Developer ChillyRoom and publisher Spiral Up Games have announced ReBlade: The Death Spiral, a new cyberpunk action roguelike. You'll run through its dystopian city as many times as it takes as a condemned Synthetic fighting your way through to get at the truth.
You'll find different weapons and augments to customize your build in each roguelike run, battle evolved cyborg monsters who've been forged and shaped by the same unforgiving world you have in high-speed combat, trade with people you encounter, and build allegiances along the way. Check out the excellent reveal trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.
ReBlade doesn't have a release date just yet, but you can 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 semi-retired 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.
After we've seen Super Mario and even the Minions immortalized at theme parks, I’ve always wondered why Pokémon hasn't received the same treatment. We all know Pokémon is massive. I imagine children to adults all over the world would likely love to visit the world of Pokémon for real — and maybe not ever leave. I’m one of them! Finally, during Pokémon’s 30th Anniversary year, PokéPark KANTO is permanently opening in Yomiuriland Amusement Park just outside of Tokyo, Japan. And I’m one of the very, very lucky few who got to explore the park before its official opening on February 6, 2026.
As we visited well before opening day, I’m not able to share the superfluous number of photos and videos I took, but I can tell you all about my experience and a little of what to expect in PokéPark KANTO. Again, the park wasn’t in operating order, so the rides, shows, music, game booths, and food offerings weren’t available. But honestly, I wouldn’t say any of that is the draw of PokéPark KANTO—it’s simply exploring a space with more than 600 life-sized Pokémon.
PokéPark KANTO is mainly split up between two areas–Pokémon Forest, which is essentially a trail in a woodland inhabited by life-sized Pokémon statues meant to emulate living Pokémon; and Sedge Town, a small collection of buildings and stalls meant to look like what a town within the Pokémon world would look like, also inhabited by life-sized Pokémon statues. These statues don’t move, but they are amazing to spot around the area and are clearly made with care.
[Before we continue, note I won’t be going into exact detail about what I experienced like which Pokémon I saw where, as I’d like to preserve the magic for anyone planning on making a visit. However, I will confirm you absolutely will see Pokémon from every generation!]
You absolutely will see Pokémon from every generation.
I love hiking in nature, so I would have enjoyed a stroll in the Pokémon Forest regardless if it was enhanced even further by the life-sized Pokémon replicas sprinkled throughout the environment. This isn’t just a nature walk with a small handful of statues to be on the lookout for, though. The park designers didn’t hold back—Pokémon filled just about every open space, meticulously placed among trees, in half-dug holes, around blooming flowers, and more, with a huge variety of poses and expressions. There’s a lot of intention about where the Pokémon are placed and what they’re doing. Pay attention, and you’ll notice little stories and interactions happening between them.
Our group arrived at Yomiuriland on a cold, dreary, January afternoon, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm a single bit. Just about everyone gasped with delight as soon as the first official area inside Pokémon Forest came into view, brought to life with Pokémon and a habitat slightly enhanced by strategically “planted” faux vegetation. The path wound between different unique areas, aptly named things like “Pikachu and Eevee Forest” and “Ryhorn’s Take Down Hill,” and each new area captivated me just as much as the next. I couldn’t stop smiling as I wandered, taking pictures of and with the Pokemon. There were even Trainer’s Tips signs in both Japanese and English, which only added to the amusement.
How Strenuous is PokéPark KANTO’s Pokémon Forest, Really?
Previously, IGN reported on some pretty strict PokéPark KANTO's Pokémon Forest safety rules that bars people who can’t walk up 110 steps without help, children under 5-years-old, pregnant people, and more, from entering Pokémon Forest specifically. Looking at my phone’s data, I took about 1,500 steps between the beginning of the Pokémon Forest path to the entrance of Sedge Town, and the official website says the trail is about 1,600 feet long. My group happily spent a very meandering 30 minutes on this path, where we had to be ushered on to continue by staff. It wasn’t arduous, in my opinion, as someone who aims to take 8,000 steps a day (and fails to take the time to do that as often as I’d like). Some parts of Pokémon Forest did have some relatively steep stairs, a small hill to climb, and grassy footpaths, making it unfortunately not a very accessibility-friendly area. It also had some tripping hazards. I’m notoriously clumsy and accident-prone and made it out of Pokémon Forest scott-free, besides some dirt on my pants from crouching down to take photos with Pokémon. Halfway through the path, there’s a dedicated area with benches beneath some shade for anyone who needs a rest, too.
