Apple iPhone users, check out this new deal on an ultra-slim MagSafe power bank that just popped up on Amazon. For a limited time, you can get a Lisen 5,000mAh QI2-certified wireless magnetic power bank for just $16.99 when you apply coupon code: "6ZKK2C3T" in cart. This is one of the slimmest power banks I've seen, especially one that's been updated with a newer, more powerful wireless charging standard, at an outstanding price.

Lisen Ultra Slim 5,000mAh Qi2 MagSafe Power Bank for $16.99

IGN Live is back for another year, this year taking place June 6-7 in downtown Los Angeles at MAGIC BOX @ THE REEF and streaming globally live across IGN platforms.

Now in its third year, IGN Live will host celebrity panels, live stage shows, in-person gaming, screenings and lounges, interviews with the the biggest names in games and entertainment, exclusive merch, and so much more!

The multi-day, in-person event celebrates the most fun parts of movies, TV, games, comics, collectibles, anime, and more. Throughout the weekend, there will be exclusive reveals and celebrity interviews from our live stages, along with an inside look at everything happening on the ground in LA, all filmed for those who are not able to attend in person.

We'll also have thousands of giveaways throughout the weekend (last year we had over 20,000 prizes!). So stay tuned as we get closer to the event to find out what you can win, along with exactly what you can expect to experience at the 2026 event.

While we wait to reveal our partner line up for IGN Live, check out some of our highlights of 2025's event, including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 cast premiering the first 10 minutes of their documentary, The Last of Us creative team on how they crafted Season 2’s most crucial episodes, Ewan McGregor on how the Long Way Docuseries has literally changed his life, Invincible VS creators on killer instinct influences, and so many more reveals from the 2025 event.

One Piece Season 2 arrives on Netflix on March 10 at 12:00am PDT, and IGN Fan Fest 2026 gave us a look at a new and exclusive clip from the show.

The story for Season 2 focuses on a dangerous section of sea called the Grand Line, which is packed with new locations to explore like Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, and Drum Island. The new season will also introduce new friends and foes like blue-nosed reindeer-boy hybrid Tony Tony Chopper (with Mikaela Hoover providing the voice) and Miss All-Sunday, played by Lera Abova.

"The key to Season 2 is, of course, our weird talking animal," said series creator Eiichiro Oda on X. "From his form and furs to his expressions and voice, and even lighting and gravity simulation – a world-class team brought their skills together in bringing Tony Tony Chopper to life, and now he’s ready to be introduced to the world!"

If you're a mega fan, Netflix announced this week that special screenings of the first two episodes will take place on March 10 at more than 200 theaters across the U.S., Canada, and Japan. Tickets will go on sale today, and you can snap them up here.

This is just the latest news from IGN's Fan Fest 2026 – check the schedule to see what else is coming and to keep up to date on all the latest from the worlds of entertainment and games.

Rachel Weber is the Head of Editorial Development at IGN and an elder millennial. She's been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, Red Dead Redemption 2, and her Love and Deepspace boyfriends.

If you’ve been waiting to grab any video games, today might be the day. On top of all the PS5 game discounts during PlayStation Direct’s sale, Woot just dropped an awesome mega sale on games and accessories. There’s even an additional 20% off with the code “LEVEL20.” That’s not all, as a Pokémon TCG Booster Bundle and MTG x TMNT TCG preorders are seeing solid discounts. Check out all the top deals below:

TL;DR - The Best Deals Today

Woot Video Game Mega Sale

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet - Journey Together Booster Bundle Hits Low

AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU On Sale and Includes Crimson Desert

MTG x TMNT Collector Booster Box is Discounted

MTG x TMNT Pizza Bundle In Stock

PlayStation 5 Video Game Deals

PlayStation Direct launched an awesome sale on PS5 games and other retailers have followed suit. Notable discounts include God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West - Complete Edition, Death Stranding 2, and more from PS Direct. While Astro Bot, Returnal, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound are on sale at Amazon, or you can score Ghost of Tsushima - Director's Cut, The Last of US Part 1/Part 2, and Gran Turismo 7 for $30 from Best Buy. There are some incredible deals worth grabbing.

45% Off the Logitech G29 Racing Wheel

50% Off the YUNZII AL71 Aluminum Mechanical Keyboard

Get AMC Stubs A-List for $0.99 for the First Month

Free Game with Discounted 27" Samsung G5 OLED Gaming Monitor

Lowest Price Ever on the Super7 ULTIMATES! Toho Godzilla Figure

MTG: Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box Back Down to Low Price

New Low Price for the Shrek 4-Movie Collection - 4K Ultra HD + Digital [4K UHD]

I first took notice of Samson: A Tyndalston Story when its team of former Just Cause and Mad Max developers posted a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it teaser of Tyndalston itself. The fictional city reminded me of GTA 3’s Liberty City or Max Payne’s New York. My first look at proper gameplay in a demo with the creative director only upped my interest, and now that I’ve had the chance to actually play Samson – albeit only for an all-too-brief hour – I’m officially amped for this gritty, grimy, run-down brawler with pseudo-open world freedom where your heavy punch can drop bad guys in one bloody shot and you pop painkillers to stay in the fight.

