For three days only or until supplies last, Woot (owned by Amazon) is offering an incredibly low price on Beats' flagship headphone. You can pick up a pair of Factory Reconditioned Beats Studio Pro wireless noise canceling headphones that includes a one year Amazon warranty for just $99.99 after you apply 20% off code "BEATS20". The coupon code field is on the last step of checkout before placing your order. Currently, the same headphone costs $200 new on Amazon.
Beats Studio Pro Headphones for $99.99
Factory Reconditioned with 1 Year Amazon Warranty
Beats is owned by Apple, and the Studio Pro is marketed towards people like myself who want a quality over-ear wireless noise canceling headphone but also don't want to spend $400 plus on the AirPods Max. The Studio Pro offers better audio quality than any other Beats headphone, and excellent active noise cancelation. It carries over a lot of Apple's trademark features like spatial audio with head tracking, one touch pairing, and "Find My" functionality. It also has a Transparency mode so you can listen to the environment around you without removing your headphones.
The Beats Studio Pro has a USB Type-C port for charging. If you want to use the Beats Studio Pro in wired mode, then can connect via 3.5mm audio jack or USB Type-C, which is a rare option nowadays. Most of the time you'll probably listen to your music wirelessly over Bluetooth, and the Studio Pro excels here with up to 40 hours of listening time on a charge. The Studio Pro also folds in for compact transport.
Should I Wait for Black Friday?
With Black Friday approaching, you might be wondering if there will be a better deal on the Studio Pro next month. These headphones typically drop to $180 new during pretty much every sale event and I expect this to be the standard price during Black Friday. Occasionally, the price has dipped to as low as $160. However, if you're looking for the absolute bottom level price and you don't mind getting a certified refurbished model with a reasonable warranty, I can say with relative certainty that $99.99 will not be beaten for the remainder of the year.
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.
Looking for a desktop charging station that has enough ports and delivers enough power to satisfy your needs? Amazon has discounted the Anker Prime 6-Port 200W USB Desktop Charging Station to under $50 for the first time this year. This charger features both USB Type-A and Type-C ports and can deliver as much as 100W of power per port. I bought this charger myself last year during Black Friday (at a higher price) and highly recommend it.
Anker Prime 6-Port 200W USB Desktop Charger
The Anker Prime charging station features six total ports: two USB Type-A ports and four USB Type-C ports. Each Type-C port can deliver up to 100W and each Type-A port can deliver up to 22.5W. All six ports can be used simultaneously, however charging caps at 200W. The 100W port is powerful enough to charge laptops, tablets, and power hungry gaming handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally X, Steam Deck, or Lenovo Legion Go. The 22.5W ports can handle gaming or PC peripherals like mice, headsets, controllers, and so forth. The USB-A ports can even charge the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 at their fastest rate (neither consume more than 20W in handheld mode) if your Type-C ports are all used up.
Other practical features include GaN technology (smaller footprint and increased energy efficiency), a heavyset base so that it won't slide around on your desk, and multiple protection protocols. Unlike most charging stations from overseas brands, this model is both UL and CB certified. It comes with a 24-month Anker warranty.
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.
Welcome back to another day and a gaggle of game bargains you'd better not let get away. Between Amazon, Fanatical, and the first-party platform stores, the below deals are a smorgasbord of new releases and cult classics that deserve a place in your life. I’ll try to keep you from going broke, but no promises.
In retro news, I'm using the backfire from a freshly nicked lowrider to light a 21-candle cake for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a game that needs very little introduction. If you somehow aren’t familiar, though, it was the PS2’s crown jewel that went way bigger than Vice City to offer us a level of freedom and chaos opportunities hitherto undreamt of.
I was there, at launch, with my jaw on the floor. Every gamer mate I knew fell head over heels with its ‘90s, West Coast-inspired narrative, baller soundtrack and new systems that let us hit the gym, get burger chunky, gamble and make CJ proficient with RPG-lite skills. Sure, some of those layers seem clunkily executed in retrospect, but, overall, Rockstar’s staggering ambition delivered one of gaming’s boldest and most beloved sequels.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
- Final Fantasy VIII (PS) 1999.
- Age of Empires II (PC) 1999.
- Gradius V (PS2) 2004.
- GTA: San Andreas (PS2) 2004.
- Sly 2: Band of Thieves (PS2) 2004.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (PS2,XB) 2004.