This Pokémon Forest is nestled between the Pokémon Research Center (basically the entrance of PokéPark KANTO) and Sedge Town, and it was definitely the highlight of the visit for me.
The Pokémon Forest was definitely the highlight of the visit for me.
I do worry about the effect a large crowd would have on this experience, especially. Being surrounded by gaggles of Pokémon in the wild and hordes of people may extract some of the wonder out of it all, as it generally does to most experiences. We know entry is limited to a certain number of people each day, but we still don't know what that number is. A Pokémon Company spokesperson said they have nothing to share on this topic at this time.
Starting this summer, for anyone unable to enter or uninterested in Pokémon Forest, there will be tickets that grant entry only for the accessible Sedge Town, so everyone can still experience some of PokéPark KANTO.
The town itself had plenty of Pokémon scattered around to keep it lively along with activities like rides, games, food stalls, and the promise of entertaining Pokémon Parades and performances.
As you can see inthe Sedge Town slideshow above, the Pokémon Forest path brings you to a fountain “town square” of sorts with a Pokémon Center and PokéMart. The fountain is made up of a Primarina statue and Water-type Starter Pokémon, and though we couldn’t enter the Pokémon Center or PokéMart, I did take a peek inside. The Pokémon Center had a counter just like you would find in a Pokémon game, with a Chansey ready to heal your Pokemon team. The PokéMart had pixelated items you’d usually purchase at a PokéMart in-game, like Potions and Poké Balls, on shelves behind the counter. The official PokéPark KANTO website says the PokéMart is where you can purchase refreshments, and I did see a few bottles of Monin brand flavored syrups, often used to flavor coffee drinks, behind a different part of the counter.
The cute Pokémon-themed stalls weren’t all open, so I can’t say what each of them were for, but staff were training in one with a Diglett, Dugtrio, and Wiglett-themed carnival ring-tossing game I had the chance to try! Another stall showed some PokéPark KANTO exclusive key-chains of Pikachu and Eevee for sale. There was also an Altaria-themed food place, perhaps called "Altaria's Roost," with a small selection of soups (700 yen), baguette sandwiches (1300 yen), and sides— spinach fries with caesar cream sauce (600 yen), and a green fruit and nut kale waffle (900 yen).
The star visual attraction of Sedge Town is the ornate carousel, a ride dubbed Vee Vee Voyage. It wasn’t even operating when I was there, but nonetheless, was a spectacle. It featured both regional forms of Ponyta and Rapidash to ride, Eevee surrounding single-seat seaters attached to balloons, and its Eeveelutions surrounding two seaters. Sorry, Vaporeon is not ridable.
The other ride in Sedge Town is Pika Pika Paradise, another low-adrenaline children’s ride featuring Pikachu “cars” to ride in and all of its “spiritual successors,” like Pachirisu, Dedenne, and even Mimikyu, around as decoration. This one looked similar to Disney World’s Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride, or Universal’s Islands of Adventure’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish ride, but on a smaller scale. Of course, neither of those have Pikachu.
I envision this part of PokéPark KANTO being lively with actors both in and out of Pokémon costumes performing in the streets in a parade and around the square (I did see them rehearsing a number out of costume!); where you can grab a snack, take a seat and relax, partake in the carnival-style games, or do some light shopping. It’s honestly not a huge area, but there’s enough attention to detail to make it an interesting space to just exist in.
There’s a full-fledged Pokémon Gym down the end of the path in town, too. The entrance has replicas of the iconic vague Pokémon statues at the gyms in-game, which I was so stoked to see. The gym is where there will be Pokémon shows, including a show called Pika Pika Sparks, character meet-and-greets, and potentially more. Again, the attention to detail here is delightful—the seats on the bleachers are numbered, and a Pokémon icon matching that Pokédex entry number accompanies each one, up to 300. Cute!
Of course, there’s a merch shop, called Pokémon Daisuke Shop with items exclusive to PokéPark KANTO, like special Pikachu and Eevee plush, a variety of Pokémon ears to wear, ride-themed tins filled with cookies or tea, and a lot more. The walls of the space are decorated with professional (frankly, incredible) photos of the Pokémon replicas found around the park, and the shop in general felt warm and welcoming. I wish I could have purchased more, but my bank account is grateful I couldn’t.
