Not only is Reiner Knizia certainly the most prolific designer in hobby board games, but The Hobbit: There And Back Again isn’t even his first (or second, or third) game based on Tolkien's book for children. First was a 2010 game where players were the hobbit’s dwarf companions, helping on his adventure and trying to escape with as much gold as possible. Then came two 2013 cooperative games. None were particularly well-received, especially when you consider how many Knizia titles could count among the best games of all time. So now he’s back for a fourth bite at the hobbit’s ample table, with an all-new design.

What’s in the Box

Rules and How It Plays

The Hobbit: There and Back Again is fundamentally a path-drawing roll and write game. However many players are competing, someone rolls the five dice, three of which will come up with path symbols that draw a line, often with turns and branches, across one, two or three squares. The other two roll resources, like bread and swords. There are eight scenarios in the game, each with its own page in the included flip-book, and in most of them the goal is to use path symbols to draw a line from a starting point to an end goal, ideally hitting certain squares and avoiding others along the way.

This being a Reiner Knizia game, however, there is a great deal more to this than first meets the eye. For starters, most games of this kind see all the players sharing the results of the roll, marking them up on their own sheets. But this involves dice-drafting so, on your turn, you pick one and remove it from the pool. Instantly this makes the decision more interesting as you’re not only picking to optimize your own route but potentially deny it to other players. For this reason the game works best as a 2-player board game, as it’s easier to keep a close eye on what others are doing. It’s still fun with more, but loses a bit of that interactive edge.

Every scenario also has its own specific requirements to explore. A couple of them are too similar, but for the most part they’re impressively diverse, given the relatively simple core rules. In the first, for example, you have to link 12 starting squares, containing the dwarfs heading to Bilbo’s unexpected party, to his hobbit-hole at Bag End. The second sees you trekking a single route across a dangerous, troll-filled wilderness on your way to the elves at Rivendell. Following adventures involve picking shapes determined by a die roll to surround specific squares, filling in flight routes for eagles to rescue stranded dwarfs, and using paths to rescue burning houses while shooting arrows at the marauding dragon, Smaug.

Further tricksiness is baked into the scoring that determines the winner. In the first adventure you’ll score points for each dwarf that you successfully link to Bilbo’s home, but get a bonus if you have a bread resource ready to feed them first. Except if you look at the available scores closely, you’ll note that might not always be the best idea. You can also get extra points if you connect and feed Thorin, the dwarf leader, and the wizard Gandalf except, crucially, the scenario ends for all players as soon as one of them collects the other 12 dwarfs. There’s also extra score available for collecting sword icons, even though they’re useless in completing the scenario. So there’s a constant temptation to cede ground in the race, fishing for those tasty bonuses.

As you can probably imagine, this setup turns every scenario into a race, with the catch being that you don’t always want to finish first, if falling behind gets you enough extra points to take the win. There are mini-races, too, with a pot of glory points available for the first player to reach particular sub-objectives, like surrounding each riddle symbol in the Gollum chapter. Between the various chases, the random dice rolls, and the uncertainty of who’s going to pull what in the draft, The Hobbit: There and Back thrums with excitement and uncertainty right down until the points are totted up at the end.

Where the game begins to get into stickier territory is replay value. Once you’re played through a scenario and worked out the best way to approach it, the appeal of going through it again begins to drop. But the game has yet another smart twist to try and maintain your interest: unlike most path-making games you can partially draw over previous paths, using your selected shapes to add new bends and junctions, allowing you to reach new areas of the map.

This enriches the spatial puzzle of each scenario tremendously, because there’s no one best route, and you have enormous scope to change up your path each time. When connecting the dwarfs to Bilbo's hole, for instance, you can draw individual paths but you can also link several dwarfs together and then connect them to the hole as a group. Most maps also have squares that give you bonus resources or points, and other squares that you’re discouraged or outright banned from entering. So even when you’ve figured out the scoring, the way the dice fall creates a novel challenge, and there’s always the thrill of the race to anticipate.

What you definitely don’t get is anything other than path-drawing. You can collect wizard hat symbols to unlock one-off extra paths or resource rewards, and if there’s really nothing to do with a die you can assign it to Bilbo the burglar for a wild extra, but this isn’t deep decision-making. And the game is pretty minimal in its evocation of the Hobbit’s narrative. Each scenario tips its hat to Tolkien in visual and spatial terms, but it’s pretty hard to imagine surrounding a troll icon as watching it turn to stone with the break of dawn, especially when the same mechanic is used later to answer riddles.

