Netflix has admitted it did not attribute any value to Warner Bros.’ video game business in its $82.7 billion acquisition deal, sparking concern for the future of everything from Mortal Kombat to Hogwarts Legacy.
While Warner Bros. is best known for its movie and TV business, Warner Bros. Games includes a number of well-known video game developers and brands. Batman Arkham developer Rocksteady, LEGO games developer Traveller's Tales, Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software, and Mortal Kombat maker NetherRealm are all on Warner Bros. Games’ books.
And despite the fact some of Warner Bros. games, in particular smash hit Hogwarts Legacy, have sold tens of millions of copies and generated billions of dollars in revenue, as far as Netflix is concerned, they’re pretty much an afterthought in this mega deal.
Speaking during a conference presentation about the deal reported on by Pocket Gamer, Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters responded to a question about whether buying Warner Bros. would accelerate its own gaming plans.
He said that while Warner Bros. had done “great work in the game space, we actually didn’t attribute any value to that from the get-go because they’re relatively minor compared to the grand scheme of things."
“Now we are super excited because some of those properties that they’ve built, Hogwarts is a great example of that, have been done quite well, and we think that we can incorporate that into what we’re offering.
“They’ve got great studios and great folks working there. So we think that there’s definitely an opportunity there. But just to be clear, we haven’t built that into our deal model.”
While Warner Bros. Games does have some big hitters under its belt, it has struggled since the release of Hogwarts Legacy. In January, previous games boss David Haddad exited the company following the costly failures of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and MultiVersus. Soon after, Warner Bros. Games announced plans to shutter Monolith Productions, Player First Games, and Warner Bros. San Diego alongside the cancelation of its Wonder Woman game. And in June, Warner Bros. Games announced a restructure to focus on four key franchises: Mortal Kombat, Harry Potter, DC, and Game of Thrones.
Indeed, 2024 was a brutal year for Warner Bros. Games, with Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League sparking a $200 million hit to revenue, and then Smash Bros.-style brawler MultiVersus flopping to the tune of $100 million. Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, meanwhile, failed to make an impression. Speaking in a financial call, Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO David Zaslav said: "We recognise [the games business] is substantially underperforming its potential right now.”
So what’s next for Warner Bros. Games while it awaits its fate? The promising Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is set to launch at some point in 2026, and given Netflix's deal may not close until summer 2027, this one feels safe.
Elsewhere, there's a Hogwarts Legacy sequel in the works and a single-player Batman game from Rocksteady reportedly in development, but neither is announced nor do we have release windows. NetherRealm has yet to announce its next project, having ceased work on Mortal Kombat 1 updates. Will it make another Mortal Kombat game or another game in the DC fighting game series, Injustice? Gotham Knights developer WB Games Montreal, meanwhile, reportedly pitched a John Constantine game but it was never approved. A Flash game was scrapped after the DCU Flash film bombed. It’s now allegedly helping out with other games and is reportedly working on a pitch for a new Game of Thrones game.
Will Netflix be interested in any of this? So far, Netflix has seen mixed results from its video game efforts, with a number of high-profile hires and subsequent studio closures. It’s currently focused on narrative games based on Netflix shows, games for children, social party games, and Grand Theft Auto ports.
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.
Two more titles headed to the PlayStation Plus catalog for Extra and Premium members have reportedly been revealed, and are due to become available next week.
Mirage is the enjoyable, city-sized Assassin's Creed game that launched in 2023 as a brief respite from the sprawling, country-sized epics the series now regularly delivers. Its tighter gameplay, set across the rooftops and alleyways of a historical Baghdad, was well received.
Last month, Mirage received a major update adding a further six hours of gameplay — set in what is now modern day Saudi Arabia, and reportedly funded by modern day Saudi Arabian interests. The game has also recently been added to Xbox Game Pass, as Ubisoft seeks to get the game in front of as many players as possible.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, meanwhile, is the 2023 historical action role-player from Nioh maker Team Ninja, which is loosely based on the Chinese epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
In addition to these, Dealabs reported that Soulcalibur 3 is "expected" to be included in the PlayStation Plus Premium Classics Catalog, after it was previously confirmed as on its way during September's State of Play broadcast. We'll know for certain soon.