To access the Pokémon Daisuke Shop, keep in mind patrons will need an additional (free) first-come first-served Limited-Access Ticket, “which can be requested via the official PokéPark KANTO app after entering Yomiuriland,” according to the official website. These tickets are meant to regulate visitor traffic, and sound similar to how The Pokémon Company handles the pop-up Pokémon Centers at the Pokémon World Championships. The Sedge Gym shows and meet-and-greets will also require a Limited-Access Ticket, but these are awarded via a lottery system. Alternatively, an Ace Trainer’s Pass will allow you to view the show from a reserved seating area one time.
PokéPark KANTO isn’t as immersive or high-budget as, say, Super Nintendo World inside Universal’s Epic Universe, but I still had a great time, and that’s keeping in mind I didn’t even experience PokéPark KANTO as fully intended: with music or sound effects or operating rides or shows to schedule around. PokéPark KANTO doesn’t use any perspective tricks to keep it contained within itself, either—I could still see (and hear) the rides of Yomiuriland just beyond the bounds of PokéPark KANTO. The space relied a lot on the preexisting natural settings too, but the fantastically great number of Pokemon statues themselves and the amazing attention to detail still impressed me. And though there’s a lot to see and savor and take in, there aren’t many “star attractions” (besides maybe the shows or parade I didn't see.) The experience itself of being around to-scale Pokémon in what appears to be their natural habitats, and in a real-life Pokémon town complete with a Pokémon Center, PokéMart, and Gym, is the main attraction. I'm confident that if you love Pokémon, PokéPark KANTO will spark a sense of childlike wonder like it did for me, and I was more than happy to spend two hours there. I’m sure with the park open at full operational capacity, too, the experience would have lasted closer to three or four!
Valentine's Day is still a few weeks away, but Amazon is already breaking out the LEGO deals for anyone searching for a unique gift idea. One such discount is on one of the silliest builds that's been released in recent years. The Looney Tunes Sweetheart Tweety Bird set has dropped to its lowest price ever on Amazon. At just $23.99 after the discount is applied, it's really quite affordable (by LEGO standards). This set was first released back in January 2025, but this is the first time its ever been discounted on Amazon.
LEGO Tweety Bird Deal at Amazon Today
This LEGO Tweety Bird set is one of the only Looney Tunes sets you can still buy and it just so happens to have a Valentine's Day theme. The build itself is fairly small at only 412 pieces, but it features Tweety Bird as a cupid floating on a little cloud. He also comes with two swappable accessories: A bow and arrow or a bouquet and heart. Once he's fully put together he sits at just over 6.5 inches tall, which is the perfect height for a desk or a shelf.
This set was originally released as a seasonal set last year and this new price drop could potentially be an indicator that LEGO is going to retire this set sometime this year. With the exception of the LEGO Bugs Bunny set that was just released in January 2026, all of the other Looney Tunes sets have officially been retired. If you're a fan of Looney Tunes, right now is a great time to pick this up as a gift or for your own collection while it's at its lowest price ever.
More LEGO Valentine's Day deals at Amazon
In addition to the Tweety Bird set, Amazon also has a pretty good deal on the LEGO "Love" set. This build is part of LEGO's popular Art theme and is currently at the lowest price we've seen since it came out last year.
Amazon has previously discounted its LEGO Flower sets for Valentine's Day in prior years, but it doesn't look like those price cuts have started just yet. If you're planning on picking up a brick bouquet for a loved one this year, here are some of the floral sets we recommend in 2026:
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to indie games and books.
The idea of an anime-style soulslike releases plenty of good chemicals in my brain, but the first Code Vein back in 2019 turned out to be just okay in my book. Like a number of Bandai Namco's original IP, I was intrigued to see that idea get another shot, which made me optimistic for Code Vein 2. However, with a middling execution of its open world and inconsistent gameplay qualities, this sequel doesn't necessarily improve upon its predecessor, and instead struggles to stand out in a somewhat saturated genre. Its story premise still compelled me through the 50 hours I spent to finish the main quest and all of the side content at least, but that time came with a lot of ups and downs.
