Warning: this article contains full spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out IGN’s review of Episode 3.

Daredevil: Born Again is sure delivering some riveting superhero television, even if Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock seems absolutely determined not to put the red armor back on. Episode 3 serves as a tense, high-stakes legal drama, as Matt defends his client Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes) in court against charges of murdering an NYPD officer. That story takes a tragic turn in the end, as Hector is exonerated and freed only to be gunned down by a vigilante wearing the Punisher skull.

That twist ending raises a hugely important question. Was that actually Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle who killed Hector? What does it mean if The Punisher has suddenly started targeting costumed vigilantes? And where does the White Tiger storyline go from here? Let’s explore the big questions lingering after Episode 3’s dramatic cliffhanger.

Did The Punisher Kill White Tiger?

In Episode 3, Hector Ayala is put on trial for supposedly murdering an undercover police officer. While the truth is that Hector was simply trying to be a good samaritan in a situation gone horribly awry, Matt Murdock faces a steep uphill battle in convincing a jury of Hector’s innocence. Only by taking “a big swing” and outing Hector’s role as White Tiger does Matt manage to turn the tide in Hector’s favor.

Unfortunately, that act proves to be Hector’s undoing. Hector makes it clear he has no intention of giving up his nightly vigilante activities, despite the large target the trial has painted on his back. No sooner does Hector resume patrolling the streets than he’s gunned down, executioner-style, by a rogue figure wearing a bulletproof vest adorned with the iconic Punisher skull.

Again, the question here is whether that was actually Frank Castle who pulled the trigger. To date, Frank has mostly shied away from the superhuman side of the MCU, preferring to target ordinary criminals and corrupt officials. Targeting costumed vigilantes would definitely serve as a major shift in Frank’s methods and motivations.

That’s not to say that Punisher has never directed his wrath at costumed villains in the comics. Matt Fraction’s Punisher: War Journal is one notable example of a series where Frank grows fed up with the damage caused by the supervillains of the Marvel Universe and directs his wrath at men like Hate-Monger and Kraven the Hunter. But this explanation would require that Frank views White Tiger as a villain who evaded justice. Does The Punisher see White Tiger as a cop killer? Did Hector cross an unforgivable line in Frank’s eyes?

Historically, Marvel has never been that consistent when it comes to depicting Frank Castle’s opinion of the police. When it comes to military service members, it’s a different story. Frank holds a clear, fierce respect for those who risk their lives to serve their country like he did. Captain America - the ultimate soldier - is the one superhero Frank reveres.

But as for the police, things vary from one interpretation of the character to another. In the classic Marvel Universe, Frank normally goes out of his way to avoid targeting cops, even crooked cops. But in the Ultimate Universe, Punisher is an ex-cop himself who specifically targets corrupt officers.

Based on Frank’s previous appearances in Daredevil: Season 2 and The Punisher spinoff series, it doesn’t seem as though Bernthal’s Frank Castle holds any special affection or respect for the police. Certainly, it’s hard to imagine him switching up his methods to specifically target a vigilante acquitted of killing a cop. Frank’s beef with men like Daredevil and White Tiger has always been that they don’t go far enough in their methods. So it seems hard to believe that Frank is the one who shot Hector in Episode 3. Instead, there’s another, much more likely possibility.

Is This Punisher a Copycat Killer?

Frankly (no pun intended), there’s a reason we don’t see the killer’s face at the end of Episode 3. The series wants us to question whether Frank Castle would stoop to killing White Tiger, but the truth is that this most likely isn’t Frank. It’s probably a copycat killer.

The series has already established that The Punisher has developed a bit of a fan following among members of the NYPD. We’ve seen multiple cops sporting tattoos of the Punisher skull, including Brian D. Cohen’s Detective Flynn. These cops seem to idolize Frank and the way he takes the law into his own hands, meting out a very lethal form of justice to criminals in New York. Clearly, they’d like nothing more than to follow in his footsteps. And based on how Episode 3 ends, it would seem one of these cops has done just that.

It’s clear the series is diving headlong into addressing real-world controversies surrounding the Punisher character. The Punisher skull has indeed been appropriated by some police officers and military members who fetishize Frank Castle’s ruthless brand of vigilante justice. The connection was arguably cemented by the late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle, who was known for adorning his equipment with the Punisher emblem and even nicknaming his unit "The Punishers." In recent years, the Punisher emblem has also been adopted by the Blue Lives Matter movement.

Marvel Comics has addressed this phenomenon in the past. 2019’s The Punisher #13 features a scene where an injured Frank Castle is approached by two NYPD officers who reveal themselves to be rabid fans. To their surprise, Frank reacts with disgust, telling them, "We're not the same. You took an oath to uphold the law. I gave all that up a long time ago. You don't do what I do. Nobody does."

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Episode 3 of Daredevil: Born Again!

The third episode of Daredevil: Born Again comes after a riveting two-part opener, so it’s understandable that things are now cooling down a bit this week. There’s a focus on Hector Ayala’s trial that leads to all manner of legal twists and turns, but even the twistiest lawyer drama isn’t exactly the most thrilling thing to watch. Matt Murdock arguing the case for a vigilante certainly makes for a lot of interesting material on a thematic level, and all of the performances remain top-notch, but there’s a disappointing lack of superhero intrigue because Daredevil doesn’t make an appearance. Still, this episode creates a complex and dangerous dynamic between Murdock and the police force, and the shocking ending stayed with me long after the credits rolled.

Even though I came into this episode knowing the tragedy that befalls White Tiger in the comics, I was still shocked to see him abruptly assassinated at the end of the episode. By someone wearing a Punisher logo, no less. Above all else, the show genuinely makes you feel the immense loss of Hector Ayala as not only a superhero but as a human being. Actor Kamar de los Reyes’ opening monologue had me getting emotional over singing frogs, which made hearing them over the end credits even more heartbreaking.

This is a bit of a dicey episode for our main character. It’s clear to see that talking to Ayala makes him reflect on his own vigilantism as Daredevil, though Murdock seems to be in a place where he’s content only helping people as an attorney and not as a superhero. Will Hector’s unjust, violent end be enough to make him put on the mask again? The way he keeps fidgeting with that broken horn certainly makes me think so.

But how Murdock handles the trial didn’t work for me. It’s far too reckless and theatrical, even for him. I didn’t buy his reasoning explaining away his cavalier actions. Outing Ayala as the White Tiger ends up winning him the case, but he of all people should know how dangerous it is to reveal another hero’s secret identity. (Case in point: a gunman was able to wait outside Ayala’s home and murder him when he stepped out onto the street.) Murdock’s tactics are especially shortsighted when you consider how Mayor Fisk ran a whole campaign demonizing vigilantes. Even the judge calls out Murdock for being a huge hypocrite and he brushes it off. Also, having Nicky Torres flake out on the witness stand is an odd twist because it’s never explained what they had on him or how they even got in contact with him while he was in witness protection. I appreciate the writers trying to liven up the courtroom drama, but it comes at the expense of Murdock’s credibility as a lawyer.

This is a quieter episode for Wilson Fisk, as his relationship with Vanessa continues to languish and his allies from his Kingpin days refuse to let him escape his old life. Looks like the police chief was right when he told Fisk, “Once a thug, always a thug” in episode 2. Becoming mayor has truly changed the character. He went from feeling like his status as the Kingpin of crime made him the most powerful man in the world to now calling crime lords petty, squabbling vermin. This, of course, mirrors Murdock’s state of mind, where he believes he’s moved on to something better, when in reality he’ll never be able to escape his true self.

The Punisher’s presence continues to grow as we see another cop with a skull tattoo (on his neck) and Ayala’s murderer, as previously mentioned, wearing the symbol. I have to imagine that these men have appropriated the Punisher logo and the actual Punisher, Frank Castle, has nothing to do with them. I hope this means he’ll be making his big entrance next episode, and I imagine he won’t be happy with what others have done in his name.

Other Thoughts

• One of the cops that Murdock brutalized at the end of Episode 2 plays a part in this episode, but he only has a bruised face. Did you hear the cracking sound his neck made when Murdock hammered him to the floor? It’s a miracle he isn’t dead!
• Did anyone else find it funny how Murdock mentions White Tiger’s magic amulet to the jury and they all accept what he said at face value? I suppose the everyday people of the MCU have seen enough crazy stuff by now that a mystical pendant doesn’t even make them blink an eye.
• During the trial there is a passing mention of “Officer Morales.” Is that a reference to Jefferson Morales, father of Spider-Man Miles Morales? That would make it the second Spidey reference the show has made thus far. Now I’m starting to expect a Tom Holland cameo. But that would never happen. Unless…

This ain’t no idle Wednesday, fellow bargain hunter. I’ve dug up a treasure trove of discounted games just waiting to be snagged, and I’ve picked some of the best deals across Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox Series X, and PS5 to make your decision easier. But hey—less talking, more saving. Get amongst the list.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 32nd birthday of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, the best of the Mario/Wario platformers on Game Boy. SML2 is remembered for ditching the original’s Superball Flower in favour of the more familiar and satisfying Fire Flower, plus it introduced Bunny Mario. He could jump higher, glide through the air, and procreate faster (fan theory unconfirmed). I sacrificed many a AA battery to this one at launch. It still plays great on a Switch nowadays.

As part of a general HP Days Sale Event, you can score an excellent deal on a 4K-capable gaming PC. Right now, the HP Omen 25L GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC has dropped to $1,399.99 shipped after you apply $50 off coupon code "HPDAYSPC50". This is quite easily the lowest price we've seen for a prebuilt RTX 4070 Ti Super gaming desktop.

HP Omen 25L RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC for $1399.99

Just a few months after the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D graced us with its presence, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D brings its 3D V-Cache technology to a 16-core, 32-thread gaming processor that’s absolutely overkill for most people, but will have no problem keeping up with powerful graphics cards like the Nvidia RTX 5090 or whatever comes next.

However, all of those cores come with a high $699 asking price and a 170W power budget, making this processor hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t already building an incredibly powerful (and expensive) gaming PC. For anyone else, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D just makes more sense.

Specs and Features

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D essentially takes the same Zen 5 cores behind the regular 9950X and pairs them with the new 2nd-generation 3D V-Cache found in the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. That means you still get excellent multi-core performance, but paired with better gaming performance thanks to a more capacious cache.

Unlike the Ryzen 9 7950X3D that preceded it, though, the 3D V-Cache is now physically located below the actual CPU cores, rather than above them. This seems like a minor change, to be sure, but it ends up making a major difference in thermal performance. Because the CCD, or Core Complex Die, is what produces most of the CPU’s heat, having it closer to the Integrated Heat Spreader (IHS), means it’s able to dissipate heat more easily. And with AMD’s performance algorithm taking thermal headroom into account, those lower temperatures mean the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is able to run faster, longer.

