There are a bunch of big Star Wars projects in the works, like the Jon Favreau-directed The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, the confirmation of Ahsoka: Season 2, and a new Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling called Starfighter which is being directed by Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy. And yet amid all that, Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, is stepping down from her duties, with long-time Star Wars creator Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan replacing her. Filoni will now serve as President and Chief Creative Officer while Brennan will be Co-President.
While Kennedy's departure has been rumored for some time, now that it's actully happening it's clear that the Star Wars franchise is at a critical juncture. Will Filoni and Brennan be able to revive excitement in fans and mainstream audiences about what has been seen as something of a lagging series in recent years?
So let's take a look at all of the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows that we know about. While some are locked, others on our list are just industry reports that haven't been confirmed by Disney yet. We've also kept some older projects on our list that have long since been snuffed out, like the Jedi themselves! Their fire has gone out of the universe...
Click right through the scruffy-looking slideshow below to see what's coming, and a couple of "maybes" too...
For those keeping track, here's the full lineup of upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows:
Definitely Happening:
In Development:
On Hold or Status Unknown:
Canceled/Dead:
Here are the Star Wars projects that are closest to becoming a reality (or at least were in recent times)...
Lucasfilm turned heads with the announcement of a Mandalorian spinoff movie separate from Filoni's Mando-Verse New Republic crossover film. Dubbed The Mandalorian & Grogu, this film will be helmed by The Mandalorian co-creator Jon Favreau. It's assumed the movie is taking the place of The Mandalorian: Season 4.
Filming wrapped at the end of 2024, meaning this will wind up being the first Star Wars project to hit the big screen since 2019's The Rise of Skywalker. The Mandalorian & Grogu has a May 22, 2026 release date.
The Star Wars franchise will remain in the post-Clone Wars, pre-A New Hope era for its next animated series, which focuses on the former Darth Maul as he seeks to rebuild his criminal empire in the age of the Empire. Lucasfilm teases the series will showcase Maul "plotting to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire." Sam Witwer will reprise his role as Maul. Look for it to debut on Disney+ in 2026.
The animated anthology series Star Wars: Visions is getting a miniseries spinoff called Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi. As the title suggests, this series will be a continuation of Production I.G.’s “The Ninth Jedi” shorts from Visions Season 1 and 3. It’s a natural choice, as there’s clearly far more story left to tell in this bleak yet adventurous take on the Star Wars mythos.
The next Star Wars movie hitting theaters after The Mandalorian and Grogu is Star Wars: Starfighter, directed by Deadpool & Wolverine's Shawn Levy and starring the Driver himself, Ryan Gosling. The film is set roughly five years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker, putting it further down the Star Wars timeline than any movie or show to date.
There are few details on what the film would be about, but Levy has been developing the project with scripter Jonathan Tropper since 2022. Tropper previously worked with the director on This Is Where I Leave You and The Adam Project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the prospective movie would be unrelated to the Skywalker Saga and would be a standalone story.
When Ahsoka: Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, it was unclear whether those loose ends would be picked up in a second season or feed directly into Dave Filoni's Mando-verse movie. But production has now wrapped on Ahsoka: Season 2. There's no release window yet, though 2026 could be possible.
Dave Filoni will make the jump from Star Wars shows to the big screen. Filoni is directing a movie set after the events of Return of the Jedi. The film is said to tie together shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.
Ms. Marvel's Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is directing the first Star Wars film set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. Daisy Ridley will return to reprise the role of Rey Skywalker, with the film focusing on Rey's efforts to rebuild the Jedi after the final battle with Emperor Palpatine. It's expected that other actors from the Sequel Trilogy will also return.
At various points in its development, Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, and then Steven Knight, were attached to write the film. However, all have since left the project. Reports previously indicated that Rey as a character was still a major priority at Disney, and in January, 2025, George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) was the latest writer hired to script the film. But when Kathleen Kennedy announced her resignation from Lucasfilm in January, 2026, she did not mention the Rey project while discussing other films in development. Huh.
In 2024 news broke that X-Men producer (and Star Wars Rebels co-creator) Simon Kinberg had been tapped to oversee a brand-new trilogy of Star Wars films. Kinberg will write the trilogy and produce. Sources gave conflicting reports as to what the trilogy will actually be about, though. It may be a direct continuation of the Skywalker Saga, effectively making Kinberg the architect of Episodes X through XII. However, others claimed the trilogy will focus on a new storyline. In January, 2026, Kathleen Kennedy revealed that Kinberg wrote something that was "very good, but not there. We’ve pretty much upended the story, and then spent a great deal of time on the treatment." From there she said Kinberg was expected to turn in "something" -- presumably a screenplay -- by March, 2026. All of which is to say it's still early days on this one.
