While the promise of a Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake disappeared along with several other games earlier this year, Prince of Persia fans still have spin-off The Rogue Prince of Persia — and now its team has unveiled a sizable 2026 spring roadmap.

Via Steam, developer Evil Empire wished its community a happy 2026, and confirmed the addition of a Flaming Horses tool as a nod to lunar new Year of the Horse. This tool unleashes a herd of flaming horses that "charge forward, leaving a burning trail behind them."

"We’ve always wanted a burning tool that works like Altan’s Bracelets, and the year of the fire horse provided the perfect creative spark," the team teased. "Plus, when you talk about Persian culture, you have to talk about the horse! From the Nisean Horse and the Royal Road to the legendary Rakhsh from the Shahnameh, horses are legendary."

That's not all, though. The "Breathless" update is slated to arrive with a public beta at the end of March, promising a "quicker and more intense" experience. This includes a rework of the game's first hour, tighter pacing and improvements to when and how you unlock new game content and new mechanics, as well as changes to bosses' difficulty. "Reworks of the level design of the first few biomes will also highlight our iconic wall-run move and make each biome quicker and tougher," developer Evil Empire said.

There are changes for established players, too, including a new Freeze element, which is coming with a new weapon, the slingshot, arenas — "zones that lock you in, and the only way out is to defeat wave after wave of enemies!" — and weapon affixes which can "make each weapon that appears in your run much more interesting and varied, giving you some difficult choices to take…"

Here's the full update:

The “Breathless update” will arrive with a public beta around the end of March! As you can guess from its title, this update means making the whole experience quicker and more intense, leaving you... breathless!

We have done a big rework of the pacing of the first hour, including when and how you will unlock new game content and new mechanics, as well as the bosses’ difficulty. Reworks of the level design of the first few biomes will also highlight our iconic wall-run move and make each biome quicker and tougher.

For veteran players who have been looking forward to new toys to play with, don't worry, we've got you covered! First up, we're introducing a new element - freeze – which is coming with a new weapon, the slingshot!

Next on the list is the arenas – zones that lock you in, and the only way out is to defeat wave after wave of enemies!

Most importantly, weapon affixes are coming too!! These affixes will make each weapon that appears in your run much more interesting and varied, giving you some difficult choices to take...

End Game Update

That's it for the first update, let's quickly talk about the second one!

We're planning for it to land in early May, and some of the content may change, but we know what we'd like to do... It will focus on the End Game, plus bringing more challenges like Speed Run mode and Daily Awakening.

You'll be able to really test your skill and push the limit with this update coming! Speed, precision, and strategy—show us what you've got.

From 2025 to 2026

Looking back on 2025, it was a big year for The Rogue Prince of Persia. We finally graduated from Early Access and increased the game’s Steam review score from 70% upon Early Access release to 88% so far with your support and help!

Of course, we're not just on Steam, we’ve also successfully brought the game to Switch, Xbox, and Playstation! Right now, we are almost at the point of having 1 million people who've played our game!

Even though we are only in the second month of 2026, the game has already achieved something else: we have been included in the Bafta awards longlist and gained 4 nominations at the french game awards ceremony PEGASUS, including best game. We’re crossing all the fingers and toes we have until March.

Following the awards season, vinyl and physical collector editions are also on the way! We believe it will be a great year for the rogue prince of persia, and we can’t wait to make this game better with you guys in 2026!

Ubisoft began this year by announcing a sizable company restructure, resulting in the cancelation of six games, including its Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and a delay to a further seven titles. Two Ubisoft studios will close completely as a result of the changes, while others are subject to further layoffs.

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner recently reacted to Ubisoft's cancelation of its Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake, describing the loss of any project as a "brutal experience" for developers. "A cancelation so close to release can be particularly devastating for younger team members who don't have decades of past shipped titles on their resumé," he said. "It's tough to suddenly absorb that the past four years of hard work you were proud of, and looking forward to seeing out in the world as your new calling card, will now never see daylight."

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.