The physical location of the cache is about more than just temperatures, though. Because it’s directly under the CPU cores, there is less distance for the data to travel, which cuts down on latency. Plus, because the cache gets more space, AMD was able to shove in a ton of it, with the 9950X3D having 144MB of combined L2 and L3 cache. That’s the same amount as in the last-generation Ryzen 9 7950X3D, but it’s still much more than you’re going to find in any non-X3D processor.

Both the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and 9950X3D have the same 170W TDP, though the original 9950X has a higher potential PPT. Though, in my testing, I found that both processors ended up peaking at 200W. Though, the 9950X3D did have a lower peak temperature, only reaching 79°C during the test suite – though it was tested on a different cooler than the original 9950X.

Luckily, because the 9950X3D isn’t using a new chipset, it's compatible with any AM5 AMD motherboard. AMD has come out and said it would support this socket until at least 2027, so you won’t have to worry about getting locked into a dead platform.

Performance

Before I dive into performance results, I have to note that all CPUs were tested on the same hardware, with one exception: the Ryzen 9 9950X. That was tested on an Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero motherboard with a Corsair H170i 360mm AIO cooler. This difference in hardware will have an impact on performance, but it’s not likely to be a major difference, especially since everything is tested at stock settings.

This happened largely because one of the mounting screws for the Asus ROG Ryujin III 360mm cooler I was using snapped when swapping to the 9950X. I will retest the processors in the coming weeks, and if anything is significantly different I’ll be sure to update this section.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread gaming processor with an absolutely ridiculous 144MB of cache, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that it’s incredibly powerful. Even in creative benchmarks, where the 9800X3D fell behind, the 9950X3D has no problem keeping up with the most powerful chips on the market.

What’s surprising is how well the 9950X3D holds up against 9800X3D in single-core workloads. For example, in Cinebench 1T, the 9950X3D gets 2,254 points, compared to 2,033 points, making for a 10% improvement. Then, in the 3DMark CPU Profile test, the 9950X3D scores 1,280 points, which comes in striking distance to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K’s 1,351 points.

Of course, in multi-threaded workloads, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D is really able to stretch its legs, scoring 40,747 points in Cinebench’s multi-core test. Just like the 9800X3D, the 9950X3D does lose some top-end performance in multi-threaded applications, falling short of the 41,123 points from the 9950X and 42,245 points from the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, but it's worth it for the boost in gaming performance.

In Total War: Warhammer 3 at 1080p with Ultra settings, the 9950X3D is able to get 274 fps when paired with the RTX 4090. Compared to 254 fps from the 9800X3D and 255 from the Core Ultra 9 285K, the 9950X3D easily takes the crown here. However, in Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p with the Ultra preset and ray tracing disabled, the 9950X3D delivers 229 fps, down from 240 fps from the 9800X3D. That’s a disappointing result, but it’s still way faster than the 165 fps from the competing Intel processor.

Overkill?

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D might be the most powerful gaming processor on the market right now, but that doesn’t mean it has a de facto lead on every other chip on the market. Most people will have no problem getting by with the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, which just so happens to be much much more affordable at $479.

Instead, the 9950X3D is geared towards gamers that both play games and use creative apps like Photoshop and Premiere, the latter of which sees a 15% performance improvement over the 9800X3D. For a pure gaming PC build, though, you’re probably better off saving that extra $220 for a better graphics card.

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

As part of its Spring Sale, SteelSeries is taking 40% off both PS5 and Xbox editions of its SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Destiny 2: The Final Shape Edition wireless gaming headsets. The Destiny Edition comes with a Booster Pack that includes Destiny themed speaker plates and headband, as well as exclusive Desinty 2 in-game items.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7P Gaming Headset Destiny Edition

If you're looking for an affordable power bank that will fast charge your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or Asus ROG Ally gaming handheld, then check out today's deal. Amazon has the INIU 20,000mAh Power Bank with up to 65W of Power Delivery over USB Type-C for only $21.59 after you clip the 40% off coupon on the product page (if you don't see it, try applying promo code "WN9GQJRA"). INIU power banks have solid reviews and are less expensive than equivalent Anker models. This particular model has 2,600 reviews on Amazon with a 4.5 star average and a Fakespot "B" rating.

Iniu 20,000mAh 65W USB Power Bank for $21.59

Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a series of deck-building card games that you can build and curate to your dark heart’s delight. It's a cooperative game, so you and your fellow players are working together to take on the horrors that await.

It's also part of the extensive world in the Arkham Horror Files family of board games, card games, and the newest, the nicely accessible Arkham Horror: The Role-Playing Game (see on Amazon) and subsequent newly released matching expansive rulebook.

The card deck-builder Arkham Horror card game has been around since 2016. It has seen multiple expansions and revisions since its original printing. Buying the game is also not entirely straightforward outside of the base deck and campaign, as there are multiple ways to build, curate, and personalize your experience.

Featured in this article

Here's a swipe-able, all-in-one carousel of everything discussed in the article, for those who feel confident enough about their Arkham Horror: The Card Game knowleged to skip the blurbs. For everyone else, keep on reading.

The Base Game

The Dunwich Legacy

The Path to Carcosa

The Forgotten Age

The Circle Undone

The Edge of the Earth

The Scarlet Keys

The Dream Eaters

The Innsmouth Conspiracy

The Feast of the Hemlock Vale

The Drowned City

Starter Decks

Interested in adding another character to your roster but aren’t sure if you’re ready to jump into a full expansion? You can buy a few starter investigator decks. These decks are less expensive and will give you more investigators to help you through your game.

That said, these characters may not be as great as the investigators that you’ll find in the larger boxes that are connected to campaigns (see above). There are five to choose from: Harvey Waters, Nathanial Cho, Jacqueline Fine, Winnifred Habbamock, and Stella Clark. All of them are $16.99 but can be found cheaper and on sale from time to time.

Scenario Packs

There are also several standalone scenario packs available to purchase. These offer a smaller dose of action than the full expansions above. They cost $21.99 each. Murder at the Excelsior Hotel has been regarded as one of their more entry-level scenarios, so if you’re looking for something smaller before committing to something bigger, like an expansion, you might want to check that one out.

Other scenario packs include Fortune and Folly, Machinations Through Time, War of the Outer Gods, Labyrinths of Lunacy, and The Blob That Ate Everything.

Return to Boxes

Return to boxes are revamps and additions to select campaigns. They require the base campaign set to play them, and while they are a bonus, they are best suited for folks who are serious about Arkham Horror: The Card Game. They are considered to be luxury items, essentially. And some of them are not the easiest to get a hold of. In fact, when going to create this list, I found that some were discontinued or not easily found through sites like Amazon or even Asmodee itself.

Five return-to-boxes are currently available: Night of the Zealot (the campaign in the original starter box), Dunwich Legacy, Circle of Carcosa, Circle Undone, and Forgotten Age. Some enthusiasts say that Forgotten Age fixes some of the complexities in the original expansion. As you can see, when you click the name of Night of the Zealot, these are out of print, so collectors may find them difficult to come by.

Parallel Investigator Packs

Parallel investigators are alternate versions of investigators that have abilities different from those of their original counterparts, including enhanced abilities and stats. Like Return to Boxes, these are not as easily found at big retailers. Collectors will have to look around for them to get them.

The Bottom Line

If you are a fan of Lovecraft mythos-themed games, Arkham Horror is a universe you’ll absolutely want to explore. One awesome thing about Arkham Horror: The Card Game is that you can play it as a solo game, as well as with friends. The universes and iterations of games make for lots of capacities for adventure, with seemingly endless replayability for several of them.

That said, like the board games, the card games absolutely veer on the more difficult side. They have quite a bit of chance, which can drastically increase replayability as well as frustration. Setup and learning time can also take a few minutes. You’ll find that the card games are easier to set up than the board games, even without expansions, which makes the journey through less painful.

Jennifer Stavros is a contributing freelancer for IGN, covering everything from comics, games, technology, and nerd culture. She has over 15 years of experience in the gaming industry, including testing and writing for Wired, Inverse, and more. Follow her on Twitter or watch her on Twitch under the handle @scandalous.

Drop opens in theaters Friday, April 11. This review is based on a screening at the 2025 SXSW Film and TV Festival.

Usually, the most harrowing thing that might happen if you fail to modify your AirDrop settings is a bunch of teenagers sending you random dick pics – a scenario that’s tweaked in the new Christopher Landon-directed techno-thriller Drop. Landon, who also made Happy Death Day and Freaky, loves a gimmick. And “What if phone, but scary?” sure seems like one. Fortunately, Drop is more interested in thrilling the audience than winking at us, and is a more entertaining film as a result.

Drop makes harassment-by-Bluetooth scary by pivoting away from the prankster angle early on. At first, Violet (Meghann Fahy) is annoyed when someone starts sending her random memes as she waits for her date to arrive at a swanky restaurant on the 38th floor of a Chicago skyscraper. Then the messages start getting more personalized, and Violet realizes that whoever is targeting her – she’s not sure who, but it has to be someone within 50 feet, given their weapon of choice – is watching her, setting a locked-room mystery plot into motion.

The obvious question here is, “Why doesn't she just switch off her phone and leave?” And that’s where the kid in peril comes in. Violet is a single mother, widowed in an incident that’s teased in the movie’s cold open but whose traumatizing details aren’t revealed until the very end. Violet has spent most of the five years since holed up at home with her son, Toby (Jacob Robinson), who was a baby when his dad died and is now a precocious kid with glasses and intense separation anxiety. When she pushes back, Violet’s mystery contact starts threatening Toby, and Drop is just mean enough that we can’t be certain that the little guy will make it out of this alive.

Violet isn’t handling her first time away from Toby since his infancy very well either, compounding her jitters about meeting Henry (Brandon Sklenar), the handsome photographer she’s been messaging on a dating app for the past three months. Henry is patient and understanding, and genuinely interested in building a relationship; without revealing too much, it’s very unlikely that he’s the one provoking Violet. And in a movie landscape choked with well-meaning but hacky takedowns of monstrous men hiding behind friendly façades, it’s kind of refreshing to have a movie where the nice guy is actually, well, nice.

It’s no secret that the latest Marvel film, Captain America: Brave New World, didn’t exactly light the world on fire in terms of critical response, fan response, or box office. In fact, on the latter front some folks have been doom-watching as Brave New World limps along, making money each weekend since its release, but not really making MCU money.

The thing about Hollywood movie budgets is it’s always difficult to track how much money actually went into a film. Yes, budgets will be cited by “studio insiders” and the like, but there’s no real way to know how accurate those figures are unless you’re a number-cruncher on the inside - in this case at Disney or Marvel. And sometimes damage control and image perception will impact the budgets that are reported. Damage control and image perception? In Hollywood? Who knew!

Captain America: Brave New World Box Office Numbers

In the case of Captain America: Brave New World, which as of this writing has been out for four weekends and earned $371 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo), there was definitely damage control to do. Amid increasing doom-and-gloom reports surrounding the MCU overall, there’s also the apparently troubled production history of the film to consider, which was said to include difficult test screenings, expensive reshoots, and even the addition of a new villain character (Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder) to the plot.

