A jump starter is an essential part of car's emergency kit, and a cordless one eliminates the need to plug it into an available cigarette lighter. You don't need to pay a premium for a jump starter that reliably gets the job done, either. Amazon is currently offering Amazon Prime members this AstroAI S8 Pro 12V 3,000A cordless car jump starter for $32.99 shipped after you clip a 45% off coupon code "AQ97FOMC". Not only does it function as a jump starter, it can also be used to recharge your smartphone in a pinch.
AstroAI S8 Pro 12V 3,000A Car Jump Starter for $32.99
The AstroAI S8 Pro is a 12V cordless car jump starter that can supply 3,000A of peak power and 500 cold cranking amps. AstroAI states that it's capable of jump starting up to 9L gas or 6L diesel engines. The sizeable 12,000mAh battery will give you several jump starts before needing a recharge. Since the battery uses lithium (NMC) cells, it depletes a lot slower than your traditional battery and will retain most of its charge even after 24 months of non-use. Because the S8 Pro is essentially a portable power bank, you can also use it to charge your iPhone or smartphone in a pinch.
The S8 Pro charges quickly over USB Type-C and if you don't have a cable on hand, a USB Type-A to USB Type-C is supplied in the package. There's even a flashlight with three separate modes (flashlight, SOS, and strobe) for emergencies. The jump starter is relatively compact, weighs about 1.5 pounds, and stows away easily in your trunk or dash.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Between layoffs, studio closures, and funding drying up, it’s fair to say that the games industry has been having a rough time. Enrique Fuentes, CEO and co-founder of Teravision games, experienced that turbulence much too closely for comfort when he and his team released Killer Klowns From Outer Space, an asymmetrical horror game based on the 80s movie of the same name. The game was well received (IGN gave it a 7, calling it “as silly and entertaining as the movie that spawned it.”) and trailers for the title racked up hundreds of thousands of views online. But the team found itself in a difficult spot after launch, the same difficult spot that many in the games industry found themselves in.
“As you know, 2024 was a pretty tough year for the whole industry. So it was a little bit slow for us to close our next project,” Fuentes says. Despite working with companies like Disney, Nickelodeon, and Xbox, Teravision was having difficulty finding a follow-up project to Killer Klowns. With time running out, the studio and its veteran developers with 20 years of experience in the industry looked towards something novel: making a game within Fortnite. In less than a year, Teravision has released three Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN) games. Its fourth game, launching today, takes advantage of the official The Walking Dead content pack released in UEFN.
Made in partnership with Skybound, the company co-founded by The Walking Dead’s creator Robert Kirkman, Teravision’s newest UEFN game is a King of the Hill style multiplayer PvPvE project called Courtyard King, where players fight each other as well as NPC zombies for control of territory in The Walking Dead’s infamous prison location.
Everything The Walking Dead related in Courtyard King is made using official assets released for UEFN, including character models based on Rick Grimes, Negan, and Daryl Dixon. But the project goes further than just assets; Teravision worked with the writers at Skybound to craft the game’s story and dialogue.
"Instead of a multi-year project like Killer Clowns From Outer Space, these are projects that we could put together in weeks or months.”
“We have worked with big brands in the past… and UEFN was something that we were experimenting with… but we never imagined that was going to be the root where we’re going to be engaging with a company like Skybound,” Fuentes says. “But I mean, UGC, it’s one of the biggest things in gaming right now.”
UGC, or user-generated content, is driving one of the biggest trends in gaming right now thanks to platforms like Fortnite. This kind of playground style game making has found massive audiences in services like Roblox already, but the ‘U’ in USC typically refers to the end user, AKA players at home. USG developed by professional studios is a newer concept, and Fortnite’s Unreal Engine 5-based tools were perfect for experienced devs like Teravision.
“It made sense because we come from an engineering background and it was a platform where we could experiment in and assume some of the risk,” explains Fuentes. “Because instead of a multi-year project like Killer Clowns From Outer Space, these are projects that we could put together in weeks or months.”
Teravision’s experiments resulted in the launch of Havoc Hotel, a roguelike shooter where you fight through levels in a hotel, with each cleared floor earning you currency to purchase more powerful weapons. The first Havoc Hotel was a modest hit, enough to keep working on the series. Eventually we got to Havoc Hotel 3, which is now consistently one of Fortnite’s most popular games.
Teravision’s game designer, Martin Rodriguez, says given the studio previously made Killer Klowns in Unreal Engine, the jump to UEFN — a modified version of Unreal Engine 5 — was not only convenient, but gave the experienced devs a leg up when creating their games in UEFN. The systems are streamlined, and processes are a bit more “drag and drop,” as Rodriguez says. “For us, it just removes some of the work that we would’ve done otherwise and allows us to focus on just making better games and explore different new creative ideas."
"They’re weird situations and interactions that don’t necessarily translate into a very clear competition, but they still work.”
While the engineering side had no trouble adapting to UEFN’s Unreal-based tools, the game design team was presented with a unique challenge. Games like Havoc Hotel began as experiments as opposed to fully-fledged games, but quickly grew to become their own thing. And Teravision’s creative director, LD Zambrano, quickly learned that UEFN games were different from traditional games in many ways.
“A traditional experience we have had designing other [non-UEFN] games is where players relate through objectives that entice cooperation and competition, right?” Zambrano says. “In [UEFN’s] case, we have found that even though those objectives are still relevant and we still can use that game design sensibility and bring them there, I found that there are a lot of experiences that are very popular within the Fortnite ecosystem that are kind of just context. They’re weird situations and interactions that don’t necessarily translate into a very clear competition, but they still work.”
Zambrano compares UEFN games to the school yard. “I have found that there is this way of approaching each other that brings me back to recess, which is you meet somebody and make up some sort of game that might not make sense, but still you’re engaging and creating friendships. That’s what I mean about some of these games becoming a ‘context.’”
In that way, one unique thing I learned about Courtyard King from Teravision is that it is an infinite game, meaning there is no final winner at the end of a round. Instead, matches continue forever with players jumping in and out, switching teams. And while there will always be a team that is winning, there will never be a final round where a true winner is crowned.
“Players can drop in and drop out whenever they want. They can even change teams whenever they like, which generates situations for betrayals. Maybe you enter a party with your friend, but then in the middle of the match you don’t tell him and change teams. Which is very Walking Dead-like.”
"This is now a viable model where you can actually support an 80 person studio like we do, and we can assume the risk”
Is this a future for game developers? On the one hand, it puts them in the sandbox of other, bigger players like Epic Games or Roblox. But for studios looking to experiment without burning through their entire funds, while having access to a large player base and big IP assets like The Walking Dead, Enrique Fuentes says there’s a lot of upside.
“We can actually assume the risk as an indie developer in [UEFN]. Because last year, we couldn’t even think about starting a three-year project. We could do something in a few weeks with a smaller team and that completely changes the paradigm for a new developer. This is now a viable model where you can actually support an 80 person studio like we do, and we can assume the risk,” Fuentes says. “It’s something that if you have the right ideas, the right creativity around it, if you understand the market well enough and you have the right thinking, execution becomes possible and it doesn’t take years, it actually takes weeks, maybe months. I think this is a dream come true for indie developers.”
The Conclave and Harry Potter alum’s attachment to the upcoming film was revealed via the official Hunger Games X/Twitter account today. He’s the latest in a long line of Hunger Games casting reveals, and he’s also got one of the most important parts to nail.
