The developer of Bulletstorm and co-developer of Gears of War: E-Day, People Can Fly, has signed a deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment to develop a new game, codenamed Project Delta.

This comes from a report published by People Can Fly describing the agreement, which stipulates Project Delta will be made as a work-for-hire game, but does not provide further description of the project.

People Can Fly is currently developing a large number of projects with similar codenames, including Project Gemini with Square Enix (which saw 30 developers laid off last year), Project Echo with Krafton, Project Red (also seemingly with Sony), and the VR Project Bison, which People Can Fly announced just yesterday would be its final VR project.

Just last December, the studio announced it was suspending work on its in-progress Project Victoria, and scaling down another in-development game, Project Bifrost. Prior to that in April, it announced it would be cancelling Project Dagger, which was supposed to be an action-adventure title in partnership with Take-Two interactive.

That still leaves People Can Fly with eight total projects in the works that we know of, including the upcoming Gears of War: E-Day in partnership with The Coalition. We don't have a release date on that one yet, though the Square Enix partnership game, Project Gemini, was last known to be due out in 2026.

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.

The LG UltraGear 27GX790A-B gaming monitor was released at the tail end of 2024. This was LG's first ever OLED monitor with an incredible 480Hz refresh rate. It launched at a starting price of $999.99, which hadn't been discounted at all - until now. For a few days only, the LG online store is offering a 25% off coupon code "SAVE25" that drops the price by to $749.99 shipped. This is one of the best 27" QHD gaming monitors you can get right now, especially if you're aiming for the highest frame rates possible in your FPS games.

$250 Off 27" LG UltraGear 480Hz OLED Gaming Monitor

Here are the best deals for Friday, March 14. Highlights include Sony Bravia OLED TVs at surprisingly affordable prices, a weekend only discount on a recently released LG OLED gaming monitor with a blistering 480Hz refresh rate, 50% off a cordless car jump starter that would be a great addition to your emergency kit, a cheap precision electric screwdriver, the best Hulu and Disney+ streaming bundle deal we'll see this year, and more.

55" Sony OLED 4K Smart TV for $999.99, 65" for $1,299.99

When you’re setting out to build a gaming PC, the most consequential decision you’re going to make is choosing the best graphics card for your build. There are a lot of options out there, but picking an AMD graphics card makes a lot of sense, especially if you don’t want to fork over a lot of extra money for gimmicky extras. All of AMD’s current-generation graphics cards support ray tracing and feature support for FSR, or FidelityFX Super Resolution, an upscaling method supported by most major PC games.

While there are more powerful graphics cards out there, AMD graphics cards like the Radeon RX 9070 XT provide excellent 4K performance, but without a price tag that regularly sneaks into the $2,000 range. And if you’re in the market for a mid-range graphics card for 1440p, Team Red particularly shines, delivering excellent performance for the money you’re spending.

TL;DR: These Are the Best AMD Graphics Cards

Plus, it has to be said that AMD’s graphics architecture powers both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, which makes it easier on developers to optimize for AMD’s hardware when console games make their way over to PC. This by no means guarantees perfect optimization on PC games when you’re running an AMD graphics card, but it does help. Of course, AMD isn’t the only GPU maker in town, so if you’re more interested in Team Green’s offerings, head over to my guide to the best Nvidia graphics cards.

Like with any other graphics card, picking the best AMD GPU isn’t just about getting the fastest card on the market and calling it a day. Instead, you need to decide what resolution you want to play your PC games at and, more importantly, how much you’re willing to spend on a graphics card.

Graphics Card Basics

Graphics cards are, by their very nature, incredibly complex devices. While you don’t need to know everything about them to find a great GPU, there are a few things you should know ahead of time. For AMD graphics cards, the first thing you should keep an eye out for is whether or not it's a current-generation part.

Unfortuantely AMD just completely changed its naming convention. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT just launched as Team Red's top-end graphics card, succeeding the RX 7900 XTX. Not only did AMD skip the 8, but it swapped some of the numbers around. The most important thing to know is that any AMD card with a '9' as the first digit is a current-generation card, with '7' and '6' being the preceding generations.

Some AMD graphics card model numbers will be followed by an “XT” or an “XTX.” This just means that the graphics card is a step up, but without quite being in the next performance class.

This naming convention is relatively new, starting with the Radeon RX 5700 XT in 2019. Before that, the common naming convention for AMD graphics cards was three digits instead of four, like the AMD Radeon RX 580 or RX 480. These graphics cards are old news at this point, so you should avoid buying one, unless you find it for $100 or less.

As a general rule, you can follow a general rule of “higher number = better performance,” but there are specs you can drill down into to further determine performance.

The easiest spec to understand is the VRAM, short for video memory. Typically, having more VRAM is better, especially when you’re playing at a higher resolution. If you play at 1080p, 8GB is going to be more than enough for the majority of PC games. At 1440p, though, you’re going to want to aim for 12GB–16GB of VRAM, especially for more graphically intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 or Black Myth: Wukong. If you want to play at 4K, though, you should get as much VRAM as you can afford. At this resolution, you really can’t get too much memory, which is why the Radeon RX 9070 XT comes with 16GB.

You can also look at how many compute units a graphics card has. Every graphics card will have multiple compute units, each of which will have dozens of streaming multiprocessors. These are commonly referred to as shaders, or CUDA cores for Nvidia graphics cards. For the latest AMD graphics cards, each compute unit will have 64 Streaming Multiprocessors. So, the Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which has 96 Compute Units, has a total of 6,144 SMs.

The last few generations of AMD graphics cards have also included dedicated hardware for ray tracing in each Compute Unit. In the latest cards, each CU has 1 RT Core, totalling 96 for the 7900 XTX. As a general rule, the more RT Cores a card has, the better it’ll be at handling ray tracing.

Once you know what graphics card you want, you need to make sure your PC can actually handle it. Measure your case to make sure it has space for it, especially if you’re going for a high-end GPU. Also take a look at the power supply – as graphics cards get more powerful, they need more power, so you’ll want to make sure your PSU has enough wattage. Each graphics card will have a recommended power supply listed, so just make sure yours is beefy enough.

If You Just Want the Best: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT

Best For 4K: AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX

Best for 1440p: AMD Radeon RX 9070

Best for 1080p: AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT

Best on a Budget: AMD Radeon RX 6600

What is FSR?

FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR, is AMD’s solution to upscaling tech on PC. This is a software upscaler that takes information from recent frames, as well as motion vector information provided by the game engine, and upscales a lower resolution frame to your native resolution.

Before FSR 4, this was a software-based solution, the brunt of the work is done in the same streaming multiprocessors that the rest of the frame is rendered on. This means there’s less of a performance uplift than an AI-based model that uses dedicated hardware (like Nvidia’s DLSS), but FSR definitely improves your framerate over rendering at a higher resolution natively.

This is simply because running the FSR algorithm as a post-process effect after rendering a game at 1080p still takes much less compute power than rendering a game natively at 4K. However, because FSR is essentially a post-process effect, it does leave some room for fuzziness in some frames. Luckily, AMD has worked around this, and implemented features like contrast-adaptive sharpening, or CAS, to sharpen up images.

However, with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT, AMD has updated FidelityFX Super Resolution to FSR 4, which now uses AI accelerators in the GPU to upscale, instead of a software-based temporal solution. This does come with a performance cost, but its much more accurate, and produces a much cleaner image. You can swap between both versions of FSR if you choose, opting for FSR 3 if you want the absolute maximum framerate, or FSR 4 if you just want a cleaner image.

FSR has also implemented a frame generation method to further improve performance. FSR frame generation takes the same information from previous frames, along with motion vector information and UI data provided by the developer to add extra frames between each ‘real’ frame. This also drastically improves frame rate, but can introduce latency if you turn it on at a lower frame rate. Instead, you should only turn on FSR frame generation if you’re already getting 50–60fps.

What is Ray Tracing?

Ray tracing is a method of realistically rendering light in 3D scenes. Instead of having a static light source that projects light only where the developers have specifically directed it, ray tracing allows light sources to project light naturally, tracing each ray of light as it bounces around the scene. Naturally, this adds a lot more work for the GPU, especially when it has to be done in real time.

For a few years, this was addressed by ray tracing being limited in games. Early ray tracing games like Battlefield 1 limited ray tracing to just reflections or shadows. This drastically improved these elements, but every other aspect of the game’s lighting was using the same indirect lighting methods games have been using for decades.

More recently, as RT cores in graphics cards have advanced, games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong have started implementing full ray tracing, or path tracing, to their lighting engines. This completely replaces all light sources with ray traced lighting, transforming the game’s presentation. This is only possible because of the RT Cores in AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, and still demands an upscaling method like FSR for playable performance.

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

Sony and game developer Santa Monica Studio have revealed the Dark Odyssey collection, a God of War Ragnarök update coming to players next week that features in-game equipment themed after one of the franchise's most iconic outfits.

Sony detailed all of the goodies included in its God of War 20th anniversary plans in a PlayStation.Blog post. Dark Odyssey is the real headline here, as it includes a war chest of cosmetic treats for all God of War Ragnarök owners across PlayStation 5 and PC. It’ll arrive as a free update March 20.

Everything included in Dark Odyssey features a clean, black-and-gold look that will no doubt have Kratos and co looking better than ever as they tear their way through Norse mythology. Atreus and Freya both receive their own cosmetic sets as part of the patch, too, as do a variety of the player’s shields and weapons.

The show-stealer, though, is a Dark Odyssey appearance and armor set for Kratos that hearkens back to a skin originally only rewarded to players who managed to beat God of War 2 on God Mode difficulty. Players can claim the content in any Lost Items chest in the base game or immediately in God of War Ragnarök’s roguelike Valhalla mode after the update drops. The patch will also finally introduce the option to customize the appearance of Kratos’ weapons without sacrificing each weapon’s respective ability.

Dark Odyssey Armor & Appearance for Kratos

• Dark Odyssey Kratos Appearance
• Dark Odyssey Armor Set for Kratos (Dark Odyssey Breastplate, Dark Odyssey Bracers, Dark Odyssey Belt)

Dark Odyssey Companion Armor

• Dark Odyssey Vestment for Atreus
• Dark Odyssey Witch Frock for Freya

Dark Odyssey Weapon Appearances & Attachments

• Dark Odyssey Leviathan Axe [Appearance] & Dark Odyssey Knob [Attachment]
• Dark Odyssey Blades of Chaos [Appearance] & Dark Odyssey Handles [Attachment]
• Dark Odyssey Draupnir Spear [Appearance] & Dark Odyssey Hind [Attachment]

Dark Odyssey Shield Appearances & Rönd

• Dark Odyssey Guardian Shield [Appearance]
• Dark Odyssey Dauntless Shield [Appearance]
• Dark Odyssey Stone Wall Shield [Appearance]
• Dark Odyssey Shatter Start Shield [Appearance]
• Dark Odyssey Onslaught Shield [Appearance]
• Dark Odyssey Spartan Aspis Shield [Appearance]
• Dark Odyssey Rönd

God of War Ragnarök released in late 2022, so one simple update was never going to do the series’ 20-year history justice. Also included in Sony’s plans to celebrate God of War is a long list of other activities and offers for those who have stuck with Kratos’ story since the beginning. Highlights include a collection of some snazzy social media assets (that you can download here), an art showcase coming as part of a collaboration with Los Angeles’ Gallery Nucleus, new merch, sales, multiple vinyl releases covering the franchise’s history, and more.