The Brave New World budget that has been reported by trade outlets like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter is $180 million, but that seems low considering the reported (at least) 22 days of reshoots, and indeed, some well-sourced industry observers indicate that the final budget was significantly higher. According to The Hot Mic, the budget was in the range of $300 million, while Joanna Robinson and Dave Gonzalez, who wrote the book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios, have said their sources peg the movie as costing closer to $380 million. Bear in mind there’s also the matter of P&A (prints and advertising) costs, which would be in the tens of millions at the very least if not higher for an MCU blockbuster (Variety pegs P&A for Brave New World at $100 million). And then there’s the revenue split that the studio has to share with theater owners!

When Marvel Movie Budgets Stop Mattering

So take the $300 million figure as an example. If that was the total cost for Marvel, then the common wisdom in Hollywood bookkeeping is that the film would need to make $600 million before the studio has even broken even. That clearly will not happen in theaters as the film is slowing down substantially and nearing the end of its theatrical run.

Now all this said, things get much hazier when it comes to the value of having, say, Captain America: Brave New World always available as one of the titles on your streaming service. Or when you can keep selling merchandise based on these characters. Or when you’re setting them up for their next big Avengers movie, which is likely to make way more money than Brave New World has.

This is Hollywood magic, folks, only not the good kind. As underwhelming as the bulk of the post-Endgame MCU has been, there’s a safety net component to being part of a shared universe. It’s also why budgets vs. box office comparisons are both unknowable and not the real issue. While an MCU movie can tank, it still serves the purpose of keeping the series moving and hence is easier to excuse in the grand scheme of things. A standalone movie with no franchise ties, however, has to stand on its own two feet. This is why things are that much harder for the Mickey 17s of the world these days.

Is releasing a stinker like Brave New World the cost of doing business for a shared universe mega-franchise these days? You gotta keep the factory line running, as Lucille Ball learned all those years ago. And if that means every now and then stuffing your face full of chocolate that you don’t really even want, at least you know it comes out in the wash in the end.

O’Dessa streams on Hulu beginning Thursday, March 20. This review is based on a screening at the 2025 SXSW Film and Television Festival.

What happens when you mix Streets of Fire and O Brother, Where Art Thou? with the look and vibes of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon? You get a bold, vibrant, catchy, romantic cyberpunk rock opera with memorable performances and rocking musical numbers seemingly destined for infinite fan edits once it drops on Hulu. One of the best scenes in all of Stranger Things involves Sadie Sink and a great song, but that doesn’t prepare you for just how great her singing voice is in O'Dessa. Director Geremy Jasper tasks Sink with carrying his follow-up to 2017’s Patti Cake$ – and fortunately, she (and the considerable shoulder pads of her retro-cool wardrobe) are more than up for it.

Sink plays O’Dessa’s title character with a stoicism that hides raw vulnerability: She’s a girl who acts tough, moves and dresses like Elvis, and sings like Hank Williams. In her mother’s words, she’s a "dirt farmer," and the last in a long line of "ramblers" – troubadours who once traveled around a now-ravaged landscape lifting spirits and providing hope through song. All O'Dessa wants is to fulfill her dreams of going to the dystopian metropolis of Satylite City to experience all its chaos and grandeur, accompanied only by Willa, a legendary guitar made from a tree that was struck by lightning.

It’s a story that’s powered by an alluring grab bag of mythology: What initially appears to be a grimy Americana take on Homer’s Odyssey – with its long shots of countryside, train-hopping, and colorful side characters – quickly gives way to a cyberpunk retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice once O'Dessa reaches Satylite City and meets the beautiful dancer Euri Dervish (an electrifying Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Sink and Harrison have ample chemistry, and they truly sell this doomed romance drenched in neon and set in opposition to the dictatorial rule of a TV host named Plutonovich (Murray Bartlett).

Read what you will into Jasper creating a villain who’s a media-savvy tyrant running a high-stakes televised talent show, but any commentary in his script is less overt than this implied Trump analogy. The filmmaker prefers to make O’Dessa’s most powerful statements with its dazzling visuals and loaded costume choices. The central romance is one big middle finger to gender norms, with Sink playing humanity’s prophesied savior as an androgynous pop star with slicked-back hair and white tuxedo, opposite Harrison as her tender, graceful, gown-wearing lover.

There’s gusto in the songs, too, a soundtrack of 16 original numbers by Jasper and co-writer Jason Binnick that map O'Dessa's journey onto the evolution of American popular music. Bluesy ballads with personal lyrics eventually give way to rockabilly and even acid-rock psychedelia. Sink finally gets to show off her Broadway-honed pipes on screen; it’s a shame it took this long for her to find this kind of role, because her vocals are simply enchanting. At a time when studios are still making musicals but appear hesitant to sell them as such (who puts together a trailer for Wicked with barely any footage of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande singing?), here’s one that boldly proclaims what it is, with little time to rest in between music numbers. It joyfully goes from one song to the next, with the music keeping the story aloft.

Accompanying the catchy tunes is a strong visual aesthetic that makes O'Dessa stand out in a sea of indistinguishable cyberpunk stories. A sense of naturalism in the early scenes mingles with the look of a lost video-store favorite from the 1980s in Satylite City. There’s an environmental message in there, too, via the constant sight of oil pipelines in the countryside and the iridescent look of the oil that powers Plutonovich's empire.

Hazelight's latest co-op adventure, Split Fiction, has officially surpassed one million copies sold in the first 48 hours, setting a new record for the studio.

This news was announced on BlueSky, with the official account saying, "The love you all show for our game is overwhelming! 😍 Everyone here at Hazelight are beyond happy - and we can’t stop enjoying your amazing reactions! 🤩"

Notably this is one million copies sold, which means it's possible that far more than that are playing Split Fiction. Every copy of the game comes with a Friend's Pass that lets a friend play the entire game in co-op with the purchaser for free. While not everyone will take advantage of that option (some will play local co-op, some may play with someone who already owns the game, etc), that's still a whole lot of people playing Split Fiction.

This is a huge sales jump from Hazelight's last game, It Takes Two, which didn't reach the one million milestone until a month after launch. But that in and of itself was deemed an impressive milestone, with studio head Josef Fares saying at the time that it proved players want co-op games.

We really dug Split Fiction, calling it "a rollercoaster of constantly refreshed gameplay ideas and styles – and one that’s very hard to walk away from" in our 9/10 review.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Lenovo has just dropped the price of the PlayStation 5 DualSense controller to slightly lower than what we saw on Black Friday. Right now you can choose Sterling Silver, Volcanic Red, or Cobalt Blue for only $54 plus free shipping after you apply coupon code "PLAY5" in cart. This is probably going to be your last chance to get a DualSense controller at this price for quite a while, especially one that's decked out in a eye-catching metallic colorway.

Sony PS5 DualSense Controller for $54

Warning: This piece contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II game.

The second season of The Last of Us is premiering on April 13, 2025, and we just got another look at the series in a new trailer over the weekend. But amidst all the excitement for the acclaimed game adaptation’s next entry, something stood out to us in the latest trailer: the confirmation that spores will be included. This might seem like a small detail to the uninitiated, but it was actually one of the show’s biggest deviations from the source material. Instead of spores, the first season primarily used tendrils emerging from infected individuals as the way the cordyceps infection spreads. When asked by Variety (during Season 1’s run) about the shift to tendrils, series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said they wanted to try new things with the show’s version of events. So why the change of heart?

Well, there are several important scenes in The Last of Us Part II game that hinge on the spores, and perhaps the writing team didn’t anticipate how much they’d need that story element eventually before making the change for the first season. Let’s take a look at why the spores are so important to Part II and how this speaks to the care creators need to take when making sweeping changes in adaptations.

What Are Spores in The Last of Us?

If you’ve only seen the show and not played the games, a quick refresher: the cordyceps infection in the games is primarily transmitted through bites or scratches from infected, but can also be transmitted via fungal spores, typically in underground areas where the fungus can fester unabated. Many sections of the games feature the characters moving through such areas while wearing gas masks to prevent breathing in the deadly spores. This was purely for story and not gameplay (you can’t lose your gas mask and die, for example), but the spores were an important atmospheric element, serving as a visual metaphor for how the fungus was changing and taking over the world right from the root, if you’ll pardon the pun.

In The Last of Us Season 1, the spores were omitted, with the creators recycling the tendril idea from concept art for the first game. Not that there’s anything wrong with making changes in adaptations (we’ve previously made the case for that about The Last of Us here at IGN), but such changes should be purposeful. Getting rid of the spores felt like an arbitrary choice, especially since it raises multiple questions about the world-building now that they’re being included in Season 2. To be fair, Mazin said in the Variety interview that “to say that our world is devoid of them would not be accurate. We don’t quite know yet.” But that doesn’t change that the world as presented in Season 1 doesn’t have them, so Season 2 including them feels odd.

So much of daily life as a survivor in the world of the Last of Us games revolves around doing everything possible to avoid infection, including being aware of how to detect and avoid spores, that their never coming up in the last season is a bit jarring. The case could be made that the show’s fungus recently evolved the spores, but that’s hard to justify when we’re dealing with such a short period of time (a small handful of years at most) passing between seasons. Regarding the inclusion of spores in Season 2, Druckmann claimed at SXSW that there is a “dramatic reason” why the spores are returning. We won’t know exactly what he means until we see the new season, but looking at the second game, there are multiple big scenes where not having the spores would be a serious obstacle to try to write around.

The Biggest Spore Scenes That Could Appear in The Last of Us Season 2

With Season 2 jumping right into adapting The Last of Us Part II, it’s worth examining the ways the spores are likely to be used in telling that game’s story. We already know Part II will take multiple seasons to adapt, so we might not see all of these scenes in the upcoming season, but they’re good to keep in mind either way.

Ellie and Dina’s Subway System Attack

The earliest is when Dina, Ellie’s companion and love interest in Part II who will be played by Isabela Merced in the show, learns that Ellie is immune to infection. While being attacked by infected in the remains of the spore-filled Seattle subway system, Ellie’s mask is damaged, leading her to take it off in front of a shocked Dina. Once they’re out of danger, Ellie tells Dina that she is immune, which is a massive turn in their relationship. This would not be easy to replace with a bite or tendril scene because a huge part of it is Dina saying she can share her mask with Ellie (proving how much she cares for Ellie), which is what prompts Ellie to take her own mask off and save Dina’s life.

