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GOG Under Fire From Customers and Even One of Its Own Employees After Users Call Out 'Fully AI' Sale Image

DRM-free PC storefront GOG.com has come under fire for promoting a sale with a 'fully AI' image, sparking a backlash from customers and even a member of the company's staff.

A few days back, an eagle-eyed GOG user noticed that an image on the front page of the site's storefront contained many telltale signs of generative AI, including a weirdly old-fashioned TV and what appears to be something like a Super Nintendo console system melting onto a table, which is a strange image indeed for a website selling PC games. As one Redditor joked, "[This is] me after I blast my NES with a heat gun for six hours and settle in to look at the side profile of my 50 year-old-TV."

"Using AI art like this feels directly at odds with the whole reason I buy things from their storefront to begin with," wrote one unhappy commenter. "Deeply disappointing, and will probably hold off on buying from GOG for the foreseeable future because of it." Another added: "As long as GOG is using generative AI images or coding I will never buy another game from their site. This is extremely disappointing. It goes completely against my values and the value of human art preservation I care about GOG for. I'm not budging on this."

Not everyone cares, though. "Downvote as much as you want. I don't care they used AI generated images," wrote one player. "This crusade against AI will achieve nothing. Sooner or later AI will shrink the job markets for people who works at a desk (like myself). Most of us will have to find other sources of income."

Another person who does seem to have an issue with it, however, is a member of GOG's own design team. Tagged as an official member of staff on GOG's own forum (thanks, GamingonLinux), senior graphic designer "Kosmiczna Pluskwa" commented on the banner image, and confirmed that the "current sale banner is fully AI."

Before giving their thoughts on the drama, they took great pains to emphasize that they were "not a company spokesperson," that they were commenting "because I personally want to, not because it's my obligation or anyone asks me to do that," stressing: "That also means I have no PR training and also what I say it's my opinion not company's stance or anything."

"My team is much smaller now than it used to be, and the requirements for the role are completely different than it used to be," they explained, appending a job description from around five years ago.

"I have a lot of strong feelings on AI in marketing art — and in general of course, but marketing art [is] the closest to my heart," they added. "Just 5ish [years] ago everything you'd see was something someone has spent time on, even if it wasn't the best, so it was worth being looked at — for me at least.

"Maybe it doesn't matter some store put out sloppy work on promo banner — in the end everyone is just there to buy the product — but I know I enjoy seeing cool new artworks out there, when I'm out to buy new products as well. When I buy a new cool figure I like to keep the box around if it's pretty — this is kind of the same, but on digital level. More cool art to see on top of buying art (video games in our case here) is always more cool art in the world and this is what I'm happy to have. So with everyone also feeling strongly in this thread — I'm with you. And continue speaking up — in the face of future we don't like to see, complacency is not the way."

At the time of writing, the banner is still live on GOG.com. IGN has asked GOG for comment.

The use of generative AI in game development is one of the hottest topics in the industry, and it has sparked a number of controversies. Following the reveal of Divinity at the 2025 The Game Awards, Swen Vincke, boss of developer Larian, met with a backlash after he said the studio was using genAI in various capacities. Larian ended up having to address AI concerns in a reddit AMA in which the studio confirmed a U-turn on some aspects of its use.

And this week, RuneScape maker Jagex insisted it would never use generative AI to make content players actually see in-game, in one of the hardest stances on AI yet seen from a video game developer.

However, some video game companies have gone all-in on the tech. The CEO of Genvid — the company behind choose-your-own-adventure interactive series Silent Hill Ascension — has claimed "consumers generally do not care" about generative AI, and stated that: "Gen Z loves AI slop." EA CEO Andrew Wilson, meanwhile, has said AI is "the very core of our business," and Square Enix recently implemented mass layoffs and reorganized, saying it needed to be "aggressive in applying AI." Dead Space creator Glen Schofield also recently detailed his plans to “fix” the industry in part via the use of generative AI in game development, and former God of War dev Meghan Morgan Juinio said: "... if we don’t embrace [AI], I think we’re selling ourselves short.”

Outside of video games, some entertainment companies are banning the use of genAI altogether. For example, Games Workshop recently banned the use of generative AI for the production of its designs and content, a decision many Warhammer fans welcomed.

Last month, CD Projekt sold GOG to its original co-founder, Michał Kiciński, for 90.7 million Polish złoty (approx. $25.2 million), allowing it to operate independently.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

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'Ah S***, Here We Go Again' — Ubisoft Finally Acknowledges Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Remake Leak, Responds With GTA Meme

Ubisoft has finally acknowledged the never-ending deluge of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake leaks, after yet another slip-up.

Earlier this week, a collectible statue featuring the game's hero Edward Kenway bizarrely popped up for sale on used clothing app Vinted. The item appeared to be the under-wraps tie-in teased last year by merchandise maker Pure Arts — and now, Ubisoft has effectively confirmed that this is the case.