Where to Buy

• Asmodee Store

I was driving my daughter home from seeing Wicked: For Good last night (a pretty enjoyable experience in my book - the very last shot of the movie is going to stick with me for quite a while) and loaded up Apple Music, as I often do on long car rides in the dark when my 8-year-old passenger is conked out after two-plus hours of binging M&M and Icees. About halfway through the drive, a song I put into heavy rotation more than a decade ago came on: “O Children,” a 6-minute 50-second ode to life, sorrow, and the slow march of time, by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

I’m not what you would call a huge Nick Cave fan. I haven’t spent a ton of time listening to his catalogue. I find his music enjoyable, but it’s not something I seek out on a regular basis. Except for “O Children.”

I ended up adding the song to my music library for one reason alone: it was featured prominently in 2010’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (in my book the second-best Harry Potter film, runner-up only to Alfonso Cuaron’s masterpiece Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban). I remember seeing the movie in a theater the day it was released exactly 15 years ago today and immediately Googling “What song do Harry and Hermione dance to?” on my Blackberry.

A decade and a half after the movie’s debut, that scene, a 2-minute non-canon sojourn that appears nowhere in the books and barrels through grief, joy, and the heavy burden of young adulthood, stands as the single best moment of the entire eight-film Harry Potter cinematic experience.

Fallout fans have a whole lot to be excited about these days. From Season 2 of the hit Amazon Prime Video series dropping next month to Fallout 4 coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Fallout 76 getting a Burning Springs expansion, we’re spoiled for content. Fallout Day on October 23 brought even more announcements. With everything that’s coming, there are tons of fun new collectibles and memorabilia to buy or pre-order in anticipation.

IGN Store is stocked up on awesome Fallout exclusives; there’s even a functional, true to the TV series Pip-Boy Die-Cast replica and Lucy's Vault 33 Backpack, both of which would be any cosplayer’s dream. Bethesda’s Gear Store already has the 15th Anniversary Fallout: New Vegas bundle up for preorder, along with mementos from the Mojave Wasteland. Or grab my personal favorite, a decorative, rocket-shaped Nuka Mix bottle to create your own Nuka Mix Station at home.

TL;DR: Top Fallout Gear Any Fan Will Love

Take a look at this curated list of top Fallout gear any fan would love, alongside a handy blurb about each. With the holidays quickly approaching, these items also make great gifts for all the Wastelanders in your life.

Fallout Desert Sandtrack Flea Die-Cast Replica

Fallout: New Vegas 15th Anniversary Bundle

Fallout Pip-Boy 3000 Replica

Fallout New Vegas Ranger Statue

Fallout Official Vault 33 Hoodie

Fallout Nuka Mix Glass Bottle & Caps

Fallout Desert Ranger Battle Wearable Helmet

Fallout Lucy's Vault 33 Backpack

Fallout Bottlecap Series: Sunset Sarsaparilla with Collectible Tin

Fallout Vault Boy Resin Plaque

The Alienware 16 Area 51 may just be the most unique gaming laptop I’ve reviewed this year. Its sci-fi-inspired styling immediately makes it stand out from the pack, but its great gaming performance and surprisingly heavy weight – nearly ten pounds with the power adapter included – make this more of a desktop replacement thana typical 16-inch gaming laptop. Its size and weight return with better cooling, high in-game FPS, and a luxurious user experience.

The Alienware 16 Area 51 embodies so much of what makes a great gaming laptop, it’s hard not to fall in love – with a couple exceptions. But if you can live with a few trade-offs, what you’re left with is a portable gaming rig that looks, feels, and plays every bit of its $3,000 price point.

Design and Features

Alienware’s designs aren’t always winners, but no one could accuse the brand of playing it safe. I’ve come to expect a healthy dose of science fiction from Alienware products after years of Alien-inspired designs. The last few years in the gaming laptop space have seen the brand strike a middle ground between uniqueness and general good looks, and the Area 51 is one of the best examples.

It’s available in a single colorway, a deep teal which makes up most of its lid. It’s not a common color for gaming laptops but looks beautiful in contrast to the black used throughout the rest of the case. It’s not a machine that will pass for a business laptop any time soon, unless business laptops start shipping with glowing alien heads on the lid and full RGB keyboard decks, but it’s not garish enough to be distracting if you turn off the lighting.

