Entertainment has hit critical mass over the last decade, with more shows and movies being produced and released than ever before. It’s impossible to keep up with everything hitting the digital space, whether it be Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) or a traditional streaming network. With that in mind, we figured it was well past time for us to whip up a little something to help you keep up (and catch up) with all there is to watch in the big, wide world of digital viewing. And thus, the Streaming Rewind was born!
We’ll update this list at the end of each week so you can check out what you may have missed, and what’s coming up on the weekend. We’ll keep it a mix of popular releases and noteworthy lesser-known titles to help you find what’s worth taking the risk on as well as dive into a few things that we loved and why we loved ‘em, or just break down a show or movie that left us with some opinions. Sometimes, we’ll even have guest entries from other members of the IGN staff. If you’re not interested in all that and just want to see a bulleted list of what’s out there, pop on down to the New and Noteworthy and ICYMI sections.
Ash and Freaky Tales Hit Digital and Demand
It’s rare I combine two titles for one of these blurbs, but fate releasing Ash and Freaky Tales on digital and demand in the same week obligates me to talk about them both. They share absolutely no D.N.A with each other with one exception: they’re both weird little guys. Just oddball, out there movies that are there for people who want something a little more esoteric for their weekend viewing pleasure.
Ash (featuring performances from Eiza González and Aaron Paul) is there for folks who like their sci-fi weird and extra serious. It’s trippy and existential with an underlying mystery that extends beyond the “why are we here” of it all. Meanwhile, Freaky Tales is some straight-up silly nonsense. This one features a set of several anthology entries. Each is weirder than the last, but all of them involve beating the hell out of Nazis. It is not a good movie, but it is quite often a very funny movie. Even if perhaps it doesn’t mean to be. (Oh, and Pedro Pascal is in it.)
Andor Returns to Disney+
Cassian Andor and the Rebel Alliance are back, and not a moment too soon. The first batch of Andor Season 2’s episodes have dropped on Disney+, setting up a season of intrigue, espionage, desperation and, of course, rebellion. Though the release schedule is a little wonky (more on that below), I suspect we’re in for one hell of a ride as the last part of Andor’s pre-Rogue One journey comes to a close.
The Last of Us Had Its Big Moment (Max)
Welp. Joel has officially gone golfing. If you don’t understand what that means then please know that the bit is for your protection. If you do know what that means then you’re likely aware that fans are just as divided as ever on whether or not it was the right move, only this time it has the added complication of happening in a new medium.
A massive horde attack on Jackson keeps things moving this week, but only time will tell what’s to come and which of the townspeople made it out of the attack alive and bite free.
New and Noteworthy This Week:
Andor, April 22 — Disney+
Ash, April 22 — Digital and demand
You Season 5, April 24 — Netflix
Freaky Tales, April 25 — Digital and demand
Fréwaka, April 25 — Shudder
Havoc, April 25 — Netflix
ICYMI:
If you had too much going on last week, here are some of the notable things that premiered or debuted on streaming and digital that you may have missed.
Captain America: Brave New World, April 15 — Digital and demand
The Woman in the Yard, April 15 — Digital and demand
Marvel Comics may publish a great many stories set across numerous versions of the Marvel Universe, but they've rarely ever released comics that are specifically set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That appears to be changing, with Marvel revealing a prequel comic for the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Simply titled The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1, the prequel is set four years prior to the events of the film. Written by Matt Fraction (Hawkeye) and illustrated by Mark Buckingham (Fables), this standalone issue will recount the FF's debut adventure, seemingly inspired by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's original Fantastic Four #1. We know that the film is mostly skipping over the FF's origin story, so it appears that the comic will fill in for those who want to know how the team came to be.
Here's Marvel's official description for The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1:
It’s the moment that changed the world–-presented in the most brilliant medium there is! FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS #1 is certain to be a must-have item, both for those who have looked up to this super team since they made themselves known those who might be unaware of the history behind Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing’s incredible rise to global stardom!
Four years ago, the world was transformed as an amazing cosmic-powered quartet revealed themselves and their astonishing abilities to the public! Since that time, they have become world-famous as the Fantastic Four! Now, to celebrate that anniversary, Marvel Comics recounts their very first exploit that saved our city from near destruction!
"What an honor to be asked to help celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Fantastic Four!” Fraction said in a statement. “It was a thrill to bring their first legendary adventure to the world of comic books for the first time! It's a story we all know by heart, but I think Magic Mark Buckingham and I have found a way to tell it as you've never heard or seen before -- and who knows, this could be the start of something big!"
While Fraction's comments are a tongue-in-cheek way of acknowledging that this issue is being presented as an in-universe comic book authorized by Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards and his Future Foundation, we also have to wonder if he's teasing the idea of more MCU comics. Again, apart from a handful of tie-ins to early MCU films like Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, Marvel hasn't published many stories specifically set in the MCU. Could we be getting an Avengers: Doomsday or Spider-Man: Brand New Day prequel next?
The Fantastic Four: First Steps #1 will be released on July 2, 2025, just a few weeks before the movie hits theaters. Let us know in the comments what MCU comics you'd like to read.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new RPG and debut title from the French studio, Sandfall Interactive. With a blend of immersive storytelling and challenging gameplay, there’s nothing else quite like it. Maxroll has been hard at work on helpful guides for Expedition 33. There are guides to help you get started, teach you game mechanics, find valuable loot, and hone your builds. Maxroll’s Codex has weapons, skills, Pictos, and Lumina to help you prepare for the challenges you will face on the continent. If you’re the theorycrafty type, you can use Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Planner to make your own build, then share it on their Community Builds Section.
Getting Started
Get started in the world of Expedition 33 with character guides, beginner resources, and Pictos guides from Maxroll. If you're looking for a step-by-step companion guide to keep up as you play, check out IGN's Expedition 33 Walkthrough.
Beginner’s Guide
Maxroll’s comprehensive Beginner’s Guide for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introduces the game’s core mechanics like exploring the world, doing battle against Nevrons, each of the playable characters and their unique mechanics, plus introduces the game’s progression systems like weapons, attributes, Pictos and Luminas. Also check out IGN's 10 Things Expedition 33 Doesn't Tell You for a shorter guide of some easily-missed things you should know.
Combat Guide
Learn more about defeating dangerous Nevrons with IGN's Combat Guide. This is a beginner's guide with some tips and tricks, including advice for how to use Lune and Maelle.
Weapons, Attributes and Upgrades
Weapons are a core part of building your team in Expedition 33. Each weapon (and character skill) deals different types of elemental damage, some of which are more effective than others against different Nevrons. Each character has a variety of different weapons that have increased attribute scaling as you level them, plus unlock special bonuses at levels 4, 10, and 20. Read more about Weapons, Attributes and Upgrades.
Pictos and Luminas
Pictos are equippable items that give stats and a variety of unique effects. Each character can equip 3 Pictos, but you can use the Lumina system to gain even more special effects. If you’re struggling on an encounter, consider changing up your Pictos to gain more defenses, add damage or buff your team with things like Shell or Powerful. Learn more about Pictos and the Lumina system, a core progression feature in Expedition 33, and keep track of what you have and where to find them with IGN's Pictos checklist.
Early Game Pictos Guides
The Pictos system provides a lot of room to customize your party and build each character the way that you want, but there are a few Pictos which stand out as especially powerful during the early game. Keep an eye out for Dead Energy II and Critical Burn, complete side-content for the “lone wolf” style Last Stand Pictos and use Recovery to turn one character into a super-tank!
Characters
Learn about each playable character in Expedition 33, their unique mechanics, and skills with Maxroll’s Character Skill Guides.
Maxroll also has a few more guides suitable for the midgame and endgame. These go into detail on how to unlock areas of the map, defeat certain enemies more easily, or which Pictos are the best.
How to Unlock all of Esquie’s Traversal Abilities
Esquie can break through obstacles, swim, fly, and even dive under the ocean. Learn how to unlock all of Esquie’s Abilities as you progress through the game.
Enemy Strengths and Weaknesses
Learn about the Strengths and Weaknesses for the enemies you encounter across the Continent. Abuse enemy weaknesses to deal 50% more damage, and avoid using elements they absorb, as those heal the enemy instead of damaging them!
Zone Progression
If you’re feeling lost after completing the game’s story, Maxroll has you covered with a Zone Progression Guide, which gives some recommendations on when to complete different optional zones. IGN also has a list of Expedition 33 side quests with their rewards, so you can determine which ones are worth completing.
Best Pictos
Learn the Best Pictos to equip in both the early game and the endgame. Maxroll’s guide details Pictos that provide generic power along with those that have more niche uses, empowering new build archetypes.
Codex
Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Codex has information on all of the different Weapons, Pictos, Luminas, and Skills available in the game. You can even adjust the level at the top to see how Weapons/Pictos scale.
Here are the features to keep in mind when using Maxroll’s Expedition 33 Planner.
Select your characters and set up the active party. If you want to create different teams (with unique setups for each character) you can also do so here. At the top select an optional tag like “Story” or “Post-Story.” You use this section to navigate between each of the characters on your team to change their setups.
Pick your weapon, then adjust the level. As you do the power and scaling change but attributes are not currently factored in.
- Select the 6 skills you’re using on the character.
NOTE: Gradient Skills are excluded here but you can learn more about them in the Codex!
Pick your Pictos, you can use each Pictos once across your entire team. Select the correct level to display the stats added by each.
Add Luminas here, the point count is displayed at the top.
Allocate attributes, maybe use something your weapon scales off of?
Your stats are displayed here, based on Pictos, Attributes, and base weapon damage.
Add some notes, tell people about your skill rotation or where you found some of the cool stuff you’re using.
Set your build to public to share it with the community.
Tomorrow Comes
That’s it for Maxroll’s new guides for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Why not head over to the build planner and start theorycrafting?
Written by IGN Staff with contributions from Tenkiei and Snail.
Still, this is one of those deals that’s almost too good. I just want everything. To rein myself in, I wanted to settle on a theme, and I happen to organize by shelves by director. You know what director happens to have exactly three awesome horror movies, all of which are eligible for the deal? Jordan Peele. After scrolling through the entire sale, I’ve decided I'd go for Us, Nope, and Get Out, all for $33.
Nope, Us, and Get Out in 4K for $33
If you forced me to pick a favorite between these three movies, I’d lie to you. Well, I’d say one movie and then immediately feel like I was lying. Get Out, I truly believe, is one of the best directorial debuts in movie history. Lupita Nyong'o’s performance in Us is one of the best I’ve seen in horror, period. And I don’t think I’ll ever forget being awestruck by watching Nope on the big screen.