Sony is expected to officially reveal its PlayStation Plus selection for December later today. We'll update this post with any further titles then.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Arc Raiders has a "cold snap" on the way, and it's set to arrive on December 16.
As already confirmed by developer Embark Studios, the Cold Snap December update adds a new map condition called Snowfall, a new event called Flickering Flames, new quests, and a new raider deck (Arc Raiders' equivalent of a battle pass).
What does the Snowfall map condition mean, exactly? We're not sure, but Embark shared the image, below, showing what appears to be a dead raider in the snow, suggesting the frigid weather could be more deadly than merely inconvenient. As one fan quipped in response: "I can’t wait to have all of my s**t stolen from people camping in basements on extraction points covered in snow."
Cold Snap is the last update listed as part of Arc Raiders' 2025 content roadmap, and Embark has yet to outline what's coming in 2026. The previous update, rolled out at the end of November, involved a "very hot fix for the locked room exploits," and it turned out they weren’t kidding after some players had been cheating their way into locked rooms as before.
IGN's Arc Raiders review, returned a 9/10. We said: "With polished gunplay and an irresistible grind, ARC Raiders sets a new standard for extraction shooters."
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.
An HBO Max subscriber has filed a class-action lawsuit over Netflix’s proposed $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.-owned streaming platform HBO Max includes everything from Game of Thrones to Harry Potter, James Gunn's DC Universe to Barbie, and its content is expected to be added to Netflix if and when the deal goes through.
The lawsuit, filed by a Las Vegas-based HBO Max subscriber who has never been a Netflix subscriber, argues that the deal threatens to reduce competition in the U.S. subscription video-on-demand market, and seeks to block the acquisition.
Netflix’s proposal has sparked a tough response from some members of Congress, and it is expected to face significant scrutiny under antitrust laws. Paramount, meanwhile, has launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion in the hope of stealing Warner Bros. out from under Netflix.
According to the LA Times, HBO Max subscriber Michelle Fendelander alleged in her lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court in San Jose, that if Netflix’s deal were to go through it would decrease competition in the subscription streaming market. The lawsuit asks the court to issue an injunction to prevent the merger from happening.
“American consumers — including SVOD purchasers like Plaintiff, an HBO Max subscriber — will bear the brunt of this decreased competition, paying increased prices and receiving degraded and diminished services for their money,” Fendelander’s lawsuit claims.
“The elimination of this rivalry is likely to reduce overall content output, diminish the diversity and quality of available content, and narrow the spectrum of creative voices appearing on major streaming platforms.”
In a statement, Netflix hit out at the lawsuit, saying: “We believe this suit is meritless and is merely an attempt by the plaintiffs’ bar to leverage all the attention on the deal.”
The email — reviewed by IGN — promises subscribers that nothing is changing “today,” and confirms that HBO Max and Netflix will continue to operate separately until the deal closes. Netflix goes on to say that there are a number of steps it needs to complete before the deal closes, including regulatory and shareholder approval. Netflix’s email does not rule out future price rises, but does promise that current membership plans will remain in place at least until the deal goes through. As for when that will be, Netflix said it expects to close the transaction in 12-18 months. So, at the earliest, December 2026, but it could be as late as summer 2027. It seems likely that Warner Bros. shows will arrive on Netflix when the deal closes, and when that happens a price rise seems inevitable.
But will the deal make it through? Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on the Justice Department to examine Netflix's buyout of Warner Bros., branding the deal "like an anti-monopoly nightmare." Netflix has said acquiring Warner Bros. would provide better value to subscribers and shareholders, but Warren insisted a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. risked job losses and higher subscription prices, and said that the Justice Department must now enforce the country's anti-monopoly laws "fairly and transparently."
