Rumors and hopes regarding a Chrono Trigger remake have been raised again over the past week, driven by recent comments from Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii which do not deny nor confirm the existence of such a project.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Chrono Trigger. As a result, Square Enix has launched various projects to celebrate the classic RPG. This includes a brand new album featuring piano arrangements of character themes, a character popularity poll (Frog took the top spot, as reported by Famitsu), and orchestral concerts to be held in Japan next January.

However, this sudden celebration of Chrono Trigger after very little fanfare about the cult classic has prompted speculation that Square Enix is leading up to a bigger reveal of a Chrono Trigger remake.

Hopes were reignited again among Japanese-speaking fans on November 30, when Yuji Horii was directly asked in a discussion program on YouTube if all the recent Chrono Trigger 30th Anniversary projects and events are hinting that a remake is in the works. Horii did not outright deny it, responding with "I can't say," "You shouldn't ask that!" and "I'll get told off!"

This and publishing executive Kazuhiko Torishima's jokey follow-up cries of "There is! There is (a Chrono Trigger remake)!” have led to Japanese speaking fans hoping, once again, that a remake is in the works despite the fact Square Enix hasn't made any announcement. “I wonder if it will be announced next year?” users wondered on X.

Chrono Trigger was originally released for the Super Famicom/SNES in 1995. With the involvement of Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii, and Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, the RPG is beloved by fans and is considered by many to be one of the greatest games of all time. Although an upgraded version is currently available to play through Steam and on smartphones, fans have been calling for Chrono Trigger to get the remake treatment for years.

The recent Dragon Quest HD-2D remakes have also got Chrono Trigger fans hopeful about seeing the SNES game recreated in the same style. “I want to play Chrono Trigger with beautiful graphics like these!” said a user on X. “Please, Square Enix!” Official posts by Square Enix accounts about Chrono Trigger anniversary merch have also attracted similar enthusiastic comments like, “If there’s a remake I’ll definitely, definitely buy it!” In November, Japanese game news site Dengeki Online did a poll of games readers most wanted to see get the HD-2D treatment, and Chrono Trigger topped the list.

The situation is similar to that of Final Fantasy IX, with the game’s 25th anniversary celebrations this year also stoking fans’ hopes that Zidane and Garnet’s adventures are in line for the remake treatment, although in IX’s case the rumors were backed up by the infamous 2021 Nvidia leak, which showed that a FFIX remake was possibly on Square Enix’s to-do list at one point. However, it seems that for both games, the anniversary celebrations were simply a chance to revisit these classic games through events and new merch. Until an official announcement is made, all fans of both games can do is continue to express their enthusiasm for these classic RPGs to Square Enix.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond tries to be so many different things. There were moments where I thought it might be the strongest Prime since the very first, and others where it felt like the weakest. An outdated open-world hub connects breathtaking areas that brilliantly revisit the classic first-person exploration and lock-on shooting the series is known for. Talkative companions drop a few too many hints and one-liners, but they’re redeemed by some memorable story moments and mostly charming personalities that even a crotchety Metroid fan like me warmed up to in the end. And, thankfully, Retro Studios still mostly understands it’s important to give Samus her alone time, with a relieving amount of exploration in total isolation. While some of what it attempts just doesn’t work, far more of it does, resulting in an uneven but overall impressive revival that reaches incredible heights in its best moments.

The story begins with Samus mysteriously teleporting to the planet Viewros, where she works to find a way home while also uncovering the history of the ancient Lamorn race. The hook this time around is Samus’ new psychic abilities bestowed upon her by the Lamorn. These purple-hued powers allow you to telekinetically manipulate certain objects, while also adding a new wrinkle to Samus’ standard arsenal that includes her Charge Beam, Morph Ball, bombs, and more. They lead to all sorts of different challenges that involve shifting platforms around, directing charged shots to hit multiple targets, cool momentum-based Morph Ball platforming, or searching for enough psychic energy sources to power a nearby device.

The puzzles and suit upgrades are great overall, if a little familiar. I really enjoyed using the psychic abilities to find every last hidden item, even though they’re mostly slight remixes of returning powers rather than something truly original. I can only recall a few times where a solution felt particularly novel – but that does include one awesome cinematic moment that really stands out. And when we’re talking about the long-awaited continuation of one of the most acclaimed video game trilogies of all time, it’s not a major complaint to say it’s sticking relatively close to the script.

Combat also feels exactly like you’d expect from a modern return to Metroid Prime. You lock onto enemies and fire shots or missiles while strafing around aggressive monsters and machines. It’s not just a straight retread though; Samus feels amazing to control, with a swift forward and backward dodge, improved maneuverability when popping out of the Morph Ball, and snappier access to your visor, which is more useful than ever thanks to its psychic properties. You’ll also gain flashy elemental beams that are helpful in both combat and exploration (and also change the look of Samus’ arm cannon when they’re equipped, which is a nice returning detail).

Choosing your weapon and fine-tuning your aim is still fun all these years later despite its relative simplicity. Prime’s combat has always fared best when sparse encounters are supplemental to exploration, which is the format Prime 4 follows most of the time. It introduces new foes that require different tools to beat, like a swarm of hovering robots protecting three weak spots you need to fire a slow-motion charged shot at to destroy. The combat’s low points are when it does its best impression of a mid-2000s corridor shooter, occasionally focusing a bit too much on repetitive waves of enemies. At least those sections always end with something exciting, as the great lineup of boss battles is a nice mix of towering monsters and one-on-one shootouts. An early highlight is a giant plant protected by petals that thrashes its vines at you.

I played almost entirely with dual-stick controls on the Switch 2 Pro Controller, which also has optional motion aiming for fine tuning when locked on to an enemy, like Splatoon. This is my favorite setup, but I dabbled with the Wii-inspired separated Joy-Con control scheme, which is also a totally viable option. The Switch 2-exclusive mouse controls are functional, and it’s neat that you can swap to them on the fly just by placing your controller on a flat surface. But I don’t see many people using them given how physically awkward the Joy-Con 2 is to use as a mouse for any extended period of time, especially when the more traditional control schemes already work so effortlessly well.

Samus’ new motorcycle also controls well, and the way it’s woven into the plot feels surprisingly natural, but what you’ll actually use it for is one of Prime 4’s biggest fumbles. You’ll mainly ride the bike in Sol Valley, a desert hub that serves as the middleground between each major location on its edges, sort of like what Hyrule Field was for Ocarina of Time. It’s mostly empty and devoid of many interesting activities, as the same few enemy types pop up when you’re riding and all you do is fire a basic projectile or charge into them to destroy them. The desert isn’t that big, so it at least doesn’t take too long to get from point A to point B. The problem is that it’s designed as if that N64 Hyrule Field saw the Great Plateau from Breath of the Wild and said, "I can do that, too!"