Leaked product artwork showcasing several Spider-Man villains has prompted speculation about their involvement in Tom Holland's upcoming Brand New Day.

A banner with designs of Spider-Man, an angry-looking Hulk, plus Spidey villains Tarantula, Boomerang and Scorpion was recently spotted atop the Spider-Man merchandise page of Brazilian retailer Piticas. As of today, however, that banner is no longer visible — suggesting it has been removed after sparking a wave of online speculation across reddit and social media.

While not a direct confirmation that these characters will definitely appear in this year's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, each of the faces on the banner has variously been rumored at certain points as being featured in the film to some degree (and Hulk has essentially been confirmed by actor Mark Ruffalo himself).

New promo for Spider-Man Brand New Day
#SpiderManBrandNewDay pic.twitter.com/AkS4MfKrwI

— MCU REPORT (@durovofficial) February 15, 2026

Previous reports have also confirmed the return of Michael Mando as Scorpion (previously seen back in Spider-Man: Homecoming), and a live-action appearance for Marvin Jones III as Tombstone (after previously voicing the character for the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).

With such a vast array of villains in the movie (without even mentioning Sadie Sink's mysterious character), fans are now wondering — is Brand New Day intended to be something of an unofficial Sinister Six movie? The supervillain team has featured a changing line-up over the years, often with more prominent characters. Still, each of the above villains has allied with or been within the team at one point or another.

Discussing the idea of Brand New Day being a Sinister Six movie, fans have suggested the line-up will be reason why Peter Parker needs aid from Punisher in the movie, and why they're having to soothe Savage Hulk to get his help, too. Alternatively, others have wondered if some of these villains will just be cameos, shown during an opening montage recapping Spidey's adventures over the past few years since the events of 2021's No Way Home.

"Thing is the Spidey vs Sinister Six story has become pretty overused and saturated by now," wrote Marvel fan SmaugRancor on reddit. "We already kinda had that in NWH + Insomniac's Spider-Man + Into the Spider-Verse and now it looks like we'll get something similar here too."

"The Sinister Six for Spidey 6 would be perfect," countered another fan, Jokerfaces2, suggesting that the idea should be used to bring back every major villain from Tom Holland's era in time for his sixth solo outing. "And by then he’ll have a pretty solid lineup of returning villains to form the group. Vulture, Shocker, Mysterio, Scorpion, maybe Kraven for Spidey 5? Then in Spidey 6 someone like Mr Negative or Kingpin assembles them."

Last month, Cretton described Tom Holland's return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day as a "tonal shift" from the actors' first trilogy, and a "new chapter" of Peter Parker's story. The movie is expected to show the consequences of Spider-Man's real identity being forgotten by the wider world — separating him from ex-girlfriend MJ and best friend Ned. At the same time, Holland will have to deal with several new threats, including whoever Sadie Sink is portraying.

Fans are still waiting for the film's first full trailer, though what appeared to be grainy footage of an upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day teaser hit the internet just before Christmas, featuring dialogue that positioned Sink as portraying a villain — initially, at least. "You're a mess, Spider-Man," Sink's character can be heard to say. "Don't get in my way. Otherwise, it won't just be your friends who don't remember who Peter Parker is."

Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in theaters on July 31.

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

Surprise! Japanese studio CyberConnect2 is marking its 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new .hack game: .hack//Z.E.R.O.

To whet our collective appetites, we've even been treated to a teaser trailer, which you can watch below.

.hack is a series of action RPG games that explore a virtual game-space called The World, with action taking place both there and in our real world, branching off of a multimedia franchise that extends to a collectible card game, a Japanese-only MMORPG, plus animated movies, manga, and live-action TV shows.

Today, February 16, 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of CyberConnect2.

To commemorate, we will begin development of .hack//Z.E.R.O., a new original game. This title will be fully self-published by CyberConnect2, from planning to development to release.#hackZERO #dothack pic.twitter.com/J5nrgnXU83

— CyberConnect2 Official (EN) (@cc2information) February 16, 2026

It's been the best part of ten years since we last had a .hack game — the last was .hack//G.U. Last Recode in 2017 — but don't let that put you off: Hiroshi "Piros" Matsuyama recently told Famitsu that the new release won't link directly to any previous title, so you don't need to come into the game with any prior knowledge.

