The developer of Palworld has given its staff the day off to play Monster Hunter Wilds.

As reported by Automaton, yesterday Japanese studio Pocketpair said on social media that it had received a number of “mysterious” notices from employees who claimed they will “probably be feeling unwell tomorrow” and unable to work.

And so, today, February 28, Monster Hunter Wilds’ official release date, is a sort of holiday for Pocketpair staff. It’s a clear nice gesture, but still Pocketpair felt the need to clarify that updates on its games would not be affected.

Monster Hunter Wilds has got off to an incredible start, with 1 million concurrent players on Steam alone. That’s enough to break into Steam’s top 10 most-played games of all-time list, ahead of best-sellers Baldur’s Gate 3, Hogwarts Legacy, and Elden Ring.

However, Monster Hunter Wilds has a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, which has led to Capcom publishing official guidance for PC performance issues. Meanwhile, Capcom has announced early details for Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 1, which is set to add an endgame social hub for players.

The impact of Monster Hunter Wilds’ launch is truly global, but it seems particularly pronounced in its home market of Japan. Automaton reported on one Japanese indie developer who took to social media to jokingly say it hadn’t sold a single game on Steam since Monster Hunter Wilds game out.

And Pocketpair has form when it comes to giving its staff days off to play games — it did the same thing back in 2022 when FromSoftware’s Elden Ring came out.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough in progress, a Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your Monster Hunter Wilds Beta character over.

IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”

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

Capcom has announced early details of Monster Hunter Wilds’ first major patch, which is due early April.

Amid the huge launch of Monster Hunter Wilds itself, Capcom detailed Title Update 1 in a post on Steam. The company said the patch’s early April release date, set to arrive a little over a month after the game itself, "will give hunters enough time to prepare for the new content, and challenges, that await them.”

To that end, Title Update 1 adds a new level of challenge: “Prepare your gear, and resolve, hunters!” Capcom said. “TU1 will bring with it a monster of formidable strength at a level above Tempered!” Meanwhile, a new challenging monster will be added with Title Update 1.

Interestingly, Title Update 1 also adds an endgame place to gather. “A new place to meet, communicate, have meals together and more with other hunters will be added to Monster Hunter Wilds in TU1!” Capcom said.

“This area will be available to hunters who have completed the main story, so get hunting and be ready!”

Early reaction to the news that Title Update 1 will add a place for endgame players to gather has been mixed, with some welcoming the addition, others wondering why it’s not in the game at launch. It sounds very much like a Gathering Hub from previous Monster Hunter games, but as some have pointed out, it’s interesting that Capcom has chosen not to call it that here. While other players can turn up in your camp, Monster Hunter Wilds lacks a true social hub, so hopefully whatever this is will fill the void.

Capcom released a few images showcasing this new place to gather:

Meanwhile, Capcom issued a Monster Hunter Wilds troubleshooting guide amid ‘mixed’ Steam user reviews.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough in progress, a Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your Monster Hunter Wilds Beta character over.

IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”

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

Capcom has issued official advice for PC via Steam players of Monster Hunter Wilds after the game launched to a ‘mixed’ user review rating due to performance issues.

The Japanese games company said Steam users should try updating their graphics driver, turning off compatibility mode, and then readjust their settings if they’re experiencing any initial issues.

“Thank you all for your patience and support!” Capcom said in a tweet.

One of the ‘Not Recommended’ Steam reviews flagged as ‘most helpful’ says Monster Hunter Wilds “has the worst optimisation I've ever seen.”

“I understand that new games are becoming more demanding and people are expected to upgrade, but this is absurd,” they said. “I'm aware this isn't the first instance of new games having poor performance on launch, because the same thing happened with World, but it feels inexcusable at this point.

“I am by no means saying the game is bad, but in its current state, you should probably consider waiting for a more stable release.”

Another negative review also focused on the game’s optimization, saying: “Absolutely atrocious performance for how the game looks. Runs even worse than the beta.”

In a bid to help Steam users improve matters, Capcom published a ‘Troubleshooting & Known Issues’ guide with potential solutions. Capcom asked PC players to follow the steps below “to rule out problems with your PC, Steam, or the game’s files.”

Monster Hunter Wilds troubleshooting and known issues guide

Troubleshooting

When the game does not run properly, please try the steps below.

1. Make sure you meet the minimum system requirements for the game.
2. Update your Video/Graphics Drivers.
3. Check for Windows Updates and ensure all of the latest programs are installed to your OS.
4. If you still experience issues, try performing a clean installation of the video driver set.
5. Update DirectX to the latest version.
   For details on how to update DirectX, please visit the Microsoft support page or Microsoft Download Center.
6. Add the game’s folder and files to your anti-virus program’s exception / exclusion list.
   Default Paths:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\MonsterHunterWilds
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\MonsterHunterWilds\MonsterHunterWilds.exe
7. Add folder and files for Steam.exe to your anti-virus program’s exception / exclusion list.
   *Default Paths:
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
   C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam.exe
8. Give administrator privileges to Steam.
   To run Steam.exe in administrator mode, right-click on the .exe file and select “Run as administrator.”
9. If you still experience issues, try logging into your PC in administrator mode and then run the game’s execution file (MonsterHunterWilds.exe).
10. Verify the game’s files on Steam.
    To verify your game’s files, follow these steps:
    (1) Restart your computer and launch Steam.
    (2) From the “Library” section, right-click on the game, and select “Properties” from the menu.
    (3) Select the “Installed Files” tab and click the “Verify integrity of game files” button.
    (4) Steam will verify the game’s files – this process may take several minutes.
    Important: One or more files may fail to verify. The files that fail to verify are local configuration files that should not be replaced as part of this process. You can safely ignore this message. If problematic files were detected during this process, Steam will automatically download and / or replace those files.
11. Disable Compatibility Mode for “MonsterHunterWilds.exe” if enabled.
    (1) Right click on “MonsterHunterWilds.exe” located in the following folder:
    　　C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\MonsterHunterWilds
    　　 *The above is the default location.
    (2) Go to Properties
    (3) Open Compatibility tab
    (4) Untick “Run this program in compatibility mode for:”
    If the above does not resolve the issue, please disable the Compatibility Mode for “Steam.exe” located in the folder below.
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
12. If you still experience issues, please also try the troubleshooting steps on the Official Monster Hunter Wilds Troubleshooting & Issue Reporting Thread posted on the Steam community page as they contain more detailed and additional steps that may help resolve your issue.

Despite these performance problems, Monster Hunter Wilds is off to an incredible start, with nearly 1 million concurrent players on Steam alone. That’s enough to crack Steam’s top 10 most-played games of all-time list, and it’s only going to get bigger as we head into the weekend.

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough in progress, a Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your Monster Hunter Wilds Beta character over.

IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”

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

Niantic’s augmented reality video game phenomenon, Pokémon Go, may soon find itself under new ownership — and some fans are already working to keep it from reaching this next stage in its evolution.

Long-time players of The Pokémon Company’s trend-setting mobile experience were sent into a frenzy last week when a Bloomberg report suggested that Niantic was in talks to sell its video game efforts to Saudi-owned company Scopely for around $3.5 billion. It’s a deal that could involve the trade of titles such as Monster Hunter Now, Pikmin Bloom, and, yes, Pokémon Go, with an announcement reportedly expected to arrive soon. There’s been no word on how significantly a leadership change could impact in-game mechanics and microtransactions... yet.

With Scopely in the picture, this is what we’re looking at. There goes my desire to play pogo. 😬🤬 pic.twitter.com/UKYLFV7VKX

— AmyWiedy (@Amy_Wiedy) February 20, 2025

Scopely oversees a fleet of notable mobile experiences that range from board game offshoots like Scrabble Go and Monopoly Go! to games like Stumble Guys and Marvel Strike Force. The one element scaring Pokémon Go players more than anything else is the microtransaction practices these titles are notorious for. With the real-life-adventure spinoff continuing to play a crucial part in players’ lives nine years after its release, thousands of fans are concerned that things could take a turn for the worse.

“They will still probably release Mewtwo X and Y, except you have to pay $100 just for a chance to get them,” one Reddit user theorized. “If everyone here knew what they did to Marvel Strike Force, we'd all panic. They will absolutely drive this game into the ground.”

Looking for an Everstone

Fear of Scopely ownership stems more from the aggression behind these monetization tactics rather than the tactics themselves, and it’s this same fear that drove Reddit user and long-time Pokémon Go fan Tetrylene to take action. As rumors of Niantic’s interest in a sale gained momentum, he published a post in hopes of organizing a campaign for other Pokémon Go-ers to respectfully let The Pokémon Company know that, regardless of ownership, there are certain changes they won’t stand for.

“But here’s the thing: we must try and exert some leverage,” Tetrylene’s post says. “By reaching out to (The Pokémon Company) we can express our concerns and emphasize the importance of maintaining some semblance of [the] game’s current ethos. They’ve invested heavily in the Pokémon brand and are likely to be receptive to feedback that could impact its reputation.”