- Siren: Blood Curse (PS3) 2008.
- AC IV: Black Flag (PS3,X360) 2013.
Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch
On Switch, Super Mario Party Jamboree is perfect if you’ve got friends who can still talk to each other after a few rounds of Mario Party chaos. It’s the best entry in years, thanks to mini-games that actually reward skill over blind luck. Meanwhile, Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy lets you object your way through courtroom melodrama crafted by Shu Takumi himself. It’s absurd, heartfelt, and occasionally smarter than the average true crime docuseries.
Over on Xbox Series X, Borderlands 4 is more colourful mayhem from Gearbox’s vault-hunting veterans. It’s the kind of game that dares you to try every build just to see which one makes the biggest explosion. And Warhammer 40K: Darktide is a grimy, gorgeous co-op shooter that finally nails the industrial horror vibe of the franchise. I swear you can smell the promethium through the screen.
On Xbox One, Desperados III remains one of the slickest stealth-tactics games ever made. Mimimi Games gave us a dusty Wild West take on Commandos, and it’s just as brutal and satisfying. Meanwhile, No Man’s Sky continues to pull a full redemption arc. Sean Murray and Hello Games somehow turned a meme into a masterpiece, and the constant updates prove it’s still worth the ride.
On PS5, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 offers Cold War intrigue and nostalgic callbacks to be one of the better entries of recent years. Dragon’s Dogma 2 also earns its spot on any must-play list. Hideaki Itsuno built this world with a depth few RPGs match, and the pawn system is still genius a decade later.
PS4 still holds its own with Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster, the game that introduced half the modern JRPG world to apocalyptic existentialism. Dante from Devil May Cry even pops in for a cameo, because why not. And Inside remains one of the most haunting indie platformers ever made. It says more in silence than most games do in 40 hours.
On PC, Hades remains one of the most tightly designed roguelikes in existence. Every run teaches you something new about Greek gods, game balance, or just your own stubbornness. Sid Meier’s Civilization VI also scratches that one-more-turn itch harder than ever. It’s history as a sandbox, and Gandhi’s still as nukey as ever.
Lastly, LEGO fans can snag some solid builds this week. The Minecraft Warden Encounter and Fortnite Supply Llama sets are the perfect excuse to justify more shelf clutter. I’ll tell myself it’s for “display purposes,” but we both know I’ll end up playing with them.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
For the first time in several months, there's an OLED gaming monitor priced under $400. Best Buy is currently offering the 27" AOC QD-OLED gaming monitor for just $399.99 with free delivery. Despite the fact this is the least expensive OLED monitor currently available stateside, it seems to have all the features you'd expect in a premium gaming monitor. The last time I posted an OLED monitor this cheap was back in January and this monitor has better specs.
27" AOC QHD 240Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor for $399.99
The AOC Q27G41ZDF is a 27" display with a QHD (2560x1440) resolution, which measures out to a respectable pixel density of 108ppi. This is the ideal resolution for this screen size because (1) it's sharp enough and (2) you don't need a super powerful and expensive high end video card to drive it.
The AOC is equipped with Samsung's quantum dot OLED panel with AOC's AGLR anti-glare glass coating. QD OLED panels are considered better than traditional W-OLED panels because they are brighter and offer a wider color gamut. Like all OLED displays, the AOC monitor boasts a near instantaneous 0.03ms response time, near infinite contrast ratio, and true black levels. In terms of pure image quality, it simply can't be beat by any other panel technology.
This monitor also features a fast 240Hz refresh rate. If you pair it with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card or higher, you should be able to hit the 240fps ceiling on older games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Valorant. For newer games like Battlefield 6 or Black Ops 7, you might need to step up to an RTX 5070 Ti or Radeon 9070 XT.
Connectivity wise, the AW2725QF has one DisplayPort and two HDMI ports. As with most OLED monitors, there are no built-in speakers. AOC includes a 3 year warranty that includes 3-year dead pixel coverage, 3-year advance placement coverage, and 1-year one-time accidental damage replacement.
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.
Ahead of the holiday season, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop equipped with the GeForce RTX 5080 graphics card for as low as $2,045 with free delivery. Most RTX 5080 prebuilts you'll find elsewhere, including the more affordable brands you find on Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart, are priced closer to $2,400 and up. That's impressive considering Alienware usually commands a higher price premium. Such a system would have cost as much as $3,000 at the beginning of the year, but Nvidia GeForce RTX 50 prices have been trending downwards lately.