Sunrise on the Reaping takes place before the four Hunger Games films led by Jennifer Lawrence and after 2023’s early prequel, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The latter focused on a young Snow, played by Tom Blyth, as he is molded into Panem's jaded dictator, who the late Donald Sutherland portrayed in the 2010s film series. Fiennes’ role in Sunrise on the Reaping puts him more in the middle of President Snow’s life as its story places a lens on District 12 tribute and eventual Hunger Games victor, Haymitch Abernathy.
“We wanted to honor Donald Sutherland by having one of this generation’s greatest actors play President Snow 24 years before Katniss Everdeen entered the arena,” Producer Nina Jacobson said in a statement. “Working with Ralph has been on my bucket list since he traumatized me for life in Schindler's List. It’s genuinely a thrill to welcome him to the Hunger Games.”
Fiennes might top the list when it comes to fans’ most-anticipated casting announcements for Sunrise on the Reaping, but he’s far from the first name to have audiences looking forward to the upcoming adaptation. Other highlights include Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, Civil War), who was revealed to be playing a young version of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Plutarch Heavensbee, as well as Joseph Zada (Total Control, Invisible Boys), who will star as Haymitch.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is an adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ 2025 novel of the same name and is scheduled to come to theaters November 20, 2026. Series veteran Francis Lawrence will direct from a screenplay by original Hunger Games scribe Billy Ray. The movie was announced last summer, with a teaser trailer following this past April.
Image credit Daniele Venturelli/WireImage.
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).
Doom: The Dark Ages is finally here, and if you’re a handheld gaming PC nerd like I am, you’re probably wondering whether or not the Asus ROG Ally X can handle it. I’m setting 30 frames per second as the bare minimum for playability, but anything higher is welcome, especially 60fps (which would be ideal, but unrealistic for such a demanding game).
The last game in the series, Doom Eternal, was renowned for how well it ran on the Ally, but if you’re expecting that same level of performance out of The Dark Ages, I’m sorry to say you’re going to be disappointed.
Can the Asus ROG Ally Handle Doom: The Dark Ages?
Before we begin, make sure to update your chipset before playing Doom: The Dark Ages. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy on the ROG Ally X: Open Armoury Crate (bottom right menu button), select the cogwheel at the top, and go to Update Center. AMD Radeon Graphics Driver should be an available update. If it isn’t there, select Check for Updates. Once the RC72LA update appears, select Update All.
For these tests, I plugged the Ally X into an outlet and played on Turbo Operating Mode (30W) to get the most out of the machine. I also allocated the maximum amount of vRAM to Texture Pool Size in the in-game graphics menu, which is 4,096 megabytes. The default is 2,048, but the ROG Ally X has 24GB of RAM (16GB usable) and it’s nowhere near capacity even at Ultra Nightmare, so there’s plenty of breathing room.
All tests were performed with resolution scaling off. I tested each graphics preset with dynamic resolution as well, but the results were identical to the 720p metrics, so they’re not included. This is because the target frame rate was unachievable across the tests to begin with, so dynamic resolution just defaulted to 720p anyway.
For the test, I replayed the opening section of Doom: The Dark Ages’ second mission, Hebeth, over and over, because it thrusts the player into the action immediately, pushing the hardware to its limit with all of its effects and particles. The results were shocking.
Doom: The Dark Ages at 1080p on the Ally X is a disaster. It yielded an average of 15fps on Ultra Nightmare, which is unplayable, and the frame rate barely changed with lower presets. Nightmare, Ultra, and High at 1080p averaged at 16fps, while Medium was at 17fps. The only major change was on Low, which averaged 20fps at 1080p, but it’s still lacking in smoothness. 1080p is an impossibility no matter what graphics preset you select.
The game fared better at 720p, but it’s still not ideal. Ultra Nightmare, Nightmare, and Ultra averaged at 24fps, while High came in at 26fps. I wouldn’t consider these playable, but it’s bearable if you’re desperate to play Doom: The Dark Ages on your handheld gaming PC. It wasn’t until I dropped the settings to Medium at 720p that it became playable, hitting an average of 30fps. Low was even better, coming in at 35fps.
Asus ROG Ally X Isn’t Ready for Doom: The Dark Ages
I adore handheld gaming PCs and my Asus ROG Ally X, but this is an example where they just don’t have enough power. To say the Ally X struggles with Doom: The Dark Ages is an understatement. If 30fps is the bottom floor for playability, that’s only possible through the Medium and Low graphics presets at 720p.
Steam Deck users won’t have much luck either, as its specs are inferior to the Ally X, and if it can barely run on Asus’ handheld, it won’t have different luck on Valve’s popular device. You’ll most certainly be stuck playing at its 800p resolution on Low graphics just to hit 30 fps – and that’s true for all current-generation handhelds.
Not all hope is lost, though. Doom: The Dark Ages will benefit with the next generation of mobile chipsets hitting the market. The AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme is going to make its way into handhelds sometime this year, and leaks suggest it may be powering the Asus ROG Ally 2 – there are even leaked images of an Xbox-branded model. We’ll just have to wait and see just how well demanding games like Doom: The Dark Ages fare.
Claire finds joy in impassioned ramblings about her closeness to video games. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Media Studies from Brooklyn College and seven years of experience in entertainment journalism. Claire is a stalwart defender of games as an artform and spends most days overwhelmed with excitement for its past, present and future. When she isn't writing or playing Dark Souls, she can be found eating chicken fettuccine alfredo and gushing about handheld gaming PCs.
Funko unveiled their lineup of Funko Pop! Collectibles for Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps on Friday, spoiling the reveal of an important new character that fans didn’t know (for certain) would be in the movie.
If you don’t want to know who that character is then STOP READING NOW!
No, seriously, this is your final warning!
The Funko Pop figures for The Fantastic Four: First Steps include Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Thing, Silver Surfer, Galactus and Invisible Woman, who is paired with … her and Reed’s toddler son Franklin Richards.
In the Marvel comics, Franklin is Reed and Sue Richards’ first child; their daughter Valeria would follow years later. The Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer revealed that Sue is pregnant in the movie. These collectibles suggest that either First Steps takes place over a long enough period of time to go from Sue announcing her pregnancy to Franklin being of toddler age.
Given that Reed and Sue were exposed to cosmic rays during the fateful space flight that beget the Fantastic Four, it’s not surprising that their offspring would be born with powers. Perhaps the first manifestation of Franklin’s mutant abilities is rapid growth upon birth?
It’s the sheer scope of his mutant powers that makes Franklin one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. His powers range from telepathy and telekinesis to warping reality and matter to creating pocket dimensions and communicating on the astral plane.
You can see the Sue and Franklin collectible in the slideshow below.
As IGN’s Jesse Schedeen recently wrote, “Franklin is the one being on Earth whose power is so great it rivals that of cosmic entities like the Celestials and Galactus. And he’s destined to only grow more powerful with age. The FF have met multiple adult versions of Franklin from the future, suggesting that he’ll one day grow to become an immortal defender of the entire Marvel Universe.”
With the MCU’s next two event films being Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s quite possible we’ll see a future adult version of Franklin Richards in one of them, perhaps alongside his younger sister Valeria.
While there are cases where a toy or tie-product showed a character, location or costume design that wasn’t in the final movie, more often than not the products – which are made well in advance of a film’s release – are out in the public and on store shelves before the film’s in theaters. (That’s the main reason why Jon Favreau successfully fought to keep the reveal of Grogu in The Mandalorian a secret until the series premiered.)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25th.
Death Stranding fans, it seems like you’ve got something really killer coming your way. The sequel game, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, is set to arrive in June and the franchise’s star, actor Norman Reedus, recently teased some of the game — as well as a key tidbit about the future film adaptation — in an interview with IGN.