That post, now more than one week old, generated 1.4K upvotes with hundreds of comments from like-minded fans. Tetrylene tells us his initiative began with a desire to bring the community’s concerns front and center. There’s no telling if the message will actually reach The Pokémon Company in a meaningful way, but he says the discussion his post has brought to the table was well worth the effort.

“In the same vein that loot boxes have all but been turned into a toxic monetisation option for the industry, I hope that our pushback sends a signal that there is absolutely a limit to how much a player base will put up with,” Tetrylene explained. “This is all very defensive, but part of me hopes that there's a chance that the new owners want to capitalise on the incredible potential of the game rather than bleed it dry. The door is wide open to both possibilities; I hope we can try and guide them towards the former rather than the latter.”

Like any one of the other millions of Pokémon fans, Tetrylene holds a few Pokémon close to his heart — his favorite is a tie between Groudon and Metagross. When he says “Gen 3 for life,” he means it. He tells us Pokémon Go has been his go-to hobby for two-and-a-half years, adding that the mobile game has also served as an excuse to meet up with friends at least once a week.

It’s blossomed into an activity that sees Tetrylene co-leading an active group of nearly 70 players. It’s led to trips to new cities — and new friends. While much of the world moved on from Pokémon Go when the honeymoon phase eventually wore off, a dedicated group of trainers continues to routinely connect with others, show off their Pokémon collection, and battle.

Type Advantage

No two players enjoy Pokémon Go in the same way, though. For every casual Pokémon Go fan there is one who has spent thousands of dollars on it.

Reddit user and a self-proclaimed Pokémon Go big-spender known as a “whale,” NextLevelEvolution, penned an open letter to Scopely amid rumors of Niantic’s potential sale. It stops short of being a call-to-action but does come with the warning that a more aggressive monetization strategy would likely “break trust with the user base” and “alter the game enough that it would no longer be considered a true Pokémon-franchise experience” by fans.

“For me, Pokémon is extremely nostalgic. And I believe Pokémon Go is in a pretty good place right now and on a generally upward trajectory for the first time in several years,” NextLevelEvolution told IGN. “At their best, Pokémon games are about adventure and discovery. When Pokémon Go first came out, the idea that I could be a Pokémon trainer in the real world was enough to get me and millions of others hooked. I hope the spirit of this game is not lost to make another quick buck.”

They say they’re aware of other whales who have spent “many thousands of dollars” per year, and “none of them are excited about the possibility of Scopely purchasing Pokémon Go.” For now, NextLevelEvolution isn’t optimistic that a community-driven movement to bar aggressive monetization tactics will gain enough momentum to make a difference, but they’re at least willing to vote with their wallet if worse comes to worst.

“I’m not particularly hopeful that this will have any effect,” they explained. “But I can tell you that if I have to pay to get rid of ads in the game, then they will lose me as a customer entirely and many other whales I know as well.”

Stay Aware of Your Surroundings

There’s debate surrounding the current state of Pokémon Go and if existence under the Scopely banner would actually result in a worse experience. Regardless of how the game has been or will be monetized, Niantic has spent nine years molding it into something that is both beloved and messy. Tetrylene has a laundry list of tweaks he’d like to see implemented that includes the ability to skip certain animations, an NPC to trade with, new points of interest, fleshed-out in-game communication options, and more thoughtful placement for raids.

The general consensus is that Pokémon Go needs some upkeep, but its most devoted fans still see the experience as a once-in-a-lifetime hobby that is as exciting as it is fragile. For them, it’s hard to look at how Scopely has monetized other titles and not see it as a threat to a fun pastime and the tool millions use to stay connected.

I’ve got mixed feelings with the news that pokémon go is being sold to scopely for $3.5 billion

it could revive the game, or we could see ourselves watching 10 second ads after spinning a pokéstop

I shit on niantic as much as the next guy but lowkey kinda worried pic.twitter.com/MOgMx3tdpk

— PoGOCentral (@pogo_central) February 19, 2025

Tetrylene hopes the momentum continues but has at least been “pleasantly surprised” by how the community has responded to their call to action. He says pulling players together in this way has resulted in some already reaching out to The Pokémon Company to make a difference. Without confirmation that Niantic is actually looking to sell, Pokémon Go remains as something Tetrylene calls “the ultimate social hobby.” What it might look like in the coming years remains a mystery.

“There will never be another game like Pokémon Go,” the community organizer told us in one final message to The Pokémon Company. “There is no other game that can truly claim to be social in the way that this one is. There may never be another game — of any genre — that fosters a global community on this scale, even after nearly a decade. There still is no other mobile game that lets you stumble through an unfamiliar place and quickly find new friends for life.”

He continued: “The prospect of losing all of this to a cold investment firm that doesn't care for any of that truly saddens me. Does the journey really end here? It doesn’t have to. Pokémon GO still has so much left to give. Let it soar.”

IGN has contacted The Pokémon Company and Niantic for comment.

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).

Monster Hunter Wilds has enjoyed a huge launch, with nearly 1 million concurrent players on Steam.

Capcom’s action adventure game launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S, and quickly became the eighth most-played game on Steam of all-time with an incredible 987,482 concurrent users.

To put it into context, that’s ahead of the all-time peaks of best-sellers Elden Ring, Hogwarts Legacy, and Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s already outstripped its predecessor on Steam, where 2018's Monster Hunter World enjoyed a peak concurrent figure of 334,684.

And it’s worth noting that Monster Hunter Wilds’ actual peak concurrent figure will be much higher, given neither Sony nor Microsoft report player numbers.

The question now is how high can that Steam concurrent figure go as Monster Hunter Wilds heads into its first weekend on sale and beyond. It seems likely it will crack the 1 million concurrents mark later today, overtaking Cyberpunk 2077 in the process. Could 2 million be possible?

While Capcom is yet to announce a sales figure for Monster Hunter Wilds, all signs point to a hugely successful release. (Monster Hunter World topped 25 million sales in six years to cement its position as Capcom's best-selling title ever.) However, the game has a ‘mixed’ user review rating on Steam, with some reporting performance problems.

IGN’s Monster Hunter Wilds review returned an 8/10. We said: “Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the rougher corners of the series in smart ways, making for some extremely fun fights but also lacking any real challenge.”

To help get your Monster Hunter Wilds adventure started, take a look at what Monster Hunter Wilds doesn’t tell you, and a guide to all 14 weapon types in the game. We’ve also got a detailed Monster Hunter Wilds walkthrough in progress, a Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer guide to explain how to play with friends, and if you’ve played one of the open betas, here’s how to transfer your Monster Hunter Wilds Beta character over.

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

Amazon just discounted our favorite budget gaming chair. Right now, you can pick up a Corsair TC100 Relaxed gaming chair in Black Leatherette upholstery for only $199.99 shipped after you clip a $20 off coupon on the product page. Even at its retail price of $250, we thought that this chair offered a lot of value for its price.

Corsair TC100 Relaxed Gaming Chair for $199.99

George R.R. Martin shared a book update from his blog earlier this week, but it wasn't about The Winds of Winter. He instead revealed the cover for the next illustrated edition from the Song of Ice and Fire: A Feast for Crows. This is the fourth book in the series to get a special illustrated edition, and it will feature artwork from Jeffrey R. McDonald.

A Feast for Crows: The Illustrated edition is set to release on November 4, 2025. You can preorder the new special edition book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and pretty much any of the best places to buy books online.

A Feast for Crows: The Illustrated Edition Preorder

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Mr G.—it's Friday! Whether you're in the mood for turn-based tactics, open-world adventures, or all-out brawls, my deals list has something for everyone. From legendary RPGs to quirky indies, the discounts are deep, and your choices are as overwhelming as they are underpriced...

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 22nd birthday of Resident Evil Zero, arguably the most why-haven't-they-remade-this entries in the franchise. “S.T.A.R.S.-ing” Bravo Team member Rebecca Chambers and convict Billy Coen, an unlikely duo riding the rails to one of Umbrella's worst B&Bs, Zero was all about unique protagonist abilities and a hot-swap mechanic. I have fond memories of belting out the Leech Hunter mini-game in the original, not to mention the Wesker Mode injected into the 2016 HD Remaster. I'd kill to see this on the RE Engine.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Pac-Man World (PS) 2000. Redux

- Top Gear Rally 2 (N64) 2000. eBay

- Resident Evil Zero (GC) 2003. Redux

- Impossible Creatures (PC) 2003. Get

- Racing Evoluzione (XB) 2003. eBay

- Hearts of Iron (PC) 2003. Sequel

- Praetorians (PC) 2003. eBay

- Real Racing 3 (iOS) 2013. Get

- Night in the Woods (PC,PS4) 2017. Get

Contents

• Nintendo
• PC
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• LEGO

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

Starting the deals strong on the Nintendo Switch, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a ridiculous mashup that almost didn’t happen (Miyamoto himself had to approve Ubisoft’s out-there-as-hell idea of strapping Mario with blasters). Also, The Outer Worlds delivers witty space-faring adventure from the folks who gave us Fallout: New Vegas, complete with a satirical take on corporate-controlled planets that I simply adored.