Nope is also the most recent physical release, and as such the one horror fans are least likely to have already. It’s also a movie I’d hesitate to call just “horror.” IGN’s 9/10 review of Nope describes it as “a sci-fi-horror-comedy that builds cinematic myths before casually knocking them over... from a studio director at the peak of his craft.”
To get this deal (or anything else from the sale), you just have to add all three movies to your cart. Amazon applies the promo automatically.
Jordan Peele's Next Movie Comes Out in 2026
Jordan Peele's next project is set to release in theaters in October 2026. I think it’s safe to say there are pretty high expectations here, but this is one director who’s more than likely to meet them. Peele's production company Monkeypaw is also releasing the sports horror movie Him later this year. In other mediums, the director is collaborating with none other than Hideo Kojima on a game currently titled OD.
More horror movies included in the sale:
The 2021 Candyman remake, which Peele helped write, is also included in the sale. I’ll probably use that as my excuse to get another three movies.
Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.
Lazarus brings together some of the most celebrated names in not just anime but all of entertainment. The completely original sci-fi series is helmed by none other than Cowboy Bebop’s Shinichirō Watanabe, though critic Ryan Guar's review of the first five episodes states that Lazarus is far from a Cowboy Bebop revival. The animation was led by Mappa Studio (Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen) alongside Sola Entertainment (Tower of God), while Chad Stahelski, director of the John Wick movies, designed the action sequences.
With so much hype (and a little bit of mystery), it isn't surprising that Adult Swim picked up the anime to air new episodes in the U.S. at the same time as Japan. If you’re wondering how to watch new episodes of Lazarus online, check out the details below.
How to Watch Lazarus
New episodes of Lazarus stream on Max (instead of Crunchyroll or Netflix) the day after they broadcast on Adult Swim. That means new episodes of Lazarus will arrive on Max every Sunday. Max subscriptions start at $9.99 and can be bundled with Disney+ and Hulu.
According to a Warner Bros. press release, subbed versions of Lazarus episodes will air and arrive on Max 30 days after the dubbed episodes.
How to Watch New Episodes Live
Lazarus is airing simultaneously in Japan and the United States. In the States, you can watch new dubbed episodes of Lazarus live on Adult Swim during its Toonami block on Saturday nights. Aside from cable, Adult Swim is included in live TV subscriptions like Hulu + Live TV (which offers a three-day free trial).
Lazarus Episode Release Dates
The first season of Lazarus will include 13 episodes total. Each episode will air live on Adult Swim before arriving on Max. Note that episodes air at midnight (technically Sunday), but are part of Adult Swim's Saturday block, which is why that date is used. Think of it as you'll be staying up, not waking up, to watch new episodes.
Assuming it won't have a mid-season break, here's what I predict the episode release schedule will look like for Lazarus Season 1:
Episode 2: "Life in the Fast Lane" - April 12 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: April 13
Episode 3: "Long Way from Home" - April 19 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: April 20
Episode 4: "Don't Stop the Dance" - April 26 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: April 27
Episode 5: "Pretty Vacant" - May 3 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: May 4
Episode 6: "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" - May 10 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: May 11
Episode 7 - May 17 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: May 18
Episode 8 - May 24 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: May 25
Episode 9 - May 31 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: June 1
Episode 10 - June 7 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: June 8
Episode 11 - June 14 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: June 15
Episode 12 - June 21 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: June 22
Episode 13 - June 28 (12am EST/9pm PST)
Streaming: June 29
What Is Lazarus About?
In a rare move for the anime industry, Lazarus is entirely original. No manga inspiration here, so no reading ahead to find out what happens. Here’s the official plot synopsis:
Lazarus Voice Cast and Characters
Lazarus was created by Shinichirō Watanabe. Here's the main voice cast in Japanese and English:
Mamoru Miyano (Japanese) and Jack Stansbury (English) as Axel
Makoto Furukawa (Japanese) and Jovan Jackson (English) as Doug
Maaya Uchida (Japanese) and Luci Christian (English) as Christine
Yuma Uchida (Japanese) and Bryson Baugus (English) as Leland
Manaka Iwami (Japanese) and Annie Wild (English) as Eleina
Megumi Hayashibara (Japanese) and Jade Kelly (English) as Hersch
Akio Otsuka (Japanese) and Sean Patrick Judge (English) as Abel
Koichi Yamadera (Japanese); David Matranga (English) as Dr. Skinner
Players woke up to find that Virtuos’ massive re-release received an unexpected update earlier today. With no patch notes or clear answer as to what the update addressed, most proceeded with their play sessions as normal. Others, however, quickly found that the first Oblivion Remastered update was causing more problems than it fixed
Yoooo why would @virtuosgames push an update to Oblivion Remastered that removes all upscaling right before the games first weekend?!!?
“Can't change the upscaling methods anymore,” one Reddit user pointed out. “It's set to ‘off’ and while the arrows are clickable nothing happens. So I closed the game, disabled fluid motion in the NVidia app (was testing something before the patch came) and started the game again. Loading times for my save are long again and still can't change upscaling settings lol.
“Now I am stuck with 40-60 fps in high settings with a 5800X3D and a 5080. Nice patch :D”
While some players haven’t noticed much of a change in performance, others are reporting new struggles related to low framerates. Many have also noted that upscaling settings have been completely closed off, leaving fans with major visual issues ahead of Oblivion Remastered’s first weekend in players’ hands.
Bethesda finally attempted to address concerns with a post published on its official support page. As for what today’s Oblivion Remastered update was meant to fix, the post explains the patch simply included “a few backend tweaks and nothing directly impacting game play.” Unfortunately, it seems those who own Oblivion Remastered through the Microsoft Store are the ones running into problems with their upscaling and anti-aliasing options.
“Any graphic settings adjusted prior to the Microsoft Store hotfix are still enabled and function normally," Bethesda clarified. "However, you will temporarily be unable to adjust those settings due to the issue with the settings UI. The team is taking a look and working out a resolution, we will share more info as soon as we can."
For now, there’s no telling when exactly a resolution for what was originally supposed to be an under-the-radar hotfix will arrive. In the meantime, it appears players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S consoles can continue playing with no issue.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Video game adaptations seem to be the trend of the hour. Just this month we’ve had A Minecraft Movie, the Devil May Cry anime, and the ongoing The Last of Us Season 2. Now we're getting the movie inspired by Sony's 2015 survival horror game Until Dawn.
I remember Until Dawn releasing at the height of the YouTube “Let’s Play” era and was a game that was as much fun to watch other people play as it was to play yourself. The game featured high-quality cinematics, in-game choices with real consequences and, most importantly, some pretty darn good jumpscares.
It’s not worth talking too much more about the original game because the movie seems to take inspiration mostly from the name and not much else. IGN’s Until Dawn review says it "shares a title and some key details with the game that inspired it, though it mostly tries to do its own thing – to mixed results.” Still, curiosity and a general love of horror is enough for me to still be interested.
If you’re planning to watch Until Dawn in theaters or want a sense of how long you’ll have to wait until it’s available to stream, check out the details below.
How to Watch Until Dawn
Until Dawn just released in theaters on Friday, April 25. You can check for showtimes near you at the main theater links below:
Until Dawn will eventually stream on Netflix, which has a licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Recent Sony movies, like Venom: The Last Dance and Saturday Night, landed on Netflix exactly four months after their initial release dates. Assuming this same trend holds, Until Dawn will be available to stream on Netflix around August 25.
What About VOD?
Until Dawn will be available through digital marketplaces like Prime Video before it comes to streaming. VOD release dates vary, often based on box office performance, but generally shorter theatrical release windows mean Until Dawn could be available to rent by the end of May.
What Is Until Dawn About?
While the Until Dawn movie is technically inspired by the 2014 survival horror game, it features different characters and a standalone storyline. Here's the movie's official synopsis:
"One year after her sister disappeared, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor center, they soon encounter a masked killer who murders them one by one. However, when they mysteriously wake up at the beginning of the same night, they're forced to relive the terror over and over again."
Until Dawn Cast and Characters
The Until Dawn movie was written by Gary Dauberman and Blair Butler and directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation). The movie stars the following cast:
Ella Rubin as Clover
Michael Cimino as Max
Odessa A'zion as Nina
Ji-young Yoo as Megan
Belmont Cameli as Abel
Maia Mitchell as Melanie
Peter Stormare as Hill
Until Dawn Rating and Runtime
Until Dawn is Rated R for bloody horror violence, disturbing/grisly images, brief strong language, and sexual material. The movie runs for a total of one hour and 43 minutes.
index.feed.received.yesterday — 25 avril 20253.3 🎲 Jeux English
Jesse Plemons has been cast as Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and he will be playing a younger version of the character the late Philip Seymour Hoffman played in the original Hunger Games films.
Lionsgate shared the news and noted that this future Head Gamemaker and rebellion leader will be seen at the beginning of the film "in District 12, capturing the reaping of the Tributes there."
As for the movie itself, it is based on Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name and "revisits the world of Panem twenty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games, starting on the morning of the reaping of the Fiftieth Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell." And yes, these are the same deadly games that Woody Harrelson's Haymitch Abernathy played in (and won).
Plemons was recently seen in Black Mirror, Zero Day, Kinds of Kindness, Civil War, and Killers of the Flower Moon, and apparently was the dream casting for the team at Lionsgate.
"Jesse is one of the most talented actors of his generation, with a proven record of picking his roles selectively," Erin Westerman, co-president, Lionsgate Motion Picture Group said. "We are honored that he has chosen to bring his own take to one of the most fascinating figures in Panem, and feel that his previous collaboration with Philip Seymour Hoffman makes it all the more special. His Plutarch will be both a tribute to the character fans have already come to know and a portrayal he makes his own. We can’t wait for audiences to see it.”
Westerman was speaking of the time Plemons and Hoffman acted together in 2012's The Master, which was one of the late actor's last films before he passed in 2014. In fact, Hoffman's final two movies before he passed away were The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 & 2.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise of the Reaping will be released in theaters on November 29, 2026, and will be directed by Francis Lawrence, who directed four of the five Hunger Games films beginning with Catching Fire.
Joining Plemons will be joining Joseph Zada (Haymitch Abernathy), Whitney Peak (Lenore Dove Baird), and Mckenna Grace (Maysilee Donner).
