The divisive Star Wars TV series The Acolyte would have featured a connection between The Stranger and villain Kylo Ren had the show been given a Season 2 and not been cancelled, its showrunner has confirmed.

Creator and showrunner Leslye Headland, who is perhaps best known for her work as a playwright, revealed that The Acolyte's central villain, Qimir also known as The Stranger, would have gone on to start The Knights of Ren, the cult the young Kylo Ren joined following his departure from the Jedi. Indeed, The Acolyte would have confirmed The Stranger as the first Knight of Ren.

“It was in the design of the character, as well as knowing that we were going to introduce Darth Plagueis, who has to end up with Palpatine as his apprentice," Headland wrote in The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte by Kristin Baver, as reported by SFF Gazette.

"Following the Rule of Two - a precept that limited the Sith to just two at any given time, a master and an apprentice - one way to keep it going is if the Stranger is the first Knight of Ren, part of a Sith-adjacent cult that we know eventually survives."

The Knights of Ren are not Sith per se, as Headland explains, but they also align themselves much more with the dark side of the Force than the light the Jedi follow. Some of the Knights seemingly appear with Kylo Ren in The Rise of Skywalker, but the context surrounding them, who they really are, and why Ren is with them is never properly explored.

Knowing all of this, some fans will undoubtedly be wishing more of this could’ve been explored both in further seasons of The Acolyte, and the project Adam Driver, who played Kylo Ren / Ben Solo, and director Steven Soderbergh were trying to make — The Hunt For Ben Solo — before Disney tossed it in the trash.

Indeed, Star Wars owner Disney canceled The Acolyte after Season 1, leaving a number of plot threads, chief among them the dramatic first appearance of Darth Plagueis in live-action form, dangling, perhaps never to be resolved.

Since the cancelation, a number of actors who appeared in The Acolyte have said they still hope for a Season 2. In December last year, Manny Jacinto, who played Qimir, said Darth Plagueis would have had a bigger role in further seasons of The Acolyte, but didn't reveal too much because "we could come back."

Meanwhile, Sol actor Lee Jung-Jae has said he was "quite surprised" to hear The Acolyte wouldn't get a second season, which Headland was thinking about even before Season 1 premiered. Others, including Amandla Stenberg, have said they weren't shocked by the cancellation, however. "I'm going to be transparent and say that it's not a huge shock for me," she said. "I was in the bubble of my own reality, but for those who aren't aware there's been a rampage of vitriol that we've faced since the show was even announced. When it was still just a concept and no one had even seen it."

Here's the page from The Art of The Acolyte book where Leslye reveals that The Stranger was supposed to be the first Knight of Ren, in HD quality.
This page and others were initially previewed at Celebration Japan and I guess no one read them too carefully lol pic.twitter.com/NxZMvXfU7T

— Retney's Holocron YouTube (@retneysholocron) October 26, 2025

Mother Aniseya actress Jodie Turner-Smith raised this issue too, calling out Disney for not doing enough for the cast who faced waves of racist slander online. "They’ve got to stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything when people are getting f**king dog-piled on the internet with racism and bulls**t," she said. Jacinto is still eager to create more of The Acolyte though, calling Season 2 his life's goal not long after its cancellation.

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

Ruben Bolling's Tom the Dancing Bug is widely hailed as being one of the most influential and creative comic strips of the '90s and '00s, and Clover Press is busy reprinting that series in a new batch of collected editions. Next up is a two-volume set collecting the series' run from 1990 to 1998.

With Clover Press' latest Tom the Dancing Bug crowdfunding campaign now live, IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of the book and the accompanying lithograph art print. Check them out in the slideshow gallery below:

Tom the Dancing Bug started out as a surrealist alternative to traditional newspaper comic strips. The series increasingly took on a more political humor-focused approach, first in the wake of 9/11 and then as a response to the election of Donald Trump. The Complete Tom the Dancing Bug collection aims to reprint 35 years' worth of strips in one comprehensive set.

“With the announcement of these two volumes, The Complete Tom the Dancing Bug program will soon stand as a full eight-volume chronicle of 35 years of comics – my life’s work,” said Bolling in a statement. “I’m grateful to Clover Press for its commitment to the project. The quality of the books has been extraordinary, and I’m honored to have this complete set in print. These two volumes will document this strip’s earliest years, and in some ways, my most audacious and ambitious work.”

The Kickstarter campaign for Tom the Dancing Bug is live now.

In other comics news, check out the other superhero crossovers featured in Batman/Deadpool #1 and learn more about Marvel's Wiccan: The Witches' Road.

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

Fallout Day has just recently concluded, and plenty of news was released for Bethesda's online RPG. Fallout 76 continues to deliver new content each year, with the Burning Springs DLC set to release later this year. Next year, Bethesda is finally set to release native PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game. Similar to the rest of the franchise, nothing is more iconic in Fallout 76 than Vault Boy. Today, you can pre-order the Vault Boy 76 Nendoroid at IGN Store. If you're a fan of the legendary RPG series, this is the perfect item to level up your collection.

Shop the Vault Boy 76 Nendoroid at IGN Store

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is getting its very own prequel manga, starring fan-favorite siblings Rebecca and Pilar. It’s up for preorder now for $14.99 / £13.99 at Amazon, with a release date set for February 24, 2026.

According to the listing, the story follows Rebecca and her brother as they chase their dream of becoming legendary edgerunners, just like their father.

If you consider yourself a fan of high fantasy, I would be willing to bet that there is a good chance you have at least heard the name "Brandon Sanderson" even if you have never read one of his books. Widely considered one of the most prolific fantasy authors of the modern age, Sanderson is a titan of the industry, having redefined publishing for authors, fought for better contracts for author e-book sales, brought about the conclusion of the legendary Wheel of Time series after the passing of its original author, Robert Jordan, and has basically created his own media empire with Dragonsteel (complete with his own convention). To say that he is a big deal would be underselling it a bit.

All that aside, perhaps what Brandon is best known for is the Cosmere—his universe-spanning interconnected monolith that a majority of his various books and series take place somewhere in. Picture the Marvel Cinematic Universe but as books, and all by the same writer. When a new Cosmere book is released, it's a big deal. This list will give you a basic idea of the (current) chronological order of the books in the scheme of the Cosmere itself, omitting books that we know are coming (Dragonsteel, the future Elantris Books, Mistborn eras 3 and 4, etc) but have not yet been released.

If you look at the long list of titles that currently take place in the Cosmere, it can feel like a Herculean task to get through some of the books on their own, so consider this more as a resource to help you navigate it a bit, and make connections along the way as you read through the various series. However, just be aware that these can also be enjoyed on their own as smaller self-contained series, without needing to read them in chronological order. Special thank you to the CopperMind (a Cosmere resource kept up to date by the most diehard of fans) for helping me put this list together. Just be careful when you go on there as it is really easy to accidentally spoil things for yourself (speaking from experience, even though they try to mark everything).