Writing on Twitter / X, Ubisoft used its official Assassin's Creed account to respond to the original post that shared photos of said statue, replying with the classic GTA San Andreas meme showing that game's protagonist Carl Johnson wearily stating: "Ah s***, here we go again."

pic.twitter.com/IRDhrgCPAp

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) January 28, 2026

The statue's appearance online follows a hint by collectible company Pure Arts last year suggesting it had something in the works for Black Flag which would surface in the not-too-distant future as "there is something going on." Its Vinted listing gave no clue to its origins, though stated that it was due for release in 2026. A detailed close-up of the statue's base shown in photos displayed logos for Ubisoft and Pure Arts, with a copyright mark registered for 2026.

With this now out there, alongside everything else that has leaked about the game, it's perhaps unsurprising that Ubisoft has now given up pretending there's nothing going on. While clearly a humorous response, this also marks the first time Ubisoft has ever commented on anything to do with the Assassin's Creed: Black Flag remake, despite a long, long string of reports and leaks surrounding its existance.

Perhaps the most notable confirmation of the project came from Edward Kenway's own voice actor, who initially teased the project before later suggesting he'd been told by Ubisoft in no uncertain terms to stop talking. Finally, last month, the game popped up on the PEGI European ratings board website revealing what looks to be its final title: Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Officially, Ubisoft has only referred to the game's impending launch by acknowledging it had an unannounced game due to arrive before the end of its current financial year on March 31. Last week, however, this game was then delayed into the coming financial year (ending March 31, 2027) due to the company's major recent reshuffle of teams, projects and studios.

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

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The Pokémon Company Officially Delays Ascended Heroes TCG Booster Set, With Release Week Now Featuring Just a Single Sealed Product

The Pokémon Company has officially delayed the Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution - Ascended Heroes Erika/Larry two-pack blisters from its original release date of January 30, 2026, to February 20 in the US and Canada.

Ascended Heroes is the latest Pokémon TCG set from the new Mega Evolution series. But, with the latest delay, this means that just a single sealed product will now be available to fans during its release week.

pic.twitter.com/oSpnpZgEKl

— Pokémon TCG (@PokemonTCG) January 28, 2026

The new set is already getting a fairly staggered release, with the majority of products now releasing between February 20 and April 24. That includes some of the most popular items from a new Pokémon card set, such as the Elite Trainer Box, Booster Bundles, and more.

The delayed booster set features a promo card with either Erika’s Tangela or Larry’s Komala, a metallic coin featuring the chosen Gym Leader, and two booster packs from the Mega Evolution - Ascended Heroes expansion.

The only new booster set available in release week will be the Ascended Heroes Tech Sticker Collection, featuring Charmander and Ghastly as a foil promo card, plus a sheet of tech stickers featuring Mega Charizard Y and Mega Gengar, plus three Ascended Heroes boosters.

It's already been hard to come by Ascended Heroes preorders, and undoubtedly this delay won't make it any easier for fans after release day. Ascended Heroes ETBs, for example, are currently averaging around $115-120 on resale markets - around a 135% markup from its MSRP of $49.99.

Ascended Heroes' Booster Bundles are also looking a little steep right now, and sit at $79.10 market price. That's a fair lot more than its $26.94 list price, roughly a 194% markup, and almost triple the cost for what accounts for just six boosters.

It's a similar story across the board, with fans likely to find it tough to find boosters from the new expansion outside of retailers like TCGplayer. That's also consistent with the follow up expansion for Mega Evolution, Perfect Order.

Ascended Heroes being hard to come by won't be surprising for most fans. The scarcity of the Mega Evolution series isn't exactly an outlier for Pokémon TCG, with stock issues, lack of common availibility, and delays plaguing the world's most popular trading card game for the past couple of years, at least, and stretches back through its Scarlet and Violet series as well.

Robert Anderson, Senior Commerce Editor, and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Bluesky.

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'I Was Incredibly Grateful That the World Spoke Up for Me So I Didn't Have To' — Paul Dano Breaks Silence After Quentin Tarantino Insult

There Will Be Blood and The Batman actor Paul Dano has expressed his gratitude for the support he received after Quentin Tarantino insulted him on a podcast.

Tarantino, who became a household name for writing and directing the likes of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, appeared on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast last year to reveal his 20 favorite films of the 21st century. He picked Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down at number one, but his comments around his number five pick, There Will Be Blood, set the internet on fire. Tarantino said There Will Be Blood might have been his top pick if it weren’t for Paul Dano, who he described as the film’s “giant flaw.” Dano was nominated for the BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for playing identical twins Paul and Eli Sunday in Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 period drama.

