The Resident Evil Requiem from The Game Awards finally confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy will return as the game’s second playable protagonist. Although he has aged a bit since we last saw him, Japanese fans have been taking to social media to praise Leon’s suave, older look.

Slated for a multiplatform release on February 27, 2026, Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline title in Capcom’s survival horror series. It will introduce new main character Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst who is investigating a series of mysterious deaths that seem to be linked to Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella Corp. researcher. While it seems that Grace’s parts of the game will play more like typical survival horror, the new trailer, below, gave fans a peek at Leon’s more action-orientated zombie-battling gameplay, complete with chainsaw. “Grace’s gameplay style is based on Resident Evil 2, whereas Leon’s is based on Resident Evil 4,” director Akifumi Nakanishi revealed in a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer.

Although Leon has always had his fans, the D.S.O agent’s middle-aged incarnation is getting much praise from Japanese speaking users on X. He’s already being affectionately called ikeoji (literally, “hot uncle” — a cool and attractive older guy). “Leon’s gradually becoming a hot uncle” one user mused. Sharing some screenshots, another user chimed in with “Leon’s aging in a cool way.” Another user summed up: “Resident Evil 9’s Leon is too hot. He’s 49 in this (as of 2026)? He’s so suave."

Fans are also getting inspired to draw Leon’s new look. “Leon in Resi 9’s new trailer is too damn fine,” said one user, posting the following fan art. “He’s aging in such a wonderful way, while retaining his coolness. I’m really looking forward to meeting this Leon,” enthused another user. “He’s turning into a hot older guy, like Keanu Reeves!” said one commenter.

RE9新トレーラーのレオンが良すぎて。 pic.twitter.com/PIkrWuylo1

— □ (@dbox_2525) December 12, 2025

Other eagle-eyed trailer viewers have noticed that Leon seems to have some kind of rash on his neck, prompting concerns that he has been infected. While many seem to be enjoying middle-aged Leon’s looks, others are worried as to whether he should still be fighting off mutants at his age, with one person saying: “I love Leon, but they should let him rest.” In the previously mentioned Denfaminicogamer interview, Resident Evil Requiem’s director revealed that Leon has a “major secret” that will have significant implications (but he’s keeping quiet on what exactly that is).

コメントで教えてもらったけど
レオン..感染してるのかい？...#バイオハザードレクイエム pic.twitter.com/6GY05WqofY

— それいけジェットでやってみよう！ (@neko_sougo) December 12, 2025

Legendary Japanese game developer Hideki Kamiya also weighed in on Leon’s new appearance and how some of Capcom’s beloved characters are getting long in the tooth. “Uncle Leon, at the very least, I would like for you to live happily in your old age,” Kamiya commented, sharing a timelapse of Leon’s aging face. In response, another user wrote that, although they were fine with game characters getting older, they hoped that Resident Evil and Devil May Cry characters could receive the happy ending they deserve. Replying to this, Kamiya mused: “Even if Dante became happy, won’t he always be poor?”

レオンおじさん…せめて老後は幸せに暮らして欲しい… https://t.co/EzsvnVHp54

— 神谷英樹🍀 Hideki Kamiya🍀 (@HidekiKamiya_X) December 12, 2025

Resident Evil Requiem’s devs have already revealed that switching between playing as Grace and Leon will be like “jumping into a cold bath after a hot sauna,” such is the contrast between the tense survival horror sneaking and Leon’s no-holds-barred action. According to director Akifumi Nakanishi, there will be an almost equal split between newcomer Grace and fan favorite Leon. "Although he’s a character who carries a lot on his shoulders, we took a lot of care in refining him into an 'ikeoji',” Nakanishi concluded. "The reactions to the trailer on that front have made us happy (laughs).”

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.

Monster Hunter Wilds Title Update 4 is finally here, and it makes a long list of gameplay and balance changes, as well as CPU/GPU improvements, load reduction, and the optimization of "PC-specific processes and addition of options and presets to reduce processing load."

Its development roadmap — detailed last week — hopes to address the myriad issues impacting the PC version. Despite director Yuya Tokuda's commitment to stability and improvements, dissatisfaction persists, and even with new content and seasons, fans remain unhappy with the state of the game.

Capcom said Title Update 4 introduces "an array of performance improvements across all platforms," focusing on CPU and GPU optimization and reducing processing load "with more than 100 under-the-hood improvements, among others."

"We'll follow this up in January with a PC-specific update with even more improvements, and are looking into further optimization for implementation in the February content update," the team explained last week. "We're committed to making Monster Hunter Wilds a great experience for all players. Thank you for your patience and continued support."

Monster Hunter Wilds Update 1.040 patch notes:

Major Additions and Changes

Monsters

• Arch-tempered Jin Dahaad has been added. (It will be made available in a future Event Quest.)
• Gogmazios has been added. Reach HR 100+ to unlock an extra mission that unlocks Gogmazios.
• Additional 9★ tempered monsters (Doshaguma etc.) will be added as event quests.
• Tempered (9★) Rathalos will now roam the Scarlet Forest, Oilwell Basin, and Wounded Hollow at Hunter Rank 100 or above.
• For quests with two or more targets, the minimum quest time has been raised, resulting in longer quest durations overall. For existing saved Investigations, if the quest time falls below the new minimum time, it will be adjusted accordingly.

Player

• Added new Support Hunters—Griffin (Great Sword), Nightmist (Light Bowgun), and Nadia—which will become available to join quests after completing the main mission "A Hunter's Pride." Nadia will only be available during a limited-time seasonal event, excluding certain quests.

Story Progression

• The extra mission "An Ancient Resting Place" has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the main mission "A First Cry" and reaching HR 100.)
• The extra mission "Ghosts Pay No Heed to Tomorrow" has been added. (This mission becomes available after having completed the extra mission "An Ancient Resting Place.")

Bases and Facilities

• A new Festival of Accord event will be held from December 19, 2025 to January 14, 2026.
• The following features will be temporarily modified during the Festival of Accord: the Handler's Outfit; Seikret decoration; the Diva's song list; the Grand Hub decorations; the Canteen's menu; Barrel Bowling; and Barrel Bowling Bombs.
• In the Grand Hub, The Diva's song list has been updated.
• Added new pin setups to Barrel Bowling.
• Added options to upgrade to and reinforce Gogma Artian Weapons at the Smithy.
• Added an option to perform Transcendent armor upgrades at the Smithy.
• In the Reinforce Artian Weapons menu at the Smithy, the default sorting order in the weapon selection list has been updated, and new sorting criteria have been added while existing ones have been adjusted.
• In the Dismantle Artian Weapons menu at the Smithy, new sorting criteria have been added for the weapon selection list while existing ones have been adjusted.
• When smelting Armor Spheres and ore at the Smelting Foundry, the Smelting Points obtained from certain monster materials has been increased.
• Added new sorting options for the following categories at the Quest Counter:
  Investigations: Most Attempts Left / Least Attempts Left
  Lobby Member Quests: No Passcode / Newly Started Quests / Open Member Slots
• Adjusted the ordering of completed side missions within the Recommended sort option for Optional Quests at the Quest Counter.
• Adjusted the ordering of quests displayed under SOS Flare Quests, Lobby Member Quests, and Link Member Quests at the Quest Counter so that quests set to Auto-accept appear before those set to Manual Accept, making Auto-accept quests easier to identify."
• Added a Quest Last Played quick access option to the Quest Counter menu.
• Removed the Settings category from the Quest Counter menu. Settings can now be accessed directly via a shortcut button which varies by platform.
• When beginning a Field Survey or saving as an Investigation from the map, a Begin Survey prompt has been added to the summary and the corresponding tooltip icons have been adjusted.
• Added a feature that sends an important message notification at the start of a quest to remind players to use a Lucky Voucher. (This notification can be toggled on or off in the Quest Counter Settings.)
• Added an option to reset settings to their default in the Training Area.
• When opening the Customize Radial Menu screen from the Start Menu, the game will now automatically detect the input device in use and display the appropriate controller or keyboard-specific screen.
• Adjusted the display of monster icons, bonus rewards, and quest difficulty to improve visibility for the following Environment Overview events:
  – Monsters troubling settlements
  – Multiple target quests
  – Pack quests

System

• CPU/GPU optimization will be implemented across all hardware by:
  – Applying frame distribution, reviewing collision detection, and reducing the number of simultaneous effects to optimize processing time.
  – Reducing the overall load by eliminating unnecessary processing.
  – Implementing over 100 performance improvements for players, monsters, Seikret, Palicoes, NPCs, GUI, effects, gimmicks, and more.
• When a communication error message is displayed, player movement and camera control will now remain available.
  Note: Depending on your settings in Open Menu Controls, player movement may still be disabled.
• The Hunter Friends list will now display in order of most recent login time.
• SOS Flare Quests will now include Arch-tempered monsters as targets.
  Note: These are treated as separate targets compared to regular monsters.
• The following Event Quests can now be accepted even during offline mode:
  – A Silent Flash (Arch-tempered Rey Dau)
  – These Roots Run Deep (Arch-tempered Uth Duna)
  – Be Cursed, Ye Shadowy Flame (Arch-tempered Nu Udra)
  – Planetes Protocol (Savage)
• 2 Dragon Ammo can now be obtained during one round of crafting.