Alienware Aurora RTX 5080 Gaming PC From $2,045
This $2,045 configuration system is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, GeForce RTX 5080 GPU, 16GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F has a max turbo frequency of 5.3GHz with 20 cores and a 36MB L2 cache. It's cooled by a 240mm AIO liquid cooling system. The system is run off a 1,000W power supply.
This system is customizable and the CPU, RAM, and storage can all be upgraded. For example, you can choose the more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor, which boasts a higher clock speed and core count, for an extra $300. Another upgrade is a 2TB SSD (from the stock 1TB) for an extra $50.
The GeForce RTX 5080 GPU will run any game in 4K
Performance-wise, the RTX 5080 is no slouch. It's one of the fastest cards on the market, bested only by the $2,000 RTX 5090 and the discontinued $1,600 RTX 4090. This is a phenomenal card for playing the latest, most demanding games in 4K resolution at high settings and ray tracing enabled. The RTX 5080 supports DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation, which means you can push even more frames out of games that support the technology with minimal visual compromise. Recent games that support it include Doom: The Dark Ages, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Borderlands 4, Stellar Blade, and Battlefield 6. Check out our Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 FE review for our hands-on impressions.
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.
Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy has shed some additional light on his upcoming HBO series about DC Comics’ Green Lantern Corps characters Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre), calling it “as much of a buddy cop show as a superhero show.”
According to the series’ official logline. Lanterns “follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”
Mundy continued: “That push and pull between those two characters is really important. So much of the power that John has is by not taking the bait, understanding that you lose your power if you’re yelling and screaming. That’s what we’re trying to convey: He knows he belongs, so he doesn’t have to overcompensate. There’s a real balance there that’s just innately inside of Aaron. He’s big. He’s an intimidating presence just physically. But there’s a softness to him too. There’s a thoughtfulness. You can’t teach that.”
The Lanterns showrunner added that “Aaron felt a responsibility, especially as a Black man playing this particular role, to make sure he really understood him and brought him to life. … I think fans will see the reverence he has for it, and that goes a long way.”
Pierre told the magazine that, for him, John Stewart “just radiates strength and fortitude. … That hunger to be the best version of yourself, which also holds you accountable when you’re not.”
Then at one point in the movie’s tortured production history, Pierre was cast in Marvel’s Blade reboot starring Mahershala Ali. That project and his participation in it eventually fell apart, something that still disappoints the English actor.
“I remember being cast in Blade and feeling elated. But something I learned during that time was that until you step foot on the set, you haven’t commenced work,” Pierre told Men’s Health. “It just took a different creative direction, and I was no longer a part of it. You have to accept that.”
Baseus recently released a new "ultra mini" variant of its Picogo MagSafe power banks, and it certainly lives up to its name. Right now you can save 46% off the 5,000mAh Qi2-certified model when you apply coupon code "LZEYJ4MP" in cart, dropping the price to just $26.99 with free shipping. This is compatible with the Apple iPhone 17, Samsung Galaxy S25, and more. Baseus makes solid power banks and I recommend them as a less expensive alternative to Anker.
Baseus Picogo Ultra Mini 5,000mAh Qi2 MagSafe Power Bank
The Baseus Picogo Ultra Mini 5,000mAh power bank measures 3.4" by 2.3", about the size of a standard credit card. It's about 0.5" thick making it one of the thinnest MagSafe chargers out there, however it will still add noticeably to the overall dimensions of your phone. It's also very lightweight, coming in at just under 5 ounches. There's also a handy little kickstand so you can properly angle your phone while setting it down to watch videos.
This model has been updated with the newer Qi2/MagSafe standard, which means it can deliver up to 15W of wireless charging, double the rate of the first generation's 7.5W of inductive charging. When you need even faster charging, a USB Type-C port offers up to 20W of Power Delivery.
How many times can you charge your phone?
Macworld lists these power consumption specs (in Whr) for the iPhone 16:
iPhone 16: 3,561mAh 13.7Whr
iPhone 16 Plus: 4,674mAh 18Whr
iPhone 16 Pro: 3,582mAh 13.8Whr
iPhone 16 Pro Max: 4,685mAh 18Whr
A 5,000mAh power bank carries an 18.5Whr capacity. An 80% power efficiency rating (which is about standard for power banks) gives you about 15Whr of available charge. That means this power bank will extend your iPhone 16 Plus or Pro Max battery life by up to 80% and the iPhone 16/Pro by over 100%.