Nora’s Infection and Ellie’s Quest for Vengeance for Joel

Later on, Ellie confronts Nora, one of Abby’s friends and a target on Ellie’s hit list. While holding Nora at gunpoint in a confrontation with Washington Liberation Front soldiers, Ellie purposefully tosses herself and Nora into the spore-filled basement, knowing that it will make it difficult for the WLF to chase her. With Nora infected by spores, Ellie corners her in the basement and demands to know Abby’s location. When Nora asks why she should give Abby up when she’s effectively already dead, Ellie says she can make Nora’s death quick or make her final moments as tortuous as possible. Again, the spores are what makes the scene function on an in-universe level, but this is also a crucial moment dramatically because it cements how hardened Ellie has become from Joel’s death and how dark she’s willing to go in her quest to avenge him.

Abby, Lev, and the WLF vs. the Seraphites

There’s also a spore-related scene that’s critical to Abby’s arc. While traveling with new character Lev on a search for surgical supplies, Abby (who will be played by Kaitlyn Dever in Season 2) has to find an extra mask for Lev so they can travel through a spore-filled section of a hotel. The fact that Lev doesn’t have a mask is a peek into the mentality of the island-dwelling Seraphite nation he comes from, where they have no need to worry about infection from “demons” (as they refer to the infected), but it’s also a moment where Abby takes significant risk to help both Lev with the mask and Lev’s sister Yara with the medical supplies. Abby softening towards Lev and Yara despite them coming from an enemy faction (Abby is a member of the WLF, which is at war with the Seraphites) gives her new dimension after the game initially establishes her as Joel’s cold-blooded killer.

Now, we don’t know for sure if the creative team on the series looked at Part II and thought “what have we done?” for not including spores. But the fact that they’re walking back a not-insignificant creative choice from the first season indicates that they realized the spores are a critical part of the game’s lore and narrative. Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with making changes in adaptation; different mediums have different priorities. But it’s also important to consider the long-term ramifications of making big changes to in-universe lore in case they become roadblocks down the line. At least for now, it looks like The Last of Us has folded on the spore front, but hopefully its creators and those of other adaptations think twice before throwing away such important world-building elements of the source material.

Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Bluesky.

Angry Miao is best known for its bespoke, and very expensive, mechanical keyboards. They’re great and usually packed with innovative features, but they’re so pricey that they’re out of reach for most people, which is what makes the Infinity gaming mouse so refreshing. Taking inspiration from the Logitech G Pro Wireless and the Razer Viper Mini, it’s lightweight and designed for competition with its high-performance sensor and 8,000Hz polling rate. Unlike those other mice, however, it’s able to ostensibly run forever without needing to be plugged in thanks to its swappable battery design, helping it stand out even among the best gaming mice today. It’s not perfect, but it's the exact kind of product that makes you wonder why no one thought of it sooner.

Angry Miao Infinity Mouse – Design and Features

Angry Miao isn't a household name, but if you have paid attention to the custom mechanical keyboard scene over the last several years, you may very well have seen some of its products. It made its name delivering premium boutique custom mechanical keyboards that blended art with functional peripherals. In fact, it refers to its community as a “future art” community, and it only takes a glance at the Infinity Mouse to see its design inspirations made manifest.

There's clearly Angry Miao DNA throughout, but its size and shape borrow equally from the Razer Viper Mini and Logitech G Pro Wireless – the company hasn't been shy about sharing which competitors it’s targeting either. And that makes a lot of sense because even though it looks very different, the feel and performance are very similar and the mouse has the added benefits of a lightweight, but exceptionally sturdy frame and practically unlimited battery life.

Like the Razer Viper Mini SE, it uses a frame made of skeletonized magnesium-aluminum alloy. There’s a surprising amount that has been removed for weight reduction, including the very bottom of the palm rest. This is a mouse that hides nothing. Unlike the Viper’s design language, however, the Infinity Mouse leans into contours more than aggressive angles, citing the Lotus Evanora Concept car as an inspiration.

Despite having so much removed, it's quite comfortable to use. It honestly surprised me because when I saw that the bottom of the palm rest was completely absent, I thought for sure that it would be distracting but it really wasn’t. The company has shared that it studied grip styles in the development of this mouse and that most people with average or large hands don’t contact this area very much, which is where I land. If you have very small hands, however, the company has suggested this cutout may become noticeable and that you might be better suited looking at other mice.

The use of magnesium aluminum alloy is smart. Angry Miao isn't the only company to have done that and neither is Razer. But this particular combination is naturally very light as well as being very strong. At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Infinity Mouse is going to feel cheap and likely to break. Nothing could be further from the truth. The cutouts can be a little unnerving for dust and spills, but the structural integrity is very strong, and there is no flex whatsoever. It’s as sturdy as gaming mice come – it's also very lightweight. My sample was an early prototype and weighed in at 49 grams. On the company's Kickstarter page, it shares that it's looking for ways to reduce this weight further and isn't prepared to share the final weight at this point. but even at 49 grams it's one of the lightest weight gaming mice available without paying significantly more and shrinking down in size. The Razer Viper Mini SE weighs the same so even shaving off a gram or two will allow Angry Miao to claim the advantage.

The company has outfitted it with a top-tier sensor and specs for competitive gaming. It uses a modern sensor in the PixArt 3950 which features a maximum DPI of 30,000, a top speed of 750 IPS, and 50G of acceleration. The tracking is also fantastic – it was reliably pixel-perfect accurate throughout my testing, which really comes as no surprise given PixArt’s track record.

Angry Miao has gone for TTC V2 micro switches, which are also great. They have a satisfying, just sharp enough click that competes well with Razer and Logitech. They are optical switches, so there are no mechanical contacts to cause the dreaded double-click issue over time and allows them to avoid debounce delay for faster performance. They’re rated for 100 million clicks each, so long-term durability shouldn’t be a concern.

The Infinity Mouse comes with tri-mode wireless connectivity. You can connect over Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or use the included USB Type-C cable, though there’s usually no reason to. While Bluetooth is traditionally limited to its 125Hz polling rate, 2.4GHz can be set to 8K polling in perpetuity.

Which brings us to the Infinity Mouse's main party trick: hot-swappable batteries. The mouse comes with a polling dock that doubles as a battery charger. Every mouse will come with two 350mAh batteries, so when one runs low, you can pop it out and swap it with the other in just a few seconds. Both the dock and the mouse use strong magnets that draw the batteries into place. Because of the hole in the palm rest and another in the dock, ejecting each battery can be done with a finger and exchanged with the other in less time than it takes to respawn in a match of Call of Duty.

This system completely sidesteps the usual limitation on 8K wireless mice, where setting such a high polling rate usually chews through the battery much faster than 1K, 2K, or even 4K polling. While you might get upwards of a week with a 1kHz polling rate, 8K might limit you to a single day depending on how much you play. Here, you can swap batteries on the fly, and even though the mouse turns off while this happens, it turns on and reconnects immediately after the new battery is inserted. That makes this the only gaming mouse that you can leave on 8K 24/7 without worrying about plugging it in. Unless you're taking it on the go and don't have the extra battery with you, it's just not necessary.

Each battery lasts for around 15 hours in my experience and is rated for 17 hours. Even with this system, I didn't have to swap more than a couple times a week with my usual gaming schedule. The hot-swap battery feature does require that you have the charger out on your desk at all times. It's not that different from other 8K polling dongles, but it is a bit bigger to accommodate the charging slot. It lights up with an RGB glow, which looks good, but if your goal is to avoid extra things on your desk, it’s still not going to be the best fit.

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The final thing to consider is software. This is an area where I unfortunately couldn't do much testing. The mouse does support software and I was able to take a tour of its settings — DPI and polling rate settings, RGB controls for the light, and other simple but necessary features — but on my early sample, settings wouldn’t save yet. It is still being actively developed, however, and a representative for the company assured me that it will be ready by the time people receive their units. Given where it’s at in development now, that seems reasonable, but again, it isn’t something I was able to test myself.

Angry Miao Infinity Mouse – Performance

The Angry Miao Infinity Mouse is more comfortable than it has any right to be. All of the cutouts in its frame make it look like it would be distracting and even a bit uncomfortable to use, but that's just not the case. In fact, when you're actually using it, those cutouts aren't noticeable at all. It's quite comfortable, in fact, despite looking like something out of a sci-fi movie.

I can see the inspiration from the Razer Viper Mini here, and the fact that it's more gently curved definitely harkens back to the Logitech G Pro Wireless. The blend of those two design styles as well as Angry Miao's unique chassis design make it at once familiar while also feeling fresh. I like it and how it allows you to see every component that makes it tick. You’d better believe I keep liquids far away from it, though – one spill and there’s no going back.

It’s an impressive peripheral on multiple levels.

That trade-off is worth it for its light weight, however. It's so light that without a magnesium shell, it would almost certainly feel cheap. As it is, you can almost forget it's there, allowing it to become an extension of your arm. Its PTFE glide feet allow it to move effortlessly across soft or hard surfaces, but I especially liked it on my hard Razer Firefly mouse pad. It feels downright rapid with how fast it is, which is a perfect fit for an ultralight design such as this.

As I alluded to earlier, tracking was stellar with a sensor such as the PixArt 3950 driving the experience; a high-performance sensor if ever there was one. I wasn't able to get it to spin out or feel less than pixel-perfect, even as I scaled DPI and sensitivity settings, integrating these configurations sensibly. Even side by side with my different generations of Razer Viper, the Infinity lacked absolutely nothing.

The battery system is easily the best thing to come to gaming mice since the Logitech PowerPlay charging mousepad. The batteries are so lightweight that they don't detract from the experience at all, and swapping them out is so quick that you essentially never have to worry about plugging in again. You could be in the middle of a match – in the middle of a firefight, even – and if the low battery indicator came on, you could be swapped and back to full battery before running from cover.

For competitive gaming, this is excellent. With the Infinity Mouse, you don't need to choose between battery life and the mouse at its full responsiveness (that 8,000Hz polling rate), allowing you to focus on the game consistently. And if you're paying this much for a mouse, no longer needing to consider that trade-off is a pretty big perk.

Frankly, there's just not a lot to criticize about this mouse. You can tell that a lot of attention and iteration went into its design, and that Angry Miao understands the target audience. You'll either love or hate the skeletonized spaceship-like design, and it may not be suited for those with smaller hands, but it’s an impressive peripheral on multiple levels.

Here are the best deals for Tuesday, March 11. HIghlights include rare discounts on PS5 Dualsense controllers from Lenovo, an Asus Chromebook for just over $100 from Best Buy, the coveted AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D back in stock on Amazon at a non marked-up price, big savings on speedy Samsung SSDs, power banks for your handheld gaming PCs, and more.

Sony PS5 DualSense Controller for $54

Chromebooks aren't exactly gaming-minded PCs, but they're compact, lightweight, great for productivity on the go, and in this case, a bargain. As part of Best Buy's Deal of the Day, you can pick up this Asus 14" Chromebook for just $118 shipped after a $180 off instant discount, although I'd say the MSRP is a tad inflated. Even so, that's still a fantastic deal for a chromebook that features a relatively recent 8-core MediaTek processor which pairs well with Google Chrome OS.