There are two less-common display upgrade options to choose from, and I recommend taking advantage of both. When you customize your own system, you can choose between a 4K and 1080p webcam and, surprisingly, there’s no price difference between them (though, presumably, the 4K camera will have a small impact on battery life, but I wasn’t able to test this to confirm). You can also choose between a standard or fully mechanical gaming keyboard with Cherry Ultra-Low Profile switches for an additional $50.

I was surprised to find that Dell didn’t outfit the system with an OLED display like the Razer Blade 16 and other close competitors around its price. Instead, it uses a 16-inch WQXGA IPS display with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Though it can’t deliver anywhere near the same black levels as an OLED, it looks very good and delivers a crisp picture thanks to its 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and esports-ready 240Hz refresh rate. It also doesn’t carry the same risk of burn-in or reduced performance over time and still offers great colors and 500-nits of peak brightness for use during the day.

The system is a chunker, though. On its own, it weighs in at 7.49 pounds and is 1.1 inches thick at its tallest point. If you actually plan on gaming and want the best performance, you’ll also need to lug around the bulky power brick, which adds another couple of pounds. Frankly, it’s not the kind of system I personally want to carry around every day. You feel every bit of its weight, even without the brick, which makes this system feel much more like a desktop replacement rather than something you’d actually carry with you throughout the day. But you can, so for the intermittent gaming marathon at a friend's house or the campus library, it could still be a compelling option.

It comes with a generous port selection, so connecting peripherals or a docking station won’t be an issue. And I have to commend Alienware for making good use of its added thickness by putting most of that I/O around the back where it won’t get in the way of a mouse. There are three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two Type-C Thunderbolt ports (version four for the RTX 5060 and RTX 5070 and Thunderbolt 5 for everything higher), and a full-size HDMI 2.1 video-out for connecting a monitor. Thunderbolt 5 is a major upgrade here, offering up to 80 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth to support the highest resolution external monitors. The power brick also connects around the rear and uses a straight plug that doesn’t get in the way of other cables. The only other ports are on the left side. There, you’ll find an SD card reader and an audio combo jack.

The system also makes good use of its size for cooling. There are plenty of vents to bring cool air in and exhaust it out the back, away from your hands. The keyboard gets warm when gaming but doesn’t get hot or uncomfortable to use. The vent right above it does, but it’s away from your fingers. I recorded a peak temperature of 86°C after benchmarking for a good hour, which is well away from the range of thermal throttling. The system also didn’t get excessively loud, though like other high-performance gaming laptops, its fans are loud enough to warrant headphones if white noise bothers you – or you could just crank up the speakers.

The sound quality on the built-in speakers is surprisingly full-bodied compared to what you would usually expect from a gaming laptop. It uses dual two-watt speakers for bass, complete with their own amplifier that’s separate from its pair of two-watt tweeters. This isn’t common in gaming laptops, or even full-size gaming PCs, and allows the system to sound louder and more full as a result. Watching Netflix or listening to music with the included speakers is a no-brainer. For gaming, I would still opt for a gaming headset due to the loud fans.

My sample was sent with the Cherry mechanical keyboard, and it is 100-percent worth the cost to upgrade. Though it’s a little louder than a membrane keyboard, Cherry’s ultra low profile switches are sublime to type on with great tactility and the classic precision feel iconic to mechanical keyboards. They’re also per-key backlit and fully programmable, so you can change colors and assign macros to your heart’s content.

The trackpad also stands out by not being oversized like most other gaming laptops. It measures 4.5 by 2.5 inches, which I prefer to the massive trackpads on most gaming laptops. It may not offer as much real estate for gaming, but it stays out of the way for typing and, let’s be real, who uses a trackpad for serious gaming anyway? Like the keyboard, it’s also backlit and able to deliver a convincing RGB wave of its own.

The 4K webcam on my sample was also excellent. It handled challenging lighting well and its sharper quality was immediately noticeable. But since most teleconferencing apps still limit you to 1080p, whether it’s a real benefit over the FHD version will depend on how you plan to use it. There’s no privacy shutter, which is a bummer, but it does support Windows Hello and worked reliably for me throughout my testing.

There’s another interesting feature around the bottom of the system. Like the Razer Blade 18, Dell has added a window into the bottom panel giving you a peek into its internals. The pane is made of Gorilla Glass for durability and scratch resistance, and is surrounded by a protective lip, but I could still see this getting microscratches over time.

Software

The Alienware 16 comes with the Alienware Command Center for system configuration. It’s a very polished suite that’s designed to be easy to use, so newcomers don’t need to worry about being overwhelmed. At the same time, it offers more depth for advanced users that may want to try their hand at overclocking.