Fans got very excited when word came that Adam Driver and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh had pitched a Hunt for Ben Solo movie, even though the project was not given the go-ahead. A fan campaign since then has not led Disney or Lucasfilm to reverse their decision, but Kathleen Kennedy has said that “Steve Soderbergh and Adam Driver turned in a script written by Scott Burns ... It was just great. Anything’s a possibility if somebody’s willing to take a risk.” Time will tell if this one ever happens or not.
Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi was tapped to direct a live-action Star Wars movie at one point, which he would co-write with 1917's Krysty Wilson-Cairns. Nothing else is known about the film yet, including when it's set in the Star Wars timeline... or if it will even happen. Kathleen Kennedy said in January, 2026, that she thinks the project is "still somewhat alive." Hope springs eternal!
The film dates back to at least 2021, when Waititi revealed he'd cracked the story for his movie, but the actual script was still in its early stages. In May, 2022, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said that this would be the next Star Wars film released, while in March, 2023, Variety reported that it could be the project that snaps up the then-empty December, 2025, release date on Lucasfilm's slate. In February, 2025, however, Kennedy confirmed that she still hasn't seen a finished script from Waititi, saying “if we ever do get a script from Taika, it’s going to be fantastic.”
At Star Wars Celebration 2023, we learned that Logan director James Mangold was going to be directing a movie about the very first Jedi Knights. Little was known about the movie, other than that it would be set roughly 25,000 years before the other films and would be "biblical" in scope. Unfortunately, in January, 2026, Kathleen Kennedy said that the film is now on the "back burner."
While Lucasfilm seems to have no plans for a sequel to 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story, Donald Glover's Lando Calrissian was supposed to get his own live-action series at one point. The project was announced in December 2020, and was being developed by Dear White People's Justin Simien. However, Simien eventually departed the project, with Glover and his brother Stephen Glover taking over as writers. And in the fall of 2023 Stephen revealed that Lando was expected to take shape as a movie rather than a show. As of January, 2026, Kathleen Kennedy said that the project was "still somewhat alive." Great!
Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins was given the reins of a Star Wars theatrical film, which was originally slated to hit theaters in Christmas of 2023. Kathleen Kennedy teased, "This story will introduce a new generation of starfighter pilots as they earn their wings and risk their lives in a boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill ride. The legend of Rogue Squadron has been long beloved by Star Wars fans, and will move us into a future era of the galaxy."
However, as of November 2021 the film was no longer on the production schedule while Jenkins reportedly focused on Wonder Woman 3 (which has since been cancelled). Industry insider Matthew Belloni reported the film was the latest in a long line of Star Wars projects hampered by "creative differences." And in March of 2023, Variety reported that a source has stated that the film is no longer in active development. In April of that year, Kennedy told IGN the following: "Rogue Squadron, that definitely is something that we still talk about. Whether it's a movie, or whether it ends up being in the series space, that's definitely something."
There's currently no word on a fourth season of The Mandalorian or a second season of The Book of Boba Fett. The announcement of The Mandalorian and Grogu may mean the former series has ended its small-screen run, and we're not holding our breath for more The Book of Boba Fett at this point.
Lost co-showrunner Carlton Cuse was developing a streaming Star Wars series with his son, Watchmen and The Leftovers writer Nick Cuse, at one point. That's virtually all we know about this mysterious project, as there's no word on the plot, timeline, characters, or other story details yet. And with Disney seemingly pulling back on greenlighting new Star Wars streaming shows now, it seems unlikely that this one will move forward any time soon.
Note: This story was updated on 1/16/2026. It was originally posted on 7/29/2021.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Amazon’s live-action Prime Video God of War TV show is charging forward, as Teresa Palmer (Warm Bodies, A Discovery of Witches) has joined its cast as Phoebe/Sif.
Deadline reports that the actress has officially signed on to star alongside Ryan Hurst, who joined the PlayStation series adaptation as Kratos earlier this week. The Earth goddess plays a somewhat smaller role in the video games the new show is based on and is most known for appearing during segments from God of War Ragnarok that feature the Ghost of Sparta’s son, Atreus, who has yet to be cast.
Palmer is the second actor to join Amazon’s latest video game adaptation and is probably best known for her involvement in 2013’s zombie romance movie, Warm Bodies. Although her experience in other films, such as Lights Out, The Fall Guy, and The Grudge 2 see her filmography date back to the mid-2000s, viewers may have caught her on TV more recently. Highlights from her time in television include A Discovery of Witches, The Last Anniversary, and The Family Next Door.
Although Sif is largely seen as a side character in Ragnarok, there’s no telling how her part may be featured in the God of War TV show. At the least, her presence in the story suggests her husband, Thor, could be just around the corner. Palmer’s inclusion also likely has players expecting to see her children – Magni, Modi, and Thrud – show up in some capacity, too.
We know little about what direction the Prime Video video game series will take, so it’s possible all or none of these iconic names from Norse mythology will appear. Other characters who have not been confirmed for the show but play a part in both God of War (2018) and its 2022 Ragnarok sequel include Freya, Mimir, Sindri, Brok, Odin, and Baldur.