“On behalf of everyone at Santa Monica Studio, we are immeasurably grateful to have had the chance to build the legacy of this series with and for you, the fans of God of War,” the studio said.

For more on how you can celebrate 20 years of God of War, you can check out an upcoming PlayStation symphony world tour that kicks off next month. You can also read up on why we think the next God of War title needs to be just as creative as the ones that came before it.

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).

The first two episodes of Dope Thief are now streaming on Apple TV+. New episodes debut Fridays through April 25.

Based on the 2009 novel by Dennis Tafoya, Dope Thief does an amazing job depicting the aftermath of a heist gone wrong. When best friends Ray (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (Wagner Moura) decide to rob a large-scale drug lab, they can’t anticipate their plan (and the lab) going up in smoke. The signs are there though, and this captivating, often thrilling Apple TV+ drama does a great job of laying them out: This isn’t Ray and Manny’s first time posing as DEA agents in order to “confiscate” illegal goods, but they’ve never worked with an unvetted third party before as they do here. With a doped-up new recruit, itchy trigger fingers, and some highly volatile substances in the mix, the fiery outcome is predictable to a fault. And yet, the chaos that follows this explosive blunder still manages to deliver some exciting twists and turns across Dope Thief’s eight episodes – the first of which is directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott.

Being pursued by real DEA agents as well as the gang they stole from constantly places Ray and Manny in dangerous situations. A vehicle with tinted windows slowly patrolling Ray’s neighborhood adds some suspense, but it’s the menacing voice over a two-way radio threatening his family and friends that’s truly nerve-racking. The same is true when Manny discovers the remains of a torture victim, with evidence suggesting that their killer is still at large and in the vicinity. As the stakes escalate, so do the duo’s worries. The mounting tension never becomes exhausting though: The uneasy atmosphere usually leads to a surprising reveal or some violent encounter or other. At one point, a thrilling foot chase ends with a character trying to sidestep a truck, only to be ground up as they’re repeatedly spun against a nearby wall.

Within Dope Thief’s fresh spin on crime-drama conventions, Brian Tyree Henry delivers an outstanding portrayal of a two-bit criminal. Burdened by his troubled past, Ray struggles to keep it together while dealing with the ramifications of his actions. As much as he’d like to give up – on his sobriety, his dreams, and at times his life – he knows that there are people counting on him. So he puts on a tough façade as he tries to fix everyone’s problems. Henry captures this inner turmoil with convincing displays of emotion, like his heart-wrenching line delivery upon learning about the death of a loved one. It’s one of the acclaimed actor’s best performances to date.

The rest of the cast doesn’t lag far behind him. Moura does a great job as Manny, his sullen demeanor and gaunt appearance conveying both the guilt of a lifelong Catholic-turned-brief-criminal and the character’s heavy drug use. It’s when Moura plays opposite Henry, however, that he’s most convincing. He’s always engaged and seemingly willing to match Henry’s energy in a way that makes Ray and Manny’s friendship feel genuine. Marin Ireland and Nesta Cooper’s portrayals of, respectively, an undercover agent and defense attorney are similarly elevated by Henry – Dope Thief’s most moving scenes are the ones carried by their collective talents. And Kate Mulgrew charms as Ray’s adoptive mother Theresa, giving her a blunt way of speaking and a harsh, but well-meaning tone that helps to establish how Theresa’s style of caring for her son might also tip into overbearing.

Despite all the nail-biting it inspires and the stellar acting it boasts, Dope Thief does have some sticking points. A few plot holes hinder what’s otherwise a decent story; some of the final twists don’t make complete sense because some characters' actions aren’t aligned with their motives. And while its ending is fitting – considering the show only covers the first half of Tafoya's book – it’s also abrupt, building to a pseudo cliffhanger that would take this limited series into a second season that may or may not happen.

Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anatomy of a Fall and Prey to excellent television series like the Golden Globe-winning Shogun, Abbott Elementary, and The Bear there is always something awesome to watch. Oscar Best Picture winner Anora is also set to drop on the streaming service on March 17, so there's no better time than now to get set up with a plan.

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

Get Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic for $2.99/Month for Four Months

Easter eggs and secret messages are old hat for many ongoing games, and Helldivers 2 is no stranger to them either. So it's little surprise that amid an ongoing, calamitous conflict with the Illuminate, players are poring over the messages for hidden details.

If you're not caught up with the running narrative in Helldivers 2, here's a quick catch-up: developer Arrowhead has the Illuminate back and pushing the lines of galactic warfare as the latest threat to Super Earth. The eerie foe is using a massive black hole to slowly consume entire planets, pushing it to Angel's Venture and, now, Moradesh.

Ironically, the black hole was initially created on Meridian by Super Earth, in an effort to wipe out a Terminid Super Colony. Arrowhead's got a particular penchant for "yes, and"-ing the outcomes of the galactic campaigns. The slow build to right now, with the Illuminate pretty much pushing a black hole slowly towards Super Earth, is the latest in a long line of dominoes.

MORADESH EVACUATION WARNING
EVACUATE PLANET
MORADESH EVACUATION WARNING

MORADESH EVACUATION WARNING
EVACUATE PLANET
MORADESH EVACUATION WARNING

MORADESH EVACUATION WARNING
EVACUATE PLANET
MORADESH EVACUATION WARNING pic.twitter.com/G4vpaIgLpz

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) March 14, 2025

So, now we're here: Moradesh is evacuating, and Helldivers are anticipating the next step of this cataclysmic campaign. Yet some are digging into the evacuation orders, trying to suss out a hidden meaning from the messages Arrowhead is broadcasting.

Reddit user Pinglyadya shared an image of what looks like an egg, hidden in the Moradesh videos. In the comments, they go further, breaking down the potential morse code strings into dots and dashes, surmising that it all results in a few different codes: "045a5, 06efbc, e1b5f0 then 21232. We don't know what this is the code to but have fun."

The "06EFBC" code caught attention in another thread, as it could correspond with the hex code for a shade of teal called Last Straw. Sounds ominous! Nothing concrete has surfaced beyond that, but at least a few fans are convinced there's something hidden in these messages.

It wouldn't be the first time players have gone diving for secrets in Arrowhead's updates. With the Meridian Singularity slowly approaching Super Earth, though, I do wonder whether Helldivers have time to spare for this.

Arrowhead has, since the destruction of Moradesh, issued a new Major Order for players, tasking them with defending planets so Super Earth can construct a Penrose Energy Siphon and effect a "one-time reduction" in Dark Energy Accumulation.

MAJOR ORDER: Following days of diligent resource collection and repurposing of enemy combatants, the Helldivers have enabled the construction of a partial blockade of the Meridian Singularity. The blockade is porous, but still moderately effective, and has slightly reduced the… pic.twitter.com/ye33V6VKa6

— HELLDIVERS™ 2 (@helldivers2) March 14, 2025

Hopefully, this can put a stop to the giant tear in space that's slowly encroaching on everything the Helldivers hold dear. And, possibly, put a few more secret messages out into the ether.

This is all part of Helldivers 2's ongoing, community driven Galactic War, which has captured the attention of the game's community for over a year now. The Illuminate invaded in December with an initial alien force that added new enemies to fight against as well as brand new Super Earth colonies to fight on. These colonies introduced Helldivers 2’s first urban environments, with city streets packed with innocent civilians mind-controlled by the Illuminate. The Voteless, as they’re called by Super Earth, are little more than zombies who want nothing more than to team players limb from limb.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Today in weird news, recent Oscars host Conan O’Brien revealed that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences refused to allow him and his team to clothe an Oscar statue or lay it horizontally for promotional ads they pitched for the ceremony. Uh, who knew the Academy was so stuffy?

Speaking on his Oscars head writer Mike Sweeney’s podcast Conan Needs a Friend, O’Brien set the scene: he pitched a series of ads in which he and a 9-foot tall Oscar statue were in a domestic partnership, but the Academy wasn’t exactly receptive to how he wanted to utilize the statue specifically.

Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out, including Moana 2, you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.

If you want to go all-in, it's worth considering the Disney+, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle, which starts at just $16.99/month. This bundle is the best value available for the streaming service considering it's the only plan that wasn't hit by the recent Disney+ price hike. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best Max deals.

Get Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic for $2.99/Month for Four Months

This article contains spoilers for Severance Season 2’s penultimate episode. Yes, it is actually the penultimate episode this week, we triple checked.

It’s always impressive when an episode tailor-made to make viewers ask “what comes next” has something in it, a singular moment that makes you stop and revel in a singular moment. Theorizing about Severance is, of course, half of the fun of the series, especially as the mystery gets deeper and richer with time. But, as we head into the Season 2 finale, Dylan G. managed to stop me in my tracks.

It was a hard episode for Dylan (Zach Cherry) both in Lumon and outside of it. His wife Gretchen (Merritt Wever) revealed to his outie that she kissed his innie, admitting that she saw the spark there that Dylan used to have when they were first married. Dylan takes this information poorly, noting that maybe he’ll just quit, before storming out of the house. At first it seems like an innocuous threat from a man who’s learned that he’s been cheated on — even if the logistics of the infidelity are a bit complicated — but it quickly becomes more after Gretchen ignores his wishes and goes to see his innie one last time.

During her visit, Gretchen tells Dylan G. that she can’t see him anymore and that she needs to save their marriage. Little does she know that her husband’s innie had been prepared to propose to her before he knew anything of what transpired outside of Lumon earlier that day. She declines his proposal and his handmade paper ring, apologizing as she runs out of the room and leaves her severed husband for good.

That “for good” isn’t because Gretchen is stalwart in her decision, though. It’s much, much worse than that.

After a brief and slightly hostile conversation with Helly R. (Britt Lower) — who is, by the way, the only person staying on mission when it comes to sticking it to Lumon and finding Gemma despite losing more of her autonomy than anyone on the team after what happened between Helena and Mark (Adam Scott) in the forest — Dylan G. marches to Mr. Milchick’s (Tramell Tillman) office and quits on the spot.