Opening it up for the first time, you’re given a brief introduction to its different capabilities and then dropped into the Command Center home page. This page provides you with a quick overview of system diagnostics like CPU and GPU utilization and temperature data. The same panel allows you to change your current performance mode, launch games, and, by clicking on the graphic of the laptop, customize the lighting of the keyboard, trackpad, and logo on the lid.

If you click into the Performance tab, you’ll be treated to a much larger view of the diagnostics from the home page. Along the top are six different modes: ExpressCharge for quicker charging, Quiet, Balanced, Performance, Overdrive, and Custom. Clicking a tooltip to the right shows details for each mode in both a star ranking and in text, so you know exactly how each balances performance, temperatures, and battery life.

The game launcher is a nice addition, but I personally never use systems like this. It essentially doubles up on Steam and other launchers. I could see launching a game from here if you had it open anyway, but otherwise, it just adds another piece of software running in the background.

Performance

The Alienware 16 Area 51 has a lot going for it in the design department, but that doesn’t amount to much if the laptop doesn’t hold its own when it comes to gaming. The system definitely does, and I suspect it has to do with its cooling system, but there’s more to the story than pure numbers.

Before getting into facts and figures, a quick reminder about our testing procedure at IGN. Every system we test is put through a series of synthetic and in-game benchmarks, all with the same settings and matching conditions, so we can provide the best comparisons possible. While the synthetic benchmarks we use are all standardized, in-game benchmarks offer many more options. To keep things consistent, we set all of our games to high or max settings and demonstrate the performance with different levels of upscaling and frame generation. Our settings are disclosed in the charts.

For this review, I’m presenting the Alienware 16 in comparison to the Gigabyte Aorus Master 16, which uses the same processor and graphics card. I’ve also included the Razer Blade 16, which utilizes the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370 CPU and the higher performance RTX 5090, but in a thinner and more portable design.

The Alienware 16 Area 51 I reviewed is a high-performance configuration with a steep $3,000 price point to match, but you don’t need to spend that much if you’re willing to scale back on some of the components. Dropping to an Intel Core Ultra 5 255 HX and an RTX 5060 graphics card drops the price all the way to $1,849 when ordered direct from Dell.

To its credit, the company provides plenty of configuration options to help you dial in the system for your needs. In addition to the two processor options, you can choose any Nvidia laptop GPU up to the RTX 5090, and choosing anything from the RTX 5070 Ti up also nets you the higher performance CPU. It can be configured with up to 64GB of memory and 12TB of NVMe storage, both of which are user upgradeable.

Beginning with synthetics, the Alienware 16 comes out swinging, eking out higher scores across the board compared to the Aorus Master 16. Every score is close, as you would expect from a system with the same core components, but the consistently higher performance definitely points to a better implementation from Dell. The Blade 16 bests both in 3DMark’s Speed Way and Steel Nomad benchmarks thanks to its higher-performance RTX 5090. The results of the Procyon Office Productivity benchmark highlight the advantage the Intel Core Ultra 9 275 HX offers over the AMD Ryzen 9 AI HX 370.

The Alienware’s performance advantage remains consistent when we move to in-game benchmarks. Performance remains expectedly close between it and the Aorus Master 16, but it still pulls the same or slightly better performance across everything but Assassin’s Creed Shadows with frame generation disabled. The difference is small enough to not be noticeable and potentially a result of a process spinning up in the background.

At the laptop’s native 1600p resolution, the trend continues. With the exception of Assassin’s Creed, the Alienware 16 pulls a consistent, if small, lead over the Aorus and both of them match or beat the Razer Blade 16 more often than you might expect.

The Alienware 16’s cooling system may be the cause, as the Aorus Master reached a peak of 93 degrees Celsius in my testing. It could also be how Dell has configured power delivery for the laptop. Either way, it offers impressive performance even in demanding games.

When it comes to use as a daily driver, it’s mostly excellent. The keyboard is the best I’ve ever used on a gaming laptop, even topping the MSI Titan 18 HX AI which also has a Cherry ULP mechanical keyboard. The trackpad has also been one of my favorites. I prefer a smaller trackpad in general, but the accuracy and reliability it offered were fantastic. This is one of the only laptops I’ve tested where I didn’t misclick or activate it by accident even once, despite cranking out thousands of words in the time I’ve had it.

The biggest issue facing it is how heavy it is and just how much it needs its power brick. Gaming performance takes a big hit the minute it’s unplugged and battery life plummets. This goes with the territory for gaming laptops, of course, but most others with this size display aren’t tipping the scales as heavily as the Alienware 16. The Aorus Master 16, for comparison, is almost two pounds lighter while offering similar performance and a nicer OLED screen. Battery life tanks when it’s unplugged too, of course, but at least it’s easier to carry with the power brick.