“In God of War, the live action series, his story will closely follow the path of the last two games as he deals with something new: his ten year old son Atreus,” an official description for the show says. “This father and son dynamic began a whole new chapter in the legendary series and will be the heartbeat of the new show.”
Hurst’s inclusion as Kratos made waves for a few reasons. While the announcement allowed audiences to finally put a live-action face to the iconic name, fans of the games were also happy to see the star join following his role as Thor in Ragnarok. It's unclear who may follow Palmer's casting as Sif, with the show's release date also still a mystery.
We will (hopefully) know more about how casting for the series will shake out in the months ahead. In the meantime, you can read about composer Bear McCreary and his thoughts on the live-action God of War show.
Photo by Amanda Edwards/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).
There are all kinds of immensely powerful gaming PC setups out there, carefully crafted and assembled with components hand-picked for the most optimal performance to drive your experience. Even the most meticulous of builds, however, aren’t complete without a great audio system to deliver the coveted, detailed sound that perfectly complements your system and delivers a major impact for your gaming and other computer-related endeavors.
Built-in monitor speakers, much like TV speakers, won’t cut it for most folks at the end of the day. Luckily, there is a vast amount of powered desktop speakers, soundbars, and other audio solutions that are itching for an opportunity to show what they’re capable of. Whether you want tons of bass, immersive surround sound, or speakers that put clarity at a premium, there’s an option out there that’s right for you.
KEF’s LSX II expertly blends the best of both worlds into one high-end package. They’re equipped with a wide variety of inputs (including HDMI-ARC) that fall in line with the modern-day soundbar. But, instead of the sound being produced from a singular piece of equipment, the LSX II achieves the perfect stereo separation that has long been a custom characteristic of a great pair of speakers.
The LSX II have plenty of power to complement your gaming with excellent, room-filling sound, thanks to ultra-low noise amplifiers that are built specifically to maximize performance without the need for an external amp. They have built-in support for streaming up to 24bit/384kHz, and offer wireless connectivity with a wide variety of streaming services like Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Deezer, and more.
The LSX II does come equipped with quite a hefty price tag compared to other selections on this list, though for what it’s worth, it does take that into account with the craftsmanship and quality materials that make up the speaker pair’s striking aesthetic. That being said, in this instance, you’re paying for the best sound quality you can find in speakers of this size and price range. If you’re after the best of the best to flank the left and right sides of your monitor, the LSX II will punch that ticket.
Creative has updated its affordable compact computer speaker options with the Creative Pebble V3. These new stylish little speakers don’t cost much more than their V2 predecessors while bumping up the actual speaker size and bringing in support for Bluetooth audio.
The Creative Pebble V3 speakers still keep your desk setup simple by using a single USB-C cable for drawing power and connecting to an audio source. You can also connect them to an additional device with a 3.5mm cable if you have an analog audio source. And, with the addition of Bluetooth 5.0, you can connect them to a ton of additional devices while enjoying a stable signal across all of them. These speakers won’t blow away your neighbors, as each speaker has just 4W of output power, but they’ll easily outshine the ones built into your computer monitor. For just $40, that’s not a bad upgrade.
The Clio is something of a pioneer in the computer speaker world, breaking the mold of traditional monitor speakers to offer a unique solution to gaming audio. The Clio straps to the top of your gaming chair and, with its stereo pair of full-range drivers, pumps detailed audio into your ears for an immersive experience that mimics headphones. This time, though, you’re getting great sound in an open-air environment, with no strings attached or headphone fatigue to speak of.
In what feels like a fitting pairing, the Clio is also equipped with THX Spatial Audio, which allows its drivers to widen your soundstage for a more encompassing, enjoyable experience while you are gaming, watching YouTube, or listening to music. To that end, the Clio offers EQ modes for all three (Gaming, Movie, Music) while sporting up to 14 hours of battery life. Admittedly, it is a bit of a hassle to pull the speaker off your chair to recharge each time you run out of battery, but it’s a small price to pay for a great combination of comfort and sound quality.
Finally, the Clio offers the ability to serve as surround sound speakers for an existing setup. If you already have a soundbar or other speakers connected to your computer, the Clio can be established as rears in that system, adding a theater-esque sound to your gaming or streaming. It’s not a perk that everyone will take advantage of, but it’s a great way to get surround sound without having to position speakers at the rear of your room.
A common pipeline for hardcore home theater heads starts with a wired set of Logitech speakers, and for good reason. The brand knows how to make solid, accessible sound that you don’t have to tinker with to enjoy, a sentiment that holds especially true for the Z906. A complete setup with dedicated left, right, and rear speakers plus a center channel for improved dialogue and a hulking subwoofer, the Z906 is a plug-and-play solution that delivers a full range of sound. It’s bound to bring all sorts of gaming, from first-person shooters to story-driven selections and even high-octane sports, to life in a way that your standard desktop monitors simply cannot.