The setup for this 1990’s-set crime story sees you as Samson McCray, fresh out of prison after eating a charge as a result of a robbery in St. Louis gone bad. Your sister, Oonagh, pulled some strings to help keep you safe while you were inside, and she cut a deal upon your release: you’ve got to repay the money lost from the failed heist to people that will absolutely kill you both if you come even one cent short.

What’s important to make clear up front is that Samson is not a AAA game. You’d be forgiven for thinking it was at first glance, because its Unreal Engine 5-powered visuals are quite impressive, both in terms of Samson’s character model and the city of Tyndalston. Lighting has a very fluorescent-tinged yellow tint to it that you really had to live through the ‘90s to understand, vehicles look great, and the city itself looks very, very lived-in. But Samson doesn’t have the scope of a AAA game, and that’s not a complaint – it’s just important to properly calibrate your expectations. The opening cutscene is not a full-blown cinematic but a voiced-over motion-comic, voice acting is so-so at best, and this isn’t a 40+ hour open-world sandbox. You do plenty of driving around a neighborhood – perhaps more of Tyndalston unlocks the further into the story you progress – but this is not a massive playground full of chatty NPCs and side activities.

Again, this isn’t a complaint, but it’s important to emphasize because when you first fire up Samson, it seems like it’s following a very GTA-esque playbook. But I really like the choices that Samson makes within its more limited scope. For instance, there are numerous little things around the world to take note of and interact with, from notes and photos in your apartment to sandwich-board signs you can knock over with your car in order to gain small bursts of nitro boost.

It gets better: there is a progression system. The more bad guys you beat up and the more missions you complete, the more XP you earn that gets redeemed for a point in one of four skills: Instinct (boosts your adrenaline), Tactics (health), Aggression (power), and Cunning (finesse). This allows you to tailor your Samson to your preferred playstyle, whether you’d rather absorb and dish out maximum punishment in each fight or strike quickly and frequently in order to speed up the maxing out of your adrenaline meter, at which point you can click in both thumbsticks and enjoy a brief period of dealing extra damage.

Gameplay segments are split into days, and within each day are afternoon, evening, and night. Every time the sun rises, you have to pay back a certain amount of your debt. In order to do that, you’ll need to take various small jobs around Tyndalston. Fortunately, you’ve got choices each day; it’s not a linear mission structure. My first job involved finding the manager of a club called Chubb’s and, well, beating the crap out of him. Naturally, it wasn’t quite so simple. I had to worm my way through the bowels of the club first, fighting my way through his goons in the process. This mission functioned as a bit of a tutorial, allowing me to practice parries, dodges, light punches, heavy punches, and triggering my adrenaline meter after I’d built up enough adrenaline during fights.

It didn’t hurt Samson’s chances of me loving this game when the very first dude I threw a heavy punch at dropped immediately, his face covered in his own blood. Most of the time in a game like this, guys can take an unrealistic number of hits. But not in Samson. Not everyone will hit the floor after a single punch, but the fact that it can happen not only made me feel like a badass, but it added to the underworld grittiness that is clearly oozing out of every square inch of Tyndalston.

Anyway, back to the missions: as I was saying, you’ve got choices at each segment of the day, but each choice takes a certain amount of time. Meaning, you can’t just do a dozen jobs in a single day in order to quickly pay down your debt and break the game. Every job, realistically, takes time, so when I was, for example, shadowing Dave the Bookie, that took all afternoon of in-game time. First I had to drive to where Dave had last been seen. Then, once I’d clocked him, I had to follow him from a safe distance (lest he recognize the tail and get spooked, triggering a mission failure) so that he’d lead me to evidence of what he was suspected of by the people that I took the job from: that Dave was playing both sides. Sure enough, I caught Dave red-handed, and then I had to square up against Dave and his associates. By the time it was done and I got paid, the day moved to evening.

Some jobs can only be taken at certain times of day. And some jobs will cost you money. Like when I had to take out the cars of two guys who were avoiding my temporary employer. First I drove to where they’d last been seen, and then both cars came flying around the corner in front of me and the chase was on. The problem was, my car was already pretty beat up from the erratic driving I’d been doing in previous jobs. So the first time I tried the mission, my pursuit led us to a freeway onramp, where I was able to get behind the closest of the two target cars, and then nitro-boost directly into his rear bumper, slamming his car into the curving wall of the onramp and taking it out. Problem was, the bumper boost also took my pre-battered car out, and by the time I’d grabbed another car, the second of the two cars I was pursuing – who was already in front of me – had gotten away.