If you're a Lord of the Rings fan, then you've probably already read all of the main LotR books. There's The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, and that's it – right? Wrong. There are actually seven other books that round out the series with more details around Middle-earth. As someone who has only read the core four books, this came as a surprise to me when I first found out. If you find yourself hungering for more of Tolkien's work, there's plenty more to read.
One of those books is currently so heavily discounted in the Amazon book sale that I had to pick it up for myself. Unfinished Tales of Númenor & Middle-Earth has dropped down to its lowest price ever and you can buy it for just under $7.
The Best Lord of the Rings Book Deal on Amazon
This discount applies to the paperback version of the book – even the Kindle version is more expensive right now. If you're not familiar with this book, you may be surprised to find out it's been around since 1980. It was edited by Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R Tolkien's son, and was released shortly after the Silmarillion. According to the official Tolkien Estate website, the narratives featured are a collection of writings focused on Númenor and Middle-Earth rather than a definitive chronological story. Within these tales, you'll get a look into Gandalf's account of how he came to send the dwarves to Bag-End as well as the only surviving story of Númenor before its downfall.
Although this is the one of the best book deals I could find in the sale, Amazon is also offering some pretty good discounts on other versions of Tolkien's work. The Silmarillion illustrated edition is currently on sale for its lowest price in 2025, and there's also a pretty good deal on the pocket editions of the first four books. Both are great options if you've been looking to add these works to your bookshelf.
What Other LotR Books Are There?
Since I mentioned above that there are actually 11 different Lord of the Rings books available, I feel it's worth mentioning what each of those additional works are. Included are, of course, the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, but there are also more stories and lore outside of those, if you can believe it. Here are all seven of the additional books in order of release date:
Marvel Rivals developer NetEase Games has laid out its plans to take some of the pressure off of Strategists players just days after fans launched a community-wide Support strike.
Much of Marvel Rivals Season 2 has gone over swimmingly. New characters, maps, and modes helped the hero shooter push forward as the team promises quicker seasons and even more playable heroes, but its balance changes have introduced entirely new issues. Strategists – a character class that largely functions as Marvel Rivals’ Support pool – aren’t having much fun as Vanguards and Duelists have taken power.
The decreased viability of the Support class has been the topic of discussion in the Marvel Rivals community since Season 2 launched earlier this month. With other roles given more power on the battlefield, many Strategist players have reported not only an abundance of punishing matches but toxic ones, too, as teammates hop into text and voice chats to place the blame on them. It all reached a boiling point this past week when hundreds of players began taking to social media to declare they would stay away from the healer spot until NetEase explained how it might make the experience more enjoyable for all.
"We just want basic respect."
“We’re not asking to be glorified or seen as the ‘hardest’ role - because I don’t think we are,” one Reddit user commented. “We just want basic respect. It’s tiring to be called brain dead or worthless when your stats are solid and you’re playing your role the way it’s meant to be played.”
I Need Healing
Whether the strike has been successful or if players are simply choosing to stray from a challenging class, NetEase says it wants to take action. In a Dev Talk post published to its website today, NetEase addressed the concerns revolving around the Strategist class. Its approach to relieve some of the pressure is two-pronged and involves buffing the Support role while also making its Competitive mode more rewarding.
The team says Strategist “threat levels” will be elevated in an upcoming patch. This means potentially buffing heroes like Invisible Woman or Jeff the Land Shark while hitting Vanguards like Captain America and Groot with nerfs to their survivability, while Spider-Man's Amazing Combo ability will get decreased damage range. Details on exactly which characters will receive changes have yet to be revealed.
“Since this is a mid-season balance adjustment, we aim to be cautious, keeping changes minimal to enhance the experience of certain heroes without drastically altering the overall meta,” NetEase explained. “As we move into S2.5, with Ultron's arrival and new Team-Up Ability adjustments, we'll consider broader, more comprehensive balance changes.”
Meanwhile, Competitive is a Marvel Rivals offering that has seen slightly altered stats since the launch of Season 2. Duelists, in particular, have had an advantage when it comes to performance ratings, while Vanguard and Strategists have been at a slight disadvantage. As a result, NetEase plans to adjust performance rating calculations “to ensure fairness across all heroes.”
“Balancing the game and rank adjustments is a challenging endeavor, and we can't guarantee perfection 100% of the time,” the Dev Talk adds. “However, we remain humble and attentive, striving to address issues promptly and enhance your experience. Stay tuned for official patch announcements for more updates. Thank you for your support and patience!”
Marvel Rivals Season 2 introduced Emma Frost as its newest playable Vanguard hero, with Season 2.5 set to include Ultron in the near future. While we wait to see if the upcoming balance changes please those participating in the Support strike, you can read up on a recent Marvel tease that could see a collection of swimsuit skins joining the game.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Even if you enjoyed NieR: Automata and its predecessor, NieR: Replicant, you could be forgiven for not knowing that game actually got a sequel, and a pretty good one too. Unfortunately, that sequel, mobile game NieR: Re[in]carnation, hasn't been available for almost a year after being taken offline in April of 2024.
But fortunately, a Square Enix website is dropping some pretty wild in-universe hints that this might be about to change.
As pointed out to us on BlueSky by journalist Willa Rowe, an official NieR website that's currently publishing a NieR special movel to commemorate the series 15th anniversary is teasing something NieR: Re[in]carnation-related via cryptic in-text hints and webpage source code. As a part of today's update to the novel, the just-published chapter 4 ends with some strange text that reads as follows:
[WARNING] : Recovery protocol initialized...[ERROR] : Redirecting to backup node: < https://www.jp.square-enix.com/nierreincarnation/ >[INFO] : Analysis comments added to the source code. [FATAL] : Process forcibly halted.
What does THAT mean? Who knows? But wait, there's more. If you hit "View Source" on that page, there are even more weird teases in the code comments, as hinted at above. They read, in order:
TODO: Optimize rendering efficiency. Contradictions in "Her" emotions may interfere with signal clarity. Ensure transission remains undistorted.
FIXME: Visibility settings enabled for crashed observer system. He is watching...Adjust access permissions before deployment. His name is............
HACK: Log discrepancy detected. Records indicate previous modification attempts due to excessive interference from The Cage. Cross-check against original transmission before proceeding.
Okay, there's a lot here, some of which is inscrutable and some of which makes sense. "The Cage", for instance, is the main location where most of NieR: Re[in]carnation takes place. And "Her" is a key character (yes, that's Her name) in Re[in]carnation as well. Between that and the hyperlink, it's pretty obvious what all this is referencing, but what exactly will become of it remains anyone's guess.
The two final chapters of the novel are scheduled to publish on May 2, a week from today, and it's possible it may also pull back the curtain on whatever's happening here. Fans are speculating that it may be leading up to some sort of port or re-release of NieR: Re[in]carnation, which has been completely unplayable anywhere since it went offline last year. They're also pointing out that the chapters of the special novel, which are currently only available in Japanese (but which fans are translating), have some pretty significant tie-ins to all three other NieR games.
If you're unfamiliar with Re[in]carnation, I highly recommend keeping an eye on this, especially if the end result is another opportunity to play it. Re[in]carnation is a good game in its own right that many slept on due to its being a mobile gacha game, but critically, it's also the direct sequel to NieR: Automata, and effectively is NieR 3, for those who have been waiting for it. Who knows? Maybe a new Re[in]carnation release could include some new content that ties the ongoing stream of loose NieR-related threads together at last.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Bethesda Game Studios and Virtuos’ The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered includes the original’s infamous Dupe Item Glitch – and fans are loving it all over again 20 years later.
Since the mega-hit remaster launched for PC and consoles earlier this week, Elder Scrolls veterans have been beside themselves as they revisit iconic locations and characters from Bethesda’s classic fantasy RPG. It’s a total visual overhaul that remains so faithful to the original 2006 experience that Virtuos even thought to include some of its more memorable bugs and even a few handy glitches.
In Oblivion Remastered, players have found they’re still able to use a version of the original's Dupe Item Glitch, just the same as they did nearly 20 years ago. It allows the user to duplicate nearly any item in the game, and it only involves navigating through a few menus and a barrel or storage crate. That means unlimited arrows, ingredients, and even infinite money if you’re willing to be patient and haul everything to a merchant after you’re done. You can see our explanation of how to do the Dupe Item Glitch here.
There’s been some debate about a few other Dupe Item Glitch exploits that seem to have been fixed, but the consensus is generally that Virtuos’ move to keep such a niche bug in some capacity is amazing. Now, in 2025, both returning and new Elder Scrolls fans can see Cyrodiil just as it was in 2006, with many important wrinkles and bumps left intact, and the reaction is impossible to deny.
To those upset that Oblivion Scroll Duping got Removed I have great news! DUPES ARE BACK BABY!!! pic.twitter.com/Y21CowLJqq
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Looking to get into virtual reality? Meta Quest 3 represents a significant step forward in virtual reality (VR) and a great starting point for everyone. It's available in two versions, the fully-featured Quest 3 and the more affordable Meta Quest 3S, which means there's a good option to get into VR no matter the restrictions posed by your wallet. The Meta Quest system is the best way to get into VR, and even offers exciting exclusive games like the Batman Arkham Shadow game, which requires a Meta Quest 3 or 3S to play.
We're keeping an eye out on any Meta Quest discounts as they appear. At the moment, you can score a great deal on a Meta Quest 3S (both the 128GB and 256GB models) with $30 off, which we've listed below. You'll also get a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+ for free with your purchase, which is a great bonus.
Meta Quest 3S Deals
Meta Quest 3S (both the 128GB and 256GB models) has received a $30 discount across a couple of different retailers. If you've been waiting for a good time to pick up this VR headset without dropping too much cash on it, now's your chance to scoop it up and save. Not to mention, you'll also get Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+ for free with your purchase.
You can get a Meta Quest 3S with those freebies at the following retailers:
The Meta Quest 3 (512GB) headset is currently available at various retailers for $499.99. As a bonus, your purchase also comes with Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month trial of Meta Quest+ for free.
We gave this VR headset a 9/10 in our Meta Quest 3 review. Writer Eric Song stated that, "The Quest 3 continues Meta’s legacy of offering a cost-effective headset that doesn’t require an expensive gaming PC, but can still benefit from one if you have it." He continued on to say that, "The Quest 3 goes even further by offering us a ticket to mixed-reality gaming with a full-color passthrough mode that’s sharp enough to read things in the world around you, the lightest and most precisely tracked controllers available, and more."