• The Outer Worlds (-51%) - A$22
• Rayman Legends Def. Ed. (-80%) - A$12
• God Eater 3 (-35%) - A$55
• Café Enchanté (-38%) - A$47
• Them's Fightin' Herds: Del. Ed. (-61%) - A$23

Expiring Recent Deals

• Bravely Default II (-34%) - A$52.89
• Shin Megami Tensei V (-24%) - A$60.59
• Crash Team Racing Nitro (-35%) - A$45.54
• Darksiders Warmastered (-17%) - A$41.52
• Gris (-80%) - A$3.59
• Transistor (-80%) - A$5.79

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

Meanwhile on PC, it’s freebie paradise (if you make a Prime Gaming account). The cult classic Deus Ex: Human Revolution is yours for nothing, featuring cyberpunk conspiracies and one of gaming’s best “punch through walls” mechanics. Meanwhile, Mages of Mystralia—also free!—boasts a magic system so flexible, even its developers had to ban certain spell combos for being too OP.

• Mages of Mystralia (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Deus Ex: Human Revolution (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Sine Mora Ex (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Yes, Your Grace (-100%) - FREE w/Prime
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (-67%) - A$33
• Prince of Persia The Lost Crown (-50%) - A$30

Expiring Recent Deals

• Stray (-40%) - A$26.97
• Sonic Frontiers (-70%) - A$28.48
• Lies of P (-40%) - A$53.97
• Fight'N Rage (-95%) - A$1.47
• Loop Hero (-75%) - A$5.48

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

You Xbox Series X faithful can dive into the timeless masterpiece The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and experience the game that made Henry Cavill geek out enough to land a Netflix role. If you prefer (admittedly imperfect) over-the-top chaos, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League lets you unleash mayhem in Metropolis with a surprising Batman: Arkham universe connection.

• Suicide Squad Del. Ed. (-58%) - A$69
• Tekken 8 (-46%) - A$64
• Overcooked! All You Can Eat (-47%) - A$30
• Diablo IV (-45%) - A$41

Xbox One

• Yoku's Island Express (-80%) - A$5
• Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (-50%) - A$22
• System Shock (-60%) - A$22
• Metro 2033 Redux (-85%) - A$4

Expiring Recent Deals

• Metaphor: ReFantazio (-17%) - A$95.04
• Destroy All Humans! 2 (-53%) - A$25.57
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (-19%) - A$89.00
• SpellForce III Reforced (-44%) - A$35.57
• FF XII: The Zodiac Age (-37%) - A$50.01
• Hot Wheels Unleashed (-29%) - A$39.10
• Persona 3 Reload (-50%) - A$53.98
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (-50%) - A$57.47

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

Finally, for PlayStation 5, God of War Ragnarök packs an emotional punch—Christopher Judge’s powerful performance as Kratos even won him the longest Game Awards speech in history. And if swinging through New York is more your speed, Spidey: Miles Morales offers wintertime web-slinging and a jazz-infused soundtrack that’s as stylish as its hero.

• Spider-Man: Miles Morales (-20%) - A$76
• Tales of Arise (-67%) - A$33
• TopSpin 2K25 (-77%) - A$23
• Planet Zoo Console Ed. (-21%) - A$60

PS4

• Digimon World: Next Order (-54%) - A$39
• Zombie Army 4: Dead War (-46%) - A$38
• DayZ (-53%) - A$37
• Super Monkey Ball: BB HD (-56%) - A$18

Expiring Recent Deals

• Space Marine 2 (-31%) - A$75.00
• Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (-11%) - A$89.00
• Crisis Core FFVII Reunion (-21%) - A$66.95
• Lego Horizon Adventures (-14%) - A$95.04
• Battlefield 4 (-95%) - A$1.24
• Battlefield V (-95%) - A$2.99
• Battlefield Hardline Ultimate Edition (-90%) - A$5.99

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Mar 4 with this subscription

• Dragon Age: Veilguard (PS5)
• Sonic Colours: Ultimate (PS4)
• TMNT: Cowabunga Col. (PS5/PS4)

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Legit LEGO Deals

• Minecraft: Armadillo Mine (-34%) - A$33
• City: Space Mech (-33%) - A$10
• Harry Potter: Motorcycle Ride (-30%) - A$56

Expiring Recent Deals

• 3in1 Wild Safari Animal (-30%) - A$69.95
• Star Wars C-3PO (-27%) - A$169
• Harry Potter: Charms Class (-27%) - A$22

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The death of screen legend Gene Hackman, whose remains were discovered along with those of his wife and their dog at their New Mexico home, has stunned the film industry and the iconic actor’s fans around the world. He was 95.

Hackman retired from acting over 20 years ago – his final film credit being 2004’s Welcome to Mooseport – and spent his remaining years co-authoring novels and living reclusively in Santa Fe.

A former US Marine who stood 6’2”, the burly Hackman excelled at playing complicated men, often authority figures, of dubious morality. His performances were always richly textured and emotionally authentic, whether it was in quiet, intimate moments or blistering blowouts opposite some of cinema’s biggest stars.

Over his five decade-long career, Gene Hackman always told the truth on screen. Here are his 20 most memorable films in order of release:

Bonnie & Clyde (1967)

Director: Arthur Penn

This true crime classic was Gene Hackman’s breakthrough role as a film actor and earned him his first Academy Award nomination for his role as Clyde Barrow’s (Warren Beatty) older brother, Buck. While much of the film’s legacy is about its romanticization of criminals and its groundbreaking depiction of brutal violence – that gory as hell ending! – Hackman lends the film much needed humor and humanity in his portrayal of Buck, who is as gregarious and jokey as he is tough and ruthless when needed.

I Never Sang for My Father (1970)

Director: Gilbert Cates

Based on the play of the same name, this drama follows the complicated relationship between college professor Gene Garrison (Gene Hackman) and his aging father Tom (Melvyn Douglas) whose hold over his son’s life comes to a head when Gene plans to move to California. Gene craves his father’s love and approval but grapples with the conclusion that he may never get it. I Never Sang for My Father landed Hackman his second Oscar nomination and reteamed him with actress Estelle Parsons, who played his sister here and his wife in Bonnie & Clyde.

The French Connection (1971)

Director: William Friedkin

It's been over fifty years since this seminal police procedural was released but its influence on cop movies and shows remains strong. This fact-based tale follows NYPD narcs "Popeye" Doyle (Hackman, in his first Oscar-winning role) and Buddy Russo (Roy Scheider) as they methodically hunt down a French crimelord (Fernando Rey) and his stateside Mafia accomplices (including movie mobster-for-life Tony Lo Bianco). This Best Picture winner boasts compelling characters, an engrossing story, and still-exciting action sequences (including that legendary car chase). This film remains a tribute to the hard-living street cops and their often lonely war against crime.

The Poseidon Adventure (1972)

Director: Ronald Neame

The granddaddy of modern disaster epics, this classic created the formula that would be used by subsequent disaster flicks: an all-star cast, high concept reason for the disaster, and a societal cross-section of characters’ desperate race to survive. The titular luxury ocean liner is on its final voyage when a tsunami overturns it on New Year’s Day. Revered Frank Scott (Gene Hackman), an unorthodox minister, becomes the de facto leader of the survivors. His final scene screaming to God is among the most memorable and human moments in the film. Hackman’s co-stars here included Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters (who scored an Oscar nom), Leslie Nielsen, and Roddy McDowall.

Prime Cut (1972)

Director: Michael Ritchie

The indomitable Lee Marvin plays Nick, an enforcer for the Irish mob in Chicago who arrives in the boonies of Kansas to investigate the disappearance of one of his associates. This gangster had been sent to Kansas City to deal with a mobbed-up farmer named Mary Ann (Gene Hackman). Mary Ann runs a slaughterhouse and, well, that missing associate ended up being ground into sausage! Mary Ann and his equally nasty brother also run a sex slave/prostitution ring out of this slaughterhouse, pimping out drugged-up runaways like Sissy Spacek (in her film debut). Naturally, Nick ends up in a violent conflict with Mary Ann and his rednecks, and tries to save Spacek's character along the way.

Scarecrow (1973)

Director: Jerry Schatzberg

This road dramedy brought together Al Pacino and Gene Hackman just as their stars began to shine brightest. It follows two ne’er-do-wells – ex-con Max (Hackman) and the simple “Lion” (Pacino) – who meet in California and eventually decide to open a car wash business together when they reach Pittsburgh. Along the way, both men undergo profound changes, with the gruff Max finding his kinder, gentler side even as Lion’s fate grows more tragic.