Almost like it’s trying to justify the motorbike’s inclusion, Prime 4 goes to great lengths to ensure you spend multiple hours riding across this drab desert just to reach the credits. It sprinkles an extremely small number of Breath of the Wild-like shrines on the map that house optional upgrades. The bite-sized puzzles inside those shrines are fine, but there’s absolutely no joy in discovering them when they’re just haphazardly strewn across the visually unimpressive sand, and it feels like a surface-level attempt to recapture Zelda’s open-world magic that doesn’t really work.

This wouldn’t be a huge deal, but Prime 4 ties a main objective to its repetitive desert. Samus has to collect enough green energy to preserve the history of the Lamorn civilization before it’s lost to time, which is a very cool setup. But in practice, all that entails is mindlessly driving around the desert and crashing into any green crystals you see. It’s the type of runtime-padding filler that had already outworn its welcome the last time a Metroid Prime game came out, and Prime 4 would be so much tighter without this quest, or even without its half-baked desert at all. It’s far from a dealbreaker since this mission is given to you very early on, meaning you can chip away at it while you’re riding to your next destination, but it’s certainly not fun regardless.

In Prime Form

The good news is that the places you’re riding toward are full of the strong Metroid Prime atmosphere and gameplay you came for. And Prime 4 is at its greatest when playing into the same strengths that have defined this subseries since the GameCube: lonely, haunting exploration through gorgeous, fully-realized areas that each have their own detailed backstory to uncover. Structurally, the individual maps take after Prime 2 and Prime 3’s more self-contained approach rather than Prime 1’s interconnected spiderweb that required revisiting areas several times over with multiple entrances and exits to each.

There is some backtracking involved, of course, but each region has just one entrance from the desert, and you’ll finish most of its main objectives on your first visit. I was delighted to find that this format fills the traditional 3D Zelda-shaped hole in my heart, as each zone essentially acts like a huge dungeon: explore, find a key upgrade, kill the boss with it, and leave. That’s not to say it doesn’t feel like Metroid – there are a few main quests and plenty of optional items I needed to come back for later. It’s just that these two series have always shared a lot of the same DNA, and Prime 4 lands closer to the Zelda style.

Every location stands on its own, which allows Retro to give each a unique tone: sometimes Samus is completely alone and it leans hard into the tense sci-fi horror isolation of Alien, and sometimes she’s accompanied by Galactic Federation companions through more scripted scenes that call upon the action tropes of its sequel, Aliens. This constant genre-shifting across levels keeps things fresh for most of its roughly 15-hour runtime, at least until it’s time to finish collecting all those green energy shards.

In these dedicated areas, Prime 4 makes a case for itself as the best-looking game Nintendo has ever published. Its fantastical art direction is jaw-droppingly gorgeous at times, with incredible lighting, beautiful backgrounds, ornate architecture, and nicely detailed environments. It sounds great, too, with dramatic choral melodies fused with electronic sounds that fit Prime’s atmosphere extremely well. Samus’ iconic visor effects return, like the way it fogs up in extreme temperatures, or how rain droplets patter against it in a storm. Its art direction goes hand-in-hand with its world design, as the way rooms are intentionally framed upon blasting open their doors is often spectacular. To be clear, Prime 4 doesn’t reach the visual heights of the best-looking games on PC or other consoles, but a game this stunning running at a flawless 4K 60 fps on Switch 2 – with a smooth 120 fps option that lowers the resolution – is a huge step forward for Nintendo.

Some locations stand alongside my favorites in the series, and when you’re methodically tiptoeing your way through each one, Prime 4 more than lives up to the trilogy’s legacy. Without giving too much away, an early highlight is Volt Forge, a gothic, futuristic factory set to a powerful rock soundtrack. It’s impressive how its rich history is intertwined with its level design: you can just work your way through each room and enjoy the intricate layouts at face value, or you can scan every machine and learn why they exist and what they were used for, which provides fascinating context that makes complete sense when you see it all in motion. These places feel big, important, and carefully plotted out. That worldbuilding remains an incredibly special piece of Metroid Prime.

Each region is fairly linear, with usually just one correct way to go, even if multiple choices are presented. When you stumble into a room with three doors, for example, it’s most likely that one is a save room, one is blocked until you get a new upgrade, and one is the way forward. I actually think this choice suits the Prime series very well, allowing it to focus more on mood, handcrafted tension, and distinct sequences, but it’s a very different flavor than the nonlinear design the Metroid series helped pioneer more than 30 years ago. I never felt truly lost, even when poking around its most freeform parts.

A positive outcome of this decision is that Prime 4 feels like the best entry point into this series for new folks, easing them in to better prepare them for something like Prime Remastered’s more complex labyrinth. It also smartly follows in Metroid Dread’s footsteps by letting you mark your map to remember which rooms have powerups you can’t get yet, streamlining the endgame collectible cleanup.

You’ve Got a Friend

Most regions contain one of several Galactic Federation companions who temporarily travel with Samus before heading back to base camp. Each has their own personality and light backstory, ranging from a nerdy engineer who can barely handle a gun, to a sniper with a broken leg who is questioning his decision to join the military. Thankfully, these characters are far less intrusive than I initially feared after a particularly obnoxious tutorial section I saw in my preview demo. Their limited presence means they don’t have amazing character arcs – a more than acceptable side effect – but they do have mostly likeable personalities and provide a few highlights that give Prime 4 its own identity. I have to admit I smiled when a Samus superfan geeked out after seeing her idol transform into the Morph Ball, and it helps that the great voice acting and facial animations are another step forward for Nintendo.

They could still use some work in the writing department, however, as they often fall back on well-worn clichés or commentary that feels out of place in Metroid, like, “There’s too many of ‘em!” during an action scene, or cracks like, “Piece of cake! Red velvet cake,” upon solving a puzzle. I’m grateful that they generally don’t outright spoil specific puzzle solutions, but they do chime in a little more often than I’d like about where to go or what to do next. Specialist Myles MacKenzie is never as overbearing as in his initial introduction, but he does frequently contact Samus on the radio to tell you the general area you need to search for your next upgrade. Prime 4 lets you toggle on-screen tips that nudge you in the right direction, so I really wish I could turn companion hints off, too. When you’re with someone on a mission – which is a major part of the campaign – certain aspects can feel outdated as well, like waiting for someone to help you open a door, hearing repetitive combat dialogue lines, or reviving them whenever they go down.