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Similarities
Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor
Touch Plus controllers
120Hz refresh rate
Mixed reality passthrough (same cameras, different layout)
Quest 3S vs. Quest 3 Differences
Lower per-eye resolution (1832x1920 vs 2064×2208)
Fresnel lens vs. pancake lens
Lower FOV (96°/90° vs 104°/96°)
Smaller maximum storage capacity (256GB vs 512GB)
Longer battery life (2.5hrs vs 2.2hrs)
Best Meta Quest 3 Accessory Deals
In addition to the hardware itself, there are some great Meta Quest 3 accessory deals at the moment. You'll get the most bang for your buck with a battery-equipped head strap that adds both comfort and playtime to your VR experience.
What Games Are Available on Meta Quest 3?
Eight years after Batman: Arkham Knight, Warner Bros. announced the newest installment in the series: Batman: Arkham Shadow. This VR game is exclusive to the Meta Quest 3 and is developed by Camouflaj, - the creator of the Iron Man VR game - and Oculus Studios, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC. It's arguably the headset's best game, and a must for fans of the caped crusader.
Beyond a virtual reality trip to Gotham, there are many, many other games to play on the Meta Quest. We have a handy list of all the available games on the VR headset via IGN Playlist. Highlights include Asgard’s Wrath 2, Assassin's Creed Nexus, Metal Hellsinger VR, and Metro Awakening.
Batman: Arkham Shadow Is Great
In case you're wondering whether a new Batman: Arkham game works in VR, the answer is "yes." While it was develped by Camouflaj rather than series creator Rocksteady, it offers almost all of what fans of the core series appreciate about it.
Our Batman: Arkham Shadow review explains: "Batman: Arkham Shadow does an admirable job of adapting almost everything I love about the Arkham series to work in a full-fledged VR game, and it’s impressive looking for a game that’s exclusive to the standalone Meta Quest 3 headset. There are a few hitches and aggravating bugs that mean some parts don’t work quite as well as others, but its vigorous brawling, exploration, tricky puzzle solving, and stealth are all in full effect as you sneak and punch your way through Blackgate prison in a twisting undercover pursuit of a mysterious cult leader where just about everybody’s a suspect. It’s certainly smaller in scale than any full game since Arkham Asylum, but it’s far larger and more built-out than you might expect after Batman: Arkham VR, and a return to an enclosed prison setting makes it feel dense and intricate."
What Types of Deals Are There on Meta Quest VR Headsets?
Meta Quest offers usually fall into three kinds of discounts. Events such as the holiday season, Prime Day, Black Friday and announcements of newer models tend to push prices down, alongside:
Discounts: Direct price reductions are the most common deals, especially during major sales events or as part of clearance sales, to make room for newer models.
Bundles: Occasionally, retailers bundle a Meta Quest with popular VR games or essential accessories such as additional controllers, charging docks, or travel cases. These bundles provide extra value and enhance the VR experience out of the box.
Refurbished Units: These units have been returned and restored to like-new condition. They typically come at a reduced price and include a warranty, offering a way to save money without compromising on quality too much.
What to Consider Before Buying a Meta Quest VR Headset
Unfortunately, virtual reality isn't for everyone. Those with severe eye health issues or those who suffer from motion sickness might have problems using this particular bit of kit. Here are some more points to consider:
Compatibility: Ensure any additional accessories or hardware purchases are compatible.
Space Requirements: VR gaming requires physical movement, so ensure you have adequate space to use the device safely.
Future Models: Make sure to check out the features and specs on newer models before buying older ones to ensure it's a good fit.
We're keeping track of all things VR on the dedicated IGN VR hub, including the latest game releases. We're also keeping the VR hardware market on lockdown with our best VR headsets guide, which is worth a look for those who want to shell out on the latest VR tech.
Christian Wait is a UK-based freelancer for IGN, you can follow him @ChrisReggieWait on Twitter/X.
Includes contributions from Robert Anderson and Hannah Hoolihan.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut RPG from Sandfall Interactive, is already off to a strong start. The studio announced today that Expedition 33 has hit a sales milestone of 500,000 copies sold.
"A milestone for us, reached sooner than we'd ever imagined," the team said in a post on X/Twitter. "Thank you all."
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 went live yesterday, April 24, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. It's also a day-one Game Pass game, and despite launching a few days after the shadow-drop of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, the RPG still seems to be making waves. When Oblivion dropped, Clair Obscur's publisher Kepler Interactive even jokingly compared it to "Barbenheimer." The comparison, as it turns out, has been fairly accurate.
Developed by the newly formed studio Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG that takes heavy inspiration from the genre classics, from Final Fantasy to Persona. It follows a crew of Expeditioners in a fractured, post-apocalytpic world where every year, a giant being called The Paintress etches a new number and erases anyone older than it. The members of the Expedition, the next up on the block, have one goal in mind: travel to the ends of the continent and destroy the Paintress, ensuring she can never paint death again.
The reception of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been widely positive, sitting at 92 on MetaCritic and 91 on OpenCritic, putting it alongside Split Fiction and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 as some of the year's most lauded games thus far.
In IGN's 9/10 review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, our reviewer described it as a "modern RPG classic," wearing its inspirations on its sleeve and painting itself into the pantheon of great RPGs.
I’ve found the best cards from Journey Together and Paldean Fates on TCG Player for less than the cost of these booster bundles. If you’re collecting Pokémon cards for the actual cards (not just the thrill of cracking packs), TCG Player is your best friend. I’ve been watching both Journey Together and Paldean Fates, and the single prices are falling fast. Meanwhile, sealed bundles are creeping up. You can still grab them if you want the experience, but if you're hunting chase cards, buying singles is the smarter route.
TL;DR: Deals For Today
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Journey Together Booster Bundle
This six-pack bundle of Scarlet and Violet: Journey Together is holding steady at 50.99, but most of the real value in the set is now on TCG Player, where chase cards are trending down. If you’re looking for specific pulls, going the single route will save you money. There's still some standout cards here. Lillie's Clefairy ex is the most expensive in the set right now, and for good reason. It’s competitively viable and features Lillie, who always bumps card prices on name recognition alone.
N’s Zoroark ex (Special Illustration Rare) continues a clever story thread from N’s Zorua and is a binder-ready display card. Salamence ex showcases Tsuyoshi Nagano’s first Pokémon art, which alone is worth a look. There’s also Hop’s Zacian ex, a handful of golden Iono and Bellibolt ex cards, and some surprisingly nice takes on Wailord and Articuno. It’s a great set, but if you know what you’re after, singles are the smarter path.
Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet: Paldean Fates: Booster Bundle
Paldean Fates brings back shiny Pokémon in a big way, including the return of the fan-favorite Baby Shinies. The booster bundle runs a little higher at 66.97, and honestly, that’s more than what you’d pay for most of the good cards inside if you went straight to TCG Player.
There are a few exceptions. Bubble Mew still holds its value even after a major drop, and is the one card where sealed might still make sense if you enjoy the gamble. But most of the shinies, including some really clean alternate arts, are affordable enough to collect without diving into packs. I’ve put together a catalog of the best-value cards if you want to go that route.
Expedition 33 T-Shirt
Expedition 33 just dropped and IGN Store already has one of the better pieces of game merch I’ve seen in a while. This tee uses the game’s cover art in a clean design that doesn’t scream licensed product, which I appreciate. It’s made to order in sizes up to 3XL. It’s 100 percent ringspun cotton and feels like a shirt you’ll actually want to wear more than once.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Steam)
Expedition 33 just launched and it’s one of the more original turn-based RPGs I’ve seen in a long time. The concept is bizarre in the best way. Once a year, a mysterious figure paints a number. Everyone of that age dies. This year, it’s 33. You’re part of the group sent to stop her. The world blends Belle Époque France with surreal fantasy, and the combat mixes turn-based mechanics with real-time dodging and targeting. It’s visually gorgeous, built in Unreal Engine 5, and there’s already a good amount of buzz behind it. Standard edition is 39.99, Deluxe is 47.99.
Create, Paint & Animate Bundle
This is one of the better Humble art bundles I’ve seen in a while. You get a 12-month license for Clip Studio Paint Pro, which is already worth the entry price, along with a massive pack of digital tools including brushes, comic panel assets, 3D models, and Moho Debut for animation. If you’ve been meaning to get back into digital art or just want to try new software without spending hundreds up front, this is a great way to start. Plus, proceeds support No Kid Hungry.
Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Earbuds
If you’ve been thinking about finally getting serious noise cancellation in your life, Bose QuietComfort earbuds are down to 149 right now, a solid 30 bucks off. These are great for travel, commuting, or just finding some quiet during work hours. Battery life is 8.5 hours on a single charge, with an extra boost from the case. IPX4 water resistance makes them solid for workouts too. I like the responsive touch controls and the ability to fine-tune the EQ with the app. They also do a surprisingly good job switching between devices with multipoint Bluetooth.
Soundcore by Anker Space A40
For budget earbuds with real noise canceling, I think Soundcore’s Space A40 are unbeatable at this price. They’re 44.99 right now, down from 79.99, and come packed with features you usually only get on higher-end models. They offer 50 hours of total playtime, a compact and comfortable fit, hi-res wireless audio with LDAC, and adaptive ANC that adjusts depending on your surroundings. They’re solid for everyday listening and more than good enough to double as travel earbuds too.
GameStop Nintendo Switch 2 Pre-orders
GameStop will be one of the only major retailers still offering preorders for the new Switch 2 this morning. The $499.99 bundle includes the console and Mario Kart World, which looks like it's built to show off whatever upgrades Nintendo has under the hood. Preorders go live at 8 a.m. PST, and considering other retailers sold out overnight, I’m not expecting these to last long. There's also the solo Nintendo Switch 2 console, launch games and tons of accessories to add to your basket too. Here's my top picks:
Pokémon TCG Charizard ex Super Premium Collection
I like this bundle because it gives you something to actually hold onto, not just a few random booster packs. It includes three promo foil cards (Charizard ex, Charmander, and Charmeleon) a detailed Charizard figure, and 10 booster packs. That’s solid value, and it’s all bundled in a way that makes sense for collectors or players.
At under $50, it’s hard to argue with the appeal. The Charizard line has always been popular, and the cards in this set are exclusive promos that won’t be around forever. I think this is an easy pickup if you’re looking to build your collection or just want something that looks great out of the box.
Monster Blu Ray 4K Sale
Streaming is convenient until your favorite movie vanishes from your watchlist without warning. That’s why I still keep a stash of 4K discs, and Amazon’s latest deal makes it easy to bulk up the collection. Right now, you can pick any three eligible titles for $33, which is a pretty great deal considering a single 4K Blu-ray usually runs around $20 or more.