It should be noted that as of this writing, there is no official timeline, with Brandon having previously stated that he hopes to have one released before the second Arc of Stormlight Archive releases—tentatively planned for 2031 (no, I'm not joking). The current list was put together thanks to research and input from the Coppermind wiki, Reddit, and YouTube videos

How Many Books Exist in the Cosmere Timeline?

As it stands right now, if you want to read everything the Cosmere has to offer, you will have to work your way through a pile of graphic novels, short stories, novelas, and your standard novels. All told, you are looking at about 24 books to buy (the number gets a little wonky depending on how you count the books that count the collections of stories and such), but here is a list of all the Cosmere titles you will need to read:

• Elantris
• Mistborn Era 1
  • Mistborn: The Final Empire
  • The Well of Ascension
  • The Hero of Ages
• Mistborn Era 2:
  • The Alloy of Law
  • Shadows of Self
  • The Bands of Mourning
  • The Lost Metal
• Warbreaker
• Stormlight Archive 1st Arc
  • The Way of Kings
  • Words of Radiance
  • Oathbringer
  • Rhythm of War
  • Wind and Truth
• Dawnshard (Novella)
• White Sand (Graphic Novels)
  • White Sand Vol. 1
  • White Sand Vol. 2
  • White Sand Vol. 3
• Tress of the Emerald Sea
• Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
• The Sunlit Man
• Arcanum Unbounded (Collection of Short Stories and Novellas)
  • The Emperor’s Soul
  • The Hope of Elantris (free on Brandon Sanderson’s website)
  • The Eleventh Metal
  • Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
  • Mistborn: Secret History
  • White Sand
  • Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
  • Sixth of the Dusk
  • Edgedancer

The “Chronological” Cosmere Reading Order

While the following breakdown will take you through the Cosmere as we believe it to exist right now, it isn’t necessarily the “best” way to tackle these books. There are a number of options that people recommend, reading in Publication Order is a common one, knowing how imposing this all is, Brandon released his own “Where do I start?” list that you can check out too. I started with Mistborn Era 1 (Mistborn: The Final Empire) and then into Stormlight Archive Book 1, and had a good time.

White Sand - World: Taldain

Mistborn Era 1 (Vin and Kelsier) - World: Scadrial

The Stormlight Archive Arc 1 - World: Roshar

Misborn Era 2 (Wax and Wayne) - World: Scardrial

What We know Is Coming in 2025 and Beyond

Much like our own universe, the Cosmere continues to expand. Back in December of 2024, Brandon gave his updated PLANNED release schedule up through 2031, and is as follows:

• November 2025: Isles of the Emberdark (Pre-order)
  • This incorporates and expands on Sixth of the Dusk
• 2026: Cosmere TTRPG - Mistborn Campaign Setting
• December 2026: Dark One or Isaac’s Cosmere Novel
• 2027: Dark One or Isaac’s Cosmere Novel
• December 2028: Mistborn Era 3 - Book 1
• Summer 2029: Elantris 2
• December 2029: Mistborn Era 3 - Book 2
• Summer 2030: Elantris 3
• December 2030: Mistborn Era 3 - Book 3
• December 2031: Stormlight Archive Book 6 (begins 2nd Arc)

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with book and tabletop game coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

There's a bit of everything in today's daily deals, from a new 4K Steelbook release for Shin Godzilla to a slim profile power bank that will handle your low phone battery on a night out without ripping your jeans pocket off. We've also got some unique tech cleaning solutions, something to keep your hands warm this winter and an essentials kit that will keep that Gundam and Warhammer builder in your life busy for a while. Oh, did I mention NES game cart coasters? Let's get into it:

TL;DR: Deals for Today

Shin Godzilla - Limited Edition Steelbook

INIU Portable Charger

JVSCAM Cordless Electric Air Duster

2 Pack Hand Warmers

Paladone Nintendo NES Cartridge Retro Drink Coasters

10Pcs Model Tools

Team Rocket Tin

Best Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Deals

There's some crazy hype behind Mega Evolution right now, and for good reason. Gold rare Mega Lucario and Mega Gardevoir exs are fetching around $400 at the time of writing, and the artwork on the Secret Illustration Rares and Illustration Rares is phenominal (Looking at you Mega Lucario ex SIR). All of these deals are at market value or below, and in some cases knocking big box retailers like Amazon out of the Poképark.

Best Deals on Sealed Pokémon TCG

I've found some banger Pokémon TCG sets in todays deals, kicking off with a Prismatic Evolutions Booster Bundle for $59.98. Still collecting Black Bolt and White Flare? How about a White Flare Booster Bundle for $48.99? All of these deals are well worth a good look, and you very well could pull something crazy like a Umbreon ex SIR from Prismatic Evolutions or Vicitini Black White Rare from White Flare.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

IGN has once again teamed up with ID@Xbox for a brand-new showcase that arrives today, just a few days before Halloween. This show promises to be packed with exclusive trailers and new gameplay for games from such studios as Serenity Forge, Thunder Lotus, Raw Fury, Skybound, and many more.

To help ensure you don't miss a thing, we will be gathering all the biggest announcements right here, as they happen. Be sure to refresh during the show to stay up to date with all the exciting reveals, and then let us know what your favorite moment was below!

Vampire Survivors Ante Chamber and v1.14 Update Are Out Today and Add Balatro and More

Get a look at Vampire Survivors' Ante Chamber and v1.14 Update, which bring a crossover with Balatro, online co-op, the Westwoods, Ode to Castlevania, the Mazerella Update, and much more.

Ultros, Sorry We’re Closed and Plucky Squire Lead the Indie Selects Teaser Trailer

Indie Selects is all about shining the light on some of the best games in the industry, and you can check out some of these like Ultros, Sorry We’re Closed, and Plucky Squire.

Reunite Two Astronauts on a Frozen Uncharted Planet In Aphelion

Don’t Nod’s Aphelion sets players on an uncharted frozen planet and tasks them with reuniting astronauts Ariane and Thomas. This mission won’t be easy as they must traverse a frozen tundra filled with dangers, shifting realities, and some terrifying entity that is chasing them without pause.

Planet of Lana 2 Extended Gameplay Has Us Diving Deep Into a Dangerous yet Gorgeous Ocean

Check out an extended look at Planet of Lana 2, where the game directors from Wishfully showcase the new ocean environment and how you can control Mui and other creatures like an ink fish to escape dangers like an electric shark. We also learn that the game will be double the length and scope of the first game and that our journey will take us to snowy mountains, dark mines, urban environments, and much more.

Ungodly Is Set in a World Where ‘Prophecy and Power Collide

From the creator of Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes comes Ungodly, an upcoming dark fantasy RPG that is set in a broken world where “prophecy and power collide.” Choose from one of over 20 Primals to play as and attempt to survive this dangerous world.