In an investor call last week attended by IGN, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos struck a confident tone when asked about the deal’s chance of success. "We're highly confident in the regulatory process," he said. "This deal is pro-consumer, pro-innovation, pro-worker, it's pro-creator, it's pro-growth.”
Photo by Vincent Feuray / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images.
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.
Today's release of Pokémon Legends: Z-A DLC Mega Dimension has seen the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 adventure receive its version 2.0.0 update — and a list of all-new Mega Pokémon evolutions.
Nintendo had previously shown off a handful of Mega Dimension's new Mega Evolutions, but also kept many back for players to find as they explore the game — or, inevitably, discover online as the update was immediately datamined.
Mega Dimension adds a fresh story campaign to Pokémon Legends: Z-A, starring a donut chef and the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa. Notably, it takes players into a Hyperspace version of Lumiose City where the franchise's typical level 100 cap can be surpassed. But, for many, collecting all of the series' brand-new Mega Evolutions will be the core attraction.
We'll leave details of the new Mega Pokémon species under spoiler tags below, for those who wish to discover them during gameplay, ahead of the game's latest patch notes.
For now, these look to be the last additions likely for Pokémon's ninth generation era, before the franchise moves forward to its highly-anticipated 10th generation of games, expected by fans to arrive next year in line with Pokémon's overall 30th anniversary.
For now, anyway, here's everything to look forward to in Mega Dimension, which is now available to play.
Mega Evolutions added in Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension:
Mega Raichu X
Mega Raichu Y
Mega Chimecho
Mega Absol Z
Mega Staraptor
Mega Garchomp Z
Mega Lucario Z
Mega Heatran
Mega Darkrai
Mega Chandelure
Mega Golisopod
Mega Golurk
Mega Meowstic
Mega Crabominable
Mega Magearna
Mega Zerora
Mega Scovillain
Mega Glimmora
Mega Tatsugiri
Mega Baxcalibur
Pokémon Legends: Z-A: Version 2.0.0 patch notes (December 9, 2025):
Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC Additional Story Content Now Available:
Players who have purchased the Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC (sold separately) can now enjoy its additional story content.
To progress through the story of the Mega Dimension DLC, you must first have completed the main story of Pokémon Legends: Z-A. For more details about Mega Dimension, please visit the official website: https://legends.pokemon.com/en-us/dlc
New Pokémon:
Players who have not purchased the Pokémon Legends: Z-A – Mega Dimension DLC can still encounter or obtain the Pokémon added to Mega Dimension via communication features.
Fixes Applied:
Several issues have been fixed.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Xbox published the long-awaited sequel to Ninja Gaiden, after the misstep of Ninja Gaiden 3, Ninja Gaiden 4. Developed by action game auteurs PlatinumGames and Koei Tecmo stalwarts, Team Ninja delivered the month of Tomonobu Itagaki’s untimely passing. So, does Ninja Gaiden 4 deliver on the highs of the franchise? I won’t keep you waiting … Continue reading Ninja Gaiden 4 – DSOGaming Review→
Finding the perfect gift for someone who only likes tech stuff can be a challenge. Partially because the best tech gifts tend to be inherently expensive. If you're buying someone new technology for Christmas this year, it has the potential to be the only gift that truly gets them excited while also blowing a massive hole in your budget.
There are exceptions to this, of course. Plenty of high-quality tech and gaming accessories are surprisingly affordable and practical. If you're looking for ideas of what to get the tech nerd in your life this year, we've rounded up 10 gifts we love and recommend buying in 2025 to help get you started.
1. Ecoflow Rapid Pro Power Bank
"I have to travel for work a lot, and I’m usually hauling a backpack full of tech wherever I go, so I need an awesome battery bank to keep things running when I’m on the road. For the past year it’s been this Ecoflow Rapid Pro power bank. Not only does it have enough juice to charge both my laptop and my Xbox Ally X at the same time, but the pogo pins on the bottom go with this cool little charging station – which unfortunately costs extra – which makes charging it a breeze. It also has a handy built-in USB-C cable, so I don’t have to dig through my backpack just to dig out an inevitably tangled cable." - Jackie Thomas
2. Analogue3D
"This is the ultimate Nintendo 64. Preorders sold out almost instantly when it was first announced way back, and the first restock has already come and gone. Maybe, just maybe, there'll be another one and you can grab it. Whoever gets one of these will be as happy as the original Nintendo 64 kid from the home video that springs up this time of year on social media.