Miscellaneous

• Made adjustments so that the player can no longer be pushed by the handler while in Photo Mode.

Bug Fixes and Balance Adjustments

Bases and Facilities

• Sorting armor by skill now also highlights the individual armor pieces that have the skill.
• The "Equipment Skills" sort criterion in the Equipment Box now only displays available skills possessed by equipment you own.
• Equipment appearance loadouts now include an option for registering the currently applied hair design data.
• Layered armor in the Equipment Appearance menu can now be filtered by α and β types.

Monsters

• Fixed an issue where, if the player moves locales after the Jin Dahaad notification appears (indicating that Jin Dahaad is moving from the Iceshard Cliffs to Rimechain Peak) but before Jin Dahaad completes its move, the Jin Dahaad quest will fail to spawn.
• Fixed an issue with the High Purrformance Barrel Puncher where Focus Strikes were not contributing correctly to the combo count.
• Fixed an issue where Uth Duna's veil destruction animation could be canceled by another action, causing the veil to remain intact.
• Fixed an issue where canceling Arkveld's Unleashed state (in which its chainblades sweep out in a wider area) during certain actions would fail and instead restore the damage required to cancel the state.

Player

General

• Increased the max elemental values possible for the player's status.
• Reduced the size of the reaction when performing a Perfect Guard against an attack that would cause a small knockback when guarding.
• You can now chain from a Perfect Guard reaction more quickly into certain actions after performing a Perfect Guard against a powerful attack when using the sword & shield, great sword, lance, gunlance, charge blade, or heavy bowgun.
• Fixed an issue where the Hook Slinger's range would be reduced when the capture net is equipped.
• Fixed an issue where there was not enough guide info displaying when the player receives a restraining attack from a large monster.
• Fixed an issue where the player would move much more quickly than intended during certain actions.
• Fixed an issue where using The Blackest Night behind a Giant Ice Chunk during Jin Dahaad's powerful attack could cause the player to still take damage from the attack.
• Fixed an issue where you could take damage from the Palico's Water Gun reaction when carrying a Barrel Bowling Bomb.
• Fixed an issue where certain inputs during the Pumpkin Head gesture could prevent you from being able to dash.
• Fixed an issue where the Water Gun gesture could not be performed when equipped with Omega's Sword or Omega's Rod.
• Fixed an issue that would cause the player to thank Support Hunters at unintended times in response to their support actions.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the Fender collaboration gesture from appearing correctly to other players during online play.
• Fixed an issue where the player's longsword would not sit correctly in its sheath when performing the pose Battle-Ready Pose (Extra).
• Fixed an issue where canceling the Pumpkin Head gesture under certain conditions would temporarily cause the player's hair to disappear.

Great Sword

• Raw damage and elemental scaling for Charged Slash, Strong Charged Slash, and True Charged Slash have been increased.
• Fixed an issue preventing the player from guarding again for a while depending on whether any directional inputs occurred after a Perfect Guard.

Long Sword

• Special Sheathes will now take longer to be automatically deactivated if the player is waiting during a Special Sheathe.
• Spirit Release Slash will no longer hit captured monsters.
• Fixed an issue preventing the player from unsheathing their weapon for a while if there is no directional input after a Spirit Release Slash.

Sword & Shield

• Adjusted the hitbox of Perfect Rush to make it easier for some inputs to land.
• Forward Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Forward Slash now combos into Lateral Slash more smoothly than before.
• Perfect Guard now transitions into a regular Guard slightly more quickly.
• Perfect Guard now combos into a Lateral Slash slightly more quickly.
• Fixed an issue where the Sidestep Slash behavior during Focus Mode differed depending on the control type settings.
• Fixed an issue that prevents you from performing basic actions after drawing your weapon from a stationary position.

Dual Blades

• The amount of weapon sharpness consumed while performing Focus Strike: Turning Tide or Turning Tidedrill has been reduced.
• Made adjustments to keep Demon Boost Mode active even after sheathing your weapon.
• You can now exit Demon Mode mid-movement after performing a Demon Dodge in Demon Boost Mode.
• Fixed an issue where the Focus Strike: Turning Tide action was canceled after deflecting off certain monster parts.
• Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls that prevented you from moving in the intended direction after dodging in Demon Mode.

Hammer

• During a Follow-up Spinslam, you can now use movement inputs to extend your movement distance during the attack.
• Fixed an issue where portions of Focus Blow: Earthquake were dealing fixed raw damage.
• Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls where moving in certain directions after an Overhead Smash would cancel the movement.

Hunting Horn

• Performance Beat raw damage has been increased slightly.
• Fixed a bug where the performance effects and attack timings were misaligned with player actions during certain performances.

Lance

• High Thrust III and Mid-Thrust I, II, and III raw damage has been increased.
• Grand Retribution Thrust and Double Counter-thrust raw damage has been increased.
• Triple Thrust raw damage and elemental scaling have been increased.
• Perfect Guard now chains into other actions more quickly.
• The damage reduction rate for large guard reactions during a guard or Perfect Guard has been increased.
  Note: The Guard Up damage reduction rate will apply for attacks that become blockable due to the skill effect.
• Fixed an issue with Type 2 Directional Controls where Leaping Thrust could not be performed in the intended direction from a stationary position.

Gunlance

• The Wyrmstake Cannon was adjusted to make it easier to hit monsters.
• Wyrmstake Cannon attacks in Focus Mode have been adjusted to make it easier to fire in the direction of the reticle.
• The damage reduction rate for large guard reactions during a guard or Perfect Guard has been increased.
  Note: The Guard Up damage reduction rate will apply for attacks that become blockable due to the skill effect.
• Fixed an issue where Wyrmstake Shots would disappear if a Wyrmstake Cannon attack hit another player.

Switch Axe

• Sword: Counter Rising Slash can now be chained into a sidestep.
• Sword: Counter Rising Slash has increased invulnerability to knockback, and can be quickly chained into an evade.
• You can now evade while charging Unbridled Slash and Full Release Slash.
• You can now quickly chain into an evade when landing after performing a Zero Sum Discharge Finisher.
• Focus Assault: Morph Combination was adjusted to make it easier to hit wounds and weak points.
• Focus Assault: Morph Combination raw damage has been increased.
• Raw damage has been increased for Sword: Overhead Slash, Sword: Right Rising Slash, Sword: Left Rising Slash, and Sword: Heavenward Flurry.
• Unbridled Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Element scaling for multi-hit attacks and raw damage has been increased for Element Discharge and Zero Sum Discharge.
• Axe: Spiral Burst Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Raw damage has been increased for Sword: Downward Fade Slash, Sword: Morph Double Slash, and Axe: Morph Rising Double Slash.
• Sword: Morph Slash raw damage has been increased when chaining from an evade in Sword Mode.
• Fixed an issue where the values on the status screen for Dragon Phial, Poison Phial, Paralysis Phial, and Exhaust Phial would show a higher number than the maximum possible value. *This does not change the actual functionality, just the numbers that are displayed.

Charge Blade

• Hit stops that occur during multi-hit attacks in Power Axe Mode have been reduced.
  Note: "Hit stops" are visual effects where your movement temporarily freezes or slows down when an attack connects with a monster.
• During Axe: Morph Slash, the window for utilizing guard points or executing a Perfect Guard has been extended, and the actions will now trigger sooner.
• Savage Axe Slash raw damage has been increased.
• Axe: Element Discharge and other attacks now chain into moves like Axe: Morph Slash more quickly.
• The first hit of Axe: Element Discharge II now chains into Axe: Morph Slash.
• Focus Slash: Double Rend can now chain into Axe: Morph Slash.
• Focus Slash: Double Rend can now chain into other actions more quickly.
• Fixed an issue where Axe: Element Discharge II couldn't chain into Axe: Amped Element Discharge when certain inputs were used.
• Fixed an issue when initiating a guard where there was a delay before turning in the intended direction.
• Fixed an issue where the button guide display differed from the actual inputs during certain Sword: Morph Slash combos.