It’s such an innocuous thing to say, that Dylan G. quit. But for the purposes of the show and most certainly from Dylan G’s perspective, he didn’t just quit his job. He chose death by suicide, with the doors of the severed floor elevator closing decisively in Dylan G's final moment in the episode.

He watched his best friend be fired (murdered), and was, in his eyes, spurned by the woman he wanted to be his wife, but ultimately was his wife… but also really wasn’t. He had the mystery Irving (John Turturro) left behind still waiting to be solved, but it wasn’t enough to keep him going. Nor was Helly’s friendship, as Dylan G. made it clear that he would never be able to trust that it wasn’t Helena walking among them. It feels unlikely that Mark’s presence (who is currently on a side quest) would have made much of a difference, either.

Dylan G’s choice feels like a crescendo in Severance’s song about autonomy. This season has approached the idea of multiple souls, expanded on Season 1’s question of consent between innies and outies and featured the deaths of multiple characters (Irving's innie this season and Burt's innie before him). The show is constantly forcing us to grapple with questions not just surrounding its central mystery, but of what autonomy really means if part of you doesn’t have it at all. It’s often compelling and sometimes, like this week, deeply sad. On his last day, Dylan G. simply decided that enough was enough. Work is nothing to live for, so he chose removing himself from existence instead.

Having fundamentally transformed the X-Men franchise and debuted a brand new incarnation of the Ultimate Universe, writer Jonathan Hickman is gearing up for his next great Marvel epic. Today Marvel Comics revealed new details about Imperial, a four-issue event series that promises to reshape the fabric of the wider Marvel Universe.

Similar to how 2023's Ultimate Invasion paved the way for the ongoing Ultimate Universe line, Imperial is designed to shake up the status quo for Marvel's cosmic characters and lay the foundation for a new line of comics. In this series, many of the traditional power players in the Marvel Universe will be destroyed or overthrown, leaving room for new empires to rise in their place. The series will specifically center around the Hulk family, Black Panther, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Nova Corps, and other cosmic kings and queens.

Imperial will be written by Hickman and drawn by Federico Vicentini (Miles Morales: Spider-Man) and Iban Coello (Venom). Hickman's Ultimate Spider-Man collaborator Marco Checchetto is drawing the covers for the series.

"I'm very excited about this project as I’m obviously a huge fan of all things Marvel Cosmic," Hickman said in a statement. "The goal here is to kind of do what we did with the recent Ultimate line for all of our space titles, except having the setup book (Imperial) be more of an event than a world-building exercise (like Ultimate Invasion). The art team is killing it, and we’re all just very excited for what’s happening in this special corner of the Marvel Universe."

Based on the cover and concept art revealed so far, we can infer certain things about the big changes coming in Imperial. It seems the Nova Corps will be decimated (again), while Star-Lord looks to play a central role in the conflict. It also appears that an entire family of Hulks will take control of the bloody world of Sakaar. And given Black Panther's presence in the story, it's a safe bet that the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda has a part to play in this conflict.

Imperial #1 will be released on June 4, 2025. Let us know your theories about the book in the comments below.

In other upcoming Marvel news, we're getting a new Thunderbolts team that includes Wolverine, Hulk, and Carnage, and we got an exclusive look at Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell.

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

If you're on the hunt for some great PS5 deals, we're here to help. Here we've gathered up some of the best PlayStation deals available at the moment, including the fantastic new PlayStation 5 Slim Astro Bot bundle. With this you're getting Astro Bot for free alongside a new PS5 Slim console, what could be better than that? You can see that deal and so many more below. Here are IGN's top picks for the best PlayStation deals today.

PS5 Slim + Astro Bot Bundle

Sony PS5 DualSense Controller for $54

Best PS5 Video Game Deals

If you've been looking to pick up some new PS5 games, now's a great time to do it with some excellent discounts available. From Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to Sonic X Shadow Generations, there are plenty of great deals worth checking out at both Amazon and Woot. The latter's deals only last for a limited time, though. So if something catches your eye, act fast to pick it up at that price.

PlayStation Portal (Used: Like New) for $161

Best PlayStation VR 2 Deals

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Where to Buy: PS5 Pro

Where to Buy: PlayStation Portal

How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles

If you're looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.

Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.

While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you'll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction. The latter of which poses its own risks.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are back for more body-swapping antics in the first trailer for Freakier Friday ahead of its theatrical premiere later this summer.

The long-time-coming sequel to Disney's Freaky Friday original brings the supernatural comedy to the present day with, of course, a few twists that should keep it feeling fresh after the 22-year wait. As we’ve known for quite some time, Curtis and Lohan are back, but today’s trailer also teases that they’ll also be swapping bodies with at least two new other faces: Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons.

This solid look at how the mother-daughter duo of Anna and Tess will blossom begins when the two meet with a fortune teller who warns that a past lesson may soon become relevant once again. What follows is a montage of new hurdles to creatively leap over, and it’s all set to Chappell Roan’s HOT TO GO!. You can get a taste of some of the antics that will ensue with the first Freakier Friday trailer below.

“The story picks up years after Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) endured an identity crisis,” an official plot synopsis says. “Anna now has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate the myriad challenges that come when two families merge, Tess and Anna discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.”

Freakier Friday comes to theaters August 8, 2025. For more on Disney’s long-awaited sequel, you can see how Curtis and Lohan celebrated after the film secured You Me Her Director Nisha Ganatra.

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).

So, you might’ve heard this little tidbit of news lately: Stranger Things star Sadie Sink is officially joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the next Spider-Man. But now comes the speculation: who, exactly, will she play in Spider-Man 4?

You’ve got theories, I’ve got theories, and we’re not alone — the whole internet’s got theories. Needless to say, fans' minds are racing. So what do they think? Well, let’s go over the most distinct possibilities (and, for that matter, impossibilities).

It seems as though most folks find the idea of Sink ending up being the, quote unquote, real Mary Jane Watson due to her red hair to be a bit silly. “Michelle Jones is the MCU’s real MJ,” one fan wrote on Reddit — and most fans in the thread agreed. Though another Redditor noted the studio might cast Sink in the role as a “bold attempt to win back those who prefer classic Spider-Man.” The obvious choice is not always the best one, folks.

Zendaya has played the MCU’s new MJ since 2017’s Spider-Man Homecoming, and despite not being the standard red-haired Mary Jane fans know from the comics and Sam Raimi’s previous trilogy, modern day Spidey lovers have generally accepted her as their MJ. So it seems as though they’ll keep her around, especially considering she is said to be, at minimum, coming back for a cameo for this yet untitled sequel to No Way Home.

Some fans think Sink may end up playing one of Peter Parker’s other love interests, Gwen Stacey. After all, wigs do exist. “Much to the surprise (and potentially dismay) of everyone,” one user said about Sink in the role previously played by Emma Stone in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man duo. “I absolutely would not want to see [that] since we’ve already gotten a Gwen Stacy/Peter Parker love story and I definitely have no interest in seeing Spider-Gwen right now,” another Redditor added.

Spider-Gwen is a distinct part of the animated Spider-Verse, where she is voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, so it seems like fans prefer to follow her story there for the time being. Considering how major the Peter and Gwen love story was in Webb’s Spider-Man films — it did give way to a lengthy real-life relationship between Stone and Andrew Garfield, who played Parker/Spider-Man — it makes sense that fans wouldn’t really want to see that rehashed. There’s a ton of Spidey territory to cover between his many comic adventures and appearances, so giving Sink something different to do is most likely the key to making her inclusion a success.

Another theory folks have been throwing around is the idea that Sink might end up playing another famous MCU redhead: X-Men’s Jean Grey, also known as the Phoenix. She was played as an adult by Famke Janssen in five films in Fox’s X-Men franchise. Later, she was portrayed as a teenager by Sophie Turner in 2019’s Dark Phoenix.

One user on Reddit considered that idea “too obvious,” while another agreed and added: “Weird to intro [her] in SM4.” That said, a third fan noted that there could always be more castings in the future that could lead to more mutants joining the fold for Spider-Man 4. Others have doubts about a mutant showing up with true relevance in a Spider-Man focused film. “I just don't see one of the core X-Men getting introduced in a Spider-Man movie,” a fan wrote.

But it seems as though the most popular guess — and potentially the best guess as well — is a lesser known character called Firestar, a redhead mutant named Angelica Jones who is a mainstay in the X-Men, as well as the 1981 animated series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends where she debuted. She could definitely be that “something different” I was talking about — and lots of fans seem excited about the prospect of bringing her into the story as it stands within the MCU.

Indeed, fans seem particularly excited at the idea of bringing those Amazing Friends back together. “She'll be a college student alongside Peter and their friend/partner Bobby Drake. They'll all live in the same apartment too,” one user commented. “This will be the adaptation of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends we've all been waiting for, lol.” Another agreed, “I would love a Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends team-up!” while a third added: “If they did the Amazing Friends lineup, people would lose their minds.”

Firestar started as a Spider-Man character, but eventually broke off and expanded into her own story that included alliances with the New Mutants, Hellions, and the Avengers themselves. So considering her origins, it might just be the perfect character to introduce. However, one fan did mention, “If Firestar, why not Jean?” and to be fair, they have a point. But right now, it’s anyone’s guess who Sink will end up making her MCU debut as. Only time will tell.

Photo by Arturo Holmes/WireImage.

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

Spring is right around the corner, and with the changing of the seasons comes more sale events to check out. For PC gamers, this means some big discounts can be found across Steam, Fanatical, and Green Man Gaming in their respective Spring Sales. If you've been waiting for another sale event after the holidays to fill up your library with PC games, now is a great time to start stocking up. There are some excellent options on sale as well, including Silent Hill 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and much more.

Steam Spring Sale

In case you missed the news, Bruce Wayne is getting a new look when DC Comics relaunches its flagship Batman series this September. Artist Jorge Jiménez has designed a new Batsuit that brings the classic blue cape and cowl back into the spotlight. After almost 90 years on the stands, DC is still tweaking the Dark Knight’s iconic costume.

But how does the new Batsuit measure up to the classics? What are the greatest Batman costumes of all time? We’ve handpicked our 10 favorite Batsuits from the comics, ranging from the original Golden Age costume to more modern reinterpretations like Batman Incorporated and Batman Rebirth. Scroll down to see them all.

And if Batman movies are more your speed, make sure you check out our ranked list of all the movie Batsuits.

10. ‘90s Batman

1989’s Batman movie introduced a radically different, all-black Batsuit that remains one of the Dark Knight’s most iconic suits in any medium. DC never fully committed to porting that costume over to the comics (outside of actual Burton-Verse tie-ins like Batman ‘89), but they did introduce a Batsuit inspired by the movies in the 1995 storyline “Troika.”