There are some considerations that have to be made for the Z906 to ensure that it’s set up for success. You will need appropriate spacing between the left, center, and right speakers to allow for a proper soundstage that delivers immersive sound. Plus, the whole system is wired. This means that your rear speakers and subwoofer will need to have cables following it wherever you decide to put them in your gaming space.
If you don’t have an appropriate room for running wires, or just don’t enjoy that aesthetic, you may need to look beyond the Z906. But if you can manage, it’s an excellent solution that pumps powerful surround sound audio into every game you play.
If, like me, space on your computer desk is a precious commodity, you don’t have room for the kind of behemoth soundbars that sit under TVs. The alternative is the Razer Leviathan V2, a purpose-built computer soundbar system that slides beneath your monitor and cranks out consistently great sound. The bar itself has a pair of full-range drivers, two tweeters, and a set of passive radiators all dedicated to delivering big, dynamic sound from a small package. Add in the Leviathan’s included down-firing subwoofer, and suddenly you have a compelling audio setup geared towards improving every gaming experience.
And while the Levithan doesn’t offer the full surround sound package in the same way that something like the Logitech Z906 does, it’s aided by THX Spatial Audio, a technology that’s meant to virtually replicate a detailed 7.1 soundstage, mimicking the presence of speakers to your side and rear. It’s not a perfect substitute for real, physical speakers flanking your sides and sitting at the back of your room, but it’s a good option for anyone who doesn’t have the square footage for all those extra speakers.
To top things off, the Leviathan’s RGB lighting system has 18 different lighting zones that feature all kinds of patterns and lighting effects to enhance the games you play. It may take a back seat to the actual audio benefits of the Leviathan, but it’s still a nice addition to a well-rounded package.
Gaming laptops, monitors and headsets don’t have much space for substantially sized drivers. Without much size to work with, these miniscule speakers typically cannot produce a full range of audio frequencies, which in turn hampers the listening experience.
By contrast, desktop computer speakers break out of that mold thanks to the advantage they have when it comes to size, amplification and overall components. Most speakers offer a two-way design consisting of a woofer and a tweeter, which work together seamlessly to produce lower and higher frequencies, respectively.
The two-way speaker design does a good job of covering the frequency range of human hearing, generally acknowledged as 20Hz-20kHz, but doesn’t get quite down to the very low end. With music, you don’t need to worry too much about hitting the 20Hz lower threshold, but if you’re watching movies or playing games with a lot of bass, you might want to consider speakers that include a subwoofer, although it will take up extra space under your desk.
You’ll also want your speakers to be powered, meaning they have an amplifier built-in (usually found inside one of the speakers) and will need to be plugged in. The audio signal coming from your computer needs to be amplified before it's sent out through the speaker drivers to your ears.
There are a few more options to keep an eye on and they can make life a bit easier. Having a headphone jack on the front of the speaker can be very convenient when you want to quickly plug in your headphones and not deal with reassigning outputs in your OS. A front-mounted aux-in is an easy way to attach a music source like your phone. Bluetooth functionality is another way some speakers will allow you to attach additional sources.
Your selection process will be heavily influenced by the space you have available for gaming and the audio that comes with it. Is there space to the left and right of your monitor, but not much elsewhere? A stereo pair of speakers will greatly improve your audio quality. Don’t have room to the sides, but do have room to spare beneath your desktop? A compact computer soundbar should do the trick. Is your computer on display in a room that’s got all kinds of breathing room? Opt for a system that has an included subwoofer, or a full surround sound package where you can place speakers at the rear of your room for a completely immersive gaming environment.
Additionally, if you have unique spatial needs but still want a wide, immersive soundstage, you can explore options that feature virtual audio enhancements. Technologies like THX Spatial Audio are meant to virtually mimic the sound of full surround sound setups, sending audio signals that coax your ears into believing that sound is coming from the side or behind you. It’s not a perfect science, and it’s not without its pitfalls. But it is compelling for those who don’t have space to spare.
As with any kind of audio upgrade, there are lots of things to think about here, including connectivity options, budget, and additional features. Gamers might want RGB lighting, for example, or audiophiles might look for built-in controls, subwoofers, etc. When selecting the best computer speakers, if you feel completely lost, it’s a safe bet to look for reputable brands known for producing high-quality speakers. Don't forget to read reviews and testimonials from other users to get insights into the reliability and performance of the speakers you're interested in.
Absolutely. While modern laptops and high-end monitors have made strides in audio quality, their size and lack of space for speakers still physically limits them. If you care about sound quality even slightly, dedicated PC speakers will almost always outperform built-in alternatives. Beyond just volume, quality speakers reveal the nuances in a game’s sound design, like the crunch of gravel or the direction of distant gunfire, that helps to create a level of immersion that laptops or monitors just can’t match.