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's hard to imagine what first-person shooters would be like today, if they were to exist at all, without the original DOOM, released back on December 10, 1993, for MS-DOS. A lone super soldier, the legendary Doom Guy, fending off the hordes of demons from hell is one of the defining images of PC gaming, and the series continues to shock and amaze fans to this day with every new gory entry. Now, Modiphius Entertainment is bringing DOOM to the tabletop with the upcoming Doom Arena Board Game, now on Kickstarter, and I had a chance to get some time with a prototype to see just how well I could rip and tear in my dining room.
While Doom Arena isn't the first cardboard adaptation of the series, this latest rendition is a bloodbath contest between one player controlling Doom Guy and the other controlling the demons. Taking place in – you guessed it, an arena – the two players maneuver their plastic forces around the hexagon grid-based warzone, competing to see who can dish out the most pain.
Each point of damage done to an opponent earns you blood, which serves as a victory point.
Each point of damage done to an opponent earns you blood, which serves as a victory point. The winner is whoever comes out ahead in two out of the three rounds by earning the most blood, with each round consisting of six turns each for both sides. Between rounds, both Doom Guy and the Demons can upgrade their arsenals. Doom Guy gets new weapons and armor, while the Demons swap out weaker enemies for hartier ones like Pinky, Cacodemons, or the mighty Cyberdemon.
Doom Arena is one of those games that fits great as a filler between some heavier ones during a game day, or when you just want to have some fun while sipping a cold one and munching on some snacks. The gameplay is a slick dice-chucker where the strategy takes a back seat to running in guns blazing and seeing how much pain you unleash, which is very reminiscent of its source material. The only real "strategy" I found myself thinking about is what upgrades I was going to spend my resources on between rounds.
I appreciate the simpler ruleset behind Doom Arena, because you can explain the rules to friends pretty quickly and be rolling dice shortly after. That being said, I wouldn't complain if there were a smidgen more depth to be found. To be fair, the prototype I had access to and a work-in-progress ruleset included only two-player game modes, whereas the final game will be playable with 2-4 players, so it's possible the additional depth I am hoping for will be found in the final rules and other game modes. On the topic of game modes, I will say that having official rules for starting with more upgrades is smart, and makes for a ton of chaotic fun, and I could see some great matches happen by adopting a pick/counter-pick approach.
The version of Doom Arena that I played featured miniatures showcasing the classic looks of Doom Guy and demons that players of the original game from the '90s will recognize. But those who jumped on the chainsaw wagon in more recent decades will have a version for them, too. Modiphius is producing a mechanically identical version that instead has arenas, models, and weapons pulled from the most recent Doom: The Dark Ages, with Doom Guy replaced by the menacing Doom Slayer and demons including the Mancubus, Imps, Imp Stalkers, Hell and Battle Knights, Pinky Rider, Arachnotron, and Soldiers. And for folks who may be lacking in storage space, Modiphius will also offer a version that replaces the plastic miniatures with acrylic standees, shrinking the box size and lowering the cost.
When I first heard the announcement that Modiphius was designing a new Doom board game, my mind immediately went to images of playing as Doom Guy, exploring corridors, finding keys to unlock doors, that eventually would lead to a fight with a big scary demon. Something more akin to say a Betrayal at House on the Hill, Cthulu: Death May Die, or Zombicide. I still would love a Doom game like that, but I can't deny that Doom Arena captures the spirit of these games splendidly.
This is a series about killing as many things as fast as possible, and Arena delivers on that premise in an exciting and digestible package. Even playing dice with this WIP build led to tense moments where I had to hold my breath as I rolled my dice, or giant sighs of relief as my demons avoided being brutally dismembered by a chainsaw. I eagerly look forward to seeing what sort of additional elements or add-ons will be available to play around with and what sort of other game modes will ship in the final release that use three and four players. With the Doom Arena Board Game, Modphius looks to deliver a box that fans of both the video games and board games in general can enjoy, and I am counting down the days until I can rev up my chainsaw again and take it to some demons again.
Doom the Arena Board Game’s campaign runs until November 21, 2025 with an expected delivery date of October 2026.
Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and guide coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.
The Secretlab Magnus Evo is now available to purchase, and this kitted-out premium desk is one of the best options around for gaming enthusiasts. That is, of course, if you're prepared to dish out its equally premium asking price of $749..
