes
  • Publisher - Digital Extremes

Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.

A film adaptation of the classic British comic Rogue Trooper is on the way — and the first look images for the film have officially arrived, featuring What We Do in the Shadows stars Jemaine Clement and Matt Berry.

Rogue Trooper is written, directed, and produced by Duncan Jones, whose last movie, Mute, came out in 2018. Jones also directed the 2016 Warcraft movie, 2011's Source Code, and 2009's Moon.

The batch of images gives fans a nice glimpse into the world of the animated film, which used facial capture tech to bring some characters to life. Dunkirk star Aneurin Barnard debuts as the Rogue Trooper, while Clement and Berry can be seen as Mr. Brass and Mr. Bland, two battleground looters who will undoubtedly be a big dose of comic relief.

Fans also get to see a large war vehicle traveling across Nu Earth, the planet where the brutal war between the Norts and Southers, two different societies, takes place. The final first look image shows two Souther soldiers lost on the battlefield.

“We are so excited to share a first look of the film and show the amazing fidelity with which the team have used our actors on set performances to drive the animated characters,” producer Stuart Fenegan said in a statement. “That level of detail and nuance was a priority from day one.”

Director Duncan Jones’ comments were simple: “AHHHHHHHHHHHH! WE’RE ALMOST FINISHED! SEE YOU AT SDCC!!” The director will appear at the festival on July 25.

Rogue Trooper “tells the story of 19, a ‘Genetic Infantryman,’ who finds himself the sole-survivor of an invasion force. Desperate to track down the traitor who sold him and his comrades out, the super soldier is accompanied by three killed-in-action squad mates, whose personalities have been stored in his gun, helmet and backpack.”

Alongside Barnard, Clement, and Berry, the movie boasts an awesome ensemble cast that includes Hayley Atwell, Jack Lowden, Daryl McCormack, Reece Shearsmith, Diane Morgan, Alice Lowe, Asa Butterfield, and Sean Bean.

Despite getting closer to release with these first look images, the film has yet to set a release date.

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

Here's a rare chance to pick up an OLED TV at an absolutely bargain price. Starting today, Buydig has discounted the 55" Panasonic Z85 4K OLED Smart TV with Amazon Fire TV to just $699.99 with free delivery after you apply coupon code "HEAT". The price is reflected at the final step of checkout (before you actually place your order). This is the least expensive 55" OLED TV I've seen this year. Buydig is a reputable, established online retailer; I've personally placed several high-dollar orders from this vendor - both from their storefront and through their eBay seller page - without any problems.

55" Panasonic Z85 4K OLED Fire TV for $699.99

Pedro Pascal has admitted he’s well aware of some of the complaints around his casting as Reed Richards in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but said Iron Man and Doctor Doom actor Robert Downey Jr. has provided reassurance.

The 50-year-old Pedro Pascal is set to make his MCU debut in July as one of the stars of The Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios and parent company Disney will be hoping it succeeds at a level this year's other MCU movies (Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*) have not, and so there is heightened scrutiny on what is expected to be one of the biggest movies of 2025.

In a Vanity Fair profile, Pascal revealed he is more aware of what he called “disgruntlement” around his casting as Mister Fantastic than any other role he has taken on. So, that’s more disgruntlement that he saw with his casting as Joel in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation, Oberyn Martell in HBO’s Game of Thrones, and the title role in Star Wars show The Mandalorian.

“I’m getting an inkling of excitement because it seems to reflect what our common goal was, and what we want to share, which is all of our f***ing hearts on a platter within this genre,” he said. “You just never know if people are going to be disgusted by your heart or not.”

“I’m more aware of disgruntlement around my casting than anything I’ve ever done,” Pascal added. “‘He’s too old. He’s not right. He needs to shave.’”

Ever since Pascal was revealed as the actor behind Reed Richards, there has been a debate on whether he has the right look for the character. While some have complained about, yes, his version of Reed Richards wearing a moustache, others have said we’ve only seen a glimpse of Pascal as Mister Fantastic in action, and point out that there is of course much more to a performance than appearances.

Still, Pascal revealed he has an ally in Robert Downey Jr. The former Iron Man actor, now Doctor Doom actor, is set to star alongside Pascal in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, although Pascal, predictably, wouldn’t say much of anything about the secretive film.