Prime 4 keeps these portions in check by smartly knowing when to leave you alone entirely, with multiple lengthy segments where Samus loses radio signal and no one can bother her. You spend over half of the runtime on your own, so if you’re a longtime Metroid fan who craves ambience and isolation, there’s plenty of that here, too. Overall, the companions are tolerable: while there are still several moments that probably would’ve been more epic if Samus was alone, their inclusion does lead to some fun cinematic events that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

One character who I actually wish was included more is Sylux, Prime 4’s big bad that doesn’t play nearly as big a role in the story as I expected based on Nintendo’s marketing. It’s another underdeveloped part of Prime 4 – Sylux’s amiibo figure has more detail than his personality – and it feels like he’s only here out of reluctant obligation to Prime 3’s post-credits tease from 2007. Instead, this story focuses far more on Lamorn history, which is very fascinating on its own, but doesn’t entirely make up for the disappointing feeling that something’s missing.

A new trailer for Pokémon Legends: Z-A has revealed a surprise new Mega Evolution for the fan-favorite Lucario, and announced a new side mission that will unlock an encounter with Mewtwo.

Today's reveal of Mega Lucario Z is a first for Pokémon Legends: Z-A, in that it adds a new secondary Mega Evolution path to a species which already had one.

The move flings open the door to other creatures already capable of Mega Evolution also getting new alternate designs (something which previous datamines had suggested was indeed likely).

Maximum aura. 😤👊 The newly discovered Mega Lucario Z debuts in #PokemonLegendsZA – Mega Dimension! pic.twitter.com/Lzdhlz52eG

— Pokémon @ Lumiose City 🥐 (@Pokemon) December 2, 2025

Indeed, The Pokémon Company appears to be hinting at other, alternate "Z" Mega Evolutions coming in future, as it states that this new class of creatures is remarkable for needing less time to fire off moves, albeit with the trade-off of burning through Mega Power at a faster rate.

"A newly discovered form of Lucario, Mega Lucario Z was determined to be a Mega Evolution based on how its form changes through exposure to a Mega Stone and its increase in power far outshining that of an average Lucario," an official blurb for the new design reads.

"The long fur around Mega Lucario Z's head and waist, as well as its fan-shaped tail, make it difficult to get a full view of Mega Lucario Z's powerful movements. In close combat, this can work to visually disorient opponents. Areas of its body, such as the backs of its hands and its shins, have been hardened with steel energy – allowing it to deliver powerful blows by concentrating its strength precisely into these hardened parts."

Already, fans are speculating over which other existing Mega Pokémon might now get Z variants (and again, if you've seen the datamined speculation, you may have some ideas).

Mega Lucario Z joins a growing menagerie of Mega Evolutions coming as part of Mega Dimension, the upcoming paid DLC for Pokémon Legends: Z-A due for launch on December 10. The expansion is headlined by two new Mega Raichu designs, and also includes Mega Zeraora, though unlocking it will be a "little difficult", apparently.

Separate to that, all owners of the game can now access a fresh side mission which leads to an encounter with Mewtwo, and allows players to Mega Evolve it into the creature's existing Mega Mewtwo X and Mega Mewtwo Y designs. Just turn on your game's Mystery Gift feature to begin the new mission.

IGN's Pokémon Legends: Z-A review returned an 8/10. We said: "Pokemon Legends: Z-A finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokemon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well."

Video game sales data firm Newzoo noted that Z-A "underperformed compared to Legends: Arceus," which may suggest some hesitance around its move to a real-time, action-based combat system, or perhaps caution after the state of Scarlet and Violet's launch. Nintendo's official sales figures show Pokémon Legends: Z-A sold almost 6 million copies in its opening week. Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which debuted on October 16, sold 5.8 million units worldwide, with around half of those bought for Switch 2. This means the first Pokémon game to feature real-time Pokémon battles is the fifth best-selling game of the franchise in terms of first week sales. By comparison, that's more than Pokémon X/Y and Let's Go Pikachu / Eevee managed in their first weeks, but not as much as Pokémon Scarlet / Violet, Pokémon Legends: Arceus, and Pokémon Sword / Shield managed.

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

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Game Pass December 2025 lineup, which is headlined by NetherRealm’s gory fighting game Mortal Kombat 1.

Also coming to Game Pass in the coming weeks as day one launches are first-person sci-fi horror Routine and soulslike deck builder Death Howl.

Available today, December 2, is Lost Records: Bloom & Rage (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) across Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass. Tomorrow, December 3, sees Monster Train 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) and Spray Paint Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) both hit Game Pass Premium.

December 4 is a decent day for Game Pass, with 33 Immortals (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC) and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) both arrive on Game Pass Premium. The aforementioned Routine (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) launches day one on Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass.

Moving on to December 9, A Game About Digging A Hole (Cloud, Handheld, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) arrives on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass, as does Dome Keeper (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC). Death Howl (Handheld & PC) is a day one Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass release, also on December 9.

Here’s a big one: Mortal Kombat 1 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) arrives on Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass on December 10. A day later, on December 11, something that couldn’t be more different hits Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, and PC Game Pass: Bratz: Rhythm & Style (Cloud, Console, and PC).

December already got off to a big start on Game Pass with yesterday’s launch of retro beat 'em up Marvel Cosmic Invasion as a day one release. Meanwhile, on December 3, three more games hit Game Pass Essential: Stellaris; World War Z: Aftermath; and Medieval Dynasty.

Xbox Game Pass December 2025 lineup:

• Monster Train 2 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – December 3, Now with Game Pass Premium
• Spray Paint Simulator (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 3, Now with Game Pass Premium
• 33 Immortals (Game Preview) (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 4, Now with Game Pass Premium
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – December 4, Now with Game Pass Premium
• Routine (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – December 4, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• A Game About Digging A Hole (Cloud, Handheld, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – December 9, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Death Howl (Handheld & PC) – December 9, Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass
• Dome Keeper (Cloud, Console, Handheld, and PC) – December 9, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Mortal Kombat 1 (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – December 10, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass
• Bratz: Rhythm & Style (Cloud, Console, and PC) – December 11, Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium, PC Game Pass

Microsoft’s post on Xbox Wire suggests this is the entire lineup for December 2025, but it only takes us to December 11. “We hope you have a chill rest of your December,” Microsoft said. “May your batteries be always charged, your sessions always end in GG’s, and you always have the perfect game queued up next. We’ll be back to talk about what’s coming soon in early 2026! Cheers!”

However, this leaves the door open to potential Game Pass shadowdrops, should next week’s The Game Awards have something up its sleeve.

As always a number of games leave Game Pass this month. You can save up to 20% off your purchase to keep them in your library.

Leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2025:

December 15

• Mortal Kombat 11 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Still Wakes the Deep (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Wildfrost (Cloud, Console, and PC)

December 31

• Carrion (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Hell Let Loose (Cloud, Console, and PC)

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.

Retro video game fans are having fun pointing out a Nintendo-related blunder in Stranger Things Season 5.

Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 follow:

If you’ve watched Stranger Things Season 5 Vol. 1, you might have noticed Lovable Bully Derek Turnbow, portrayed by Jake Connelly, playing Ghosts 'n Goblins on the NES. This makes sense given Stranger Things is set in the ‘80s, and Season 5 itself kicks off in the fall of 1987. The NES version of Ghosts 'n Goblins was released in North America in November 1986, so everything fits together nicely so far.

If you're looking for DTI codes, IGN's got you covered! In this article, you'll find a list of all the active and working Dress to Impress codes in December 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses in DTI, including outfits and accessories like hats, bags, and jewelry.

If you're looking for Where Winds Meet codes, IGN's got you covered! In this article, you'll find a list of all the active and working Where Winds Meet codes in December 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses in WWM, including Echo Jade.

Active Where Winds Meet Codes (December 2025)

Here are all the active and working Where Winds Meet codes in December 2025 and the free rewards you get for redeeming them:

• WWM251115: 10x Echo Jade, 5,000 Coins, 2x Inner Way Note Chest
• WWMGLyoutube: 20x Echo Jade, 5,000 Coins, 2x Inner Way Note Chest
• WWMGLtiktok: 10x Echo Jade, 10,000 Coins

How to Redeem Where Winds Meet Codes

To redeem codes in Where Winds Meet, follow the steps below:

1. Launch Where Winds Meet and load into the game.
2. Open the main menu and select the gear button to open the Settings menu.
3. Select the "Other" tab.
4. Click on "Exchange Code" under Account Info.
5. A text box will appear. Input your code here.
6. If successful, your free rewards will be available in your in-game mailbox.

Why Isn't My Where Winds Meet Code Working?

If the Where Winds Meet code you're trying to redeem isn't working, it's likely because of one of two reasons:

• The Where Winds Meet code is expired
• There's a typo in the code

When inputting a Where Winds Meet code, make sure it's spelled correctly (for example, a capital O isn't a zero, capital I and not a lowercase L, etc.) and that there are no spaces before or after the code. We'd recommend copying and pasting codes straight from this article to ensure they're correct.

If your Where Winds Meet code still isn't working, it's more than likely expired and can no longer be redeemed.

All Expired Where Winds Meet Codes

The following Where Winds Meet codes are expired and no longer can be redeemed:

• WWMGO1115: 40x Echo Jade
• WWMGO1114: 100x Echo Jade, 1x Resonating Melody

Don't miss this Things to Do First in Where Winds Meet guide for more helpful tips!

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her playing an RPG, getting Victory Royales in Fortnite, or cuddling her corgi.

Marvel got as far as giving Mia Goth a wig to wear for its 1920s Blade movie idea, before the setting was scrapped and the project was placed on hiatus.

It's not the first time we've heard just how close Marvel's big Blade reboot, set to star Mahershala Ali in the title role, got to being made several years ago, but it is yet another suggestion that whatever happened to cancel the 1920s-set attempt happened very late in the process.

"The furthest that it got with me was... I flew to Atlanta and did a chemistry test with Mahershala," Goth said, speaking on the Josh Horowitz podcast. "I did a costume fitting and a wig fitting. I was very excited in the direction it was going and Mahershala had such an interesting take on it, he was great. And it just unravelled from there, unfortunately."

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are finally both over for this year, which is good news for anyone who already secured a certified bargain, but bad news for anyone who missed out on the best deals.

Thankfully, there are a few top offers that are still holding out as we enter the final month of the year. And, honestly, these are pretty fantastic themselves, especially the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle deal for just $449 at Walmart ($50 off the MSRP, and $80 savings in total).

But, it's not just the immensely popular Switch 2 offer that we have to discuss, as there's plenty more for PlayStation and Xbox fans to get their hands on while the rest of these days remain available.

At least for now! Trust me when I say that these will likely expire very soon, so you'd better get a shift on to ensure you don't miss out (again!).

Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World for $449

GameStop has highlighted its recent payout of more than $30,000 for a rare Pokémon card as evidence that the chain's trade-in program offers fair value — while simultaneously admitting the card had actually been worth at least $3,000 more.

In its latest publicity stunt aimed at getting gamers' attention, GameStop issued a typically jocular statement on social media declaring its record $30,494.70 payout for a PSA 10 Holo Gengar was a "historic" moment for the company.

"Any trolls who publicly claim that GameStop trade-in values are bad are hereby factually and demonstrably incorrect," the chain wrote. "Any prior and ongoing objections to our trade values are now deemed without merit and factually invalid," it continued, while admitting the card had actually been worth $33,883 — several thousand dollars more.

A Statement from GameStop pic.twitter.com/Qho0M7xzko

— GameStop (@gamestop) December 1, 2025

To be fair to GameStop, the chain does not hide the fact it paid $3,388.30 less than what it describes as the "fair-market valuation" for the card. Indeed, the company simply states it handed over its payout "upon completion of all required inspection, verification, and compliance procedures" — processes, the statement appears to suggest, which come at some cost.

But many responses to GameStop's social media post have pointed to the chain still having "shorted" the card's owner, and suggesting the card would have reached a higher value at auction. Others have noted GameStop's own trade-in FAQ page states that the chain has a $1,500 upper limit for trade-in value, something that suggests this particular sale is something of an anomaly. IGN has contacted GameStop for more.

In its post, GameStop states its payout was executed "in accordance with the established terms and conditions governing the Power Packs Buyback Program," an offer that some customers have criticized for allowing the retailer to repeatedly make money from the same high-value cards.

An example of this would be a customer buying a $100 Power Pack (a blind box with a rough value of a $100) from GameStop and finding a card that is indeed worth $100 inside. If it's a card they don't want, GameStop offers an Instant Buyback offer that's worth 90% of the card's value minus an additional 6% commission fee. Here, the card seller gets $84.60 back, while GameStop retains a $100 card, which they can sell again for $100 — and continue to repeat the process.

"They're not speculating on card value," one fan wrote in a reddit thread on GameStop's scheme posted a few months ago. "They control the supply, the pricing tier, and the resale loop. It's vertical integration disguised as a loot box.