Although .hack has always been developed by CyberConnect2 and has usually been published by Bandai Namco, Bandai Namco has given CyberConnect2 permission to "manage the entirety of the project from planning and development to release."

As for what to expect? "World-renowned violinist Taro Hakase has penned the music, kick-starting the project to the dexterous tune of his violin. .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be a novel RPG experience that blends the series’ trademark duality of fantasy (game world) and reality (real world) with modern expectations, infused with 100% pure CyberConnect2 spirit.

"The game will be enjoyable for both veteran fans and new players alike," the team said. "Please look forward to this newest iteration of .hack."

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.

Activision has confirmed Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go dark on April 17, 2026.

We already knew that Activision had decided to walk away from Warzone Mobile — the publisher admitted last May that it "unfortunately has not met [Activision's] expectations" — but now we have a specific date as to when the smartphone battle royale will be taken offline.

In a brief statement posted to its official website, the team thanked players for their "dedication and passion," and said "as a final step in the previously communicated service changes to Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, the servers for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile will go offline on April 17, 2026, after which the game will no longer be available for play."

Up until that time, players can still play and "engage with existing content," but refunds are not available for any unused COD Points or previously purchased in-game content, so you're advised to use them up before the game shutdowns in April.

Mobile fans are encouraged to migrate to the free-to-play Call of Duty: Mobile — a different game, albeit with a confusingly similar title — "which offers franchise-favorite game modes, including Battle Royale, Multiplayer, and Zombies, as well as the new extraction-based DMZ: Recon.

"The standalone Call of Duty: Mobile delivers frequent seasonal content updates that include Ranked Play, Events, and the tier-based Battle Pass rewards system offering," the team explained. "Call of Duty: Mobile is available to download through Google Play and Apple’s App Store. Additionally, Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC and console and is also free to play."

Warzone Mobile launched in March 2024 on iOS and Android as a Warzone-specific Call of Duty mobile experience that offered battle royale for up to 120 players, with cross-progression to the PC and console versions of Warzone, Modern Warfare 2 and 3, and, later in the year, Black Ops 6. It struggled right out of the gate, though, and failed to make a mark with "mobile-first players like it has with PC and console audiences," leading to Activision's decision to cull it just a little over a year later.

IGN's Call of Duty Warzone Mobile review returned an 8/10. We said: "Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile includes all the best elements of Warzone, while speeding up and streamlining matches and using cross-progression to make this a meaningful extension of the traditional experience."

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.

Nintendo looks set to feature another deep-cut character in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, as seen in a newly-revealed tie-in playset.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Jakks Gateway Galaxy Playset features figurines of Peach, Toad and... a miniature 2D version of Nintendo's infamous NES robot accessory R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy). Originally released as a physical add-on in 1985, the character has since popped up in a slew of other Nintendo games.

R.O.B.'s appearance here seems to place his presence within the film in the same subplot as Peach, Toad and several more niche Nintendo favorites — such as Birdo and Mouser who were revealed as part of the most recent Super Mario Galaxy Nintendo Direct broadcast.

Valve has updated its website to acknowledge that customers in some regions are struggling to buy a Steam Deck "due to memory and storage shortages."

Memory is in high demand because companies like Nvidia and Google require so much of it for their AI chips, with a recent CNBC report pointing out that these companies "are the first ones in line for the components." This has already pushed up RAM prices for consumer electronics, and has had a knock-on impact on both console retail prices and availability.

Now, acknowledging a parts shortage that is delaying the build and shipment of its Steam Deck handhelds, Valve has confirmed earlier rumors of a supply issue, admitting the handheld may be "intermittently" out of stock in some countries.

"Steam Deck OLED may be out-of-stock intermittently in some regions due to memory and storage shortages," the company has now added to its Steam Deck store page. "Steam Deck LCD 256GB is no longer in production, and once sold out will no longer be available."