Insect Glaive

• You can now chain into a Descending Slash using short button inputs. The Charge Level will increase depending on the preceding attacks.
  Note: With the right timing, you can use △+○ (PS5) / Y+B (Xbox) / Default Left + Right Click (PC) to chain into a Descending Slash.
• Sidestep Slash and Sidestep Slash Combo raw damage has been increased, and attack speed after harvesting all three extracts has been raised.
• The player will no longer be knocked back after initiating a Rising Spiral Slash.
• Jumping Slash/Strong Jumping Slash can now chain into a Descending Slash/Strong Descending Slash.
• Fixed an issue where certain charged attacks would not chain into a Descending Slash during Focus Mode, even after releasing the charge.
• Fixed an issue where the Kinsect behaved abnormally while performing a Focus Strike: Leaping Thrust on certain monsters, such as Nu Udra.
• Fixed an issue where the Kinsect stopped moving after encountering ledges in certain terrain.

Light Bowgun

• Focus Blast: Eagle Strike Rapid Fire Gauge recovery amount has been greatly increased.
• Chaser Shot responsiveness has been improved, and it is now easier to chain into evades or other shots after firing.
• Rapid Chaser Shot responsiveness has been improved, and it is now easier to chain into evades or other shots after firing.
• Burst Step now chains more easily into Rapid Chaser Shot.
• Adhesive Ammo explosions now restore the Rapid Fire Gauge.
• Wyvernblast raw damage has been increased, and the cooldown time has been greatly reduced.
• It is now easier to chain into basic actions after setting up a Wyvernblast.
• Normal Ammo raw damage has been increased.
• Normal Ammo Chaser Shot raw damage has been increased.
• Normal Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
• The raw damage of the final shot of Normal Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot has been increased.
• The number of shots from Pierce Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot has been increased.
• Spread Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
• The raw damage and elemental values of elemental ammo Rapid Chaser Shot (excluding Dragon Ammo) has been increased.
• Elemental ammo Rapid Chaser Shot (excluding Dragon Ammo) firing rate has been increased.
• Dragon Ammo Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased.
• Dragon Ammo has shorter time between hits and is more likely to hit monsters.
• Dragon Ammo max effective range has been increased.
• Rapid Chaser Shot firing rate has been increased when using Poison Ammo, Paralysis Ammo, and Sleep Ammo.
• Reduced the amount of Rapid Fire Gauge consumed by ammo that can be used for rapid fire.
• Fixed an issue where moving diagonally while aiming could cause you to move much slower than intended.

Heavy Bowgun

• Wyverncounter Ignition now restores Ignition Gauge upon a successful offset.
• The player is no longer knocked back when firing Wyverncounter Ignition.
• The responsiveness of Wyverncounter Ignition between loading and firing the attack has been improved.
• Wyverncounter Ignition now chains more easily into other actions after firing.
• You can now chain into guarding or sidestepping when readying Wyvernblast Ignition or Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl. The evade performed when readying or after firing these moves has also been changed to a sidestep.
• Reduced the amount of Ignition Gauge that Wyvernblast Ignition consumes.
• Wyvernblast Ignition raw damage and Fire damage has been increased.
• Wyvernblast Ignition now chains more quickly into guards, evades, and other actions after firing.
• Wyvernpiercer Ignition raw damage and max number of hits has been increased.
• Wyvernheart Ignition raw damage has been increased.
• Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl now restores Ignition Gauge when hitting weak points or destroying wounds.
• The responsiveness of Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl between loading and firing the attack has been improved.
• Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl now chains more easily into other actions after firing.
• Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl raw damage has been increased.
• Dragon Ammo has shorter time between hits and is more likely to hit monsters.
• Dragon Ammo max effective range has been increased.
• Ignition Mode ST I and II damage multiplier scaling has been increased. (Affects Wyvernpiercer Ignition, Wyvernheart Ignition, and Focus Blast: Wyvern Howl.)
• Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, player actions would become erratic while performing Stalwart Guard.

Bow

• Dragon Piercer and Arc Shot raw damage has been increased.
• Increased the raw damage of Tracer arrows and Fuse arrows.
• Charged Shot, Power Shot, Power Volley, and Thousand Dragons raw damage and elemental scaling has been increased.
• Power Coating and Piercing Coating raw damage scaling has been increased.
• Coating application speed has been increased.
• You can now chain from a Charging Sidestep into loading a Tracer arrow.
• Fixed an issue where damage scaling and the effects of the Partbreaker skill were not reflected properly when destroying multiple wounds or weak points at the same time with Focus Fire: Hailstorm.
• Fixed an issue where stamina would not naturally recover under certain conditions when performing a backward Discerning Dodge.

Skills

• Guard Up: Now also reduces damage taken when guarding regardless of the attack. The skill details are now as follows:
  Reduces damage taken when guarding and allows you to guard against ordinarily unblockable attacks.
  Level 1: Reduces damage taken by 10%, plus an additional 20% when conditions are met.
  Level 2: Reduces damage taken by 20%, plus an additional 30% when conditions are met.
  Level 3: Reduces damage taken by 30%, plus an additional 50% when conditions are met.
• Charge Up: Now also boosts the damage of Hammer charged attacks.
• Ballistics: Now also boosts the raw damage of Level 3 shots made at critical range.
• Elemental Absorption: Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations.
• Flayer: Increased the activation rate and effect strength.
• Flayer: When activated, the skill deals bonus damage even if a monster part has exceeded its maximum wound limit.
• Flayer: Fixed an issue where the skill activation notification would not display in high-rank quests when triggering bonus damage (after enough buildup value has been accumulated).
• Binding Counter (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect duration.
• Flawless Armor (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect strength.
• Protein Fiend (Set Bonus Skill): Increased the effect duration and the Level 2 effect strength.
• Bad Blood (Set Bonus Skill): Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength.
• Scorcher (Set Bonus Skill): Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength.
• Whiteflame Torrent: Reduced the cooldown time between skill activations, and increased the effect strength when used together with the set bonus skill Scorcher.
• The following weapon moves for each weapon have been added to the pool of moves that can trigger bonus damage skills:
  Long Sword: Spirit Thrust, Spirit Helm Breaker, Spirit Blade II
  Hammer: Charged Upswing, Mighty Charge Upswing, Mighty Charge Slam
  Lance: Triple Thrust
  Gunlance: Wyrmstake Cannon, Wyrmstake Full Blast, Multi Wyrmstake Full Blast
  Charge Blade: Sword: Condensed Element Slash, Axe: Amped Element Discharge, Axe: Super Amped Element Discharge
  Insect Glaive: Descending Thrust, Strong Descending Thrust, Descending Slash, Strong Descending Slash
  Heavy Bowgun: Wyvernheart Ignition, Wyvernpiercer Ignition
  Bow: Thousand Dragons, Piercing Coating on normal arrows and Tracers, Power Shot (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied), Power Volley (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied), Flying Swallow Shot (excluding when Piercing Coating is applied)
• Binding Counter (Set Bonus Skill): Fixed an issue where the skill activation would unintentionally carry over after resetting a challenge quest.
• Bubbly Dance (Set Bonus Skill): Fixed an issue where the required evasion count for activating the skill would not reset during challenge quests.

Support Hunters

• Slightly increased the attack power for Olivia, Rosso, Mina, and Kai for when the quest leader is at HR 50 or higher.
• Improved the response of Support Hunters when the player has not performed any attacks for a certain period of time: it is less likely for Support Hunters to stop attacking, and they also return to combat faster after the player resumes attacking.
• Fixed an issue where Support Hunters could lose health and faint even after a quest has been completed.
• Fixed an issue where Support Hunters would go into standby near a trap placed for a Nerscylla Clone (during the Omega Planetes hunt) even if the trap would have no effect.
• Fixed an issue where in some situations Support Hunters would not attack Omega Planetes even when standing near it.
• Fixed an issue where Mina would aim for out-of-reach body parts on certain monsters.
• Fixed an issue where a monster would not enter the Power Clash state when Rosso successfully triggers a Power Clash.
• Fixed an issue where system messages would not properly appear when the host player received melody effects from Kai's Performances.
• Fixed an issue where Support Hunters would unintentionally and repeatedly use Flash Pods or traps.
• Fixed an issue where weapon and slinger ammo would unintentionally disappear upon hitting a Support Hunter mounted on a Seikret.

Seikret

• When riding a Seikret and attempting to use an item, the item use will not be cancelled even if the Seikret performs an automatic evasion at the same moment.
• It now takes less time for the Seikret to be able to speed up again after performing an automatic evasion.
• Fixed an issue where performing a jumping dismount from the Seikret could unintentionally call the Seikret again even if no inputs were made at the time.