"PowerPacks aren't just about cards. The real edge is the buyback loop. On average, GameStop pays less than market for returned cards, then sells them again at full price. Every cycle is a profit opportunity. It's repeatable. Scalable. Efficient. And it doesn't rely on retail footfall or console cycles. PowerPacks might end up being GameStop's most profitable product yet."

Earlier this year, GameStop attempted to turn its high-profile Switch 2 stapler snafu into a social media opportunity by auctioning off the now-infamous piece of stationary that one employee used to puncture dozens of Switch 2 screens on the console's launch night.

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

Arrowhead has released Helldivers 2 update 5.0.0, which makes big balance changes that actually raise weapon damage — but there’s also an incoming message from High Command that has the community worried.

Update 5.5.0 arrives alongside the jungle-themed Python Commandos Warbond, which adds a number of fan-requested weapons including a minigun.

But it’s the incoming message from High Command — an in-universe tease from Arrowhead to the Helldivers 2 community on what’s in store — that has raised eyebrows.

“Super Earth has detected strange signals from previously unmonitored worlds on the Galactic map,” the message reads. “The Ministry of Intelligence is investigating the source of the signals. Helldivers, be vigilant and hold the high ground.”

What does this mean? Players aren’t sure, although speculation is pointing to something Illuminate related, given the mention of “unmonitored worlds.”

As for the patch, it makes a number of fixes, including for audio issues, XP modifiers, and several crashes, as well as more optimizations and improvements. The balancing changes raise weapon damage, and there are much-needed fixes to weapon FOV. The patch notes, courtesy of Steam, are below.

In other Helldivers news, we finally have confirmation that Justin Lin is set to direct the upcoming Helldivers 2 movie. Lin is best known for his work on a number of Fast & Furious movies, and was the director of the series from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006 until Fast & Furious 6 in 2013.

Helldivers 2 Update 5.5.0 patch notes:

Balancing

General changes

Decreased ergonomics penalty on magnifying scopes weapon attachments

• The intent is to make magnifying scopes more a matter of preference by decreasing the penalty they impose on a weapon's ergonomics (low ergonomics makes the weapons muzzle follow the crosshair slower).

Some of the Pistol ammo balance update

• The intent with this change is to make some of the pistol rounds weapons more effective after the last pistol ammo re-balance that did make them more of a close range weapon.
• The pistol rounds re-balance general intent is to make them more effective at close range while not more effective at long range then for example assault or marksman rifles

2x Tube Red Dot

• Decreased ergonomic modifier from (-3) to (-1)

4x Combat Scope

• Decreased ergonomic modifier from (-6) to (-2)

10x Sniper Scope

• Decreased ergonomic modifier from (-9) to (-4)
• APW-1 Anti-Materiel Rifle is also effected by this change so it will get an increased ergonomics from 26 to 31

Primary weapons

SMG-37 Defender

• Increased damage from 100 to 110
• Increased durable damage from 20 to 22

SMG-32 Reprimand

• Increased damage from 135 to 140

M7S SMG

• Increased damage from 80 to 90
• Increased durable damage from 16 to 18

VG-70 Variable

• Increased durable damage 20 to 23

M90A Shotgun

• Increased durable damage 15 to 20

Sidearms weapons

P-2 Peacemaker

• Increased damage from 95 to 100
• Increased durable damage 30 to 32

P-113 Verdict

• Increased damage from 135 to 140

M6C/SOCOM Pistol

• Increased damage from 110 to 125
• Increased durable damage from 25 to 28

Enemies

War strider

• Decreased force strength on grenade explosion from 50 to 30

Bile Spewer

• Decreased force strength on artillery explosion from 50 to 30
• Decreased force impulse on artillery explosion from 60 to 40

Stalker

• Decreased force strength from 40 to 35 when a tongue attack hits the player

(Force strength is the value that decides if a player or enemy should stagger or ragdoll.)

Gameplay

Keybind options for quick weapon function:

• New, unbound keybind options have been added for quickly swapping weapon functions (like changing fire modes or ammo).
• The intent is to give players better ease of use, especially for weapons with multiple ammo types like the Halt, Autocannon, and the new "One Two" AR.

Updated First Person View (FPV)

• We updated how First Person View (FPV) works with the intention of improving the aiming experience across different FOV settings (Field of view).
• The intent is that the size and distance of the scope will be more consistent with different FOV settings.
• We also updated how ergonomics works in FPV with the intent to make it more responsive.
• Fixed instances of flickering textures in various city locations

Fixes

Crash Fixes & Softlocks

• Fixed a rare crash that would occur when combat music would start
• Fixed a rare crash that could occur during 'Nuke Nursery' mission
• Fixed crash after hotjoining a game that just started where the existing players are using certain stratagems
• Fixed a rare crash when enemies would fall through the ground
• Fix rare crash on mission load

Weapons & Stratagem Fixes

• Fixed an issue with the BR-14 Adjudicator, when aiming with the 10x scope on 200 m setting which would cause the model to disappear
• Fixed a visual issue on VG-70 Variable during the reload animation when aiming down sights
• Fixed a torso clipping issue with the CE-07 Demolition Specialist armor
• Fixed pump-shotguns sometimes not showing a new shell being inserted on reload
• PLAS-45 Epoch now correctly zooms in ADS mode, just like any other support weapon
• Fixed display related to no ammo being shown for Infinite Ammo weapons
• Fixed the VO (Voice Over) line for “no ammo” being played after pressing reload whilst using Infinite Ammo weapons
• Fixed a small bug where supply packs were giving ammo without consuming a charge when dropped
• Fixed a bug that locks stratagems after drowning while holding that stratagem ball
• Fixed the red glow that would happen if the player would empty one or two magazines with MG-206 Heavy Machine Gun, M-105 Stalwart or MG-43 Machine Gun

Enemies

• Factory Striders will no longer be launched to sky erratically when dying
• Hellpods that hit Factory Striders will no longer remain in the air after the enemy dies
• War Striders now detonate mines
• Enemy presence around Cognitive Disruptor Towers is now cleared from the mini-map when the objective is completed
• Chargers no longer speed up when exiting charge
• Fixed Rupture Warriors getting stuck below Sentries
• Added a medium-armored weak spot to the vents on the backside of the Bunker, AA, and Mortar emplacements. This was done so these structures behave similarly to other comparable defenses..