Coming off of From Software's Elden Ring (which Bandai Namco published) not too long ago, pulling up the map of Code Vein 2 had me intimidated and enticed in equal measure. A few hours past its opening act, I was able to grasp its cadence and scale, which thankfully wasn't as overwhelming as I initially thought. A big part of what pulled me in was its concept: a time travel story where you repair a post-apocalyptic present by going to the past to change the outcomes of pivotal moments in its history. Having an open world that subtly changes between timelines drives home a sense of place and the feeling that your character's actions have an impact, even if you're simply following your quest objectives.
Looking out to the horizon from the tower on Magmell Island (the starting region) as your leader Lady Lavinia lays down some exposition, you see the land itself transform upon completing the prologue's quest; it's a strong moment that shows promise for the road ahead. You're then asked to go back in time to aid the three heroes of the world's past in their respective regions to alter their fate, and I enjoyed the fact that you get to take part in shifting the conflicts that led to the present day's destruction.
However, its storytelling style sells itself short at times, with key moments for its major characters relegated to barren dream-like visions – vague dialogue gets overlaid as you stand there waiting for the next set of static character models to appear. It's hard to get a real gauge of what's happening or feel the gravity of the situations the story is trying to portray. It's evident in other dialogue sequences that the writing in Code Vein 2 is rather generic and missing some of the personality that would draw me in to care about the world I'm supposed to be fighting for. In the rare fully animated cutscenes that tee up certain battles, however, Code Vein 2 shows great potential and had me hyped for the moment, but like its many parts, the momentum ends just as quickly as it starts.
The open world serves its purpose as a vehicle for giving the story some impact.
I do like a handful of the star characters – for example, Lou being the frail girl who has the time traveling power is an extension of your created silent protagonist, and she carries a convincing sense of sorrow. The three heroes have fitting backgrounds and are nice to team up with, too; Holly is a standout for her story as a gifted doctor put in tragic situations because it's one of the few times Code Vein 2 hits a genuine emotional note. As a whole, though, I wanted to care more about the broader struggle between revenants and humans, and the dynamics that led to so much conflict and the monsters that roam the land, but the plot threads run shallow and the way they're delivered leaves them underdeveloped. As a consequence, I came away from its conclusion fairly underwhelmed even as it tried to pull on my heart strings since I wasn't quite invested as it seemed to hope I would be.
I do think the open world serves its purpose as a vehicle for giving the story some impact. It struck a chord with me to visit a particular location in the before-times, seeing where people struggled to eke out an existence and then that same place dilapidated in the present. The Undead Forest's lush greenery turning to a cold barren wasteland is one of the starkest examples of this; the differences aren't drastic from a gameplay standpoint, but it's visually effective for showing the lifelessness of the present day.
Navigating the open world is sometimes a pain, though. You get a motorbike to drive around, and it controls like a flimsy RC car – you can glide in the air by deploying its wings, only to be met with a few invisible walls blocking you from entering parts of the map that are clearly accessible (you just have to enter from where you're supposed to). And certain falls that just don't seem like a problem result in automatic death. These seem like minor inconveniences, but they compound with several other ways that Code Vein 2 seems sloppy.
Some of the vistas are quite impressive on a macro level, but the closer you get to the details, the more you see how muddy everything looks. It's quite jarring, especially as nearly every cutscene would constantly load textures in and out every time the camera cuts to a different angle. And even playing on a PS5 Pro with performance priority mode on, the frame rate fluctuates wildly and oftentimes not even when the action gets hot.
The best games in the genre really nail the tough-but-fair design philosophy; Code Vein 2 is not one of them.
There isn't much mystery or intrinsic reward to exploration, although once you understand what certain landmarks entail, you'll find critical upgrades to your healing item, materials for weapon upgrades, and persistent stat buffs for specific regions. You're not left completely empty-handed, just don't expect to stumble upon interesting dungeons, bosses, or rabbit holes that evoke your curiosity. I am glad that the open world is rather trim rather than being padded out with a bunch of checklist objectives, and important side quests are clearly delineated in the quest log.
Much like my sentiments about the story and open world, Code Vein 2's combat bounces around wildly in quality. It uses the design principles of the Souls-style games – experience points and currency that disappear upon death (and must be recovered), enemies respawning after hitting save points, and punishing combat that moves at a deliberate pace, among other typical mechanics. While I've experienced a bit of fatigue from games in this realm, I still lock in once I pick up what it's putting down and begin to understand its systems. There were times in Code Vein 2 where I felt close to the highs I got from others in the genre (although I wouldn't compare them to my favorites like Bloodborne or Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice).