Best Buy Deal of the Day: Asus 14" Chromebook for $118

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) veteran Scarlett Johansson says Black Widow is "dead" and doesn’t seem interested in returning to the character anytime soon.

The star touched on the Avenger's future in the MCU during an interview with InStyle. While she looks ahead at leaving her mark on another big-budget franchise with this summer’s Jurassic World Rebirth, Marvel fans have speculated about what it might take to see her revisit Natasha Romanoff. Black Widow no doubt played an important role in Johansson’s career, but it doesn’t seem like she has much interest in returning to the character anytime soon.

“Natasha is dead. She is dead. She's dead. Okay?” Johansson said in response to fans calling for her return.

Although Johansson last portrayed the character in 2021’s Black Widow standalone film, the assassin actually met her in-universe demise in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame when sacrificing herself to save Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye. It was about as unambiguous a death as Marvel could possibly cook up, but that hasn’t stopped fans from theorizing about how she — and others — may return.

“They just don't want to believe it," Johansson added. "They’re like, ‘But she could come back!’ Look, I think the balance of the entire universe is held in her hand. We’re going to have to let it go. She saved the world. Let her have her hero moment.”

MCU fans have mused about bringing back dead fictional characters long before Black Widow made her sacrifice for the Soul Stone. Event movies like the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars have been propped up not only as the next chapter for the MCU but as potentially cameo-filled blockbusters, too.

We already know Robert Downey Jr. will hang up his Iron Man suit to play the first new live-action Doctor Doom in more than a decade, but there are also rumors that other recognizable faces will appear. In December, The Wrap reported that Chris Evans would return as Captain America. It's a claim he later denied, but it’s also sent Marvel fans spinning as they wonder how he may play a part in a future MCU film.

Meanwhile, Hayley Atwell’s Agent Carter has died in MCU movies not once but twice and is still rumored to show up in next year’s Doomsday project. With so many names in the running to reappear, it’s hard to blame fans for speculating about potential inclusions even with Johansson outright denying that Black Widow has another shot at life. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until May 1, 2026 for Avengers: Doomsday and May 7, 2027 for Avengers: Secret Wars to see who, living or dead, makes the cut.

For more on the MCU, you can check out our list of every upcoming movie and show Marvel has in the works. You can also catch up with the comic book company’s most recent project, Daredevil: Born Again, which will premiere its third episode tonight.

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).

With all the trailers, showcases, and dev diaries that often lead up to a game’s launch nowadays, it’s harder than ever for one to be a real surprise – and that’s especially true of a multiplayer first-person shooter when, like me, you are a Certified Old Gamer™ who’s been playing them since the genre began. Yet FragPunk has done just that. What I worried might end up being a Valorant clone with a card gimmick and a big list of other buzzword features has instead impressed me with how fresh it all feels. It's still early, and I'm far from ready to say if this is a definite winner, but so far, I’m having a hard time putting FragPunk down.

In many ways, FragPunk reminds me of a reverse Ship of Theseus. If every component of a game came from somewhere else, does it eventually become something original? It’s hard to say, but the result is at least a lot of fun. Like Overwatch, it has very distinct characters with big personalities and unique tools to match them. Like Valorant or Counter-Strike, the primary game mode, called Shard Clash, revolves around teams of five competing to plant or defuse a Converter (aka bomb) or eliminate one another across multiple rounds. And like Fortnite, it has a deep bag of cosmetic items like costumes, weapon skins, stickers, and emotes to entice you to spend some money on this otherwise free-to-play shooter.

FragPunk’s playable characters are called Lancers, and so far this is a fun group to choose from. Some are relatively typical archetypes, like a sniper named Hollowpoint with her abilities that help reveal enemies. Others are way out there, like the punk rocker Axon, who shoots lightning from his guitar. Unlike Valorant, where abilities can give you an edge but are rarely what win a fight outright, Fragpunk places a much bigger emphasis on using them to dominate the map, which I like. When abilities like Broker’s rocket launcher can instantly erase enemies, it feels good to use it yourself or devise a counter on the fly as you see it coming, like throwing down a wall of Fungi as Pathojen to provide cover and then returning fire from a remote controlled combat drone.

Naturally, Fragpunk isn’t all lightning guitars and rockets. Your standard assortment of shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles, and more forms the backbone of combat. I don’t mind that the guns really aren’t the star of the show here, but I do wish there was more variety to choose from. There are two options in each category you can select as your primary weapon, and they all shoot pretty much exactly how you’d expect. Most of the maps seem to favor medium-range engagements, so I’ve been gravitating toward the SMGs. The gunplay is smooth and responsive, and the fast time-to-kill does a good job of emphasizing the importance of positioning over raw gun skill.

The other aspect of shooting that stands out is how little movement affects your aim. Unlike Valorant, where stopping and popping is often essential if you want to be accurate, Fragpunk fully embraces running and gunning. I found myself repeatedly lagging behind my squad in kill count until a teammate pointed out that I’m better off treating gunfights like Call of Duty with powers, advice that put me right at the top of the next match’s leaderboard. That style of shooting isn’t necessarily better than the more deliberate action of other games, but it does stick out as atypical for an objective-based tactical shooter in a way that seems like a perfect fit with the general FragPunk vibe.

The star of the show, however, is the Shard Card system. Before every round, each team has three random cards pulled that players can then put Shard Points into, effectively voting on which ones will be active. The costs of effects vary, and you earn more Shard Points by either getting kills or picking them up off the ground mid-round. Some Shard Cards are simple, like one that increases your movement speed, while others are extremely powerful, like another that forces the next round to play out as a melee battle – or one called Big Heads, which (as advertised) gives the entire enemy team overgrown, easy-to-hit craniums. A few are even downright weird, like Egg King, which causes you to lay an egg after crouching for ten seconds, which you can then eat to regain health. It’s hilarious, utterly bizarre, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a shooter before.

I’m surprised by how much I enjoy the card-collecting aspect of FragPunk. You start with less than a third of the 169 total Shard Cards in your inventory and can earn more after completing matches. Getting more matters, as the cards that are randomly selected before each round are based on what each team member has unlocked. It’s pretty exciting getting a new card and reading what weirdness it’s going to introduce. I also appreciate that you can easily see your collection, read the effect, and, in some cases, watch a quick video showing you exactly what it does.

Rounds of Shard Clash go by fast – possibly too fast. In theory, one team is trying to plant the Converter on one of two objective points, which the other team would then need to defuse… but in practice, the overwhelming majority of rounds end when one team wipes out the other, often in just a few minutes. That means that matches rarely have the same sort of strategic back and forth that makes hard-fought games of Valorant so engaging. It also means that Lancers with abilities that have more of a nuanced, tactical focus have seemed less viable overall so far. I’d love to hunker down with Nito’s turrets and drone to hold a point, but that’s just a recipe to have all the action happen elsewhere. Hopefully some balance tweaks will arrive to make the objectives a more relevant part of the action.

Matches end when one team wins four total rounds, but if both teams reach three wins before that happens, it activates one of my favorite twists: Duels. This has each team face off in a series of 1v1 fights in a small arena, and whoever survives sticks around to face the other team’s next champion until every member of one has been eliminated. Health and abilities don’t regenerate round to round, which makes it tough for one great player to run the table. The action is as exciting as it is tense, and spectating while you root on your teammate and wait for your own turn is thrilling, especially when you get the win that clinches the Duel and, by extension, the entire match for your team.

So far, I am really enjoying FragPunk, though there are still some unanswered questions before I can render a final verdict. I’m still a few levels short of being able to compete in ranked competition, which is an important mode for this sort of game. Likewise, as much as I’m enjoying both the action and the hilariously mad Shard Cards, I wonder if that novelty could wear off sooner rather than later. There are still more matches to be fought, Lancers to unlock, cards to collect, and quite a few in-game currencies to figure out. For now, I can say that FragPunk is very fun, and while it is pulling a lot from games that came before, it goes against the grain and mixes in twists in a way that feels original, which has me looking forward to playing more.

Max 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 has season 2 coming this year on Sunday, April 13. 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 – 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. It's worth signing up for this right now as well, given Hulu and Disney Plus have increased their prices, so you'll ultimately be saving money with this bundle.

Students Get 50% off Max Basic With Ads

Rockstar owner Take-Two Interactive is suing online marketplace PlayerAuctions, alleging it contains "thousands of listings for unauthorized, infringing GTA V content – including heavily modified player accounts, in-game assets, and virtual currency – all gained by using hacking software, cheats, and technical exploits."

The lawsuit was filed last week in the U.S. Central District Court of California against the Chinese company that owns the website, Paiao Network Technology. It accuses PlayerAuctions of operating "with full knowledge that its sellers are engaged in rampant infringement and other unauthorized conduct," while it "reaps millions in revenue by taking a cut of every transaction on its marketplace."

Specifically, Take-Two alleges that PlayerAuctions hosts listings of modded accounts that have been manipulated to give high game levels and in-game currency, or to unlock content normally unlocked through playing or purchases. Take-Two also claims PlayerAuctions sells money drop services that work using hacking software to give purchasing players large amounts of in-game money, and account boosting services where sellers use hacking software or glitches to inflate a purchasing player's in-game level or currency total.

Take-Two further argues that PlayerAuctions goes out of its way to "lull its users into buying illegitimate GTA V content from its sellers" by offering refunds if the hacked accounts purchased are caught and banned post-purchase. According to the complaint, Take-Two has "repeatedly confronted PlayerAuctions with evidence of infringement" and has issued a cease and desist, but PlayerAuction has refused to shut down these listings.

The GTA publisher is claiming relief for multiple different types and levels of copyright infringement, as well as intentional interference with contract. Take-Two is seeking a permanent enjoinment on PlayerAuctions from continuing to directly or indirectly sell accounts, currency, or items in any Take-Two game, or participating in or assisting hacking efforts, or infringing the GTA trademarks. It's also seeing damages for trademark infringement, costs and attorney fees, damages, and restitution.

Take-Two isn't the only company going after PlayerAuctions. Early last month, Roblox filed a similar suit in the Northern District of California Court covering roughly the same accusations, attempts at a cease and desist, claims, and prayer for relief. Notably, PlayerAuctions offers similar sales and services across many other games, including World of Warcraft, Genshin Impact, Valorant, Path of Exile, Final Fantasy 14, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. In total, PlayerAuctions claims to sell various boosts, items, and benefits for over 200 games.

While the Take-Two suit is still early in the process, the Roblox case has its first hearing set for March 20 in Oakland, California, where Roblox is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop PlayerAuctions from selling Roblox-related products and services while the case proceeds.

The lawsuit comes ahead of the fall 2025 launch of GTA 6, which Take-Two recently reaffirmed. The hope is of course that any new version of GTA Online that launches alongside GTA 6 will be as free from cheaters as is possible, and the lawsuit may go some way to helping.