This new Batsuit adopted the all-black approach to Batman’s body but retained a more traditional blue cape and cowl. It even added more extreme elements like spikes on Batman’s boots, although those elements were toned down after the suit’s initial introduction. Regardless, the result was a more intimidating and stealthy Batsuit that became the default look for the Caped Crusader for the remainder of the ‘90s.

9. Batman Incorporated

When Bruce Wayne returned following his apparent death in 2008’s Final Crisis, DC celebrated with the launch of a new series, Batman Incorporated, and a new costume designed by David Finch. That Batman Inc. suit is notable both for bringing back the classic yellow oval around the Bat emblem and for ditching the black trunks.

In many ways, the Batman Inc. suit feels like a more successful and visually cohesive version of what DC tried to accomplish with Batman’s New 52 suit a couple of years later. It introduced a more functional quality to Batman’s look, creating the impression that the Batsuit was less spandex than a true suit of armor, yet it avoided mucking up the design with too many stray lines. It also helped create some much-needed visual distinction between Bruce and Dick Grayson, who was also serving as Batman at the time.

The only element that slightly holds back the Batman Inc. look is the slightly goofy-looking armored codpiece. We’re not sure what the thinking was there.

8. Absolute Batman

The most recent creation on this list, there’s a reason the Absolute Batman Batsuit makes such a strong first impression. This is Batman at his most imposing.

Absolute Batman takes place in a rebooted DCU where Bruce Wayne lacks many of the advantages of his traditional counterpart, like a mansion and billions of dollars. Still, he manages to create quite an impressive crimefighting arsenal. Nearly every inch of this Batsuit is a weapon, from the razor-sharp ear daggers to the removable Bat emblem that doubles as a battle axe. Even the cape is completely redesigned, consisting of several flexible, arm-like tendrils.

Ultimately, though, it’s the sheer size of this Batman that makes the Absolute suit stand out. Writer Scott Snyder jokingly referred to Absolute Batman as “the Batman who lifts,” and you can see why.

7. Flashpoint Batman

In the alternate timeline of Flashpoint, Joe Chill killed a young Bruce Wayne, leading to a grieving Thomas Wayne becoming Batman instead. This darker, very different Batman needs a darker, very different Batsuit, and he got one in the form of a costume that drops the traditional yellow elements in favor of bold red accents. The Bat emblem, utility belt, and leg holsters are all a deep crimson, creating a unique and cool look. Couple that with the dramatic shoulder spikes on the cape and the fact that this Batman is known to wield guns and a sword, and you have one of the most visually arresting takes on an alternate universe Batman.

6. Lee Bermejo’s Armored Batman

Artist Lee Bermejo has drawn and painted Batman a lot over the years, from the Batman/Deathblow crossover to the Joker graphic novel to the infamous Batman: Damned. In that time, Bermejo has established a distinctive and very striking take on the iconic Batsuit, one unlike any other at DC Comics.

Bermejo’s Batsuit is about as far from the typical spandex look as you can get. This is armor, pure and simple,and the artist’s Batman is as much about function as he is form. But the goal isn’t necessarily realism here. Bermejo’s Batman is also a haunting figure, one mired in dirt and grime and a certain Gothic quality. This Batsuit, as much as any other, inspired the look of Robert Pattinson’s Dark Knight in 2022’s The Batman.

5. Gotham by Gaslight Batman

The DC multiverse is a vast place, and we’ve seen countless variations of the Batsuit appear on numerous worlds. That being said, none can truly measure up to Gotham by Gaslight’s Batman. It’s as if the character was made for this steampunk Victorian setting. The Batsuit perfectly translates into this bold revamp that trades skintight spandex for stitched leather and a billowing cloak.

Of course, it helps that the original Gotham by Gaslight series was illustrated by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Mignola’s Batman is truly iconic, bathed in shadow and looking as if he were chiseled out of raw granite. And even though Mignola’s DC days are long behind him, this incarnation of the character lives on through follow-up stories like Gotham by Gaslight: The Kryptonian Age.

4. Golden Age Batman

It says a lot about the original Bob Kane/Bill Finger-designed Batsuit that the design has survived with only modest changes for the better part of 90 years. All the right ingredients for a truly iconic superhero look were there from the start.

But in addition to serving as the basis for every Batsuit since, the Golden Age design is also notable for boasting some interesting features you don’t normally see elsewhere. The curved ears on Batman’s cowl give him an even more menacing vibe, while the purple gloves add a welcome pop of color. Even the cape is different in a fun way, being more akin to actual bat wings than a traditional superhero cape. It’s always exciting to see modern artists revisit this design.

3. Batman Rebirth

For the majority of their hugely popular run on DC’s flagship Batman series, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo focused on the New 52 costume. As we’ve already covered, that suit served as a notable attempt at updating the Caped Crusader’s look with a more modern, tactical bent, but that approach has been done better elsewhere. Case in point, Capullo’s own redesign that debuted just in time for the DC Rebirth relaunch.

Batman’s Rebirth costume is an upgrade on the New 52 suit in pretty much every way. It retains the tactical look while also downplaying some of the extraneous lines and details. It brings some much-needed color back into Batman’s look both with the yellow outline around the Bat emblem and the distinctive purple inner lining of the cape (a throwback to Batman’s Golden Age roots). It’s a bit of a shame that DC phased out this Batsuit after only a couple of years. As far as modern redesigns go, this is the one to beat.

2. Bronze Age Batman

The late ‘60s and ‘70s were a very transformational time for DC’s Batman comics. The books veered away from the camp that defined Batman’s Silver Age adventures and the live-action TV series toward more serious action/adventure and detective stories. Three artists really came to define Batman’s look in this period - Neal Adams, Jim Aparo, and José Luis García-López.

It’s not that these artists dramatically changed the makeup of Batman’s costume. This is the same blue cape and cowl and Bat emblem with yellow oval that was popularized by the TV series. But what unites Adams, Aparo, and Garcia-López’s work is the physicality they brought to the character. Gone was the burly brawler of the Silver Age, replaced by a leaner and more lithe Batman. Batman is basically a ninja superhero, so it makes sense that he be built more like a gymnast than a bodybuilder.

For many fans, this is still the standard by which all other Batman costumes are judged. That’s especially thanks to Garcia-López, whose art has adorned bedsheets, lunchboxes, T-shirts, and countless other Batman merch over the years.

1. Batman: Hush

Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee’s Hush storyline is often regarded as the start of the modern era of Batman comics. That’s thanks to Lee’s instantly iconic redesign of the Batsuit as much as anything else.

With the Hush costume, Lee brought a new level of elegant simplicity to the Batsuit. Gone is the yellow oval that persisted for decades, to be replaced by a sleek, black emblem. Lee’s knack for rendering dynamic, detailed, and very powerful superhero physiques is on full display in his Batman. Readers needed to believe that this Dark Knight could face down a gauntlet of his greatest foes – and Superman for good measure, and they certainly did.

The Hush redesign immediately became the default look for Batman going forward. Lee created a clear model that subsequent artists like Andy Kubert and Tony Daniel followed closely. While individual artists varied in whether they chose the blue or black cape and cowl, the rest of the details remained consistent. It’s telling that, after a period of focusing on more armored Batman costumes in the New 52 and DC Rebirth eras, DC eventually threw in the towel and went back to the Hush costume. It just plain works.

How the New Batsuit Compares

Artist Jorge Jiménez is no stranger to Batman at this point, but he’ll be debuting a new Batsuit when he and writer Matt Fraction kick off DC’s relaunched Batman series in September 2025.

The newest Batsuit isn’t a massive deviation from the now-standard Hush costume, though it does have a few interesting embellishments all its own. Where most artists in recent years have gravitated toward the black cape and cowl, Jiménez is bringing back the blue. Not only that, the cape is now heavily shaded, creating a stark contrast between the inner and older folds and bringing to mind Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series look. Even the Bat emblem is blue now, as well as sporting a bigger and more angular shape.

After all this time, it’s great to see Batman still trying out new looks. But will the latest redesign have the staying power of Batman’s most iconic suits? Only time will tell.

For more Batman fun, check out IGN's top 27 Batman comics and graphic novels.

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

Reacher Season 3 is a massive hit for Amazon — it’s the most-watched returning season ever on Prime Video, and the most-watched season on Prime Video since Fallout across its first 19 days.

Reacher, played by Alan Ritchson, is about a former major in the U.S. Army's military police who roams the United States getting into all sorts of trouble through no fault of his own. Reacher spends a lot of time beating up bad guys and solving mysteries; he’s not only the most dangerous man around, but the smartest.

In Season 3, however, Reacher meets his match in the form of Dutch giant Olivier Richters, who towers over Alan Ritchson with an incredible height of 7 ft 2 in.

According to Variety, Reacher Season 3 saw a huge 54.6 million viewers globally in its first 19 days. That’s almost a big enough number to fit across Reacher actor Alan Ritchson’s back.

It’s also a 0.5% increase on Season 2’s figure across the same time period, which suggests Reacher, already a massive hit for Prime Video, is growing in popularity. And it’s not just big in the U.S., either. More than half of Reacher’s audience is international, with “outsized performance” in the U.K., Germany and Brazil.

For context, Fallout brought in 65 million viewers over its first 16 days in April 2024. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 had 40 million viewers in 11 days after its August 2024 premiere.

IGN’s Reacher Season 3 review returned an 8/10. We said: “Reacher season 3 diverges more from the book upon which it’s based than previous seasons, but Reacher himself is more ruthless than ever and it remains a righteous good time.”

As you’d expect, Reacher Season 4 is confirmed. It was greenlit before Season 3 even began.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

After a small delay from its original release date, The Day the Earth Blew Up is officially the first fully animated Looney Tunes movie to get a theatrical release. IGN had the chance to review this film and called it "one of the funniest movies of the year." It's a gag-filled animated feature that works as a perfect family movie for both kids and adults. If you grew up watching the Looney Tunes and are looking for a delightful hit of nostalgia, this is a must-see film.

To help you find when and where you can watch The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, we've gathered all of the information about showtimes below. If you're hoping to watch the film at home, we've also included streaming and digital release details.

How to Watch the New Looney Tunes Movie

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie is now available in theaters everywhere. You can find showtimes at your local theaters using the links below:

• Fandango
• AMC Theaters
• Cinemark Theaters
• Regal Theaters

When Will It Come to Streaming?

The Day the Earth Blew Up will most likely land on Max, where the rest of the Looney Tunes currently live. The movie does not yet have a streaming release date, but if we look at other movies released by Ketchup Entertainment, we can get a decent idea of when you can expect the film to come to a streaming service. While it depends on how well the movie is doing in theaters, you can likely expect it to be available to stream one or two months after its theatrical release.

What about the digital release?

We don't yet have a digital release for the new Looney Tunes movie, but we know that it will be sometime before it arrives on streaming. It's possible it could become available to rent or buy online as early as the end of March or early April. We'll update this page as soon as we have more details.