For pure productivity, it works well and you’ll be able to get a few hours out of it for mixed use. But, in that case, you can also take advantage of its Thunderbolt ports and charge it with a much smaller 100W GaN charger. Just be warned, it’s not enough to overcome the power draw when you’re gaming, or to unlock its full performance, so it’s a solution that only works some of the time.

When it comes to battery life, the Alienware 16 was able to last just over six hours in Procyon’s battery life test with the screen set to half brightness. I personally find this is a bit too dim for my own use, even indoors, but that comes down to preference. At that brightness and with mixed use between Google Docs, Sheets, web browsing, and Microsoft Office, it lasted closer to four hours with Energy Saver mode turned on.

Christopher Coke has been a regular contributor to IGN since 2019 and has been covering games and technology since 2013. He has covered tech ranging from gaming controllers to graphics cards, gaming chairs and gaming monitors, headphones, IEMs, and more for sites such as MMORPG.com, Tom’s Hardware, Popular Science, USA Today’s Reviewed, and Popular Mechanics. Find Chris on Twitter @gamebynight.

Ahead of Black Friday, the Bose Outlet eBay store is offering some huge discounts on certified refurbished speakers. That includes the Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar, Bose's biggest and most impressive soundbar speaker with Dolby Atmos and Bose TrueSpace Technology. It normally retails for $1,000 new, but you can get a certified refurbished model for just $550.00 with free delivery. That's 45% off and it even comes with a 2 year AllState warranty.

Bose Smart Ultra Soundbar for $550 (was $999)

Certified Refurbished

More recently than I’d like to admit, I was convinced that no soundbar could reproduce the sound quality found with good home theater speakers and an amplifier. It seems that Samsung, Sonos, LG, and the rest of the soundbar world took that assumption personally because today’s roster of soundbar systems has revolutionized what’s possible in terms of getting great sound without the hassle of furnishing an entire home theater setup. From high-powered Dolby Atmos systems to compact, all-in-one solutions, there’s no shortage of great-sounding setups that suit all kinds of needs.

The question now is, with all kinds of soundbar options, where do you go from here? And how do you find the bar that best fits your personal preferences? We have answers. As a tech journalist who has personally tested and reviewed dozens of soundbars over the years, I’ve hand-built a robust list of the best soundbars you can find in 2025.

TL;DR: The Best Soundbars

1. Samsung HW-Q990F

Best Overall

2. Sonos Arc Ultra

Best Dolby Atmos Soundbar

3. LG S95TR

Best Soundbar for Bass

4. Vizio V21-H8

Best Cheap Soundbar

5. Vizio Elevate SE Soundbar

Best Surround Sound Value

6. Klipsch Flexus Core 200

Best Soundbar for Small Rooms

How to Pick a Soundbar

The number of soundbars out there can be a bit dizzying, making it hard to choose which one will work best for you. Here’s a bit of advice to help guide you along.

How Many Audio Channels Do You Need?

Soundbars come with different channel options that will simulate the surround sound of a speaker system. If you’re just looking to watch some TV and listen to some music with a soundbar, 2 channels and maybe a subwoofer should have you covered. A 3.1 channel soundbar will come with a center speaker dedicated to dialogue. So, if you find you’re struggling to hear what’s being said while binging talky shows like Severance or Succession, this will be a good option.

With 5.1 channels or more, your speaker system will be ready to take on all the action in your favorite movies and games. Additional speakers and subwoofers typically come with this many channels; however some soundbars can pack all that noise into a great-sounding all-in-one system.

What Type of Connectivity Do You Need?

When looking at a soundbar, it is important to make note of its connections. An HDMI ARC (or eARC) is standard in most soundbars and TVs these days. This will simplify your life, as it’s the only cord needed to get your TV sending its audio through the soundbar. A Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection should also be on your shortlist if you're looking to listen to other devices on your soundbar. If you rely on voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, you should look for a soundbar that’s compatible with those, too.

What About Dolby Atmos?

If you want the latest and greatest in sound technology, include a soundbar with support for Dolby Atmos in your search. Dolby Atmos can provide excellent virtual three-dimensional sound, turning any room into a theater. Just be sure your soundbar comes packing some up-firing drivers, subwoofer, and rear sounds. Some other impressive sound formats coming out include DTS:X and Sony’s 360 Reality, so you may want to find a soundbar that supports those as well.