The Conversation (1974)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

This haunting thriller features what is arguably Gene Hackman's finest screen performance. He brilliantly underplays his role as withdrawn, paranoid surveillance expert Harry Caul who is hired to tape a conversation between a seemingly benign couple (Cindy Williams and Frederic Forrest) that soon sounds like a murder plot. Fearing that his enigmatic corporate benefactor, "The Director" (Robert Duvall), will kill this young couple, Caul becomes conflicted and refuses to hand over his tapes to the Director. The truth, however, is not quite what it seems.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Director: Mel Brooks

Gene Hackman is only in one scene but it’s a classic. He plays Harold, a blind old man who does his best to show hospitality to Peter Boyle’s creature only for it to all go hilariously awry. In a comedy full of iconic lines and gags brought to life by stellar performers like Gene Wilder, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn, Hackman made a meal – a nice bowl of soup! – out of every brief moment he got on screen here.

Night Moves (1975)

Director: Arthur Penn

Hackman plays Harry Moseby, a private eye who accepts the task of locating an aging Hollywood starlet's (Janet Ward) spoiled daughter (Melanie Griffith) who has run away. Harry takes this seemingly easy gig to escape marital strife (wife Susan Clark is two-timing him). Harry's investigation leads him to the Florida Keys and to the realization that there's far more going on here than some little rich girl who flew the coop. Harry soon finds himself ensnared in a web of murder and corruption. One of the most unappreciated films of the 1970s, Night Moves helped re-define the detective genre of the era along with Chinatown and The Long Goodbye.

Superman (1978)

Director: Richard Donner

Along with Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman was the other "big name" in Warner Brothers' first big-screen take on the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve). As Superman's diabolical yet droll nemesis, evil genius Lex Luthor, Hackman sneered, smirked and schemed his way through what would eventually be three Superman films. Purists may still be peeved that Hackman's Luthor wasn't quite like his comic book counterpart but for a generation of filmgoers Hackman IS Lex Luthor.

Hoosiers (1986)

Director: David Anspaugh

This fact-based drama about a small-town Indiana basketball team in the 1950s stars Gene Hackman as Norman Dale, who gets another shot when he's hired to coach a high school team. In the face of resistance from both his team and the town, Dale inspires his players and leads them to the state championship. While most of the press around the film was framed as a comeback for Dennis Hopper – who snagged an Oscar nom for his supporting role as the recovering alcoholic assistant coach – Hackman’s sincerity and commanding performance is key to making this feel-good but familiar story work so well.

No Way Out (1987)

Director: Roger Donaldson

Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, and Sean Young star in this loose remake of the Film Noir classic, The Big Clock. Costner, a Navy hero assigned to the Pentagon, is having a fling with an amorous D.C. socialite (Young). When she's killed by her other lover, who happens to be the Secretary of Defense (Hackman), Costner realizes he'll become the prime suspect in her murder if their affair is uncovered. Hackman and his insanely devoted aide (Will Patton) concoct an alibi that blames Young's murder on a near mythic Soviet mole allegedly operating within the Pentagon. What they set in motion, however, proves that this Soviet mole indeed exists and is much closer to them than they realize.

Mississippi Burning (1988)

Director: Alan Parker

This still-controversial Oscar-nominated film stars Gene Hackman as Anderson, a no-nonsense Southern career FBI agent, and Willem Dafoe as his by-the-book partner Ward. They're investigating the disappearance (and murder) of three Civil Rights activists in a brutally racist Mississippi town. It leads them to the KKK and to the town sheriff's wife (Frances McDormand) who knows more than she can reveal. Critics slammed Mississippi Burning for altering history and for making white FBI agents the heroes of the Civil Rights story, while admirers of the film credit the performances – Hackman earned a Best Actor nom – and its visceral depiction of the Deep South.

Unforgiven (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood

This Best Picture-winning Western ponders the consequences of violence and serves as a somber reflection on its director-star’s bloodsoaked cinematic legacy. William Munny (Eastwood) was a murderous outlaw until his late wife cured him "of drink and wickedness." Now an unsuccessful farmer caring for two children, Will reluctantly agrees to pick up his guns again to collect a bounty on a pair of cowpokes who disfigured a prostitute in the town of Big Whiskey. In the end, Will returns to his ultra-violent ways after the nasty sheriff of Big Whiskey, Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), kills Will’s old saddlepal Ned (Morgan Freeman). William Munny proceeds to show Big Whiskey why he was such a feared man when he finally confronts Little Bill and his goons. Unforgiven won Hackman – who initially turned down the film because of its violence – his second and final Oscar.

The Firm (1993)

Director: Sydney Pollack

Tom Cruise stars in this hit adaptation of the John Grishman bestseller as Mitch McDeere, a Harvard Law hotshot recruited into a Memphis firm he discovers is mobbed up. Gene Hackman plays Avery Tolar, Mitch’s mentor whose personal corruption epitomizes the moral rot eating away at the Firm. Hackman could find humanity even in the murkiest of characters. Case in point: his final scene with Abby, Mitch’s wife, where gets a chance to maybe do at least one good thing.

Crimson Tide (1995)

Director: Tony Scott

Essentially Mutiny on the Bounty set aboard a nuclear sub, Denzel Washington plays Lt. Commander Hunter, the stalwart first officer of the USS Alabama, which the stern Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman) commands. Their relationship deteriorates to the point where Hunter is forced to try and take over the vessel from Ramsey after it appears that Russian rebels are preparing to nuke the U.S. (Look for young Viggo Mortensen and James Gandolfini in supporting roles.) Quentin Tarantino did a rewrite of the script, which explains why there’s a Silver Surfer speech in an otherwise straightforward Cold War thriller.

Get Shorty (1995)

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld

Based on Elmore Leonard’s novel, John Travolta stars as Chili Palmer, a mobster and film buff who comes to L.A. to collect a debt from schlock movie director Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman) only to end up becoming a natural born Hollywood producer. Hackman usually played the toughest guy in the room so part of the humor and charm here is seeing his character be roughed up and vulnerable. The hit comedy – which also starred Rene Russo, Danny DeVito, Delroy Lindo, Denis Farina, and James Gandolfini – later spawned a sequel and TV series.

The Birdcage (1996)

Director: Mike Nichols

A retelling of the French comedy La Cage aux Folles, Robin Williams and Nathan Lane star here as Armand and Albert Goldman, a gay couple who feign being heterosexual when meeting their son’s conservative future in-laws, Senator Keeley (Hackman) and Louise (Diane Wiest). The moralizing Keeley is perplexed when he learns the truth that these two men are gay and married – although he hopes it doesn’t affect their votes. In the end, the Goldmans are able to save Keeley from the hounding media by dressing him in drag and escorting him through their club, the titular Birdcage. If you ever wanted to see Robin Williams and Gene Hackman dance to “We Are Family” then The Birdcage has got you covered.

Enemy of the State (1998)

Director: Tony Scott

Gene Hackman reunited with Crimson Tide’s Tony Scott for this thriller, with Hackman essentially reprising his paranoid surveillance expert role from Coppola's The Conversation. Will Smith stars as labor attorney Robert Clayton Dean who teams with "Brill" (Hackman) after being framed by a crooked government agent (Jon Voight) and his goons (including Barry Pepper, Scott Caan, and Jack Black). Dean and Brill must outwit the shady Feds as they piece together the truth.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

Director: Wes Anderson

A family of geniuses, the Tenenbaums, reunite to deal with the return of their patriarch, the obnoxious (disbarred) attorney Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman). Having long been shunned by his family for his callous and patronizing manner, Royal returns home with tragic news: he's been diagnosed with stomach cancer and has only six weeks to live. With his time running out, Royal tries atoning for his past failings as a husband and father and hopes to forge new friendships with his family. But will the other Tenenbaums bury the hatchet? And is there more to Royal's return than just illness? The cast includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Anjelica Huston, Danny Glover, Luke and Owen Wilson, and Bill Murray.

Share your thoughts on the life and films of Gene Hackman in the comments.

We have our first look at DC Studios’ newest Green Laneterns. Plural.

HBO shared the first look at the upcoming Lanterns TV show that is set to star Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart. While neither of them are shown wearing the emerald green suit, look a little closely and you can see a Power Ring on Chandler’s hand.

Kyle Chandler is Hal Jordan. Aaron Pierre is John Stewart. #Lanterns, the new HBO Original Series from DC Studios, is now in production. pic.twitter.com/1Tz30Xm8f0

— Max (@StreamOnMax) February 27, 2025

Lanterns is an upcoming DC TV show that’s described as a detective drama inspired by shows like True Detective and Slow Horses. It features Chandler’s Hal Jordan partnering up with Pierre’s John Stewart to solve a murder that will devolve into an even darker mystery. It is confirmed as part of James Gunn’s broader DC universe that includes Creature Commando as well as the upcoming Superman and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movies.