“If it was an option, yeah, for sure,” Reedus revealed when asked if he would consider playing himself in a future film version of the game which was announced to be in the works from Michael Sarnoski and A24 last month. “I don’t know what’s happening with it. It’s so pre pre pre right now. But yeah, of course.”
We also asked Reedus about his confusion with the first game and if he still felt that way going into the second one, but it seems he deeply trusts creator Hideo Kojima, whose reputation obviously precedes him. “As far as working with him and understanding where his head’s at, I don’t think anybody can understand where his head’s at,” the Walking Dead alum explained. “He’s just that guy, he’s out there and he’s got great ideas. But story-wise, I did know what was happening more. There’s more action in it, there’s more of a definite goal to get to.”
That said, no matter what’s going on in the Death Stranding world, Reedus is happily along for the ride. “It’s always a trip working on those things,” he told IGN. “It’s great, but it’s wild.”
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach will be released on June 26, 2025.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Back at the start of April, Nintendo Switch 2 fans noticed mention of variable refresh rate, or VRR, on informational pages about the system that soon disappeared. Now, the company is clarifying just how and where VRR is working on the Nintendo Switch 2.
In a statement to NintendoLife, Nintendo says the original information about VRR published on the site was incorrect: "Nintendo Switch 2 supports VRR in handheld mode only. The incorrect information was initially published on the Nintendo Switch 2 website, and we apologise for the error."
In response to VRR support for docked mode coming in a future firmware update, NIntendo said it has "nothing to announce on this topic."
So while the Switch 2 will support VRR as an option for the handheld side of things, it looks like right now, those using their new console on the TV won't see the same features.
The update arrives after a lot of head-scratching, as the original VRR mention was first noticed and then swiftly erased. Mentions of it disappeared gradually from different sites over time, as catalogued by Digital Foundry contributor Oliver Mackenzie.
While this might disappoint those hoping for variable refresh rate on the Switch 2's TV settings at launch, it might not mean all hope is lost. Sony issued an update rolling VRR support out to PS5 consoles post-launch, so it stands to reason we could see something similar happen here.
If you're in the process of building out a new gaming PC and you're looking for the best gaming processor, this is it. Right now, the recently released AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D AM5 desktop processor is back in stock on Amazon at its retail price of $489 shipped. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the best gaming processor currently on the market (across both AMD and Intel) and a better choice for gamers than the more expensive Intel Core Ultra 9 285K.
The Gamer's Choice: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU
AMD's X3D series processors are optimized for gaming. In that respect, they bench better than even the most expensive of AMD's standard lineup of CPUs thanks to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology. Although perfectly capable of handling multitasking, rendering, and creation, the limited number of cores means they aren't the ideal processors for those tasks. At its retail price of $489, the 9800X3D is $100 cheaper than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K ($589) and $160 cheaper than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, even though it outperforms both of them in gaming. Unless you're a staunch Intel fan, or you're still on AM4 and don't want to upgrade all of your components, the 9800X3D is the obvious choice for your next PC.
The other two Zen 5 "X3D" chips are out of stock
Alongside the Ryzen 7 9800X3D which debuted first this year, AMD released its two higher-end Ryzen 9 siblings in the Zen 5 "X3D" stack: the 9950X3D which lists for $699 and the 9900X3D which lists for $599. Collectively, these processors represent the best gaming chips across both Intel and AMD. The 9950X3D and 9000X3D are currently out of stock. However, pure gamers should go with the 9800X3D anyway and allocate their funds elsewhere; however, creators with deeper pockets and a penchant for gaming will benefit from the immense performance uplift on the new Ryzen 9 processors thanks to their increased core count and cache.
The Creator's Choice: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU
Creative professionals who also want the best gaming chip on the market shouldn't think twice; this is the CPU to get. The new 9950X3D boasts a max boost clock of 5.7GHz with 16 cores, 32 threads, and 144MB of L2-L3 cache. In terms of gaming, it's only a few percentage points better than than the 9800X3D. However, for productivity use, it easily outperforms the other two Zen 5 X3D chips, and anything offered by Intel for that matter.
The Middleman: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPU
The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the processor you'd get if you do creative work and like to game, but you have a budget to adhere to and the 9950X3D crosses that line. The new 9900X3D boasts a max boost clock of 5.5GHz with 12 cores, 24 threads, and 140MB of L2-L3 cache. This is the one chip we haven't reviewed yet, but from the specs, it's pretty easy to guess its performance. In terms of productivity tasks and multi-core workloads, it should perform somewhere in between the 9950X3D and 9800X3D. In terms of gaming, we expect it to be a wash compared to the other two.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
It might be a smart move to gear up ahead of the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, and it’s an easy bet when it comes to finding the right headset – for one, we’re extremely sure accessories such as headsets are going to be forward compatible. And two, we already know which headsets are among the best across all price ranges. If you don’t already have one lined up to use on your Switch 2 or if you’re looking to upgrade from the set you were using with your first Switch, I have my top recommendations for headsets here, all of which I’ve had firsthand experience with and/or have reviewed here on IGN myself.
Similar to my best PS5 headsets and best Xbox headsets guides, there are a few nuances I took into consideration when making my selections for this specific platform. One of which is portability; for example, I’m hesitant to suggest getting the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro even though it has consistently topped our lists – one of its biggest features is its mixamp/DAC, which connects the headset to your systems, and that gets unwieldy for a device that’s about versatility and taking on the go. I’m also accounting for the fact that you only have access to USB-C ports when playing handheld, so all of the wireless headsets recommended here come with a native USB-C dongle to make connectivity easy. Above all else, I prioritize sound quality and comfort in my choices because if those factors aren’t the focus, what would we even be doing here!
TL;DR – These Are The Best Nintendo Switch 2 Headsets:
The Switch 2 does have Bluetooth capabilities, but I wouldn’t recommend that for gaming scenarios due to the inherent audio delay. While the wireless headsets here can connect via Bluetooth, my recommendations run primarily on a 2.4GHz wireless connection, and there are a few picks with a 3.5mm wired aux connection, too. Regardless of which you go with, you’ll be getting a great headset for the money – I can vouch for each pick, and if you need a little extra convincing, I have all the details you need to know below.
Best High-End Wireless Headset
Audeze Maxwell
Although it’s not the newest headset on the block, the Audeze Maxwell is still one of the best around. It doesn’t have the most sophisticated feature set or software suite, but you don’t really need all that, especially for the Switch and Switch 2. It does the most important part – sound quality – better than any other gaming headsets I’ve used. Its 90mm planar magnetic drivers give punchy bass that doesn’t drown out other frequencies, and the highs come through clean even at higher volumes. It gives a “full” audio experience which is complemented by its great positional audio, giving the subtle details in sound design room to breathe. You don’t necessarily need great positional audio in a hyper-competitive sense on Switch 2, but this gives more immersive games a grander audio profile to match – I often call the Maxwell the audiophile’s gaming headset.
The thick plushy earcups provide long-term comfort, and the soft leatherette is easy on the head while giving a good seal around your ears for sound isolation. The microphone is solid on its own, but the great noise cancellation puts it above most gaming headsets, blocking outside noise better than most. It has tremendous battery life to boot, lasting up to 80 hours from a full charge. It’s a bit heavy at 490g and bulky in terms of overall size, but this doesn’t make the headset uncomfortable, and its understated design makes for a clean look. I recently reviewed the Audeze Maxwell and awarded it a 9/10 to confirm that, yeah, it’s still one of the best if you’re willing to shell out the dough.