On the retry, I stopped at a gas station repair shop first, spent some of my hard-earned cash (which, I remind you, I needed every cent of to try and make my daily debt payment), and was then able to keep my car intact while taking out both of my four-wheeled targets. I got paid, and headed home for the evening. But who was waiting for me? Two debt collectors, and so before I could crash on my own couch for the night, I had to bloody my knuckles one more time.

Both combat and driving were a lot of fun in my one-hour hands-on. I have no idea if Samson will ever introduce guns into the mix, but I kinda hope it doesn’t. The melee combat system feels heavy in a really good way, meaning that Samson takes shots just as hard as he dishes them out. I like the mix of punches, parries, and dodging. Sure, the Batman: Arkham combat arguably remains the brawler standard, but Samson’s fisticuffs are slower and more deliberate in a way I quite enjoy.

Driving, meanwhile, also has a welcome weight to it. All of the (fictional) cars in Samson are ‘90s era at the newest, given the ‘90s setting. Samson’s own car is a ‘70s Chevelle-like two-door muscle car, and as such it’s no light Lotus. Are these simulation-style driving physics? Absolutely not. You have the aforementioned nitro boosts and there’s a side-slam button – and of course, the B button lets you pull off sick handbrake turns once you’ve got some practice under your belt. By the end of my hour I had really started to get the hang of the driving and was eager to zip my way around Tyndalston some more.

As you can probably tell by now, I had a fantastic time in Tyndalston. If Samson can keep its mission variety fresh – which is no small thing, I recognize – it’ll go a long way towards making its campaign enjoyable over the long haul, versus the extremely fun hour I had with it. I’m curious to see if the city opens up more as the story unfolds, and I hope the story itself is engaging enough to keep me motivated to continue playing and isn’t just “keep doing jobs to pay down your debt until a big climactic mission happens at the end.” Samson is due out on April 8 for PC, so it won’t be too long before we find out if it can keep up the good stuff it’s got going for it.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone (ConcernedApe) has released a 10th anniversary video revealing, among other things, two brand new marriage candidates being added to the game in the upcoming patch 1.7: Clint and Sandy.

Clint has long been a requested bachelor by the Stardew Valley community. As the valley blacksmith, he's the one who upgrades all the player's tools and opens geodes for them, meaning visiting him regularly is pretty common. But players have wanted to romance him largely because of his awkward relationship with an existing marriage candidate, Emily. Clint has a huge crush on Emily that remains unrequited even the player doesn't marry Emily, but has a few scenes where he seems downright hurt if they do. Giving Clint more of a storyline that his current tactiturn, awkward lines is a much-needed change.

Sandy has also been a requested marriageable villager. She's the manager of the Oasis in the Desert, meaning players don't usually see her until they've played for a while. And unfortunately she never actually leaves the Oasis, so there are fewer opportunities for interactions with her. However, she's kind to the player, leaving the fandom hungry for more Sandy storyline and more interactions with her, which they'll certainly get now.

Additionally, ConcernedApe opened the video by showing off some old builds of Stardew Valley (then "Sprout Valley") along with his own commentary. The sequence begins with the game's original 2012 look, six months into development, when he had a "functioning game" that was very rudimentary, and similar to the original Harvest Moon game. Even so, you can see how much the basic design of the game looks very similar, right down to where things are located in Pelican Town, the bus, and more.

Next, he shows off a 2013 build that looks a looooot more familiar. The art has been significantly updated to roughly the style of current Stardew Valley. ConcernedApe says this version of the game (now titled "Stardew Valley") was more sandboxy than the current version of the game and less RPG. Additionally, the mines were procedurally generated, and you had to mine into the walls to find ore and secrets. This ended up being too complicated, "too ambitious of a concept for the scope of this game. This should have been a whole game on its own", ConcernedApe said. He also showed off an underground Goblin Village that was totally scrapped. "Just because an idea sounds cool doesn't mean it's fun or the right idea in practice."

Here, ConcernedApe said that nothing in these early builds should be considered "canon" in the Stardew Valley universe.

2014's build introduced the Community Center, but other staples such as Joja Mart and Hat Mouse hadn't been added yet. You also couldn't decorate the inside of your house yet.

And another build from August 2015, half a year from launch, shows "how much of this came together at the last moment." To my eye, this looks almost identical to launch day Stardew Valley, but ConcernedApe points out various changes like the location of the mailbox, the shape of the inside of the player's house, and the final look of the main character.

In a reflection on the game's launch, ConcernedApe talks about what the release of the game was like for him and meant to him, including sharing that the game sold just under 40,000 copies in the first day alone, at which point he knew it would be a success. He ended the video with a recap of the game's updates over the years, and by thanking the community for its support over the years.

Patch 1.7 is coming at a later date. ConcernedApe didn't reveal any further details as to what it might entail for now, but today's announcement should tide everyone over for a bit.