A couple of bosses feature creative mechanics that are super tough but fair, conquerable by fully focusing on reading their attack patterns and seizing the rare opportunities you get to attack. But more often, you get bosses who are either pushovers or annoyingly frustrating in ways that bring out the worst in Code Vein 2's faults. Having played so many soulslikes at this point, I'm familiar with how the best games in the genre really nail the tough-but-fair design philosophy; Code Vein 2 is not one of them. Part of that comes from when it doesn't play by its own rules, like being hittable while recovering as your invincibility window is just a few frames shorter than when you're able to actually move again, leading to deaths that felt unfair. Or how a damage-over-time attack sometimes stops if you get hit even when the ability has been fully deployed. Or how the camera just doesn't know what to do when you're smothered and shoved into a corner by a boss that's 10 times your size. Or just hitboxes that don't really make sense for the space a character model occupies. There are ways around these things as I was eventually able to defeat every optional and main boss I encountered by adjusting my approach, but it's dejecting when a game betrays the tenets that've made its contemporaries great.
While I think some of its systems seem incomprehensible or convoluted upon first impression, it's much simpler than it presents itself to be. Instead of pumping points into stats, Blood Codes dictate your build and what you're capable of in combat. Each important character you meet offers an equippable Blood Code, and you can think of these as a way to respec whenever you want as they offer emphasis on certain stats that will then modify the effectiveness of the weapons and gear you use. You're not locked into a specific build, but the progression path of Blood Codes is tricky since they level up the more you use them – you get pigeon-holed in a way, but with some experimentation, I was quick to understand which ones worked best alongside my favorite weapon types. And using new Blood Codes for long enough will get you back to where you want to be in due time.
The foundation for great combat is here, but there aren't enough interesting opportunities to make the most of its systems.
You have quite a few tools to work with as well. Through most of the journey, you can summon one of the story characters to join you, and it's effective for tougher battles since their attacks can draw aggro to give you room to breathe or go for a big hit. You can even fuse with them for some noticeable buffs, with the trade-off of being solo in combat. They also temporarily sacrifice themselves to revive you if you die, which is clutch for alleviating frustrating deaths. Alternatively, Ichor is the mana of Code Vein that lets you cast spells and use abilities that are necessary to diversifying your combat approach. The way Ichor feeds back to you when using your superweapon (called a Jail) forced me into cycling through all my capabilities over the course of harder fights rather than relying on a single tactic or cheese. Once I found a setup that worked for me, and some alternatives in case I needed to switch gears for different kinds of fights, I got into a comfortable groove with Code Vein 2's own brand of RPG mechanics and action combat.
The foundation for great combat is clearly here, I just don't think it offers enough interesting opportunities to make the most of its systems. The dungeons throughout the world get woefully repetitive and enemies can be a real cakewalk; you'll be punished if you're not careful, of course, but the imbalance is felt when you go for long stretches of mowing through the same fodder mindlessly. You'll also come across a lot of repeat bosses, which feels like being thrown something harder for the sake of it, and at a certain point, they too can be conquered with ease.
There are at least cases where harder versions of previous bosses show up in the critical sidequests, and a few of those do up the ante, remixing familiar attack patterns and throwing in new, demanding phases. To which I was internally saying, "Hell yeah, this is that good stuff." However, once I burned through the final dungeon, it was clear to me that it had played the hits a few too many times, reminding me of how the campaign just didn't have enough tricks up its sleeve to sustain itself in a consistently engaging way.
I come away from Code Vein 2 impressed with the timeline shifting side quests more than anything else, because those are more compelling than large swathes of the main story. As they explore the more interesting parts of the lore, they also take a few more risks and let characters shine a bit brighter. You're drawn a little closer to the struggle that led them to their fate, and they share a few bittersweet moments with your own character. Not all of it is super inventive, but I saw it breaking away from the predictable cadence at times, and I just wish Code Vein 2 did more of that.