Best Noise Canceling Wireless Headset
Alienware Pro Headset
The Alienware Pro headset is a personal favorite because of how slim and sleek it is. You can easily mistake these for a pair of expensive Bose or Sony headphones, which is surprising given the Alienware brand’s history of flashy, gaudy PCs and accessories. It’s been going with a minimalist look for all its recent peripherals and this is best represented in the Pro headset. The earcups don’t stick out much, the overall design is light and compact, and the padding for the earcups and headband provide just enough comfort for long sessions. Very few gaming headsets have such a low profile, but this helps the Alienware Pro stand out… by not standing out.
I frequently use the Alienware Pro like a pair of normal headphones to take on the go because of the design, and the long 70-hour battery life (without ANC) means I don’t have to worry about charging it often. And the fact that I could get balanced, high-quality sound with great bass solidified this as a top choice. It shows a bit of its limitations at handling sharper frequencies at higher volumes, but I was approaching dangerous volume levels at that point. Its active noise-canceling works really well, too, and if you’re one to use your Switch or Switch 2 outside, good ANC will come in clutch.
The only knock I have against the Alienware Pro is that its earcups don’t swivel inward, which is a slight bummer given the slim profile and portability of the headset itself. It’s a bit of a disappointment because everything else about it is so smartly designed (including its simple controls on the left earcup), especially for versatility between mobile usage and gaming setups. Still, this is one of my favorite gaming headsets in recent memory, which I go into full detail in my Alienware Pro headset review.
Best Mid-Range Wireless Headset
SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7
Perhaps you can’t spend as much money to snag an Alienware Pro headset, but still want something that can deliver high-end audio while maintaining that low-profile design. If so, you should consider the SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7. It stacks up to the fantastic Arctis Nova Pro quite well, and even if you don’t get the same robust package or fine-tuned audio drivers, you still get that sleek design, signature comfort, and detailed sound that can stand alongside the best in its price range.
What I really like about the Arctis Nova 7 is its simultaneous Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless capability – so if you don’t want to use the Switch 2’s built-in voice chat rooms and prefer to be on Discord while still getting game audio feed, you can do that. Beyond that, SteelSeries has always been great about well-rounded sound quality out of the box, as well as having easy-to-tweak options in its software. The sports-mesh upholstery of the earcups gives this headset good breathability, making it easy to wear for long-sessions, and the dense earpads provide top-notch comfort while maintaining that slim profile. We praised it for all that and more in our SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 review from a few years back, and it certainly still holds up today.
Best Budget Wireless Headset
Razer Barracuda X
The Razer Barracuda X we reviewed still stands as a top pick for the best Nintendo Switch headset. It’s impressive what you get from this sub-$100 headset, and considering the slick understated design from Razer, this is something I wouldn’t mind wearing while playing my Switch 2 in public. Relatively impressive audio quality for a budget-level option and a 2.4GHz USB-C dongle already put the Barracuda X into consideration at its price range, but it doesn’t lack in comfort with its memory foam earpads wrapped in a breathable sports mesh. It’s lightweight and rocks a decent battery that gives you around 40 to 50 hours from a full charge. Don’t go in expecting the sound quality of the more expensive recommendations in this guide, but if you need to go wireless without balling out, the Barracuda X would be my top choice.
Best Wired Headset
HyperX Cloud III
When it comes to wired gaming headsets, the HyperX Cloud III tends to be my go-to recommendation. It’s a fantastic all-rounder, but I’ll start by highlighting its build quality. The flexible aluminum headband lets you twist and contort it any which way without ever feeling like it’s going to break, giving it an unmatched durability. While it clamps a bit tighter than most headsets, the thick plushy earcups provide more than enough comfort to alleviate the pressure. It’s not too heavy, either, making the Cloud III easy to take around, especially for those who aren’t exactly careful when handling their gear.
The Cloud III sounds great, too, with balanced frequency response across the EQ spectrum. I’d say that it doesn’t particularly stand out in terms of its audio profile compared to something like the Maxwell, but it is tuned well-enough to bring out the detail in games with good directional sound and minimal distortion at louder volumes thanks to its larger 53mm angled drivers. What’s especially impressive is the microphone quality, which rivals headsets twice its price. My voice came out clean in my testing, and it sounded closer to a decent standalone mic than it did a typical headset mic. Considering its price, you get a lot of bang for your buck with the wired version, and you can get even more detail on the headset in our HyperX Cloud III review.
Best Budget Wired Headset
Corsair HS65 Surround
Of course, not everyone wants to drop upwards of $100 or more on a headset, but if you still want good audio quality for your Switch 2, I can easily recommend the Corsair HS65 Surround. It’s a refresh of the HS60 and HS50 that came out years ago, but well-designed audio gear can really stand the test of time. You’re not going to be blown away necessarily, but it has a pretty bold audio profile (with pronounced bass and highs) for a headset that often sits in the $50 range. While some Corsair headsets have struggled with comfort, the HS65 fits firmly on my head and stays comfortable for several hours thanks to its thick earpads. Surprisingly, it has one of the best onboard microphones from a gaming headset considering its price, adding to the value you get from something that’s budget-level.
The HS65 Surround may be a little slim on the extras – while it has the sound card for virtual surround sound, it’s USB-only which could work if you’re playing your Switch 2 docked. Otherwise, the sound quality you get straight from the 3.5mm jack is more than sufficient. What’s just as important is that the HS65 is a slim and lightweight headset, with swiveling earcups, to make it easier to take on the go (even though the microphone isn’t detachable and gets in the way if you’re not using it). There’s a lot of value here, and while there are decent options in this price range if you just want plain headphones, it’s hard to beat the HS65 when it comes to gaming headsets.
Best Wireless Earbuds
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
All things considered, earbuds might be the right move when looking for the best audio solution for your Switch 2, especially if you’re playing handheld or if you’re on the go frequently. Luckily for us, gaming-grade earbuds have made strides in recent years, and so far, nothing has topped the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds. I’ve been loving them since day one, listening to music and podcasts everyday, but I’m still impressed with how well they handle gaming audio to the point where I sometimes just stick with them when playing non-competitive games.
What makes them “gaming-grade” though? The 2.4GHz wireless USB-C dongle is the main thing, giving you no-latency response to whatever platform you’re connected to. (Most regular earbuds, including high-end options like the great JBL Tour Pro 3, don’t come with 2.4GHz connectivity.) Additionally, the audio profile on the GameBuds is rich, delivering strong bass and clean sound across all frequencies, even at higher volumes. I won’t claim that these can match a high-end headset (particularly in positional audio) because there are obvious limitations to earbud design, but that shouldn’t take away from how close they come to an actual headset.
I still think the Razer Hammerheads have the slight edge when it comes to bass response, but the GameBuds are so well-rounded, making them much more versatile and suited for using with a platform like the Switch 2. With about 10 hours of usage from a full charge (without ANC), the GameBuds also top most other earbuds in terms of battery life (they last about twice as long as the Razer Hammerheads). There are rare connectivity issues where the signal gets choppy, but these are only slight hiccups. Otherwise, these are the perfect pair for my Switch and I don’t see myself going with other earbuds for my soon-to-be Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch 2 Headsets FAQ
Can I use my Switch 1 headset with Switch 2?
By all accounts, yes. The Switch 2 features two USB-C ports on the system itself, letting you connect external devices while leaving one port open for charging. This makes wireless headsets that connect via USB-C dongles even more useful since you don’t have to choose between charging or using your headset. But back to the point: It’d be wild if the Switch 2 wasn’t compatible with headsets that currently work on the original Switch, and there’s no reason why they wouldn’t – the online discourse would be a riot, though.