This isn't an emulator: it's a field-programmable gate array. What does that mean, exactly? Too complicated to get into now, but essentially this IS a Nintendo 64, it's not emulating it. It's an actual piece of futuristic technology that lets you play your N64 games on modern TVs in 4K. If you manage to score an Analogue3D this year, you will be the Hero of the Holidays. Four-player GoldenEye never looked so good." - Seth Macy
3. PNY Duo Link V3 Flash Drive (256GB)
"Everyone needs a flash drive, and the PNY Duo Link is by far my favorite – and I’ve used hundreds of the things. The one I carry around has 2TB of capacity, which is more than enough for transferring basically any kind of data. It also has both a USB-A and a USB-C connection, on either side of the drive, which means I can plug it into whichever device I’m using at the time. The best part, though, is the rotating metal cover, which I’m always finding myself fiddling with." - Jackie Thomas
4. Meta Quest 3
"The Quest 3 continues Meta’s legacy of offering a cost-effective headset that doesn’t require an expensive gaming PC, but can still benefit from one if you have it. That’s a unique feature that sets it apart from almost every other VR headset out there, other than its own predecessors. The Quest 3 goes even further by offering us a ticket to mixed-reality gaming with a full-color passthrough mode that’s sharp enough to read things in the world around you, the lightest and most precisely tracked controllers available, and more. The sheer amount of upgrades are well worth the $200 generational price increase. For everyone else who is willing to splurge, the Quest 3 sets the new standard for VR and mixed reality gaming." - Eric Song via IGN's review
5. CRKD Gibson Les Paul Guitar Controller
"Remember Guitar Hero and Rock Band? Well, while there hasn’t been a new entry in either franchise in years, games like Clone Hero and YARG are reviving the genre, especially on PC. Plus, after buying Harmonix in 2021, Epic Games built a rock-band-like Rhythm game into Fortnite, which will let you use a guitar controller like this to jam out. Even after reviewing this CRKD guitar controller, I still can’t put it down." - Jackie Thomas
6. Mechanism Gaming Pillow
"I’ve reviewed basically every PC gaming handheld that’s come out over the last couple of years, and so when I say I spend a lot of time cuddled up playing games on them, I’m not exaggerating. The one downside to PC handhelds, though, is that they’re quite a bit heavier than something like the Nintendo Switch 2, which I typically address by just stacking up some pillows and propping up the device that way. But the Mechanism Gaming Pillow takes that idea to another level, with a metal arm attached to what’s essentially a bean-bag pillow. It definitely looks silly, but attaching it to a heavy handheld like the Lenovo Legion Go makes it way easier on your wrists, especially for longer gaming sessions. The company also sells attachments for a wide range of different devices, which you can swap out at will – so it’s not just for your handheld." - Jackie Thomas
7. Nintendo Switch 2
"The Nintendo Switch 2 has been one of the hottest gifts of 2025 so far. When Nintendo first launched its Nintendo Switch successor, I was inclined to wait before making a purchase. That plan went out the window almost immediately after IGN gave Donkey Kong Bananza a perfect 10 out of 10 review. Now that I've taken the plunge, the Switch 2 is my gaming console of choice and I use it almost every day. If you're a fan of Nintendo games, this is theNintendo gift to buy this year." - Jacob Kienlen
"I’ve used hundreds of gaming keyboards in my life, and recently I’ve fallen in love with small 65% gaming keyboards. Yeah, it makes some things a little harder to do, but the portability and the small footprint is a worthy tradeoff for me. There are a lot of these little keyboards out there, but the Higround Basecamp 65 is the perfect blend of aesthetics and incredible switches. I’ve been using this keyboard for something like two years now, and while a lot of keyboards I use develop some kind of problem in that time – I write a lot – this one is still working like the day I took it out of the box." - Jackie Thomas
9. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite
"I've had multiple Kindle e-readers over the years, but the Kindle Paperwhite is my overall favorite. It has a slightly larger screen then the standard Kindle and the adjustable lighting is awesome. It's totally revolutionized how I read, and the addition of a night mode has made it possible for me to keep reading into the night if I want to. If you're looking for really good tablet for reading, this is the one I'd recommend to anyone. Just make sure you get a good case to go with it." - Jacob Kienlen
10. Sony WH-1000XM5 Premium Noise Canceling Headphones
"I used to be really cheap when it came to headphones, but then somebody bought me this really nice pair for Christmas. It's hard to go back to average sound quality once you have experienced really good noise cancellation. The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are about as good as it gets and I use them for pretty much everything. They are particularly excellent for gaming if you don't want any outside distractions. I've had these headphones for more than a year now and still recommend them to everyone I know. Though Sony has since released the new WH-1000XM6 headphones." - Jacob Kienlen
Walmart just kicked off one of the lowest prices I've seen on an RTX 5070 equipped laptop. Right now you can pick up a Asus TUF F16 gaming laptop for just $1,099 with free delivery. This laptop offers strong performance for the price since it's equipped with an unthrottled RTX 5070 GPU with a 115W TGP rating.
Asus TUF F16 (2025) RTX 5070 Gaming Laptop for $1,099
The Asus TUF F16 is a solid mid-range 2025 model featuring an anodized aluminum top and durable polycarbonate chassis. It weighs in at about 5 pounds and measures 0.7" thin. Full specs include a 16" 1920x1200 165Hz display, Intel Core i7-14650HX CPU, GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The Intel Core i7-14650HX is a 2024 HX-series processor with a max turbo frequency of 5.2GHz and a total of 16 cores and 24 threads. Although this is a slightly older 2024 model, it's still an excellent, powerful mobile processor that will perform well in both gaming and general multi-tasking productivity, even in apps that can utilize multiple cores.
The GeForce RTX 5070 is an unthrottled 115W model
The RTX 5070 is an unthrottled model with 115W TGP (not including dynamic CPU boost) and performs about 5%-10% better than the RTX 4070 that it replaces. That's not a very big generational improvement, but the RTX 5070 has the newer DLSS 4 technology with multi-frame generation, which widens the performance gap in games that support it. It's capable of handling just about every game out there on the display's 1920x1200 resolution. Some people prefer a higher resolution laptop screen, but in my opinion, it's an unnecessary load on resources for minimal visual fidelity gain. A 16" FHD+ laptop display has a pixel density of roughly 140ppi, which is comparable to a 32" monitor with 4K resolution.
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.
These days, streaming services are a dime a dozen. Disney+ offers some of the best value in relation to the exclusive content it has available, as you'll not only have access to dozens of Disney and Pixar films and TV shows, but the entirety of the collected Marvel Cinematic Universe and every Star Wars project pre- and post-acquisition. Depending on the subscription tier or bundle you pick, you can also experience Hulu and ESPN Unlimited content as well, making this the best bang-for-your-buck streaming services around.
But did you know you can give a Disney+ subscription as a gift? We've gathered everything you need to know on how to give a subscription out to your loved ones and how the process works. It's a wonderful Disney gift idea for 2025.
How to Give Disney+ As a Gift
The best way to go about giving a Disney+ subscription as a gift is through a gift card. You can choose values anywhere between $25 and $200 to load onto the card, so figure out what your gift recipient likes and plan accordingly. One month of Disney+ is $10.99 for example, so the base $25 is good for two months.