The show was developed by Damon Lindelof of Lost fame as well as Chris Mundy and Tom King. The show will have a darker tone which Gunn says is “very grounded, very believable, very real. The kind of things that you would never think that would be the truth about a Green Lanterns television series.”

Chandler is best known for the drama Friday Night Lights and plays an older version of Hal Jordan, while Aaron Pierre hit the scene in the movie Rebel Ridge. The series is targeting a 2026 premiere, the same year as the Supergirl movie.

Matt Kim is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Credit: Max, Warner Bros.

If you're an anime fan, Crunchyroll is the best streaming platform out there. With just one subscription, you can instantly gain access to over 1,000 different anime series. In a time when anime has never been more popular, Crunchyroll allows you to catch new and popular shows like Solo Leveling while also keeping up with the biggest anime in the world like One Piece. Check out our full rundown of Crunchyroll as of March 2025, in addition to a free trial that allows you to try out the service for one week.

Does Crunchyroll Have a Free Trial?

What Crunchyroll Premium Tiers Are There?

Once again, Crunchyroll has three different pricing options for Premium members: Fan, Mega Fan, and Ultimate Fan. All anime is available across each of the tiers, so you won't need to worry about missing out on certain series if you do not subscribe to the highest tier.

Fan Subscription - $7.99 per month

To break down the tiers, Fan is the standard Crunchyroll Premium membership, offering the entire Crunchyroll anime library ad-free. You can actively stream on one device at a time, and you'll also recieve a 5% discount off select products at the Crunchyroll Store.

Mega Fan - $11.99 per month

Mega Fan is the most popular tier, with support for up to four different streams concurrently. This tier also unlocks offline viewing, so you can download episodes of any anime and watch them even if you do not have access to the internet. Mega Fan also gives you the Crunchyroll Game Vault, a selection of free games you can download to your mobile device. You'll also recieve a 10% discount at the Crunchyroll Store, up from the Fan tier's 5% discount, with free shipping on orders over $50.

Ultimate Fan - $15.99 per month

Finally, Ultimate Fan is the last tier Crunchyroll offers. All perks from the Mega Fan plan carry over, except you can now stream on up to six different devices at a time. Additionally, your Crunchyroll Store discount is moved to 15%, with early access to deals and free US shipping on orders. Lastly, active subscribers will receive an exclusive swag bag after 12 consecutive months of subscription.

How to Watch Crunchyroll - Available Platforms

Crunchyroll is available on almost every platform out there. You can watch anime on the official website, or on your mobile device with official apps for iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, and Samsung Galaxy. Additionally, the streaming service is available on gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can also use any media player like Apple TV, Google TV, Roku TV, and more to access the service.

For more streaming platform guides, check out 2025 Hulu Subscriptions, Netflix Plans, ESPN+ Plans, and Disney+ Plans.

Steam Next Fest is the all-digital event where you can play literally hundreds of demos on Steam for free, so you can find your next favorite game. But with so many demos to play and the event lasting only a week – it ends 3 March at 10am PT – it can be daunting to know where to start.

IGN's team has been downloading and trying out the best and most interesting demos, which we've compiled below. It's not a comprehensive list of everything to check out, more a starter list of demos you should definitely go to first and, if you want more, well, there’s hundreds of others to choose from.

Monster Train 2

I still play the Monster Train daily challenges on my phone to this day, and I’d just finished one when the announcement of Monster Train 2 and the demo popped up. So I was pre-grabbed on the roguelike, deck-building fantasy game series. But so far I like what I’m seeing of the sequel. It’s not a radical reinvention of the idea, but it’s layering on some new stuff like equipment and room cards where you have to upgrade on the fly moore, and building resources like Dragon’s Hoard and Valor are different enough from the original that it’s refreshing - Dan Stapleton

Dark Deity 2

If you like Fire Emblem, you’ll like Dark Deity 2. As somebody who enjoyed the first game despite its rough edges, the second game is shaping up to be a significant improvement with even more room for player creativity. The standout feature is build flexibility, as each unit has four mid-tier classes and an additional four high-level classes. My personal favorite unit is the hunter who is given the choice of an orangutan, toad, lion, or hyena to fight with them. The story has you playing as the children of the first game's protagonist. I really enjoyed the sibling dynamic, along with Alden, a returning character acting as the chill uncle. The demo also showed off some early choices with branching paths which is promising for a more memorable and replayable adventure. - Eric Zalewski

Out of Sight

In Out of Sight you play as Sophie, a blind girl who’s trapped in a mansion and trying to escape. You see through the eyes of her teddy bear and you have to guide her through environmental puzzles to help her escape the building, while avoiding the adults who want to keep her there. Sophie carries the teddy (you) much of the time, giving you a first-person perspective as you play. But in order to climb or manipulate items in the environment, she has to set you down, shifting the perspective to third-person. It’s a clever trick that adds to the off-kilter vibes of this creepy puzzle game that reminds me of parts of Resident Evil 7, but with enough new ideas to make it worth a look. - Chris Reed

Monaco 2

You can never rely on your friends, but sometimes that’s what makes hanging out with them so fun and funny. That’s a big reason why Monaco 2 is so much fun. It’s a co-op stealth experience where you’ll have to rely on your teammates to not get caught, and react accordingly when they inevitably do. Monaco 2 isn’t the next live service phenomenon, but when you’re itching for a new game to get deep into with your friends, it’ll be there for you. It’s got fun and often hilarious stealth mechanics, tons of ways to strategize, and an aesthetic that brings everything together. It’s definitely not one you’ll be able to enjoy on your own though, but who’d want to do a heist on their own anyway? - Tyler Robertson

Note: Humble Games is the publisher of Monaco 2 and shares a parent company with IGN.

Everhood 2

Everhood, released in 2021, was an incredible indie mashup of Undertale, Yume Nikki, and Guitar Hero that asked players to meditate on life, death, and existence in a trippy, mushroom-filled world. I loved it, and it had absolutely no business getting a sequel. Yet here we are, and I'm already hooked by whatever the heck is going on in Everhood 2. The dance battles are better than ever, its wacky cast has me constantly on my toes, and I have no idea where this wild story about soul weapons and mind dragons is going but I am absolutely buckled up for the ride. - Rebekah Valentine

Haste: Broken Worlds

If you’re looking for the speed of a 3D Sonic game with stylings that seem to have come out of a Dreamcast launch title, Haste: Broken Worlds might just be it. The main gameplay mechanic revolves around landing perfectly on the back edge of slopes in order to fill a meter that lets you give yourself more hangtime. From the short amount of time I’ve spent with it, it seems to nail the “just barely hanging on” nature of the good “Fast Games.” The soundtrack is also a bop. - Aaron Barrier

Skin Deep

Skin Deep is the perfect marriage of immersive problem solving and slapstick humor that has you protecting a spaceship crew of cats from strange pirates who also want you very dead. Much of Skin Deep's charm comes from just rolling with the absurdity of it all: Don't think too hard about why you're the lone unarmed human insurance agent on a ship of tiny felines, or why the pirates' heads slowly float back to respawn points when killed. How you defeat the armed pirates while sneaking through the sandbox-like spaceships is entirely up to you, but what really makes Skin Deep stand out is how all of your tools can also be hazards. Pepper can stun foes, but also gives away your position if you sneeze. Windows into space can be broken to create new entry points, but leave glass shards to slice up your feet. The dynamic of what helps you can also hurt you sets the stage for some truly hilarious bouts of unintended consequences that I cannot get enough of. - Brendan Graeber

Teenage Mutant Ninja Tturtles: Tactical Takedown

As someone who LOVES the Turtles, but has never fully fallen in love with a turn-based tactics game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown has the sauce. Fast, fluid actions taking place right as you hit the button make it feel less turn-based than other tactical games, and the potential of its story makes it one of my most anticipated games of the moment. Some fonts and UI elements need some work, but that’s why it’s a demo! That’s what Next Fest is for. - Tyler Robertson

Promise Mascot Agency

Described as an “open-world narrative adventure mascot management simulator, “Promise Mascot Agency feels like a Yakuza side-quest, partly because it kind of is. Playing as an exiled Yakuza member named Michi, your new job is to help a cutesy mascot agency find financial success by hiring different mascots and sending them out to events where they can be as cute as they can be, bring in more fans, and unlock more jobs. It’s a very madcap kind of game combining the numbers go up stonks feeling of a management sim, but with the sense of humor and style of cult-Japanese games like Yakuza and No More Heroes. - Matt Kim

Labyrinth of the Demon King

I’m a sucker for old-school, first-person dungeon crawlers and Labyrinth of the Demon King certainly scratches that itch. Developed by a lone developer, Labyrinth of the Demon King is a throwback to games like King’s Field, but with splashes of J-Horror like Siren thrown in for good measure. As a lowly footsoldier to your lord, you decide to enter the nightmarish realm of the demon king to try and avenge your master. But the hellish monsters and a nightmarish version of feudal Japan might not be worth your honor. Great visuals, classic vibes, and a lot of style makes this one demo to keep an eye on. - Matt Kim

And those are just some of the demos we’re playing at this Steam Next Fest. Check out the games on our list and, again, there are hundreds of game demos currently available to play on Steam Next Fest until March 3. So let us know in the comments which demos you're playing.