The same issue has also scuppered Valve's plan to release its Steam Machine in early 2026. When the Steam Machine was first announced back in November 2025, Valve suggested that the console-like PC would launch in the first quarter of this year, but the company now says that as AI shortages that are causing PC hardware to spike in price, it needs more time to nail down the price and release date for the Steam Machine and Steam Frame. You can read our first impressions of Valve's new console-like gaming PC right here.

This follows news yesterday that the AI-fueled chip crisis has reportedly upended Sony and Nintendo’s console plans, too, and may cause a delay to the release of the PlayStation 6 and a price rise for the Switch 2.

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.

It's been almost a year since Assassin's Creed Shadows released, and Ubisoft is not done updating its feudal Japan-set stabathon. This month brings the addition of a manual jump option, alongside two other fan-requested changes.

As part of the 1.1.8 update going live today, February 17, Ubisoft will add a manual jump option to the game (if you've toggled on your Advanced Parkour setting), which returns from previous titles in the series.

Two other small additions are also set to become available: a detailed stat page so you can analyze your build in granular detail, and some visual improvements to when you make a critical hit. All of these changes had been requested by fans, so are likely to be positively received.

That said, this is a pretty small set of additions that look like the game's only major update across the first three months of this year. Update 1.1.7 launched back in December, capping off a first nine months of post-release additions that had arrived pretty much every month.

Today's update to Assassin's Creed Shadows is the first notable addition to the game of 2026, and according to a Winter Roadmap released by Ubisoft looks to be the only one coming ahead of the game's March 20 anniversary, which the company will celebrate with a livestream and giveaways. Here's hoping we hear more of what's coming to the game in its second year then.

The only other item of note before then is the Switch 2 launch of the game's Claws of Awaji expansion on March 10. The add-on caps off the game's main narrative and now looks to be the only major expansion the game will get. It's hard not to compare the level of support for Shadows with that for the series' previous game Valhalla, which received three major expansions, an Odyssey crossover DLC, an epilogue DLC and several major new modes, and feel like Shadows has been underserved in comparison.

iBuypower is offering discounts on several of its most popular prebuilt gaming PCs during its Presidents Day Sale, but one deal stands out among the rest. The iBuypower Y70 Touch RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC, decked out in an officially licensed and limited edition Gundam themed case, drops to $2,349 after a $200 off coupon code "STARS". It isn't just about looks, either. With its AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, this PC is capable of running games in 4K.

Gundam Themed iBuypower RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for $2349

There's no need to pay $400 for the Bowflex SelectTech adjustable dumbbells when there are equally well-built options at a much lower price point. For Presidents Day, FED Fitness is offering its own DB1 Adjustable Dumbbells (52.5 pounds each or 105 pounds total) for just $314.93 with free delivery after you stack 15% off coupon code "FEDLOVED15" and 5% coupon code "IGN". This is technically a Valentines Day deal, but the coupon code is live through February 24. This is a good price for a complete dumbbell package with a solid 3 year warranty.

FED Fitness DB1 Adjustable Dumbbells (up to 52.5lbs each)

There's a difference between a series of discounts and a bunch of price correction mistakes. Most of today's deals feel like the latter. A handful of these games are finally priced where their risk to reward ratio makes complete sense. I say get amongst them before they're goneski.

Contents

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

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news and with some serious overkill, I’m using a lightsaber to light 20 candles for Star Wars: Empire at War. This bad boy is an all-timer RTS and one of the best Star Wars tie-ins one could get in a sea of ordinary to bad ones. I remember being held in a Force Choke-esque thrall by its dual-layer strategy system: a galactic map for turn-based empire management and real-time battles on both land and in space. It translated into planet conquering, fleet building, and grand-scale warfare unlike any far, far away game at the time.

But mostly, I was tickled by the iconic hero units it offered and cool Easter eggs hidden. For the former, who wouldn’t dig hewing through rebels as an unstoppable Vader, like his horror visage in Rogue One? And I loved making a battle drag on too long to ensure an escaping Millennium Falcon would spawn.