Where to Watch More Looney Tunes

After 26 years of adventuring in the Pokémon anime, protagonist Ash Ketchum finally called it a day at the tender age of perpetually 10-years-old. But after adamantly refusing to age up its hero for most of the anime's run, The Pokemon Company appears to finally be doing the unthinkable in Pokémon Horizons and letting its new protagonists, Liko and Roy, grow up a bit.

The news comes from the recent CoroCoro reveal of the next arc in Pokemon Horizons, Mega Voltage, which confirmed that this new arc include a "time skip" that will age up Liko and Roy by about three years. This includes new designs for the main cast that shows Liko, Roy, and Dot looking noticeably taller and more mature than before:

What's more, these kids exist in the same universe as Ash Ketchum, even if he's not in the anime at the moment. So this means that, off-screen somewhere, Ash has also aged three years with them, as have the rest of the gang of Misty, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena, and everyone else. Will we see the grown up Ash Ketchum in this arc, or ever? Who knows? But fans are already speculating that things may be headed in that direction either now or in a future season.

Mega Voltage will also feature the return of Mega Evolutions, likely to coincide with Mega Evolution returning as a mechanic in the game Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We can also see that Liko's Floragato evolved at some point into Meowscarada, and Roy's got a shiny mega Lucario.

One notable absence in the reveal is Friede, captain of the Rising Volt Tacklers. His partner, Pikachu, is present and seems to have Friede's goggles, and fans seem to think they've spotted cracks running across the sides of the goggles, perhaps suggesting that something not-so-great has happened to Friede — uh oh.

The Mega Voltage arc will begin airing in Japan on April 11 of this year, though it won't show up in the United states for a bit, as the English dub is significantly behind. We've been a bit cool on the anime series since it aired, giving Pokémon Horizons Season 2 a 5/10 for "refusing time and again to commit to its strengths." Here's hoping the time skip infuses some new energy into the Rising Volt Tacklers.

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.

Saber Interactive has insisted all its previously announced games are still in development, despite the radio silence around high-profile titles such as the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake.

Hot on the heels of the announcement of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3, Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits tweeted to reassure the studio’s fans that everything it’s announced is still in the works.

“Saber Interactive is one of the largest independent developers in the world,” Willits said. “We are working on numerous games across many different genres. Everything that we have talked about is still in development. We will share information on upcoming games when we have something cool to share.”

The most obvious subject of Willits’ statement is the KOTOR remake, which remains one of gaming’s most elusive projects. Announced in 2021, the long-awaited remake has changed hands multiple times, seemingly stopped development and restarted again, and after four years has failed to materialize.

In April 2024, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch confirmed the company took KOTOR with it during its split from Embracer Group, and that the game was still in active development.

"It's clear and it's obvious that we're working on this," he said at the time. "It's been in the press numerous times. What I will say is that the game is alive and well, and we're dedicated to making sure we exceed consumer expectations."

Willits’ statement, which comes nearly 12 months later, reaffirms Karch’s quote. But still, even now, we have seen nothing of the KOTOR remake beyond its initial announcement video.

Saber also has other games in the works, including a number due out this year. John Carpenter's Toxic Commando and Jurassic Park Survival are still down for 2025, but neither has a release date. Saber is also working on a brand new Turok game and an untitled Avatar: The Last Airbender title.

Now, you can add Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 to the list. Be sure to check out IGN’s article on which chapters and enemy factions Space Marine 3 could feature for more.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

In the broadest strokes, it's pretty hilarious how much of Opus feels like a case of movie déjà vu. If you've been exposed to the kind of arty horror popularized by today’s biggest independent movie studio and distributor, A24, you've seen this kind of movie many times over: An eccentric figure lures unsuspecting guests (like in Heretic or Ex Machina) to a remote location where things aren't as they seem (X, Men) revealing something about the shallow nature of those present (Bodies Bodies Bodies, Midsommar). It would be fair to dismiss it for that degree of recycling alone. More is not always better, and Opus doesn’t offer enough variation on its A24 predecessors to make things feel fresh. What it does have is a unique perspective – a perspective that's fun to think about, but extremely narrow.

Opus pretends to be about pop stars and celebrity, setting up a story in which the extremely reclusive, wildly popular musician Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) is about to release his first album in 30 years. To mark the occasion, he invites a select few to his private compound for a lavish weekend listening party. No one knows why junior reporter Ariel Ecton (Ayo Edebiri) is among them, and through her eyes the viewer gets to be an outsider among insiders as Opus goes about not just being a horror movie but a satirical look of people accustomed to VIP treatment.

Because this is what Opus is actually about: Not celebrity, but the people who cover it. First time writer-director Mark Anthony Green comes from the magazine world, having worked at GQ for over a decade. (Full disclosure: I freelanced for GQ for several years, but never had any interaction with Green during that time or after.) He employs that experience to put the viewer in the mindset of a magazine writer, specifically, a marginalized one: Ariel has been on staff for three years but still gets overlooked, and her ideas often result in assignments for other writers. Her boss, Stan (Murray Bartlett), tells her to stick to taking notes while he accompanies her to Moretti’s compound, and shuts down any chance of her writing her own article.

There's a good amount to chew on here if you are someone predisposed to thinking about magazine journalism and the ways it interacts with celebrity. Early on, Ariel outlines a career plan that starts with interviewing interesting people so that others will find her interesting enough to interview, effectively giving away the game: A big part of doing Ariel's kind of magazine writing is keeping your ego in check enough to at least appear as if your goal is never to become a story yourself. Over the course of 104 minutes, she learns this lesson, which can make Opus feel more like shoptalk than a movie. I find what it has to say interesting because I'm a journalist who’s written for magazines and thinks about them a lot. The job, particularly when it involves following celebrities around, can lead to blurry lines between observing and participating; as well as coming to grips with how elusive the truth can be when your subject is always performing, even when they are trying to convince you they're not. There's good drama in this, but it's also the kind of inside baseball that can be profoundly alienating to anyone who isn't already in this business or interested in it.

Unfortunately for those people, all Opus has on the horror side of the equation is a pile of cliché. It isn't necessarily a bad thing that it sticks to the kind of well-worn formula embraced by many of its labelmates, but it does mean that how it executes on that formula really matters. But instead of being spectacular, Opus is dutiful, dropping clues and bodies at a steady pace like the twisted Willy Wonka experience it is – just without much weird stuff to look at, because Moretti's compound is in the middle of the desert and mostly consists of tents and luxe bungalows. The kills, with one notable exception, are mundane or obscured. (Perhaps the most A24-style trick of all is a scene where a door shuts on a violent struggle, with only the sounds of the scuffle to clue us in on who gets the upper hand.) A bizarre puppet show in the final act hints at the kind of memorable weirdness that would've gone a long way if there were more of it in Opus.

For what it's worth, the movie's gestures toward a thriller built around the mania over a musical idol (think Smile 2 or Trap) are a ton of fun: John Malkovich is not the kind of person you'd expect to play a pop icon with a cult following, and his portrayal of Alfred Moretti (also not a very pop star name) is a great mix of goofy and sinister. His music, when we’re given a taste, is a strange mix of David Bowie-style anthems and dance-pop struts, and there are moments when it seems like Opus is designed to make the viewer feel alienated. Like you're not supposed to be into Moretti's music, and you're supposed to be a little uncomfortable that every character here is. Are they sucking up? Or does fame always eventually produce a cult?

The moments that bring up questions like this are Opus' strongest, but they are brief and few, and they don't contrast strongly enough with the easily parodied A24 brand of horror. In the end, Opus does do a little more than merely play the hits, but it's not quite daring enough to keep the record spinning.

We recently saw a good look at Pokémon Legends: Z-A, the next entry in Game Freak's Legends series set to take place in X and Y's Lumiose City. It's also apparently garnered an E10+ rating from the ESRB, and fans are both curious and wildly, sometimes jokingly, speculating about what's going to happen in this new entry.

Attentive fans noticed that on the Nintendo Switch store page, Pokémon Legends: Z-A has earned an E10+ age rating from the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, listing 'Fantasy Violence.' While it might not normally draw feverish speculation for most other series, it's an oddity for Pokémon, whose mainline games have consistently been 'E for Everyone.'

The rating has, of course, drawn wild speculation, some serious and some less-than-serious. It is genuinely entertaining to think about what strange choices Game Freak could possibly have made to bump up the rating, whether that be dialogue about Pokémon killing people or trying to add a gunplay mechanic. As several Redditors (jokingly) suggest, maybe the hordes come back, but it involves a group of Scrafty jumping you in one of Lumiose's alleys.

"Ohhhh boy, Game Freak is taking off the little kiddie gloves," Reddit user RynnHamHam said. "This ain’t your kindergartener’s Pokémon game."

Several gags have also been made about AZ, a character with quite a history set to appear in Pokémon Legends: Z-A and who plays a central role in some of the darker elements of Pokémon X and Y's story and the history of the Kalos region.

As for more plausible speculation, there are a few theories, including a few more "craps" than usual, or the appearance of a Game Center-style minigame. Even the darker elements of Lumiose could be more front-and-center.

My personal take is that this probably lies in the 'Fantasy Violence' the ESRB highlighted. While the rating is an oddity for your typical Pokémon game, it does line up with the pocket monster fighting game Pokkén Tournament DX, which also received an E10+ and noted 'Fantasy Violence.' The real-time elements showcased for Pokémon Legends: Z-A could have elicited the slightly stronger rating, as the monsters more clearly make contact.

There's no listing, as of this writing, for Pokémon Legends: Z-A on the ESRB site, so we can't learn much more at this time. Still, it's fun to speculate a bit, at least until we know more about Z-A's ultimate plans and how it will earn that bump-up in the E range.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A is slated for a late 2025 launch on Nintendo Switch.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

The developers of Pokémon TCG Pocket have finally offered specific details on major improvements coming to the game's much-loathed trading function, which has been an absolute mess since launch. And the improvements sound genuinely great, but it's going to take forever for them to be implemented.

In a post to the Pokémon community forums, the developers explained the upcoming changes. We're listing them here as written:

The biggest change here is that TCG Pocket will remove the currency that's currently being used for trading: Trade Tokens. Trade Tokens were added to the game specifically to be used with trading, and frankly, they suck. They're absolutely necessary in order to trade at all, but the only way to get them is by effectively vaporizing cards you already own.

We explained it in more detail here, but the tl;dr is that as things currently stand, if you want to trade one ex Pokémon for a friend's ex Pokémon, you need to throw five other ex cards in the bin first to get enough trade tokens to trade the one you want. And your friend has to do the same. While there have been a few other ways to get bonus trade tokens since then, the system overall has remained extremely discouraging for anyone who actually wants to use it.