Awaysis Gameplay Trailer Teases the ‘World’s Best Dungeon Brawler'

Step right into the ‘world’s best dungeon brawler’ known as Awaysis, which comes complete with physics-driven combat, 1-4 co-op, cunning AI, local and online PvP, fearless frogs, and much more.

33 Immortals Trailer Showcases the Upcoming Pride and Temperance Update

Catch a glimpse of 33 Immortals’ Pride and Temperance update, which is out today and includes new weapons like the Glaive of Temperance and Crossbows of Pride, Ordeals that bring even greater challenges, and so much more.

Puppergeist Is Set in the Doggie Underworld and It Looks Set to Make Us Cry in the Best Way

In Puppergeist, you won’t have to worry about the dog dying because they have already gone to the Doggie Underworld! Sadly, they are missing though, and you’ll need to find them in this heartfelt rhythm and visual novel adventure about kindness, compassion, and the pets we hold dear. Oh, and you’ll help a lot of good doggies along there way and learn more about their lives of love and loss.

Don’t! Fret Stars a Guitar Running From a Horrifying Cassette Tape Monster

Survive against a horrifying cassette tape monster in Don’t! Fret, the stylized first-person psychological mascot-horror game that is set in a musically-themed world. You will play as a guitar and will need to solve puzzles on your way to escape and uncover the mystery behind Harmonic Heights. We also got a glimpse of Don’t! Fret’s voice cast, and it includes Amanda Hufford, Cami Cat, CG5, Chewie Catt, DaddyPhatSnaps, Dapper Mr Tom, and more.

Darkwood 2 Challenges You to Survive a Dying Sea 10 Years After a Horrible Accident

Darkwood 2 is a top-down horror survival game that takes place in the former Aral seas in the 1990s, 10 years after an accident. Players will need to explore a dying sea to gather resources and establish a base while waiting for the relief of daybreak.

Agni: Village of Calamity Is an Indonesian Horror Game That’s as Terrifying as It Is Beautiful

Agni: Village of Calamity is an upcoming Indonesian horror game that follows Agni, an investigator from a covert Indonesian police unit who goes against her orders and goes to a remote village despite terrifying warnings. The trailer is horrifying, complete with a head on a table, some horrifying monsters that will do what they can to stop you in your tracks, and a tease of director Joko Anwar appearing as The Headman.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

Things are about to get freakier on streaming. Disney+ has officially announced the streaming release date for the new Freaky Friday sequel film Freakier Friday.

Fans will be able to watch the Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan movie at home on Disney+ starting on November 12, which, funnily enough, is a Wednesday and not a Friday. Hey, you do what you can in this business.

The film — which stars Curtis, Lohan, and returning stars Chad Michael Murray, Mark Harmon, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky and Rosalind Chao — premiered in August and blew past its $42 million budget to gross over $94 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

The original film, which came out in 2003 as the third adaptation of the 1972 novel, is a beloved early aughts comedy, and it makes sense that the love for it made the cast want to return for a second one. Curtis previously opened up about the impact the first film had on her. “It was an unexpected moment for me professionally,” she revealed in a clip from Freakier Friday’s bonus features. “And then it became this pivoting moment for me professionally, because the movie was such an enormous worldwide success.”

Murray, who played Lohan’s central love interest in 2003, feels nostalgic about the project and its impact. “You know, 22 years ago, making a movie,” he explained in the clip, “I was new to town, and I got the opportunity to come and work with Jamie Lee and Lindsay, and just go make a movie that hit on so many levels, and so many people could identify with the story.”

For Lohan, she remembers all of the fun the group had making the film, which undoubtedly made her even more of a major star than she already was at the time. “We were just having such a great time, all the time,” she said. “I only have really happy memories of being on set.”

Freakier Friday, which follows Lohan’s Anna as she ends up body-swapping with her own daughter, also stars newcomers to the franchise Manny Jancinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Sophia Hammons, and Julia Butters.

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

The BBC has confirmed the future of Doctor Who with a Christmas 2026 special written by Russell T Davies.

The announcement comes alongside confirmation that the show’s partnership with Disney+ has come to an end after two seasons and upcoming spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea. Despite this, the BBC insisted it remains “fully committed” to the show and will announce plans for the next series “in due course to ensure the Doctor’s adventures continue.”

That's pretty much all we have for now, although Lindsay Salt, the BBC's Director of Drama, did offer a comment:

"We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea. The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026. We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”

The War Between the Land and the Sea will be released on the BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year, the BBC added. There's a brand-new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies in development, too. The BBC did not announce a streaming partner for the global release of the Doctor Who Christmas 2026 special.

The future of Doctor Who has been hotly debated by fans and even people who worked on the show. Earlier this month, the executive producer of Doctor Who hit back at "rude" comments from a former writer who claimed the show was "as dead as we've ever known it."

Jane Tranter, co-founder of Doctor Who production company Bad Wolf, said the comment by the former Doctor Who writer was "really untrue," though went on to suggest that fans would have to "wait patiently to see" when the show might eventually return, and how it would "change" when it does.

Doctor Who has endured a mixed response to the series' recent era and the departure of lead actor Ncuti Gatwa, whose exit scenes were added in reshoots. The shock return of former Doctor Who actress Billie Piper in the closing seconds of the series' most recent finale also sparked much debate. Piper's unexplained appearance — presented on-screen as a new incarnation of the Doctor, though deliberately left ambiguous — seemed to place the franchise in narrative limbo.

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

Remember in the mid-2010s when Jennifer Lawrence was the butt of nearly every cultural joke? The actress recently opened up about being hesitant to speak to the press to promote her work ever since the public turned on her so distinctly about a decade ago.

“Well, it is, or it was, my genuine personality, but it was also a defense mechanism,” the Hunger Games and X-Men star told The New Yorker in a recent interview about her candidness. “And so it was a defense mechanism, to just be, like, ‘I’m not like that! I poop my pants every day!’ … I look at those interviews, and that person is annoying. I get why seeing that person everywhere would be annoying. Ariana Grande’s impression of me on SNL was spot-on.”

In 2016, SNL did a Celebrity Family Feud sketch in which Grande played Lawrence and channeled her persona with lines like, “I’m just, like, a snackaholic. I mean, I love Pringles. If no one’s looking, I’ll eat, like, a whole can.” The addition of Grande’s Lawrence to the sketch was obviously timely and the public ate it up — much like they did with any opportunity to criticize Lawrence at the time.

The Switch 2 may have landed with more power and a bigger internal drive, but 256GB still disappears fast once you start downloading a few modern games.

That’s why this deal on the 1TB Lexar Play Pro Micro SD Express card is worth a look. It’s one of the best storage upgrades you can buy for Nintendo’s new console, and it’s finally dropped to £189.99 at Amazon, its lowest price ever.

Build a Roller Coaster takes away the pressure of making and maintaining an entire theme park. Instead, this Roblox experience lets you concentrate on creating a singular roller coaster that can generate money, which you can collect each time someone rides it.