“He’s just so immediately generous and inviting that you feel like you can be afraid, you can be hungry, you can be ambivalent,” Pascal said of RDJ.

Marvel Studios already sounds confident in this version of The Fantastic Four, at least. Last week, Marvel was said to be already planning a sequel, despite the upcoming blockbuster still being more than a month from launch.

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.

Bambu Lab is widely considered one of the better consumer 3D printer brands on the market. It offers a few different models that cater to a wide audience, from the fledgling first-timer testing out a new hobby to the seasoned professonal looking to produce en masse. Normally, you would have to order these printers from Bambu Lab directly, which is based in the UK and ships overseas to the United States. However, Best Buy just started carrying Bambu products this year. Even better, there's currently an Anniversary Sale going on right now at Bambu Lab, and the discounted pricing is showing up at Best Buy as well. Now is the time to pick up one of the best 3D printers at a reduced price, and with domestic shipping.

Bambu Lab 3D Printers on Sale at Best Buy

The Best Deal: Bambu P1S Combo for $699.99

Max (soon to be HBO Max again sometime this summer) is home to some incredibly high-quality films and shows, including House of the Dragon, Succession, The Penguin, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, which just wrapped up season 2. You can read our spoiler-free The Last of Us season 2 review to see our thoughts.

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

How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased on any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

To learn more about how to get started with this bundle as a new or existing subscriber, head to our guide on how to get (or switch over to) the Disney+/Hulu/Max streaming bundle.

Students Get 50% off Max Basic With Ads

The Final Fantasy Universes Beyond crossover is already proving to be a massive hit. After breaking preorder records, the set is now flying off shelves and selling out everywhere, with collectors and Commander fans alike scrambling to pick up iconic characters in card form.

Whether you're opening boosters, sorting through prerelease pulls, or keeping tabs on the market for trade value, it's clear this set is drawing serious attention.

If you're curious which cards are in highest demand right now, either to cash in or just to see what the hype is all about, we've broken down the top 12 best-selling Final Fantasy cards based on data from trusted marketplace TCGPlayer.

We’ve simplified the list for clarity, grouping some variants, like Borderless and Surge Foils, with their base versions, while also noting the specific card number that’s proving most popular (i.e, Aerith Gainsborough - 519). Not every slot is a Mythic Rare either. This list includes a bit of variety to reflect what’s actually trending, while still focusing on the standout cards from the set. Let’s dive in.

12. Aerith Gainsborough - 519

Aerith Gainsborough is a deceptively powerful engine for life gain and +1/+1 counter strategies. With lifelink built in, she can start growing immediately,every time you gain life, Aerith picks up a +1/+1 counter.

And when she dies, she passes that strength on, putting X +1/+1 counters on each legendary creature you control, where X is the number of counters she had. In the right deck, that can be a game-ending swing.

The card’s popularity is reflected in its pricing. The standard print is just $1.83, while the foil version goes for $16.81. For collectors or premium deckbuilders, the borderless version is around $39, but the rare borderless surge foil sits at a much steeper $140+.

11. Starting Town - 289

Starting Town is an early-game powerhouse, especially in multicolor decks. If you can play it on turn one, two, or three, it enters untapped, giving you immediate access to mana without slowing your tempo. Beyond that, it taps for colorless, or you can pay 1 life to generate one mana of any color, making it a flexible piece in almost any deck.

That versatility comes at a price. The regular version is currently going for around $14, while the foil will set you back just under $17. Still, for decks that care about fast, reliable mana across multiple colors, it's proving to be well worth the cost.

10. Summon: Knights of Round - 359

Summon: Knights of the Round is one of the hottest cards from the Final Fantasy crossover right now, and it’s not hard to see why. For just five mana, you create three 2/2 white Knight creature tokens, instantly building a board.

But it gets even better with its [V] ability, Ultimate End, which gives all your other creatures +2/+2 until end of turn and puts an indestructible counter on each of them. Combined with the card’s own indestructible keyword, it turns even a modest board into a nearly unstoppable force.

The borderless version is currently going for $35.99, which marks a 25% drop in market price this month. The standard print is more budget-friendly at $21.88. Either way, it’s a powerful pickup for Knight, token, or white-based Commander decks, and one that’s likely to remain popular.