We’ve got plenty more on GTA 6, including Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick’s response to concern about the fate of GTA Online once GTA 6 comes out.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Samsung's newest SSD - the Samsung 990 Evo Plus PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe solid state drive - is on sale today. Pick up the 2TB model for $129.99 or, if you can swing it, the 4TB model is an even better deal at $249.99. It's currently $40-$70 cheaper than the Samsung 990 Pro and most (if not all) gamers won't notice the difference in performance.

Samsung 990 Evo Plus 2TB PS5 SSD for $129.99

4TB for $259.99

Last year the 9th generation iPad was the least expensive iPad you could get brand new and with warranty. It was regularly priced at $179, but it went out of stock pretty much everywhere starting from Black Friday. Fortunately, it's back for one final harrah; right now, Walmart has it available for delivery for only $179 shipped. Seriously though, this deal probably won't last much longer so don't hesitate.

2021 9th Gen Apple iPad 10.2" 64GB for $179

Fallout Season 2 is set to head to New Vegas, and some new set videos are teasing what it might look like, potentially across different eras.

Warning! Potential spoilers for the Fallout TV show follow.

Videos shared by TikTok user onzo1313 (thanks, Eurogamer) give us a tantalizing look at the Fallout show's adaptation of New Vegas. One video shows part of New Vegas, including the iconic Lucky 38 resort and casino, all bright and lit up. It's certainly far from the rusty place you might expect, but there's likely a good reason.

@onzo1313 #fallout #falloutseriestv #lucky38 #filming #falloutnewvegas #fypシ #fypシ゚viral #casino ♬ Original Sound - Unknown

In a separate video, we can see a welcome sign for the strip and another for The Tops, among other locales, that are a bit more worn, weathered, and cobbled together. The easy conclusion to draw is that we'll see the strip both pre- and post-war.

@onzo1313 Backstage #fallout #fallouttvshow #fypシ゚viral #backstage #dalloutnewvegas #falloutseriestv #fyp #falloutseriesedit #fypシ゚ ♬ Welcome to Las Vegas - Freccero

It's an exciting prospect, especially for Fallout: New Vegas fans and those eager to see the glitz and glamour of the strip before the bombs dropped in the Fallout universe.

The show is confirmed to be heading to New Vegas for Season 2, and it's not just about the location itself. Mr. House is set to be a part of the new season, though how involved he'll be is still unclear. We've already seen the tease of some familiar sights thanks to previous set leaks, and all that indicates the Amazon series is going to journey to quite a few notable spots in the Mojave.

In February, Walton Goggins — who plays The Ghoul in the series — said Fallout Season 2 will blow Season 1 "out of the water." A lit-up New Vegas strip certainly doesn't dissuage his claims. We'll see more as information rolls out on the next season of Amazon's adaptation.

To help tide you over until Season 2 premieres, be sure to check out our interview with Todd Howard and Jonathan Nolan covering all our burning questions after the end of Season 1.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

For most PC gamers, buying a prebuilt gaming rig is far more attractive than it used to be. Years ago it was inarguably cheaper to build your own gaming PC than to buy a boutique gaming rig. That's not the case anymore. It's not uncommon for major brands like Alienware, HP, and Lenovo to offer quality pre-built PCs for cheaper than the cost of building your own PC with the exact same specs.

We've compiled a list of the best current gaming PC deals, both from the manufacturers themselves like Dell (Alienware), HP, and Lenovo, as well as from reliable 3rd party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. This includes an incredible deal on a Dell Tower Plus RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $2849.99. These PCs are significantly discounted from their normal retail price and are going to be less expensive than comparable models from other brands.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $2,400

Blizzard has announced today that it will once again hold an in-person BlizzCon convention at the Anaheim Convention Center. However, it won't be happening until 2026.

In a press release today, Blizzard revealed the next in-person BlizzCon dates: September 12 and 13, 2026. It also promised to bring back favorite convention elements such as the opening ceremony, panels, the Darkmoon Faire, competitions, and hands-on gameplay. Additionally, Blizzard says it will "aim to meaningfully elevate this iconic celebration and create an unforgettable experience for all who take part in it."

Blizzard did not provide an explanation for why it was skipping 2025, or if it has plans for any sort of online celebration this year.

BlizzCon's status has been rocky the last few years. Formerly an annual event, it was, like many other similar events, canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2021 as a digital show in 2021, then went on hiatus again in 2022. In 2023, BlizzCon was held once again in person with plans to follow it up in 2024, but the event was then canceled for that year as well. While no reason was given at the time, the 2024 cancellation followed its acquisition by Microsoft, and a rash of mass layoffs company-wide.

The question of what BlizzCon will look like under Microsoft's oversight remains, and we won't find out the answer until at least next year. At least we have loads of time to plan our cosplay.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Bong Joon-ho's latest film, Mickey 17, led by Robert Pattinson as the titular character (and many more Mickeys) is officially up for preorder in a physical format. If you've been hoping to get your hands on a copy of this film after checking it out in the cinema, there's a 4K steelbook up for preorder for $39.99, a standard 4K for $34.99, and a Blu-ray for $29.99. There's no official release date for these yet, but by putting your preorders in now you'll set yourself up for success when it's officially announced.

Preorder Mickey 17 on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach's latest trailer revealed a bevy of new information, including one particular casting that's caused quite a stir thanks to the character's distinctly Solid Snake-esque vibes. As it turns out, casting this character went a bit further, as director Hideo Kojima tried to find someone who could surpass a standout from the first Death Stranding.

On X/Twitter, Kojima wrote a lengthy post about the process of casting Italian actor Luca Marinelli to play Neil in Death Stranding 2. "During the pandemic, I was casting for DS2," Kojima said. "Neil would be an important role that replaces Cliff from DS1. The fans would not be satisfied unless the casting would surpass Mads."

Kojima first learned of Marinelli through his role in the Italian film They Call Me Jeeg, and a correspondence sprung up around the Japanese distribution of the film Martin Eden. Marinelli sent an email to Kojima, which read: "I grew up with Metal Gear. I am a big fan of yours. I am very honored that you saw the film I starred in. I wanted to tell you this directly."

After seeing Marinelli in The Old Guard, Kojima sent the actor an email offer and talked with him after the actor wrapped filming The Eight Mountains. Once pitched, Marinelli agreed and, after learning Kojima was looking for someone to play Lucy, introduced the game director to his wife Alissa Jung.

"We did their scan and pcap [performance capture] during the height of the pandemic, but their on-set performance was excellent," Kojima said. "You can see that in the digitized results from even the small bits of the trailer. I can only thank Luca and Alissa for agreeing to perform when we didn't even have a script yet."

Marinelli's character, Neil, has been one of the breakout reveals from the latest Death Stranding 2 trailer. At its conclusion, we see Neil don a bandanna in the same way Solid Snake would in Metal Gear Solid, before directing a squad of soldiers in the same manner as Cliff in the first Death Stranding.

The casting has clearly been on Kojima's mind for some time, as has the imagery of Luca donning the bandana. Back in 2020, Kojima talked about how Marinelli had caught his attention, adding: "I think if he donned a bandanna, he'd be a spitting image of Solid Snake!"

While it's unlikely Neil is some multiversal Snake, the imagery certainly brings to mind Kojima's legacy with the Metal Gear franchise. Hopefully, he's picked the right man for the job. For more, check out IGN's feature, Who Is Kojima’s New ‘Solid Snake’ and Why Death Stranding 2 Looks Like the Closest We’ll Ever Get to Another Metal Gear Solid.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is set to launch on June 26, 2025 exclusively on PlayStation 5.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

“To me, there is no greater pleasure than to feel the warmth of my fists drenched in blood.”

Those fiendish words are spoken by the brutal supervillain Conquest – voiced by The Walking Dead’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan – in IGN’s exclusive clip from the Season 3 finale of Invincible, which streams on Prime Video this Thursday, March 13.

The clip – which you can watch via the player below – is from one of the biggest and bloodiest battles in the adult-animated superhero series.

The battle-scarred Conquest first appeared in last week’s penultimate episode, which saw the alternate universe Invincibles invade Earth. He’s the especially powerful enforcer the Viltrum Empire sends to make protagonist Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun) complete his mission of prepping Earth for takeover.

As we explained in our preview of Invincible, Season 3, “Conquest appears in the aftermath of a particularly devastating conflict on Earth, bringing with him an ultimatum from the Viltrumite Empire. Either Invincible carries out his duty and conquers his homeworld in the name of the empire, or Conquest will kill him and finish the job himself. Thus begins the most violent and desperate battle of Mark Grayson’s life (so far).”

Our exclusive clip illustrates the point that IGN’s Jesse Schedeen made in his Season 3 preview that “Mark is still too young and inexperienced to truly hold his own against veteran Viltrumite soldiers. But somehow he’ll have to find a way, because the alternative means his own death and the enslavement of his world.”

The Conquest storyline sets up the endgame for the overall Viltrumite conflict, which should be covered in Invincible’s fourth season. You can catch up on all of our Invincible, Season 3 reviews here.

In addition to Steven Yeun and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Invincible’s voice cast includes Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Seth Rogen, Walton Goggins, Gillian Jacobs, Jason Mantzoukas, Zazie Beetz, Grey DeLisle, Zachary Quinto, Chris Diamantopoulos, Ross Marquand, Khary Payton, Andrew Rannells, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Clancy Brown, Jay Pharoah, Mark Hamill, and Melise Jow.

Invincible is a co-production of Skybound Entertainment and Amazon MGM Studios.

Numerous mechanical characters whirr and wisecrack their way through The Electric State, a slick Netflix time-killer and money-waster set in the aftermath of a war against the machines. The scariest of a robotic ensemble generally more cuddly than fearsome are also the most emblematic: For the true spirit of this vulturous enterprise, look not to the literal sentient mascots (among them an animatronic Mr. Peanut voiced by Woody Harrelson) but to a pack of feral desert scavengers pieced together from the limbs of other artificially intelligent beings. “Just like Toy Story,” you might absently think – and that’s but one precursor likely to leap to mind while watching a likewise Frankensteined streaming mockbuster begging only to be half-watched. An elevator pitch is easily gleaned from its gleaming assembly of spare parts: What if Starlord and Eleven went on a road trip across the retro-futuristic wasteland of Fallout?

Only by squinting mightily might you see the skeleton of this latest collaboration between the Netflix algorithm and the Hollywood hitmakers most sympathetic to its data-driven whims, Joe and Anthony Russo. The Electric State draws the loosest of inspiration from a 2018 illustrated novel by Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, who envisioned an alternate 1990s dystopia littered with the remnants of 1950s-style space-age technology and populated by humans experiencing life through a brain-rotting VR headset. Haunting and spare, the book reads like a travelogue of the post-apocalypse, told through starkly diaristic first-person prose and Stålenhag’s painterly vistas of junkyard Americana – of abandoned cybernetic behemoths looming over the loneliest stretches of lost highway.