Tracks are purchased from Jack's Tracks stall, and can be mutated by luck or weather events to generate more income. If you're just starting out and looking for some extra cash, tracks, or gear to use, we've got a selection of Build a Roller Coaster codes for you.

Working Build a Roller Coaster Codes

Here are all the Build a Roller Coaster codes that are currently active:

• 1mvisits - Gold Wrench
• robloxian - $1,000
• discordian - Climb Track
• release - $500

How to Use Build a Roller Coaster Codes

Launch the Build a Roller Coaster Roblox experience, and then follow these steps to redeem codes:

1. Locate the cog icon in the top left of the screen to open the Settings Menu
2. The are just two options: Music and Codes
3. Copy the code from this article and paste it into the "Enter Code" bar
4. Click enter and redeem your rewards!

Expired Build a Roller Coaster Codes

There are no expired Build a Roller Coaster codes at the moment, so be sure to use the ones above before they do!

Why Isn't My Build a Roller Coaster Code Working?

Codes for Roblox experiences are usually case-sensitive, so the best way to ensure you've got a working code is to directly copy it from this article. We check all codes before we upload them, so you can guarantee they're working. Just double-check that you haven't copied over an extra space!

Lauren Harper is an Associate Guides Editor. She loves a variety of games but is especially fond of puzzles, horrors, and point-and-click adventures.

Roll up, roll up, this is likely the best Nintendo Switch 2 Black Friday deal we're going to get this year in the UK. That's right, Switch 2 consoles have actually been discounted for the first time ever.

Across most retailers right now, Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundles are down to £409. That's over £20 off the RRP, and a sure-fire saving way ahead of the biggest sale event of the year.

The free-to-play Battlefield 6 battle royale game mode has officially arrived in the form of Battlefield REDSEC – but it’s probably not exactly what you think it is.

EA and Battlefield Studios surprise launched their Battlefield battle royale experience across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S just moments ago, bringing months of rumors and leaks to an end with a standalone offering that’s free for both those who do and do not own Battlefield 6. Its name, shorthand for “Redacted Sector,” teases an updated take on a popular multiplayer pastime that’s been bundled in with two additional modes: Gauntlet and Portal. There’s more to REDSEC than fans may have expected, and it’s all tied in with the Battlefield 6 experience under one unified umbrella.

Battlefield Battle Royale

Battle royale is no doubt the headline here, offering access to 100-player matches where classic battle royale gameplay is mixed with the Battlefield 6 formula. Infantry can be seen parachuting over and into explosive firefights in its first trailer, which reveals how BF Studios translated familiar elements into the Battlefield universe, all while 2Pac and Dr. Dre’s California Love plays in the background.

Finding rare loot, hoarding armor plates, mastering small and large points of interest, and completing missions with friends are core parts of many battle royale experiences, and each is necessary to survive in Battlefield, too. It's more Warzone than Fortnite, but REDSEC has some features that help it stand apart.

Fort Lyndon, a Southern California location that EA and BF Studios call the “biggest Battlefield map ever,” serves as the backdrop for each match. As the trailer highlights crumbling buildings, REDSEC aims to convince players it can build on battle royale without sacrificing what so many love about the franchise: tactical destruction.

Map-altering vehicles are a mainstay for any true Battlefield experience, and that remains the case for Battlefield 6 battle royale, which features everything from tanks to attack boats to golf carts to find. As the ever-present, ever-shrinking ring of fire (fans may remember it from Battlefield V: Firestorm) forces teams out of the frying pan, discovering an M1 Abrams could mean the difference between victory and succumbing to the flames. There will be plenty of less-threatening vehicles to discover around the new battle royale map, but those looking to drive a heavily armored tank will first need to complete missions, nab a keycard reward, and then use it to unlock specific garages.

Battlefield 6 and REDSEC will coexist, so those who have already enjoyed the former can expect to find familiar vehicles, guns, and gadgets in the latter – save for a few tweaks. Class upgrades are just one element to consider and give Assault, Engineer, Support, and Recon players upgrades to work toward. Earn enough XP as the Recon class, for example, and you'll gain access to an enhancement that powers up drones with bomb-dropping capabilities. Custom loadouts can also be built and used, with players able to earn them by completing missions or by betting on the slightly riskier option of waiting for limited global drop events.

Richard O'Brien's The Rocky Horror Show and its 1975 film adaptation easily rank among the most popular and enduring musicals ever released. But if you've ever wondered what became of all-American couple Brad Majors and Janet Weiss after their fateful night in the mansion, you're about to get an answer. That's where the official graphic novel sequel Bride of Rocky Horror comes in.

With the Kickstarter campaign for The Rocky Horror Show: Bride of Rocky Horror live now, IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of the book. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below, along with a look at some of the exclusive merch tied to the campaign:

Bride of Rocky Horror is a 95-page book set seven years after the events of the musical. The book is published by Bit Bot Media, and the creative team includes writer Magdalene Visaggio (Girlmode), artist Noemi Vettori (X-Men Unlimited), colorist Josh Rodriguez (The Brooding Muse), letterer Jeremiah Lambert (Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver – The Dead Shall Rise), and cover artist Soo Lee (Carmilla). Here's the official logline for the book:

In Bride of Rocky Horror, Janet Weiss has embraced a life of decadence and debauchery. But when a mysterious invitation draws her back into the orbit of her ex-fiancé Brad Majors, a new mystery unfolds. Who is the enigmatic Bridget Von Frankenstein? What secrets is Brad hiding? And is it, once again, time for the Time Warp?

"Rocky Horror is one of my favorite stories of all time,” said Visaggio in a statement. “It was the safest queer art I had access to when I was young because my parents were both huge fans. So to get the chance to look beyond it and see how it could have played out once that fateful night ended was a dream come true. I tried to make something as personal and idiosyncratic as O'Brien's original, riffing off the themes that stood out to me the same way O'Brien was riffing on his childhood influences. I think me and Noemi have made something really unique."

“As an artist, and even more so as a Rocky Horror Show fan, it meant a lot to me to pay tribute to our beloved characters, striving to stay as true as possible to their original appearance and personalities,” said Vettori. “I hope I succeeded in representing what Rocky Horror embodies: chaos, passion, and rebellion. Working on Bride of Rocky Horror wasn’t just about illustration, it was about channeling all the energy of an eccentric and mesmerizing musical onto paper!”

The Kickstarter campaign for The Rocky Horror Show: Bride of Rocky is live now.

In other comics news, check out the other superhero crossovers featured in Batman/Deadpool #1 and learn more about Marvel's Wiccan: The Witches' Road.

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

An asymmetrical co-op horror game set inside a cursed Victorian dollhouse? Sounds creepy; count us in! In Haunted, one player (the Supervisor) is locked inside the dollhouse and must navigate your way through – every run is different because puzzles will shift and new problems will confront you – while up to three Explorer players are locked inside the full-size Woodman Manor that holds the dollhouse. To survive, developer Coven says, "both sides must communicate to solve intricate puzzles, escape malevolent entities, and uncover the tragic story of the Woodman family."