9. Traveling Chocobo - 210

The chase card of all chase cards, there are just 77 gold foil Traveling Chocobos out there, available. There are other versions, including Neon Ink versions going for well over $1000, but if you manage to find the gold foil, it is the one you’ll want to find when you’re cracking open Collector Boosters.

Considering how much the ink versions are already going for, I can't imagine how much the Gold Foil variant would actually be valued at, maybe you just win at money and never have to pay for Magic cards again, now that would be nice. But, that being said, one did recently sell for around $30K on eBay.

8. Summon: Bahamut - 1

I love a big ol’ dragon in my Magic collection, and Bahamut certainly fits that bill.

Not only does this Summon create a 9/9, but it can remove permanents, trigger card draw, and use Mega Flare to essentially finish a game of Commander.

All yours for around $93 in the borderless variant, or around $30 for the standard print right now at TCGPlayer.

7. Lightning, Army of One - 545

How many card variants do you NEED? Apparently, Final Fantasy 13’s protagonist, Lightning, needs at least five. To be fair, that makes sense considering how many spin off games she got.

Army of One is all about the Stagger mechanic, teeing your foes up for double damage while also offering lifelink, first strike, and trample in a three-cost card.

Market price is already up to around $256.50 for the most popular Borderless Surge Foil version, while my personal favorite is seemingly the cheapest (but still just as popular), normal print for $20.58.

6. Yuna, Hope of Spira - 549

Yuna's an interesting one, as it's just her 549 Borderless Surge Foil that have drawn the most interest from eager buyers in the secondary market.

Yet, her standard variant is also going through much more of geniune surge in value over the past couple of weeks, rising +143.65% in value, jumping from a low of $5.68 to around $20.15 most recently. It's a big jump in such a short space of time.

5. Tifa Lockhart - 536

Tifa Lockhart continues to be a main stay of the best selling Final Fantasy cards, and even featured as one of the most popular during the presale period just before the Universes Beyond set launched.

Tifa has a Landfall trigger that doubles her power alongside her existing Trample keyword. As TCGPlayer points out, you can grow her attack power with something like Titanic Growth and then use Fabled Passage to double it again.

She’ll set you back between $9.10 for the standard version, and all the way up to $187.60 for the Borderless Surge Foil variant. Otherwise, and quite surprisingly, the non-foil Borderless version is pretty good value for money at around $25.

4. Buster Sword - 255

What’s Cloud without the Buster Sword? Thankfully, this iconic weapon gets the treatment it deserves in Magic’s Final Fantasy set, with a stunning borderless version illustrated by Karuta Shiki. It’s more than just a collector’s piece too, it’s a powerful piece of equipment in its own right.

Buster Sword gives the equipped creature +3/+2, making it a serious threat in combat. But the real payoff comes when that creature connects with a player. Not only do you draw a card, but you can immediately cast a spell from your hand with mana value equal to or less than the damage dealt, without paying its cost.

Of course, a card this flashy doesn’t come cheap. While current listings on TCGPlayer hover around $66 for the standard issue, it has already sold for as much as $208.30 this month for its fantastic borderless version.

If you're a fan of Cloud or just love flashy, high-impact equipment, this is one to watch, and anything under triple digits is looking like a bargain right now.

3. Vivi Ornitier - 248

Final Fantasy 9 spellcaster Vivi Ornitier, by Toshiyuki Itahana (character designer on the game), might just be one of the best cards in the game right now. So, it's hardly surprising that it's standard card is up there as the third most popular in the set currently. Market price isn't too bad either (at least compared to the rest of this list), if you're looking to buy one standalone.

The Borderless version is also the absolute definition of a collector’s item if I've ever seen one, and proving to have plenty of interest as well. Both of these can also be considered a top 10 card for collectors, also demanding a rather mighty price at around $72.13 for the former, and $232.71 for the later in the market right now.

2. Cloud, Midgar Mercenary - 520

Cloud, Midgar Mercenary is, unsurprisingly, by far one of the most popular cards from the Final Fantasy x MTG Universes Beyond set. Low mana cost and double equipment triggers make Cloud very close to Stoneforge Mystic, but with some striking new anime art from Kazto Furuya.

