Marvel's decision to reintroduce Chris Evans' character Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday has prompted backlash online, with many fans criticizing the move as a "desperate" attempt to win back audiences at the expense of newer characters, and especially Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson.

Today's Avengers: Doomsday trailer, which is available to watch now in theaters attached to Avatar: Fire and Ash, confirms what had previously been leaked: that Marvel has more story to tell featuring Steve Rogers, following what appeared to be a final send-off to the character in Avengers: Endgame.

One of Endgame's most memorable scenes saw Steve passing his shield to Sam, physically handing over the mantle of Captain America as he bowed out of the role. Now, fans say, this moment has effectively been undone, with numerous comments calling it a snub both to Sam, and to Mackie's tenure.

"The MCU just keeps on disrespecting Sam Wilson and I am TIREDDD," wrote one fan on X. "It feels like Marvel is belittling Sam Wilson's efforts to prove himself worthy of the shield Steve passed on to him," added another, sharing a clip of Sam's training from Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

"All I have to say about Avengers: Doomsday is that I will not tolerate the Sam Wilson disrespect!" added another. "What is the point! That whole ass movie about exactly this scenario only for them to bring back Steve anyway????!"

Numerous comments have pointed to the tough journey Sam Wilson has faced since being given the shield by Steve. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier effectively negates Steve's decision by placing a question mark on Sam's claim (and personal desire) to be Cap, only for him to emerge as the hero by the series' end.

Mackie's only lead movie in the years since, Captain America: Brave New World, was then widely panned by critics and fans alike for its underwhelming and heavily-reshot story, though many still praised Mackie's performance as the actor doing the best he could with the material he was given. (In IGN's 5/10 Captain America: Brave New World review, we described the movie as "neither brave, nor all that new, falling short of strong performances from Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, and Carl Lumbly.")

Regardless, Marvel boss Kevin Feige subsequently raised eyebrows by subsequently pinning the film's financial failure on being "the first without Chris Evans." No plans have since been announced for a fresh Captain America sequel.

Alongside criticism specifically of Steve Rogers' former Captain America returning, more general disdain has been expressed at Marvel yet again returning to a name from the franchise's Infinity Saga, after previously casting former Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

"They spent six years introducing new characters only to do this," wrote a fan on X, labelling the decision as "pathetic and desperate."

"Y'all bashed Eternals, Marvels, Fantastic Four, Multiverse of Madness, etc," another fan countered. "Now y'all complaining about bringing back the OGs. Anything Marvel does will be considered pathetic and desperate."

While the many Marvel releases since Avengers: Endgame have been mixed in quality, and nothing has come close to rivalling that movie's enormous $2.8 billion box office haul, the MCU has still had some notable successes. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness earned $955 million, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever drew in $859 million. Deadpool and Wolverine, meanwhile, made over $1.38 billion.

Still, it's notable that Marvel seems keen to market Avengers: Doomsday to the huge audience that turned for Endgame, rather than those who watched anything since. The movie's big market beats so far have been Downey Jr. getting announced as Doctor Doom, and now Evans getting announced as Steve Rogers (whether he ends up as Captain America again, or not).

A leaked plan for three more Avengers: Doomsday trailers has suggested that yet another OG Avengers actor, Chris Hemsworth, will be given his own trailer next, before a trailer that fully reveals Downey Jr. as Doom follows that. Only after all of those, will the movie get a more general trailer — which may be where we finally see more of Marvel's current roster.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

With the theatrical release of our first look at Avengers: Doomsday, previously-leaked details surrounding three more upcoming trailers now appear to have been confirmed.

Last week, it was reported that Disney would launch four different Avengers: Doomsday trailers attached to Avatar: Fire and Ash over the course of four weeks. Subsequent claims then pointed to the first of these revealing the return of Steve Rogers — something that's now been proven accurate.

So what's next? Well, fans are expecting the remaining three trailers to feature similar, character-focused reveals for Thor and Doctor Doom, before a final trailer that's more of a general tease for the whole movie.

With Steve Rogers' turn in the spotlight now available to watch publicly by Avatar: Fire and Ash theater attendees, fans expect Thor's trailer to launch next week, right around Christmas Day. The Doctor Doom-focused trailer is then expected around New Year's Day, before the overall Doomsday trailer hits slightly later in January.