Little of that survives in the adaptation, which is “based on the book” to the same extent that Mickey Mouse is based on the physiology of a rodent. The Russos take Stålenhag’s singular vision to the chop shop, borrowing an image or two (the crimson glow of server towers, looming in the distant background of shots like canyons or skyscrapers) and discarding the rest. The original plot, in which a young woman embarks on a cross-country drive with a big-headed corporate droid virtually piloted by her little brother, has been cheerily cluttered up with nattering supporting characters. Leave it to the directors of Marvel’s most overstuffed event pictures to bastardize a deeply lonely science fiction yarn into another expensive group hug and team-building comedy routine.

Who better to headline a synthetic Amblin Entertainment than the star of Netflix’s hit exercise in Spielberg cosplay, Stranger Things? To sit through The Electric State is to understand why Millie Bobby Brown, the streaming-era equivalent of a studio contract player, doesn’t watch her own movies. No sooner has her rebellious Michelle gotten on the road with the remote-controlled Kid Cosmo – a walking action figure that communicates exclusively through pre-recorded catchphrases, a little like Sheriff Woody, a little like Bumblebee – than the movie is pairing them off with slovenly fence Keats (Chris Pratt, whose cocky goofball routine is beginning to seem rather pre-recorded itself). Keats has his own metal companion, a trash-talking cutup who adds another naked appeal to MCU fans by being voiced by Anthony Mackie.

Most of the robots in this movie are tireless joke dispensers. They trade quips like language models trained on, well, older Russo brothers blockbusters. A dopey newsreel recap of the film’s Terminator-lite mythology and backstory, featuring some Forrest Gump-like footage of Bill Clinton brokering post-Judgment Day peace talks, traces the invention of artificially intelligent robots to none other than Walt Disney. But lest one think the Russos are biting the hand that usually feeds (and is once more signing their enormous checks), note that these AI-friendly filmmakers are very much on the side of computerkind. The movie floats an irony as old as the Voigt-Kampff test: The more dependent we become on technology, the more the technology will start looking more human than human.

For a film about a postwar hellscape where humans have disappeared into virtual reverie, The Electric State goes down smooth. It blithely races through a premise that really ought to be more troubling. The busy story, concocted by fellow Marvel veterans Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, becomes a long chase, but not in that exciting Mad Max way. To save her lost-in-the-code brother (Woody Norman), Michelle has to track down some exposition-spouters. The heavy, played by Stanley Tucci, wants to keep the world hooked on his digital Ready Player One playground. Tucci delivers much of his dialogue on a screen mounted to a mechanical avatar, as does Giancarlo Esposito as the robot hater/hunter tasked with intercepting our heroes. It might be the most topically resonant aspect of the whole movie: supervillainy via Zoom meeting.

At least the effects look good – and let’s hope so, given the $300 million Netflix spent on them. The Avengers movies the Russos directed sometimes drifted into cartoon weightlessness, with celebrity mugs pasted on rubbery CGI bodies, like the supposedly “state-of-the-art” equivalent of an old N64 sports game. The Electric State, by contrast, benefits from the smoothed surfaces and limited expressiveness of its digital creations. When Kid Cosmo first marches into the frame, you can see every moving component of his factory-assembled boots. And the relative simplicity of the designs – some of them lifted from Stålenhag’s artwork, most intended to resemble something that might greet you at the entrance of a roadside Big Boy restaurant – keeps the climactic Endgame-style battle sequence from devolving into blurry muck.

Of course, the very fact that there is a climactic battle sequence in this movie speaks to how thoroughly the Russos have Marvelized their source material, sanding down its weirder edges, reshaping it into something vaguely familiar and formulaic. About midway through the film, the cavalry is taken into a Southwest shopping mall sanctuary for robot survivors of the war, with Harrelson’s drawling, combat-hardened Mr. Peanut overseeing a makeshift Island of Misfit Toys. That’s the movie in, ahem, a nutshell: generic corporate mascots, pleading for our nostalgic affection when not slinging one-liners or preparing for battle. If there’s anything remotely personal about The Electric State, it lies in the ascribing of a soul to assembly-line corporate product… you know, like friendly automatons or the shiny popcorn pictures Martin Scorsese casually dismisses.

But there’s no ghost in the machine of The Electric State, which operates under the skittish assumption that any of the spooky melancholy of the book (or the kind the Russos smuggled into the opening minutes of Endgame) might tank its engagement metrics. Ideologically, it’s muddled to the point of incoherence: an anti-technology cautionary tale that wants you to cry for a bucket of bolts. Still, there’s some semblance of consistency to its anti-screen stance, its sermon about not getting too connected to your digital opiates. After all, Netflix is after a different kind of dystopian future, where movies aren’t so much a consuming addiction as bright, inconsequential background noise.

Monster Hunter Wilds has emerged as one of the most popular games of the year thus far, setting records for both the series and Capcom. The reason for its popularity, according to series producer Ryozo Tsujimoto, comes down to story, immersion, and cross-play.

Tsujimoto spoke to The Nikkei (via Automaton) about Monster Hunter Wilds. According to the producer, the biggest factors that influenced the new Monster Hunter's popularity are an emphasis on story, heightened immersion (citing Wilds being fully voiced), and cross-play.

It might sound a bit strange, but Monster Hunter Wilds does have a surprising interest in the story and "why" behind all of the monster hunting. Alongside the obvious points like cutscenes and a sizeable cast of characters, the low-rank section of the campaign moves along at quite a pace.

In IGN's review of Monster Hunter Wilds, we noted as much. While the trek to the first credits roll is a little short than you might normally expect, the intent felt like a desire to have more players get through the campaign and see higher-end content.

It might be working, if player numbers are anything to go by. Capcom confirmed that Monster Hunter Wilds surpassed 8 million units sold in three days to become the fastest-selling Capcom game of all time. At launch, Monster Hunter Wilds was charting over 1 million concurrent players on Steam, and helped Valve's storefront to crack the 40 million concurrent players mark.

Monster Hunter Wilds is due for its first big post-launch update in early April. Title Update 1 will add a monster of "formidable strength at a level above Temprered," as well as an endgame area to gather. Though there have already been patches for Monster Hunter Wilds, they've mostly been addressing bugs and immediate issues.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Today, Disco Elysium developer ZA/UM has offered just the tiniest tease of its next project: a game focused on the themes of spy and espionage currently being referred to as "Project C4".

As part of the reveal, we got a look at a short teaser trailer, and were briefed on a few of the big ideas we can expect in C4...as well as what we should NOT expect. For one, we were told C4 is not Disco Elysium 2, but instead takes place in a completely original new world. We also were told that it's explicitly not a 007-style spy tale. Instead, it's inspired by the novels of John le Carré, especially the Smiley vs. Karla trilogy (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy, and Smiley's People). It also includes elements of psychadelic sci-fi, borrowing from authors like Usula LeGuin and Philip K. Dick, and action sequences inspired by Park Chan-wook.

Project C4, we're told, will be about the struggles of spies behind the scenes, espionage, allegiances, betrayals...and failure. Failure specifically will play a key role in Project C4 because it sounds like it will bring back one key element from Disco Elysium: the "fail forward" philosophy. Like in Disco, failure in C4 will not result in a reset or reload of the game. Instead, the story will move on, accounting for your failure. That means living with the consequences of your decisions, such as who to ally with, who to be loyal to, and how to spend your time. And yes, you're still at the mercy of your dice rolls.

A press release offers a bit more clarity as to the story itself:

The world of [C4] is rife with shadowy characters who help move the pieces for competing geopolitical powers in a game of concealed conflict. The player sets out to complete a desperate assignment which will put them at risk of losing their life, or much worse – being exposed for what they really are.

As an Operant serving a questionable global power, the player finds themselves locked in a vicious, clandestine struggle for truth and influence. Yet it is the mind that takes centre stage in Project [C4]. More vulnerable and more powerful than the physical world, it can be erased, changed, reordered, and of course significantly altered through regular use of psychoactive substances amongst other means. Players must steel themselves with whatever comfort they can in order to survive the violent canvas of the real.

Unfortunately, it's worth noting that while the studio name is the same, many of the people who worked on Disco Elysium will not be working on Project C4. Numerous former ZA/UM members have left the studio since Disco Elysium's release, with multiple conflicting reports surfacing involving accusations of investor fraud and financial malfeasance, and counter-accusations of some developers creating a toxic work environment. People Make Games endeavored to sum up and reconcile these accounts in a lengthy video report, but the end result has been the splintering of ZA/UM into multiple new studios purportedly working on spiritual successors, with now what remains of ZA/UM focusing on Project C4. That leaves little hope left for a true Disco Elysium 2.

We're expecting to see more of Project C4 from ZA/UM next week at the Game Developers Conference.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Looking to snag some free resources in Fisch? We've put together a list of all of currently active and working Fisch codes, so you can get your hands on a host of rewards and goodies in the Roblox fishing simulator without having to spend a penny.

Active Fisch Codes (March 2025)

Below, you'll find all of the currently active and working Fisch codes in March 2025 that you can reedeem for free rewards:

• THEKRAKEN - C$2,500, Sunken Ship Bobber
• CARBON - Carbon Bopper
• SORRYGUYS - 2x Kraken Tentacles
• ATLANTEANSTORM - 2x Hangman's Hook
• GOLDENTIDE - x3 Instant Catcher
• NewYear - 2 Holly Berry, 2 Peppermint Worm
• NorthernExpedition - Rewards
• RFG - 3x Instant Catcher

Expired Fisch Codes

The following Fisch codes have expired and can no longer be redeemed as of March 2025:

• GOODBYEFISCHMAS
• 1BVisits
• FISCHMASDAY
• MERRYFISCHMAS
• ThankYouFollowers3
• ThankYouFollowers2
• Advent
• Prehistoric
• AncientIsle
• ThankYouFollowers
• TheDepths

How to Redeem Fisch Codes

To redeem Fisch codes, boot up the Roblox Experience and, once you’re in, follow the steps below:

1. Look at the top of the screen. You'll see a button labelled "Menu".
2. Click the button to open the menu screen, then scroll down to the bottom of the menu tab.
3. At the very bottom, you'll see the codes bar. Input your code into this bar and then press the ENTER key to redeem it.

Why Isn't My Fisch Code Working?

If your Fisch code isn’t working, it’s likely due to one of two scenarios. The first is that the Fisch code was inputted incorrectly. Check the spelling and that the case is correct, then redeem again. You can even copy and paste the codes directly from this article over to Roblox if you want to make sure you’re inputting them correctly.

The other possibility is the code has expired or you’ve already used it. In this scenario, you should see an error message pop up below the code bar informing you that the code has already been used or is invalid.