Today is Stardew Valley's 10th anniversary, and we celebrated earlier this month already by interviewing ConcernedApe about topics such as why there isn't a Stardew Valley TV show, and the one secret left that the Stardew Valley community has yet to find. You can read our full, in-depth interview with the creator right here.

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

Highguard studio Wildlight Entertainment reportedly has less than 20 people remaining to work on the game following a round of devastating layoffs just weeks after the game's launch.

This comes from a new Bloomberg report, which tells the story of Wildlight's rise and fall since its founders first assembled the team back in 2021. Made up of Respawn veterans, the group hoped to recreate the successes of Apex Legends and Titanfall, initially with a survival-focused shooter.

When that design didn't quite work as well as they'd hoped, they scrapped it and pivoted to Highguard, leaving remnants of the original survival game in the final draft of what was now a hero shooter. As the game progressed, testers had positive feedback that had the developers hopeful, though notably they also said it was more fun on microphone with voice chat, and the experience was too complicated and less fun without them.

Sources speaking to Bloomberg say the studio largely had a positive culture and the team felt good about what they were making up until the game's announcement at The Game Awards last December, which apparently came about at Geoff Keighley's urging after he enjoyed what he played of it. The team originally intended to announce and launch Highguard simultaneously, but with The Game Awards announcement that left a month-and-a-half-long silence between announcement and launch during which the internet had a field day.

The game launched to a celebration-worthy number of Steam concurrents, but unfortunately was unable to retain players for very long at all, meaning it made very little money from microtransactions. Reviews were also poor. Though the developers at Wildlight believed they had financial runway to improve, financial backer Tencent suddenly pulled its funding, and most of the 100-person team was laid off as a result. Fewer than 20 individuals remain to try and save Highguard. Those developers have recently reassured that a new patch is on the way, after a website issue led players to believe the whole game was being taken down.

The full story is at Bloomberg.

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

Best Buy is offering an outstanding deal on a laptop that marries powerful gaming performance with a slim and lightweight profile. While supplies last, you can pick up an open box "excellent condition" Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 5080 gaming laptop for just $2,014.99 with free delivery. Compare that to the brand new price of $3,170. Getting any RTX 5080 equipped laptop for about $2,000 is an excellent deal, but this laptop raises the bar by cramming all of that power in the smallest chassis it can get away with.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 5080 Laptop for $2,015

Razer's best gaming headset is discounted today as part of Woot's Video Game Sale. The Razer Blackshark V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Headset has dropped in price to just $149.99 after a 20% off coupon code "LEVEL20". In total, you're saving $100 (or 40% off) compared to the retail price of $250. Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise add on $5 for delivery. Note that you're getting a brand new unit with 90-day Woot warranty. Both PlayStation and Xbox variants are available, and in white, black, or 2XKO (Ahri) editions. All models are compatible with PC.

40% Off Razer Blackshark V3 Pro Wireless Gaming Headset

Brand new with 90-day Woot warranty

As part of a greater Video Game Sale that's going on today, Woot - which is owned by Amazon - is offering open box "pristine condition" PlayStation 5 DualSense wireless controllers starting at just $54.39 after you apply 20% off coupon code "LEVEL20". Amazon Prime members get free shipping, otherwise add an extra $5 for delivery.

These are the lowest prices I've seen on DualSense controllers so far this year. Although they're not brand new, Woot claims that they "are in pristine condition and have never been in customer hands. They will arrive with no marks, scratches, or dents of any kind, and in the original retail packaging."

Sony PS5 DualSense Controllers on Sale at Woot

Open Box "Pristine Condition"

Over the years, Sony has consistently released more and more Dualsense colors, some of them more striking than others. In late 2023, Sony launched the Deep Earth Collection, "a new metallic colorway for PS5 accessories" with aptly sounding names like Sterling Silver, Volcanic Red, and Cobalt Blue. These controllers retailed for $79.99 and were (and still are) one of the more striking color schemes. In 2024 it released the Chroma Collection, featuring iridescent colors that shine at every angle. These controllers don't get discounted as often as the core colors.

The DualSense is modeled after the tried and true design and layout of previous PlayStation controllers, but it also packs in modern features such as haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, a built-in microphone and speaker, integrated touchpad, internal gyroscope and accelerometer for motion sensing, and USB Type-C charging. This controller can also be connected to a PC in two ways: tethered with a USB Type-C cable or over Bluetooth wireless.

The Dualsense is oft regarded as the best PS5 controller under $100 but it also makes for an excellent PC controller, especially since PC game clients like Steam support DualSense features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

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.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup of phones feels very “third verse, same as the first.” Specs-wise, not much has changed over the last couple of years, and they look physically unchanged. I’ll tell you what did change, though: measurements! That’s right, thanks to some slight dimensional changes, you won’t be reusing your old Galaxy S25 cases.