Code Vein as a series has some good ideas I still want to see iterated upon, and this sequel touched on them in several ways. I've felt similarly about Scarlet Nexus and God Eater, both of which are clearly plays on established styles of games with an anime-inspired twist – fantastic ideas on paper with potential that still have a lot of room to grow. This isn't a genre that's sacred to From Software's catalogue, either – Lies of P and Nioh 2 come to mind as fantastic takes on the formula from other developers. I'd hoped Code Vein 2 would join the ranks of them, but it's missing some of the fundamentals necessary to do so.
I have reached the stage of my gaming life where I am deeply suspicious of anything that does not respect my time. These deals pass the test. This list is full of games that know exactly what they are, so let's just get to the good stuff quickly. End: preamble. Begin: mad savings.
In retro news, I'm using the explosion from a red canister tumbling by in zero-G to light a 15-candle cake baked for Dead Space 2. Saying I was excited for this sequel is an understatement (I adored the first so much, I 1000 Gamerscored it on McStupid 'Impossible' difficulty). That said, I did have some reservations about EA's decision to up the action and unmute our hero, Isaac Clarke, mere engineer/dissector of Cronenbergian E.T.s.
Fortunately, those minor fears were superseded by a wealth of worthier white-knuckle moments in-game. Expanding the mayhem from the pokey Ishimura to "The Sprawl" delivered some great setpiece horror moments in addition to some desperate, on-the-back-boot firefights (which benefitted from streamlined gunplay and inventory handling). The part of DS2 that still lives rent-free in my head, though? That "stick a needle in your own pupil" mini-game. That failure animation still makes me wince.
Pokemon Pokopia (-19%) A$89 A gentler Pokemon that will trade edge for vibes, but is still looking to bring that dangerous just one more catch momentum.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (-23%) A$69 Retro Studios doing what it does best, trusting atmosphere, silence, and level design more than constant noise.
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance (-60%) A$40.30 The most confident version of SMT V, where every demon negotiation feels like a hostage situation you chose willingly.
Dragon Ball FighterZ (-50%) A$44.90 Still absurdly pretty and still brutally honest, mash early and you will be taught a lesson immediately.
Cult of the Lamb (-60%) A$14.90 Equal parts cute and unhinged, like Animal Crossing after a bad podcast recommendation.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to score a well-regarded pair of noise canceling headphones for an outstanding price. For a limited time, Woot (owned by Amazon) is offering the certified refurbished Bose QuietComfort wireless noise canceling headphones for just $129.99. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise it will add on an extra $5.
This is one of the best deals I've seen for Bose headphones (better than any deal during last Black Friday, at least), especially since it's refurbished by Bose directly and comes with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty.
Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $129.99 (was $350)
Certified refurbished with 1-year Bose warranty
The QuietComfort is Bose's best selling noise canceling headphone. It's well regarded for its excellent audio quality, noise canceling performance, and all-day comfort. Technically, it retails for $359, however I usually see it on sale for closer to $200 to $230. At that price point, it's definitely one of the best noise canceling headphones you can get from a top brand. The next step up would be the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, which is currently $300 on Amazon.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
If you've collected any of the Harry Potter books illustrated by Jim Kay over the years, you've likely experienced the pain of an unfinished collection. The last book to get the illustrated treatment was Order of the Phoenix, which was released all the way back in 2022. Jim Kay stepped down from the project shortly after that book was released, and as someone who has slowly been buying up these books for my brother over the years, I was afraid that I'd never actually be able to finish building his collection.
Thankfully, just last year the publisher announced that Levi Pinfold would be taking up the project and finally finish up the illustrated series. According to new product listings, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: The Illustrated Edition is now officially set to release on October 6, 2026. A cover has yet to be revealed, but you can already get your preorder in at any of the major online bookstores.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: The Illustrated Edition
One of the things that made Jim Kay's illustrated editions so successful was just how well he captured the magic of the Harry Potter series. So one of the biggest questions is whether or not Levi Pinfold will be able to match what Kay was able to achieve over five books. Although we don't yet have a cover for the upcoming book, Bloomsbury did release a preview image of Pinfold's work back in March 2025. Based on this alone, it looks like he will have a slightly darker style than we got from Jim Kay's work. Considering Half-Blood Prince is where the series starts to get a lot darker in general, I actually think this transition could end up feeling somewhat natural.