Here’s Tarantino’s quote in full:

“Daniel Day-Lewis. The old-style craftsmanship quality to the film. It had an old Hollywood craftsmanship without trying to be like that. It was the only film he’s ever done, and I brought it up to him, that doesn’t have a set piece. The fire is the closest to a set piece. This was about dealing with the narrative, dealing with the story, and he did it f***ing amazingly. There Will Be Blood would stand a good chance at being number one or number two if it didn’t have a big, giant flaw in it … and the flaw is Paul Dano. Obviously, it’s supposed to be a two-hander, but it’s also drastically obvious that it’s not a two-hander. [Dano] is weak sauce, man. He is the weak sister. Austin Butler would have been wonderful in that role. He’s just such a weak, weak, uninteresting guy. The weakest f***ing actor in SAG [laughs].”

Bret Easton Ellis, who wrote 1991 novel American Psycho, suggested Dano faced an impossible task keeping up with Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning performance. "Daniel Day-Lewis also makes it impossible to make it a two-hander because there are aspects of that performance that are so gargantuan," he offered.

Tarantino countered: "So you put him with the weakest male actor in SAG? The limpest dick in the world?" Later, he clarified his position, insisting: "I'm not saying he's giving a terrible performance. I'm saying he's giving a non-entity performance." But Tarantino’s feelings on Dano were made clear: "I don't care for him," he said. "I don't care for him, I don't care for Owen Wilson, and I don't care for Matthew Lillard."

This week, Variety asked Dano about Tarantino’s comments at a 20th anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine at the Sundance Film Festival. “That was really nice,” Dano said of the support he received. “I was also incredibly grateful that the world spoke up for me so I didn’t have to.”

Variety reported that Little Miss Sunshine directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris also commented, with Dayton calling Tarantino’s remarks an “embarrassment.” He added: “I can only think that his rawness of his performance made Tarantino uncomfortable. He couldn’t be easily filed.”

After Tarantino’s comments hit the internet, fans moved to defend Dano’s performance in There Will Be Blood, pointing out the context surrounding his role. Dano, who was only 23 years old when he was cast in the film, was originally only set to play the brother Paul, but took over both the twin roles two weeks after filming began when the actor originally cast as Eli, Kel O’Neill, was fired because Paul Thomas Anderson decided he “wasn’t the right fit.”

After There Will Be Blood came out, Dano spoke about the difficulty he faced adding this extra role with very little time to prepare. "On There Will Be Blood I was cast at the last minute," he said in an interview with Indiewire. "I had 3 1/2 to 4 days to get ready for the first day. That was just guts and instinct, not a lot of preparation." Dano went on to receive critical acclaim for his roles in 12 Years a Slave and Prisoners, and won plaudits for his portrayal of supervillain Riddler in 2022’s The Batman.

Meanwhile, Matthew Lillard also commented on his experience, having been the subject of Tarantino’s criticism alongside Dano. The Scream and Five Nights at Freddy's star told Entertainment Weekly that receiving tributes from his peers on social media “was like living through your own wake.”

He continued: “All those R.I.P. emails or tweets and Instagram posts and TikToks, all of the things we see after somebody passes are so sweet. And the reality is I just got to live through all of it firsthand — alive and kicking! I can't imagine a more lovely reaction to what happened.”

Last month, Lillard admitted "it f***ing sucks" to be on the receiving end of an insult from Tarantino. Lillard reacted to the drive-by insult at GalaxyCon in Columbus, Ohio, in December, and addressed the audience of fans by bringing Tarantino’s insult up.

"Quentin Tarantino this week said he didn't like me as an actor," Lillard said. "Eh, whatever. Who gives a s**t?"

Lillard went on to reveal that Tarantino’s words had affected him. "The point is, is that, it hurts your feelings. It f***ing sucks. And he wouldn't say that to Tom Cruise. He wouldn't say that to somebody who's a top-line actor in Hollywood. I'm very popular in this room. I am not very popular in Hollywood. Two totally different microcosms, right? And so, you know, it's humbling, and it hurts."

At that point, someone from the crowd shouted out “we love you!” which sparked cheers from the audience.

Tarantino, meanwhile, is coming off the back of a Kill Bill collaboration with Fortnite. He directed and wrote The Lost Chapter: Yuki's Revenge, an anime adaptation of a cut scene from Kill Bill that premiered in the battle royale.

Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images.

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

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This Magic: The Gathering TMNT Draft Night Box is Back In Stock, and Discounted Right Now at Amazon

Magic: The Gathering just kicked off its schedule for 2026 with Lorwyn Eclipsed, but it won’t be long until we’re teaming up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for their own set in March.

The next set will get its own Draft Night boxed set for players to enjoy right out of the box, and it’s now back in stock at Amazon for the first time in a good while. Here’s what’s included, and how you can save almost $30 as well.

Designed for up to four players, the Draft Night contains 12 Play Boosters and 90 Lands, letting players build decks from, say, three packs each and put them head-to-head.