Miscellaneous

System

• Limited bounties under the categories "Research Help: Monsters", "Research Help: Fishing", and "Research Help: Endemic Life" have been adjusted to reward more armor spheres.
• Fixed an issue where some lobbies where joining is limited to Lobby ID Search could still be joined via Hunter Friend Search.
• Fixed an issue where you could not post or join quests in online lobbies after switching your crossplay settings from "Disable" to "Enable" in the title screen options.
• Fixed an issue where, under certain conditions, a chat notification claiming a seasonal event would be "Ending Soon" would mistakenly appear even if there is significant time left for the event.
• The squad member list now shows the name of your active squad in the header.
• You can now also send Hunter Friend requests from the squad member list.
• Made slight adjustments to the flow for editing and deleting widgets in the Hunter Profile.
• Removed the confirmation window that appeared when finishing editing Hunter Profile widgets.
• Fixed an issue where the The Equipment Loadouts widget in the Hunter Profile would show mistakenly updated reinforcement bonuses for Artian weapons.
• Exiting your Hunter Profile now prompts a confirmation window.
• Added a confirmation window to the Reset Widgets function in the Hunter Profile (to help prevent accidental resets).
• In addition to how many you currently own, the save data selection screen now shows you the max number of Character and Palico Edit Vouchers you can own.
• New text has been added to the end of each Support Hunter profile briefly explaining their strengths.
• Moved the in-game tips related to Lagiacrus from "Hunting" to "Lagiacrus" in the Tip List category of the Play Guide.
• Using the Take All function with Nata's Material Retrieval feature now displays the names and amount of all items you are obtaining.
• Omitted the confirmation window that appears when selecting an item for Material Retrieval.
• Added an option to the supply item confirmation window to let you discard items from the item pouch.
• The endemic life menu at Ecological Research now shows how the current number of captured creatures and the max number possible.
• Adjusted the icons so that, when outside of combat, parts removed from monsters (such as tails) are easier to find.
• The red wave effect on the health gauge (the effect that triggers when your health is at critical levels) is now disabled when the "Health Gauge Warning" option is set to "Do Not Display".
• A new "Hide During Combat" setting has been added to the "Hide Other Seikret" option.
• A new "Radial Menu Selection Type" option has been added.
• Adjusted the text and icons that appear in the fishing controls.

Handler

• The Handler will now avoid getting too close to large monsters.

Palico

• Fixed an issue where the Palico would cancel in-progress support moves when the player performs certain actions, such as a Focus Strike with a bow.
• Fixed an issue where the Palico would continue to glow after performing certain inputs during the Hocus Palicosus gesture.
• Fixed an issue where your Palico could become stuck and unable to descend the cliff at the entrance to Area 17 in the Oilwell Basin.

Other

• Fixed an issue where some voice lines would not trigger properly.
• Fixed various text issues.
• Fixed other miscellaneous issues.

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

Gaston, the swole villain from Beauty and the Beast, will reportedly be the next Disney baddie to get the live-action movie treatment.

Following in the footsteps of Maleficent and Cruella de Vil, Deadline reports that development has begun on a Gaston standalone picture.

It's believed that the movie will feature an all-new version of the character — depicted in Disney's 1992 animated classic as a self-entitled sexist. Luke Evans previously portrayed the character in live-action in the 2017 Emma Watson-starring Beauty and the Beast remake.

Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has released the Cold Snap update alongside lengthy patch notes for version 1.7.0 of the extraction shooter.

As announced, the headline gameplay change here is the Cold Snap map condition, but there’s also the start of the Flickering Flames event. Players also have the Expedition Departure Window to consider, the new free Raider Deck ‘Goalie’ coming on December 26, and new quests and items. We've got a full rundown of all the new content in the Cold Snap update as well as the gameplay changes.

But the focus here is on the just-released 1.7.0 patch. Highlights include Skill Tree Reset functionality, the addition of an option to toggle Aim Down Sights, Raider Tool customization, the Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap, the Aphelion blueprint drop moved from the Matriarch to Stella Montis, and various festive items “to get you into the holiday spirit.” It’s also worth noting an improved Stella Montis spawn distance to address the issue of players spawning too close to each other.

The patch notes, below (from the official Arc Raiders website), detail various balance changes alongside explanations from Embark Studios. And there are various fixes. Strap yourself in — this is a long one.

Arc Raiders Cold Snap update 1.7.0 Patch Notes:

Balance Changes

Weapons:

Bettina

Dev note: These changes aim to make the Bettina a bit less reliant on bringing a secondary weapon. The weapon should now be a bit more competent in PVP, without tipping the scales too much. Data shows that this weapon is still the highest performing PVE weapon at its rarity (Not counting the Hullcracker). The durability should also feel more in line with our other assault rifles.

• Durability Burn Rate has been reduced from ~0.43% to ~0.17% per shot
  • In practice, it used to take about 12 full magazines to fully deplete durability, but now it takes 26 (also accounting for the increased magazine size).
• Base Magazine Size has been increased from 20 to 22
• Base Reload Time has been reduced from 5 to 4.5

Rattler

Dev note: Even though the Rattler isn't intended to compete with the Stitcher or Kettle at close ranges, it is receiving a minor buff to bring its PVP TTK at lower levels a bit closer to the Stitcher and Kettle. The weapon should remain in its intended role as a more deliberate weapon where players are expected to dip in and out of cover, fire in controlled bursts, and manage their reloads.

• Base Magazine Size has been increased from 10 to 12

ARC:

Shredder

• Reduced the amount of knockback applied by weapons. Increased movement speed and turning responsiveness.
• Increased health of the Shredder's head to prevent cases where its head could be shot off, leading to unintended behavior.
• Improved Shredder navigation to reduce getting stuck on corners, narrow spaces, and short obstacles.
• Increased the speed at which the Shredder enters combat when taking damage and when in close proximity to players.
• Increased the number of parts on the Shredder that can be individually destroyed.

Content and Bug Fixes

Achievements

• Achievements are now enabled in the Epic store.

Animation

• Fixed an issue where picking up a Field Crate with a Trigger ’Nade attached could cause the character to slide or move without input.
• Fixed an issue where combining Snap Hook with ziplines or ladders could store momentum and propel the player long distances.
• Fixed an issue where the running animation could appear incorrect after a small drop when over-encumbered.
• Fixed interaction animations: interactions now end correctly when performing a dodge roll; interacting while holding items or deployables no longer causes arm twisting; updated crouch repair to use the correct animation.
• Added physical based secondary movement to character skins and equipment.

ARC

• Fixed an issue where deployables attached to enemies could cause them to launch or clip out of bounds when shot.
• Missiles no longer reverse course after passing a target and can correctly track targets at different elevations.
• Sentinel
  • Fixed a bug where the Sentinel laser did not reach the targeted player over greater distances.
• Surveyor
  • Disabled vaulting onto ARC Surveyors to prevent unintended launches when they are moving.
• Fixed an issue where Bombardier projectiles could shoot through the Matriarch shield from the outside.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where Gas, Stun, and Impulse Mines did not play their trigger sound or switch their light to yellow when triggered by being shot.
• Increased the number of simultaneous footstep sounds and increased their priority.
• Fixed an issue where footsteps in metal stairs became very quiet when walking slowly.
• Improved directional sound for ARC enemies.
• Added sounds for sending and receiving text chat messages in the main menu.
• Removed the unsettling "mom?" from Speranza cantina ambient sound.
• Tweaked the loudness of announcements in various Main Menu screens.
• Number of small audio bugfixes and polish.

Maps

• Fixed an issue with spawning logic which could cause players who were reconnecting at the start of a session to spawn next to other players who had just joined.
• Various collision, geometry, VFX and texture fixes that address gaps in terrain which made players fall through the map or walk inside geometry, stuck spots, camera clipping through walls, see-through geometry, floating objects, texture overlaps, etc.
• Fixed an issue with the slope of the Raider Hatch that was too steep for downed raiders to crawl on top of it.
• Security Lockers are now dynamically spawned across all maps instead of being statically placed.
• Fixed Raider Caches not spawning during Prospecting Probes in some cases.
• Fixed lootable containers and Supply Drops spawning inside terrain on The Dam and Blue Gate, ensuring they are accessible.
• Fixed an issue where doors could appear closed for some players despite being open.
• Electromagnetic Storm: Lightning strikes sometimes leave behind a valuable item.
• Increased the number of possible Great Mullein spawn locations across all maps.
• Dam Battlegrounds
  • Moved the Matriarch's spawn point in Dam Battlegrounds to an area that better plays to her strengths.
• Spaceport
  • Adjusted the locked room protection area in Container Storage on Spaceport to not affect players outside the room.
• Blue Gate
  • Locked Gate map condition has been added.
  • Adjusted map bounds near a ledge in Blue Gate to improve navigation and reduce abrupt out-of-bounds stops.
  • Improved tree LODs in Blue Gate to reduce overly dark visuals at distance.
  • Fixed the issue where loot would spawn outside the Locked Room in the Village.
  • Added props and visual cues to the final camp in the quest ‘A First Foothold’ to make objective locations easier to find.
• Stella Montis
  • Increased some item and blueprint spawn rates in Stella Montis.
  • Some breachable containers on Stella Montis no longer drop Rubber Ducks when using the A Little Extra skill (sorry).
  • Adjusted window glass clarity in Stella Montis to improve visibility.