The Magnus Evo makes a killer case for its high cost by getting all of the basics right — it's sturdy and well-made — while also offering beautifully integrated controls for adjusting height, a power supply column and magnetic cable management tray that hide away ugly cords, and a clean visual style that helps it effortlessly blend into any work or gaming setup.
These features make the Magnus Evo among the best gaming desks available right now. In our IGN review, we said, "The Secretlab Magnus Evo is a stylish, smartly-built gaming desk that sets itself apart with genuinely useful PC-focused features, good build quality, and an intuitive assembly process."
If this high-end desk sounds up your alley, you can buy the Magnus Evo from the official Secretlab website. The standard size (52.9 x 25.2) is $749, while the XL version (70 x 25.2) bumps things up a notch to $849.
It's worth noting that, if you have the room to accommodate a 70-inch desk, the XL provides a substantial boost to space, which can be particularly useful for setups sporting PC towers and larger monitors. For only $100 more, it can potentially save you from having to upgrade your desk again down the line if you ever need more surface space.
Additionally, the above prices for the Magnus Evo on the Secretlab website don't include any accessories you may want to add to your purchase. While it comes with the magnetic drop-down cable management tray, other options like Secretlabs' monitor arm, protective floor mat, or magnetic headphone hanger can add a bit of extra utility to your setup while maintaining the same sleek, black aesthetic as the Magnus Evo.
If the Magnus Evo doesn't tickle your fancy, you can always check out IGN's best gaming desks of 2025 to see what other options are available. There's a desk out there for everyone, after all.
Duke Nukem fans, here is something special for you today. An unofficial PC port of the Nintendo 64 exclusive Duke Nukem game, Duke Nukem Zero Hour, has just been released. For the first time, PC gamers can enjoy this third-person Duke Nukem game on their PC. Duke Nukem Zero Hour: Recompiled is a project that … Continue reading Duke Nukem Zero Hour Unofficial PC Port Released→
Raw Fury and Lunar Software have announced that their first-person sci-fi survival horror game, ROUTINE, will be released on December 4th. To celebrate this announcement, the teams shared a new trailer that you can find below. ROUTINE is set on an abandoned lunar base designed around an 80s vision of the future. In this game, … Continue reading ROUTINE, first-person sci-fi survival horror game, will be released on December 4th→
EA and DICE have just released a free-to-play battle royale mode for Battlefield 6, called Battlefield REDSEC. Battlefield REDSEC allows 100 players to duke it out in one big map. Powered by Frostbite Engine, I’ve decided to test this new mode on my main gaming PC. So, let’s dive in. For our benchmarks, I used … Continue reading Battlefield REDSEC Benchmarks & PC Performance Analysis→
Citing “sources close to the project”, Deadline shot down The Sun’s report that Margot Robbie would star in director Luca Guadagnino‘s as the film’s titular murderer.
The Sun had claimed the “novel and the film were so controversial and the people working on the remake wanted to twist the narrative by having a female actress take on the lead of Bateman. … and by having a female killer, it puts a different spin on the crimes.”
Scott Z. Burns is scripting the new film, which will be released by Lionsgate. It will be produced by Frenesy Films and executive produced by Sam Pressman.
Starting this year, Best Buy has become an official reseller of Bambu Lab 3D printers. Bambu is widely considered one of the better 3D printer brands on the market, and its most popular model is on sale today. Best Buy has the Bambu P1S Combo 3D Printer with Automatic Material System for multi-filament printing for just $549.99 after a $200 off instant discount. This printer was $899 when it first launched, but prices have been steadily dropping since then.
Bambu P1S Combo for $549.99
The Bambu P1S is the best Bambu 3D printer for most people; this is Bambu's mid-range model and offers several useful premium features at a reasonable cost. It's almost entirely fully assembled out of the box and setup should take under 15 minutes. Unlike cheaper 3D printers, the P1S features a fully enclosed chamber, which is necessary to stabilize temperature and ambient conditions in order to produce more consistent results. It boasts an acceleration speed of up to 20000 mm/s² and can print a benchy in 18 minutes. A built-in camera allows you to remotely monitor the printing process.
The P1S Combo model includes the Automatic Material System or AMS. This module basically allows for multi-filament printing, which means you can use up to four different types of filament material or colors per AMS (you can daisy chain up to four AMS to manage as many as 16 different filaments). The AMS itself normally retails $350, so it's best to get it in this combo, especially if you plan on getting it anyway in the long run.