For context, a Play Booster Box includes 30 packs and is $5 more, but you don’t get the lands or a Collector Booster. Sadly, the Collector Booster is the real value proposition here, because they’re like gold dust.

Collector Boosters include cards that are functionally the same as the cards you’d get from a Play Booster pack, but since they feature foils and alternative art treatments, they’re where you’re much, much more likely to find pricier cards.

The product listing suggests players use the Collector Booster as a prize for whoever wins Draft Night, but I can see scalpers pulling it out and selling it on to make money on the secondary market.

Also in stock, however, is the new Turtle Team-Up. This is a bit of an unknown quantity, offering four 60-card Magic decks, an enemy deck, event cards, and four Play Boosters. It’s a co-operative experience, which is something a little unique, and is selling for $49.99.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.

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Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition for Switch 2 Is Back to Its Lowest Price Yet at Amazon

If you have a Nintendo Switch 2 and are looking to shake up your library with a little something new to play this year, why not take this time to journey to a galaxy far, far away? The Gold Edition of Star Wars Outlaws for Switch 2 has dropped to $30 at Amazon (a return to its lowest price so far, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel). This is a 50% drop from its usual price of $59.99, so no better time to swoop in and grab it.

Star Wars Outlaws Gold Edition for Switch 2 Down to $30

This Gold Edition will keep you plenty busy over the months to come, too. Alongside the base game, you'll also be set up with the season pass, which includes the Wild Card story pack and A Pirate's Fortune story pack, Jabba's Gambit exclusive mission, The Kessel Runner character pack, The Hunter's Legacy bundle, and The Cartel Ronin bundle.

While IGN's Tristan Ogilvie said in his review of Star Wars Outlaws that "there’s actually not a whole lot of ideas in Star Wars Outlaws that haven’t been done before in other action and open-world adventures" he remarked that "at its best it’s more than capable of jolting your pleasure centres into Star Wars fan hyperspace." If you've been on the hunt for a new adventure to be absorbed in during these early months of the year, it's a game well worth considering while it's down to this low price.

If you're curious what new releases are coming out on Nintendo Switch 2 this year instead, it's worth having a look through our breakdown of video game release dates. Here, we have a list of what we're expecting to see (so far) in 2026 across each platform, so you can plan ahead on more options worth adding to your digital Switch 2 library this year.

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

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Super Mario Bros. Wonder Switch 2 & New Amiibo Preorders Are Live In the UK

Nintendo is giving UK Mario fans plenty to get excited about this week. Not only are pre-orders now live for Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, but the full collection has dropped and is now available to pre-order My Nintendo Store with a fresh wave of brand-new amiibo.

The headliner is of course Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, which expands the colourful Flower Kingdom adventure with a new area and additional content built specifically for Switch 2.

Physical copies are available for £66.99, but a physical version or download code of the original Nintendo Switch version is available for £49.99. Then, if you already own the original game, there’s also a Switch 2 Upgrade Pack priced at £16.99, which is also great if you plan on upgrading to the new Nintendo console when the new version of the game releases on March 26. 2026.

What’s more, though, Nintendo has rolled out a full lineup of Super Mario Bros. Wonder amiibo, all priced at £16.99 each. That includes Elephant Mario, Captain Toad, and Poplin & Prince Florian. There’s also a standalone Talking Flower figure that literally talks, available for £24.99, perfect if you want one of Wonder’s most memorable characters on your shelf.

For fans still on the original Switch, the My Nintendo Store is offering bonus bundles too. The Talking Flower Bundle comes in at £55.99, while the Mega Bundle — which also includes the Talking Flower, 2D Diorama and Magnets — is priced at £63.49. Nintendo has also made a point to note that the version of the Talking Flower available in these bundles does not talk.

By ordering anything from this Super Mario Bros. Wonder range from My Nintendo Store, the site has mentioned you’ll get a free bonus item, which appears to be the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Pin Set: including three pins: of the Wonder Flower, Elephant Fruit, and Talking Flower.

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Nioh 3 Does Not Suffer From Stutters, First PC Benchmarks

KOEI Tecmo has lifted the first embargo on Nioh 3, allowing us to share some of our initial tech impressions. Nioh 3 uses Team Ninja’s Katana Engine, and it does not suffer from any stutters. This will be good news to pretty much all PC gamers. But how does it run on an NVIDIA RTX … Continue reading Nioh 3 Does Not Suffer From Stutters, First PC Benchmarks

The post Nioh 3 Does Not Suffer From Stutters, First PC Benchmarks appeared first on DSOGaming.

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Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere Universe Reportedly Coming to Apple TV With the Author Retaining Control

Apple TV has closed a deal for the rights to Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The first adaptations being considered are the Mistborn series for film and The Stormlight Archive for TV.

According to that report, Sanderson will "write, produce and consult; and will have approvals" over the adaptations. A recent example of where this lack of control can cause tension is with George R.R. Martin and the House of the Dragon showrunner. Martin said in a recent interview with THR that he "would give notes, and nothing would happen."