At least, that's what fans believe based on leaks that got Captain America's return right. So far, Disney has not said anything officially about its plans to promote Doomsday, or how it will release these trailers online, rather than as something designed to get people into theaters to watch the new Avatar movie.

Purported details of Thor's trailer are also already floating around the internet, and claim it will show a more sober take on the character than the wackier version seen in Taika Waititi's largely-panned Thor: Love and Thunder. While Chris Hemsworth was previously confirmed for the movie, re-establishing his character (and reminding audiences that another core Avengers member will be back) will likely be a draw.

As for Doctor Doom, well, audiences are yet to properly see former Iron Man legend Robert Downey Jr. in the role — save for his shock appearance in costume at Comic-Con to announce his involvement, back in July 2024.

Earlier today, Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo posted their own short teaser for their upcoming Marvel blockbuster, exactly 12 months before its theatrical release. The next month should be an interesting one for Avengers fans, as the wait for December 18, 2026 continues.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Heads up: AirPods Pro 3 earbuds just got a new price cut that beats all previous deals, including Black Friday. Several retailers have once again lowered the price of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds to $199. That's $20 lower than the Black Friday sale price, and a big drop compared to the retail price of $249. This would make a fantastic (albeit extremely generous) gift for any iOS user, even if that person already has an older generation AirPods Pro. Some of the retailers can still have it delivered by Christmas, although at this point you certainly don't want to dawdle.

AirPods Pro 3 Earbuds for $199 (New All-Time Low Price)

It's now official: Captain America star Chris Evans will be back in Avengers: Doomsday.

Disney's first trailer for the December 2026 blockbuster — which first leaked online earlier this week — has now been officially released in theaters alongside the first showings of Avatar: Fire and Ash. And with this, Evans' return is now set in stone.

The minute-long trailer begins with a familiar figure parking a motorcycle outside a 1950s-style house. After carefully folding away his Captain America uniform, Evans is then revealed — and we see him holding a baby. The trailer then cuts to black, before on-screen text confirms: "Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday." Finally, we see a ticking countdown clock, tracking the months, days, hours, minutes and seconds until Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters a year from now, on December 18, 2026.

Earlier today, Avengers: Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo posted their own short teaser for their upcoming Marvel blockbuster, exactly 12 months before its theatrical release — featuring the countdown clock now seen in the Steve Rogers reveal trailer.

And as IGN reported this morning, today has seen fans heading into Avatar: Fire and Ash screening around the world expecting to see the Doomsday trailer, though many (but not all) have been left disappointed. Disney appears to have kept the trailer to a very limited release until now, with clips posted to social media still being removed by copyright claim.

For many Marvel fans, Evans' return will not come as too much of a surprise. Outside of the trailer's leak online this week, filming reports from this summer appeared to show the same 1950s-style house being secretly constructed, with many fans recognizing its design from the final scene in Avengers: Endgame. Fans also spent a good deal of time analysing recent photos of Evans' real-life arms, and noted that he appeared to have returned to his Captain America physique.

Now, the spoiler tag has well and truly been snipped off by Marvel, which is clearly keen to tell audiences to expect more from Evans' character, a year in advance of Doomsday's release.

So, what's going on here, story-wise? Of course, the last time we saw Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame, he was off to return the Infinity Stones to their original places across reality. Following that, he was expected to return to the present — but instead stayed in the 1950s, apparently to live out a peaceful life with his sweetheart Peggy Carter.

But fans think there's more story to tell here — story which would then take place before Steve turns up as an old man and hands his shield over to Sam Wilson, something that also happened in Endgame. Could Steve's multiversal mission have somehow attracted the attention of Doctor Doom, setting up a fresh rivalry between Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans' characters?

The idea of more story for Steve Rogers is also something Avengers: Endgame and Doomsday directors Joe and Anthony Russo have teased, as early as 2021. Could everything that's about to happen in Doomsday (and Secret Wars) take place before Steve hands over the shield? And how will the fact that Steve Rogers is now a father play out? Is his baby about to be kid-napped by Doctor Doom, just as Sue and Reed Richards' toddler Franklin was? It's going to be a long 12 months until we find out.