Best Soundbars FAQs

What’s the difference between 2.0, 2.1, and 5.1 soundbars?

• 2.0 Soundbars: These have two channels (left and right) but no subwoofer. They provide stereo sound, which is ideal for general TV viewing and smaller spaces.
• 2.1 Soundbars: These have two channels plus a subwoofer (the “.1”), adding more depth and bass, which enhances movies, music, and gaming.
• 5.1 Soundbars: These include five channels (front left, front center, front right, rear left, rear right) and a subwoofer, providing surround sound. Some 5.1 soundbars use extra speakers or virtual surround technology to create an immersive audio experience.

How do I know if a soundbar is compatible with my TV?

Most modern soundbars connect to TVs via HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) or optical audio cables. Check that your TV has one of these ports, which should cover most soundbars on the market. Some soundbars also support Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or AirPlay for additional streaming and connectivity options.

Do I need a subwoofer with my soundbar?

A subwoofer isn’t required, but it can enhance the audio experience by adding deep bass. If you enjoy action movies, music, or gaming, a subwoofer can make a big difference. Many soundbars include a built-in subwoofer or come with a wireless sub, which is ideal if you want rich sound without adding multiple speakers.

What is Dolby Atmos, and do I need it?

Dolby Atmos is an advanced object-based surround sound technology that adds height channels, creating a three-dimensional audio experience, making it seem as if sound comes from all directions, even above. While it’s not essential, Atmos can significantly enhance the cinematic experience.

Can I stream music through my soundbar?

Yes, many soundbars offer Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to stream music from your smartphone or favorite streaming service. Look for soundbars with Bluetooth, Chromecast, or AirPlay if music streaming is a priority.

Nick Woodward is a sportswriter-turned-tech journalist, covering A/V tech as a contributor at IGN.

You don't see many 20,000mAh power banks priced under $20, but then again Black Friday is just around the corner. Amazon is currently offering an Iniu 20,000mAh 22.5W Power Bank for just $15.29 after an automatic 49% coupon is applied. Better yet, you don't need to be an Amazon Prime member to get in on this deal. The 22.5W power output makes it an ideal power bank for your Nintendo Switch or Switch 2 console, and the bigger 20,000mAh capacity is perfect for longer airplane flights or when you're away from an outlet for an extended period of time.

Iniu 20,000mAh 22.5W USB Power Bank for $15.29

Haha. Yeah, I know. "Half-Life 3". The long-fabled, often-rumored, still non-existent third numbered entry in the Half-Life series that fans have craved but never heard a credible whisper of. It's been a pervasive joke in the industry and among fans for years, a stand-in for a thing that doesn't exist and never would.

And yet, for some reason, a lot of people seem to think it's being announced soon. Possibly in the next few weeks. Maybe even today.

You might have seen it. The sudden flurry of mentions of Half-Life 3, some humorous, some quite serious. The surge of memes. A handful of people that seem to have lost their dang minds:

So what's going on? Why do people think Half-Life 3 is imminent, seriously or unseriously? We investigated:

Half-Hope

Half-Life 3 rumors have existed pretty much since Half-Life 2 first released, so that's nothing new. But the last couple of years have seen a steady trickle of interesting little threads that have lead many to believe that a third entry was actually in development, quietly, at Valve. There were vague nods, such as the Half-Life: Alyx team saying they wanted to make more Half-Life games and a Final Hours documentary that actually confirmed it was in development at one point between 2013 and 2014. We've also seen dataminers pulling crumbs from various Valve releases over the last few years of what seems to be an in-development game internally at Valve known only as "HLX", using Source 2. Dataminers have worked out that it's a full-fledged, non-VR, Half-Life game of some sort, that's been in the works since at least 2021, probably earlier. That game is possibly the same one as was accidentally leaked by a voice actor in 2024, who referred to it as "Project White Sands".

But this year there's been a marked increase in little breadcrumbs. Right after the new year, G-Man's voice actor issued a cryptic post teasing "unexpected surprises" in 2025 – it was his first tweet since he congratulated Valve on Half-Life: Alyx in December 2020. Fans proceeded to tear apart the post, delving deep into an album cover image and the number 197 for what they believed were even more hints that something was in the works.