Miscellaneous Fixes

• Fixed the terrain not being affected by explosions and the Entrenchment Tool (PS5 only)
• Fixed a bug where the lights were missing/flickering on the Orbital Gatling
• Fixed a thumbnail glitch in the Acquisition Center menu
• Cryo-pods no longer clip into the Engineering Bay when playing the ship arrival cutscene
• Fixed an armor gap affecting CE-27 Ground Beaker and CW-9 White Wolf whilst using the 'Draw!' emote
• The UI will no longer show inaccurate objective info on the Mission Summary screen if the host has left the game
• Fixed a bug whilst joining a non-host in a cross-play lobby.
• Fixed the NPC technician’s neck sticking through their shirt
• Mini-map fog of war effect while exploring caves no longer persists between missions
• Soon-to-be Helldivers will no longer be stopped from progressing the tutorial if they die in the flag room
• Fixed issue where the automaton grinder sludge would be affected by weathering even though it's sealed behind glass
• Fixed an issue where a missile inside the Destroyer’s hangar was misaligned. This dangerous act of asymmetry has been corrected. The undemocratic ship operator responsible for this disgraceful display of inefficiency has been promptly re-educated in a high-orbit correctional facility. Glory to the Office of Corrective Deployment!
• Helldivers will no longer be locked out of the GATER when trying to get into the driver's seat simultaneously
• Fixed a bug with missing haptics when a controller disconnects or reconnects
• Fixed an issue on a command bunker where there was a lack of collision

Optimizations

• Optimized lights on Automaton VFX
• Optimized physics of rock assets throughout the game to improve performance
• Improved the way environmental effects such as sandstorms, blizzards, and acid storms apply their status effects for reduced impact on performance
• Improved ADS weapon placement and behavior
• Reduced the amount of camera clipping on weapons
• Fixed texture details used for weapons while aiming down sights
• Improved depth of field when ADS and whilst scopes are zoomed in
• Fix for textures sometimes appearing low resolution even when memory is available (PC only)

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.

Death Stranding and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima is well-known for his love of cameos — his games are full of them — but the developer is now making a cameo of his own in a very unexpected place: an animated Disney movie.

According to Mantaweb via Automaton, Kojima will appear in Zootopia 2 as a mole at the Zootopia Police Department. Officer Paul Moledebrandt — to use his full name — will be the director's first animated cameo and appears by way of a direct invitation from movie director and CCO at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jared Bush.

"I've had many cameo appearances in live-action films and games, but this is my first experience dubbing for an animated theatrical film," Kojima said. "And it’s from Disney, of all places! What’s more, it’s the sequel to my favorite film, Zootopia! On top of that, I received an offer directly from director Jared Bush, so I was extremely honored and accepted without hesitation.

"I only took part in a small scene, but even at the time of recording, the production was incredibly well-crafted. Thanks to the illustrations, the recording went smoothly. I'm usually on the directing side, so I learned a lot from actually experiencing acting. I was reminded of how much attention the voice actors pay to basic things like turning pages in the script and noise."

Paramount has announced a Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off movie that's set to launch in 2028, and fans believe the film will finally see Keanu Reeves' Shadow the Hedgehog step up as its star.

Currently titled "Sonic Universe Event Film," the movie has been given a December 22, 2028 release date on Paramount's upcoming movie calendar, according to Variety.

As Sonic fans will know, Paramount's schedule already includes another upcoming movie for the Blue Blur: Sonic the Hedgehog 4, which is set to debut on March 19, 2027, and properly introduce both Metal Sonic and Amy Rose. So, what will this subsequent spin-off be about?

Fans seem certain that Shadow the Hedgehog (last seen acting as an antagonist in 2024's Sonic the Hedgehog 3) is now getting a movie all to himself, following positive feedback to Reeves' portrayal of the spiny antihero and almost $500 million at the box office for his proper big screen debut.

A movie focusing on Shadow also simply makes sense, rather than one centered on any of the franchise's characters more closely aligned with Sonic. Shadow, of course, also previously starred in his own video game, a 2005 third-person shooter, which featured its own cast of side-characters. So, is this finally where we see Rouge the Bat?

As of now, Paramount is keeping schtum on all things Shadow and Rouge-shaped, perhaps unsurprisingly considering the fact it has Sonic 4 to launch first. Officially, it's yet to be confirmed whether this spin-off will indeed be a Shadow the Hedgehog vehicle, or whether Shadow will also be back for Sonic 4.

Each of the three Sonic films released to date have brought bigger returns for Paramount, with more than $1 billion now raked in for the trilogy. But the trio's box office pales in comparison to the $1.36 billion raked in by Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. Movie. Interestingly, Paramount has no Sonic movie set to launch next year, leaving the field clear for Nintendo's sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

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

In a recent Japanese interview with Real Sound, Metal Gear series producer Noriaki Okamura discussed what’s next for the franchise after the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

“Right now, we’re still thinking about what to make next,” Okamura said. “Since we created an opportunity (with MGS Delta) for new players to experience the Metal Gear series, I do want to continue with it.”

He continued: “It could be a remake, or we might challenge ourselves by creating a brand new game. The Metal Gear series is part of videogame history, spanning pixel art to cinematic presentation, and so each title requires a different approach to expressing and remaking it.

“We won’t apply the methodology used to make the recent MGS Delta to all other games in the series — rather we intend to find the best approach for each specific game.”

Okamura also touched on the amount of time it took for the team at Konami to be in a position to remake Metal Gear Solid 3. “Most of the original staff members had left and the team had been reorganized, however we gathered people together and finally arrived at the point where we could make MGS Delta. As a team, we are confident that we achieved a level of quality that not only preserves the appeal of the original but also that modern players could enjoy. We are currently working out concrete plans for what we are going to do next.”

However, when asked about the possibility of a Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots remake, Okamura remained cautious, saying: “the hardware back then required very specific designs to get the most out of the 3D technology that was available at the time, so MGS4 ended up with some pretty unique code. It seems like it would be quite a challenge to bring that into the present day.”

At the moment, 2008’s Metal Gear Solid 4, which ties up all the loose ends in Solid Snake’s story, is only playable on PlayStation 3. Based on the original game release order and rumors, a remastered port of MGS4 is expected to be included in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2, however Konami has yet to announce the official line-up for this second anthology of MGS games to be released on current gen platforms.

While Okamoto’s comments address a remake rather than a remaster, his thoughts on MGS4’s unique code may explain why it is taking Konami so long to release Volume 2. Okamura previously said that the team are taking their time on Volume 2 to avoid the performance issues that dogged Volume 1 at launch: “we’re going to do everything we can not to repeat that, but we just have to ask for everyone to give us time.”

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

Rockstar co-founder and former Grand Theft Auto writer Dan Houser has likened AI to mad cow disease, and claimed that humanity is being pulled in a direction “by a certain group of people who maybe aren't fully rounded humans.”