Disney's theatrical release of the first Avengers: Doomsday trailer is reportedly just the first of four separate trailers set to be shown with Avatar over the next four weeks, in a move designed to encourage repeat viewings and keep audiences entertained with a series of big reveals. Confirmation of Steve Rogers' return is certainly a strong start.

For more on Cap's return, check out how Chris Evans coming back for Avengers: Doomsday might just be Marvel admitting their biggest failure.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social

Ever since Kevin Feige and Robert Downey, Jr. heralded the arrival of Avengers: Doomsday at Comic-Con 2024, fans have been clinging to any scrap of news they can find about this hotly anticipated sequel. What is Doomsday really about? Why is Downey playing this iconic Marvel villain? How will this film cap off the MCU’s Multiverse Saga?

At long last, the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is here, and we get answers to exactly none of those questions. Instead, Marvel has opted to tease the next Avengers movie by giving us a new glimpse of a familiar hero. Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers will be back for the fifth Avengers movie, and he’s got a baby in tow.

In some ways, this is indeed a big reveal, giving us hints about the plot and direction of Doomsday. But in other ways, it’s a surprisingly disappointing way of kicking off the film’s marketing. Why is a movie that’s supposed to bring together the current generation of MCU heroes so preoccupied with the former Captain America? Let’s discuss why this teaser has us so disappointed.

What Happens in the Avengers: Doomsday Teaser?

The cast of Avengers: Doomsday is going to be massive, as evidenced by the livestream from a few months back featuring dozens of actors’ chairs and culminating with Downey himself. But the first teaser focuses on none of those actors. Instead, we get the first confirmation of the pervasive rumor that Evans is reprising the Steve Rogers role in Doomsday. He’s not only back, but he apparently has a pretty big part to play if he’s getting his own teaser.

This short trailer is more a tone piece than anything that sheds much light on the plot of Doomsday. We hear a somber piano rendition of Alan Silvestri’s iconic Avengers theme and see sun-drenched scenes of Steve riding his motorcycle home, handling his old Captain America uniform, and cradling a newborn baby. Clearly, retirement and domestic anonymity are treating him well.

And that’s about it. The trailer then cuts to black and promises “Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Doomsday.” The footage then ends with a countdown timer to Doomsday’s theatrical release in December 2026.

On the surface, this teaser doesn’t do much more than confirm Evans’ appearance in Doomsday. Which is nice and all, but it was already pretty widely assumed he’d be back in some capacity. Why not just throw a Chris Evans chair in along with the rest in that previous livestream and leave it at that?

The emphasis on Steve and Peggy Carter’s child is an interesting wrinkle, though. How will the baby factor into the plot of Doomsday? What does it mean that Steve and Peggy had a baby in the first place? There are a lot of lingering questions about Steve’s status quo at the end of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. Did Steve affect the MCU’s Sacred Timeline by travelling back to the past and staying there? Will there be far-reaching, unintended consequences of that act?

Perhaps the biggest question is how Downey’s Doctor Doom factors into all of this. We’re still waiting to find out if Downey is actually playing Victor von Doom or if this character is a variant of Tony Stark. We have to wonder if Steve’s act of travelling back in time and fathering a child who shouldn’t exist creates a splinter timeline where things go wrong for the MCU. Is Doom also a product of that timeline? Does he harbor a grudge against Cap for altering the natural order of things? Steve may wind up having to atone for his decision to retire and muck about with time, however harmless his intentions. Yes, the poor guy deserved that long-overdue dance, but at what cost?

Those are all questions worth considering as we wait for more Avengers: Doomsday footage. But that’s not really why we’re here. Rather than being excited by the possibilities stirred up in this teaser, we come away merely with a feeling of resignation. Steve Rogers is back, and we couldn’t be more disappointed.

Why Cap’s Return Is So Disappointing

To be clear, we’re not disappointed that Evans is returning to the Marvel fold. Steve’s story in Endgame wrapped on enough of an open-ended note that there’s obviously still more to explore with the character. The problem is more the way in which this trailer suggests that Steve is going to be a focal point of Doomsday (and by extension Secret Wars, too). It’s no accident that Marvel is making Evans’ character the sole focal point of the first Doomsday footage. They’re telegraphing the fact that he has an integral part to play in this story about the Marvel multiverse collapsing.