Can I use Bluetooth with Switch 2?
The Switch 2 has Bluetooth connectivity. However, I wouldn’t recommend it for audio devices due to the inherent latency. You might not mind that so much in more casual games, but in anything with action, cutscenes, dialogue, or any sort of sound cue for gameplay, there’s no way I’m going with Bluetooth audio.
Do I need to worry about the headset’s microphone?
It’s hard to tell for now, given we do not have the Switch 2 on hand. That will be determined by how the onboard microphone built into the Switch 2 performs. It is said to have top-notch noise isolation, as it has been touted and shown off as capable of picking up your voice when you’re sitting on a couch with the system docked next to a TV – to what extent does this end up being practical? I can’t really say.
That said, all the headsets recommended in this guide have mics that are good enough for picking up your voice clearly for chatting in those Discord-like chat rooms built into the Switch 2 platform, and a few of the recommended headsets have solid noise isolation to boot.
Can’t I just use any old set of earbuds with Switch 2?
Absolutely! Having a 3.5mm audio jack on the Switch 2 means you can use any standard pair of headphones or earbuds. And there are some really good earbuds for cheap that might just do the job for you. But I made all these aforementioned recommendations if you’re particular about getting the best sound quality at the best price. Besides, games are looking pretty sweet on Switch 2, and I’d prefer my audio experience to match that visual fidelity as well, especially since higher-profile games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake are getting ported over.
As pre-orderssell out and tons of references are revealed, Magic: The Gathering's upcoming crossover with Final Fantasy is shaping up to be its biggest ever. Today, we get to add to that fun with six cards that are available in the upcoming set: three featuring classic concept art by Yoshitaka Amano, and three with more recent art by Toshitaka Matsuda.
Flip through the gallery below to see all six cards, and read on to learn where to find them yourself:
The cards we are revealing today are part of the "Through the Ages" bonus sheet that is within the larger main set. That means they are all reprints of existing cards reskinned with concept art and characters from different Final Fantasy games - so while there are no brand new or mechanically unique cards here like the ones that have been shown off recently or those in the Commander decks we previously revealed, they do have art that stretches back all the way to the very first game in the series.
Unlike the cards in the main set, Through the Ages cards do not become legal in Magic's Standard format (though they still are if the existing card was already legal there, of course), essentially just making them alternate art versions of those cards. That said, they can be found in both the fancier Collector Boosters as well as one in every three of the regular Play Boosters that are used for Limited events like Draft and Sealed.
That means if you plan to play a lot of this set either at your local game store or digitally on something like Magic: The Gathering Arena, you are likely to see these cards in action quite frequently. Five of the six cards here are Rares, which means they won't show up as often, but Thrum of the Vestige is notably an Uncommon. That's a reskin for one of Magic's most ubiquitous cards, Lightning Bolt, and I wouldn't be surprised if this particular printing has quite the impact on the set.
The Warrior of Light reprinting of Jodah, the Unifier is also certain to be a popular one - Jodah is a powerful and common Commander, and the art used here is Amano's from the Japanese boxart of the original Final Fantasy. Similarly, Amano's iconic art for Final Fantasy 4's Cecil Harvey has been repurposed for one of Magic's strongest partner commanders, Tymna the Weaver, which has only ever been reprinted once before this.
These cards launch physically as part of the larger Final Fantasy set on June 13, with the digital versions going live on MTG Arena and MTGO on June 10. And if you are a Final Fantasy fan who isn't into Magic yet, there is still reason to be excited, as FF7 Remake series director Tetsuya Nomura said the design of Sephiroth on one card is different for some cryptic reason.
Tom Marks is IGN's Executive Reviews Editor. He loves cards games, puzzles, platformers, puzzle-platformers, and lots more.
LEGO Ideas is an absolute treasure trove of potential. These fan-submitted builds gain traction in the community and sometimes become actual sets. LEGO Ideas have become the source of some of the most popular builds, like the new LEGO Pixar Lamp set that will be arriving in June. Not all popular ideas get turned into sets, but the most recent build to reach 10,000 supporters certainly seems like it has potential.
The iconic "This is fine" meme created by web comic artist KC Green has been turned into a potential LEGO set and has reached the second 2025 review stage. You can get a good look at what the set would look like below.
LEGO Ideas This Is Fine Set
Although it may not look like it, this set is actually made from a total of 1,016 LEGO bricks. It's a book nook style display that is meant to sit upon your shelf among your books or other LEGO creations. It isn't often that we see memes as LEGO sets, but the creator of this build (eat.sleep.build.repeat) has high hopes for this particular creation. Here's a snippet of what they said about this build in their product idea submission:
"I believe memes have been quite overlooked by Lego while still being a massive part of the internet and internet culture. The set itself also includes great potential, in its style. It could be used as a piggy bank, book nook or other display options, being a great option for both meme and lego enthusiasts alike."
Popular LEGO Ideas sets you can buy now
Will This Set Become a Real Thing?
Unfortunately, even some of the best LEGO Ideas do not turned into a real set. That being said, it is definitly possible. Now that it has reached 10,000 supporters, it has entered the review stage, which is a lengthier process that requires various considerations. One of the biggest hurdles for any idea is whether or not LEGO can secure the rights to the IP. In this case, it does seem a bit more likely due to it not being from a major franchise, but it depends on whether or not LEGO wants to move forward with the set and if the creator of the original comic alllows it to happen.
Within an hour of the feature going live, however, Fortnite players have popped up all over social media sharing reports and videos of Vader being manipulated into saying the kind of things very much associated with the Dark Side.
“What freaking f*cking food is that, Darth Vader?” streamer LoserFruit asked Vader when he joined the team. After echoing the statement, Vader added: "Such vulgarity does not become you [...] You enquire about sustenance, and yet speak like a common thug."
Perhaps inevitably, within 30 minutes of AI Darth Vader going rogue, Epic Games was forced to push out a hotfix, telling Kotaku: "We pushed a hot fix within 30 minutes of this happening in-game, so this shouldn’t happen again."
Darth Vader is, of course, voiced by the inimitable James Earl Jones, who died in September 2024 at the age of 93. This AI version of his voice, powered by Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash model and ElevenLabs' Flash v2.5, is used entirely with Jones' family permissions.
In a statement, the family said: "James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character."
"With all due respect to James Earl Jones, even with his full permission for these methods to be allowed, he did not deserve this sort of legacy," said one player on the subreddit.
"His voice was one that shaped many of us, and now we have an AI imitating his likeness. A mere vessel without a soul. Someone like Matt Sloan (voice of Darth Vader in various video games and shows) carries more sentiment to this role than an AI ever could. Not to mention that Generative-AI is quite harmful to the environment.
"As long as we don't have a way of finding renewable energy or a way to minimize harming our future generations, I can't see any 'fun' behind this," they added. "Sure, Darth may comment on sweaty players or comment on his hatred for sand, but is that worth [it] in [the] long-term? Is this small addition really needed to enhance our experience in the bigger sacrifice of polluting our world?"
"Nothing in this world is certain, except death, taxes, and the internet making AI racist," added another, while one simply said: "Leave it to the internet to take a cool thing and ruin it."
This is probably a timely opportunity to remind parents that players under 13 or their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher, will need their parent or guardian’s permission to talk with Darth Vader. You can approve or deny Darth's shenanigans by heading to Epic Games' parental controls and selecting “allow voice and written communication with AI Features."
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.