“Haunted brings the tension of communication under pressure into the horror space,” says Game Director Céline Tricart from developer Coven. “It’s a game about teamwork, fear, and the unsettling bond between those who watch and those who are trapped.”

Haunted is aiming to launch into Early Access on PC in October of 2026, with console and VR support to follow. Wishlist it on Steam if you're interested.

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

Content creators specializing in The Sims 4 content are leaving EA's Creator Network in protest after EA confirmed it is to be acquired by an investor group composed of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners.

The transaction — announced at the end of last month and valued at approximately $55 billion — is the largest all-cash sponsor take-private investment in history.

Being part of a community that has always strived to be welcoming and inclusive, some The Sims creators now fear the documented conservative values of EA's buyers — which include Donald Trump's son-in-law and Saudi Arabia's Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud — will impact the game's development, with insisting "the values represented by the people acquiring EA are fundamentally at odds" with that of The Sims' community.

Streamer Kayla "LilSimsie" Sims, who has over 2 million subscribers and has worked with EA in the past to develop DLC, said news of the sale "devastated" her, and that "the situation is a nightmare for our community."

"I have made the decision to remove myself from the EA Creator Network. It is my hope that pressure from creators and the community might encourage EA’s leadership to reconsider the long-term impact of this sale and to preserve the values that have made The Sims so beloved," she wrote in a heartfelt message on YouTube (thanks, Polygon).

"This means that I will no longer receive early access to Sims packs, and I will not have a creator code. Under this new ownership, I feel I cannot maintain a direct association to the company. I also truly believe that they benefit more from my early access content than I do, and I think that stepping away is the strongest action I can take against the sale."

She continued: "This situation is a nightmare for our community. Nobody supports this sale, and it is putting creators in a very difficult position. They have built their entire career and livelihood over a game that they have no control over. I ask that you please not harass other Sims creators over their decisions regarding the game and the creator network. I am very fortunate to be in a position where I can make a choice like this, but not everyone has that ability. I don't truly don't believe there is a 'right' answer here, and everyone is still trying to figure out their next steps."

Sims closed on writing: "I'm really, really distraught over this sale, and I know that many of you are as well. It's scary, and it's breaking my heart. I really appreciate your support as I try to navigate this."

Jesse "Plumbella" McNamara, DevonBumpkin, Vixella, and James Turner have all similarly quit EA's Creator Network.

"Due to the recent sale, I have asked to leave the EA Creator Network, and I will not buy or make content around any future release," McNamara wrote.

"I think taking this stand is the right choice for me personally, but I’m not going to judge anybody on their decision. I’m in a privileged position to be able to say I’m leaving so easily. I hope that the sale falls through, and if it doesn’t, I hope that those that stay put pressure on EA to maintain the level of inclusiveness that The Sims has always been about."

EA has issued a statement on the matter via the official The Sims social media accounts. In it, the company insisted "we deeply respect that everyone experiences The Sims in their own way and will make choices that are right for them. However you choose to play, create, or share, we’re grateful to be part of your journey. Our mission, values, and commitment remain the same. The Sims will always be a space where you can express your authentic self."

In 2022, PIF also became one of the largest Nintendo shareholders with 5.01% ownership. Pokémon Go developer Niantic also announced that it had sold its library of games to mobile games maker Scopely, which is controlled by Savvy Games Group and PIF, earlier this year.

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

Introducing The Florist, a new upcoming survival horror game from developer Unclear Games that's due out for PC and consoles in 2026. You play as Jessica Park, who arrives in the small town of Joycliffe just as it descends into madness, forcing you solve puzzles and survive against rapidly evolving monstrous enemies that will change over the course of the campaign.

You'll have firepower to help even the odds, though. The developers promise you'll uncover "many weapon types" in this survival horror game inspired by the genre classics; The Florist brings in a fixed camera and handcrafted environments, but it'll be blended with modern staples like autosave checkpoints and multiple difficulty options. Check out the reveal trailer above and the first screenshots in the gallery below.

Fight off the floral overgrowth on Steam by wishlisting The Florist.

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

In a shocking turn of events, Amazon actually has Pokémon TCG sealed product at market value. When compared to the TCGplayer listed and current available pricing, the Destined Rivals Team Rocket Tin is at market value, running trainers and collectors $42.94.

Microsoft has chosen to remain silent after Donald Trump released an AI image of the U.S. president as Master Chief and the Department of Homeland Security used Halo to promote ICE on social media.

Yesterday, IGN reported on how the White House had waded into the console wars with an AI image of Donald Trump saluting as Master Chief in front of an American flag with only 40 stars.

Power to the Players https://t.co/GqNu0qdgmw pic.twitter.com/4Hw6G7i7aW

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 27, 2025

It followed Microsoft’s announcement of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake of the campaign of 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved, which is due out on Xbox Series X and S, PC, and PlayStation 5 at some point in 2026. It is the first Halo game ever to launch on a PlayStation console, and cements Microsoft’s position as a multiplatform video game developer.

The U.S. administration then doubled down on the Halo AI images, with the Department of Homeland Security using Halo to promote the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s website (ICE).

Finishing this fight. pic.twitter.com/6Ezq9NUqMq

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) October 27, 2025

The social media posts have sparked a vociferous response from Halo fans, which led to the Halo subreddit changing its enforcement rules. Mods usually remove any posts containing “politics and AI slop,” but such was the desire to discuss the tweets, they made an exception.

Microsoft, however, has so far remained silent on the issue. The company is yet to issue IGN a statement, but a representative told PC Gamer that "Microsoft does not have anything to share on this matter."

This is in contrast to The Pokémon Company’s position. It formally responded to the use of Pokémon TV hero Ash Ketchum and the series' theme tune by the Department of Homeland Security as part of a video showing people being arrested and handcuffed by law enforcement agents.

"We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand," The Pokémon Company International said in a statement shared with IGN. "Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property."

The question is, can Microsoft do anything about Trump and his administration using Halo for promotion? Many fans had suggested The Pokémon Company should defend its intellectual property by launching legal action. But the corporation's former legal chief told IGN at the time that he "wouldn't touch this."

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is continuing the brand's foray into ever more impressive QD-OLED gaming displays offering high-end performance at surprisingly reasonable prices. This new monitor pushes the boundaries of speed with a 500Hz refresh rate while providing a colorful and clear display. It may skimp on some of the extras that you’d expect from a high-end gaming monitor, but there’s a lot of promise in the panel alone, and the $750 price tag is still a surprise.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 – Design and Features

If you’ve seen any of MSI’s recent QD-OLED monitors, you won’t find much new design-wise here. That’s not to say the monitor is dull or dated, just that MSI didn’t seem to invent much in renewing the packaging. Like its predecessors (the 360Hz MSI MAG 271QPX, for instance) the MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 offers a thin QD-OLED panel that extends from a smaller rear backing that houses the rest of the electronics, connects to the stand, and offers ports out the bottom. MSI has integrated the power supply into the rear, too, so you won’t have to deal with an external power brick on your desk.