Again, we have no problem with Steve playing a supporting role in Doomsday and Secret Wars. He’s still the hero so many other characters revere and respect. He has valuable experience to bring to the table. And as the walls between universes begin to crumble, there’s plenty of potential for Evans to have fun playing multiversal variants of Steve Rogers.

But why is he being positioned as one of the main characters of Doomsday? Hasn’t Steve had his time in the spotlight by now? What about the many, many characters Marvel has spent the past seven years and three phases introducing? Heck, we have a new Captain America in Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Why isn’t he getting his own trailer? Or what about other major players like Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, Pedro Pascal’s Mister Fantastic, or Letitia Wright’s Black Panther? What about Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and her fellow New Avengers?

Apparently, Steve is a bigger priority for Marvel than any of those characters. And not just him. Recent leaks have suggested that Marvel will be following up this Steve Rogers trailer with a second focused on Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and a third focused on Downey’s Doom before finally dropping a fourth, more traditional trailer. Assuming those leaks are true (and this trailer makes it seem like they are), that means Marvel’s early marketing for Doomsday will center entirely around the core trinity of Evans, Hemsworth, and Downey. This Avengers sequel is showing every sign of being centered around the same core trinity that the previous four films were. Is this 2025 or 2015?

That speaks volumes about Marvel’s approach to Doomsday and their lack of faith in the newer characters they’ve tried so hard to establish post-Endgame. They clearly don’t trust characters like Sam Wilson or the New Avengers to generate the excitement and hype they’re looking for. Instead, this is Marvel playing the old hits and banking on the proven favorites.

This suggests that Marvel has pretty much given up trying to salvage the Multiverse Saga as it has been. Not that we can entirely blame them. The MCU has grown far more inconsistent in recent years in terms of both quality and box office performance. Audiences have struggled to connect with these newer characters in the same way they did the classic Avengers lineup. Even with Marvel pivoting to more of a quality over quantity approach in 2025, the box office returns have remained pretty sluggish.

There have been some major successes during the Multiverse Saga, most notably 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. But it’s also telling that both of those films trade so heavily on nostalgia for older superhero characters. No Way Home probably wouldn’t have soared past a billion dollars without the help of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, nor would Deadpool have without the help of Hugh Jackman coming back as Wolverine. Marvel must be looking at those numbers and deciding that nostalgia is the best, easiest way to ensure that Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are successful. Forget the hardcore fans who have memorized every name and face in the MCU. It’s time to target the casual audiences who checked out of the MCU once Evans and Downey did.

We can certainly understand the studio’s reasoning here. It’s easier to pivot to nostalgia than try to fundamentally repair what hasn’t been working for the past seven years. But that doesn’t make it any less disappointing. Flawed or not, there’s still a lot of potential in the current MCU. The whole problem with the Multiverse Saga is that Marvel has spent so much time and energy introducing new characters and not nearly enough on bringing them together and building connections between them. Heck, the out-of-continuity Marvel Zombies series did more on that front than anything else.

Doomsday should mark the point where Marvel finally addresses that fundamental flaw. This is where we finally see two teams of Avengers butt heads while the fate of their world and countless others hangs in the balance. This is where those newer characters have to finally sink or swim. Instead, they’re all going to be playing second fiddle to the original Cap, Thor, and a guy who looks like Iron Man.

Will Marvel’s nostalgia ploy work? Probably. Again, casual audiences will be thrilled to see these old favorites again. These trailers will no doubt build additional hype for the next Avengers movies and help gin up the numbers for Avatar: Fire and Ash in the process, since they’re playing before the new James Cameron film. Throw in the inevitable return of key players like Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man in Secret Wars and it’s safe to assume that Marvel Studios has a giant pile of cash coming its way.

But that doesn’t change the fact that this is the easy, cynical way out. Marvel used to be skilled at making audiences care about heroes they had never heard of before. Just look at the success of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Now they seem to have lost their touch, and they’ve given up trying to get that mojo back.

Nostalgia will probably help the MCU in the short term. But what about after Phase 6? What happens when the time comes again for Marvel to focus on a new generation of characters and new storylines. They certainly can’t count on Evans and Downey to stick around forever. What reason is there to assume things will be any different next time around? Is Marvel just hoping to coast along until the time comes to introduce the MCU version of the X-Men?