The new system, on paper, is much better. Shinedust is a currency that already exists in game and is currently used to purchase "flairs" for cards — little animations to make them sparkle in specific ways when you use them in matches. You collect shinedust automatically whenever you get duplicates of cards you already have, and more shinedust is available from events and other methods. Unless you're big on flairs, you probably have a lot of it just sitting around already, and the TCG Pocket devs say they're looking into ways to give you even more to ensure trades can happen.

And for what it's worth, it is important for TCG Pocket to impose some cost to trading. Otherwise players could game the system by making tons of new accounts, opening the numerous packs handed out to players early in the game, and just trade all their new rares to their main accounts. Then rinse and repeat. Imposing a cost ensures that people are trading thoughtfully — the trade token system was just way, way too expensive for your average player to ever bother.

There's one more big change listed here that will make a massive difference: the feature that will allow players to share cards they're interested in trading. As things currently stand, you can put a card up for trade, but there's no way to tell anyone what cards you might want for it unless you call up your friends outside of the game and tell them. Everyone else just has to guess. As a result, most players aren't even bothering to try and trade with strangers. But if we can offer some clue as to what an acceptable trade would be, players can make reasonable offers and actually use the system.

All in all, the community seems pretty happy with these changes, and early responses are positive. There is one massive drawback, which is that players have already thrown away tons of rare cards just to collect the existing trading currency, and there's really no way to get that back. Even though existing trade tokens will be converting to shinedust, the cards are still gone.

And there's one other issue: we're going to have to wait months before any of this takes effect. The blog post suggests these changes won't be implemented until fall of this year. In the meantime, it's likely that trading will grind to a total halt, since the current system is terrible and no one is going to want to nuke their rare cards to do it if a better solution is on the way. We're likely to go through several more expansions before the "trading" in "Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket" really takes off.

Save that shinedust, I guess!

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.

The surprise announcement that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is officially in development, coming just six months after the record-breaking release of Space Marine 2, has certainly got fans excited. Now the dust has settled on the news, thoughts inevitably turn to where the heroic Demetrian Titus will head next on his third video game adventure.

Warning! Spoilers for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 follow.

Let’s briefly recap the events of Space Marine 2 before we go on to speculate about what Space Marine 3 might have in store.

Space Marine 2 sees Titus of the Ultramarines go up against the Tyranids and the Thousand Suns Traitor Legion in a campaign that ends up with a massive battle against a demon army and even a trip to the warp. With the aid of Ultramarines Chapter Master Marneus Calgar, Titus successfully fends off both enemy factions before he’s sent on a mysterious mission that teases the continuation of the story in a sequel.

Now on to the speculation. Space Marine 3 looks certain to feature the Necrons, Warhammer 40,000’s deathless skeletal robot xenos, in some capacity. One Space Marine 2 mission that takes Titus deep within the bowels of an alien planet shows ancient and mysterious wall markings that are a clear nod to the Necrons.

There’s even a dataslate (Space Marine 2's audio logs) that reveals Necron constructs have been killing Techpriests. You can see these constructs lying about the place.

Indeed, during the third act of the campaign, Titus heads to a Necron Tomb World packed with Necron buildings and technology. Some players thought the xenos would make a surprise appearance as a third enemy faction in the campaign, given the nature of the mission. Alas, they did not.

Could other enemy factions also turn up in Space Marine 3? Space Marine 2 does not reveal the nature of Titus’ secret new mission (the Warhammer 40,000 animation in Amazon’s Secret Level anthology, which acts as a Space Marine 2 sequel of sorts, doesn’t reveal much of anything), but with the eternally suspicious Chaplain Leandros keeping a close eye on proceedings just in case there’s a whiff of corruption, we’re sure Titus will be kept on the straight and narrow.

At this point it’s worth referring back to an IGN exclusive interview with Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits, conducted soon after Space Marine 2 came out. At the time, Willits said there was the possibility of story DLC, and revealed that ideas were already floating around for Space Marine 3.

In the interview, Willits teased Space Marine 3 may introduce new chapters as well as new enemy factions. “There's so many different factions…” he teased, “there are other chapters, too, that are interesting...”

Other chapters, eh? Could Titus leave the Ultramarines behind to join up with a different chapter for his Space Marine 3 adventure? If so, it’s almost impossible to say at this point which chapters might make the cut. Blood Angels, Dark Angels, and Salamanders are among the most popular Space Marine chapters outside poster boys the Ultramarines, but in truth there is a long list to draw upon. Perhaps we’ll get to join forces with a towering Adeptus Custodes at some point?

And what about an enemy Chaos faction to fight against? It would be a shame to return to fighting the Thousand Suns having done so in Space Marine 2. How about this time we battle Abaddon the Despoiler’s Black Legion? Or the Death Guard? Or maybe the Emperor's Children? They're a noisy bunch and would be sure to keep the party going.

Meanwhile, what type of gameplay might we get from Space Marine 3? Games Workshop, publisher Focus Entertainment, and developer Saber Interactive aren’t saying much at this point, but there is talk about “introducing large-scale battles that are even more spectacular."

To me, that means vehicle gameplay, something some had hoped to see from Space Marine 2. Could we get to pilot a Dreadnought? A Rhino? A Land Speeder? A Land Raider? An Assault Bike? Upping the scale, a set piece in which you pilot a Thunderhawk during a ground assault would be epic indeed.

As for characters, Space Marine 2 features the aforementioned Ultramarines Chapter Master Marneus Calgar. Could Space Marine 3 go one better and include Ultramarines Primarch Robute Guilliman himself? In the current setting, Dark Angles Primarch Lion El'Jonson is also knocking about the galaxy. Perhaps we’ll run into him.

On the flip side, there are a number of high-profile traitor Primarchs who are currently terrorizing the Imperium in demon form. Maybe one of those will make a cameo (fingers crossed for Mortarion!).

Whatever Games Workshop and Saber Interactive has up its sleeve, it seems we won’t find out for quite a while. Games Workshop has said Space Marine 3 "is likely years away from release."

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet — Journey Together drops on March 28, 2025, bringing back a mechanic we haven’t seen since 2004. Trainer’s Pokémon are making a comeback, just like the classics from EX Team Magma vs. Team Aqua, and I couldn’t be more excited to preview this set.

This set focuses on four iconic Trainers: N, Iono, Lillie, and Hop, each getting Pokémon ex that showcase the strong bonds they share with their teams. If you’ve ever wanted a deck where N’s Zoroark ex, Lillie’s Clefairy ex, or Iono’s Bellibolt ex take center stage, now’s your chance.

My Journey Together Product Openings

Update 3/14/25 12:02 p.m. ET: Like most limited-edition PS5 hardware releases, the stock situation for this controller appears to be severely, uh, limited. It's currently (possibly!) available at PS Direct. Stock is also holding steady at GameStop, but you can only preorder it if you have a Pro membership (you can sign up here for $25/year).

It's currently sold out at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart, though it's possible any of them could get more stock at some point. I'll keep updating this article as things change.

Here’s one for the post-apocalyptic crowd: Sony is releasing a new limited-edition The Last of Us-themed DualSense controller. The PS5 controller features an eye-catching black and white design, with trophy icons from The Last of Us Part I and Part II etched into it. It comes out April 10 with an MSRP of $84.99. Preorders are live now at various retailers (see it on PS Direct). Read on for the details.

Preorder The Last of Us PS5 Controller

Ted Lasso Season 4 is officially in the works, star and producer Jason Sudeikis has announced.

The Saturday Night Live alum revealed that the beloved Apple TV+ series will get at least one more season during a conversation with Jason and Travis Kelce on their New Heights sports podcast. A snippet from the show’s latest episode highlights a moment that saw the two NFL brothers pressing Sudeikis for an update on Ted Lasso Season 4 following the conclusion of Season 3 in summer 2023.

“That’s what we’re writing. We’re writing Season 4 now,” Sudeikis teased. “That’s the official word, yeah. Ted’s coaching a women’s team.”

Ted Lasso is BACK for Season 4 … and he’s got a new team

New episode with Jason Sudeikis!!

Video drops 9:30amET on YouTube
Listen early NOW on Wondery+ pic.twitter.com/XxeZ4YomBw

— New Heights (@newheightshow) March 14, 2025

It’s the first concrete update on a continuation for the project in nearly two years and should offer relief for those who have hoped to see the feel-good soccer series push on. There’s no word on whether Ted Lasso Season 4 is its last or where in the world it might take place. Even Travis Kelce wasn’t able to get an answer out of Sudeikis when asking if the former football coach is coming back to the U.S.

“Yeah, that’s too many questions, and that’s only because I don’t know,” Sudeikis said with a laugh.

Meanwhile, Deadline reports that Keeley actress Juno Temple is in negotiations to return for more Ted Lasso, with Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, and Jeremy Swift all already set to return as Rebecca, Roy, and Leslie, respectively. Its sources say that Episode 1 of the fourth season will likely be filmed in Kansas City before Ted returns to the UK, adding that the aim is to begin production in July.

Apple TV+ is already on the move when it comes to reestablishing Ted Lasso in the public consciousness. Although no release date or plot details have been spilled quite yet, the show’s official X/Twitter account has reemerged with a tongue-in-cheek post poking fun at its unexpected hiatus.

Finally found the dang password to this thing.

Sorry y’all. What’d I miss?

— Ted Lasso (@TedLasso) March 14, 2025

Our last update on Ted Lasso story came in summer 2024 when a Deadline report signaled that Season 4 was preparing for greenlight status. For more on Sudeikis’ critical hit soccer show, you can read up on why mid-2023 was a particularly painful time for TV fans. You can also see our review for the Ted Lasso Season 3 premiere here.

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).

Rockstar has given the go-ahead for an official conversion tool to help modders update their mods to work with the all-new Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced.

As custom assets used on FiveM and GTAV Legacy are not natively compatible with the recently released enhanced PC game, Cfx.re — the team behind the biggest Rockstar roleplay and creator communities FiveM and RedM and hired by Rockstar back in 2023 — announced it is working on a new tool to "assist the modding community in making their assets compatible with the new upgrade."

Rockstar rarely officially supports the modding communities behind its games, so the news is being welcomed by GTA 5 modders who are hoping it's a signal of better things to come for Grand Theft Auto 6.

Roxwood with ray tracing, here we go 😎

— The Ambitioneers (@TAmbitioneers) March 12, 2025

The conversion tool will support the following formats:

• Dictionaries of multiple drawables (*.ydd)
• Generic models, geometry, optional embedded textures and lights (*.ydr)
• Complex fragmented skeletons/models used for pedestrians, vehicles, destructible objects, etc. (*.yft)
• Texture Dictionaries (also known as TXD) (*ytd.)