Not only is the Borderless Surge Foil variant one of the priciest cards from the new set (sitting at around $466 market), the Borderless, Extended Art, and Normal print all also fetch a pretty penny right now.

In terms of popularity, the Borderless Surge Foil is shoulders above the rest, but the Normal print is also exceedingly popular right now according to TCGPlayer, and still one of the top 20 cards players have been chasing since the new set released. Finding any of these, or deciding to buy them out right standalone, are good reasons to get excited.

1. Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier - 527

Sephiroth, Fabled Soldier - 0527 (Borderless) (Surge Foil) is the most popular card in the game right now, and has surged to a market price of $701.55 this week, up +74.09% just this month.

But it's not the only version that's proving popular either, with the 382 and 317 Borderless, alongside the 115 Normal print also proving to increasingly sought after right now, which is unsurprisingly reflected in the market prices right now as well.

Where to Buy Magic: The Gathering - Final Fantasy Cards

I'm going to give it to you straight right from the off. It's painfully hard to get hold of any of these sets from major retailers right now. While we saw some big restocks over the past month, pretty much everywhere is sold out of Final Fantasy MTG at the time of writing.

I can provide some handy links to bookmark so you can check back in, but for now, your best chance of securing anything will be via the most trusted third-party resellers like TCGPlayer.

Or perhaps, collectors will instead be most interested in the new Final Fantasy x Secret Lair drops, instead. It’s been a busy year for Wizards of the Coast’s limited-time mini-sets, and while the company sold out of all three Final Fantasy drops in record time (leaving many disappointed), you can still get them via third-party sellers... if you're willing to pay the inflated costs, that is.

There are a trio of Final Fantasy Secret Lair sets, Weapons, Grimoire, and Game Over, each offering unique art and names for Magic: The Gathering cards. Everything is available in standard and foil, alongside the Japanese variants as well.

But, since they've sold out, you won’t find Secret Lair drops at the same price as you’d find them directly from Wizards of the Coast (standard $30 nonfoil, $40 rainbow foil), with most being listed anywhere between $80-$150 or above.

This is a huge markup, so if you're looking to buy, be sure you're 100% informed of what you're paying for. You can buy them from eBay, but we’ve always found TCGPlayer, while still eBay-owned, to be the most secure and trustworthy way to nab Secret Lair drops post-release.

Lloyd Coombes is Gaming Editor @ Daily Star. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay. He's also a tech, gaming, and fitness freelancer seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar, Tom’s Guide, IGN, and more.

This article also includes contributions from Lloyd Coombes. Thanks to TCGPlayer for the data and information that informed this article.

We're still a few weeks away from Amazon's big four-day-long Prime Day sale event this year, but that doesn't mean there aren't still some great deals to check out at the retailer. For physical media collectors in particular, Marvel fans - we've found an excellent discount on Moon Knight's 4K steelbook that's worth picking up.

Moon Knight 4K Steelbook for $36

Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts could have featured Scott Pilgrim and Superbad star Michael Cera — until the actor turned down the opportunity to avoid getting "too famous."

As revealed by Cera himself in a new episode of Louis Theroux's podcast (thanks, Variety), Fantastic Beasts' casting directors were keen for him to play a major part in the franchise that would have given the star years of work.

Ultimately, however, Cera said the time commitment and the high-profile nature of the franchise gave him "fear" — though he didn't rule out joining another blockbuster series, such as Marvel, at some point in the future.

"I don't even know if I was offered, I think I just declined to engage with it because I think it would be like probably six years commitment or something," Cera said. "But also, I did sort of make a conscientious choice to limit my exposure a little bit, or just try and be a little more in control of it. And I felt like doing, especially little kids' movies, I had a big fear of doing things that I would get too famous."

It's interesting to consider who Cera might have played, had he been a part of the Fantastic Beasts series — and presumably a major part, if he was asked to potentially sign up for six years.

Could he have been in contention for its lead role of Newt Scamander, which ultimately went to Eddie Redmayne? The two actors share some similarities, with both actors known for playing introverted or awkward characters, though its hard to imagine an American landing the particularly British main role.