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.
Lenovo is currently offering one of the lowest prices on prebuilt RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC. The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 GeForce RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC is down to just $1,652.99 after you apply coupon code: "EXTRAFIVE". Free delivery is included. Curiously, this gaming PC is equipped with a laptop processor, albeit a powerful one. This CPU/GPU duo can run even the even most demanding games in 4K resolution at 60fps and beyond.
Lenovo Legion RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for $1,653
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 gaming PC is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, 32GB of DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and a 1TB M.2 SSD. The processor is equipped with a 240mm liquid cooler, which is a rare upgrade for a Legion Tower 5 series PC. An 850W 80PLUS Gold power supply provides plenty of power. The case offers toolless entry and most of the components are non-proprietary, so they are easy to swap out or upgrade yourself down the road. The exception in this particular case is the CPU and motherboard.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is normally a laptop CPU
According to Lenovo's spec sheet, this PC is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU on a customized Intel HM870 mATX motherboard. The 275HX is traditionally a mobile CPU that's found in laptops, and it's important to note that mobile CPUs are soldered onto the motherboard so they can't be user-upgraded. If you don't intend on swapping the CPU on a prebuilt computer (and let's face it, most people won't), then rest assured you'll get excellent performance out of this chip. According to Passmark, the Ultra 9 275HX is roughly comparable in gaming performance to the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF. It also has more cores (24 vs 20) for better multi-core performance.
The RTX 5070 Ti GPU has excellent 4K gaming performance
The RTX 5070 Ti is a traditional desktop model graphics card with 16GB of RAM and 1,406 AI TOPS. The RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck in terms of 4K gaming performance. It performs neck-and-neck with the previous generation RTX 4080 Super and pulls ahead in any game that supports DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation. It is fully capable of running any game in 4K at 60fps. It also has 16GB of VRAM like the RTX 5080, making it viable for AI work.
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.
When it comes to fantastical book series that shaped our childhoods, Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one of the best. With season two of the Percy Jackson Disney+ series arriving in December 2025, we're here to lay out what makes the books so special and the order you need to read the books in to make the most of the series.
Imagine a world where modern Greek gods have children with the powers of demigods. That's the fantastical concept at the center of the Percy Jackson and The Olympians book series. Created by Rick Riordan, the stories begins following the titular son of Poseidon as he traverses the secret world of mythical gods, goddesses, and their superpowered offspring. Over the original series and two sequel series The Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo, the world has expanded massively bringing new characters and new generations of fans to the Greek-myth inspired universe that has been enchanting readers since 2005.
How Many Books are in the Series?
There are a total of 18 books in the Percy Jackson universe, which are spread across three different series. The original Percy Jackson and the Olympian series features 7 books as of 2025 with the release of Wrath of the Triple Goddess just last year.
Percy Jackson Book Sets
If you're looking to add a collection of books to your shelves at home, there are a few box sets available. Below are links to both the paperback and hardcover versions for each series:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Books in Order
Below is how to read the Percy Jackson series chronologically. There's a bit of a time jump between The Last Olympian and Chalice of the Gods, but the timeline is further explained on Rick Riordan's website.
1. The Lightning Thief
In the original novel that sparked off the series, Percy Jackson, discovers that his normal life is not what it seems. Rather than being a normal 12 year old trying to get through school with ADHD and Dyslexia, he's actually a demigod! His life is turned upside down when he's accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt. It's not just that he's accused of being a thief though, as he also learns that he's the son of none other than the god Poseidon. Soon he's swept away to a summer camp for demigods known as Camp Half-Blood where he must solve the mystery of Zeus' stolen master bolt and find his way as the son of a god that he's never known.
2. The Sea of Monsters
After discovering Camp Half-Blood and his new life in the first book, in The Sea of Monsters Percy and his friends have to come together to save the place they first met. When the magic that protects the camp begins to fail the crew must head to the titular ocean in order to find a powerful artifact. But they don't have much time and in case you didn't realize the Sea of Monsters is filled with just that. Many, many dangerous creatures fill the pages of this epic adventure, as Percy navigates rough seas and family secrets as he tries to save the day.