If I told you that Hurry Up Tomorrow, the latest onscreen vanity project co-written by and starring Abel Tesfaye, opens with the Canadian singer-songwriter-sometime-actor blowing raspberries at his own reflection in a dressing room mirror for a solid minute, would you believe me? As far as first images go, it's a pretty apt summation of the experience as a whole. Your reaction to it is a fairly solid indication of whether you’ll be onboard for what little Hurry Up Tomorrow has to offer, your thoughts on the music Tesfaye has made (and the public persona he’s cultivated) as The Weeknd notwithstanding.
Named after Tesfaye’s latest studio album and directed by It Comes at Night’s Trey Edward Shults, the navel-gazing and over-indulgent Hurry Up Tomorrow centers around a fictionalized account of the days preceding and following an incident in 2022, in which Tesfaye lost his voice while performing on stage in Los Angeles. It cuts back and forth between the “Can’t Feel My Face” singer (as himself) preparing for a series of performances with his entourage in tow – including Lee (Barry Keough), his manager and confidant – and Anima (Jenna Ortega), a mysterious woman who is drawn to Tesfaye, and whose name may or may not be an overt nod to the Jungian psychological concept of the same name.
It is, at the risk of sounding glib, the role Tesfaye was born to play: The Basquiat-haired Lothario of modern R&B and pop, whose brooding demeanor and crooning falsetto catapulted him from the depths of anonymity to the heights of mainstream superstardom. The register of the performance has shifted over time, but its baseline remains static, even as he drops the stage name and steps into Hurry Up Tomorrow’s big-screen spotlight. For an excruciating hour and 45 minutes, the wounded, misunderstood, self-destructive, sullen-hearted bad boy of Tesfaye’s multiple chart-toppers is front and center.
He cries; he whines; he dejectedly slumps on the floor while madly pouring his heart out to an answering machine, begging and pleading for recognition and reconciliation with an unnamed, unseen lover. If you’ve listened to a single album by the Weeknd – or hell, a single song – you get the gist. All the while, Lee hovers at the periphery like an impish, all-seeing Jiminy Cricket, gyrating wildly on the floor and doling out lines of cocaine like it's both on clearance and going out of style.
If there's a salvageable performance to be found here, it's Ortega’s. When we first meet Anima, she's choking back tears while frantically pouring a canister of gasoline throughout an abandoned house – which we soon enough realize is Tesfaye's childhood home – before fleeing the scene in a dilapidated Jeep. It’s easy to assume, then, that Ortega's character represents one of the many, many women Tesfaye has loved and left behind in his meteoric rise to the top, but looks can be deceiving. What at first appears to be a manic pixie fangirl slowly but surely reveals itself to be something far darker and complex. Unlike either Tesfaye or Keoghan’s characters, Anima has depth (if only barely more than a puddle) and dimension (if only no more than two).
The music, as you can likely guess, is made up almost entirely from tracks pulled from the Hurry Up Tomorrow album and earlier Tesfaye releases. There are a few notable exceptions: Frequent collaborator and Uncut Gems composer Daniel Lopatin teams up with Tesfaye once again to provide the score for Hurry Up Tomorrow, lacing the brooding visuals with the discordant ambient menace and mischievous experimentation that is the signature of his own long-running, pseudonymous project, Oneohtrix Point Never. I'd say this movie would've been a better album but… well, it's literally a movie based on an album.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is alive, if only barely.
Hurry Up Tomorrow gets the most conceptually interesting during its back half. In a series of dream-like vignettes, Shults obliquely references great works from the pantheon of cinematic madness: The Shining, Misery, Vanilla Sky, and American Psycho each get a nod. (He gets in on the snake-eating-its-own-tail act, too, throwing It Comes at Night – ominous recurring red door and all – into the mix.) Beyond these surface-level allusions, however, the film struggles and fails to assert its own identity. It’s an exquisite corpse of borrowed motifs and imagery resuscitated against its own will (and ours, too). It’s alive, if only barely.
Both the album Hurry Up Tomorrow and the film it inspired are positioned as Tesfaye's final bow as the Weeknd, signaling his transition from the moniker that first brought him fame into a more holistic artistic approach under his given name. Even still, its finale suggests that all his strenuous efforts to shut away the past and embrace the future will never truly eliminate this part of himself. I say, good riddance to bad rubbish.
A Nintendo Switch 2 port of Red Dead Redemption 2 could be out by the end of 2025, and there are reports of a next-gen upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S.
That's according to GameReactor, which reports sources "close to Rockstar" have said a Switch 2 version of Rockstar's Wild West romp is on the way, along with a "next-gen upgrade patch" that will also improve the game for current-gen systems (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S).
Though details are sketchy, GameReactor's sources assert the port and the upgrade patch could be out as early as later this year.
It echoes similar claims made by Nintenduo, which reports the Switch 2 version of Red Dead Redemption 2 should be released in Take-Two's current financial year, which ends March 31, 2026. It's unclear if the port will release digitally-only or be sold as a physical edition, too.
We considered Red Dead Redemption 2 a "masterpiece" when it released in 2018, awarding it a 10/10. IGN's Red Dead Redemption 2 review said: "Red Dead Redemption 2 is a game of rare quality; a meticulously polished open-world ode to the outlaw era."
Perhaps red Dead Redemption 2 coming to Switch 2 wouldn't come as a huge surprise. In a Q&A with investors following Take-Two's most recent financial results, CEO Strauss Zelnick answered a question about the publisher's support of the Switch 2 by saying he felt "great optimism" for Nintendo's new platform. In fact, he said Nintendo's support of third-party publishers this time around was better than it had been in the past.
"We're launching four titles with Nintendo Switch 2, and that's I think a bigger array of releases than we've ever offered before with a new Nintendo platform," he said. "Historically, being a third-party in the Nintendo business has been a bit challenging. I think Nintendo has been very forthcoming in addressing that. And we're stepping up too, because we have great optimism for the platform. In terms of what we would bring to any platform, we address it on a case-by-case basis, we obviously want to be where the consumers are. But we would not necessarily bring every title to every platform. There are also great catalog opportunities as well."
Specifically, Take-Two is bringing Civilization 7 (June 5, launch day), the NBA 2K and WWE 2K series (unclear which games, or when), and Borderlands 4 (September 12). Those admittedly aren't surprising inclusions, as Take-Two was already publishing all four franchises on the Nintendo Switch. But Zelnick's quote does make it sound like the door could be open in the future to other releases, especially from Take-Two's back catalog. GTA 6 probably won't make the cut, but perhaps GTA V or red Dead Redemption 2?
Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
The sale runs for one day only, May 16, from 9 AM to 11 PM. With that added store credit, you’ll then get to unlock money off future purchases. Earn enough, and you could even end up buying some free cards from this gorgeous set.
Still, while the above are incredibly pretty, several of the singles from the Final Fantasy MTG sets can be quite expensive (like with any TCG), especially with several borderless or Surge Foil cards skyrocketing towards $600.
So if the expense of buying these pricey options are putting you off, after grabbing the incredibly affordable FF MTG starter kit for $20, try grabbing one of my handpicked, top 10 MTG cards from the Final Fantasy set, and earn some extra credit to complete your collection by the time the set launches on June 13.
Traveling Chocobo
Even if you’re unable to grab one of the very rare limited edition gold version of the Traveling Chocobo, even the standard Creature is worth buying. That’s due to the awesome ability to look and play lands and Bird spells from the top of your library.
Vivi Ornitier
Aside from just saying “because it’s Vivi”, this Magic: The Gathering version of the iconic mage brings a lot of fun chaos to the game by being able to cast spells and deal damage quickly.