That’s not a shocker, though. What kind of is in 2026, though, is that Samsung still hasn’t added Qi2 magnetic charging to its flagship phones. Like the Galaxy S25 before, the best the company is willing to offer is Qi2 Ready, which means you’ll need to slap a magnetic case on your new Galaxy S26 if you want faster wireless charging speeds. As 9to5Google points out, that would be up to 25 watts if you buy the Galaxy S26 Ultra, 20 watts with the S26+, and 15 watts with the vanilla S26.

The fast wireless charging is very nice, but built-in magnets would go a long way toward helping Samsung’s non-folding smartphones reclaim a spot on IGN’s list of favorite phones. Oh well. At least most case makers have a magnetic option out there for you.

1. Samsung Galaxy S26 Rugged Magnet Case

Best Galaxy S26 Case

2. Otterbox Defender Case

Best Rugged Galaxy S26 Case

3. ESR Classic Hybrid Magnetic Case (Stash Stand)

Best Galaxy S26 Clear Case

4. Mous Aramid Fibre Lightweight Phone Case

Best Galaxy S26 Ultra Thin Case

5. Blackbrook Barlow Snap-On Case

Best Galaxy S26 Leather Case

Chapter 5 of the popular survival horror game Poppy Playtime just came out, but now fans of the game’s creepy monster dolls are closer to having a Huggy Wuggy of their very own. As part of IGN Fan Fest, McFarlane Toys is revealing some brand-new looks at its line of Poppy Playtime figures.

The lineup, which includes 4.5-inch, 7-inch, and 12-inch models, features fan-favorite characters like Huggy Wuggy, Kissy Missy, Killy Willy, and Harley Sawyer. The 7-inch figures will be available for pre-order February 27. You can purchase the entire lineup in stores like Walmart, Target, and GameStop, as well as online at Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth, and the McFarlane Toys Store this Spring.

I spoke exclusively with Todd McFarlane about his company’s collaboration with Mob Entertainment, producer of Poppy Playtime, and what makes the game the perfect target for collaboration.

Sony's hidden multiplayer mode in God of War Sons of Sparta has now been made available from the off. The only downside? You'll need to enter a secret code to access it.

Side-scrolling spinoff Sons of Sparta launched for PlayStation 5 earlier this month, with a note on its PlayStation Store listing mentioning that it featured two-player capabilities.

Without further explanation, and after gameplay featuring its titular two brothers was shown during the recent State of Play broadcast, many fans assumed the full game was available in co-op. Alas, it is not. Instead, a separate roguelike challenge mode is included, players later discovered, but only after you have beaten the game. Or, now, if you input that aforementioned code.

"Normally The Pit is accessible only after you beat the main story to ensure those who attempt it are familiar with both Kratos' Spartan arms and the foes you will face," PlayStation wrote today, in its first real comment on the mode's availability, and what appears to be an explanation for why it was initially designed to only become available later on.

"But if you feel ready to test your skills earlier," PlayStation continued, "you can input this sequence below in the starting menu to unlock it early." That code, then, is as follows:

The Pit features various varieties of enemies and rewards each time you play, with a specific Agony modifier applied to each run. Progress through each run rewards fresh Agonies to try your luck and skill against, but also permanent upgrades to help you along your way in future attempts.

Response to Sons of Sparta has been mixed, not least from God of War's original franchise creator David Jaffe, who told fans to "avoid this f***ing thing." IGN's own review was a little more kind, dubbing the game "a pretty mediocre metroidvania, clearly taking the form and function of these games but failing to meet the high bar set by the titans of the genre." We gave it 6/10.

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

Resident Evil Requiem arrives on February 27, and we’re going to celebrate the return to Racoon City with a special launch day livestream hosted by IGN’s Nick Limon. The stream will include about an hour of gameplay, so come check it out to see what the latest entry in the series has to offer.

The stream is presented by Xfinity, internet built for split-second plays and zero hesitation. Resident Evil can be unpredictable (and frightening), but your Wi-Fi shouldn’t be. Xfinity has low latency for gaming, ensuring a powerful and secure connection. And with unlimited data, you’ll never miss a moment of action.

Resident Evil Requiem Livestream Date, Time, and How to Watch

The stream will start on Friday, February 27 at 9 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET. For our friends across the pond, that’s 5 p.m. GMT on February 28. It will be streamed across IGN’s channels, and you can watch it at any of these places:

IGN.com

IGN’s Facebook

IGN’s Twitter

IGN’s Twitch

IGN’s YouTube

If you can’t catch the stream live, no worries. The full video will remain on our YouTube page after it’s over.

What to Expect in the Resident Evil Requiem Livestream

The stream will last for about an hour and will show gameplay from the beginning of the game. If you don’t already know, Resident Evil Requiem features split protagonists and is told from the perspectives of series icon Leon Kennedy and newcomer Grace Ashcroft (daughter of Resident Evil Outbreak’s Alyssa Ashcroft).