As yet, there's no concrete date on when the tool will be available, but the team stressed it is "currently focused on completing the final few tasks required to release the tool," so players should expect a "full announcement and comprehensive documentation" the day it releases.

GTA 5 Enhanced is a free upgrade for GTA 5 on PC that includes all the latest vehicles and performance upgrades available at Hao’s Special Works, animal encounters, access to purchase a GTA+ Membership, as well as improved graphics options and faster loading times. Before the Enhanced edition released, only players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S versions of GTA Online could access these new features.

However, Rockstar’s new and improved version of Grand Theft Auto 5 isn’t going down well on Steam following its launch on March 4. It currently boasts a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, with 55% of the 21,956 user reviews flagged as positive. The original version of GTA 5 has been unlisted from Steam per Rockstar's instruction, but by comparison, that has a ‘very positive’ user review rating on Valve's platform.

As for GTA 6? That's still expected to launch in fall 2025, although currently, it's only slated to release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S. The most recent news to come out of Rockstar, however, wasn't about the game but was instead about the film Marching Powder and its star, Danny Dyer. Could it be a sign that Kent Paul will return for GTA 6? Well, anything's possible.

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.

The total sales across the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series have topped 5 million copies worldwide, Square Enix has announced.

Taking to X/Twitter, Square Enix said Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster's success had pushed sales for the entire Final Fantasy series — that's all Final Fantasy games, not just the pixellated ones — up to a staggering 200 million copies.

Given Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster had reached three million copies sold in September 2023, that means the bundle has sold another two million copies in around 18 months.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster bundles together the first six Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games as well as a 20-track soundtrack and 14 wallpapers. The bundle boasts universally updated 2D pixel graphics, a rearranged soundtrack, modernized UI, and all-new features, including a beastiary, illustration gallery, and music player. You can also switch between the original and rearranged soundtrack on the fly as you play.

The sales milestone comes six months after Square Enix made its dissatisfaction with Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s commercial performance known, admitting neither game met profit expectations. Final Fantasy 16 sold 3 million at launch, but Square Enix has yet to provide an updated figure. The company failed to announce a sales figure for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's launch, but Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's subsequent PC launch has done so well it may have changed the feeling internally on the game's overall performance.

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.

The classic Commandos series was all about cleverly commanding a squad to pull off some daring operations aimed at crippling the Nazi war machine and putting a real stick in the eye of the empire. But it's also a series that's been in relative dormancy for some time, leaving other games like Shadow Tactics and Desperados to pick up the torch and offer a similar blend of real-time strategy and stealth gameplay that's all about pulling off some slick, decisive strategies.

With the upcoming Commandos: Origins from developer Claymore Game Studios, the series finally gets its long overdue successor following the 2006 FPS spin-off, marking a return to the original's old-school perspective and brutal difficulty. I recently got to play the opening missions of Commandos: Origins and came away appreciating this revival of an open-ended tactical stealth-action game – even if it took me some time to come to grips with it.

As a return to the classic gameplay and storytelling of the early PC games in the series, Commandos: Origins appropriately focuses on the founding of the elite squad. As green beret Jack O'Hara, he's recruited by commando Sergeant Hancock with a mission to strike back against the growing Nazi empire. Following a daring escape through a North African allied base overrun by the Axis army, the duo soon expands their crew to engage in a larger campaign to destroy key targets across Europe and even the Arctic regions.

Commandos: Origins works has both a modern update to the classic formula of the series, but also as a jumping on point for those who've never played the originals. Much like the previous games, Origins taps into the style of pulpy, ensemble action films in the vein of The Guns of Navarone or The Dirty Dozen for its campaign. The core gameplay is a blend of real-time strategy and a carefully paced tactics game, where you command a small squad to sneak through bases, take out targets, and make it out alive. Instead of moving turns like other tactics games, your squad and all enemies on the field will move and react in real-time, which pushes you to make your moves count – or else face the onslaught of enemies on the field.

Speaking to art director Thilo Gebhardt from Claymore Game Studios, he explained how the developer was specifically founded to help revive the Commandos series and how they approached modernizing it for Origins.

"The original owner of Kalypso Media, Simon Hellwig, who passed away, had the idea to bring back Commandos – he was a big fan of the original games," Gebhardt said. "He had the opportunity to acquire it, and once he decided to make the next game an in-house production, he founded Claymore Studios specifically to revisit the brand. [...] With other competitors in the genre recently they've shown that this type of game can still be updated to a more modern standard because it can be a hardcore experience. But we've also found ways to improve the interface and the pacing, and we hope to have made that experience more modern and less frustrating for new players."

With each mission giving you a list of objectives and a large map to explore, you're tasked with completing them efficiently and carefully. By taking advantage of blindspots in enemy line of sight and patrol patterns and using gadgets from the key members of each squad, you're given plenty of opportunities and a wide berth in how you clear a mission. In some ways, it felt like each stage was a puzzle box to solve – by way of a stealth-action tactics game, and I soon had to get comfortable with hiding guards after I had taken them out of commission.

The opening mission in North Africa served as a solid tutorial in showcasing just how versatile but still specialized the squad members were. For instance, Sergeant Hancock takes on the role of the combat sapper, a combat engineer who can cut through wire barricades and plant powerful explosives to blow up targets. I found a lot to appreciate with how each squad member can coordinate, particularly with pulling off O'Hara's advanced traversal skills and quick stealth attacks to help clear the way for his allies to break the objectives.

The stealth mechanics are impressive and really show a level of depth with the enemy AI and level design – particularly with how guards will remember which allies are in the area and how snowprints are visible in places that shouldn't be. While I mostly crawled through the stages to be on the safe side, I still appreciated the moments when I could get a solid jump on the enemy. One useful option is the command mode, which lets you plan out specific moves for multiple squad members to execute all at once. Following the opening mission, Commandos immediately put me to the test in the following mission, which chucked me into the deep end.

Simply put, the difficulty here is super challenging. If just one commando dies, it's a loss. I ended up failing – a lot – and that meant reloading saves to try again. Much like early entries, Commandos: Origins sticks with a retro style of progression in each mission – and that means you'll need to embrace the retro concept of manually saving often – as auto-saves are not present in missions. In one instance during the second operation, I reached an important section of the stage but was quickly gunned down by patrolling troops. Because I was so focused on maneuvering my crew, I had forgotten to save and lost close to 10 minutes of progress.

According to the developers, the classic approach to manual saving was intentional, as it sticks close to the experience of the original games and doesn't seek to give players too many safety nets.

"We thought a lot about the fans of the original games, and for them, the aspect of how saving works was something you simply shouldn't change, it really comes down to taking away the liberty to decide on your own how you want to save your progress and what risk you want to take," the art director Gebhardt said. "Personally, I will save a lot, and there are some more daring and more experienced players who deliberately do not save. And they approach it like a little bit of a puzzle with a more creative way. So really for Commandos, it's about creative freedom of selecting your own safe points for."

My losses regularly felt crushing, especially considering just how lengthy missions can be. I often felt the need to take a break, but I still rallied and came through. These repeats, in some cases, turned out to be a blessing, as they allowed me to go through the trial-and-error process and pick up new strategies, sometimes allowing me to satisfyingly make the best of a clumsy situation.

In one mission, I had to destroy a guarded comms tower. I originally took out all guards in the area and then destroyed the tower, but upon a redo of the area, I simply destroyed the tower and watched it crash down on two guards, with me walking away feeling like I was Agent 47 in Hitman. In one satisfying instance, I used my sniper commando to pull off a Saving Private Ryan-style series of quick sniper shots on alerted guards, giving my team some breathing room to rally.

The raw satisfaction that comes from tactics games is seeing a plan come together after taking a risk, and Commandos: Origins certainly offered up plenty of those moments – even after my crushing defeats. So far, Claymore Game Studios' revival of Commandos is offering a compelling case for its comeback, which can potentially put the series back on the map as an exciting and satisfying tactics game.

Silent Hill f is the first Silent Hill game to get an 18+ rating certification in Japan.

As displayed at the beginning of the Japanese-language reveal trailer, which debuted last night, Silent Hill f is rated Mature in the U.S., PEGI 18 in Europe, and CERO:Z in Japan.

As the game is still in active development, certification is subject to change, but as spotted by Automaton, Silent Hill, Silent Hill 2, Silent Hill 3, and Silent Hill: The Room all secured CERO:C — that's for people aged 15 and older — while the other games in the series developed outside of Japan were typically rated CERO:C or CERO:D (ages 17+).

Even Silent Hill 2 Remake — Bloober Team's rework of the 2001 classic — was CERO:C in Japan, despite getting a mature (17+) rating in most Western countries.

Last night, Konami finally updated us with a new Silent Hill Transmission, the publisher's Silent Hill-themed online presentation. This time, it was focused purely on Silent Hill f, the upcoming mainline entry in the celebrated horror franchise — the first for 13 years.

First announced in 2022, Silent Hill f takes us to 1960s Japan, where we'll follow Shimizu Hinako, a teenager struggling under the pressure of expectations from her friends, family, and society. The story was written by Ryukishi07, creator of the When They Cry visual novel series.

The reveal trailer shows Hinako in varying degrees of distress, covered in blood, wounds, and with her Japanese school uniform ripped and torn. While most of the action was contained to cutscenes rather than gameplay, we had an extended peek at Silent Hill f's setting and monster designs, as well as what may be an Otherworld populated not by rust and fans this time, but by blood-red flowers.

As yet, there's no release date for Silent Hill f, and there was no further information at all about No Code's Silent Hill game, Townfall.

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.

The price of the Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the hottest topics within the video game industry. Analysts have told IGN they expect Nintendo’s next-gen console to launch at $400, and a new Bloomberg report reaffirms that price range, based on Japan-focused analyst predictions.

A $400 price point would be significantly higher than the original Switch, and another analyst told Bloomberg they wouldn’t be surprised if Nintendo went even higher, potentially to $499. But the analysts expect Switch 2 to enjoy a massive launch, maybe even the biggest console launch of all time, “regardless of price.”

“They will sell boatloads of Switch 2 in the first months in particular, almost regardless of the price,” Tokyo analyst Serkan Toto told Bloomberg.

One of the reasons Switch 2 will be so popular during its launch period is because of huge demand for its launch line-up of games. Toto expects a new Mario Kart, as teased by Nintendo itself when it revealed the Switch 2, a new 3D Mario game, as well as the already announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4, all released during the Switch 2’s first year of life. Toto also expects third-party support to include Call of Duty from Activision.

There is a long list of rumored third-party titles coming to the console, and in an interview with IGN, Civilization 7 developer Firaxis called Switch 2’s apparent Joy-Con mouse mode "definitely intriguing.” French video game and accessories maker Nacon, publisher of the likes of Greedfall 2, Test Drive Unlimited, and RoboCop: Rogue City, has said it has Switch 2 games ready to go. The long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong is also rumored to be set for Switch 2. And last month, EA said Madden, FC, and The Sims would all be a great fit for Switch 2.