I think this is the kind of sale that slips under the radar because there’s no flashy banner or countdown timer. But when you start scrolling and see stuff like Inception, The Dark Knight, 1917, and E.T., it kind of speaks for itself. If you’re into collecting or just want some reliable movie night options that don’t rely on a Wi-Fi signal, this is worth jumping on.
WD_Black 2TB C50 Xbox Series X|S Storage Expansion Card
Storage space on Xbox runs out fast, especially if you're hopping between big AAA titles. I think the WD_Black 2TB C50 is one of the better expansion options out there, and right now it's down to $179.99 on Amazon, which is $50 off the usual price.
It's officially licensed, plug-and-play, and gives you the same performance as internal storage thanks to Xbox's Velocity Architecture. I’ve used one for a while, and honestly, it’s the difference between deleting something you’ll want to play later or just moving on with your day.
Beats Fit Pro
If you’ve been looking for earbuds that actually stay in your ears while you move, the Beats Fit Pro still nails it. They’re down to $169 at Amazon right now, which isn’t the steepest discount ever, but considering how rarely Apple gear goes on sale, I’ll take it.
I’ve used these for running, working, and dodging people on Zoom calls. They’ve got solid noise canceling, great sound, and yes, they work just as well on Android as they do on iPhones. I think they’re still one of the few earbuds that don’t require a small fortune or daily resets.
LEGO Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Mos Espa Podrace Diorama
This LEGO Star Wars Podrace Diorama is one of those builds that feels designed for fans who grew up on Phantom Menace and now pretend they’re “collectors.” It’s on sale for $65 right now, down from the usual $80.
I think it works well as a display piece without screaming “toy.” You get Anakin’s and Sebulba’s podracers in brick form, plus a detailed canyon scene. If you’re trying to justify another LEGO set, just call it a stress-relief project and move on.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
This is currently the best price for Oblivion on PC bar subscribing to Game Pass. I’ve played the original Oblivion enough times to know exactly where it shows its age, which is why I’m glad this remaster exists. The updated visuals and improved UI give the game a second life without losing what made it great in the first place. You still get the full experience, including expansions like Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine, plus all the classic side content.
If you missed it the first time around or just want to revisit Cyrodiil without modding your setup into oblivion (pun intended), this is the version to get. I think forty bucks is a fair ask for one of the most influential open-world RPGs of its time, especially with all the extras baked in.
Pokémon TCG 151 Single Card Crashes
I’ve been tracking the Pokémon 151 singles for a while, and a few prices have finally started to slide into that sweet spot between “collectible” and “still reasonable.” Blastoise ex (Illustration Rare) is sitting around $66, and Venusaur ex is close behind at $60. Even Charizard ex, in Secret Rare form, has dipped to around $39, which is surprising considering how popular it is.
If you’re trying to complete the set or build out Gen 1-themed pages, now’s a good time to grab singles like Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle for under $40. Most of these aren’t meta-competitive, but they’re stunning in a binder and full of nostalgia. I think this wave of price dips won’t last long once more collectors start closing out their sets.
CUKTECH 15 Ultra Power Bank
I’ve gone through enough power banks to know when one’s actually designed with some thought behind it. This one pushes up to 140W with USB-C PD3.1, which means it can charge a MacBook or gaming handheld fast enough to matter. The smart display is a nice touch too. It shows real-time stats, not just another blinking light.
The 20,000mAh capacity is plenty for multiple phone charges or a full laptop cycle, and the recharge time is quick if you’ve got the right charger. I’d say it’s ideal if you travel with more than one device and hate juggling low battery warnings.
Cleer ARC 3 Open Ear Headphones
I like the open-ear design because it avoids the usual trade-off between situational awareness and good audio. These stay just outside your ears, but the sound quality still holds up thanks to Dolby Atmos and Snapdragon Sound support. And the fit’s more comfortable than most earbuds I’ve worn, especially for longer sessions.
The battery life is solid with up to fifty hours total from the case, and it includes features like auto volume adjustment and UV sterilization. It’s built for someone who actually uses their earbuds all day, not just in short bursts. If that’s you, I think you’ll appreciate the attention to detail here.
Pokémon TCG 151 Booster Bundle
I really want this listing to disappear into the tall grass. It’s six booster packs. That’s it. For $66.65. The MSRP was closer to $30, which makes this a laughable markup for what’s essentially a fancy six-pack with no promo cards.
I love Pokémon 151. It’s packed with great Kanto art, and yeah there's some killer hits in there. But paying twice retail for the chance at a Charizard? That’s a pass. I think if you’re going to spend over $60, you should at least know what you’re getting.
I dug up some single card options that are actually worth the money. You can grab Alakazam ex for around $10, a clean Zapdos holo for under $5, and even that Blastoise art rare for $66 or less if you don’t mind a little light play.
Godzilla is one of the biggest names in entertainment, with over 70 years of history since Ishiro Honda's 1954 film. Over the years, there have been numerous interpretations of the legendary beast, from World War II-inspired movies to clashes with other beasts in the Monsterverse. There's a lot to love about every film, especially if you're a fan of action. Starting today, you can purchase three of the most recent Godzilla movies in 4K for only $33. Now is the time to add three films involving the legendary beast to your Blu-ray collection.
This sale is part of Amazon's larger three for $33 4K movie promotion that just started. There are quite a few other great films in there if you'd prefer to shop the full sale yourself.
3 Godzilla 4K Blu-rays for $33
Starting today, you can purchase three of the most recent Godzilla movies in 4K for only $33. Now is the time to add three films involving the legendary beast to your Blu-ray collection.
This sale is part of Amazon's larger three for $33 4K movie promotion that just started. There are quite a few other great films in there if you'd prefer to shop the full sale yourself.
49" Odyssey QD-OLED G9
think this might be the best gaming monitor deal I’ve seen all year. The QD-OLED G9 just dropped to $1,049.99, which is $700 off its original price. That’s not a typo. This is Samsung’s top-of-the-line 49-inch ultrawide, and right now it’s a steal.
The Dual QHD resolution makes games look absurdly sharp, and the 240Hz refresh rate with 0.03ms response time means it’s as fast as it is pretty. Add G-Sync and FreeSync support, and you’ve got yourself a monitor that won’t blink even when you’re about to lose a ranked match.
I want this on my desk just so I can stop squinting at my minimap like an old man with bad Wi-Fi. It wraps around your field of view and makes even spreadsheets feel dramati
57" Odyssey Neo G9 Curved Gaming Monitor
If the QD-OLED isn’t wild enough for you, this 57-inch Neo G9 is here to take your eyeballs hostage. It’s the world’s first Dual UHD monitor, and it costs $1,799.99 right now instead of its usual $2,299.99. Plus, there’s an extra $50 credit applied at checkout.
Mini-LED tech, 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and enough real estate to run an airport. I want this so badly I’m thinking of measuring my apartment just to see if it’ll fit.
The HDR 1000 support and insane brightness make everything pop, and Samsung even threw in CoreSync lighting to make sure your desk feels like a spaceship.
Samsung T9 4TB Portable SSD
I think this is the drive to get if you’ve got a ton of large files and zero patience. The T9 4TB model is down to $299.99, and it’s fast. I’m talking 2,000MB/s fast. You can load, edit, and transfer without watching a loading bar crawl across your screen.
It’s built to survive up to a 9.8-foot drop, which, yes, I find oddly specific. But hey, it means it’ll probably survive your daily backpack abuse. If you’re a video editor or just someone who hoards game installs like they're rare Pokémon, this is a solid pickup.
Samsung T5 4TB Portable SSD
This one’s all about durability and capacity. The T5 EVO gives you 4TB of space in a compact shell, and it’s priced the same as the T9. It doesn’t hit the same crazy speeds, but it’s still great for moving big files and not worrying about losing them to the floor gods.
I want this for backup storage or even game library overflow. It’s a solid pick if you don’t need bleeding-edge speeds but still want to keep everything in one pocket-sized vault. Buyers can also snag a free Sonic the Hedgehog branded 256GB MicroSD card + adaptor with this deal too.
Journey Together Booster Bundle
Amazon’s been a bit shady with this one. While the overpriced Elite Trainer Box is sitting at a wild $99.49, this six-pack bundle is actually close to MSRP and ships directly from Amazon. It’s quietly hidden under separate listings, which feels intentional given how quickly the ETB sold out when it dipped below $40 last week.
Journey Together Sleeved Booster
One Journey Together pack, one total mystery. If you just want to open something without overthinking it, this gets the job done. It’s also about as low-stakes as Pokémon TCG gets unless you're picking up cards off the sidewalk.
Journey Together Elite Trainer Box
Yes, this is the same box that was selling for around $40 days ago. It’s now being offered at the highest price yet, and not even by resellers — this inflated price is from Amazon itself. You get nine booster packs, a promo, sleeves, and extras, but you'd be paying more than double what it’s worth. I’d pass unless it drops again.
Terapagos ex Ultra-Premium Collection
I want to say this isn’t excessive, but you’re getting 18 Stellar Crown booster packs, three promo cards, a playmat, a deck box, and a magnetic card display. Excessive, but in a good way. It’s basically a portable shrine to Terapagos, and somehow still manages to feel worth it if you're deep in the hobby.
Pokémon TCG Stacking Tin
Three booster packs and two sticker sheets in a tin that stacks. That’s the whole pitch. I think it’s a fun pickup if you’re buying for a younger fan or just want your cards stored in a tiny themed cylinder for some reason.
Paldean Fates Booster Bundle
Six packs focused on shiny Pokémon, which will either be a collector’s dream or a gamble depending on your luck. In my opinion, the price feels high unless you're chasing specific cards, but that hasn’t stopped anyone before.
Iono’s Bellibolt ex Premium Collection
Six packs and two foil promos, plus acrylic standees and a sticker sheet, because Iono’s entire personality is now available in merchandise form. I think this one’s a solid pick if you like your collections playable, displayable, and mildly ridiculous.
Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box
This box comes with nine Shrouded Fable booster packs, a Pecharunt promo, sleeves, dice, and more organizational tools than your average office desk. It’s one of the more practical bundles, assuming your definition of practical includes themed card sleeves.
Poké Ball, Premier Ball, Moon Ball Tin Bundle.
Each bundle comes with three Poké Ball tins and nine booster packs total, plus stickers in case the Poké Balls weren’t festive enough. You’re paying for variety and presentation here, which is half the fun anyway.
Poké Ball, Great Ball and Ultra Ball Tin Bundle.