Potentially, Cera could have been considered for Scamander's down-to-earth American pal Jacob Kowalski, a more light-hearted role that would have fitted Cera's background in comedy. Alas, Cera did not go into further detail.

"I think I've outgrown that particular feeling, but I think that's what that was at that time," Cera continued, suggesting he would now consider a role in a big movie franchise. "If a franchise came along now and seemed interesting, I don't think on the grounds of it being a franchise I would storm out of the office or anything."

After a trilogy of movies, Fantastic Beasts now looks to have been paused for the forseeable future, while Warner Bros. turns its attention to remaking the original Harry Potter books as a big-budget HBO TV show. Numerous actors have now been cast, including John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore and Nick Frost as Hagrid, alongside the series' core trio of kids. No word yet on Cera joining that cast, either.

Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anora and Predator: Killer of Killers to excellent television series like Shogun, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Bear (which returns with season four on June 25), there is always something awesome to watch. We've also got the highly-anticipated Alien: Earth series on our radar this year, which premieres its first two episodes on August 12 on Hulu at 8pm ET, and on FX and Disney+ at 8pm PT / ET.

Below, we've detailed all of the best Hulu deals and bundles so you can get started on your streaming adventures with its library right away. This includes the Hulu, Disney+, and Max streaming bundle, which starts at just $16.99/month and is currently the best value available for the streaming services following the Disney Plus and Hulu price hikes. To see even more streaming deals, make sure to check out our roundups of the best Disney Plus deals and the best Max deals.

How to Get The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle

The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased on any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month - 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

Hulu deal for students — Get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99/month

If you're a student enrolled in a university (a US Title IV accredited college or university, per Hulu's website), you can sign up for Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99 a month. That's an excellent deal if you're a student, saving you $8 on the usual monthly price.

Hulu subscription tiers

Hulu: Bundle to Best

If you want a more affordable option when it comes to a Hulu subscription, you can't go wrong with a bundle, and Hulu has several to choose from:

• Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) — Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) is $82.99/month and includes Disney+ and ESPN+. It also gives you access to more than 75 channels with live TV and unlimited DVR functionality. The Hulu + Live TV plan also has a three-day free trial to test out the service.
• Hulu + Live TV (Ad-Free) — The ad-free version of Hulu+Live TV is $95.99/month and comes with ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney Plus, although ESPN still shows ads.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic — This is the most economic bundle. It will set you back $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. It lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both Disney+ and Hulu.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic — This bundle adds ESPN+ into the mix alongside Disney+ and Hulu, bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium — This bundle is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (with ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.

What can you watch on Hulu?

There is a bonkers amount of shows and movies you can watch on Hulu. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer with the base subscription, because if we also talk about what is available via Disney+, ESPN+, or live TV, we'll be here forever. (You can also sync up Hulu with Max to gain access to things like The Last of Us and House of the Dragon.)

Here's what you get:

• Network and Hulu Original television shows (AMC, Adult Swim, ABC, A&E, FX, etc.)
• Movies (HBO, Hulu Originals, anime films, etc.)
• Sports (NHL, Soccer, MLB, Auto Racing, NFL, College Football, PGA, Tennis, etc.)
• News (ABC News Live, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, The View, etc.)

Hulu television

Hulu has some amazing shows, both those that are finished and many which are ongoing. For comedy, there are plenty of options to choose from, including New Girl, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, What We Do In The Shadows, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Broad City, Abbott Elementary, and so much more.

There are also some big Hulu originals to watch, including The Bear, The Old Man, The Handmaid's Tale, and Only Murders In The Building. With an FX partnership, Hulu is also home to those shows, including Shogun and the upcoming Alien: Earth series.

As far as animated fare, there are modern adult classics like Rick and Morty and Bob's Burgers, as well as Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Anime staples like Cowboy Bebop are also available. And if you want to bring more youth-friendly fun, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Curious George are just a small sample of what Hulu has available.

The future of Hulu

Hulu isn't going anywhere. Beyond it being awarded the best streaming service by us, it also received a 9/10 in our updated Hulu review. Writer Rosie Knight said, "Hulu's ease of use, solid UI, and ever- expanding catalog has moved it ahead of top competitor Netflix to secure our highest score for a streaming service."

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

Original story from Brian Barnett.