Since its inception in 1915, the purpose of Black History Month has been to chronicle Black people’s path out of enslavement, the continued struggle for equity and civil rights, and to highlight the Black community’s civic and cultural contributions to society. Now each February and beyond, the biggest streamers - Netflix, Disney+, Max, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+, Apple TV+, and Hulu - use the national holiday to showcase the titles in their libraries by Black creatives and featuring Black talent.

It's a great time to expand what you know about Black activists, icons, and trailblazers or add context to (and/or correct) what you may have learned in US history by watching documentaries. Maybe you’re looking to expand your “watched list” by adding content featuring Black creatives in front of or behind the camera. Perhaps you’re just interested in (re)watching some of the movies and shows that shaped the culture then and continue to now.

Jump to the streaming platform picks:

• What to Watch on Apple TV+
• What to Watch on Disney+
• What to Watch on Hulu
• What to Watch on Max
• What to Watch on Netflix
• What to Watch on Peacock
• What to Watch on Paramount+
• What to Watch on Prime Video

There are many ways to learn about and celebrate Black creativity; the easiest is checking out a few movies and shows with Black casts or centering the perspective of Black people. You never know how you’ll connect or relate. Here are some of the best and most popular titles in the streamers’ libraries to help you curate that watchlist and continue to reflect and celebrate Black history.

What to Watch on Apple TV+

Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues

"Fucking Idiots." In December of 2024, that is what Barbara Broccoli, the second generation steward of the most bankable MI6 agent there is, called her opposite numbers at Amazon who referred to the titular spy as “content” and didn’t think “Bond was a hero.”

"Fucking Idiots" is a quote I get to use without any editorializing on my part thanks to a producer who looked after James Bond for decades, single-handedly fending off Amazon because of at least some degree of perceived fucking idiocy.

Just two short months later, Amazon and Broccoli, along with co-producer Michael G. Wilson, reached a deal to cede creative control of Bond, James Bond, to a company owned by one of the richest men on the planet, one of the few alive with the potential to be an actual Bond villain in real life.

For now though, Jeff Bezos and his "fucking idiots" at Amazon will just be the villains of the storied franchise’s next chapter. Their weapon will not be a satellite riddled with lasers or an army of algorithm-infused nanobots or biological weapons developed at a Swiss allergy institute catering exclusively to hot young women from around the world. It won’t be anything cool at all.

Amazon is set to deploy the cruelest weapon of them all. One that’s been crumbling entertainment franchises for years now… IP slop.

Firstly, I want to make something clear. This is not Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s “fault.” The deal is reportedly worth a billion dollars and if anybody has a problem with somebody making a billion dollars for made up stories about a super spy, they should just stop.

While I was very much high-fiving from afar at the thought of Barbara Broccoli holding the 007 franchise hostage in the face of Amazon’s team of "fucking idiots," I also don’t blame her at all. Broccoli’s name has been on every Bond movie since 1979’s Moonraker, for which she was an additional assistant director. She took over the title of producer on 1995’s Goldeneye, a title she held until the recent Amazon deal. That’s just as long a stretch as her dad Albert Broccoli’s, who, along with Harry Saltzman, held the reins from Dr. No through License to Kill.

The point is, Bond has always been a family business, and the entire point of any family business is to one day sell it. It’s called a harvest strategy and anybody in their 60s who’s spent their entire adult life and professional career growing the family business ought to have one. So honestly, good for her.

For us Bond fans out here in the real world, who are not suddenly a billion dollars heavier, the outlook is much bleaker.

History Is Not on Bond’s Side

IP Slop is designed to make money via the path of least resistance, no matter how it might degrade the source material. Rights holders know there’s a large audience out there for their IP who are eager and willing to consume it, regardless of its quality. And that’s the key.

These “slop-mongers” are just throwing shit at the wall, and not in a way that’s looking for something that sticks. Instead it just seems to be an insistence on putting everything out there. The least insidious version of it sounds something like “here are all the names of characters you’re familiar with because we, the parent company, finally wrangled 60 years worth of them into one corporate structure. This is what you want, right?” The more villainous flavor says, “Actually, scratch that. This is what you want. No question mark.”

The same report that surfaced the "fucking idiots" quotes highlighted some of the ideas being tossed around the fulfillment center. They included spinoff series for Moneypenny or other Double-O agents and even referred to entries in a would-be Bond shared universe as “content.” But for a company for which this “content” will not be its primary source of revenue, that “content” effectively becomes something else. It begins to be in service of the primary source of revenue.

Ask Disney how it’s worked out for them. Marvel has been, with the exception of a few thrilling moments here and there, creatively bankrupt since Avengers: Endgame. It was a fabulous final act that’s become synonymous with sticking the landing and plainly impossible to replicate. Endgame was made because of careful groundwork laid in the MCU’s early days. Long gone, however, are the days of risky propositions like Robert Downey Jr. and headlines confounded by the casting of unknowns. Those days have been replaced with studio mergers, fan cast cameos and any name they want to lead their next project because they can afford it.

You could also ask Kathleen Kennedy about it. On top of being a producer with a resume decades long and full of movies that made a generation fall in love with movies, myself included, she’s reportedly nearing the end of her own tenure in the Disney IP mines with a baby Yoda and an imbalance of announced-but-unmade projects as part of her legacy. But Disney had cartoons to remake in live action and theme park tickets to sell and a streaming service to populate, so it would be naive to think there’s a sole culprit for Star Wars' recent rise in output and drop in relative quality.

Creatively speaking, there are few who will argue we’re in the midst of the glory days of either Marvel or Star Wars, but damn if Disneyland and their Avengers Campus and Galaxy’s Edge isn’t bursting at the seams with merch. This is the direct result of IP Slop, the late stages of a steady flow of middling, but well-populated movies.

Star Trek suffered a similar fate over on Paramount+. I would argue, though, that franchise has "slopped" more thoughtfully than they might have because Lower Decks was clearly not made by "fucking idiots." But with major franchises fueled by corporations wanting to cash in on every square inch of intellectual property they can get their bottom-line loving hands on, maybe George Lucas was a bit of a case study in “getting out at the right time” for Broccoli and Wilson? Lucas was famously ahead of the curve on securing merchandising rights, so he’s undoubtedly savvy enough to have seen the direction the corporate winds were blowing.

This is all of course “just business.” It’s nothing new for "fucking idiots" to aim for as big a return on their investments as possible. Marvel was notorious for licensing their IP to anybody willing to pay for decades before hitting it truly big as their own film studio. But few industries combine art and consumerism the way that Hollywood does, and just as few feature such devoted fan bases. Where IP Slop really begins shaping a franchise’s creative output is when the fans are considered something else… customers.

“Temporary People”

A spectacular quote Barbara Broccoli reportedly bandied about in her conversations about the "fucking idiots" at Amazon came from her father. “Don’t have temporary people make permanent decisions.”

The first thing Jeff Bezos did after the deal was announced was poll his customers on their preference for the next James Bond actor. Where businesses are concerned, more than executives, more than rank and file employees, the most temporary of all people in their equation are their customers.

The casting of Bond has always, to be fair, been the subject of much public scrutiny. You can place bets on it, actors often have odds assigned to the likelihood of their casting and countless listicles with headlines like “The Most Likely Actor to Be the Next Bond Is Not Who You Think It Is” get updated on the regular to keep the algorithm busy. But the truth is, Bond’s casting decisions have always lived with permanent people.

They’ve also been a pendulum of sorts, rocking back and forth between actors that make the role and actors who take it over. Sean Connery was a nobody; even Ian Fleming wanted somebody else. Two or three somebody elses depending on the story you believe. But Connery came to define the role and, more than that, define an archetype for an action star that’s a casting shorthand still used to this day.

After a quick stop to find another unknown in George Lazenby (one that actually worked out great where the character was concerned but ended after only one film for behind the scenes reasons) and another outing from a clearly disinterested, but well compensated, Connery, Roger Moore picked up the Walther PPK coming off of a well known and well liked stint on The Saint, stepping from one spy role immediately into another.

Moore was followed by Timothy Dalton, who wasn’t terribly famous at the time and definitely wasn’t when he’d originally been the choice to take over instead of Roger Moore, but he passed because he felt that he was too young for the role. The bit of intrigue with The Living Daylights though is that Pierce Brosnan was offered the tux but the popular series Remington Steele wouldn’t let him out of his contract to make the film. By the time 1995 and Goldeneye came around, he was everybody’s no-brainer choice to join MI6.