Same again but includes a Pokéball, Great Ball and Ultra Ball. This is the OG choice and look brilliant mixed in a graded card display. All Pokémon TCG should come in a Pokéball in my opinion!
Surging Sparks Booster Bundle
If you don’t need sleeves or dice and just want to crack open six fresh packs from Surging Sparks, this one does the job. In my opinion, it’s the most straightforward way to feed the shiny card habit without the extra clutter.
Paradox Clash Tin
You get five packs and one of two promo cards, chosen by fate or some algorithm pretending to be fate. A decent middle ground for players who want something compact with a bit of flair and a good chance at useful pulls.
Azure Legends Tin
This tin is a lucky dip between Kyogre, Xerneas, and Dialga, which makes it great if you enjoy a little chaos with your collecting. Five packs and a foil promo make it pretty reasonable for the price, especially if you're not picky.
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.
Pedro Pascal, actor and star in shows such as The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has spoken out against Harry Potter author JK Rowling in response to her ongoing comments online in opposition to the transgender community.
Pascal spoke up in the replies of a video posted on April 17 by writer and activist Tariq Raouf. In the video, Raouf opposes Rowling's support of the UK Supreme Court's recent decision to define "woman" legally as "a biological woman and biological sex" as regards equality legislation in the country. Per this definition, transgender women are excluded from protections under the Equality Act.
Following this ruling, Rowling posted a celebratory photo on Twitter/X of herself smoking a cigar and drinking a beverage by the ocean, saying, "I love it when a plan comes together," referring to her past donations to the organization that filed the suit, For Scotland Women.
Raouf's video refers to Rowling's actions as "serious Voldemort villain sh**" and urges viewers not to support Harry Potter or anything connected to it in response to Rowling's actions. In Pascal's reply to the video, he says: "Awful disgusting SH** is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior."
This is far from the first time Pascal has spoken up in support of the transgender community. Previously, he has posted “I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorizing the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist," alongside a photo of a sign reading, "A world without trans people has never existed and never will." He also wore a shirt reading "Protect the dolls" to the premiere of Thunderbolts in London, with "dolls" notably referring to trans women in LGBTQIA+ circles.
Pascal's sister, Lux Pascal, is a trans woman who came out publicly in 2021, and her brother has been vocally supportive of her, initially responding to her announcement by posting "Mi hermana, mi corazón, nuestra Lux," which means "My sister, my heart, our Lux."
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Blogroll image credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Walt Disney Company Limited
If you're on the hunt for some great PS5 deals, we're here to help. Here we've gathered up some of the best PlayStation deals available at the moment, including the fantastic PlayStation 5 Slim Astro Bot bundle. With this you're getting Astro Bot for free alongside a PS5 Slim console, what could be better than that? Another great deal is on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which has received its first discount this year. You can see these deals and so many more below. Here are IGN's top picks for the best PlayStation deals today.
PS5 Slim + Astro Bot Bundle
The PS5 Slim and Astro Bot bundle is one of the best PlayStation deals available at the moment. You can choose between the PS5 Slim Disc Edition console or the Digital Edition, which will set you back $449.99 and $399.99, respectively.
Astro Bot is a really enjoyable addition to a PlayStation library, too. IGN's Simon Cardy said in his review that it's, "A collection of endlessly inventive levels and fantastically fun abilities, it delivers joy in spades, never once becoming even remotely dull or repetitive."
Best PS5 Video Game Deals
There are plenty of exciting game deals available for PS5 users right now. One of our favorites at the moment is on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which has received its first price drop since release. There are even more great game deals to be found at Woot, Walmart, and Amazon, including on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Persona 3 Reload.
Best PlayStation VR 2 Deals
The PSVR2 Horizon: Call of the Mountain bundle has gotten a price drop down to $399.99, $200 off its original list price of$599.99. This package is a great value for everything you're getting (the PSVR2 headset and controllers alongside the Horizon Call of The Mountain game), and pushes the PSVR2 as a strong contender against budget-friendly VR options like the Meta Quest, delivering a premium virtual reality experience without the eye-watering cost.
Sony also recently gave the PSVR2 a new lease of life by adding PC VR support, allowing owners of the second-generation headset to play PC VR games like Half-Life: Alyx, provided they have the new Sony-made adapter.
Best PS5 SSD Deals
PS5 games continue to grow in size, and with SSD prices climbing, finding the right storage at a great price is more important than ever. We've listed our favorite deals just here, but you should ensure you're checking back here for more updates as often as possible, as new SSD deals pop up all the time.
Keep in mind that not all SSDs are compatible with the PS5. To ensure optimal performance on the best PS5 SSD, you'll need a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 drive with a minimum read speed of 5,500MB/s to match the console's internal storage.
Where to Buy: PS5 Pro
Launched with widespread availability – unlike the infamous scarcity of the original PS5 launch – the PS5 Pro is currently still in stock across major retailers.
The PS5 Pro is designed for gamers who prioritize graphics and performance, especially those with high-end TVs that can take full advantage of its power. But it comes at a premium: At $700 plus tax (and minus a disc drive), it’s an investment that only makes sense if you’re looking to elevate your gaming experience.
Not everyone needs it, of course; if you’re satisfied with your current visuals or aren’t particularly sensitive to frame rates, the PS5 Pro may be more of a luxury than a necessity.
Where to Buy: PlayStation Portal
The PlayStation Portal has come a long way since its launch. Initial skepticism surrounded the device, but over time, it has proven itself as a handy companion for PS5 owners.
Despite stock challenges and surges in demand, a new feature is making the Portal even more appealing to potential buyers. Sony recently rolled out an update for the PlayStation Portal, currently in opt-in beta, allowing PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers to stream games from the cloud.
This means you can now enjoy a library of games on the go—even if you don’t own a PS5. The update adds another compelling reason to consider the PlayStation Portal.
How to Trade in Your Old PlayStation Consoles
If you're looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.
Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.
While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you'll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction. The latter of which poses its own risks.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
If you're looking to pick up some video game-inspired replicas or figurines while traveling, you might want to think twice about bringing anything that looks like a Call of Duty weapon in your baggage.
That's the takeaway, at least, from a recent post by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discussing prohibited items. As spotted by Dexerto, the TSA account on Facebook highlighted a replica figurine of the Monkey Bomb from Call of Duty's Zombies mode that officers at Boston Logan International Airport found in a checked bag.
The Monkey Bomb, or Cymbal Monkey, has appeared in numerous Call of Duty games, from World at War through to Black Ops 6. This particular figurine is meant to be a controller, with its hands outstretched to cradle your favorite game controller. But it's also a replica of a weapon that, well, looks like it has dynamite and cables strapped to it.
"This monkey may rack up points in a game, but in real life, leave the gear for your loadout screen, not your baggage," the post read. "Replica weapons and explosives, no matter how cool or collectible, aren't allowed in either carry-on or checked baggage."
The TSA website does also go into detail about prohibited toy weapons, including "squirt guns, Nerf guns, toy swords, or other items that resemble realistic firearms or weapons." Maybe that's some decent advertising, at least, for the quality of the Monkey Bomb replica statue.
It's good to be aware of if you're heading to a convention or place where you might pick up some merch. Whether a monkey figurine or a set of Naruto-themed throwing knives, the TSA warns that it prohbiits any item in checked or carry-on baggage if they believe it poses a security threat, even if it's a replica.
If you don't pay much attention to toy trends, you might think that LEGO sets for kids are all that's available. That hasn't been the case for a while – in fact, the brick-building company makes plenty of sets for adults.
Over the past five years, LEGO's definition of what it means to be an "adult" set has changed significantly. It used to be a label strictly applied to the difficulty of the build, rather than its outcome. In some instances, it still signifies that. But in many other instances, the age recommendation is a reflection of interest rather than proficiency. Is it built for play? Or is it built for display?
LEGO has honed this adult outreach recently, by designing builds for framing or arrangement in vases. It's LEGO as a lifestyle – as an art installation on a wall or a decorative keepsake on a coffee table.
Here are the best LEGO Adults sets in 2025 – the builds that are changing perceptions of what it means to be a LEGO fan. You can also check out our picks for the best LEGO sets overall for more options.
TL;DR Best LEGO Sets for Adults in 2025
Optimus Prime
We built Optimus Prime at the time of its launch, and we can't stop saying good things about it. This set actually transforms – from vehicle mode to autobot mode and back again – and it looks equally proportioned and convincing in both of its settings. Its followup, Bumblebee, is no slouch either, and gives us more of the same for a slightly lower price point.
Lord of the Rings - Rivendell
For Tolkien fans with deep pockets, this intricate set depicts the serene elvish enclave from the movies. With landmarks such as the stone bridge over the River Brunein, the House of Elrond, and Bilbo's study, the LEGO Rivendell set lets you recreate numerous, memorable moments, including the council meeting where the Fellowship comes together to destroy the One Ring.
TIE Interceptor
A striking homage to the souped up TIE Fighter from Episode VI, this model is mounted at an upward angle, which makes it seem like it's on the offensive, ready to blast Rebel scum out of the sky.
We built and reviewed this set at the time of its launch, and quite frankly, we were floored. This is an expert-level LEGO build for people who love LEGO. The River Steamboat includes a pilothouse, a crew deck, and a swanky restaurant and jazz lounge. You can display the steamboat on a stand, or you can push it along a flat surface, which causes the big paddle wheel to turn.
Vincent van Gogh: Sunflowers
Designed in collaboration with the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, this is a three-dimensional relief of Van Gogh's famous Sunflowers. We reviewed and photographed this set, and we were impressed by both its size and its attention to detail.
Motorized Lighthouse
A homage to the classic New England lighthouse, this Ideas set comes with a battery box and motor, which powers the building's rotating light. The details on this build – such as the rocky path at the foot of the lighthouse and the small cottage that houses the lighthouse keeper, make this build into one of LEGO's best.
Tiny Plants
For a relatively low price, you get nine potted plants, which are perfect for window sill display. The nine plants are as follows: Jade Plant, False Shamrock, Laceleaf, Venus Flytrap, Red Sundew, Pitcher Plant, Succulents, Prickly Pear, and Pincushion Cacti.
Pac-Man Arcade
Some of us are old enough to remember going to the arcade and playing Pac-Man, back near the dawn of video gaming. This set brings back those memories of dumping in quarter after quarter, and even lets you move the hungry yellow character through the maze.
Our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets has more favorite characters for young and old.
Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet
We built and reviewed this set for Valentine's Day. Whether you’re buying a gift for your significant other, or you just want to build a set to put on your desk, the LEGO Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet is a solid pick. This is one of the best LEGO Flower sets you can add to your collection.
Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City
We reviewed this set for its launch and were floored by its attention to detail. Gotham City has an art deco aesthetic and measures two-and-a-half feet wide. It is perfect for hanging on a wall, provided you have the surface space. Its buildings are explorable, and removing the exteriors reveal the hero and villains' hideouts.
This set lets you build the classic Polaroid camera, one block at a time. It comes with a buildable film pack, complete with photos of Minifigures. You can even load a photo into the finished camera, press the shutter button, and the photo comes out.
The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr
We built this set at its launch, and we were consistently impressed by its size and scope. Measuring nearly three feet tall, it's topped with a massive, backlit Eye of Sauron for maximum intimidation. If you have the budget, it's the perfect way to show your allegiance to the Dark Lord.
Great Deku Tree
The first Legend of Zelda LEGO set in history, the Great Deku Tree is a 2-in-1 build. You can either build the Ocarina of Time version or you can build the Breath of the Wild version. We photographed both versions when the set launched. And we found the Breath in the Wild iteration – with its pink leaves, exposed roots, and more weathered appearance – to be especially eye-catching.
The Endurance
Sir Ernest Shackleton's doomed Antarctic vessel is a no-frills, irony-free build. From the sails to the riggings to the cabins below deck, it's as close to old-fashioned model-making as LEGO gets, with no cartoonish minifigures that would otherwise break the immersion.
Jaws
One of LEGO's coolest dioramas, this set, based on the movie Jaws, captures the climactic showdown between Bruce the shark and the three-man crew of The Orca. Bruce is a separate build from the boat, and you can either mount him on a separate stand, or you can incorporate him into the water and have him eat Quint.
The Insect Collection
Do you like insects? Here are three brilliantly colored, life-sized creepy-crawlies: a blue morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides), Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules), and a Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis). These are perfect for a unique desk display or a hair-raising prank.
How Many Adult LEGO Sets are There?
The LEGO official website allows you to search and sort by age range. According to their self-categorization, there are currently 201 adult LEGO sets available for purchase as of April 2025. When browsing through them, you'll notice the diversity of them—how they range from home decor to agriculture to massive pop culture recreations to operable models and toys. There's no one, correct way to be an adult – or to play like one.
Four years since its launch in 2021, the Botanical Collection has become one of LEGO's most successful lines. Targeted at a growing adult audience, the LEGO Botanical Collection features buildable flowers and plants that are, from a distance, indistinguishable from the real ones.
That's the point of them – to be LEGO sets for adults. Rather than collecting dust, forgotten, on a random shelf, they can hang up on a wall. Or sit on a window sill. Or be placed in a vase as a table centerpiece. This is LEGO as a lifestyle, to be decorative rather than interactive, and they make for great gifts for your loved ones.
Best LEGO Plants and Flowers
Below we've laid out allof the details of our 10 favorite LEGO Plants and Flowers sets you can buy right now. Most of the flower LEGO bouquets we've featured can be placed in a vase, while the LEGO Plant sets come with a buildable base or pot.
LEGO Bonsai Tree
You get all of the zen aura and none of the pruning. The LEGO Bonsai Tree comes with a buildable pot and stand, and tiny bricks to create the impression of pebbles. You can also swap out the green leaves for pink blossoms, depending on your preference.
LEGO Succulents
Each succulent comes in its own pot, allowing you to arrange them as you please. There are nine succulent-inspired plants in total, and they're split into three instruction booklets, allowing multiple people to tackle the build together.
LEGO Orchid
The orchid build strives for accuracy; LEGO advertises that this set has 5 leaves at its base and 2 wandering air roots. The stems and petals are adjustable, so that no two LEGO Orchids look exactly alike.
LEGO Wildflower Bouquet
The LEGO Wildflower Bouquet is all about proper arrangement; after you build it, you'll need a glass vase to properly display them. The bouquet has eight different flowers: cornflowers, lavender, Welsh poppies, cow parsley, leatherleaf ferns, gerbera daisies, larkspur, and lupins.
LEGO Bouquet of Roses
It doesn't get more classic than a dozen roses. And the build is less repetitive than you might think; this LEGO bouquet includes roses in full bloom, roses in the process of blooming, and roses budding. Buy and build these for someone you love.
LEGO Tiny Plants
It's nine plants from all over the world, housed in terracotta pots. Some of them are easy to build and some of them are difficult, which makes this an ideal set if you're building as a family. The plants are false shamrock, jade plant, laceleaf, pincushion, pitcher plant, prickly pear, red sundew, succulents, and Venus flytrap.
LEGO Cherry Blossom
It's only two twigs, but LEGO went all out with them. The LEGO Cherry Blossoms come with both white and pink buds, allowing you to personalize the build to your tastes. And they're only $15, which is a steal when it comes to LEGO pricing. This is one of the best cheap LEGO sets you can buy right now.
LEGO Poinsettia
The LEGO Poinsettia sits in what appears to be a woven basket. There are lots of LEGO flowers with rounded edges. But the Poinsettia, by comparison, has lots of points and sharp ends. The red petals and create a bright, visual pop.
LEGO Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet
We built this set for Valentine's Day, and we were impressed by both its color palette and its various building techniques. The set includes nine different plants and flowers: daisy, cornflower, eucalyptus, elderflower, rose, ranunculus, cymbidium orchid, waterlily dahlia, and campanula.
LEGO Flower Arrangement
The most expensive and elaborate Botanical Collection set to date, the Flower Arrangement has large blossoms of baby’s breath, bouvardia, camellias, hydrangeas, peonies, lilies, and ranunculus. You mount these vividly colored flowers onto a white pedestal vase. The vase can accommodate other LEGO Botanical sets in case you want to personalize your arrangement further.
How Many LEGO Plant and Flower Sets Are There?
According to the filter search option on LEGO's official site, there are 23 LEGO Botanical Collection sets available for purchase as of April 2025.
Why LEGO Botanical Collection?
The LEGO Botanical Collection is a fantastic entry point for new builders; the sets are fairly simple to put together, and the end results can brighten a room. They are pretty and quirky, requiring neither water nor sunlight to keep them looking fresh.
And secondly, these sets make excellent gifts for Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, anniversaries, graduations, and more. For any holidays that celebrate loved ones or family, LEGO has you covered.
Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.
There was no movie released in 2024 as divisive as Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. The bold, unique, and, to some, bizarre epic was the talk of the town immediately upon its premiere at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and became a major subject of both praise and ridicule as the year progressed. But now, the filmmaker will present the story in another form, as Megalopolis is set to be released as a graphic novel.
The reinterpretation of the film will be titled Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis: An Original Graphic Novel, and Abrams ComicArts will be publishing the book sometime in October, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It will be written by Chris Ryall, who is perhaps best known for his adaptations of major genre writers’ works including Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Clive Barker. Illustrations will be done by Jacob Phillips, whose work includes Newburn and That Texas Blood.
“I was pleased to put the idea of a graphic novel in the competent hands of Chris Ryall with the idea that, although it was inspired by my film Megalopolis, it didn’t necessarily have to be limited by it. I hoped the graphic novel would take its own flight, with its own artists and writer so that it would be a sibling of the film, rather than just an echo,” Coppola told the outlet in a statement.
“That’s what I feel Chris, Jacob Phillips and the team at Abrams ComicArts have accomplished. It confirms my feeling that art can never be constrained, but rather always a parallel expression, and part of the bounty we can make available to our patrons, audiences and readers.”
Megalopolis follows a forward-thinking architect (Adam Driver) who believes it is his destiny to build a modern utopian city, but in the process makes an enemy of his city’s mayor (Giancarlo Esposito), who wants nothing more than to squash his plans to revitalize New Rome — as this is, of course, a Roman fable of sorts — into Megalopolis.
The film is not currently available to stream but is available to rent or buy where you get your movies.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
EA's highly anticipated Skate revival will require an "always on" internet connection.
In an updated FAQ on the official blog, developer Full Circle gave a "simple answer: No," adding: "The game and city are designed to be a living, breathing massively multiplayer skateboarding sandbox that is always online and always evolving. You’ll see bigger things evolve, like changes to the city over time, as well as smaller things, like live events and other in-game activities."
An "always on" requirement means games cannot be played offline, even if you avoid multiplayer modes or prefer to play alone. However, in this case, Full Circle prefers Skate to be connected to the internet "to deliver on [its] vision of a skateboarding world, the game will always require a live connection."
"That is probably not much of a surprise if you’ve been in our playtest," the developer added.
That's because in September 2024, the team began its Always-On Playtest. The new phase "tests the game in a permanent live environment, with servers running around the clock."
Skate’s early access launch is set for 2025, although there's still no confirmed date at this time. It was announced during EA Play way back in 2020, but at the time was stated as "very early" in development. Since then, Full Circle has kept the community up to date with closed community playtests of early builds and, last month, added microtransactions.
You can spend real-world money on a virtual currency called San Van Bucks, which in turn is used to buy cosmetic items. It sounds like Full Circle wants to test Skate’s microtransaction purchase system, as it told players it wanted them to have a "positive experience when purchasing items from the Skate store."
"We know that using real money during a playtest is a little unusual, but we think it’s the best way to properly assess and adjust the system before launch," the team added in today's blog update. "If you see prices or other things changing over time, please understand that this is normal. And of course, you will receive the amount you spent during playtesting in San Van Bucks (SVB) when we reset for Early Access launch."
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
It seems as though the highly-anticipated Blade movie has finally been drained of all its blood. The once-upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film has gone through its fair share of roadblocks over the years, but it appears the project has officially stalled with little hope that it will ever pick up where it left off — which means no Mahershala Ali as the Daywalker himself, possibly the biggest blow of all MCU blows.
Rapper and artist Flying Lotus took to X / Twitter this week to discuss his role in the project, and he let slip that Blade is, in fact, no more. "I guess we are so far from it even being a possibility now but. Yeah I was signed on to write music for the new BLADE movie before it fell thru," the DJ, who recently directed Shudder’s new sci-fi horror ASH, explained. "Maybe it'll come around again but I doubt it. Would have been fun tho."
The day prior to Flying Lotus’ tweet, Sinners costume designer Ruth E. Carter confirmed during an appearance on The John Campea Show that she was set to design costumes for Blade prior to production falling apart — and worse still, the film was supposed to be set in the 1920s, which would have undoubtedly made for some seriously cool costume design, not to mention production design as well.