IGN can exclusively reveal that the Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will be heading to San Diego Comic-Con for two days of anime and anime-inspired music, including SPYAIR, yama, Denzel Curry, and Iniko. And the best part? It's free for everyone, even if you don't have a badge for SDCC!

The Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will take place July 25 - 26 at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, which is right behind the San Diego Convention Center. The doors will open at 1pm PT each day and will welcome guests until capacity is full.

As for the lineup, here is everything fans can expect, directly from Crunchyroll;

• On Friday, July 25, the Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will blend the best of Japan’s music scene with global, anime-inspired sounds.
  • SPYAIR — Japanese rock band behind Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle theme.
  • yama — J-Pop singer behind SPY×FAMILY ending theme.
  • ASH DA HERO—Punk rock band behind “Judgement” for BLUE LOCK.
  • Slushii—Anime-inspired DJ, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
  • Magnolia Park—Alternative rock band
  • Hyper Potions—Electronic artist known for anime-esque soundscapes.
  • VGR—EDM producer known for video game and anime music remixes.
  • James Landino—Composer and DJ behind Tower of God original soundtrack.
• On Saturday, July 26, anime’s impact on hip-hop, R&B and more is on full display for fans to explore the intersection between anime-fandom and music.
  • Denzel Curry—Miami rapper blending underground hip-hop with anime.
  • INIKO—Shounen anime-inspired genre-defying songwriter and producer.
  • Pink Pablo—Puerto Rican singer and producer.
  • ALI—Boundary-pushing group behind “Lost in Paradise” for JUJUTSUKAISEN.
  • Yaeji [DJ Set]—NYC-via-Seoul artist, producer, vocalist, DJ and lifelong anime fan.
  • Taku Takahashi x Alenoise—DJ and producer of the Black Clover theme.
  • NOODLES—Los Angeles-based DJ.

In addition to seeing these artists perform live, guests can look forward to exclusive art and anime merch pop-ups, giveaways, and explore the Activations Crosswalk, which features immersive experiences for Gachiakuta, Kaiju No. 8, Rising of the Shield Hero, and more.

“Anime fans’ love goes beyond just the content because it’s a lifestyle, and music is an integral part of that anime fandom,” said Crunchyroll’s Chief Operating Officer Gita Rebbapragada. “Music drives anime narratives, sets the tone with hit themes that bookend episodes of fan-favorite series, and is often born from a creator’s unyielding love for the medium. This year, we are going to San Diego Comic-Con with a tremendous festival experience to celebrate music across the anime spectrum.”

For more in the world of anime, check out our list of the top 25 best anime series of all time and what the best anime to watch right now is.

And be sure to stay tuned for more of IGN's SDCC coverage, where we will be covering all the biggest moments from the show and more!

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.

Dying Light: The Beast lead producer Szymon Strauss shares five tips for helping you survive the zombie apocalypse in Dying Light: The Beast, the upcoming new standalone entry in the first-person, melee-plus-parkour action-adventure series.

This is the final exclusive piece of our month-long IGN First coverage on Dying Light: The Beast. If you missed any of our other content, get caught up on our hands-on preview, our 30-minute extended gameplay video, the deep dive on the Chimera boss battles you'll fight, the weapons overview, and a closer look at the Castor Woods setting.

Dying Light: The Beast will be released on August 22 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Post-It Notes are great for jotting down quick notes and reminders, but as a vessel for creating fine art, they leave a little to be desired. At least, that's what we thought until glimpsing Aaron Wiesenfeld's new book Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings. This hardcover art book collects 100 of Wiesenfeld's gorgeously rendered and imaginative drawings, all done on tiny, 3-inch sheets of yellow paper.

With the Kickstarter campaign for Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings live now, IGN can exclusively reveal some of the stunning artwork featured inside. Get a closer look in the slideshow gallery below

Wiesenfeld is probably best known for his work on 1997's Deathblow/Wolverine (which earned him an Eisner nomination) and his painted covers for DC's Y: The Last Man. This book sees Wiesenfeld working in a much simpler medium, relying on nothing but black ink and Post-It Notes to create vivid works of art. Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings reprints 100 of these drawings, along with a handful of text pages and poems.