Miscellaneous

• General crash fixes (including AMD crashes).
• Added Skill Tree Reset functionality in exchange for Coins, 2,000 Coins per skill point.
• Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap (800).
  • Dev note: We decided to implement a cap so that players won’t be able to fully unlock new Raider Decks by accumulating Cred and added more items to Shani’s store to purchase using Cred. We believe that the Raider Decks offer a rewarding experience to enjoy while players engage with the game, and a large Cred wallet undermines this goal. We will not be removing Cred that has been accumulated before the introduction of the soft cap.
• Added Raider Tool customization.
• Fixed a bug that caused players to spawn on servers without their gear and in default customization resulting in losing loadout items.
• For ranks up to Daredevil I, leaderboards now have a 3x promotion zone for the top 5 players. New objectives have been added.
• Fixed an issue where the tutorial door breach could be canceled, preventing the cutscene from playing and blocking progression.
• Fixed an issue where players could continue breaching doors while downed.
• Fixed an issue where accepting a Discord invite without having your account linked could fail to place you into the inviter’s party.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused textures and meshes to flicker between higher and lower quality states.
• Depth of field amount is now scaled correctly depending on your resolution scale.
• Fixed an issue where returning to the game after alt-tabbing could prevent movement and ability inputs while camera controls still worked.
• Improved input handling when the game window regains focus to avoid unexpected input mode switches.
• Skill Tree
  • Effortless Roll skill now provides greater stamina cost reduction.
  • The Calming Stroll skill now applies while moving in ADS.

Movement

• Fixed a traversal issue that blocked jumping/climbing in certain areas while crouched.
• Fixed an issue where climbing ladders over open gaps could cause automatic detachment.
• A slight stamina cost has been added for entering a slide.
• Acceleration has been reduced when doing a dodge roll from a slide.

UI

• Added an option to toggle Aim Down Sights.
• Added a new ‘Cinematic’ graphics setting to enhance visuals for high end PCs.
• Fixed an issue where returning to the game after alt-tabbing could prevent movement and ability inputs while camera controls still worked.
• Improved input handling when the game window regains focus to avoid unexpected input mode switches.
• Codex
  • Improved accuracy of tracking damage dealt in player stats.
  • Field-crafted items now properly count toward Player Stats in the Codex.
  • Fixed missing sound in Codex Records.
  • Added a Codex section to rewatch previously seen videos.
• Console
  • Updated PlayStation 5 controller button prompts with improved icons for Options and Share.
  • Fixed a crash when using Show Profile from the Player Info on Xbox.
• Customization
  • You can now rotate your character in the customization screen. Also fixed an issue where the first equip could trigger an unintended unequip.
  • Added notifications in Character Customization to highlight recently unlocked items.
  • Fixed an issue where equipment customization items bought from the Loadout screen were not equipped after pressing Equip on the purchase screen.
• End of round
  • Further reduced the frequency of the end of round feedback survey pop up.
  • Added an optional Round Feedback button on the final end-of-round screen to open a short post-match survey.
• Expedition Project
  • Added a show/hide tooltip hint to the Raider Projects screens (Expedition and Seasonal).
  • Added 'Expeditions Completed' to Player Stats.
  • Added resource tracking for Expedition stages: Raider Projects now display required amounts and progress, with the tracker updating during rounds.
  • Added reward display to Raider Projects, showing the rewards for each goal and at Expedition completion.
  • Fixed an input conflict in Raider Projects where tracking a resource in Expeditions could also open the About Expeditions window; the on-screen prompt is now hidden while adding to Load Caravan.
• Inventory
  • Fixed an issue where closing the right-click menu in the inventory could reset focus to a different slot when using a gamepad.
  • Fixed flickering in the inventory tooltip.
  • Opening the inventory during a breach now cancels the interaction to prevent a brief animation glitch.
  • Adjusted the inventory screen layout to prevent tooltips from appearing immediately upon opening.
  • Fixed an issue where the weapon slot right-click menu in the inventory would not appear after navigating from an empty attachment slot with a controller.
• In-game
  • Fixed an issue where the climb prompt would not appear on a rooftop ladder in Blue Gate.
  • Resolved an issue where certain interaction icons could fail to appear during gameplay.
  • Fixed "revived" events not being counted.
  • Fixed an issue where the zipline interaction prompt could remain on a previously used zipline, preventing interaction with a new one; prompts now clear when out of range.
  • Quick equip item wheel now has a stable layout and no longer collapses items towards the top when there are empty slots in the inventory.
  • Updated in-game text across multiple languages based on localization review and player survey feedback.
  • Added a cancel prompt when preparing to throw grenades and other throwable items.
  • Fixed in-game input hints to match your current key bindings and show clear hold/toggle labels. Clarified binoculars hints when using aim toggle and updated hints for SnapHook and integrated binoculars to support aiming.
  • Tutorial hints now stay on screen briefly after you perform the suggested action to improve readability and avoid abrupt dismissals.
  • Fixed an issue where input hints could remain on screen after being downed.
  • HUD markers that are closer to the player now appear on top for improved legibility.
  • Fixed issue where items sometimes displayed the wrong icon.
  • Fixed issue where user hints were sometimes shown when spectating.
  • Strongroom racks and power stations now display a distinct color when full of carryables to indicate that it has been completed. Example: Ancient Fort Strongroom.
  • Fixed an issue where reconnecting to a match could leave your character in a broken state with incorrect HUD elements and a misplaced camera.
  • Slightly delayed the initial loot screen opening and the transition from opening to searching during interactions.
• Main Menu
  • Added a Live Events carousel to the main menu and enabled click/hover interactions on the Raider Project overview.
  • Fixed an issue where the Weapon Upgrades tab would sometimes change location.
  • Resolved an issue where a Raider could pop in and out of the home screen background.
  • Installed workstations no longer appear in the workstation install view.
  • You can now navigate from on-screen notifications to the relevant screens, including jumping directly to learned recipes.
  • The Upgrade Weapon Tab now accurately displays the magazine size increase.
  • Fixed an issue where the map screen could become unresponsive when a live event was active.
  • When inspecting items, rotating will now hide UI only showing the item being inspected.
  • Free Raider Deck content now displays as “Free” instead of “0”.
  • Added a carousel to the Main Menu featuring Quests and a Raider Deck shortcut, with improved gamepad navigation within the widget.
  • Fixed an issue where the Scrappy screen allowed navigating to the quick navigation list when using a gamepad.
• Quests
  • Made pickups on the ground show icons if they are part of quests or tracked, added quest icons to quest interactions and improved quest interaction style.
  • Fixed an issue where the notification could remain after accepting and claiming quests.
  • Accepting and completing quests is now shown as loading while awaiting a server response.
  • Fixed an issue where rapidly skipping through quest videos after completing the first Supply Depot quest could soft‑lock the UI, leaving the screen without a way to advance.
  • Updated interaction text for a quest objective to improve clarity.
  • Updated the names and descriptions of the Moisture Probe and EC Meter quest items in Unexpected Initiative.
  • Improved ping information for quest objectives, with clearer markers for Filtration System and Magnetic Decryptor interactions.
  • Adjusted colors of quest and tracking icons in in-game interaction hints for better clarity.
• Settings
  • Added a new slider that allows players to tweak motion blur intensity.
  • Updated tooltips for effects and overall quality levels in the video settings with clearer descriptions.
  • Added labels that show whether an input action is ‘Hold’ or ‘Toggle’, displayed in parentheses.
  • Fixed an issue where the flash effect ignored the Invert Colors setting; the option is now available.
  • Fixed a crash in settings when rapidly adjusting sliders.
  • Now players will be guided to Windows settings for microphone permissions if needed.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when opening the video settings.
  • Fixed an issue where some Options category screens continued responding to inputs after exiting.
• Store
  • Players will no longer see error messages when canceling purchases in the store.
  • Newly added store products now show a new indication for improved discoverability.
• Social
  • Fixed an issue where Discord friends could appear with an incorrect status after switching to Invisible and back to Online; their presence now refreshes correctly when they come back online.
  • Added a Party Join icon to the social interface for clearer party invitations and joins.
  • Fixed an issue where the Social right-click (context) menu could remain visible in the Home tab after rapidly opening and closing it with a gamepad; it now closes correctly and no longer stacks.
• Tooltips
  • Fixed incorrect item tooltips of ARC stun duration.
  • Tooltips now reposition to remain fully visible at all resolutions.
  • Fixed tooltips showing 'Blueprint already learned' on completed goal rewards; tooltips now display correct reward information and only show 'Blueprint learned' for actual blueprints.
• Trials
  • Trials objectives now clearly indicate when they offer bonus conditions, such as by Map Conditions.
  • Fixed an issue where the Trial rank icon could be missing on the Player Stats screen after starting the game.
  • Added a Trials popup that explains how ranking works and clarifies that the final rank is worldwide.
• VOIP
  • Added Microphone Test functionality.
  • Added better automatic checks for problems with VOIP input & output devices.
  • Using the mouse thumb button for push-to-talk no longer triggers ‘Back’ in menus.
  • Fixed an issue where the voice chat status icon could incorrectly appear muted for party members at match start until someone spoke.
  • HUD no longer shows VOIP icons when voice chat is disabled; your own party VOIP icon now appears as disabled.