Generally, yes, as long as the connections align. In 2025, the most common way to connect is via a 3.5mm auxiliary jack, which is found on nearly every motherboard and laptop. However, many modern speakers now use USB-C, which allows them to act as their own high-quality sound card, or Bluetooth for a wireless, minimalist aesthetic.
When shopping for speakers, you’ll encounter numerical labels that describe the system's layout. The first digit represents the number of standard speakers, while the second digit refers to the subwoofer, or the speaker responsible for bass. A 2.0 system is the most traditional setup, consisting of a simple left and right speaker pair. This is ideal for music and smaller desks where space is at a premium, as it provides a clean stereo image without the need for a bulky floor unit.
If you want more "thump" in your explosions or a richer kick in your music, a 2.1 system is the common upgrade. This keeps the two desk speakers but adds a dedicated subwoofer to handle low-frequency effects. Moving further into the "immersive" territory leads to 5.1 systems, which feature five speakers: a left, center, and right speaker up front, plus two in the rear and a dedicated subwoofer. This creates a true surround sound environment where audio literally circles around you, though it requires significantly more wiring and space.
One isn't necessarily better than the other. It’s a matter of choosing the right tool for your desk. Soundbars are slim, all-in-one units designed to sit directly under your monitor, making them the perfect choice for minimalist setups or small apartments. While modern soundbars use digital processing to mimic a wide soundstage, they often struggle to match the true stereo separation of a dedicated two-speaker system. A traditional speaker setup allows you to place the units farther apart, creating a more accurate sense of space and directionality to your sound. If your priority is desk space and ease of movement, go with a soundbar. If your priority is immersion and accuracy, a multi-speaker system is usually the winner.
Nick Woodward is a sportswriter-turned-tech journalist, with bylines at Digital Trends and the like. You can find Nick covering all things A/V tech as a freelance writer at IGN.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has returned for a second season. The first season landed as IGN’s Best Anime of 2024, so expectations are (deservedly) quite high. Fortunately, Kambole Campbell's review of the premiere says that the new season “follows up the excitement and complex world-building of its magic exam arc with a simpler, more grounded story." I am personally preparing for more existential crises.
Though reports suggest the new season may be significantly shorter than the first, Frieren is one of the anime I was most looking forward to in 2026 and certainly a highlight of this winter anime season. If you’re planning to tune in, here’s everything you need to know.
The new season of Frieren will be streaming on Crunchyroll in the U.S. and UK. The first episode arrived on Crunchyroll on January 16 at 7am PT (3pm GMT). Subsequent episodes will be released on the anime streaming service at the same time every Friday.
Some reports are indicating Frieren’s second season will only have 10 episodes, a pretty significant reduction from the previous season’s 28. The reduction, if true, could be a response to the manga being on an indefinite hiatus, giving the animation studio more leeway for future seasons. There’s also the chance that it’s the result of demanding production timelines, but there’s been no official confirmation.
Frieren Season 2 is releasing new episodes exclusively on Crunchyroll in the U.S. and UK. However, you can also stream the first season on Hulu, Disney+, and Netflix. The first season landed on Netflix around 18 months after airing, so it’s likely the second season follows a similar (very long) timeline.
Frieren Season 2 continues to be produced by studio Madhouse, with Tomoya Nagataki taking over Keiichiro Sato’s role as director. While the studio has not announced a new voice cast for the second season, here’s the main Japanese voice cast from the previous one:
Last year, a report from Tom Henderson suggested that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake would be released on January 16th, 2026. Well, that date has passed, and no. Ubisoft did not shadowdrop this game on current-gen consoles and PC. The game is not out. Tom Henderson is usually a reliable leaker, but … Continue reading No, Ubisoft did not shadowdrop Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake →
The post No, Ubisoft did not shadowdrop Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake appeared first on DSOGaming.
DICE will release Title Update 1.1.3.5 for Battlefield 6 on January 20th, and it has shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this new update brings to the table. Patch 1.1.3.5 makes the game feel smoother and easier to play. Melee attacks now respond faster, jet combat feels more polished, and climbing ladders … Continue reading Battlefield 6 Title Update 1.1.3.5 Detailed – Full Patch Notes →
The post Battlefield 6 Title Update 1.1.3.5 Detailed – Full Patch Notes appeared first on DSOGaming.
A Pokémon card store in Manhatten has become the latest target for thieves looking to steal merchandise featuring the lucrative pocket monsters — and this time, customers were held at gunpoint.
Speaking to ABC News, staff at the Poké Court outlet in the Meatpacking District have said that $100,000 worth of stock was stolen in just three minutes, as a team of three robbers burst into the newly-opened store during its first community evening event.
As one thief smashed glass cabinets to obtain expensive items, another held shoppers at gunpoint. A third, meanwhile, kept watch at the door. "It was a free event and then three armed men just came in and brandished guns in [customers'] faces," store owner Courtney Chin said. The shop has since employed a security guard.