We’ll be playing on launch day with no prior knowledge of the game, so we don’t know which protagonists will be featured during the stream. But regardless, you’ll get an extended look at gameplay and a taste of Requiem’s story. It’s going to be a good time, so come join us!

It’s only been a few weeks since the Pokémon TCG’s Ascended Heroes expansion made it into the Mega Evolution set, but ten cards in particular have been dominating the singles market more than others.

Using trading card platform TCGplayer, we’ve not only been able to find out what the most valuable cards in Ascended Heroes are, but also what the most popular ones are, too.

Although some have been absolute must-buys due to being sought after Illustration Rares with stunning artwork, others have just excelled in the charts due to being amazingly competitive in the current meta.

With that, here are the cards that have been topping the early Ascended Heroes market within the Pokémon Trading Card Game, and why players and collectors alike are racing to pick them up.

#10 – Budew (221/217, Illustration Rare)

Universal Fan Fest Nights is returning for its second year at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2026, and, for IGN Fan Fest, we were able to talk to senior director of entertainment production and executive producer Stephen Siercks all about why this night filled with Scooby-Doo Meets Universal Monsters, One Piece, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, colorful Yoshis, and much more is one fans won’t want to miss.

Tickets are now on sale for Universal Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, and it will run for 12 nights only; April 23-25, May 1-3, May 7-9, and May 14-16. The after-hours event is separately ticketed, and, alongside the experiences you can read about below, there will be even more character interactions, cosplay and photo opportunities, curated food, beverage, and merch, and the chance to experience many of the attractions available elsewhere in the parks.

Universal Fan Fest Nights Returns For an Even More Exciting Second Year

We began our chat by discussing what makes Universal Fan Fest Nights so special, and Siercks kicked things off by sharing a few words about the event as a whole and why he believes this second year will be even better than the first.

“One of the great things about being able to develop these events year to year is that we can innovate and iterate each time,” Siercks said. “What we found really resonated with our fans and guests last year that we're continuing to enhance this year is that level of interaction and engagement. Our guests really wanted a chance to meet their favorite characters, walk through their favorite worlds, and experience their favorite storylines from these different fandoms and genres. So, being able to see that in real time last year gave us a good sense of what we wanted to continue developing for this year's event.”

This year’s event features some returning favorites and brand-new experiences, and the most exciting one may just be Scooby-Doo Meets The Universal Monsters: Mystery on the Backlot. This will give guests a chance to live out an episode of Scooby-Doo (complete with Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Shaggy!) where Frankenstein, Dracula, Bride of Frankenstein, and Wolf Man are the villains.

What makes this experience even more special is that it partially takes place on Universal’s world-famous outdoor film sets, “from the cobblestone streets of Little Europe to the iconic Court of Miracles, the original filming locations for historic Universal horror films Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941).”

“Firstly, you've got two amazing brands that just were meant to be together,” Siercks said. “Being able to bring together the legacy of Universal Monsters with the nostalgia and playfulness of Scooby-doo was just one of those ideas we had early on and one we were able to bring to life in an exciting way.

“And then you layer on top of that the uniquely Universal part of it, where we get to bring our guests to the backlot and the birthplace of the Universal Monsters and allow them to get off the tram and feel as though they're living a real life episode of Scooby-doo.”

Speaking of being in an episode, Siercks told me that, as you head to the backlot, you’ll understand why you’re on this adventure and that something awful has happened.

“Someone has cursed the backlot and brought the Universal Monsters to life, and they are out and about throughout Little Europe,” Siercks teased. “Our job is to support the Mystery Inc. gang and solve this thing. We've got different clues that we have to solve for and interactions that we have to have with the characters - both Scooby-doo and friends and the Universal Monsters - to ultimately, at the end of the experience, go into a small moment where we get a chance, just like in the end of every Scooby-doo episode, to see if we got it right. And there's the iconic moment of the mask coming off the villain and revealing who the suspect was all along. So from start to finish, it truly is a really remarkable, unique aspect of the event.”

Much like experiences like the Back to the Future one at Universal Hollywood’s first Fan Fest Nights, there will also be different things to discover each time you embark on this mysterious adventure.

“You really get to choose your own adventure,” Siercks said. “Each time you're down there, you'll get a different chance to follow a different character or have a different interaction. And we've got some surprises up our sleeves that'll make the actual experience different from night to night. So, you’ll want to come back and solve the mystery multiple times.”

That won’t be the only mystery to solve during Fan Fest Nights, as guests will also be able to grab their wands and head to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for another immersive adventure, but this time it’s set in the Forbidden Forest.