The impact of AI has been swift and forceful, with the emergence of tech such as ChatGPT fueling an economic bubble some worry will burst. The way the internet works is being reshaped, too, with the idea of fair use of content for the training of AI models at loggerheads with copyright protection. This has resulted in ongoing lawsuits. Disney and Universal, for example, have sued the AI image creator Midjourney, alleging that the company improperly used and distributed AI-generated characters from their movies. Disney also sent a cease and desist letter to Character.AI, warning the startup to stop using its copyrighted characters without authorization.

A Fortnite artist has been forced to defend their work after fans suggested numerous images found within the game's new season are AI-generated, including a suspicious-looking poster showing a character in a hammock with an odd number of toes.

Last night, freelance artist Sean Dove took to Instagram in response to fan claims that his Studio Ghibli-style depiction of Back to the Future hero Marty McFly was the product of AI generation. Dove, a frequent Fortnite collaborator, showed off his manual process for drawing the image. But while he drew the Ghibli-esque main character himself, Dove admitted he may still have inadvertantly included AI elements in the background.

"I guess someone on reddit thinks this was AI," Dove wrote. "I think the culprit is a clock in the background. I grabbed some clocks off image search, collaged them, and halftoned them. The numbers are bad, entirely possible I grabbed an AI clock and wasn't paying attention."

And while Dove has personally responded, Fortnite developer Epic Games has so far remained silent on the topic, as fans on reddit create numerous threads pointing out other examples of images they think show signs of AI generation. (IGN contacted Epic Games for this story, but did not receive a comment back.)

Most egregious, according to fans, is an in-game poster for a location named Mile High Retreat. The image shows a pair of legs sticking out from a hammock, with five toes visible on one foot and four visible on another.

Another in-game poster being scrutinized by fans depicts the game's glassy-eyed Tomatohead character as the host of Sauce Talk, a Hollywood-style chat show. And there's discussion too around a mysterious song, Latata, set to be used in an upcoming emote. The music does not appear to come from a recognizable source, though some fans have suggested the audio has been sourced from stock music, rather than anything specifically AI-made.

Amid all the confusion, and lack of clarification from Epic Games itself, what's clear is that Fortnite fans are keen to push back against the perception of AI art usage within the game. An enormous thread on reddit is tracking every example where players have doubts of images being made by human hands, and searching for more.

"Awful decision," wrote one player. "I hope it gets amended. As others have said, the art and style of this damn game is one of the main reasons we love it. Generative AI has no place in it."

"I thought things like Darth Vader were cool, using AI to achieve something that simply wouldn't be possible without it," another fan wrote. "But, that was the only case so far that I've genuinely found neat. Creating art is something humans, and especially Epic due to their money and resources, are very capable of doing."

Epic Games is no stranger to AI technology, of course, having previously used generative speech technology to reproduce James Earl Jones' Darth Vader portrayal. But despite having the rights and approval of Disney, the character's inclusion proved controversial, especially as players quickly began making Vader say things more aligned with the dark side of the Force.

Last week, Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney suggested that Valve should ditch Steam's AI Generated Content Disclosure label for games, as he believes AI use will become so ubiquitous it will make any warning redundant. "Why stop at AI use?" Sweeney wrote on social media. "We could have mandatory disclosures for what shampoo brand the developer uses. Customers deserve to know lol.

"It doesn’t matter any more,” he continued. "The AI tag is relevant to art exhibits for authorship disclosure, and to digital content licensing marketplaces where buyers need to understand the rights situation. It makes no sense for game stores, where AI will be involved in nearly all future production.”

Speaking of AI artwork, boot up Fortnite anytime recently and you'll be greeted by a menu screen with dozens, if not hundreds, of user-made experiences that use AI artwork for their thumbnails, something Epic Games has previously said it is pointless to police, as technology rapidly improves to the point where AI images become almost impossible to distinguish.

Indeed, if nothing else, the whole matter has simply highlighted the increasing difficulty in 2025 of being able to tell what is AI-generated, and what is not.

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

Now that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday madness is behind us, we can get back to what's really important. Pokémon cards! Phantasmal Flames is arguably the best first expansion for a new era of the Pokémon TCG, and Mega Evolution was already looking really good.

To make things even better, Amazon has dropped the price on its Phantasmal Flames Booster Box from $299.99 to its lowest price yet, $248.99. That includes 36 boosters to crack open, and is also over $20 cheaper than TCGPlayer's lowest listing right now. Bargain, better catch it before it runs away.

Megabonk may have withdrawn itself for consideration for best indie game at next week's The Game Awards 2025, but it's now long-listed as one of 30 fan-favorite games in the running for the Players' Voice category.

Megabonk was nominated for Best Debut Indie, alongside Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Despelote, and Dispatch. Developer Vedinad, however, withdrew their game from The Game Awards in mid-November, saying it didn't qualify for the category, as Megabonk was not their debut game.

"It's an honor and a dream for Megabonk to be nominated for TGA, but unfortunately, I don't think it qualifies for the category 'Debut Indie Game,'" the developer said at the time. "I've made games in the past under different studio names, so Megabonk is not my debut game."

Shortly after that, The Game Awards creator Geoff Keighley shared a statement of his own acknowledging the request and stating that Megabonk would be removed in a Twitter/X post, which it eventually was.

That was seemingly not the end of the story for Megabonk's journey at The Game Awards, however. It's now also been nominated under the publicly-voted Players' Voice category.

30 games are nominated for this section, the shortlist for which will be whittled down across three rounds of van-voting. Megabonk is up against big hitters like Death Stranding 2, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Arc Raiders, Battlefield 6, Hades 2, and Fortnite.

The Game Awards 2025 Players' Voice nominations:

• Arc Raiders - Embark Studios
• Battlefield 6 - Battlefield Studios/EA
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive
• Death Stranding 2: On The Beach - Kojima Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Delta Force - Team Jade/TiMi Studio Group
• Dispatch - AdHoc Studio
• Donkey Kong Bananza - Nintendo EPD/Nintendo
• Doom: The Dark Ages - id Software/Bethesda Softworks
• Elden Ring Nightreign - FromSoftware/Bandai Namco Entertainment
• Final Fantasy XIV - Square Enix
• Fortnite - Epic Games
• Genshin Impact - HoYoverse
• Ghost of Yōtei - Sucker Punch Productions/Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Hades II - Supergiant Games
• Helldivers 2 - Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment
• Hollow Knight: Silksong - Team Cherry
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle - MachineGames/Bethesda Softworks
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II - Warhorse Studios/Deep Silver
• Mario Kart World - Nintendo EPD/Nintendo
• Marvel Rivals - NetEase Games
• Megabonk - Vedinad
• Ninja Gaiden 4 - Platinum Games/Team Ninja/Xbox Game Studios
• No Man’s Sky - Hello Games
• Peak - Aggro Crab/Landfall
• R.E.P.O. - Semiwork Studios
• Silent Hill f - NeoBards Entertainment/Konami
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - Sonic Team/Sega
• Split Fiction - Hazelight Studios/EA
• Warframe - Digital Extremes
• Wuthering Waves - Kuro Games

"WE'RE SO BACK," Vedinad wrote (thanks, Polygon). "Megabonk is nominated for The Game Awards - Player's Voice!! I withdrew my other nomination due to Megabonk not fitting the category, but with this new nomination we're more back than ever. go vote pls."