Brandon Sanderson himself has a massive audience, with over 50 million books sold since he first started writing. The Cosmere series makes up a large chunk of his published works, with 24 books attached to the shared universe. There are a total of seven books across different eras for Mistborn, and five total in The Stormlight Archive series.

According to THR, The Stormlight Archive already has a production company attached to the adaptation: Blue Marble. The media company is run by Theresa Kang, who has also produced the popular Apple TV series book-to-screen adaptation Pachinko.

What Is The Cosmere?

For those not already intimately familiar with The Cosmere, Brandon Sanderson has a brief explainer you can check out on his website. To quickly summarize, The Cosmere is the galaxy in which a large portion of his stories take place. The books that fit into this shared universe often take place on different worlds with completey different societies. The Mistborn series, for example, takes place on a world called Scadriel while the Stormlight Archive series takes place on Roshar.

Sanderson's Cosmere universe is known for having a wide variety of entry points that audiences can jump right into. So even though Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive take place in the same universe, they remain separate from each other with independent plot lines. Some characters do appear across multiple stories, but generally you can read them independently without missing any key details.

Although The Cosmere has never been adapted for the screen, it has seen various tabletop adaptations over the last few years. Just last year The Cosmere TTRPG was released with adventures pulled directly from The Stormlight Archive. Prior to that, Brandon Sanderson collaborated on a Mistborn board game that saw some success. Sanderson is still expanding his sprawling fantasy universe as of 2026 with plans for Mistborn Era 3 and additional Elantris novels.

After the Apple TV news broke, Sanderson himself took to the Cosmere subreddit to add a comment of his own. He said that in May he flew to Hollywood to start looking for a new partner on the Cosmere, something he had done before but not since 2016.

"This time, I got to meet the real decision makers," he explained. "Not just producers or low level executives. And this led to some really tough choices. I got the red carpet treatment, and liked everyone I met.

"The decision to pick Apple was due to two factors. First, the level of approvals and control. Apple wants to be a true partner with me, and they feel like they really get what I want to do. Second, their track record. Apple does fewer things, but with higher quality, than some other studios. I find virtually every thing of theirs I watch is excellent and creator driven."

Sanderson said he will write the Mistborn screenplay himself over the next five months "as my full time work." The goal is for a theatrical Mistborn, then a Stormlight show after. "Focus on doing it carefully and right," he added.

"I promise not to get too distracted to do books. However, if I want this done right, I need to give some real attention and heart to it now."

Sanderson will be hoping The Cosmere adaptations fare better than Amazon's The Wheel of Time Prime Video series, which was canceled after three seasons. Last year Sanderson, who finished author Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time saga, had some choice words for the people making the decisions on the TV show.

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.

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Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1 Review

Full spoilers below for all four episodes of Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1. Episodes are streaming now on Netflix.

Dearest Gentle Reader,

A new season of Bridgerton is upon us. Romance is in the air. Mystery abounds. And enchantment is sure to appear around every corner. This season, one Benedict Bridgerton – the second son of his esteemed family – takes center stage. A notorious rake, Mr. Bridgerton is a man of contradictions. A bachelor in his prime, he is infamously averse to marriage and enraptured with nothing more than merriment and frivolity. Will the roguish gentleman ever settle down? Or is he destined to a vapid life of purely carnal pleasure? If a new mystery lady has anything to say about it, Mr. Bridgerton’s lifelong bachelorhood may not long for this world. And this author is intrigued as to what will happen next.

OK, enough of that. As you may have heard, Bridgerton, the mega Netflix romance series from Shonda Rhimes, returns for Season 4, and it’s as sumptuous and quivering as ever. The first four episodes, available now on Netflix (you’ll have to wait until February 26 for the rest), focus on Benedict (Luke Thompson), who’s constantly hounded by his mother (and nearly everyone else) to settle down and find a wife. That is, until he meets a mysterious masked woman (Yerin Ha) at a masquerade ball and falls head over heels for her.

The rest of what follows is a literal Cinderella story (seriously, many of the plot points are a beat for beat rehash of the classic story or Disney movie; take your pick). The masked woman is in fact a maid named Sophie, whose noble father died leaving her to fend for herself with a wicked stepmother and stepsisters. Benedict, her “prince,” searches for her using nothing more than a memory of the lower half of her face and a left-behind piece of clothing (in this case, a glove). Cases of mistaken identity, stolen glances, and copious dancing ensue. You’ve seen it all before. And that’s the main problem with this season of Bridgerton.

While the performances are as sharp as ever and the chemistry between the leads simmers to the point of boiling in scene after scene, there’s not much here that hasn’t been done already (and better) in previous seasons of the Netflix drama. Boy meets girl. Girl fancies boy. But they can’t be together (at least not yet) for insert your reason here.