“We're telling a brand-new story and creating a new experience where we're joined by a professor in search of a lost hippogriff,” Siercks said. “As we get deeper and deeper into the forest, we’ll meet different magical creatures and have different interactions that will ultimately result in the ability to find that hippogriff and solve this mission. There’s a level of intimacy there as we’ll be able to tell the story a little bit in more detail and let guests experience the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in a way never before experienced.

“And yes, guests are encouraged to bring their wands and cast spells throughout the experience along with our professor as we make our way through the Forbidden Forest.”

Anime was a big part of the first Universal Fan Fest Nights, and it returns in 2026 in a grander way. In the first year, One Piece fans were able to celebrate their fandom via a fan zone, which took over a street with character meet and greets, scenic photo opportunities, and more. This year, One Piece is actually taking over the WaterWorld show venue with One Piece: Grand Pirate Show.

“One Piece: Grand Pirate Show is inspired by the one at Universal Studios Japan, but this is a unique and exclusive story and show that was developed specifically for Fan Fest Nights,” Siercks said. “We'll bring our guests that much deeper into the storytelling, be able to meet that many more characters, and have that ability to experience One Piece in a new and unique way.”

I asked Siercks where in the timeline this show takes place in, and he mentioned they have decided to pick one arc and focus on that as the core of One Piece: Grand Pirate Show.

“We've picked a storyline and an arc within One Piece that allows us to introduce those fans who are new to the franchise to the different characters and environments of storytelling, but also at the same time reward those fans who have been there for the long haul,” Siercks added.

After the show, guests are then encouraged to head to the One Piece: Grand Pirate Gathering fan zone to purchase Sanji’s Galley eats and themed drinks, plus photo ops with the Straw Hat Crew!

Now it’s time to take a trip to Super Nintendo World, as multi-colored Yoshis will be taking over the beloved land and adding a nice pop to the area. Yoshi was part of the first Fan Fest Nights, but now there will be even more variations for guests to interact with!

“This year, our green Yoshi is going to be joined by light blue, pink, yellow, and purple,” Siercks said. “It was a joy to develop this concept even further this year with all these different colored Yoshi's while still weaving through a fun, playful activity along the way that, if we solve the activity, we get an extra special surprise reward at the end of it that we know that guests are going to love as well.”

Guests will also receive a clue guide when they enter Super Nintendo World and they must solve the challenge to gain access to a secret location and that exclusive fan reward, which will actually be a Yoshi-themed hat to help celebrate the night.

Siercks also teased that, while this celebration is focused on Yoshi, we may see “special interactions throughout Super Nintendo World that allow us to celebrate some of the other iconic characters as well.” So, make sure to keep a lookout!

Lastly, Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep will once again welcome guests into the beloved fantasy world for a walkthrough experience unlike any other. Secrets of Waterdeeps was one of the top fan favorites of the first Fan Fest Nights, so it was a no-brainer to bring it back for year two.

“It just made so much sense to be able to bring it back and allow guests who got a chance to see it last year to experience it again,” Siercks said. “And then for those guests who didn't get a chance to experience it, we’re so excited for them to come and take that journey with Evalina and Throckery as they find the Dragon Staff and meet Xanathar the Beholder, who was created by JIm Henson’s Creature Shop.

“We’ve also taken some opportunities to make this experience that much better this year for our guests while honoring the same storyline, the same characters, and the same environments that we're able to bring to life in the first year. We’ve made some minor tweaks and adjustments that fans of Dungeons and Dragons will love to pick out, but they’ll also improve the journey for new guests as well.”

Veterans and rookies alike will also be able to celebrate their victory and enjoy a drink like an Eldritch Blast at Dungeons & Dragons: The First Roll Tavern.

As you can tell, Universal Fan Fest Nights is all about letting fans step into these worlds they hold so close to their hearts. For Siercks, one of his favorite parts of this event is just seeing the joy of the guests as they experience these IPs in a more immersive way than ever before. Sure, these activations are all about being as impressive and entertaining as possible, but they are so much more than that.

“My perfect Fan Fest Night is being able to both experience these different offerings throughout the night and finding those opportunities to celebrate the communities of these fandoms as well,” Siercks told me. “One of the most rewarding parts of this event is finding those interactions and moments of engagement between the experiences, where guests can feel they are a part of these worlds. We're bringing these worlds to life around our fans, and that also includes the celebratory moments that lets them celebrate the brands themselves in a way that’s meaningful to them.”

There are a lot of ticket options for Universal Fan Fest Nights, including some that get you into the park during the day before the event. These include General Admission, Universal Express, Universal Express Unlimited, After 2PM Day/Night, After 2PM Day/Night, 2-Night General Admission, Ultimate Fandom Pass, Early Access Ticket, Universal Fan Fest Nights VIP Tour, and Pass Member Special Pricing. Once again, you can check out the full details and purchase the tickets right here.