The most we can hope for is that Marvel ultimately finds a way to balance the classic Avengers trinity with the newer generation of MCU heroes. But with a cast this massive, that’s far easier said than done. Doomsday is a make-or-break moment for the MCU, and Marvel has opted for the easier path. We’ll see how well that works out for them.

For more on Avengers: Doomsday, see what the current status quo of the MCU is right now and brush up on every Marvel movie and series in development.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

Following multiple days of criticism from fans and fellow game developers over the studio's use of generative AI, Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity maker Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke has announced an AMA (Ask Me Anything, typically on Reddit) in the new year, inviting people to ask members of different Larian departments "any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly."

In a post to Twitter/X, Vincke said that since the announcement of the studio's next game, Divinity, at The Game Awards last week, "a lot has become lost in translation." He continued, saying that "Larian's DNA is agency" and said it would be irresponsible of the studio not to "evaluate new technologies," presumably referring to the generative AI discussion that started the controversy. But he also appeared to backpedal somewhat on the idea, adding that "our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes."

Vincke's full statement is below:

It’s been a week since we announced Divinity, our next RPG, and a lot has become lost in translation.

Larian’s DNA is agency. Everything we work towards is to the benefit of our teams, games, and players. A better work day, and a better game. Our successes come from empowering people to work in their own way and bring the best out of their skill & craft, so that we can make the best RPGs we can possibly make.

In that context, it would be irresponsible for us not to evaluate new technologies. However, our processes are always evolving, and where they are not efficient or fail to align with who we are, we will make changes.

To give you more insight, we’ll do an AMA featuring our different departments after the holiday break, in which you’ll get the opportunity to ask us any questions you have about Divinity and our dev process directly.

We’ll announce the date in the new year. In the meantime, I wish you all happy holidays!

Vincke's statement comes in response to criticism of his own remarks in interviews following the announcement of a new Divinity last week. In a Bloomberg interview, Vincke admitted that Larian has been pushing generative AI internally, even though it hasn't led to gains in efficiency or speed. Some examples given included using the technology for brainstorming, PowerPoint presentations, pitching concept art, and writing placeholder text.

In response, a number of players across various social platforms, as well as game developers and even former Larian employees criticized the studio, arguing that the listed uses for generative AI at Larian either seemed like things that didn't benefit from generative AI at all (such as placeholder text), or alternatively were key parts of the artistic process and would suffer from not having humans at the helm throughout (concept art).

Vincke then responded with multiple statements, one given to us, and another posted on Twitter/X, where he claimed that critics were misunderstanding what Larian was doing and that "We are neither releasing a game with any AI components, nor are we looking at trimming down teams to replace them with AI."

We also had our own interview with Vincke about Divinity, which you can read in full here.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

If you're a lucky owner of a brand new Nintendo Switch 2 console, you'll definitely want to pick up some extra storage. The Switch 2 only has 256GB of onboard storage, and chances are you'll probably need to expand it down the road. Amazon just lowered the price of the 256GB Samsung P9 MicroSD Express card, which will double your available storage, for just $32.99. As a comparison, the best previous deal I saw on a 256GB memory card was during Cyber Monday for $39.99. You don't have to worry about performance, either. We recently reviewed this exact card and strongly recommend it.

256GB Samsung P9 MicroSD Express Memory Card

Nintendo Switch 2 compatible

Let's make this simple: You want to know if there are any mid- or post-credits scenes in Avatar: Fire and Ash. The answer is no; James Cameron has never included a closing credits scene in any of his movies, and that doesn’t change here.

The third chapter in James Cameron’s Avatar saga, Avatar: Fire and Ash, picks up with the Sully family now fully immersed within the Metkayina, the clan that gave them safe shelter in Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). They’re still mourning the loss of Neteyam – the eldest son of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) – who was killed in that second film.

There are also looming concerns about the human boy known as Spider (Jack Champion) – the biological son of the Sullys’ sworn enemy, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). He’s grown up alongside the Sullys and is treated like a family member by all of them… well, all except Neytiri, who always kept him at arm’s length thanks to his humanity, and who has now grown even more openly hostile towards him in the wake of Neteyam’s death.