In 2006 Daniel Craig kept the pendulum swinging, by veering back into the category of “casting the unknown.” The uproar about him simply being blonde aside, Craig defines the end of the Bond actor spectrum that makes the role their own.

Barbara Broccoli explains it best. She’s talked about when she first realized Craig was the choice. It wasn’t Matthew Vaughan’s Layer Cake like many assumed, it was 1998’s Elizabeth. She said: “I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, he’s the guy,’ when he was in Elizabeth, walking down the corridor. I know that sounds crazy, but that was the moment I felt it in my gut. When your whole life is James Bond, some part of you is always looking for, who could play the role?”

That gut instinct is the first thing to go when IP slop takes over. Barbara Broccoli, who’s made Bond her life, sees something in an actor and just knows. But with Amazon, a room full of marketing people will weigh in, whole buildings full of people will have to sign off, even if it’s just rubber stamping the results of the online poll. It’s Bond by committee, and there’s not a single person on that committee who’ll be risking anything. They’re anonymously part of the process and not accountable for the results.

So now, with Bezos (my God, there’s a Z right in the middle of his name -- it looks and sounds like he’s got a cat in his lap at all times) looking to his most temporary people for guidance, the pendulum is once again going to swing back toward a known quantity and what I fear will be the most boring Bond has been to date.

But before we write off Bezos’ poll as just a cheeky bit of fun, we need to realize that fan input is all part of the IP slop formula. The evidence is in the course-correcting that’s happened over the years from Star Wars (The Last Jedi into The Rise of Skywalker), the nods to fan casting from Marvel (John Krasinski’s green screen cameo in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) and DC (The Snyder Cut being a thing in the first place). Fan backlash and fan expectations are 100% taken into account at all times in a corporate environment. Fans are, after all, customers.

On the other hand, there’s something that Daniel Craig’s successful run proved. Fans don’t always know what they want until they see it. The most dangerous thing about IP Slop is the idea that we never would’ve gotten Daniel Craig if we crowd-sourced every Bond. The fact that recent history is pointing toward this exact thing happening is actually something 007 is used to.

“No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Play Along…”

Oddly enough, this Amazon deal is fitting for Bond historically. As a franchise, 007 has always been very reactive. In 1977, The Spy Who Loved Me ended with “James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only,” but after Star Wars took over the business, they audibled and made Moonraker next instead. Blacksploitation is a market we can make money in? Great, let’s make Live and Let Die, gritty reboots are a thing? Awesome, Casino Royale can do that. He became monogamous in the '80s during the AIDS epidemic, his chauvinism was brought to account during the '90s. Bond has always found his place in the current industry climate. The question has always been, what does Bond have to offer this particular moment?

And so now, in the age of IP Slop, Bond is subject to the whims of one of the world’s largest and most influential companies. It’s par for his course to go with the prevailing winds of the business. The Bond-verse is coming whether any of us like it or not. Thanks to a bunch of "fucking idiots."

Titan Comics is releasing their popular Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor comic in a trade paperback this March. At IGN Fan Fest 2025 we chatted with writer Dan Watters (Loki, Home Sick Pilots) and artist Kelsey Ramsay (Dark Spaces: Good Deeds, Joan Jett and the Black Hearts), who revealed new exclusives and talked about crafting the story for The Fifteenth Doctor in comic form.

Below, fans can also check out exclusive behind-the-scenes art from Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor comic.

Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor follows the TV series' incarnations of The Doctor and his companion, (Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, respectively), as they explore a bizarre shopping mall during some of the final days on Earth. A terrifying new villain, the Scream Sommelier, comes in and classically ruins the day.

When it came to creating the Scream Sommelier, Watters said he had the idea in his head for a while, and was waiting for the right story to bring him to life.

"The idea (was) a godlike figure who was obsessed with bottling and savouring screams," Watters said. "When it was suggested we tie into the Pantheon, the godlike beings who’d been making the Doctor’s recent adventures even more difficult, he seemed like he’d be a good fit there. I was happy to exorcise him."

The ever-popular enemies from Doctor Who, Cybermen, who made their first appearance in the Doctor Who TV series in 1966, resurfaced in this comic, no doubt exciting fans. Watters said it was a natural decision to include them as enemies.

"They’re a great and tragic monster - driven by a very human impulse to survive, pushing themselves beyond the Uncanny Valley to something utterly inhuman. They’re more relevant today than
they were when they were first created," Watters said.

In terms of dream monsters the creators say they would like to bring to life in comic-form, Ramsay would like to illustrate the infamous Weeping Angels, while Watters would enjoy writing a Carrionite story. "Witches who perform linguistic magic from before the dawn of time? Sign me up," Watters said.

When it comes to their dream Doctor, Ramsay shared ever-popular choice, saying, "I think David Tennant feels like a classic to me, I watched more of his series than any other Doctor and sort of grew up with those Christmas specials."

Regarding the creation process, Watters said he likes every stage of it. "I enjoy dreaming up ideas. I enjoy the craft of communicating a scene on the page and collaborating with other creators. Every stage of taking an idea out of my head and working with others to turn it into words and images on a page with
other creators should never be taken for granted. What a thing to get to do."

Ramsay's design process is different, and her favorite part is creating the visual story step-by-step. "With drawing it would start with my favorite part, creating thumbnails visualising the story from the script – the most collaborative part. Then pencil/layout on larger paper and inking as the final stage – also my favorite as it usually requires the least amount of brain power for me. (It's) the most relaxing part."

Ramsay gave advice for aspiring comic artists, saying they should focus on their weakest subjects to create a vast design library throughout various generes, to not limit themselves, and to balance their work with what they love.

For writing, Watters said you simply have to make things. "Don’t worry about other people’s stories, beyond what you can learn from them. Don’t worry about what opportunities others are getting, or your dream jobs or aspirations. Make your thing. Become an artist, either with words or pictures. Absorb a lot more than just comics," he conitnued, "Read books, both fiction and nonfiction. Read novellas and short stories and poetry. Watch movies and focus on the cinematography. Stare at paintings and figure out how narrative is conveyed in a single image. There’s always narrative. Absorb as much of the world around you as you can. Solve et coagula."

The Doctor Who: The Fifteenth Doctor trade paperback comes out on March 18, 2025, and you can scoop it up at your favorite comic shop.

HP has finally opened up preorders for its 2025 Omen Max 16 gaming laptop. It will be equipped with the latest and greatest hardware, including the upcoming Intel Core Ultra 9 HX-series processor and GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU. Orders are estimated to start shipping out on March 13. This will likely be HP's new flagship gaming laptop and will coexist alongside the standard Omen and the slim Omen Transcend gaming laptops.

Preorder the HP Omen Max 16" RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop

This morning, we got our first lengthy look at Pokemon Legends: Z-A, Game Freak's futuristic new Pokémon game set in the familiar Pokémon X/Y locale of Lumiose City. But even though we saw a number of features such as running on rooftops, changes to battling, and Mega Evolution, we still have loads of questions about exactly when Pokémon Legends Z-A takes place relative to the other Pokémon games, and which returning characters we might see in Lumiose City.

That's where the community comes in.

For context, while most Pokémon games tend to be standalone affairs, the first Pokémon Legends game dealt with time travel. It also heavily featured familiar locations from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl set hundreds of years in the past, numerous characters who were clearly ancestors of characters in other Pokémon games...or, in one case, just a Pokémon Black and White character plopped down in the past by Pokémon God themself. With that in mind, fans are eager to know when Pokémon Legends: Z-A is set, if there are any time traveling shenanigans, and if we'll see any familiar faces in Lumiose City whenever this game takes place.

In the last few hours since the trailer debuted, fans have been combing it for connections to other Pokémon games...and they've found a surprising amount. The most obvious connection is the presence of AZ, which is called out directly in the trailer. AZ is a character who was granted immortality 3000 years before the events of Pokémon X and Y, so it makes sense that regardless of when Z-A takes place, he'd be around. In Z-A, he seems to run a hotel in Lumiose City, and he looks a lot happier now that he's been reunited with his beloved Floette.

But there are far more subtle ties. One of my favorites that fans have discovered is the potential presence of the Looker Bureau in Z-A. Looker is a fan-favorite detective character who first appeared in Pokémon Black and White, but has since made appearances in several other games. Several eagle-eyed fans have noticed that one office shown in the trailer looks nearly identical to the Looker Bureau in past games, which they believe confirms the presence of either Looker or his protege Emma in Z-A's Lumiose City.

Another really bonkers theory floating around is the connection between the two main protagonists and some other familiar faces. Now that we've got full character art for the protagonists of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, fans have pointed out that the two characters look suspiciously similar to Ethan and Lyra, the two player characters from Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. This has led to speculation that Legends: Z-A may feature a time traveling scenario where Ethan and Lyra are pulled out of their version of Johto and sent to a futuristic Lumiose.