Bridgerton, once a mile-a-minute feast of mystery and smut, seems somewhat blunted now that most of the breakout characters have either left, having been coupled off in their own seasons, or had their screen time severely diminished. It’s somewhat understandable as these departures are mainly a function of the plot – this is Benedict and Sophie’s season, after all. But you can’t help but feel the loss of Anthony and Kate’s (Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley) smoldering will-they-or-won’t-they love/hate relationship or Penelope Featherington’s (Nicola Coughlan) double life as Lady Whistledown. (The all-seeing scribe still factors into the new season, but her bite and influence has been severely diminished by her public unveiling in Season 3.)

Season 4 does its best to try and fill these gaps with new subplots. Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) has an almost falling out with Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) over the former’s desire to move on to a life away from the Royal Court, leading to a series of surprisingly intense scenes that show two actresses at the top of their game. Matriarch Lady Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) secret relationship with Lady Danbury’s brother (Daniel Francis) is another. Seeing how the crushing weight of societal expectations affects multiple generations of Bridgertons is both saddening and (by the end of the fourth episode at least) titillating all at once. These storylines try to make up for the absence of the previously featured Bridgerton siblings and their now-spouses. But those are big shoes to fill. And these subplots, interesting as they are, are little more than slight decorations at a fairly drab party.

The main storyline is where Season 4 fails to meet the height of the preceding iterations of the show. Thompson and Ha are great, both individually and together. However, the increasingly ludicrous plot holds them back from reaching true “relationship goals.”

Look, I realize this show is not trying to be much more than frothy romance. But Benedict’s inability to realize the woman he’s falling in love with is the same woman he ALREADY fell in love with (albeit behind a mask) borders on the absurd. There’s only so much disbelief a viewer can suspend before getting distracted by the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

That’s not to say that Season 4, Part 1 of Bridgerton isn’t worth a watch. If you’ve followed the lives and tribulations of the Bridgerton siblings with a passion until now, you’ll still want to check in with what’s going on in Regency-era Mayfair. The performances are still fun. The sets, costumes, music (string covers of pop songs still abound), and scenery are as lavish and opulent as ever. But if you’re looking for the latest batch of Bridgerton episodes to kick the show into a new gear, you’ll be left out in the cold - like Cinderella's carriage stuck in the mud.

Time will tell, dear reader, if part 2 of Bridgerton’s fourth season provides the much-needed heat that fans of the show have come to expect (but the newest episodes decidedly lack). Until then, we’re left with a story this author considers not exactly cold but certainly not a piping hot cup of English tea either.

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AU Deals: Discounts on Games Worth Playing Now, Not Someday

I am less interested in how big the discount looks and more interested in whether a game earns the hours it asks for. This list is about friction, not hype, and the quiet relief of buying something that does not immediately slide into the backlog. I have played enough of these to know where the fun sticks and where the regret usually starts.

Contents

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm placing 33 heart-hiding candles on a birthday cake baked for Super Castlevania IV. A bit of an oddity, SCIV technically recycles the original NES adventure's plight of Simon Belmont as he "Devos" problems that come along in Drac's castle. However, said whip was instead being (8-way) cracked into entirely new enemies haunting new levels as we tapped our toes to an original soundtrack. I adored this at launch and have vivid memories of being wowed by its use of Mode 7 to twist levels in quasi-3D fashion. Also, chortling at the Dancing Spectre enemies named "Paula Abghoul" and "Fred Askare." Konami, what were you smoking?

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Super Castlevania IV (SNES) 1993. Get

- Harvest Moon (SNES) 1998. eBay

- Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Wii) 2010. eBay

- Castlevania [Circle of the Moon] (GBA) 2015. eBay

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

  • Dredge Del. (-60%) A$15.10 Quietly one of the best horror games on Switch. Relaxing fishing wrapped around creeping dread, with smart pacing and a tone that never overstays its welcome. Still eerie, still clever.
  • Dead by Daylight (-65%) A$15.70 Messy, uneven, but unmatched if you like multiplayer tension. Runs rougher than other platforms, but the mind games and licensed killers still do the heavy lifting.
  • Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy Def. (-64%) A$29 Three classics with rough edges sanded inconsistently. Still unbeatable for sheer nostalgia and open world mischief if you accept the compromises.
  • Children of Morta (-85%) A$4.90 A generous action RPG with real heart. Co-op friendly, story focused, and surprisingly tough when it wants to be. Ridiculous value at this price.
  • Yoku's Island Express (-80%) A$5.40 Pinball platforming that somehow works. Charming, relaxed, and smartly paced. Not for score chasers, but perfect if you want something genuinely different.