The current $55 price tag is a bit too steep for me, but it's likely that it will get discounted as we get closer to the release date. Amazon offers a preorder price guarantee that ensures you pay the lowest price it drops to before it releases, even if you preorder at the current price. All of the other books in the series are currently about half that price right now, though.
Jim Kay Editions
If you're just now looking to start your Harry Potter Illustrated collection, I'd suggest waiting for some sort of sale. The best time to buy books in general is when Amazon has some sort of "3 for 2" sale, which usually includes most if not all of the Jim Kay illustrated editions. You can usually expect to see these promotions close to major sales events like Prime Day or Black Friday, but they're a great chance to save a ton of money on a full collection.
The Planet of the Apes franchise is one with a rich history and sci-fi lore all its own, which makes it a natural choice to be adapted into a tabletop role-playing game. That's exactly what Magnetic Press aims to do with The Role-Playing Game of the Planet of the Apes.
IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of The Role-Playing Game of the Planet of the Apes: Core Rulebook. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:
The Role-Playing Game of the Planet of the Apes consists of three volumes. Along with the aforementioned Core Rulebook, there's also Planet of the Apes RPG: The Ansa Files Sourcebook and Planet of the Apes RPG: Into the Forbidden Zone. The former focuses on iconic movie characters like Caesar, Taylor, Zira, Hasslein, and Dr. Zaius. The latter features a guided campaign that includes two map posters, 64 reference cards, seven preprinted character sheets, a Game Master screen, punch-out map markers and tokens, 12 dice, and a 96-page campaign adventure module.
The creative team on The Role-Playing Game of the Planet of the Apes: Core Rulebook includes writers Andrew E.C. Gaska and E.L. Thomas and artists Runa I. Rosenberger, Chris Scalf, Shane Molina, and Chandra Free, while Bill Sienkiewicz provided the cover art.
“As you play you can become an intellectual Chimpanzee who seeks to better apekind through science and exploration. Choose an Orangutan statesape whose weapons are philosophical debate, political savvy, and the power of the Sacred Scrolls themselves. Perhaps a Gorilla soldier is more your style—honor-bound to protect Ape City and lead aggressive expansions into new territories. What else, if not an ape? Be a time-lost astronaut struggling to grasp a world gone insane. Become a mute tribal human forced to scavenge for resources as you are hunted by murderous gorillas on horseback. The rules even allow you to play mutant survivors who use the power of their minds to turn their enemies against each other,” said Magnetic Press Founder and Publisher Mike Kennedy in a statement.
Kennedy continued, “Your adventures in this world of madness will take you to the ruins of a world destroyed—see what remains of the Statue of Liberty, the ostentatious Ape City, the foreboding Forbidden Zone, and the mysterious mutant undercity. It is a world defined by the stark contrasts of brutality and civility. Are you ape enough to handle the truth about the world you live in or will you lose your mind to it?”
The Role-Playing Game of the Planet of the Apes: Core Rulebook is priced at $49.99 and will be released on February 3. You can preorder a copy on Amazon.
Andaseat, a popular gaming chair brand - is offering a limited time deal on one of its higher end chair. The Kaiser 3 Pro, specifically the Weiboo Limited Edition model, is on sale for $359.10 after you apply a 10% off coupon code "AndaIGN". This is a lot less expensive than the standard Kaiser 3 Pro, which retails for $490, plus it includes a bonus lumbar pillow. In fact, with this price it's even lower than the Kaiser 3 non-Pro. This chairs are stocked in US warehouses and are usually delivered within a week and come standard with a 5 year warranty.
Kaiser 3 Pro Gaming Chair for $359.10
The Kaiser 3 Pro has all of the build quality and creature comforts you'd expect in a premium quality gaming chair, like a unibody 2mm tubular steel frame with reinforced aluminum wheelbase, a generous amount of cold-cure high density foam for the seat bottom (a bit softer, in my experience, than the overly firm Secretlab seat), 4-way adjustable lumbar, 5D armrests, 135 degrees of recline with rocking toggle, and more. A magnetic headrest and lumbar pillow are also included.
The Weibo edition is a collab with the Chinese esports team Weibo Gaming. The chair is decked out in a stain resistant white PU leather upholstery with red trim. All in all, it's quite the looker as long as you're fine with Weibo's branding, which is prominently displayed on the chair.