This will lead to the latest adventure for our Na'vi heroes on Pandora... which we'll get into with a full spoiler discussion on Friday. So be sure to check back on this page then, and in the meantime take a look at our chat with Cameron and Sigourney Weaver about how the director has changed between Aliens and Avatar, or watch our Avatar movies recap below to catch up on the story of Jake, Neytiri and the rest.

Does Avatar: Fire and Ash Have a Mid- or Post-Credits Scene?

It does not, though as you’re listening to Miley Cyrus sing over the closing credits, you do get the standard “Visit Scenic Pandora”-style shots of the planet’s landscapes, seascapes, and wildlife that also concluded the first two films. This time, they switch it up a bit, because there are also shots of the primary characters pulled from footage we’ve seen so far.

The Game Awards included a reveal trailer for NO LAW, a cyberpunk first-person shooter from developer Neon Giant and publisher Krafton that’s coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The trailer gave us a first look at the sleazy, lawless city of Port Desire and ended on a line that hints at the game’s tone: “Reap what you sow.”

You play as Grey Harker, a seasoned military veteran who barely survived his last deployment. So he decided to leave war behind to lead a life of peace and gardening, but of course, that peaceful life wasn’t in the cards. Trouble came knocking on his door (or more like bulldozing through it), and now it’s time for some payback.

Trouble isn’t exactly rare in Port Desire. As the trailer says, it’s a city with no laws and no oversight. It’s located on the coast where the borders of three nations meet, leading to a melting pot of both people and environments. There are seedy areas soaked in neon, tall buildings that stretch into the smog-filled sky, as well as lush areas where the jungle has started encroaching on the city. And you’ll see all of it as you travel across the dense open-world city.

The Mayors have used violence and intimidation to establish a kind of order, but it’s tenuous at best. Everyone is out for themselves, justice is self-defined, and you’re seemingly always one step away from crossing the wrong person. In this den of danger and vice, Grey’s decisions are up to you.

The open-ended story of NO LAW evolves depending on the decisions you make. Will you help and protect those who need it? Or will you take what you want when you want it, whoever gets in your way be damned? These decisions have consequences, and each decision and consequence compound on each other to make each playthrough different. After all, “reap what you sow” doesn’t just apply to the people who’ve wronged Grey. It also applies to you, the player. This is the kind of story where it won’t be possible to see every path and outcome in one playthrough, and your relationships will be shaped by your choices.

Grey’s morality isn’t the only thing you’ll have control over. It’ll also be up to you how to approach combat, with several tools at your disposal. Having been in the military, Grey has training in gunplay, stealth, and hacking, but you’ll be the one to decide if he should specialize in one of these paths or be a jack-of-all-trades. He can stick to the shadows and strategically eliminate foes, use devices and hacking to outsmart them, or say to hell with all that and just rush in guns blazing, driven purely by rage.

The trailer shows some of that in action, including sneaking through vents to get the drop on enemies from above, using a device to map a room, and facing a giant mech in a 1-on-1 shootout in the street using explosives in the environment. You can also see in the trailer that environments are built with verticality in mind, providing ample opportunity for both catching enemies unawares and violently kicking them off elevated surfaces to their deaths.

This is the first look at NO LAW, but there are sure to be many more details revealed in the future. No release information was given, but we know it’s coming to Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, and it’s available to wishlist now. If you want to get the latest updates on its progress, you can follow NO LAW on Discord, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook.

The Nintendo Switch port of 1–4-player survival game Oppidum is officially out, completing its list of platforms after it came to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox earlier this year.

Oppidum was created by Spanish indie developer EP Games with a team so small it only has one programmer, though you wouldn’t know it from the scope of the game. It has more than 40 hours of story content and a ton of features. It takes place on the once beautiful and magical island of Insule, but now corruption has spread across it and its creatures. And you're the hero who comes to break the curse that looms over the island.

You’ll establish a camp that’s your safe space, then explore the island’s woods, swamps, and caves to try to locate the source of the corruption. These areas are full of creatures you’ll need to deal with, some of which are still touched by the magic that imbues the island.

Combat is real-time and you’ll often face groups of enemies, so you need to pay attention to the skills of each to figure out which ones to take out first. For example, one enemy might charge you with its shield raised and seem like the most immediate threat. But it could be protecting a nearby healer, so you’ll need to avoid the aggressive attacker and take out the healer first.