But an already simmering pot of rumors turned into a full boil with the announcement last week of new Valve hardware: the Steam Machine, complete with a new Steam controller, and a VR headset known as the Steam Frame. Notably, there were no software announcements alongside these hardware reveals, which is a bit odd given that Valve tends to release new games alongside new hardware - recall Half-Life: Alyx and the Valve Index headset. Around the same time, a number of Valve and industry insiders began mentioning Half-Life 3, saying confidently that it was planned for a 2025 announcement still. One leaker, who has a good track record of getting Valve stuff right, said back in May that Half-Life 3 was officially "playable, end-to-end." There's a massive Miro board floating around that has catalogued every remotely credible recent mention of Half-Life 3, and is worth digging into if you want follow along.

Go, G-Man, Go

There are so many other weird little indicators floating around that are leading to wild speculation. For instance, Valve's "Upcoming Releases" tab on its own Steam page only lists one game (Deadlock) despite the sidebar indicating that there are two upcoming game releases. A tweet/X post from the official The Game Awards account commemorating Half-Life's 27th anniversary today has sent everyone into a frenzy, even though it tweets this anniversary every year. There was a weird amount of extra security at Valve during the recent Steam hardware preview events – something noticed by IGN's own representatives and contrasted with my personal experience there for Half-Life: Alyx years ago, which featured a relatively normal and relaxed amount of security.

And there was an incredibly silly saga where Geoff Keighley posted a screenshot that showed he had one game in his Steam wishlist. When asked what the game was, he responded with an eyes emoji, and then showed the game Dadlympics. Of course, the Half-Life nerds pounced. Keighley then posted a screenshot of his wishlist showing only the game "Dadlympics," but notably, this was added on 11/18, the same day he posted the screenshot, suggesting he's hiding something. Is he hiding Half-Life 3? Probably not! It doesn't have a viewable Steam page! That's not how Steam works! But that hasn't stopped Half-Life 3 fans from pouncing. Seriously, the replies are hilarious.

pic.twitter.com/t5L0zHW0Il

— arda (@lornarcoss) November 18, 2025

Whatever you believe is happening here, the reality is that this has resulted in the community going completely bonkers. The Half-Life subreddit is overflowing with Half-Life 3 summoning and hope posts. A quick search for Half-Life on Twitter/X reveals an overflow of discourse, prayers, and memes. It's kind of nuts, and also really, really fun:

Okay, so let's say everyone's right, and we really are getting Half-Life 3 announced soon. When? Well, some think it's as soon as today. November 19, as The Game Awards posted, is the anniversary of Half-Life – what better time to make an announcement? We've already passed the anniversary of Half-Life 2, and the anniversary of Half-Life: Alyx's announcement, but that particular anniversary is the reason you're likely seeing so much noise around this today. The other big possibility floated by some is an announcement at The Game Awards, which is coming up on December 11. That would be a little surprising, given that Valve doesn't need an awards show to command attention with such an announcement. But Valve also has a long history of friendliness with host Geoff Keighley, so maybe it's not so far-fetched after all.

Whatever the case, one thing is certain: either Half-Life 3 is getting announced before December 31, 2025, or an awful lot of folks are going to have egg on their faces come January 1, 2026. I'm personally hoping for the former, but the community has been hoodwinked before with Half-Life rumors, multiple times even. Keep injecting that Hopium, folks. Perhaps the return of G-man is right around the corner.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

If you are planning a PC build and have been waiting patiently to get ahold of one of the new Nvidia Blackwell graphics cards that can run games in 4K, your time has finally come. Right now the PNY GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card has dropped to just $699 with free shipping. It's sold and shipped directly from Walmart or Amazon and not a marketplace reseller. Orders are limited to just one per person and even still it's going to go out of stock pretty quickly.

PNY GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU in Stock for $699

Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride update finally has a release date: November 20. It adds a number of new features, including challenges, a first-person driving camera, classic difficulty, and photo mode.

The major update to Hangar 13’s narrative adventure is a callback to the original Mafia’s Free Ride Extreme and the Free Ride mode in Mafia: Definitive Edition. As explained by Peter Amato, Content Manager at publisher 2K in a post on the PlayStation Blog, Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride update is a collection of challenges separate from the main story that give players chances to revisit the world in a “more self-guided way.” Veteran fans of the series will find that Mafia: The Old Country’s Free Ride mode will be slightly different from previous titles as a result.

The repeatable challenges include combat, stealth, and different race types. Completing them earns you the Dinari in-game currency to spend on the new outfits, charms, weapons, and vehicles unlocked by progressing through this content (as well as on items unlocked via the campaign).