Utility

• Increased loot value in Epic key card rooms to better reflect their rarity.
• Expanded blueprint spawn locations to improve availability in areas that were underrepresented.
• Moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis.
• Fixed a bug where players would sometimes become unable to perform any actions if they interacted with carriable objects while experiencing bad network conditions or were downed while holding a carriable object and then revived.
• Fixed an issue where Deadline could deal damage through walls.
• Fixed an issue where deployables attached to enemies or buildable structures could cause sudden launches or let enemies pass through the environment when shot.
• Keys will no longer be removed from the safe pocket when using the Unload backpack.
• Fixed an issue where cheater-compensation rewards could grant an integrated augment item.
• Fixed bug where Flame Spray dealt too much damage to some ARC.
• Fixed an issue where sticky throwables (Trigger 'Nade, Snap Blast Grenade, Lure Grenade) disappeared when thrown at trees.
• Fixed a bug with incorrectly calculated deployment range for deployable items.
• Fixed an issue where mines could not be triggered through damage before they were armed.
• Playing an instrument now applies the ‘Vibing Status’ effect to nearby players.
• Fix for Rubber Ducks not being able to be placed into the Trinket slot on an Augment.
• Setting integrated binoculars and integrated shield charger weight to be 0.

Weapons

• Tuned the amount of force applied to lighter ARC when using melee attacks.
• Fixed an issue where stowed weapons would not appear on the first spawn.
• Fixed an exploit allowing players to reload energy weapons without consuming ammo.
• Aiming-down-sights now resumes if it was interrupted while the aim button is still held (e.g., after reloading or a stun).
• Fixed an exploit that allowed shotguns to bypass the intended fire cooldown.

Quests

• Fixed a bug in the ‘Greasing Her Palms’ quest that let players accidentally trigger an objective.
• Made the quest item ESR Analyzer easier to find in Buried City.
• Improved clarity of clues for the ‘Marked for Death’ quest.
• Fixed an issue where quest videos could trigger multiple times.
• Added interactions to find spare keys to several quests related to locked rooms.
• Added unique quest items to the ‘Unexpected Initiative’ quest.
• Fixed an issue where squad sharing incorrectly completed objectives that spawned quest specific items.

Known Issues

• Players with AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT will see a driver warning popup at startup despite being on the latest version that fixes a GPU crash that occurred when loading into The Blue Gate.
• If you have more items than fit in your stash, the value of the items that don't fit is not included in the final departure screen, but is included when calculating your rewards.

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

We have new official information on Dead Island 3, which is not only now confirmed to be in development, but has a target release window.

In a financial report spotted by X / Twitter user @bogorad222, the Plaion-owned UK developer Dambuster Studios said its primary focus is now Dead Island 3. This is the first time we’ve heard Dead Island 3 mentioned in any official capacity, although the studio had teased it earlier this year.

Dambuster Studios' financial statements are out (as of March 2025)
The company employed 194 employees
Dead Island 3 is in development
The current predicted release window for the project is Q1/2 2028 pic.twitter.com/FOHOitH3nD

— Timur222 (@bogorad222) December 16, 2025

The report mentions that all Dambuster’s developers are now on Dead Island 3, and once the Luna and Mac versions of Dead Island 2 are complete all of Dambuster's QA team will also move over to Dead Island 3. As of the end of March 2025, Dambuster had 194 employees.

“Parts of the game are now in early production with feature, character, world and story design moving at pace,” the report continues. And here’s where things get really interesting: we even have a “current predicted release window” of Q1/2 2028. So, as things stand, Dead Island 3 is due out by the end of June 2028.

The existence of Dead Island 3 shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In September, Dambuster posted the image, below, alongside the caption: “and the next outbreak is already brewing.”

Hollow Knight: Silksong's first big expansion has been revealed by developer Team Cherry.

Teased for 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong - Sea of Sorrow promises new areas, bosses, and tools as “Hornet’s adventures continue in our nautically themed expansion, coming free for all players next year.”

Further details are expected shortly before its launch, with no specific date given. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as Silksong's initial release date wasn't announced until just a month before it dropped after one of gaming's most infamous drawn out affairs.

Alongside the announcement of the DLC, Team Cherry also revealed that a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the original Hollow Knight is in development. This improved version incorporates "all the updates and enhancements that Silksong received on the platform: high frame-rate modes, higher resolutions, and many additional graphical effects."

The even better news? If you already own Hollow Knight on Switch, you'll be able to upgrade to this new gen version for free.

The Australian studio will also be updating all current versions of the original Metroidvania soulslike and adding features and bug fixes. If you're playing on PC, some of those changes have already come into effect.

“PC players can experience many of those updates right now, via the public-beta branches on Steam and GOG, where they’ve just gone live,” a Team Cherry blog post states. “That includes full 16:10 and 21:9 aspect ratio support for those of you with Steam Decks or ultrawide monitors."

As part of the DLC announcement, Team Cherry said Hollow Knight: silksong had sold more than 7 million copies since going on sale in September, and had millions more playing on Xbox Game Pass.

"It’s a truly staggering number of players, more than we could have ever expected (enough to crash all of the storefronts!)," Team Cherry said. "Watching the community grow, seeing the amazing art, the mods, the unexpected strategies, and the support between players through the game’s challenges has been hugely rewarding for us here at home. Your continued enthusiasm remains a massive motivator as we work towards expanding the game even further."

Now seems like as good a time as any to get into both Hollow Knight games, then. IGN's Hollow Knight review returned a 9.4. We said: "Hollow Knight’s rich world and incredible depth of content will make you want to explore its caves for dozens of hours."

Similarly, IGN's Hollow Knight: Silksong review scored the game 9/10. We said: "Hollow Knight: Silksong is packed full of sharp platforming, enticing exploration, and nail-biting combat that's all unapologetically challenging in just the right way."

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

The best Black Friday deal on Sony's newest flagship wireless noise cancelling headphones has returned. eBay (via either Buydig or Electronic Express) is offering a brand new pair of Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for just $318.40 after you apply off coupon code "HOLIDAYRUSH". That's a 30% discount off the $450 list price and matches the best deal I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. eBay estimates free delivery before Christmas. Both retailers are authorized Sony resellers, so you get the full manufacturer's warranty.

30% Off Sony WH-1000XM6 Noise Canceling Headphone

The most popular Meta Quest deal from Black Friday is back. The official Meta eBay Store is once again offering refurbished Meta Quest 3 512GB VR headsets for just $359.99 after a 20% off coupon code "HOLIDAYRUSH". Better yet, it comes with an extended 2 year warranty supplied by Allstate. Since these headsets are reconditioned and shipped by Meta itself and include original accessories, so it's not much different from buying a brand new one.

Refurb Meta Quest 3 for $359.99

Includes extended 2 year warranty

If you're a Pokémon Trainer or have one in your life, today's Daily Deals is going to save you a small fortune. From the best Pokémon TCG bargains to a great deal on the Pokémon Legends: Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, I've got you. You can also check out my more comprehensive list of the best Pokémon gifts for 2025 for more options than what I've listed here.

TL;DR: Top Pokémon Deals for Today

I've even taken the liberty of finding the best deals on the top chase cards for every Pokémon TCG expansion in the Mega Evolution and Scarlet & Violet eras, so you can pick up some awesome chase cards instead of busting a bag full of Pokédollars on booster packs. I even found some awesome Pokémon Squishmallow deals to boot, so let's get straight into it:

Pokémon TCG Single Card Price Crash

Pokémon TCG stock levels are getting better and better across the board, which means there's more chance of buying off store shelves and a much bigger chance of scalpers losing out. It's a win-win, especially for Pokémon card collectors, as single cards are finding a new floor when it comes to market values.

It's the best time this year to snap up some of those grails you've been eyeing up, so I've found the top 5 chase cards in every Pokémon TCG expansion and base set from the previous Scarlet and Violet era, as well as Mega Evolution, the current era of Pokémon cards. There's some serious bargains to be had here, and I reckon we'll see prices tick back up when Ascended Heroes launches early next year, so don't wait around.

Best Pokémon TCG Sealed Deals

The best deal here for me is the Mega Charizard X ex Ultra Premium Collection that's currently at market value on Amazon and close to MSRP.