Enemies will drop resources, and you can gather others by chopping down trees, taking a pickaxe to rocks, or opening treasure chests (some of which are locked until you clear the surrounding area of enemies). You’ll notice that after chopping down a tree, a glowing silhouette of it will remain. That means it will eventually regrow in that same spot, powered by the energy of the island. With the materials you gather, you can construct buildings, craft tools, upgrade your weapons, plant and tend crops, take care of animals, and cook meals.

As you venture across the island, you’ll meet and build relationships with its inhabitants. They’ll have new quests for you, and as you help them, they’ll help you in return. They’ll move the story forward and inform you about local customs and lore, deepening your connection to the world around you. And completing their quests can score you rewards like increased health and blueprints to improve your camp and equipment, so it’s worth helping everyone you find. As your gear improves, you’ll be able to tackle new areas, where you’ll find new residents to help, new mysteries to solve, and new information to uncover.

Completing objectives can also open up unexpected new possibilities. For example, when you defeat a boss, it’ll unlock its Altars, where you can make offerings to get new upgrades. That includes things like expanding your inventory, increasing your health, increasing how many of one item can be included in a stack, and more. This gameplay loop guarantees that through Oppidum’s 40+ hours of content, there’s always something new to discover and new goals to accomplish.

You can do all of this solo or with up to three other players at the same time. There’s cross-play between all platforms, with options for shared or private playthroughs. A shared game allows everyone to invite new people, nobody can be kicked out, all players can connect at any time (meaning you don’t need a particular person to be online in order to play), and if someone leaves the realm, their slot can’t be used by someone else. A private game is created by one person, and only they have the power to invite or kick out other players. It’s also only possible to join the game while the creator is online, but if someone leaves the realm or is kicked, they can be replaced by another player.

The experience can also be fully customized, including difficulty level and gameplay options. Difficulty can be altered with multiple different presets to tailor it to exactly what you’re looking for. If you just want stress-free gameplay where you gather resources and build up your camp without facing any real danger, you can turn on the Relaxed option, which makes it impossible for you to die. On the other end of the spectrum, if you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can activate Hardcore mode, which makes enemies much tougher and survival mechanics harsher.

If you want to get into more nitty gritty gameplay options, you can do that too. You can change things like enemies’ aggro range and how long an in-game day lasts. And there are accessibility options like disabling the need to hold buttons, adjusting durability settings for your tools and gear (which includes turning off the durability system altogether), simplifying fishing, and several more. The breadth of options earned Oppidum the Best Accessibility award at Spain’s Iris Games Awards, so needless to say it’s one of the game’s strongest features.

The Nintendo Switch launch of Oppidum also includes the recently released Patch 1.2.0, which added a bunch of new features and content. The headlining additions are two new minigames. Beach Pong is what it sounds like, and you can play against a friend or bennies, the island’s native creatures. In Battle Arena, you can earn rewards for fighting off waves of enemies. You can play in co-op with up to four players, or compete against each other in PvP.

The patch also added a new cue to let you know the right time to parry an enemy, a “snap to grid” option during building construction, a new pause feature, and lots more. For full specifics on the patch and everything it added, check out EP Games’ official website. For the latest news and updates, you can follow the game on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

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Evangelion is one of the most influential and revered anime series ever created, with a fan base that continues to grow with each passing year. If you’re someone looking to jump in for the very first time, things can become rather daunting quickly, especially once you start looking at all of the titles.

With an original series, a reboot, and a recap, there's plenty to discover in the iconic sci-fi anime. To help you get started, I put together my recommended watch order for the full franchise. As we gear up for the original series' 30th anniversary next year, it's time to get in the robot and experience the world of Evangelion.

At a Glance: Evangelion Watch Order

If you have all of Eva lined out in front of you, here's a quick look at our recommended watch order. For more information on the series and its development, scroll on.

What Is Evangelion?

Neon Genesis Evangelion first began as a manga series in December 1994. The anime premiered in October 1995 and aired on TV until March 1996. The series was both created and written by Hideaki Anno, with production occurring at Studio Gainax. Following the TV anime, Evangelion became incredibly popular, resulting in the development of The End of Evangelion to provide an alternate ending to the series.