In addition to all the fun planned for Universal Fan Fest Nights, guests will also be able to enjoy select attractions throughout the event, including Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, Jurassic World—The Ride, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, TRANSFORMERS: The Ride—3D, Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride and The Simpsons Ride.

For more, check out our interview from IGN Fan Fest 2025 with Siercks to learn more about bringing this event to life for the first time.

Pokémon’s 30th anniversary is coming right up, and to help celebrate, a trio of Pokémon LEGO sets is now available. There’s an adorable Eevee, a dynamic Pikachu, and a pricy (yet incredible) set depicting Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise. All sets are now available to purchase, exclusively at the LEGO Store.

LEGO Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise

LEGO Pokémon Eevee

LEGO Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball

Burger King will soon use an AI chatbot in employees’ headsets to recommend tips on meal preparation and track “friendliness.”

The Verge reported on the bot, a tool named Patty that’s powered by OpenAI, following a conversation with chief digital officer Thibault Roux. The fast-food giant says the BK Assistant web and app platform, which collects data related to drive-thru conversations, will be seared into all of its restaurants before the year concludes, with Patty planned to give it a voice in workers’ ears with tests across 500 locations.

Roux says the chatbot angle of Burger King’s AI push is “meant to be a coaching tool,” and can offer tips for everything from cooking a Whopper to cleaning equipment. It will also allow managers to ask how their individual restaurant is performing based on friendliness, with the system able to recognize phrases like “welcome to Burger King” – or even “please” and “thank you.” Roux says Burger King is also testing the waters for a future that could see it measuring an employee’s tone, too.

AI has wormed its way into systems across the globe, but Burger King admits it’s already hesitant about how such technology could be implemented in the fast-food business. Less than 100 of the Whopper house’s locations are testing AI in their drive-thru operations currently, as the company calls its implementation “a risky bet.”

“Not every guest is ready for this,” Roux adds.

Reactions from customers online suggest Roux assessment is correct, with dozens of posts criticizing the move already popping up across social media. Users have already started comparing the move to Netflix’s sci-fi dystopia anthology series, Black Mirror. Specifically Season 3 Episode 1, Nosedive, which takes place in a society where people rate each other based on their interactions, which appears to be brought up the most.

the burger king AI if an employee doesn’t say “please” and “thank you” pic.twitter.com/QcSXVEI8cB

— Chief (@chiefflips) February 26, 2026

pic.twitter.com/dmiSqeJhIO

— Johnny Applepeel (@JohnnyApplepeel) February 26, 2026

Ah hell nah they're installing the patriots at Burger King 💀 https://t.co/AWAas7DXmo

— metal gear facts (@MetalGearFacts1) February 26, 2026

When BK AI tells you for the fifth time to say thank you pic.twitter.com/7kt6nyin0o

— 𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕠 〰️ (@MANOMAGlC) February 26, 2026

“So Burger King can’t make the ice cream machine work, but suddenly they’ve built Skynet for manners?” one X/Twitter user said, comparing the AI system to the entity that helps kick off the events of the Terminator movies.

“Peak dystopia, next they’ll fine you for breathing too loud into the headset,” another added.

"Sounds like I'm boycotting Burger King forever now," someone else said.

Still, Burger King says it will continue “playing around with it” as it plans for Patty to make its debut. Unless the company decides to reverse course, workers may want to expect to hear Patty guiding them through interactions in the near future.

Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

At Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026, the company announced its latest top-of-the-line phone, the Galaxy S26 Ultra. It starts at $1,299.99 and releases March 11. It’s available for preorder now at all the usual retailers (see it at Samsung and Amazon). Depending on where you buy, you can get free gift cards or exclusive options, which we’ll dive into below. Read on for full details and to see what’s new in the latest smartphone model.

Amazon: Free Double Storage and a $200 Gift Card

Samsung: Exclusive Color Options and a $150 Credit

Best Buy: Free Double Storage

What’s New in the Galaxy S26 Ultra?

The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the latest top-of-the-line Android phone from Samsung. One of the biggest new stand-out features is the Privacy Display, which narrows the viewing angle on sensitive information on the screen. It can make your notifications, for instance, more private when you glance at them from your lock screen, so people around you can’t peep into your personal life as easily. Or you can set it to obscure your password entry forms, or even entire individual apps. This is an optional security feature that will come in handy for some people.

Hardware-wise, the S26 Ultra is a relatively minor upgrade from last year’s model. It has a faster processor and cameras that can take better low-light photos and videos. In terms of software, it has some new AI features for photos and notifications. But really, you’re probably not going to get the S26 if you already own the S25. It’s a big upgrade from most phones from several years ago. It’s the latest and greatest of Samsung’s offerings.

If you don’t need the Ultra, you can also score some terrific preorder deals on the Samsung S26. They’re even selling a new generation of Galaxy Buds that ought to rival Apple’s ultra-popular AirPods Pro.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.