• 4 x Phantasmal Flames
• 4 x Mega Evolution
• 4 x Destined Rivals
• 4 x Journey Together
• 2 x Surging Sparks

The main pull of this UPC is the Mega Charizard X ex Mega Attack Rare and Oricorio ex SIR promo cards, which, frankly, are the best couple of promo cards we've had in a big box collection for a while. It also contains Mega Charizard X-themed card sleeves, deck box, damage counter dice, playmat, and a metal coin.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A and More Deals

Need to get Pokémon Legends: Z-A sorted for Christmas? Here's the cheapest way: the Nintendo Switch 1 version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A for $44.99 on Woot, then upgrade it to the Switch 2 version for $9.99 via the Amazon digital code service. You're saving $15 over buying the usual Switch 2 copy of Legends: Z-A.

Woot also has more discounts on top Pokémon Switch games, such as Legends: Arceus alongside Scarlet and Violet. It's a great time to build up your library if you've got a few Pokémon-sized gaps on your shelf.

Pokémon Squishmallow Deals

Nothing beats cuddling a Squishmallow, and I'll admit that to anyone. Well, getting a $69.99 massive 20-inch Sprigatito Squishmallow for $37.99 definitely beats that feeling, but there's some great deals on the best Pokémon plushies right now (in my opinion, which is correct).

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.

Throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday, eBay consistently had the lowest prices on all sizes of the LG Evo C5 4K OLED TV. The only problem was that they were out of stock for the majority of the time and all but disappeared after Cyber Monday ended. For a very limited time, they're back. eBay via Electronic Express has most sizes of the popular LG Evo C-series OLED TV on sale with an extra 20% off coupon code "HOLIDAYRUSH". Delivery is free, although there's no guarantee these TVs will arrive by December 25. LG is the best selling OLED TV brand globally for a simple reason. It's just that good.

LG Evo C5 4K OLED Smart TV Black Friday Deals Are Back

Give a gamer in your life the gift of immersive VR. Starting this week, Target has discounted the popular Meta Quest 3S 128GB VR headset down to $249.99 after $50 in instant savings. But that's not all. You also get a bonus $50 Target gift card that's automatically added to your cart. This ties the best deal I saw during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Thanks to Target's impressive network of warehouses and retail stores, you're very likely to get your order delivered by Christmas.

Update: The official Meta eBay Store has it for $212.49 with no gift card.

Meta Quest 3S for $249.99 Plus $50 Target Gift Card

Amazon has brought back its "Buy 2, Save 50% on 1" sale on books with just a little more than a week left before Christmas. If you haven't already picked up gifts for everyone on your list, this promotion is a great opportunity to do just that. It's that time of year where shipping times start to get wonky, so if you don't order things soon, you might not get everything delivered in time.

As for how the sale works, Amazon has this huge list of books that are included in the promotion. All you need to do is put two of the items in your cart and the cheapest one will automatically get the 50% discount at checkout. I'd recommend just checking out the full list for yourself and utilizing the search feature, but I've also pulled out some of the most popular inclusions if you'd prefer a more curated list.

Buy 1, Get 1 50% Off Books and Box Sets at Amazon

The most popular book in these sales every time I've covered them is Project Hail Mary. Andy Weir is the same author who wrote The Martian, but I think Project Hail Mary is his best work. It's also currently being made into a movie starring Ryan Gosling, so right now is a great time to give it a read if you want to get ahead of the film release.

The other popular book I'd recommend is Sunrise on the Reaping. Susanne Collins' latest Hunger Games prequel has been at the top of the best-selling charts since it was first released back in March and it's quite good. The plot goes back in time to when Haymitch was taking part in the games himself. The story was actually approved for a film adaptation well before the book was released. You can expect to see the movie in theaters starting on November 20, 2026.

If you're looking for great gift ideas for readers, I'd suggest checking out the deluxe illustrated Lord of the Rings book. It's an absolutely massive tome that includes illustrations from fantasy legend J.R.R himself. It's arguably the ultimate Lord of the Rings gift, and you can pair it with the deluxe illustrated version of The Silmarillion to take advantage of that 50% discount. Similarly, the Harry Potter interactive illustrated editions are also included in this sale, which I've actually purchased as a Harry Potter gift before.

I'd also recommend checking out some of the box sets included here. These are arguably the best deal in this type of sale because you're getting discounts on a full set rather than a single book. There's a ton of box sets included here, but I've pulled out a few of the more popular options. I'd suggest the leather-bound Game of Thrones books set for any fan of George R.R. Martins iconic series. It has all five of the books in a neat little set, which will only be outdated if Winds of Winter ever gets released. For younger kids, I'd suggest picking the Percy Jackson books I've listed here. Season 2 of the Disney+ series is currently running and the books are just flat out better.

Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to indie games and books.

If you've ever told yourself you were absolutely done buying games for the month, only to immediately ignore that promise, welcome. I have been there; hell, I'm right there now. Today's batch of bargains hits a rare sweet spot where nostalgia, sheer value, and genuinely excellent modern design all collide. Good luck resisting.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm whisking some Yoshi eggs to make a 32nd birthday cake for Super Mario All-Stars. Back in the day, if you owned this cartridge and a SNES, you were livin' large and envied by all. Remakes of Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3 awaited within, and they all had improved music, better game physics, and fancy parallax scrolling. That said, the most blessed feature of all was the simple option to save. No more leaving the console on for a week and getting yelled at by your electricity-conscious father for you!

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Super Mario All-Stars (SNES) 1993. eBay

- Earthworm Jim (SNES) 1994. eBay

- Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger (Mac,PC) 1994. Get

- Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares (PC) 1996. Get

- Robotech: Battlecry (PS2,XB) 2002. eBay

- Real Racing 2 (iOS) 2010. Sequel

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

Switch deals doing that dangerous thing where you accidentally build a backlog. Again. There is real depth here hiding behind silly prices.

• Pokemon Legends: Z-A Nintendo Switch 2 Ed. (-28%) A$79 Game Freak doubling down on the weird bits that worked. Faster battles, smarter zones, and enough systems to keep theorycrafters busy for weeks.
• Street Fighter 6 NS2 (-41%) A$55 The rare fighter that teaches you without punching down. World Tour is secretly a tutorial wrapped in dad jokes and abs.
• Star Wars Outlaws Gold Ed. (-40%) A$54 Finally lets you live the Han Solo fantasy without being a Jedi. Space crime, scruffy companions, and planets that feel actually lived in.
• Hogwarts Legacy (-85%) A$13.40 For this price it feels like stealing from Gringotts. Hogwarts itself does most of the heavy lifting and it absolutely sticks the landing.
• Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak Bndl (-84%) A$12.70 Sunbreak turns a great action RPG into a lifestyle choice. Blink and suddenly you are farming one monster at 2am.

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

This is the section where atmosphere merchants thrive. Dark tunnels, emotional gut punches, and Batman brooding in corners.

• Resident Evil Village (-75%) A$14.20 Equal parts gothic horror and schlocky action. Tall vampire lady discourse aside, it is wildly replayable and shamelessly fun.
• Metro Saga Bndl (-90%) A$8.90 Three games for less than a coffee. Bleak, beautiful, and constantly reminding you that bullets are a precious resource.
• Ball X Pit (-20%) A$17.90 Looks simple, then quietly eats your evening. Physics chaos with that dangerous one more run energy.
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps (-75%) A$9.90 Genuinely pretty enough to distract you mid jump. Movement feels so good it ruins lesser platformers.
• Batman: Arkham Col. (-85%) A$12.70 Still the blueprint everyone else copies. Combat flows, villains chew scenery, and gliding never gets old.

Xbox One

• AC Odyssey Ult. (-85%) A$25.10 Comically large in the best way. You will start chasing question marks and forget what the main quest even was.
• Shadow of Mordor GOTY (-80%) A$7.90 The Nemesis system still feels like black magic. Orcs remembering you and holding grudges never stops being funny.
• Borderlands 3 Ult. (-75%) A$36.20 Guns everywhere, jokes flying constantly, and builds that spiral out of control in the best possible way.

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

Premium vibes here, but with enough of a discount to justify the indulgence.

• FF7 Rebirth Del. (-50%) A$72.40 Square Enix letting its freak flag fly. Minigames, music shifts, and emotional whiplash all bundled together confidently.
• Metaphor ReFantazio Atlus 35th Ann. (-50%) A$79.90 Persona energy without the school uniforms. Stylish menus, sharp writing, and systems deep enough to live in.
• Sniper Elite 5 (-39%) A$68.80 Slow, patient stealth until it suddenly is not. Watching an X ray bullet cam never stops being ridiculous.
• Turok Trilogy Bndl (-35%) A$59 Old school shooters that refuse to apologise. Dinosaurs, maze levels, and vibes straight from the 90s.
• LEGO Harry Potter Col. (-43%) A$34 Comfort food gaming. Slapstick humour, brick smashing, and enough spells to keep couch co op lively.