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

  • Forza Horizon 6 (-10%) A$99 Could be good. Fingers crossed. Horizon games (in my humble opinion) usually deliver. My kingdom for a new-gen update of the Aussie one (FH3).
  • Fallout 76 (-80%) A$10.90 Quiet redemption arc. It finally plays like a Fallout game should, just shared with others. Rough launch baggage remains, but the world is worth revisiting.
  • Ori and the Blind Forest Def. (-75%) A$7.40 Still one of the tightest platformers ever made. Gorgeous, emotional, and occasionally cruel. Demands precision, but always feels fair.
  • Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (-25%) A$28.10 Old school difficulty with modern smoothing. Combat sings, but patience is required. Not welcoming, yet deeply satisfying if you commit.
  • Fable Ann. (-67%) A$16.40 Nostalgia doing most of the work here. Still charming, still odd, but age shows in combat. Worth it for the humour alone.

Xbox One

  • The Callisto Protocol (-62%) A$32.30 Gorgeous presentation carrying uneven design. Combat can frustrate, but atmosphere and sound design do heavy lifting if you like slow burn horror.
  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (-55%) A$31.20 A near perfect remake. Feels exactly right, respects muscle memory, and wastes no time. Even better if you grew up with these parks.
  • LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (-67%) A$29.50 Loud, busy, and packed with fan service. The usual LEGO chaos applies, but the roster is massive and co-op friendly.

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

  • Ghost of Yotei (-21%) A$99 Striking world design and deliberate pacing. Combat rewards patience, not flash. Expensive still, but memorable if you like thoughtful exploration.
  • Dead Space (-59%) A$44.90 A textbook remake. Familiar beats, sharper systems, and oppressive atmosphere intact. Still stressful, still brilliant, still not a relaxing evening.
  • Stranger of Paradise: FF Origin (-62%) A$38 Combat carries known nonsense storytelling. Surprisingly deep systems if you push past the memes. Uneven tone, strong action.
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (-63%) A$33.50 Huge, funny, and occasionally bloated. Best enjoyed in short bursts. The scope impresses even when the jokes dont land.
  • Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon (-55%) A$44.90 Fast, aggressive mech combat with real mechanical depth. Missions are tight, bosses hit hard, and build tinkering is half the joy.

PS4

  • Persona 5 Strikers (-58%) A$45 Musou combat with Persona style and heart. Better written than expected, though repetition creeps in late.
  • Dead Island 2 (-63%) A$25.90 Goofy, gory, and surprisingly polished. Story is disposable, but the combat feedback is excellent if you like splattery melee.
  • Moonlighter (-90%) A$2.40 Shopkeeping by day, dungeon crawling by night. Simple loop, gentle challenge, and absurd value for the hours you will sink in.

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

  • Half-Life: Alyx (-70%) A$26.30 Still the VR benchmark. Thoughtful design, tactile combat, and pacing that never wastes your time. Requires headset hardware commitment, rewards it fully.
  • Wild Hearts (-93%) A$6.90 Ambitious monster hunting with rough performance. Systems are clever, but optimisation issues linger. Worth it cheap if youre curious.
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 (-75%) A$22.40 Slow, deliberate, and stunning. Still unmatched world detail, but demands patience. Best enjoyed when you let it breathe.
  • Mass Effect Leg. Ed. (-85%) A$13.40 Three classic RPGs, cleaned up and cohesive. Combat improves over time, writing carries throughout (but peaks in 2). Absurd value for the scope.
  • A Way Out (-90%) A$3.90 Built purely for co-op storytelling. Uneven gameplay, but memorable moments land if you commit with a friend.

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Legit LEGO Deals

  • One Piece Buggy's Tent (-34%) A$52.90 Colourful, character heavy build. More about display flair than complexity. Built this recently myself. Very happy I did.
  • Creator 3 in 1 Turtle (-33%) A$10 Simple, charming, and flexible. A quick build with decent variety for the price.
  • Minecraft The Pale Garden (-27%) A$22 Familiar blocks and biomes. Not adventurous, but safe and recognisable for fans.
  • Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet (-25%) A$75 Display first, play second. Looks great on a shelf, less exciting to build. Worth it if aesthetics are the goal.

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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.

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Save 44% Off This MEGA Pokémon Set Featuring the Iconic Pikachu in Motion

The MEGA brand carries several officially licensed Pokemon building block sets at a more attractive price than LEGO. Today, one of its most popular sets has dropped to an even lower price. Amazon currently has the MEGA Pokémon Motion Pikachu Set for just $58.20 after a 44% discount (it's normally $105). This is a great looking build with a neat interactive gimmick to keep kids (and adults) entertained well after the build has been completed.

44% Off MEGA Pokémon Motion Pikachu Set

The MEGA Motion Pikachu set is a reasonably sized set measuring about 9"x9"x5" and consisting of 1,092 pieces. That averages out to 5.3 cents per brick. Compare that to a themed LEGO set, which I consider to be a good deal once they hit the 10 cents per brick threshold. The finished piece is presented as a three dimensional diorama, with the iconic Pikachu running over a small section of meadow.