“It's always good to put limitations on yourself,” said Wiesenfeld in a statement. “In this series I only allowed myself to use black pens on a 3x3-inch square of yellow paper. It became a challenge to see if I could capture some of the key elements I love in large oil paintings: mood, atmosphere, time of day, weather conditions, character, and story. I wasn't always successful, but was often pleasantly surprised with the results anyway. When you see your lines blown up, every quiver of the hand is captured there. No falseness, or flourishes of style are even possible, it's just too small for any of that. The results always felt ‘real’ to me. One of my heroes is Gustave Doré, who, constrained by the printing limitations of his time, was able to tell visual stories that felt like paintings, but limited to only using black and white engraving lines.”

Playtime: The Post-It Note Drawings is live on Kickstarter now.

In other comic book news, the Phillipe Labaune Gallery is showcasing the work of Paul Pope, and DC has revealed the many variant covers for September's Batman #1 relaunch.

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

Ubisoft's next big patch for Assassin's Creed Shadows arrives tomorrow, June 25, 2025, and the publisher has now detailed everything included.

As we knew already, Title Update 1.0.6 includes the game's next story pack, which introduces a new Ally character for Naoe and Yasuke played by Critical Role's Robbie Daymond. Players will meet Rufino, Daymond's character, and get to hang out with him at their hideout — though whether you can also romance him is unconfirmed.

Another big addition that was previously announced is a new Nightmare Difficulty option. Today brings further detail on what this will comprise, with perfect parries required to deflect hits without taking any damage, fewer combat resources, plus smarter enemies able to see and hear Naoe's movement even while crouched or in the shadows.

For a slightly more difficult challenge generally, Ubisoft has added an Open World Alarm system that extends the stomping grounds of Shadows' fearsome Guardian warriors outside of castles and enemy camps. Now, Naoe and Yasuke can earn Wanted status in the open world, should you repeatedly be naughty and attack civilians or military units.

Ubisoft is set to continue adding small dollops of extra story missions, alongside other fixes and feature additions, through the rest of 2025, as fans await Shadow's first major expansion Claws of Awaji, due at some point before the end of this year.

The full list of additions, and a long rundown of the update's bug fixes, lie below in full.

PATCH HIGHLIGHTS

New Free Story Pack: "A Critical Encounter"

• Reward: New Ally based on Critical Role's Assassin's Creed Shadows One-Shot campaign character, Rufino, played by Robbie Daymond. You will also get a banner in the hideout with the Critical Role logo.
• New Trophy/Achievement: "A Critical Encounter", received upon completion of the questline.

New Nightmare Difficulty Setting

• Player defensive options are less effective, and enemies deal greater damage at all levels.
  • E.g., Parries now require perfect timing to deflect the hit - imperfect parries will only partially block incoming damage.
• Enemy AI is smarter, faster, and more aggressive in a variety of circumstances, including detection.
  • E.g., Even while crouching, Naoe now generates some sound! And even while in the shadows, she can be seen while moving!
  • E.g., Enemies will no longer become vulnerable from dodges or parries - only abilities can put them into a vulnerable state.
• Combat resources (like adrenaline, rations, and shinobi items) are harder to come by, making their use even more vital.

Toggle Headgear in Cutscenes

• Note that headgear will not be displayed in cinematics or in some specific instances where a rule overrides this setting (romance-specific cutscenes).

VFX Toggles

• Players can now disable/enable specific VFX to further customize their experience. These include the ability to hide or show the loot on dead bodies, the last known position of the player, the special attacks indicators of the enemies, and more. All will be accessible in the Interface option menu.

Open World Alarm

• We have expanded the Regional Alert System available in Castles to the whole Province. Now by repetitively attacking Civilians or Military units outside Castles, the alarm can be triggered, and a group of Guardians will hunt you in the world.

Horse Camera Presets

• You can now toggle between 3 different camera presets while riding on your mount (hold the down button on controller/'X' key on keyboard while riding) allowing for a more cinematic experience to take in the full beauty of Japan.

Ultra Low Specs for PC

• We are adding a new visual quality level, the Ultra Low mode. This will allow PC players with a limited GPU configuration to experience the game in better framerate conditions.