It’s worth noting Activision has yet to announce its Switch 2 plans, and Nintendo hasn’t commented on the report.

When will Switch 2 release? June 2025 is increasingly coming up not just online, but in games media circles. One Japan-based analyst, Robin Zhu of Sanford C. Bernstein, told Bloomberg the Switch 2 is expected to release in June, with first-day inventory of 6-8 million units. If Nintendo burns through that stock the Switch 2 will have no problem selling faster than its predecessor and the PlayStation 4 and 5, breaking records along the way.

There has been some concern about the impact of U.S. president Donald Trump’s tariff war on the price of the Nintendo Switch 2. The Trump administration has implemented a new set of tariffs in the United States on goods coming from China, Canada, and Mexico, and analysts warned gamers to expect the tariffs to impact the price and potentially even the availability of video games, consoles, and other tech items.

However, as Bloomberg noted, the Switch 2 will be assembled in Vietnam, a major U.S. trading partner, as well as China, with one analyst suggesting this diversified manufacturing footprint helps lower the risk for Nintendo.

There’s still a great deal we don’t know about the Switch 2, but Nintendo plans a Direct for April 2 during which it will reveal more on the console.

The Nintendo Switch 2 was revealed earlier in January with a brief trailer that confirmed backwards compatibility features and the addition of a second USB-C port. Most details, such as its other games and what the heck the mysterious new Joy-Con button does, were left out, though the Joy-Con mouse theory did gain traction.

Last month, a Nintendo patent suggested Switch 2’s Joy-Con controllers could be attached upside down. It seems the Switch 2 operates with gyro mechanics in a similar way to how phones work without screen lock. Unlike the original Nintendo Switch, which had rails for the Joy-Cons to attach and lock into place, the new controllers feature magnets that presumably allow them to be attached on either side.

While this won't make much of a difference on the hardware front, it will allow players to essentially choose where they'd like certain buttons, the headphone port, and so on. If it makes it into the final product, the flipping ability may spark interesting gameplay mechanics, too.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

At first glance, you might mistake Atomfall for a Fallout-style game. Perhaps, even, an actual Fallout game set in a post-apocalyptic England rather than a post-apocalyptic America. Atomfall is first-person, it’s post-nuclear (it’s called Atomfall for a reason), and it has an alt-history design, as Fallout famously does.

Ryan Greene, art director at developer Rebellion, totally understands where the Fallout comparisons are coming from. Not only that, but the development team knew Atomfall would be compared to Fallout as soon as it was revealed.

“Once you play the game, you realize it's not Fallout, but yes, we knew,” Greene told IGN.

“And one of our owners, Jason Kingsley, he's a big Fallout fan, so inevitably there was going to be some parallels in that any kind of survival in the apocalypse, immediately Fallout's going to come up as a thing. And those guys are great at what they do. And that's cool.”

But Atomfall isn’t really like Fallout at all. This is something IGN pointed out August last year when we reported that Atomfall is something much more interesting than a British Fallout.

Indeed, Greene warned that the Fallout comparison is “misleading.”

“Once you play it for a bit, you're like, oh, this is its own thing for sure,” Greene said. And, Greene pointed out, Rebellion isn’t Microsoft-owned Bethesda. The independently owned British studio behind the Sniper Elite franchise has created an ambitious game, relative to its other games, but we’re not talking about an Elder Scrolls or Fallout-sized experience here.

“The reality is, here’s this very successful franchise and we're version 1.0,” Greene continued. “To be compared to those guys… thank you very much… Yes, we appreciate it because that’s a skillful team that's making that stuff.”

An average Atomfall playthrough, Greene said, is “probably 25-ish hours.” However, completionists can stretch that “a long way.”

To find out how the game plays, be sure to check out IGN’s most recent Atomfall hands-on preview, in which our Simon Cardy went off the deep end and killed everyone during his playthrough.

It turns out, you can go through the entire game killing everyone and it will cope with that. “You can kill anyone or everyone if you choose,” Greene confirmed. “That's fine. We have multiple finishes to the game, so some of those would shut down if you were supposed to work with them throughout, but you'll find multiple other routes to finish the game and achieve a result.”

Atomfall doesn’t have a main quest or a side quest in the traditional RPG sense. Rather, “it's a spider web of connected story,” Greene explained.

“So even if you sever one thread, you can usually find another thread that leads you back to the overall mystery.”

Conversely, you can play through Atomfall without killing anyone. At least, Greene is “fairly certain” you can. “I've made it about nine hours in, probably close to halfway running at a pretty fast dev play speed and killed no one,” he said. “I'm fairly certain you can do it and there's no gating of having to kill anyone ever.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The speedrunning community is trying to wrap its head around a technological phenomenon that is seemingly causing the SNES to run games faster as it ages.

Alarm bells rang in early February when Bluesky user Alan Cecil (@tas.bot) spread the word that the Nintendo's iconic console seemed to be running games slightly faster now than when it left production lines in the 1990s. It’s a theory that would mean the nearly 50 million SNES units sold may now feature improved performance with games like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, and Star Fox instead of wearing down as the years go on.

The idea of a video game console — or any kind of technology — working more efficiently simply thanks to the passage of time sounds ludicrous, but Cecil’s findings suggest a single component may be what’s setting the SNES apart from the rest.

The Fastest Thing Alive

As explained in an interview 404 Media conducted with Cecil, official Nintendo specs say the SNES’s audio processing unit (APU) SPC700 has a digital signal processing (DSP) rate of 32,000Hz dictated by a ceramic resonator that runs at 24.576MHz. Retro console fans have documented that these details aren’t quite accurate, with recordings from the last few decades showing slightly altered DSP rates depending on the physical conditions — such as temperature — the SNES is recorded in. It means the console is often processing audio and sending it to the CPU at a different rate than Nintendo has communicated, and as the DSP fluctuates, so too does the game’s speed even if it’s in small, unrecognizable ways.

Navigating the world of live TV alternatives can be a daunting task as there are so many options to choose from. One of the best options available today is Hulu + Live TV, which features everything Hulu has to offer plus a robust library of channels that includes popular live sporting events and entertainment. Even better, Hulu + Live TV also bundles in Disney+ and ESPN+ at no additional cost, giving you access to even more streaming options that include the very best of Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more!

If you're interested in checking out Hulu + Live TV, you're in luck. Scroll down for information on the current free trial offer, as well as details about what's included in the service, pricing, and where it's available to stream.

Does Hulu + Live TV Have a Free Trial?

Yes, Hulu + Live TV offers a three-day free trial that allows you to take the live TV streaming service for a spin. You'll gain access to more than 95 live TV channels that include sporting events and the most popular entertainment channels. Hulu + Live TV also includes the Disney Bundle, which means you'll also be able to enjoy the entire Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ catalogs at no additional cost. It's the only streaming free trial offering a total of four services at once.

When you're ready to sign up, click the link below to sign up for the free trial. After your trial period ends, you'll be automatically charged for your subscription if it's not canceled.

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Kratos—it’s Friday! Even though it’s Autumn for Aussies, it’s time to spring into ludicrous Spring Sale savings on Steam. If the picks of that litter don’t interest you, I’ve sniffed out console-based bargains on grand adventures, pulse-pounding action, or quirky indie gems; there’s a little something for everyone.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm (somehow) celebrating the 23rd birthday of the OG Xbox, a console that blew my mind at launch (even though I was happily married to a PS2). This was the chunky vehicle that brought Microsoft into the console gaming world. And while it didn't have the prettiest design or the greatest library of games, it gave us two important contributions to gaming: Halo and Xbox Live.

While some N64 enthusiasts may argue that GoldenEye paved the way for quality console first-person shooters, it was Halo that revolutionised the genre. Almost every FPS that came after Halo utilised its control scheme and a modified version of its health system. But where Halo truly succeeded was in providing console gamers with the first-of-its-kind 16-player LAN battles. This was the first shooter that made my PC gaming mates jealous, and I still own and adore my Limited Edition Crystal Xbox. Even though ants once tried to take it over and turn it into a very expensive vivarium.

Earlier this month Roblox announced that its The Hunt: Mega Edition Event would come with a $1 million grand prize for one super skilled gamer, and today the event officially started, revealing the 25 different Roblox experiences players will need to compete in to walk away a millionaire.

Roblox's last event, The Hunt: First Edition, attracted 34 million users without promising enough money to buy 1,428 PlayStation 5 Pros and still have money left over for a decent library of games, so expect The Hunt: Mega Edition to be the focus of the Roblox community until the event hits its live-streamed final in April. For that final the top ten The Hunt: Mega Edition competitors will be invited to Roblox HQ for their shot at the jackpot.

The full list of 25 different Roblox experiences that make up The Hunt: Mega Edition Event are:

• A Dusty Trip
• Arsenal
• Basketball Legends
• Bayside High School
• Blade League
• Clip It
• Car Crushers 2
• Chained [2 Player Obby]
• Drive World
• Eat the World
• Fisch
• Hell's Kitchen
• Infection Gunfight
• It Girl
• Metro Life
• Natural Disaster Survival
• Pet Simulator 99
• PRESSURE
• Regretevator
• RIVALS
• SpongeBob Tower Defense
• Tower Defense Simulator
• Untitled Boxing Game
• Untitled Tag Game
• World Zero

That's quite the variety, meaning to get to the big prize players will need to show their skills in games like life sim Bayside High School, cook up a storm as Gordon Ramsay's next executive chef in Hell's Kitchen and survive zombie FPS Infection Gunfight.

The only catch is to win the money you need to be 13 years-old or over, but even if you out of the running for the cash there are still special ultra-rare digital items created exclusively for The Hunt: Mega Edition to win. For all the terms and conditions head on over to the official The Hunt: Mega Edition site.

Rachel Weber is IGN's Managing Editor.

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.

Not everyone is the DIY type. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of the best brands we'd recommend. Alienware desktops and laptops feature solid build quality, top-of-the-line gaming performance, excellent cooling (further improved on the newer models), aggressive styling, and pricing that is very competitive with other pre-built options. Best of all, there are plenty of sales that happen throughout the year, so it's not difficult to grab one of these computers at considerably less than their retail price. This page includes all of the best deals that are currently available.

Dell and Alienware Coupons

Dell and Alienware Gaming PC Deals

Dell and Alienware Gaming Laptop Deals

Dell and Alienware Monitor Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC

Dell Tower Plus RTX 4090 Gaming PC

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5080 Up for Preorder

New Price Drop

Alienware m16 Gaming Laptops

Alienware x16 R2 Gaming Laptops

Alienware m18 R2 RTX 4080 Gaming Laptop

Dell G-Series Gaming Laptops