PS4

• The Division 2 (-74%) A$13.20 Launch version walked so the current game could sprint. A genuinely solid looter shooter once the systems settle.
• Bloodborne Comp. Ed. (-50%) A$23.90 Still unmatched vibes. Aggressive combat, gross monsters, and lore that lives rent free in your brain.
• Jedi: Fallen Order Del. (-80%) A$17.90 Souls lite with lightsabers. Story hits harder than expected and the level design quietly shines.

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

A mix of modern reinvention and forever games that just do not age.

• Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (-45%) A$64.30 Still one of the weirdest stealth stories ever told. Emergent survival mechanics, and absolute nonsense in equal measure.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages (-56%) A$52.70 Heavy metal energy turned into a videogame. Slower, chunkier, and still violently satisfying.
• Moving Out (-83%) A$6.20 Friendship tester disguised as a party game. Expect shouting, laughter, and someone absolutely throwing a couch wrong.
• AC Mirage (-70%) A$23.90 Smaller map, sharper focus, and stealth back in the spotlight. A palate cleanser after the RPG sprawl.
• Slay the Spire (-75%) A$9.20 The reason your backlog never moves. One more run is always a lie.

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Legit LEGO Deals

Just like I did last holiday season, I'm getting festive with the LEGO section. In Mathew Manor, my sons and I are again racing this year's batch of LEGO Advent Calendars. Basically, we open the City, Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Star Wars on the daily and compare the mini-prizes for "Awesomeness" and "Actual Xmas-ness". 2024's winner was the Lego Marvel one, but, weirdly, there's no 2025 equivalent. So it's anybody's race this year.

Here are the cheapest prices for the four calendars we're using. Score them yourself or just live vicariously through our unboxings.

• LEGO CIty Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45
• LEGO Harry Potter Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45
• LEGO Minecraft Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45
• LEGO Star Wars Advent 2025 - A$59.95 $45

Video games and cooking go together more than you might think. Tons of RPGs and simulation games have some form of cooking mechanic or, at the very least, delicious-looking food. From the cozy familiarity of meals from Stardew Valley to fantastical feasts in The Witcher, I can personally say I've encountered tons of animated food I wish was real. Well, turns out it can be.

Gaming cookbooks offer an opportunity to learn unique recipes while immersing yourself in the lore of a world you love. Getting the materials you need might not be as fun as in-game adventuring or farming, but the end result is more than worth it. Whether you're passionate about a specific game, are looking for gift ideas for the gamer in your life, or just love some themed recipes, here's our list of the best gaming cookbooks in 2025.

Our Favorite Gaming Cookbooks in 2025

One of our top picks for gaming cookbooks is The Official Stardew Valley cookbook, which features 50 recipes written in the voice of various characters as well as some adorable art. The recipes are naturally based on the meals you can make in-game, including Pink Cake, Strange Buns, and even a full Autumn's Bounty to help you power through the mines.

A great gift to inspire young chefs (especially those who particularly enjoyed A Minecraft Movie), the Minecraft cookbook includes 40+ recipes inspired by the game's various mobs and biomes. The same goes for The Pokémon Cookbook, which focuses more on cute snacks and quick meals.

Outside of crafting-based games, themed cookbooks are also a great way to immerse yourself in fantasy worlds. The official Witcher cookbook takes inspiration from the games as well as The Witcher books, with 80 recipes covering everything from a refreshing drink to an exquisite banquet. The Elder Scrolls cookbook hones in on the world of Skyrim (as opposed to the rest of the Elder Scrolls games) while the Fallout cookbook is great for anyone who's particularly curious about the taste of Nuka-Cola ahead of Fallout season 2 episodes.

On the tabletop side of gaming, the Heroes' Feast Dungeons & Dragons cookbook is the crème de la crème for anyone trying to impress their party. Across the board, these cookbooks feature great recipes as well as interesting new bits of lore and art for dedicated fans.

New Video Game Cookbooks for 2025

The trend of gaming cookbooks isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Some of the newest gaming cookbooks of include one inspired by Pac-Man, which, to be completely honest, is a mystery to me, as well as Borderlands, presumably part of the promotions for Borderlands 4. As someone who's long been curious about Sojiro's curry from Persona 5, I'm particularly excited about the cookbook inspired by the Persona games.

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

With the so many different reasons to celebrate Star Wars sprinkled throughout the year, there's never a wrong time to shop for Star Wars merch. If you're a fan of the franchise or know someone else that is, we’re here to make your Star Wars gift shopping a lot easier in 2025.

We’ve assembled a list of some of the best Star Wars gifts we’ve found online, from books and Blu-rays to video games, shirts, and LEGO gift sets. So, without further ado, here are some of the best ways to bring a galaxy far, far away into your home.

Top Star Wars Gift Ideas for 2025

Gifts for Adult LEGO Fans

Star Wars Gifts for Gamers

There’s an absolute ton of great Star Wars video games available right now on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC, whether that’s Star Wars Jedi Survivor or LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. But if you’re looking to get a friend or family member the most recent major Star Wars game on the market, you’ll want to look into Ubisoft’s Star Wars Outlaws. Offering a sprawling open-world adventure with hours of content, It’s a gift that’s sure to give any Star Wars fan plenty to do over the holiday break. There are also quite a few great Star Wars games for the Nintendo Switch if you're looking to play there.

Best Gifts for Fans of the Books

When it comes to Star Wars novels, there are plenty of great choices out there, both from the current canon continuity and the non-canon Star Wars Legends books timeline. If you’re buying for a current fan wanting to keep up with the latest Star Wars lore though, there’s no better place to look than the High Republic series, which has been a key focus for Disney as they establish the latest new notch on the franchise’s timeline. If you’re gifting for a reader who’s new to the High Republic era, check out the High Republic: Light of the Jedi trilogy boxed set, which contains all three novels from the first phase of the series. If you don't mind placing a preorder, there's also a Revenge of the Sith deluxe edition that came out in October that's worth checking out as well as Star Wars: The Last Order which explores a post-Rise of the Skywalker universe.

For Comic Book Fans

Classic recommendations for Star Wars comics include the following (as found in our best Star Wars comics shopping list).

Gifts for Fans of the Movies and TV Shows

Want to grab the cinephiles in your life a shiny new Star Wars collection? There are a lot of good options out there, with the most premium of the bunch being the Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Complete Collection. This absolute unit of a boxset comes with all nine movies in Blu-ray format as well as 26 hours of bonus content and special features. In short, it's the collection to end all collections, and a great pick-up for any diehard fans of the Star Wars movies.

You can also pick up more recent seasons of the live-action Star Wars TV shows in 4K and Blu-ray. With Andor season 2 now available on Disney+ right now, picking up the first season in 4K is an excellent option.

Star Wars Gifts For Board Game Fans

For those on the hunt for a fun Star Wars board game, you can’t go wrong with Star Wars: Outer Rim. Casting you and three other players as intergalactic outlaws, your mission is to venture across the galaxy and strategically build your reputation by smuggling cargo, hunting bounties and meeting various iconic Star Wars characters. If you reckon your friends or family would jump at the chance to become a legendary scoundrel, Outer Rim is a safe bet. But it’s far from the only option on offer, with other great board games like Star Wars Rebellion and Star Wars Imperial Assault sure to bring hours of intergalactic entertainment.

Gifts for Puzzlers

If you or someone you know just so happens to be a chronic puzzler on top of being a Star Wars fan, there are quite a few options. Our overall top pick for the best Star Wars puzzle for adults is this 2,000-piece jigsaw we've featured above. It depicts numerous different characters from episodes 1-6 along with a variety of machines, ships, and the Death Star looming in the background. It is a pretty big puzzle, however, so you may want to be sure whoever you're giving it to has a decent puzzle table or board that can hold it.

Alongside this puzzle, there are quite a few other options. There are even model kits that act as 3D puzzles you can check out,

Apparel and Accessory Gifts

If you’re looking for clothing-related gifts, Star Wars has a nigh-on endless range of wearable merch that make for great presents. Whether you’re searching for Star-Wars-inspired Hawaiian shirts, tees sporting iconic poster graphics or a funny festive jumper that will stand out from the crowd, here are some of our favorites.

Gifts For The Home

Much like with shirts, Star Wars has plenty of novelty homeware that make for great gifts. Whether you’re on the hunt for a Darth Vader Waffle Maker or an R2-D2 lava lamp, we’ve assembled some fun kitchenware, lights, mugs, and other homeware that are sure to put a smile on any Star Wars fan’s face.

Gifts for Toy Collectors

There are a lot of different Star Wars toys you can buy. There are lightsaber replicas, plushies, and even Nerf blasters. But if you're a collector of Star Wars toys, then you're probably most interested in Star Wars action figures. Our overall top pick is from the Black Series line of toys, but there are quite a few other great options from other brands to check out as well. There are even new Jedi: Survivor figures that were just recently announced for fans of the video game series.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.