How to Get More Fisch Codes

The best way to get more Fisch codes is by joining the Fisch Discord server. However, it's worth noting the server can be difficult to join considering it's frequently full, with a whopping 500,000 members. If you do run into that issue, keep checking back every few days until you're provided access. Luckily, the team also posts Fisch codes over on X, so even if you can't join the server, it's worth checking the Fisch X account to see if you can find some there.

Mortal Kombat 1 developer NetherRealm has revealed a detailed look at T-1000 gameplay, and a look at a new Fatality packed with references to Terminator 2.

In the video, below, we see the T-1000 use various liquid metal abilities to move about the screen, absorb hits, and poke at his enemies. Even shapeshifting sorcerer Shang Tsung praises the T-1000’s abilities during one pre-match trash talk cutscene.

The highlight of the video is the look at one of the T-1000’s Fatalities, which includes three references to Terminator 2. The first is the iconic finger point through the eyeball, the second the arm blade through the mouth, then the elevator door parting, except through the T-1000’s foe’s torso. Its animality sees the T-1000 transform into a K-9 German Shepherd, another reference to Terminator 2. In the film, John Connor's foster parents owned a German Shepherd named Max. The Terminator calls the dog Wolfie to trick the T-1000.

The T-1000 in Mortal Kombat 1 is of course based on the liquid metal-based cybernetic assassin from the 1991 blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgment Day film, and features the voice and likeness of actor Robert Patrick.

Here’s the official blurb on the T-1000 from NetherRealm:

Battling for the supremacy of machines, the T-1000 is a state-of-the-art infiltration Terminator designed by artificial general superintelligence system Skynet. Comprised of mimetic polyalloy (a.k.a. liquid metal), the virtually indestructible advanced prototype can shapeshift into objects or people it comes in contact with, mimicking their appearance, behavior, and voice, making it an extremely difficult opponent to detect and defeat. With its superior intelligence and metamorphic capabilities, the T-1000 is an efficient fighter that embodies the ultimate evolution of assassination technology.

The T-1000’s sophisticated moveset is on full display in the new trailer, including the ability to organically form stabbing weapons, such as spears and hooks, and liquify for high-tech maneuvering and concealment. The video also reveals a new Fatality for the T-1000 and teases the character’s Animality, the brutal finishing move that morphs the machine into a K-9 German Shepherd to annihilate defeated opponents. The fan favorite Animalities are available now as a content update for all Mortal Kombat 1 owners at no additional cost.

The T-1000 Terminator joins the Mortal Kombat 1 roster on March 18 as part of the early access period for Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Expansion owners, followed by wide availability for purchase on March 25.

Developer weltenbauer Software Entwicklung (creators of the Construction Simulator games) and publisher astragon have announced Firefighting Simulator: Ignite, a new Unreal Engine 5-powered simulation game that puts you in the boots of a firefighter, rescuing trapped citizens, battling electrical blazes, handling flammable liquids, and dealing with grease fires, backdrafts, flashovers, and explosions. You can team up in four-player co-op as well. It's due out in Fall 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Firefighting Simulator promises realistic fire, smoke, and heat physics. It also aims to up the immersion with "officially licensed firefighting equipment and tools from industry-leading brands like HAIX, Fire-Dex, and STIHL, including fire hoses, saws, Halligan tools, axes, and extinguishers, as well as personal protective equipment" as well as "authentic fire trucks from Rosenbauer America, such as the TP3 Pumper, Viper, 68' Roadrunner or the brand-new RTX."

You can also customize your character. And buying the Extended Edition includes a Dalmation dog for your firehouse, among other bonuses. Modding is also supported for both PC and consoles. Check out the first screenshots above and the announcement trailer at the top of this page, and wishlist Firefighting Simulator: Ignite 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.

Despite requiring players to sign NDAs to prevent details of EA's upcoming untitled Battlefield game leaking online, it leaked online anyway, with dozens of video and screenshots popping up, showing off what players participating in the game's closed playtesting have been up to.

As we reported when the leaks surfaced, the footage seems to confirm the "modern" setting previously teased by Vince Zampella, distinguishing it from other Battlefield games. A quick scroll through the Battlefield subreddit gives us plenty of firefights, as well as a taste of the game's destructible environments and a handful of new mechanics, including the ability to hang off vehicles and dragging wounded teammates out of harm's way.

Perhaps most surprising of all, however, is EA is seemingly doing very little to combat the leaks.

Most publishers are fiercely protective of leaked early footage as pre-release gameplay can feature incomplete animations, unfinished UI, and less-than-stellar graphics. This time, however — despite the fact players are breaking confidentiality agreements by uploading videos or screenshots — EA has yet to issue takedowns.

Perhaps that's because, unlike Battlefield 2042's lukewarm reception, fans seem pretty pleased with what they've seen so far.

"I am scared to say that but this game is shaping up very damn well. I hope there are no catches…" said one player, with another adding: "The animations of the weapons moving around while running / doing anything look better than 2042 to me."

"Dude, even in a pre-alpha state, the explosions, bullets, and projectiles whizzing by, buildings crumbling down, dust kicking up. This has so much potential!" exclaimed another happy player.

"I can't get over how good the sounds and the destruction look at alpha," opined someone else.

EA expects its next Battlefield game to launch in the fiscal year 2026, which means we'll see it released sometime between April 2025 and March 2026. From our first official unveiling just last month, we now know the new Battlefield will include the return of a traditional, single-player, linear campaign, which has been welcome news to players disappointed it was excluded in the multiplayer Battlefield 2042.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Kojima Productions premiered a new, 10-minute long trailer for Death Stranding 2 at SXSW over the recent weekend, and while it features some familiar faces – like Norman Reedus and Lea Seydoux, who reprise their roles from the first Death Stranding – the trailer opens on a new face: Luca Marinelli. But Marinelli isn’t just playing a new character in the Death Stranding universe… He seems poised to become Kojima’s new Solid Snake.

Who is Luca Marinelli playing in Death Stranding 2?

Marinelli is an Italian actor who provides the voice and likeness of the character Neil in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. While the vast majority of Marinelli’s film roles have been in Italian language productions, he is likely best known to English-speaking audiences as the immortal mercenary Nicky from Netflix’s The Old Guard.

In the latest trailer for Death Stranding 2, Marinelli’s Neil is first shown in an interrogation room, being accused of unknown crimes by a man in a suit. Neil says he was only doing the “dirty work” for this suited man and seems to be trying to end the working arrangement he has with them. The man angrily responds that Neil “has no choice” but to keep working for him.

The scene then jumps to Neil talking to a Bridges employee named Lucy (played by Marinelli’s real-life wife, actress Alissa Jung). This conversation hints at the pair’s romantic relationship, and also reveals that the job Neil is doing for the suited man is smuggling cargo — brain-dead pregnant women, to be precise.

Wait, brain-dead pregnant women?

One of the most iconic images from the original Death Stranding is Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges with a glowing orange flask containing a baby strapped to his chest. The infant he carries is a Bridge Baby, or BB; a seven-month fetus removed via c-section from a brain-dead mother. Such a scenario creates a limbo state between life and death, which in turn allows BBs to communicate with the world of the dead. BBs can then help their adult carriers detect Beached Things, or BTs, which are malevolent souls trapped in the world of the living that cause Voidouts.

Okay, breathe, we’re almost done. Prior to the events of the first game, the US Government was experimenting with BBs to explain the Voidouts, large destructive events caused by BTs that can level entire cities similar to a nuclear bomb. However, the study was discontinued after a BB experiment created a Voidout in Manhattan, destroying the city and killing the US President. Except the experiments on BBs did continue, in secret, hence why Neil is smuggling in the brain-dead pregnant women. He’s presumably doing this for the United States government so that it can continue its illegal research.

Is Solid Snake in Death Stranding 2?

The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann has shared more details about Naughty Dog's upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

In an interview with Alex Garland, the writer of zombie movie 28 Days Later, Druckmann talked candidly about the development process, confirming Intergalactic has been in the works for four years.

"I joke about this with the team. We made a game, The Last of Us 2, we made certain creative decisions that got us a lot of hate. A lot of people love it, but a lot of people hate that game," Druckmann said, to which Garland joked: "Who gives a shit?"

"Exactly," Druckmann added. "But the joke is like, you know what, let's do something that people won't care as much about — let's make a game about faith and religion."

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which stars Jordan A. Mun as Tati Gabrielle, takes place in an alternate historical timeline and features a "pretty prominent religion," too, which has "changed and bastardized and evolved" over the years.

Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in centuries to leave its orbit.

"This whole religion takes place on this one planet, and then at one point, all communication stops," Druckmann teased. "And you're playing a bounty hunter that's chasing her bounty, and she crash lands on this planet.

"So many of the previous games we've done, there's always, like, an ally with you," he said. "I really want you to be lost in a place that you're really confused about what happened here, who are the people here, what was their history. And in order to get off this planet — again, no one has been heard from this planet for 600 years or so — if you ever have hoped to have a chance to get off, you have to figure out what happened here."

Last week, The Last of Us Season 2 showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin confirmed “spores are back” following their omission from Season 1.

The latest trailer for the upcoming HBO show teased the introduction of spores after they were left out of Season 1. Speaking at SXSW 2025, Druckmann said there is "an escalation of numbers and types of infected, but also, as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads."

"Season 1, we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of these tendrils that spread, and that was one form," he explained. "And then one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air."

In other The Last of Us Season 2 news, actress Kaitlyn Dever discussed playing Abby, admitting she finds it hard to stop herself from looking at the reaction on the internet.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

AMD's new Radeon RX 9070 and RX 9070 XT graphics cards have been released , but just like their Nvidia counterparts, they're mostly out of stock and impossible to find at retail pricing. Don't fret, however, because you can still get these GPUs equipped in a prebuilt gaming PC for a reasonable price. The Radeon RX 9070 GPUs are the new mid-range champions of this generation. Both cards offer phenomenal performance while undercutting their Nvidia competition.

AMD Radeon RX 9070 / 9070 XT Gaming PCs on Amazon

If you're in the process of building out a new gaming PC and you're looking for the best gaming processor, this is it. Right now, the recently released AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D AM5 desktop processor is back in stock on Amazon and Best Buy at its retail price of $479 shipped. This is the official launch price with zero markup, and it's not bundled with anything you don't want or need. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming processor currently on the market (across both AMD and Intel) and a better choice for gamers than the more expensive Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.

Back in Stock: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Desktop Processor

AMD's X3D series processors are optimized for gaming. In that respect, they bench better than even the most expensive of AMD's standard lineup of CPUs thanks to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology. Although perfectly capable of handling multitasking, rendering, and creation, the limited number of cores means they aren't the ideal processors for those tasks. At its retail price of $479, the 9800X3D is $110 cheaper than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K ($589) and $170 cheaper than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, even though it outperforms both of them in gaming. Unless you're a staunch Intel fan, or you're still on AM4 and don't want to upgrade all of your components, the 9800X3D is the obvious choice for your next gaming rig.