3. The Titan’s Curse
As the title hints, this story pushes the Greek mythology of Percy Jackson into the realm of the legendary Titans. When Percy is enlisted to help his old friend Grover he knows something dangerous must have happened, but not even he can guess what's coming. New demigods are on the horizon and with them comes the threat of one of the oldest beings in the world Kronos who hasn't forgiven the teens for besting him. That's not all though as there's also the matter of a massively powerful ancient monster, and the titular curse to keep them busy.
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth
Though he's starting freshman year, things are far from normal for Percy Jackson. With the war between the Titans and the Gods threatening to spill over into every part of life he can barely catch a break, so when demon cheerleaders show up at school he can't believe his bad luck. Reimagining the classic Greek Myth of Daedalus and the Minataur, Percy and his Camp Half-Blood buds have to venture deep into the depths of the Earth to defeat the challenges of an intricate maze in order to stop the destruction of all that they hold dear.
5. The Last Olympian
It's a race to save the legendary Mount Olympus as Percy and his friends must come together in order to defeat the Titans. Luckily they've been training all year for just this but as Kronos starts his attack on New York, can the young demigods actually stand against him? This is the epic finale to the battle that began long ago in The Lightning Thief and throws the mythical world of Camp Half-Blood onto the streets of Manhattan for a world-changing fight of the ages.
The Heroes of Olympus Books in Order
1. The Lost Hero
Introducing a new roster of young characters to root for, this book centers on a demigod named Jason who loses his memory on a school trip and ends up becoming entangled in the world of the Olympians. After revealing his powers and being taken to Camp Half-Blood, Jason and his friends must help find the now missing Percy Jackson. But as they undertake their quest they discover some shocking truths about Camp Half-Blood and come up against its rival Camp Jupiter. This super fun expansion of the Percy Jackson universe melds Greek and Roman mythology to set up a whole new series of Olympian adventures!
2. The Son of Neptune
Fans were desperate to know what happened to Percy and in the second Heroes of Olympus book they got an insight into his new status quo. Just like Jason, Percy has lost his memory and in a shocking twist finds himself on the run in California with nowhere to turn. Helped by Roman deities and new friends, Percy manages to reach Camp Jupiter discovering that Camp Half-Blood isn't the only demigod training ground in America. As always Percy ends up wrapped up in a mythological battle with huge stakes but this time he's surrounded by Roman gods!
3. The Mark of Athena
What should have been a celebratory reunion for Annabeth and Percy is overshadowed by the threat of war as Camp Jupiter prepares to face down a foe of mythological proportions. The young Demigod takes center stage in this epic seafaring adventure that sees our young heroes travel to Rome in order to connect with the Demigods there, all the while Annabeth tries to work out her place in the story as the daughter of Athena and hero of Olympus.
4. The House of Hades
It's a quest to escape the underworld when Annabeth and Percy find themselves there after the events of Mark of Athena. In their journey to find the Doors of Death, the duo and their friends who are still in the mortal world will have to work together in order to survive. As if Hades wasn't enough to contend with someone trying to raise the Greek iteration of Mother Earth, Gaea, which the kids also have to stop. Who said it would be easy being a Demigod?
5. The Blood of Olympus
In the final novel from The Heroes of Olympus series, Percy and Annabeth have to battle the horror of Gaea along with their crew in order to stop the deities' horrific plan. As the title suggests she needs the blood of Demigods to truly rise but luckily the Demigods have each other, though they'll have to solve the brewing tension between Camps' Half-Blood and Jupiter before they can really come together and solve their Titan sized problem.
Bonus: The Demigod Diaries
Although not directly connected to the Heroes of Olympus series, The Demigod Diaries includes additional short stories set in the Percy Jackson universe. Also included is new artwork and some games.
The Trials of Apollo Books in Order
1. The Hidden Oracle
In the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson and the Olypians series, Zeus is back to his old terrible father shenanigans as he transforms his son — the god Apollo — into a teenager and banishes him to New York City. Once on Earth he has to enlist the help of a Demigod named Meg and of course the heroic Percy Jackson to save the day and earn the forgiveness of his father. This means he'll have to wrangle control of the Five Oracles which will take the crew on another mythologically charged adventure through Riordan's fantastical world.
2. The Dark Prophecy
Continuing the story of Apollo and his quest to find the Oracles in order to take his place as a god once again. Alongside his Demigod buddies, Apollo must venture across America in order to free the next Oracle, all the while battling against mythical creatures and the mysterious Triumvirate Holdings, along with one of its leaders Commodus. Expanding the new lore introduced in The Trials of Apollo this is a gripping continuation of the Percy Jackson series.