ABC News reports that similar thefts have occured in Boston, Los Angeles and Seattle, as the latest in a long line of card shop robberies targeting Pokémon items.
"If you look at any local card shop around the country, there's a good chance they've gotten robbed," Chin added. "I've seen videos where the robbers will tunnel in through the walls, or through the ceiling.
In December, $100,000 worth of stock was also swiped from a store in Burbank — although that was overnight. At the time, Californian cops said they suspected the raid was linked to "half a dozen" similar thefts within the southern half of the state in recent weeks. Numerous other examples have also occured nationwide over the past 12 months.
"We can't let a few bad apples like this ruin the hobby for everyone else," Chin concluded. "We want to create a safe space for the community and it really sucks that like 50 people had to basically get held up and held hostage."
Image credit: ABC News.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.5 patch notes are here as EA and Battlefield Studios work to balance jet gameplay and melee combat amid the recently delayed Season 2.
A full breakdown of what is a smaller update for the troubled FPS installment was published on its official website today. BF Studios describes the update, which has a January 20 release date and serves as the first update Battlefield 6 has seen in a month and a half, as “a smaller set of focused improvements aimed at polish and consistency.”
Still, patch 1.1.3.5 delivers a set of improvements, gameplay tweaks, and balance changes fans have anticipated since launch arrived in October. Jet combat will feel quite different going into the extended Season 1, with cannon damage against other flying vehicles significantly reduced, requiring “approximately 40% more hits” to destroy targets. There’s currently no sign of the previously mentioned dedicated air radar, which was promised to arrive after Season 1 in December.
BF Studios has had a jet balance pass in its sights for some time, but the January 20 update for Battlefield 6 is also said to come with what sounds like a pretty wide-ranging update for melee combat. As players have complained of inconsistent knife and sledgehammer attacks, patch 1.1.3.5 aims to improve responsiveness, consistency, and sprint behavior for those who like to get up close and personal. Another set of smaller changes targets the Assault Ladder, which should behave, well, more like a ladder going forward.
Battlefield 6 Season 1 launched October 28 and was scheduled to bring its REDSEC offshoot, maps, weapons, modes, and more to the experience through early-to-mid January. As the three-part debut season came to an end, players were left wondering how Season 2 might reinvigorate an experience that was steadily falling out of favor with fans.
It wasn’t until January 13, much later than many expected, that BF Studios was finally ready to speak on Season 2, but the news update wasn’t exactly the one many were expecting. Instead of a roadmap, the team announced that Season 2 had been delayed to February 17, with its contents to be detailed at a later date. In its place, Season 1 will roll on, with smaller updates and bonuses to be delivered during the downtime.
Now, Battlefield 6 update 1.1.3.5 will keep the ball rolling, even if it’s just a slight nudge toward the next major content drop. In other news, it was announced this morning that The Division lead Julian Gerighty had left Ubisoft and to join BF Studios developer DICE.
Finally, you can read the full 1.1.3.5 patch notes below.
With Update 1.1.3.5, we’re delivering a smaller set of focused improvements aimed at polish and consistency across Battlefield 6. This update enhances melee responsiveness, refines jet combat, improves ladder interactions, and resolves UI and HUD issues in Multiplayer and REDSEC, alongside fixes for Battle Royale and Gauntlet stability.
The update will be available on Tuesday, January 20, at 9 AM UTC (1 AM PDT, 4 AM EDT, 10 AM CET).
Assault Ladder
Battle Royale
Gauntlet
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).
Disney Cory in the House, an obscure Nintendo DS game at the center of a bizarre viral campaign, is now being sold for hundreds of dollars on eBay.
Earlier this week, we reported that Disney Cory in the House was now close to dethroning the beloved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the highest-rated game on Metacritic by user ranking. Already, the game has surpassed the user ratings for masterpieces such as The Last of Us, The Witcher 3, and Resident Evil 4.
This 2008 Nintendo DS Disney tie-in has been the focal point of numerous viral campaigns over the years, which have seen the users of notorious internet imageboard 4chan propel the game to notoriety despite (or because of) the fact it is... not very good.
Now, seemingly, the game has achieved cult status to the point where copies are changing hands for hugely-inflated sums of money on eBay. A look at recently-sold listings on the auction site shows copies have been bought for as much as $399.97.
Auctions currently in progress have copies set to sell for as high as $700 at the time of writing. Meanwhile, half a dozen completed listings from earlier this week show copies that have sold for over $100. Last year, similar listings show the game selling for around $15.
Currently, Disney Cory in the House is still the joint-second best game listed on Metacritic by user ranking, with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 not yet dethroned. Earlier this week, IGN contacted Metacritic to ask if it planned to intervene at some point to put an end to the mischief. As of yet, the company is yet to comment.