That rear housing also has plenty of vents to help dissipate heat, but it doesn’t use fans so it remains quiet. Just make sure you peel off all the packaging film, as MSI ships the monitor with plenty of plastic covering the vents. MSI used a graphene film and heatsink to get heat away from the display, and there’s a good reason for it, so all the best to make sure you let the cooling take place. In addition to the cooling, the monitor has several automatic functions (all of which are enabled by default) built in to help maintain the longevity of the pixels. These include both pixel shifting and a full panel refresh that it generally will perform when the monitor goes into standby, so you’re never interrupted by it.

The front of the monitor is fairly bare with just the silver chin bezel below the display, a small MSI logo, and a little indicator light to let you know whether the monitor is on, asleep, or off. Tucked behind that light are some controls, including a convenient joystick that makes navigating the settings menus quite simple.

Around back, the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 includes two HDMI 2.1 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 port, all of which support the monitor’s full 1440p/500Hz specification. That’s a good arrangement for multiple consoles, PC, or even a media device to connect to the monitor. There’s also a USB-C port available that provides an extra connection option, which could be useful for laptops and mobile devices. It also can provide power to those devices, though at just 15W, it won’t power many laptops. There’s no USB hub capabilities from the monitor either, nor are there speakers, but that $750 price tag had to make sense somehow. Another omission to keep the price down: no RGB lighting.

The MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is built on a modest stand. It has a mostly flat, shield-shaped base that doesn’t take up a ton of space like those with super-long legs. It provides 110mm of vertical adjustment, which is fairly typical. It also allows horizontal swivel, vertical tilt, and rotation into a vertical orientation – you know, for when you eventually relegate this to secondary-monitor status in a few years when you’re running a 4K/1000Hz monitor as your primary.

MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 – Gaming and Performance

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 is hands-down one of the best feeling monitors I’ve tested. That’s not to say it’s not without its drawbacks, but in the right conditions, it is truly exceptional. My fellow reviewers and I have used the words buttery smooth to describe refresh rates even as modest as 120Hz. When comparing those displays to this 500Hz OLED panel and its ultra-fast pixel response times, this display is more like hot butter sliding through the frictionless vacuum of space. In practice, that means Blur Busters’ UFO Ghosting Test shows pristine little UFOS even as they zip across the screen.

Everything looks so smooth on the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50. Sending the monitor a consistent 600fps in Hades, I watched all the action unfold in glorious detail. And running around in Call of Duty Warzone, the fluid visuals helped me quickly aim at and track targets even when I wasn’t scratching 500fps. Since the monitor supports VRR from 48Hz to 500Hz, as long as you’re in that range you should get clean frames for as smooth of gameplay as your system can manage. And if you’re going over, as I did in Hades, the length of time a screen tear will appear, if one does, may be all but imperceptible.

That brilliant speed is matched by a quality display in most other respects. The 1440p panel is reasonably sharp at 27 inches, and MSI is using a newer panel that avoids some of the unfortunate sub-pixel arrangements of earlier OLED monitors. Fine text is clear on this one without noticeable color fringing.

The MSI MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 naturally carries the best aspects of QD-OLED displays: It offers rich color and infinite contrast. My colorimeter measured the display achieving 100% coverage of the sRGB, 96% of the AdobeRGB, and 98% of the DCI-P3 color spaces. And it could achieve that with an average dE of 1.06 and a max dE of 1.75, making it sufficiently accurate for professional color work.

Brightness has generally been the weaker point of OLED displays. The MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 may not be a match for bright IPS and Mini-LED displays, which can achieve very bright levels for a full screen of white pixels. But the monitor still impresses. By default, it only hits 222.9 nits for a full white screen, but by dialing the brightness up to 100%, it bumps up to 297.8 nits. That’s bright enough for a typical office or bedroom, but it may not do in a very bright room with many windows. The display has an anti-glare finish that helps reduce the brightness of reflections quite well, though very bright reflections will still show.

While fullscreen brightness isn’t the strongest, the MAG 272QP QD-OLED X50 has much more impressive HDR highlights. Using any of its HDR picture modes, the display hit around 530 nits at 10% APL (a window that’s mostly black with a white box occupying 10% of the space). With the brightest EOTF Boost setting, it even jumped up to 965 nits for a 1% APL. And those brightness levels are happening alongside perfect black pixels – something IPS and Mini-LED panels can’t pull off. The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDP still has it beat with a slightly higher 1,136 nits in our testing, but MSI’s monitor is slightly faster and cheaper.

If you've been missing Jimmy and still long for a Bully sequel, we may have the next best thing. While Rockstar hasn't delivered Bully 2 yet — and where there's life, there's hope — a dedicated team of modders has created an entire online mode to keep you occupied in the meantime.

"IT'S HAPPENING!" developer SWEGTA announced on YouTube. "We finally have an online mode for Bully that allows you and your friends to play minigames, roleplay, compete in racing, fend off against NPCs, and much more!"

"It's a project me and my team have been working on for a very long time," SWEGTA added, "and it's finally at a point in development where we can announce it and show it to the public.

"Bully Online runs on the DSL script loader, which is a plugin for Bully that essentially allows for a more versatile approach to modding. A lot of the things we thought were impossible just a few years ago can now be done, including making an online mode. We do have an official server for Bully Online, and we plan on making that available to the public to enjoy in due time."

Starting in December, the team will be making the server available to people who support the project on Ko-Fi, along with previews, videos, screenshots, and developer commentary. The server itself is described as a "bit of a mix" between minigames, free roaming, and role-playing, and has a "fully fleshed out" inventory system that permits players to earn money in-game and spend it on a "wide variety of different things like housing, weapons, vehicles, and items."

As for if there'll ever be an official follow up? Dan Houser, Rockstar Games co-founder and the writer behind the studio's biggest games, including the Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption series, recently sat down for an exclusive interview with IGN, revealing Bully 2 didn't happen because of "bandwidth issues."

Bully — also known as Canis Canem Edit in some parts of the world — was a humorous action game that put players in the role of high school outcast Jimmy while attending a pretentious private school. "Bully is a great, well-crafted action game that's been made even stronger with one of the best senses of humor around," IGN's Bully review read. "Expect dozens and dozens of hours of fun."

Fans have long called for a sequel, which was once in development at Rockstar’s New England studio in the late 2000s. While Bully 2 was obviously never released, some of its ideas made it into other Rockstar games like Red Dead Redemption 2.

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

Nick Dragotta, character designer and artist of the hugely successful Absolute Batman comic book series, would love to see Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Studio Trigger adapt it into an anime.

In Absolute Batman, which launched last year, readers are introduced to a brawnier, less wealthy caped crusader. The 24-year-old Bruce Wayne is a humble Gotham City engineer who forges his own crimefighting armor.