We had a good time with Megabonk. In IGN's Megadonk quick review, we wrote: "As far as survivors-likes go, this is a pretty strong one. I'd say it's worth a look if you have an appetite for another one of these that isn't basically just a Vampire Survivors reskin. I just wish there was a little more level variety."

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.

Emmy-winning director Frederick E.O. Toye is on deck to direct the opening pair of episodes of God of War, according to Deadline. Pre-production for the Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM show is reportedly underway now in Vancouver.

God of War has received a two-season order.

Toye joins the much-anticipated project alongside showrunner Ronald D. Moore, a veteran of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Battlestar Galactica, amongst others.

Toye is a prolific TV director with a long list of credits dating back two decades, stretching from episodes of Lost, Alias, and Fringe through to The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Designated Survivor, and Westworld, and to recent high-profile hits like The Boys, Fallout, The Terminal List, and The Terminal List: Dark Wolf. Toye also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for his contribution to the first season of the 10 out of 10 FX series Shōgun.

Little is currently known about the God of War show, which was first revealed to be in the pipe back in 2022. However, it is clear that it will be unsurprisingly based on 2018's God of War (followed by God of War Ragnarök in 2022), which revamped the series and pivoted from being rooted in Greek myth to a focus on Norse mythology.

The original God of War was first released on PS2 back in 2005.

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.

The original director of Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell remake, David Grivel, has returned to recommence his role as director on the game after leaving Ubisoft in 2022.

Grivel confirmed the news himself in a post on LinkedIn (via GamesRadar).

“Today, I am very, very happy to announce that I’m rejoining Ubisoft Toronto as Game Director on the Splinter Cell Remake!” wrote Grivel, noting the team and project are very special to him.

Grivel previously worked at Ubisoft for just over a decade, from 2011 to 2022. Prior to his brief initial tenure as director on the Splinter Cell remake he contributed as a game designer on a variety of projects, including Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Far Cry Primal, Far Cry 4, and Far Cry 5.

Grivel rejoins Ubisoft after a stint at Ridgeline Games working on the campaign mode for Battlefield 6, until EA abruptly shuttered the studio in early 2024.

The Splinter Cell remake, which was first announced way back in late 2021, has been skulking around in the dark for many years now. Little information about the game has made its way into the light during that time, although we do know the story of the 2002 original is set to be updated to be “more authentic and believable” to a modern-day audience.

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.

Justin Lin is set to direct the upcoming film adaptation of Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lin is best known for his work on a number of Fast & Furious movies, and was the director of the series from The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift in 2006 until Fast & Furious 6 in 2013.

It won’t mark the first time Lin has set his sights on outer space, as he also directed Star Trek Beyond in 2016 – and later returned to the Fast & Furious series to direct 2021’s F9 (in which he sent Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson into literal orbit in a 1984 Pontiac Fiero).

The Helldivers movie has been written by Gary Dauberman, the writer of several Annabelle films and The Nun – as well as the co-writer of 2017’s It and the writer of its 2019 sequel, It Chapter Two.

Sony Pictures’ and PlayStation Productions’ Helldivers movie was announced early this year at Sony’s CES 2025 press conference. The project comes in the wake of the immense success of Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2, which became PlayStation’s fastest-selling game of all time following its initial launch in February 2024, selling over 12 million copies in its first 12 weeks on sale.

Heavily inspired by Paul Verhoeven’s vision for 1997 sci-fi cult classic Starship Troopers, Helldivers 2 is “the rare modern multiplayer game that does almost everything right” by boasting a ton of freedom and a smart progression system that doesn’t nickel and dime players, according to IGN’s review.

After originally arriving on PlayStation 5 and PC, Helldivers 2 also came to Xbox Series X|S in August, 2025.

Luke is a Senior Editor on the IGN reviews team. You can track him down on Bluesky @mrlukereilly to ask him things about stuff.

Cyber Monday is hitting its twilight moment, but that hasn't stopped Lenovo from bringing back its best Black Friday gaming PC deal. Right now you can score a Lenovo Legion Tower 5 RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC for just $1,492.49 after you stack two coupons: "EXTRAFIVE" and "LENOVOHOLIDEAL". Free delivery is included. This was the lowest price for an RTX 5070 Ti prebuilt desktop when it first went on sale, and no other deal since then has been able to beat it!

Lenovo Legion RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for $1,492.49

Cyber Monday is winding to a close, but there's still time to take advantage of great 3D printer deals from AliExpress. Some of the most popular 3D printer brands, including Creality, Anycubic, and Flashforge, have official AliExpress storefronts, and they all have 3D printers on sale. AliExpress is also offering sitewide coupon codes that stack with these discounts. After combining these savings, you could get a 3D printer for as low as $166. All of the printers below are sold by the manufacturer and ship locally for free from the United States so there aren't any tariffs or long shipping times.

Cyber Monday 3D Printer Deals at AliExpress

Flashforge Adventurer 5M CoreXY 3D Printer

Black Friday may be behind us, but the deals bonanza isn't over just yet. If you're looking to upgrade from your outdated gaming laptop, or you want to transition from a desktop computer to a more mobile setup, there are still plenty of excellent deals to choose from for Cyber Monday. Some of these deals are better than Black Friday. I'm not sure which deals are expiring tonight and which are being extended, so if you find a laptop that's perfect for your needs, don't hesitate.

Alienware Aurora Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware's new mainstream gaming laptop for 2025 is dubbed the "Alienware Aurora" and it replaces the previous generation's x16 and m16 series of laptops. It comes in two models: the 16 and 16X. The 16 is the more economical model, but gamers should definitely opt for the higher-end 16X model. If you're looking for build quality and performance on par with the previous generation m16, then the 16X is its spiritual successor. It features an anodized aluminum lid and base, a higher quality display, a more powerful CPU, and a GPU that isn't throttled for maximum gaming performance.

Lenovo Legion Pro 7 16" Gaming Laptop Deal (RTX 5070 Ti)

Lower than Black Friday price