If you have a copy of Disney Cory in the House yourself — or you can source one from a local second-hand store — now might be a good time to try and turn a profit. Or, of course, you could hang on to the title — which IGN rated as an "awful" 3/10 when it released almost two decades ago.
"The game has some of the clunkiest controls we've seen, the presentation is insultingly stupid, the minigames are hardly games at all, and on top of everything it's really short," IGN wrote in our Disney Cory in the House review. $400 well spent, then.
Image credit: Disney.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Bethesda’s former Elder Scrolls loremaster has revealed his idea for The Elder Scrolls 6 story, and how it would have set up The Elder Scrolls 7.
In an interview with PC Gamer discussing his dissatisfaction with working at Bethesda and subsequent departure from the company following the release of Starfield, Kurt Kuhlmann said if he had got the chance to lead The Elder Scrolls 6 it would have been like the beloved Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back.
Kuhlmann, who left Bethesda in 2023 after more than 20 years at the studio, said that in his story the elven supremacists the Thalmor would not only have been the big bad of The Elder Scrolls 6, but they would have ended the game on the road to victory. This, he said, would have turned Elder Scrolls’ long-running ‘player is the chosen one’ who achieves a definitive victory at the end of the game plot on its head, saying that while you would have “preserved hope for the future” by the end of The Elder Scrolls 6, “overall it looks like the Thalmor are on the march.”
The problem, Kuhlmann said, is that he doubts Bethesda would go for an Elder Scrolls game with a “bad” ending such as this, and a cliffhanger is "completely unfeasible" because it takes so long for Bethesda to release new mainline games in the fantasy series. "That's not a good way to end a game and say, yeah, we'll see you in 10, 15 years,” he said.
Alas, Kuhlmann’s idea is just that: an idea, and it’s unlikely that the actual storyline of The Elder Scrolls 6 will turn out to be anything like it. As for when we’ll find out, it could be some time yet. Last year, amid increasing pressure from fans for some information on the game, Howard said The Elder Scrolls 6 wouldn’t be out for some time. In an interview with GQ magazine to celebrate the release of Fallout 4 Anniversary Edition, Howard said The Elder Scrolls 6 is “still a long way off,” adding: “I’m preaching patience. I don’t want fans to feel anxious.”
More recently, speaking to Game Informer, studio design director Emil Pagliarulo pointed to GTA 6’s high-profile delays as the “smartest thing they could do.”
“What do fans really want?” he asked. “Do they want a game that comes out before it should and doesn’t meet their expectations? Or do they want the turkey that is in the oven for long enough to be delicious when it finally comes out of the oven, you know? That’s what I think people are going to want. So, we’re going to take our time and as long as it needs to be great.”
Earlier this month, former veteran Bethesda developer Nate Purkeypile said Bethesda may get “hateful comments” even if The Elder Scrolls 6 ends up just being as good as Skyrim, which he considers to be one of the top 10 games of all time.
In January last year, The Elder Scrolls 6 announcement became as old as predecessor Skyrim was when The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced. Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011, and The Elder Scrolls 6 was revealed on June 10, 2018 — 2,403 days afterwards. It is now seven-and-a-half years since the announcement, and we’re no closer, it seems, to the release of the game.
When the six-year anniversary of The Elder Scrolls 6 announcement arrived in June 2024, even Bethesda chief Todd Howard paused to say, "oh wow, that has been a while." The Elder Scrolls 6 is at least in production, with Bethesda confirming it had entered "early development" in August 2023 and "early builds" were available in March 2024.
Purkeypile said he assumed Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls 6 so early because the studio was announcing Starfield at a time when it had already been so long since Skyrim came out, so “we needed to make sure people were not just pissed at us.” He continued: “it’s a very expensive way to do that, though. Those trailers are not cheap.”
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Chris Pratt’s breakthrough film role was in director Timur Bekmambetov’s 2008 action romp Wanted. Now, nearly two decades later, Pratt reunites with Bekmambetov for the upcoming sci-fi thriller Mercy, where he plays Chris Raven, an LAPD homicide detective who finds himself in the literal hot seat when he’s accused of killing his wife.
In a near-future Los Angeles, justice is meted out by an artificial intelligence dubbed the Mercy Program, a system Raven himself championed until he wakes up strapped to an execution chair. Raven only has 90 minutes – played out in real time, making Mercy a literal ticking clock story – to prove his innocence to his AI judge (played by Rebecca Ferguson) or he will be executed.
Although he played (Andy Dwyer’s alter ego) FBI agent Burt Macklin for laughs on Parks and Recreation, “I've never played a serious detective before. And so this was a departure for me, something different for me to try,” Pratt told me when I moderated the panel for Mercy at New York Comic Con last October.