And because bad things tend to come in threes, actor Delroy Lindo — who was also attached to star in the film alongside Ali as Blade for a period of time — also opened up about the demise of the production just days before Carter’s reveal.
"When Marvel came to me, they seemed to be really interested in my input," he recently told Entertainment Weekly. "And in the various conversations I had with producers, the writer, the director at the time, it was all leading into being very inclusive. It was really exciting conceptually, but it was also exciting in terms of the character that was going to form. And then, for whatever reason, it just went off the rails."
Blade was first announced at San Diego Comic Con back in 2019 and if all had gone to plan, fans would be looking forward to immersing themselves in the film this coming November. The project has cycled through several directors at this point, but none, including Yann Demange and Bassam Tariq, have stuck with the film.
With everything this adaptation has been through, it’s almost hard to believe that it's been just six months since the movie was removed from Marvel’s release schedule back in October 2024 — and it has yet to confirm a new release date for it. That said, a month after the film was pulled from the calendar, MCU boss Kevin Feige made it known that the studio was still planning to make a Blade movie happen some way, somehow.
"We are committed to Blade. We love the character, we love Mahershala's take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You're all up to date on what's happening," he said during an interview with Omelete in November 2024. "But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU."
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
If you're looking for an adorable addition to your board game collection, look no further than Mycelia from Ravensburger. Featuring some incredibly cute illustrations of little mushroom creatures, this game tasks you with bringing dewdrops to the Shrine of Life with the help of magical creatures you'll encounter throughout the world of Mycelia. If that premise has caught your attention, you'll be very happy to know that it's on sale right now for $21.98 (see it at Amazon).
Get 45% off Mycelia at Amazon
This is 45% off its list price of $39.99, and even marks its lowest price yet according to price tracker camelcamelcamel. There's no better time to pick it up for your collection, so add it to your virtual shopping cart while the deal is still available.
Mycelia can be played with anywhere from 1 to 4 players and has a play time of 45 minutes, which makes it a great quick play if you have a gathering over for game night. It's also recommended for players aged 9 and up, making it a fun pick for a family board game night as well. It's worth noting that we also consider Ravensburger to be one of the best brands to buy puzzles from, so you know you're investing in something worthwhile even if it's from their board game side.
If you're curious to see some more family-friendly board games, have a look through our roundups of the best family board games and the best board games for kids to see some of our favorite picks. Or if you're looking for more deck-building games to add to your collection, our breakdown of the best deck-building board games can point you in the right direction of more exciting picks.
More Board Games We Recommend
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
Capcom has dropped a sneaky little Resident Evil 9 tease in plain sight.
In celebration of hitting a staggering 10 million players, the Resident Evil 4 dev team uploaded a short video to social media earlier today, April 25, showing Ada Wong having a quiet word with one of gaming's most iconic villains before cutting to Leon, the infected horde around him donning party hats as they mosey towards the church.
It then cuts to a rock song, Dr Salvador strumming his chainsaw like a guitar — yes, really — and the camera pans back to show a fist-pumping Leon. Behind him is a rustic sign with the words "Thank you for playing" emblazoned across it.
Turn that sign onto its side, however, and the boards on the sign make the roman numeral "IX," aka the number 9.
While it's possible this could all be entirely coincidental, as horror game leaker Dusk Golem points out, there's clearly no lower plank on the same sign in earlier parts of the video, so it was certainly added intentionally. Make of that what you will.
"I know what you did here," said one surprised responder, appending a wide-eyes emoji.
Capcom has confirmed the next mainline entry in the Resident Evil series will be directed by Resident Evil 7 director Koshi Nakanishi.
"It was really difficult to figure out what to do after [Resident Evil 7]," Nakanishi said at the time. "But I found it, and to be honest it feels substantial. I can't share any details just yet, but I hope you're excited for the day I can." It's thought — if not confirmed — it'll take place on an island inspired by Singapore.
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
When I first saw a demo of Dune: Awakening over a year ago, I went from being skeptical that a survival game on the famously barren world of Arrakis could even work, to being absolutely hyped to get my hands on it. Now, after enduring the unforgiving conditions and hostile lifeforms of a desert planet for nearly 20 hours in the closed beta, I’m confident developer Funcom has the foundations of an absolutely stellar MMO that makes fantastic use of one of the greatest science fiction worlds ever created. Harvesting raw materials from the brutal wasteland, constructing bases, upgrading your character and loadout, and then bringing all of that to bear against raiders and rival houses is just about as good as I’d hoped for. That said, I still feel like I only got a small taste of the larger game, as all of the major social spaces, most of the PvP, and especially any of the all-important endgame areas were kept out of reach. And it’s also no wonder the release date for Dune: Awakening was pushed back a month while I was in the beta, as the build I played was absolutely rife with bugs and performance issues that will definitely need ironing out. Even so, I was quite impressed by the vast majority of what I saw, and am more optimistic than ever that they might just be able to pull this thing off.
If you only just recently got spat back up by a Shai Hulud, Dune: Awakening is an upcoming massively multiplayer survival game from the team of developers who gave us the quite underrated Conan Exiles. The premise is simple: you find yourself on Arrakis and have to find a way to not die there, and if you know even a little about the setting, then you should understand just how tall of an order that is. In typical survival game fashion, you’ll start off with almost nothing, and turn piles of rocks and scraps of metal harvested from the wilds into tools to help you survive, building shelter along the way to protect yourself from the harsh environment. While you might (and frankly, wouldn’t be blamed) for wondering how the heck jogging around a massive, featureless desert could possibly be fun, Funcom has actually done a great job of filling each region with shipwrecks to plunder, hidden caves and fortresses to blast your way through, and mountain ranges to climb. And while there’s plenty of empty space with nothing but unremarkable piles of sand to greet you, these spaces are actually used to great effect as obstacles keeping you from the next area, which must be navigated across quickly, lest you find yourself on the business end of a giant sand worm.
For example, early on you’ll be limited to a very small area that’s cut off from higher level areas that contain better loot and materials you need to craft better equipment. But crossing the massive distance of sand that stands between you on foot is a death sentence, as you’ll undoubtedly draw the attention of an angry worm in the process. To get to the other side, you’ll have to go through the steps of constructing your first vehicle, a small motorbike, then race across the gap as quickly as you can. This clever use of empty space brilliantly turns what I thought would be a weakness in the setting into a strength, and finding ways to cross a completely barren area with a Shai Hulud hot on your tail actually made up some of my favorite moments.
Similarly, the oppressive nature of the sun, which forces you to dart from shaded area to shaded area, turns the entire planet into a high stakes game of “the floor is lava” that can make otherwise uneventful jaunts from one place to another into an entertaining minigame. Refusing to take sun exposure seriously will drain you of ever-valuable water, wipe out your health, and kill you in pretty short order, which kept me on high alert, and since each region increases the heat level, you’re constantly having to invent new equipment back at your base to give yourself the best odds at survival. Sure, it can be a bit of a pain now and again when you hit the head and come back to find the sun’s shifted position and you’re now frying to death in the merciless heat, but hey, that’s just the price you pay for living on Arrakis, my friend, and I mostly enjoyed this little minigame that just made survival that much more tricky.
Of course, in addition to crossing arid deserts and dodging sunlight, you’ll be fighting off bands of bloodthirsty raiders and exploring forgotten places with a gun or sword in hand. The third-person gunplay isn’t groundbreaking by any means, as you’ll duck behind cover, toss grenades, and and return fire in pretty by-the-numbers encounters, but for an MMO with a massive number of players on the server, it’s still quite admirable that they managed to pull off gunplay that feels this snappy. And with a whole bunch of skill trees to pick from and build into – like the tricky and stealthy Mentats or expert survivalist Planetologists – there’s tons of ways to differentiate your character from the rest of your guild. As for myself, I focused most of my skill points into the tried-and-true soldier, which I expected might be a tad boring, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself very happy to be grapple-hooking around and tossing deadly gadgets to and fro.
Running and gunning with friends at your side is especially entertaining, and there were moments, like when my co-op partner used her Bene Gesserit skills to force an enemy to walk out into the open, then I threw a grenade to take them out, where combat really shines. There was also just the tiniest sampling of PvP in the beta build, focused on a couple crash sites that allowed for player-on-player violence, but due to server populations being fairly low in the closed beta, it was hard to get a sense for how this aspect will shake out. In any case, the vast majority of PvP hot zones are in the endgame areas I wasn’t allowed to progress to, so it seems we’ll probably have to wait for the full game to get a good feel on PvP anyway.
As a longtime fan of Dune, it also just feels so good to explore and learn more about a world that I’m quite fond of, and Funcom has clearly put a ton of effort into worldbuilding and lore, even despite taking quite a bit of creative liberty by placing Awakening within a parallel reality and canon than the books/movies. There are little details that have a massive impact on gameplay, like how incredibly valuable water is treated as the ultimate resource – you’ll drain blood from every fallen enemy, turn your own bodily fluids into water with a stillsuit, and take down bases just to pillage every drop of liquid gold they’ve got hidden away. And since water is required to make advanced materials used for crafting more higher level equipment, you’ll need to harvest and stockpile as much as you can, in addition to drinking it just to keep yourself alive. I won’t go into spoilers, but this kind of attention to detail touches just about every aspect of the world, including the factions and characters you meet along the way, which should be a treat for any fan of the setting.
If there’s anything to be concerned about with this otherwise thoroughly engaging beta, it’s the fact that I encountered a whole heap of bugs and performance issues during my time with it, which included everything from crashes to framerate dips, characters and objects getting stretched out bizarrely, and more. With the final version set to debut very soon, I was then pretty relieved when, in the middle of the beta, Funcom announced a month-long delay, presumably to address these issues. As always, it’s tough to gauge how much of this is cause for concern when betas are sorta designed to help highlight and patch these sorts of issues, but the sheer number of problems me and my friends encountered while playing was definitely cause for alarm with the launch date so near.
Reburn has announced on its Discord server that La Quimera has been delayed. Right now, the game does not have a new release date. However, Reburn stated that it will issue an official update via its social channels in the future. Reburn has also lifted the review embargo for La Quimera, so I can share … Continue reading La Quimera has been quietly delayed, no new release date→
Funcom has just released the official story trailer for its upcoming Dune MMO game, Dune: Awakening. Moreover, the team announced a new beta testing that will begin on May 9th. Dune Awakening promises to mix the cool stuff from sandbox survival games with the social fun of big multiplayer games. Or at least that’s Funcom’s … Continue reading Dune: Awakening just got an official story trailer→
Connexion
PC Gamer
IGN