Check out our Kaiser 3 review. Mark Knapp gave it a thumbs up.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Secretlab just launched preorders for its highly anticipated lineup of Pokémon gaming chairs and, not surprisingly, they're selling out quickly. These themed Titan Evo chairs - decked out in your choice of Gengar, Eevee, and Pikachu regalia - have all pretty much sold out of their first wave of preorders and have moved onto their second or third waves. I have no clue how many "waves" there will be for this initial batch, but if you want your chair to arrive within the first half of 2026, you should probably put in your preorder as soon as you can.
Preorder the New Secretlab Pokemon Gaming Chairs
These chairs showcase one of three iconic Pokémon - Gengar, Pikachu, and Eevee - with ostentatious use of color, patterns, and figures. My personal favorite is the Eevee edition, with its detailed embossing of Eevee's myriad evolutions; it also seems to be the top seller, since it's already on its third wave of preorders. You do pay a premium for the branding. The Titan Evo normally sells for $599, but the Pokemon models add on an $85 surcharge. Honestly though, if you're a Pokémon superfan, it's totally worth it considering the fact that this is a high quality officially licensed product.
Unusual for a collab, Secretlab opted to go with its Softweave Plus fabric instead of leatherette, and I for one am happy with that decision. Fabric ages more gracefully, feels softer, and doesn't stick to your sweaty skin on hot days. Titan Evo features a solid steel frame with aluminum wheelbase, firm and supportive cold-cure foam for the seat base, four-way adjustable lumbar system, full length backrest with 165 degrees of recline, full metal 4D armrests with magnetically attached PU cushions, and a memory foam headrest pillow.
The Titan Evo is an excellent gaming chair
It's no secret that we love our Secretlab gaming chairs. Three of the eight chairs in our best gaming chair roundup are Secretlab models. Of all the gaming chairs we covered in our "Budget to Best" roundup video earlier, my colleague Akeem Lawanson considered the Titan Evo to be the most comfortable. No good chair comes cheap and Secretlab chairs definitely cost a premium, but we think the craftsmanship, materials, and customizability are worth it.
In our Secretlab Titan Evo review, Chris Coke wrote that "after two years of daily use, the Secretlab Titan Evo has proven that it can stand the test of time and still be one of the best gaming chairs you can buy. Meaningful ergonomics paired with Secretlab’s wide selection of designs, it remains a fantastic option, especially for fans of bright colors or designs."
Treat yourself to Secretlab's new recliner add-on
Secretlab's recently released recliner add-on is a quality of life upgrade. It installs easily onto the Titan Evo chair without any tools required, offers 80 degrees of adjustability, and is filled with cushy memory foam. If you recline often in your chair, you'll finally be able to kick your legs up without the need to buy a separate stool. In our recliner review, Chris Coke wrote that "while both comfort and value are subjective things, the recliner is able to take the Titan Evo and transform it from one of the best racing style gaming chairs to standing head and shoulders above the competition at its price point."
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Samsung's S84F TV features all of the advantages of OLED technology that make it the best TV for gaming minus the exorbitant price tag. For this week only, Best Buy is offering a 65" Samsung S84F 4K OLED Smart TV for just $899.99 with free delivery. This matches Best Buy's Black Friday deal and is overall an excellent price for a current generation OLED TV.
65" Samsung S84F 4K OLED Smart TV for $899.99
The Samsung S84F was released in 2025 and is still the latest S80 series model. It's identical to the S85F but exclusively sold at Best Buy. Its successor the S85H was announced during this year's CES won't be available until later in the spring. This TV is equipped with a true W-OLED panel similar to the ones found on the LG B5 and Sony Bravia 8 models. OLED TVs boast superior image quality compared to any non-OLED thanks to their near-infinite contrast ratio, near-instantaneous response time, and ability to produce true blacks. They absolutely excel at handling 4K HDR content.
The Samsung S84F has the features you want in a current-gen gaming TV, like HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 120Hz panel for running 4K at 120fps on a PS5 or Xbox Series, variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode. It's also a good TV for running the Nintendo Switch 2 in docked mode, although the Switch 2 can only run games at up to 60fps in 4K.
This is the lowest price I can find for a brand new and fully warrantied 65" OLED TV, especially if you want to stick with a tried and true brand like Samsung. Best Buy is a good place to buy your TV from because it's easier to return if you have any problems (a 65" TV can still fit in a reasonably sized SUV).
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
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