But another interesting, protagonist-related theory suggests a different origin story. Fans are also pointing out that the pair look somewhat similar to Kalos Pokémon scientist Professor Sycamore and the mother of the protagonist in Pokémon X and Y, named Grace. This one, especially the bit involving Grace, is a bit more of a stretch, but still a super interesting theory in light of past plays on ancestry in the Legends series:

What's most curious about all those theories is that some version of them could all be true at the same time. As multiple fans have pointed out, we have absolutely no idea where Pokémon Legends Z-A takes place in the timeline. Pokémon games over the years have had a very loosely sequential timeline that also occasionally involves alternate realities (don't worry about it, it's fine) and, again as in the case of Legends: Arceus, time travel back to the past. If AZ is running a hotel, fans are pointing out that this game must take place after the events of Pokémon X and Y.

But it's possible that could mean hundreds of years after, given AZ's immortality. The greatest evidence of this is Lumiose City itself, which is ginormous and futuristic in Legends Z-A in a way that would have taken decades to build. If that's true and this takes place that far into the future, that would mean the two protagonists, as well as whoever is running the Looker Bureau, are descedents several generations down the line of the characters they resemble.

There is one more character that fans are obsessing over, and that's this creepy woman from the key art:

This woman looks like a Hex Maniac, which was a trainer type that appeared in Pokémon X and Y. While a number of returning trainer types have been spotted in today's news, this girl is particularly interesting due to an ongoing Pokémon mystery: the Ghost Girl.

In Pokémon X and Y, there's a scene you can view by entering a building in Lumiose City and heading up to the second floor. When you arrive, the lights will flash, the music will stop, and a Hex Maniac will appear behind you, glide toward the front of the screen, and say, "No, you're not the one," before disappearing. It's a weird, creepy scene that to this day has absolutely no explanation. This girl is never seen again, does not unlock anything, and just appears to be a strange easter egg. So because that Hex Maniac has remained a mystery for years, the sight of one creepily wandering around Lumiose in Legends Z-A has a lot of fans hopeful this thread might finally lead somewhere. After all, if she's a ghost, she could have continued to haunt that building for hundreds of years...

In the coming days, there will almost certainly be more new discoveries, easter eggs, and connections found throughout all the footage, art, and news we received today about Pokémon Legends: Z-A. We have a bit of a wait for the game's release, as it's currently planned for "late 2025." But in the meantime at least we have lots of new information to obsess over. You can catch up on everything announced at today's Pokémon Presents, including Legends Z-A news, mobile gaming news, Pokemon Champions, and more, right here.

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.

From Chicken Jockeys to the Water Bucket Clutch, the newest trailer for Warner Bros., Legendary, and Mojang’s A Minecraft Movie is packed with Easter Eggs that should give fans a better idea as to how the revolutionary sandbox game has been adapted for the big screen.

The two-and-a-half-minute trailer, released today, doesn’t waste a second, bombarding viewers with references to the classic video game it’s based on from the very first frame. It comes with more story details, too, including a trip to the Nether and a first look at Jennifer Coolidge’s long-awaited first contact with a Villager.

Pandas spawn a baby panda after finding some bamboo, Jack Black’s Steve saves the day with a last-minute water bucket, Emma Myers’ Natalie crafts a lore-accurate Diamond Sword – it truly has it all. We can even see how the ragtag team leading A Minecraft Movie will adapt to its world of Piglins and Pillagers by utilizing tools like Redstone switches and an army of Iron Golems. It’s more than a simple treasure chest of Easter Eggs, though, as the trailer teases a film that director Jared Hess has crafted to be action-packed.

As Ghasts hurl fireballs at unsuspecting Villagers, this latest A Minecraft Movie trailer finally takes the time to properly introduce its main villain: a Piglin ruler known as Malgosha. It’s not quite the Herobrine reveal many were hoping for, but Malgosha does at least bring more star power to the Overworld thanks to voicework from Moana and Marvel veteran Rachel House.

A Minecraft Movie spawns into theaters April 4, 2025. It will no doubt attract audiences regardless of if they’re fans of Minecraft in general, but Mojang has revealed a special bonus for fans of the game who catch the film during its theatrical run. For a limited time, players who purchase tickets through Fandango will be granted access to an exclusive in-game jetpack for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. You can see an image of the add-on below.

This review contains spoilers for Invincible Season 3, Episode 6 Review – “All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry”

It’s been a while since large-scale devastation mattered on Invincible. To date, season 3 has shrugged off any and all bloodshed, but with its flashback to the highly-effective season 1 finale – in which Nolan/Omni-Man uses Mark/Invincible as a battering ram to kill thousands of civilians – “All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry” sets the stage for an emotionally rigorous reversal of that trend. The destruction of Chicago is seen through the eyes of GDA employee Scott, whose sister and niece are revealed to be two of the minor characters Mark brutally and inadvertently killed. This sets Scott down a path where he first seeks justice – it turns out Earth’s laws remain too inadequate to deal with the intricacies of superheroics – and then, failing that, cold-blooded vengeance, even if it means putting his wife and son in harm’s way.

The events in Chicago, while horrific, were never really rooted in any specific, individual loss before. Now, they’re jumping-off point for a difficult reckoning. As the anniversary of the event approaches, Oliver questions why people aren’t ready to forgive his father – who he only knew as a benevolent leader on Thraxa – forcing Mark to verbalize a difficult answer. People are still holding on to a pain that he buried long ago(if only so he could better function as a superhero), but Scott ­– now the villain Powerplex – doesn’t have that luxury. Holding Mark responsible for his family’s deaths, he shows up to Chicago repeatedly in a suit that turns physical blows into electricity, quite literally channeling his pain into power. (It’s a dark echo of the character Speedball/Penance in Marvel’s Civil War comics; in addition to its myriad parodies and pastiches, Invincible continues to draw immense power from its sincere, grounded reinterpretions and remixes of other superhero comics. See also: The traces of Watchmen and Miracleman in “All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry.”) Scott keeps demanding Invincible’s presence, and it takes a particularly dangerous scheme for them to finally come face to face during the episode’s climax. In the meantime, the arriving Shapesmith – who finally comes into his own as the show’s version of DC’s uber-annoying Plastic Man – only makes Powerplex more irritated, and thus, more dangerous.

The show builds its other subplots with more skill and balance than it has in recent weeks. Despite only factoring into one scene each, the Robot-Monster Girl and Rex-Rae pairings are allowed enough time and breathing room to make significant dramatic headway. Robot’s Hail Mary play to stop Monster Girl from aging in reverse finally pays off thanks to a tech-savvy belt – a moment of much relief for Monster Girl – though this emotional upswing dovetails into relationship tension elsewhere. After their first proper date last week, Rae confesses to Rex that she’s ready to leave the Guardians; being the hot-headed jerk he is, he can’t help but take the timing personally.

Some of the episode’s more charming and heartwarming (not to mention its funniest) moments come from Paul, Debbie’s boyfriend and the new awkward addition to the Grayson household. As the only “normie” in the group – Mark, Oliver, and Eve have powers, while Debbie has long been the mother and (ex-)wife to superheroes – Paul is hilariously out of his depth, especially when they “take the car” from the suburbs to Chicago for the memorial (i.e. Paul and Debbie sit inside the car while Mark carries it through the air, with Eve and Oliver flying alongside him). Of course, this tongue-in-cheek transition leads to a much more somber occasion, involving the inauguration of a memorial with all 2,300-plus names of the people who died that day, forcing Mark to really sit with what happened.

So there’s an immense emotional heft added by having Powerplex re-appear during this moment of reflection. His eventual plot to lure Invincible out of the shadows – pretending to kidnap his wife and kid, which leads to them being violently killed in the climactic fight – similarly forces Mark to confront how an already dangerous situation can become more so just because Invincible is there. This also helps re-frame his recent crisis of morality: His belief that criminals all deserve to be locked up (end of discussion) is a way to avoid feeling like he has a hand in the things they get locked up for. Any emotional pieces that felt out of place this season have now firmly clicked, even though it’s taken even more brutality towards innocent bystanders for Mark to recognize other people’s pain.

“All I Can Say Is I’m Sorry” doesn’t acknowledge it directly, but making Mark and Oliver to face the direct fallout of Nolan’s actions also makes the reformed patriarch’s impending return all the more complicated. But since he’s still lightyears from Earth’s orbit, that’s a story for another day. A more immediate concern, as revealed in the mid-credits scene, is the fact that lurking supervillain Angstrom Levy appears to have gathered various different Invincibles from alternate universes, and seems all but ready to unleash them. One can only imagine what coming face-to-face with the worst possible versions of himself will do to Mark at this stage.