3. The Burning Maze
Apollo's battle against the evil emperors of Triumvirate Holdings takes center stage here as he comes up against multiple mythological creatures and famed historical figures. You'll catch appearances from Caligula, Madea, Strix, and even Caligula's favorite horse Incitatus. This is another epic adventure that pits Apollo against fearsome foes and tragic losses as he unravels the Triumvirate's shocking plans and tries to regain his immortality while keeping his friends safe. And trust us when we say that's not an easy set of responsibilities to juggle.
4. The Tyrant’s Tomb
The penultimate book in the Trials of Apollo series takes Apollo and friends to the edge as they find themselves up against the brutal Caligula and his followers. In order to help protect Camp Jupiter from the onslaught of Triumvirate Holdings, Apollo and his crew must venture into the ancient tomb of a terrifying tyrant that will put them in more danger than ever before. It'll also lead to the final trial of Apollo, which will define and seal his fate forever.
5. The Tower of Nero
In the final Trials of Apollo book the stage is set for an epic battle back in New York City. It's all been leading to this as the young god and his demigod buds have come up against their biggest foe yet. It's an epic finale with massive stakes as mythical families are reunited, friendships are tested, and Apollo finally learns whether or not he's done enough to return to his place on Mount Olympus. But if you're desperate for more stories in this universe, don't despair as there's one more standalone novel that ties into the world of Percy Jackson.
6. The Sun and the Star
Bringing two fan favorite characters to the forefront of their own story, The Sun and the Star centers on Nico di Angelo and Will Solace who were introduced in earlier Percy Jackson novels. Nico is the son of Hades which means that life is far from easy for him, and as the son of Apollo, Will has had his fair share of adventures too. But when Nico starts hearing a voice calling him to the depths of the underworld the pair are tested like never before, in this story that will sate the appetites of Percy Jackson fans everywhere, especially those who miss Camp Half-Blood.
What's Next for the Percy Jackson Series?
Following the recent release of Wrath of the Triple Goddess, Rick Riordan will be adding a final book to this trilogy. He stated this clearly in a November 2024 update where he confirmed he "will be writing the third and final ‘Senior Year Adventure’ about Percy Jackson’s quest to get into college". We don't yet know the name of the upcoming book, but we know it will somehow involve Percy acquiring his final recommendation letter. Once that book wraps up, the future of the Percy Jackson books is unclear.
As for the TV show, Disney has confirmed that season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will arrive on December 10, 2025. This is a full two years after the release of the first season, which IGN's review described as "adding a hint of modernity" to the world of gods and monsters.
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision. When she's not writing, you can find her playing Dragon Ball FighterZ or rewatching weird old horror and martial movies in her free time. She loves making comics and zines as well as collecting VHS and reading much manga as humanly possible. You can find her on social at @rosiemarx.
The classic 1995 first-person shooter Star Wars: Dark Forces is finally getting its due, in action figure form. Kyle Katarn, the hero of the video game, is getting a Star Wars The Black Series action figure. It costs $27.99 and will be available on April 1. You can preorder it now at Amazon.
Preorder the Kyle Katarn Star Wars The Black Series Action Figure
The Kyle Katarn figure is six inches tall, with a good amount of articulation. It comes with a blaster and a blue-bladed Lightsaber, with a standard blade and one that mimics the blurred swinging effect. It’s a figure that looks good enough for adults to enjoy as a collectible, but it works equally well for play, with a suggest age range of 4+.
The video game Star Wars: Dark Forces hit PC in 1995, with a port to PS1 the following year. It’s one of the early “Doom clones,” but it had strong enough story and gameplay elements to stand up on its own. Gameplay-wise, it included novel ideas like the ability to jump and duck, as well as to look up and down, all of which Doom and Doom 2 lacked.
Dark Forces is set in the (no-longer-canon) extended universe, around the time of the first Star Wars movie. It follows Kyle Katarn, a mercenary working for the Rebel Alliance, as he uncovers the Dark Troopers Project and goes about trying to stop it. This mission brings him all over the galaxy to locations like Jabba’s yacht, the Imperial mines on Gromas, inside a Star Destroyer, and more.
Star Wars: Dark Forces got the remaster treatment last year, making it accessible on modern platforms and tweaking its graphics and adding various quality-of-life improvements.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
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