Summon: Shiva
Both a creature and saga, which is one of the interesting elements of the set. This comes with stun counter capabilities, and being able to draw more cards from chapter III, which make it a essential for Blue decks,
Tidus, Yuna's Guardian
Tidus may not come with any HA HA HAs, but this Commander card version of the Final Fantasy X protagonist is another great addition for Magic: The Gathering collectors — thanks to his handy counter-based capabilities.
Cloud, Ex-Solider
Providing lots of draw power whenever Cloud attacks, this is arguably the best Cloud card in the set. That's since you can make use of the extra generated Treasure Tokens to make equipping to your other creatures far easier — making it great for Commander decks.
Jumbo Cactuar
Get ready to execute fun combos with this prickly 1/7 customer. Jumbo Cactuar's for trolling your opponents, just like it does in Final Fantasy VIII.
Cecil, Dark Knight
An interesting legendary human knight who, when you meet the life total requirement to untap it, you can transform it into Cecil, Redeemed Paladin — which has a handy ability to give your other attacking creatures indestructible.
Kefka, Court Mage
Along with its jaw-dropping artwork in the 0322 borderless version, Kefka comes with an interesting ability to dismantle your opponent’s hand whilst building up your own with additional draws.
Sazh’s Chocobo
Both an adorable and reliable card that gives you a very impressive +1/+1 counter when a land you control enters. It may not be the best card in the set, but the 1 mana cost almost makes it a must.
Y ’shtola, Night’s Blessed
A powerful commander card, Y’shtola has some great flexibility to fit into a variety of decks that make this cat warlock a must-buy.
What Is TCGPlayer?
I think TCGPlayer is the smartest place to spend money if you know what cards you're chasing. Instead of rolling the dice on booster packs, you can just go buy the singles you want, or even check out other regions sets like with Pokémon TCG's Japanese Glory of Team Rocket set that Destined Rivals is drawing from.
It’s also where I go to check actual card values instead of relying on whatever price Amazon randomly assigns. There are deals to be had, you just have to be willing to search a bit. It’s TCG eBay, but cleaner.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
Netflix has announced it will roll out AI-generated advertising — including the dreaded pause ads — in the middle of its programming on the ad-supported tier from 2026.
The news, which was reported by Media Play News, doesn’t specify how the company will target the viewer for these ads; will they be individualized based on watch history? On whatever the viewer is watching at the time? At this point, we know next to nothing about how the ads will work on the backend, or even how they will be presented. But they are coming.
President of advertising Amy Reinhard recently revealed that the company sees its effort as a merging of the things Netflix excels in. “Either they have great technology, or they have great entertainment,” she explained at the recent Upfront for advertisers event in New York City. “Our superpower has always been the fact that we have both.”
The exec added: “When you compare us to our competitors, attention starts higher and ends much higher. And even more impressive, members pay as much attention to mid-roll ads as they do to the shows and movies themselves.”
Reinhard revealed ad-supported tier subscribers watch an average of 41 hours of Netflix per month, which, Kotaku worked out, equates to roughly three hours of ads per month for those viewers. That's a lot even if the ads aren’t AI. But in 2026, they will be.
Netflix has yet to give an official date for the change to be implemented.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Upon release back in 2020, American developer Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima was generally well-received for its fictionalized depiction of historical Japan. The game’s director Nate Fox recently talked about his commitment to bringing the same kind of cultural sensitivity to the upcoming Ghost of Yotei, emphasizing the importance of research, respect, and listening to cultural advisors.
While Ghost of Tsushima had us take on the role of Jin Sakai as he defends Tsushima from a Mongol invasion in the 13th century, Ghost of Yotei skips forward to 1603, where we play as female warrior Atsu in Ezo (modern day Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island). She is out to wreak vengeance on a band of outlaws who murdered her family.
Ghost of Tsushima paid homage to classic samurai movies (with its black-and-white “Kurosawa mode” named after legendary Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa), so it will be interesting to see if Ghost of Yotei takes any influence from Japan’s many movies featuring tough female warriors exacting revenge, like the Lady Snowblood series.
In a recent PlayStation Blog post, Ghost of Tsushima and Ghost of Yotei director Nate Fox talked about how the research trips to Japan have not only been the “best part” of working on the games, they have also been highly inspiring and eye-opening.
“Everyone from Sucker Punch that went on those reference gathering trips came back to the studio with a driving passion to bring a sense of authenticity to our fictional depiction of these real life places," he commented, emphasizing the importance of getting the feel for a place in person, and then using this experience to craft an original, in-game environment that matches the spirit of the real location.
Comments made by Ghost of Tsushima’s English-to-Japanese localization producer Daisuke “Dice” Ishidate on Twitter / X back in May 2024 echo these sentiments: “The Ghost of Tsushima development team told me that 'we want to create enjoyable entertainment, not a history lesson...' I think that maybe the reason for Ghost of Tsushima’s success is not objective historical accuracy but its subjective period drama-like style (and flair).” (As reported by Automaton).
Indeed, Ghost of Tsushima read like a thoughtfully researched love letter to historical Japan with a dash of classic samurai movie thrown in. What inaccuracies it has were mostly artistic license used to create a more entertaining and atmospheric experience for the player, and to make the game more accessible to wider audiences. For its depiction of samurai, Ghost of Tsushima tapped into later centuries and the pop culture image of samurai as katana wielders, when they predominantly used bow and arrow in the 13th century (archery expert Sensei Ishikawa is perhaps the closest character to the samurai of that period). As for accessibility, Jin can compose haiku (the most widely recognized type of Japanese poem), however the haiku form didn’t develop until centuries later.
Although Ghost of Tsushima’s towns, shrines, and environments do feel like experiencing a nature hike through Japan from the comfort of your sofa, the game took some liberties in allowing the player to experience all Japan’s seasons. The real Tsushima is subtropical, located between South Korea and Japan’s southernmost main island of Kyushu. The heavy snow that Jin encounters in Act 3 is anachronistic, as the real Tsushima is too far south to experience such weather. However, this gave players the chance to experience a sort of virtual postcard of the most iconic and famous aspects of each season in Japan. Wandering the game’s fictional Tsushima, the player moves between different seasons: abundant pink cherry blossoms bringing a splash of spring to your screen one second, only to be replaced by orangey brown autumn leaves when you enter another area.
As Fox explained, the digital Tsushima was never intended to be a perfect recreation of the island, but it was meant to faithfully capture the spirit of the place. In the PlayStation blog post, he commented: “We felt that by listening to our cultural advisors and by doing research, we could deliver a respectful representation of what made Tsushima so special... For Ghost of Yotei, we’re doing the same thing.”
Fox revealed that Sony picked Hokkaido for Ghost of Yotei’s setting because it is “unbelievably beautiful.” Upon visiting the place, Fox recounted that the dev team were struck by the contrast between the majestic views and the potential threat posed by the bears that inhabit Hokkaido’s Shiretoko National Park. “A perfect marriage of beauty and danger, that was the exact feeling we wanted for our game,” Fox enthused. Added to this, in 1603 when Ghost of Yotei is set, Hokkaido was a sparsely populated, harsh northern island, which the developers felt fit with the tale of a female warrior so hell-bent on revenge that the locals start to believe she is a demon.
However, official information about Ghost of Yotei has yet to mention how and if it will address Hokkaido’s complicated history of eventual colonization by Japan. How will Ghost of Yotei depict Hokkaido’s indigenous people, the Ainu, and their language and culture? Will it portray tensions between Japanese and Ainu populations? This could be a difficult part of the game to get right.