Chris Raven, Pratt explained, “is a part of this special new Mercy Program that they've designed, essentially using AI to modify their court system, to be more efficient and to face the rise in capital crime in this version of Los Angeles. They just want to get these murderers off the street and send a message. And so my character has put eight people in this chair, each of whom were found guilty and immediately executed. And I find myself now on the receiving end of justice.”
The hungover Raven has to not only serve as his own defense counsel but also the detective investigating his wife’s homicide and his own actions preceding the murder. His alcoholism, violent temper, and strained relationship with his wife all point to him being her killer – and the Mercy Program proving its lethal efficiency at dispensing justice. “You're really peeling back the onion of not only what happened that night, but who this person is,” Pratt said. “The deeper you go, the more you realize this is a man who may have committed this crime.”
Enjoy this exclusive scene from Mercy:
The Mercy Program’s AI grants defendants access to anything in its jurisdiction with a camera installed – from doorbells and traffic lights to cell phones and social media – to search for evidence to aid their defense. The court’s AI can also access any digital information a defendant has sent or received via text or email.
“All the evidence that's being presented to us [in court] is there at any moment, sometimes up to a thousand screens in front of me of my life, this character's digital life over the past 10 years, and that's being used as evidence against me,” Pratt said.
“So we had to shoot me in the chair, but we [also] had to shoot every bit of that stuff that would then be put in post-production and provided as me yelling at my wife on my daughter's Instagram, her secret Instagram page that I find out she had, or various FaceTime calls that were stored in the Cloud that is used as evidenced against me, all my friends, all my family, the things that they've said, security footage, all of the stuff that is the evidence being used to find me guilty. Or innocent.”
The Mercy Court chamber’s displays of visual information from multiple sources made the movie an ideal candidate for Bekmambetov’s Screenlife style, a film format he helped pioneer with Unfriended (2015), Searching 2018), and Profile (2021).
During the Mercy panel at NYCC, Bekmambetov reflected on how much of life people, including himself, spend in front of screens, speculating it’s as much as half of their time in the real world and the other half in a digital one.
“It means half of events, [the] most important events of my life happening, not in [the] physical world now, it's happening [virtually]. I'm saying, ‘I love you, sorry, you're fired,' whatever, it's all happening now in [the] digital world.”
For the director, Mercy then is not just about entertaining audiences as a Screenlife movie, but also, as he put it in the film’s production notes, exploring “how we behave and interact with technology.”
The many screens used in the Mercy Court ultimately make Mercy, which was filmed for IMAX and will play in 3D theaters, an Augmented Reality theatrical experience for audiences. “It'll be like an AR movie because it's not about three-dimensional faces,” Bekmambetov promised. “It's more about screens flying in the theater. Literally in the theater, you will see how the screens [are] surrounding you.”
Producer Charles Roven was also on hand at NYCC, where he recounted the “very complicated” task of shooting Mercy as a Screenlife movie experience.
“All of these screens are making a different point in terms of the trial. And I had never experienced anything like that. Watching it go from shooting each individual screen to bringing all those screens together in the courtroom and then having the screens come at you was complicated, very complicated. I had never done anything like it before. And even watching Timur's [other] Screenlife movies, he may have had one or two screens, but not 15 at this exact same time coming at you.”
Roven added, “That 3D experience will give you a kind of real-life sense of what Chris [Raven] is experiencing in the chair, because those screens will not just come at you in a 2D way. They'll almost look like they're coming at you out of the motion picture screen into the audience.”
Mercy opens in IMAX and 3D theaters on January 23.
Editor’s note: These interview quotes were edited for clarity.
Thinking of giving your PS5 setup a bit of a color refresh for the new year? Sony is here to help. The company has dropped a brand new Hyperpop Collection of console covers and DualSense controllers that features three striking new color options: Rhythm Blue, Remix Green, and Techno Red. If the controllers have caught your attention, they're now available to preorder from both Amazon and PS Direct for $84.99 each.
You'll have to wait a couple of months to get your hands on them, though, as they're set to be released on March 12. Don't let that stop you from placing a preorder, though. It's worth securing your favorite controller now, as there's every possibility they could sell out.
These are certainly an eye-catching addition for a PS5 setup. Leo Cardoso from the Color, Material, and Finish design team at Sony said in a PlayStation Blog post that, "We’re cranking the volume all the way up with a collection that doesn’t just stand out, it takes over the room. Inspired by the glow of the RGB lights of your impressive gaming setups, these new colors go LOUD in the best possible way."
They also feature quite a glossy finish, which Sae Kobayashi of the same design team says in the PlayStation Blog post "makes the colors POP more than ever." Alongside the controllers, Sony's also revealed console covers in the same colors. If you're curious to buy those as well for a matching setup, check out our breakdown of the full Hyperpop Collection.
Outside of these new releases, if you're on the hunt for some PS5 deals instead, it's worth checking out Best Buy's Winter Sale. This features some great offers at the moment on games, and even the PS5 Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle, so you can save on some new items for your PlayStation this year.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.
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