LIST OF BUG FIXES

General

• Fixed an issue where the Onryo Mask remained visible despite selecting the option to hide gear.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to earn Mastery Points.
• Fixed an issue where Mastery Points were not returned after resetting the Mastery Tree.
• Fixed an issue where players could not switch characters anymore even without gameplay context restrictions.
• Fixed an issue where allies could be trained to veteran rank without upgrading the dojo to level 3.
• Fixed an issue where Gennojo did not immediately appear in the hideout after recruitment. He was busy washing his hair!
• Fixed an issue where sometimes a player remains stuck in a Red Zone, without being able to fast travel anywhere, by allowing them to fast travel to the hideout.
• Fixed an issue where the Oni Drawing remains stuck on screen after completing the "Vision of the Realms" quest.
• Fixed various localization issues.

Quests

• Fixed an issue where players could not progress in the "A Chance Encounter" quest when following Fuyu.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the quest after defeating all Kabukimono.
• Fixed an issue where Lady Oichi's letter became unavailable after the Fuji-maru cutscene.
• Fixed an issue where players were unable to talk to Katsuhime in the crop field when she was sitting on the ground. She just wanted some peace and quiet!
• Fixed an issue where tracking the "Temple Stories" quest only showed a progress bar with no text.
• Fixed an issue where Genzaburo's Teppo Master was missing from the Kaya Shrine.
• Fixed an issue where Yagyu Munetoshi revealed a later plot point too early in the "Nobutsuna's Students" quest.
• Fixed an issue where players could not assassinate the Godai of Void because the NPC was missing. He took his name too seriously.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the "Diary of Lady Rokkaku" quest after dodge rolling and dropping Katsuhime.
• Fixed an issue where players could not complete the "Diary of Lady Rokkaku" quest when there was no immediate option to carry Katsuhime.
• Fixed an issue where players glitched through an anomaly in the "Heads Will Roll" quest, making Animus activities unavailable.
• Fixed an issue where players could not progress in the "Lost Honor" quest because the game failed to switch to Naoe.
• Fixed an issue where players could not progress through the Tournament after dying.

Visuals & Graphics

• Fixed some minor visual issues.
• Fixed misplaced visual elements with the Dark Woods Kusarigama.
• Fixed an issue where all NPC horses appeared as identical.
• Fixed a clipping issue with Naoe's Sekiryu outfit.
• Fixed an issue with the "Bloodshade Katana" being visible out of the sheath when transmogged.
• Fixed a movement physics issue with the Dead by Daylight Oni's armor.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where footstep audio occasionally ceased when opening the map while moving.

No matter which platform you prefer, there's an excellent variety of video game deals to check out right now. Whether you're gaming on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, we've rounded up the best offers to help you get more for your money. This includes the PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 bundle, which is still available at select retailers post-Days of Play. You'll want to be quick to grab it, though, as it may not stay in stock much longer.

On top of that, PC players can score discounts right now on Doom: The Dark Ages, Elden Ring Nightreign, and even Stellar Blade. These deals just scratch the surface of what's available, though. Have a look through our favorite video game deals at the moment below.

PS5 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Bundle

Best PC Game Deals

Humble Choice Games for June 2025

Best Physical Video Game Deals

If you're looking to save on physical games right now, there are plenty of deals worth checking out across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. We've included just a few of our favorites above, but if you'd like to see more game deals for each platform, check out our individual roundups for these consoles: the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals.

Best Nintendo Switch 2 Accessory Deals

It's official: the Nintendo Switch 2 is now available for people to get their hands on. If you've already picked up your console and are on the hunt for some accessories, we're here to help. We've found some great Nintendo Switch 2 accessory deals that are worth picking up right now, from carrying cases to screen protectors and more. The selection above just scratches the surface of what's available, though. Check out our roundup of the best Nintendo Switch 2 deals to see more.

Best Xbox Accessory Deals

Outside of games, there are a few different Xbox accessory deals that are worth your time and money as well. Walmart's offering a nice discount at the moment on the Elite Series 2 controller, while Amazon's got the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card on sale. Woot has a couple of nice accessory deals to check out, too.

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Best Gaming PC Deals

Do you prefer to play on a dedicated PC tower? Navigating the options online can be quite the ordeal. Desk space, portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on the Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC (32GB/1TB), which has dropped to $1,849.99. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.