Speaking as part of an AMA on League of Comic Geeks (and surfaced by the DCU Updates X / Twitter account), Dragotta and writer Scott Snyder were asked if they’d had any talks with DC or DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn about bringing the Absolute Universe into other media, such as animation, movies, and toys.

In his response, Dragotta suggested fans check out the Inart and LPZZ toys debut at Wonderfest in Shanghai for “a taste of things to come.”

Then, on the animation front: “I'm not in the know, but I know DC makes and licenses quality stuff so I'm excited to see what comes. Personally, I'd love to see a Studio Trigger anime of Ab Bat.”

That exciting proposition was enough to set fans off with the hope that one day they may see Studio Trigger adapt Absolute Batman. Studio Trigger is the well-respected Japanese animation studio behind the likes of Kill la Kill, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and Delicious in Dungeon. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which is set within CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077 world, did so well that it’s getting a sequel, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2, for Netflix. Studio Trigger is once again behind the wheel.

So the idea of Studio Trigger applying its distinctive animation style to Absolute Batman is a tantalizing one, but it’s worth sounding a note of caution. As Dragotta said himself, he’s not privy to the inner workings of DC’s licensing plans, so this dream matchup may never happen.

As for Absolute Batman, it just wrapped up its first year with Absolute Batman #13, featuring Batman's final showdown with the monstrous Bane and an action-packed team up with Catwoman. We’ve got plenty more on it, too, including How Absolute Batman Reinvents Bane For a New Universe, and How Absolute Joker Is Fundamentally Different From Every Other Version.

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

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.1.0 is live now on all platforms, EA has said. It arrives just hours before the launch of Season 1, battle pass progression, and the free-to-play battle royale, REDSEC.

EA told players they may need to restart their game to see the update, Season 1 and battle pass progression begin today at 8am PT / 11am ET / 3pm UK time.

This is the big post-launch patch that changes everything from weapon dispersion to balance, visibility to aim assist, progression, and more, with further updates due out over the course of Season 1.

“The Season 1 Update marks the next step in our ongoing journey to evolve and expand the Battlefield 6 experience,” Battlefield Studios has said. “This includes fixes, balance changes, and quality-of-life improvements focused on polish, performance, and player feedback to deliver an even smoother experience moving forward.”

Check out the patch notes in full below. While you wait for Season 1 to go live, check out our full list of all currently available Battlefield 6 multiplayer maps. Those looking to brush up on their online skills can also read our multiplayer tips and tricks guide.

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.1.0 patch notes:

Major Updates for 1.1.1.0:

• Improved core movement and animations, including smoother landings, faster stance transitions, better vaulting behavior, and reduced “bouncing” issues on landing or spawning.
• Reworked weapon dispersion to better align accuracy and handling with each weapon’s intended design and performance over range. These changes address cases where accuracy behaved inconsistently, such as dispersion not properly settling after sprinting, and bring overall firing behavior closer to the intended balance between precision, control, and weapon power.
• Significant visibility and lighting improvements, with better exposure transitions, interior lighting, and reduced fog and smoke persistence.
• Audio overhaul, adding new projectile flybys, destruction and explosion sounds, refined vehicle and weapon mixes, and improved haptic feedback across multiple interactions.
• UI and HUD updates for clarity and consistency, including overtime indicators, end-of-round fixes, and new unlock markers for weapons and gadgets.
• Map fixes across multiple locations, resolving spawn animations, out-of-bounds issues, misaligned assets, and general stability across Conquest, Breakthrough, and Rush modes.

CHANGELOGPLAYER:

• Fixed an issue where combat dive could break when diving uphill.
• Fixed an issue where players would detach from ziplines when entering at high speed.
• Improved steady aim and sight centering for more consistent precision.
• Fixed an issue where movement could interrupt steady aim.
• Adjusted misaligned character hitboxes for upper body and head to better match the visual models.
• Fixed an issue where the jump animation could play twice when aiming down sights.
• Landing animations now have their animation path properly centered, instead of shifting to the side when landing.
• Fixed an issue where jump inaccuracy could linger too long after landing.
• Fixed a visual issue causing weapons to appear rotated incorrectly after spawning.
• Fixed an issue where throwing grenades from prone could make players appear standing in third-person view.
• Fixed an animation delay when opening doors while sliding.
• Fixed an issue where players could get stuck while vaulting over certain objects.
• Fixed a visual issue where dead players appeared alive while swimming.
• Fixed an issue where quick meleeing with a gadget would swap back to the primary weapon instead of the gadget.
• Fixed an issue where getting killed by a mine would highlight it in the killcam.
• Fixed a camera jitter that could occur when entering ladders and looking down.
• Fixed an issue where camera and weapon sway behaved incorrectly after entering or exiting vehicles.
• Fixed an issue where weapons of other soldiers could clip through walls when they entered your view.
• Fixed an issue where pistols disappeared while swimming.
• Improved lighting precision for visibility while hip-firing and aiming down sights.
• Reduced occurrences of bouncing or landing issues when dropping onto certain objects.
• Fixed an issue where the killer snapshot sometimes did not display in the killcam.
• Small improvements to weapon and camera sway for smoother movement.
• Fixed an issue where enemies could take melee damage in protected vehicle seats.
• Fixed an issue where vaulting could fail if triggered right as the player hit an obstacle.
• Fixed an animation issue where repeated vaulting could cause incorrect hand placement.
• Fixed an issue where simultaneous melee hits could make an enemy briefly invisible
• Fixed an issue where soldier heads briefly disappeared during redeploy transitions.
• Improved training path progression display to better match actual unlocks.
• Fixed an issue where friendly players could clip into each other when climbing ladders.
• Fixed an issue preventing vaulting directly from a slide.
• Fixed an issue causing the camera to rotate abruptly after a takedown.
• Fixed an issue where hands briefly disappeared after using the AJ-03 COAG Med Pen.
• Improved stab animations when reviving with drag and revive.
• Fixed issues affecting peeking and prone transitions, ensuring both actions function correctly.
• Fixed a camera clipping issue when going prone while strafing.
• Fixed a missing third-person animation when transitioning from prone to sprint.
• Fixed an issue where falling while sprinting caused incorrect hand movement.
• Fixed visual clipping when soldiers stood too close to glass doors.
• Fixed jittery aim animations in third-person when mounted.
• Fixed a bug where mounting near walls prevented aiming left or right.
• Fixed an issue where leaning, peeking, or mounting could cancel unexpectedly.
• Fixed an issue where third-person hit reactions were missing when hit while mounted.
• Fixed an animation issue where the character’s knee clipped with the camera when falling while crouched.
• Fixed takedown inconsistencies, allowing players to properly perform melee takedowns even near walls.
• Fixed an issue where taking melee damage interrupted weapon fire.
• Fixed multiple visibility improvements including lighting, exposure, and fog behavior for better contrast and clarity across all maps.
• Improved vaulting, parachute, and door-opening animations for smoother transitions.
• Fixed rare animation freezes for friendly soldiers reloading off-screen.
• Fixed minor inconsistencies in mounting, peeking, and prone transitions for more reliable gameplay.
• Added parachute customization for soldiers.
• Prevented unintended shoulder bump animation when equipping a weapon while sprinting.
• Improved ragdoll impacts for more consistent and reliable reactions.
• Improved stance transition and landing animations to settle faster and feel smoother.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed missing haptic feedback when switching between tank weapons.
• Fixed a visual issue where the player’s hand clipped with the M1A2 SEPv3 handle when sitting in external seats.