After release, Ghost of Tsushima met with mostly positive reception from Japanese gaming media and people, gaining a perfect score from Famitsu and winning two awards at the Japan Game Awards 2021. It has also been embraced by the real life island of Tsushima, with its popularity encouraging more tourists to visit the island. The game’s director Nate Fox and creative director Jason Connell were named cultural ambassadors to the island, for their role in drawing people’s attention to Tsushima and its history. If Ghost of Yotei becomes as successful as its predecessor, it might also bring more overseas tourists to Hokkaido. However, they should probably make sure they are better prepared than the British couple who recently got stranded on Mount Yotei.
Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.
KRAFTON has launched Title Update 35.2 for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS on PC. According to the devs, this update brings destructible environments to Taego, and expands tactical tools like vehicle camouflage. It also unifies gameplay elements across maps. So, let’s take a closer look at it. Patch 35.2 will let you physically alter the environment on the … Continue reading PUBG: Battlegrounds Patch 35.2 Released & Fully Detailed→
Darth Vader has arrived in Fortnite, and your AI buddy has a death grip on all manner of cool and strange features, including the ability to serenade to you (provided you only expect him to sing Star Wars and Disney-related songs).
As summarized by Epic Games partner Shiina, the Darth Vader AI can join and leave squads at will, respond intelligently to the player, issue cued and impromptu dialogue, summarize gameplay events, and warn the player if something's about to go down.
Darth Vader will also apparently urge you to seek professional help "if he realizes that your well-being is at risk," saying: "You are valued, Trooper. Seek assistance from the authorities. Your well-being is paramount."
If you've got a sweet spot for Vader, though, I'm sorry to inform you that Shiina reports "Darth Vader AI is NOT allowed to engage in a romantic relationship with players." And no, he won't tell you "what he did to the younglings," so don't risk his wrath by even asking.
But why read about it when you see him in action? Here's Darth Vader AI popping up unexpectedly in Nick Eh 30's match:
Darth Vader is, of course, voiced by the inimitable James Earl Jones, who sadly died in September 2024 at the age of 93. Epic Games said Darth Vader wouldn’t be "nearly as sinister without the legendary performance of James Earl Jones," adding it was "honored to feature" his voice and thanking his estate for "the opportunity to make this happen for players." Though it didn't elaborate there on how Vader's voice was recreated, elsewhere in an FAQ, Epic explained that the dialogue of Darth Vader's responses is AI-generated using Google's Gemini 2.0 Flash model, with the audio itself generated by ElevenLabs' Flash v2.5.
In a statement, the family of James Earl Jones said: "James Earl felt that the voice of Darth Vader was inseparable from the story of Star Wars, and he always wanted fans of all ages to continue to experience it. We hope that this collaboration with Fortnite will allow both longtime fans of Darth Vader and newer generations to share in the enjoyment of this iconic character."
Players under 13 or their country’s age of digital consent, whichever is higher, will need their parent or guardian’s permission to talk with Darth Vader. Parents can approve or deny Darth's shenanigans by heading to Epic Games' parental controls and selecting “allow voice and written communication with AI Features."
Fortnite is celebrating Star Wars in a big way this season. Called Galactic Battle, it arrived on May 2 and features not only a Star Wars-themed Battle Pass and a five-part saga with plenty of surprises, but also the arrival of Darth Jar Jar to the Battle Royale. The news was shared during Star Wars Celebration, and we got a tease of even more of the Star Wars fun headed our way before the season is up.
“Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the U.S. App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union. Now, sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it," Epic told IGN.
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.
TCGplayer has kicked off its one-day-only Mayhem sale, where you'll get 10% back in store credit on everything you buy on May 16, 2025 (singles, sealed products, preorders, and more all count).
Since it's a one-day event, and you likely don't have the time to dig through every possible option, I've done the hard work for you. Let's dig into the best Pokémon cards to buy today.
Top 10 Pokémon Cards to Buy Today
Since it's 10% cashback (well, store credit, give me a break), I narrowed this down to the top 10 Pokémon TCG chase cards that you should be adding to your basket right now.
This isn't just 10 random picks either, as all of these have featured in our Pokémon Card Market Watch weekly roundups: "Crashers and Climbers".
The most dramatic crash this week is Greninja ex 214/167, crashing by nearly half when compared the the start of this year.
Look the top 10 cards to buy line was good and all, but there's more to consider, so lets dig through some of the other hot sets and the best singles you can pick up from each as well.
For starters, Journey Together singles have been getting lower and lower as the weeks post-release roll on. Having a main chase card in Lillie's Clefairy ex 184/159 for under $200 showcases the kinder pull rates in this set.
Even the alternate rares in this set are very reasonable, with some going under $10 and arguably having better artwork than the secret art rares. Plenty of chase cards to add to your Mayhem sale cart here.
Destined Rivals Preorders
Destined Rivals is going to be one of the coolest expansions from the Scarlet and Violet era, with it's crown Jewel being Giovanni's Mewtwo SIR. Whilst single cards for this set not being available until launch on May 30, there's plenty of opportunities to get a cheeky discount on sealed product.
Getting 10% cashback on this set is practically a dream come true when there's so many expensive chase cards. Based of pricing right now, you could get $110 off Umbreon ex SIR.
That means you can get the most expensive chase card of Scarlet and Violet for a tidy $990. This is going to be the only chance you'll see this card going for under a grand.
Think about it like this: It’s Pokémon eBay, but cleaner. But the thing I’ve always liked about TCGplayer is it’s not just one warehouse selling cards. Every order goes through a network of local game stores and individual hobby sellers.
It’s one of the few ways you can buy cards online and still support small businesses in the process. The marketplace is massive, the prices are competitive, and I’ve never had an issue finding what I needed (or something I didn’t need until I saw it).
If your collection has been sitting in stasis or your decklist has a few too many question marks, this is a good time to fix that. You’ll get store credit for your next order just by doing what you were already planning to do.
Best of the Rest
Twilight Masquerade
Greninja ex SIR near mint for under $250? Yep, that's the kind of gains we're talking about in the Mayhem 10% cashback day on May 16. Fancy another banger to pop in your cart?
I want those ancient Johto dogs in my collection yesterday. Raging Bolt ex SIR, Walking Wake ex SIR and Gouging Fire ex SIR will give you a collective $17 store credit on TCG Player, bagging three amazing chase cards for $170.
That means you could then use that credit to buy the Gastly IR for $11.50.
So Groudon IR has dropped by 16% to $69 from $81.99, taking the extra 10% off gives you this epic card for $62.10. Realistically it's still $69 but you get $6.90 cashback on your account after the transaction, but the value is still there and you're obviously going to buy more cards. Admit it.
151
So $107.20 for Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Charmander IRs out of the gate, which have come down quite a bit in the last month anyway.
That deal alone will bag trainers $10.72 store credit to knock off another purchase, which is blooming (waters) marvelous.
Obsidian Flames
The main chase card of this set, Charizard ex SIR, is now down to $49.99. Ninetales IR has also come down 47% from a month ago to $18.17.
Not only have you bagged two awesome cards for your collection, you've also got $6.81 store credit. Winner.
Paldea Evolved
I want that Magikarp. You want that Magikarp. We both also want the new lower price and juicy $18.99 store credit for buying it too.
Gardevoir ex - 245/198 is a beautiful card, with the evolution line telling a beautiful story of Pokémon and trainers growing together.
This banger of a chase card has dropped by over 30% in value to $38, how awesome is that? The 10% $3.80 store credit for more price crashes is awesome too.
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.
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