Like I mentioned previously, you can load the gift card with values ranging from $25 all the way up to $200. Some folks like to pay up front for their longterm subscriptions so they don't have to worry about it later, so a gift card of $100+ is a great route to take if you're planning on binging the entirety of the MCU or catch up on Andor. Check out our Disney+ bundle price guide for more info, or look at a quick TL;DR below so you can get a good idea of how much to give as a gift. Keep in mind only Disney+ premium includes 4K streaming.
Disney+ Pricing
Disney+ Basic: $11.99 monthly
Disney+ Premium: $18.99 monthly, $189.99 annually
Disney+, Hulu bundle - Basic: $12.99 monthly
Disney+, Hulu bundle - Premium; $19.99 monthly
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select bundle - Basic: $19.99 monthly
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select bundle - Premium: $29.99 monthly
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle - Basic: $29.99
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited bundle - Premium: $38.99
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max with ads: $19.99 monthly
Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max without ads: $32.99 monthly
Call of Duty will no longer release multiple Black Ops or Modern Warfare games back-to-back, after two Modern Warfare releases in 2022 and 2023, and two Black Ops releases in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and negative feedback and concerning sales reports for the most recent release, Black Ops 7.
This news was delivered from "the Call of Duty team" (encompassing studios Treyarch, Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software) on the official website, in a post that acknowledged the criticism of Black Ops 7 as well as broader criticism of the franchise in recent years. As the post opens:
First off, thank you for all for the feedback we have received over the last few months. Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less. We also know that for some of you, the Franchise has not met your expectations fully. To be very clear, we know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver, and overdeliver, on those expectations as we move forward.
The post goes on to state a number of changes the Call of Duty studios will be making going forward. For starters, they're opening up Black Ops 7's multiplayer zombies mode for a free trial and Double XP weekend next week, in an effort to get those who have hesitated on Black Ops 7 to "experience the game firsthand and decide for yourselves." They also are committing to "unprecedented season support," saying that they "won't rest until Black Ops 7 earns its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made."
Then, the team had this to say about future Call of Duty releases:
We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year.
We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.
The note concludes by saying the team believes Call of Duty's "best days are ahead of us" and that the next era of Call of Duty will "deliver precisely on what you want along with some surprises that push the Franchise and the genre forward."
These changes come amidst, and likely in response to, a rough couple of years for the Call of Duty franchise. The most recent entry, Black Ops 7, debuted last month to middling reviews, including our own 6/10 campaign review, 6/10 Zombies review, and significantly better 8/10 multiplayer review. This is also in the context of both Black Ops 7 and Modern Warfare 3 receiving poor reviews in comparison to their immediate series predecessors the year before, with Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare 2 being received generally favorably. This likely accounts, at least in part, for the decision to stop the back-to-back releases.
For Black Ops 7, that lukewarm reception has also been reflected in the game's sales numbers, especially in relation to another recent major multiplayer shooter release, Battlefield 6. The game had a "terrible" launch in Europe, down 63% versus Battlefield 6 and down by more than 50% versus last year's Black Ops 6 in the equivalent periods.
It is worth noting that we don't have full visibility into Black Ops 7's sales data, as it launched day one on Game Pass, and a number of people likely played the game through the subscription service and didn't count as unit sales.
But nonetheless, the announcement today feels like an admission that something has gone wrong here. Whether or not the Call of Duty team can fix it will take a few years to truly comprehend.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Book nooks are a great way to add some flair to your book collection and pad out some empty space on your shelf. The best part is that they're typically DIY kits made of parts similar to any other miniature model kit. These are the perfect time sink for a rainy day, with podcast or your favorite movie on in the background, or even for a date night. Looking online, there are seemingly endless options when to brands and styles, but I've gathered some of what I think are the very best. Below are my top picks by brand in terms of style, design, and cost. Each one of these would make for an excellent gift for the readers in your life.