GADGETS:

• Fixed a rare issue where the MAS 148 Glaive could block the first-person view during a combat dive.
• Fixed a MAS 148 Glaive visual issue during combat dives in first-person.
• Fixed an issue where Defibrillators appeared floating during vaulting animations.
• Fixed an issue where the Supply Pouch would sometimes not resupply correctly.
• Deployable gadgets are not destroyed/removed from debris piles
• AT grenades now create a small sized crater instead of a medium one.
• Buildings now take more hits to be destroyed by a Sledgehammer.

WEAPONS:

• Weapon dispersion has been rebalanced to better match each weapon’s damage profile across all ranges. Lower-damage weapons will now see a slightly higher increase in dispersion when firing, while higher-damage weapons will experience slightly less.
• Using Sniper Rifles with any class other than Recon will no longer increase weapon spread. Instead, weapon sway will now begin during the zoom transition, maintaining balance and distinguishing Recon’s precision advantage.
• Fixed a misalignment issue with top-mounted red dot sights.
• Fixed an issue where mounting a bipod while zoomed only changed the FOV instead of using the correct optic.
• Fixed an issue where the Long Suppressor used the wrong attachment point cost for some weapons.
• Improved reticle settling for automatic weapons to make burst firing more efficient.
• Fixed an issue where using a bipod too close to complex geometry could throw the player off position while prone.
• Balanced sledgehammer damage against world objects for better consistency.
• Fixed an issue preventing players from leaving the Firing Range.

MAPS & MODES:

• Improved fog and smoke effects after destruction to prevent them from lingering too long and impacting visibility.
• Improved exposure transitions between indoor and outdoor areas for better visibility.
• Fixed an issue where the zipline carabiner could appear offset and fly next to the wire instead of along it.
• Squad names are now randomized at the start of Squad Deathmatch matches.
• Added visible bomb meshes to armed M-COMs in Rush.
• Updated overtime UI visualization across all modes.
• Fixed animation and positioning issues during insertion sequences on all maps.
• Fixed an issue where the game mode UI could display incorrect scores or fail to update during a round.
• Fixed an End of Round progression issue in King of the Hill mode.
• Fixed an issue where players could encounter a bouncing animation when spawning at HQs after capturing new territories in Escalation across multiple maps.

Mirak Valley

• Fixed a misaligned zipline mesh in Conquest.
• Fixed an issue where the deploy camera in Rush displayed attackers on the wrong side of the map.
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from arming M-COM A in Rush due to a misplaced asset.

Siege of Cairo

• Fixed overlapping territory lines and boundaries during the briefing screen in Escalation.

Liberation Peak

• Fixed an issue in Escalation where a portion of the map on the NATO side was disconnected during the first period of the match.
• Fixed an issue in Rush where part of the Attacker’s HQ area was incorrectly marked as out of bounds.

New Sobek City

• Fixed an issue preventing players from capturing part of Flag C in Escalation.
• Fixed an issue where players could ignite when spawning near a burning lorry in Team Deathmatch.
• Adjusted an infantry vehicle spawn that was placed too close to a building in the PAX Armata HQ area.

Manhattan Bridge

• Fixed an issue in Breakthrough where players could become stuck on the End of Round screen if the party leader left during the EOR sequence.

UI & HUD:

• Added new markers for newly unlocked weapons, weapon packages, attachments, gadgets, and throwables.
• Updated 3D previews for certain gadgets to show their deployed state.
• Added preview videos demonstrating how gadgets work.
• Added new cosmetic options for selected gadgets.
• Changed “Save & Close” to “Close” in the Deploy menu for clarity.
• Fixed various UI issues in Loadouts.
• Fixed an issue where Battlefield 6 Ownership XP Boost did not display properly at End of Round.
• Fixed multiple text inconsistencies in Dog Tags and Challenges.
• Fixed an issue where the HUD would not appear when using a 16:10 aspect ratio with certain resolutions.

SETTINGS:

• Added Flick Look bindings to Helicopter, Jet, and Transport control schemes.
• Fixed visual issues where some aspect ratio settings caused transparent borders or inconsistent display behavior.

SINGLE PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue in Mission 01 where players were unable to lean out during the Last Stand sequence if the cinematic began while the knife was equipped.
• Fixed a black screen issue in the Night Raid mission.

PORTAL:

• Fixed an issue where the Host Experience screen did not display the Portal experience image.
• Fixed a crash that could occur if a party leader started a Portal server while Content Packs 01 and 04 were disabled.
• Improved loading times for the Server Browser experience info tab to ensure joining functions properly.
• Corrected a spelling error in the message shown when attempting to join an unavailable server.

AUDIO:

• Fixed an issue where footstep sounds were missing when moving with the knife equipped.
• Fixed a voiceline issue where directional callouts (e.g., “enemy north”) played the wrong direction.
• Tuned haptic feedback across multiple actions, including window barging, defibrillator use, swimming, rocket pods, mounted MGs, and sea vehicle collisions.
• Polished large projectile audio with new missile, rocket pod, and cannon shell flyby effects; improved distance handling and overall mix for more realistic impact sounds.
• Updated audio configs for light rockets and LMGs; refined explosion sound crossfades and adjusted distant sound behavior.
• Improved vehicle and weapon firing audio balance, reducing noise artifacts, unwanted phasing, and over-saturation.
• Added radio chatter through controller speakers.
• Fixed an issue where firing range dummies and vehicle-hit reactions sometimes played incorrect or processed hurt sounds.
• Disabled radio processing for stationary vehicle pings and fixed compass orientation for ping indicators.
• Fixed missing or incorrect ambient and destruction sounds across several maps, including Siege of Cairo, as well as missing explosion sounds for silos and tanker trailers.
• Added missing ambient audio setups for environmental props like construction barriers and buses.
• Added new sound effects for the bulletin and takeover sections of the main menu, including improved reveal animations.
• Fixed an issue where delayed challenge tab displays triggered early audio playback.
• Fixed an issue where defibrillator loop sounds could get stuck when vaulting.
• Fixed missing or out-of-sync reload sounds.
• Corrected the M39 EMR using suppressed audio when unsuppressed.
• Restored missing external sound effects for RWS Gunner countermeasure mines.
• Fixed issues where soundtrack tracks cut off abruptly or skipped mid-song.
• Reload audio polish for several weapons.

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