The fun doesn't end, however, once you've finished the build. Pikachu's legs and tail are articulated and you can turn a hand crank to watch the electric-type mouse frantically run in place like a hamster on a wheel. The meadow elements move in the reverse direction on a mini-treadmill to simulate the motion. These are deceptively simple yet nonetheless enjoyable interactive elements that add to the overall value of the set.

LEGO has its own alternatives, if you've got the budget for them

If you're intent on getting a LEGO version, you're in luck because the brand recently opened up preorders for its own official Pikachu set. It doesn't have any moving elements, but it is a bigger, more challenging build with a higher 2,050 piece brick count. It also comes in at hefty price tag of $200. If you're feeling even more ambitious, check out LEGO's upcoming Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise combo figure, which boasts nearly 7,000 brick pieces and comes with an eye watering price tag of $649.99 (although it's currently sold out).

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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Disney Afternoon Collection Finally Announced for Nintendo Switch Consoles With February Release Date and 2 New Games

The nostalgia-packed The Disney Afternoon Collection finally has a Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 release date, and it’s bringing two more games for patient fans.

A Switch version of the bundle of ‘90s Disney video games was announced today after first launching for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One back in 2017. Retro remaster developer Digital Eclipse has the original collection – which includes DuckTales, DuckTales 2, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2, Darkwing Duck, and TaleSpin – set with a digital Switch release date of February 26, 2026, with Goof Troop and Bonkers packed in, too.

Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 announcement trailer for The Disney Afternoon Collection. Eight games total: DuckTales, DuckTales 2, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers 2, Darkwing Duck, TaleSpin and they're adding Goof Troop and Bonkers. pic.twitter.com/BHXAClWaiD

— IGN Deals (@IGNDeals) January 28, 2026

Both are Capcom games that made their way to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in the ‘90s, and both will only be available on the Switch and Switch 2 versions of The Disney Afternoon Collection. Goof Troop sees Goofy and his son, Max, go on a swashbuckling co-op adventure to save Pete and PJ, while Bonkers follows Bonkers D. Bobcat as he solves crimes in Toontown.

It’s a bundle fit for the biggest fans of classic gaming from the House of Mouse, with the total game count now reaching eight. The February re-release will finally bring the bundle to Nintendo’s hybrid consoles, with access to soundtracks, a behind-the-scenes gallery, and rewind features, available, too. There are also Time Attack and Boss Rush modes for those looking to shake up that classic gameplay.

A Disney Afternoon Collection physical edition is also confirmed to be in development for those willing to wait until after the February digital release. Disney says the physical Switch release – which comes with the game cartridge, two sticker sheets, eight retro milk caps, and three collectible cards – is now available for pre-order and will ship “at a later date.”

The Disney Afternoon Collection launches digitally next month. For more, you can check out our 7/10 review from 2017.

“With three hits and three duds from Capcom/Disney years that you might remember with varying levels of fondness,” we said at the time, “the Disney Afternoon Collection is clearly aimed at children of the 90s. I have trouble seeing its appeal to anyone else. But if vintage duck-based platformers are your thing, grab a Capri Sun and a handful of Gushers and invite your friends over to play.”

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer 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).

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Magic's Upcoming Secrets of Strixhaven Set Has Five Commander Decks, And You Can Preorder In The UK

Magic: The Gathering is all over the place in 2026, from Turtles to Star Trek, but Secrets of Strixhaven preorders are now live in the UK.

The set, which is getting its own prequel novel and includes a whopping five preconstructed Commander Decks and two Theme Decks, can be found on Amazon right now.

Here’s everything you can preorder right now, including Collector Boosters.

Grab Magic’s Secrets of Strixhaven Set In The UK

As with any MTG set, the Play Booster Pack is the cheapest way to open some cards. It’ll cost you £4.45 to preorder one, but there’s a nine-pack bundle for £48.45 or a box of 30 for £141.45.

Collector Boosters can’t be purchased on their own just yet, but it looks as though the Collector Booster Box may have already sold out.

Elsewhere, there’s a Draft Night boxed product for £86.45 (which includes one Collector Booster), as well as a pair of themed decks for Standard play: Eerie and Lifegain. Those are £19.99 each.

As we mentioned, there is not one, not two, but five Commander decks for this set - the most since Tarkir Dragonstorm last year.

  • Silverquill Influence (White/Black)
  • Prismari Artistry (Blue/Red)
  • Winterbloom Pestilence (Black/Green)
  • Lorehold Spirit (Red/White)
  • Quandrix Unlimited (Green/Blue)

Whichever one you grab will include a 100-card deck to play right out of the box, and they cost £43.99 each. They might end up being put in a bundle, too, but there’s nothing live for that just yet.

For more on Magic’s current set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, be sure to check out our list of the best chase cards in the set right now, as well as a look at all eight creature types in the new set.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.

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