LEGO Book Nooks
The LEGO book nooks were all released in 2025, and thet have been extremely popular so far. I got the Lord of the Rings: Balrog set, and both the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express and Sherlock Holmes book nooks are excellent LEGO gifts for adults this year. Not only do they function well as a typical book nook, but ech one unfolds into classic scene from their respective properties; you have Gandalf facing off against the Balrog in the iconic "you shall not pass" scene, a recreation of Baker Street where Sherlock calls home, and King's Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4 where Harry and Ron are boarding the train back to Hogwarts. These range in cost from $100 up to $130.
Alongside the three book nooks LEGO has released, there's also a LEGO Wicked bookends set that was incredible to build. I'd recommend that if you have a floating shelf rather than a bookcase.
Funpola Book Nooks
Funpola book nooks stand out from the rest in that they offer a lot more modern and sci-fi themed nooks than others. The Endless Dimensions kit is a cool neon Cyberpunk-like aesthetic, and the Automobile Shop is a nice addition. The New World kit is my favorite of the bunch; it has all kinds of nautical decor, treasure, dead pirates drinking rum. What's not to like? Funpola does still have the more fantasy-leaning kits, too, if none of these catch your eye. These will set you back $50.
CCCDF Book Nooks
The CCCDF brand book nooks pay homage to some of literature's best works. The Alice Down the Rabbit Hole kit shows off the whimsical setting you'd expect from Lewis Carroll's timeless tale, and the Phantom of the Opera kit is a neat recreation of the novel as well. CCCDF also offers oversized book nooks, like the Beyond Library Max, if you're looking to fill more space or just prefer them like this. They cost a bit more than the regular kits, coming in around $60.
Cutebee Book Nooks
Cutebee book nooks offer a more storybook style, which I like. The Amazing Toys Store kit gives Pleasure Island vibes from Pinocchio, while the Darkness Common Room is surely inspired by the Slytherin common room from Harry Potter. The Rose Detective Agency would look great on the shelf next to any edition of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. These all hover around $40, so you won't break the bank too hard if you go the Cutebee route.
Rolife Book Nooks
Rolife book nooks are a bit more minimalist than the others. The Sakura Densya is a quaint replica of a Japanese train station, and the Sunshine Town reminds me of something you'd see in a Nicholas Sparks novel. They also seem to be a bit narrower than the rest, so you should have no problem fitting these into your bookshelf. The size might also contribute to their $40 price tag.
Where to Buy Book Nooks Online
While Amazon is clearly the best bet to find these book nooks, other retailers offer them as well. Naturally, you can find the three LEGO book nooks directly on LEGO's website (and even earn points towards rewards this way), and Walmart and Target have a handful for sale. But other than Amazon, the best place to buy book nooks online is Book Nook World, a fitting title. This site carries all the other brands mentioned here and then some, so if you're looking for a themed nook not listed here, this is where I'd suggest you go.
Best Buyis offering a gaming monitor with some great specs for well under $100. Right now you can pick up a 27" AOC 27G50F 1080p gaming monitor for only $79.99 after a $60 instant discount. Shipping is free. This monitor is a perfect complement to budget PCs or laptops equipped with onboard graphics or a less powerful discrete graphics card.
27" AOC 1080p 144Hz Gaming Monitor for $79.99
The AOC 27G50F monitor boasts a 27" 1920x1080 FHD native resolution, which equates to a respectable pixel density of 82ppi. You'd think a monitor this cheap would have the most basic of specs, but that actually isn't true. It features a max refresh rate of 144Hz, 0.5ms response time, and is G-Sync compatible. It also has both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs.
This monitor pairs well with a budget gaming PC setup. The AOC's 1080p resolution is the sweet spot if your gaming PC or laptop has onboard graphics or less powerful discrete graphics like an RTX 5060 or RTX 5060 Ti GPU. You should still be able to get 60fps or higher in most games that are currently available. A higher resolution display will tax your GPU more heavily and you might not get the frame rates to play games smoothly. Also, you don't want your screen size to be too large if you're limited to 1080p. A larger monitor means lower pixel density; for a TV where you sit far away that's fine, but the blurriness is more noticeable on a monitor, especially with text.
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.
Connexion
PC Gamer
IGN