“We want players to explore the world in a freeform way, and Free Ride turns it into an expansive hub where you’ll find and access various challenges by travelling around, unlocking Hitching Posts, and meeting contacts,” Amato said. “Challenges are instanced and accessed via these contacts, and doing so will place you into a combat location or special world state.

“These combat encounters reuse mission locations, so once you’ve played the corresponding story chapter and unlocked a Challenge in Free Ride, you’ll get to re-experience areas in new ways. Races happen out in the world and we’ve placed them along less-traveled paths, so it should be fun seeing parts of the map you may have previously passed by.

“Of course, there may be new places to explore too, but that’s something you’ll have to discover for yourself…”

There are a lot of mobile gaming controllers on the market today, but few offer the versatility and comfort of the Backbone Pro. And if you've been holding off on taking the plunge because of how expensive it is, you'll be excited to hear that this top-tier phone controller is currently at its lowest price since it first launched earlier this year.

Backbone Pro Early Black Friday Deals

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Shuichi Shigeno's massively popular street racing manga, Initial D. The series centers on the life of Takumi Fujiwara, a high school student who digs high-stakes racing through narrow mountain passes.

When the manga began its run in 1995, Takumi's car of choice, the Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno that doubles as his dad's tofu delivery vehicle, became synonymous with street racing and drifting. The manga ran for 18 years in Kōdansha’s Weekly Young Magazine, and it inspired a popular animated series in 1998, several video games across numerous consoles, and a recent arcade game.

The story is about Takumi and his colleagues becoming "hashiriya," or street racers. But Takumi initially doesn't take racing or driving very seriously. If he's behind the wheel of his Sprinter Trueno, it's to make a tofu delivery for his dad to the resort at the peak of Mount Akina. That’s a fictional place, but it expertly portrays the heart-stopping twists and steep curves in the roads that snake up many real Japanese mountainsides.

Takumi often practices drifting to pass the time while he makes his deliveries. His tight handling combined with the off-white color of the Sprinter Trueno makes people in the area wonder if there’s a ghost haunting the mountain pass.

When a rival group of racers called the Agaki RedSuns move in on the mountain peak and insist they're after Akina's speed record, Takumi's senior coworker and eventual friend, Iketani Kōichirō, starts to wonder if he can track down this "ghost" and convince him to join his own team, the Speed Stars. He thinks the ghost might be Takumi's father, a former hashiriya himself.

But while Kōichirō is right about there being a phantom driver, he's wrong about who's behind the wheel: It's just Takumi making his early morning tofu deliveries. After agreeing to race, Takumi soundly beats the leader of the RedSuns, Keisuke Takahashi, by out-maneuvering him with tight hairpin turns and other near-deadly feats of driving trickery. From there, Takumi discovers his calling as a hashiriya and goes ripping down the roads for years afterward.

Initial D is still well-loved for being a bit of an underdog story. Takumi doesn't necessarily want to be a racer; things just worked out that way for him, and he decides to confront his own destiny. His dad's faithful Sprinter Trueno became a mascot for street racing in Japan and beyond. It's an underdog itself, as Takumi often finds himself up against bigger, flashier cars. But Takumi emphasizes maneuverability over power, which is how he's able to keep up with (and eventually outduel) his rivals.

Now, Toyota is paying tribute to Initial D's history and the legacy of the Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno with its GR86 RZ sports car. With its sleek, low-riding stature, it's right at home among the speed demons that populate Initial D's fast-paced world. You can even see the GR86 RZ zipping through Initial D The Arcade, a 2021 arcade racing game. In 2022, the GR86 RZ and Initial D also teamed up to make an animated commercial where Takumi engages in a stomach-dropping race up in the mountains. The rivals jostle each other until they reach the end of the line and the driver of the GR86 RZ is revealed: Takumi's own father and former street racing legend, Bunta Fujiwara.

While the AE86 and GR86 will be forever associated with Initial D, Toyota populates racetracks around the world with all kinds of vehicles. Racing fiends with pedal-to-the-metal appetites can watch Toyota Gazoo Racing's motorsports tear up the tracks worldwide, from Formula One to NASCAR and beyond. Maybe no person alive can out-drive the legendary Takumi Fujiwara, but TGR’s drivers can put on one heck of a show.

The Initial D manga’s run has been done for some time, but its spirit is alive and well — you can still see its influence in racing games and movies today as well as through motorsport divisions like TGR. Mangaka Shuichi Shigeno depicted cars in a way that made them characters themselves, proving there are many ways to make an impression on the world.

As expected, the video game characters are out of the console. The first look from Jumanji 3 is here, and it shows us something we kind of already knew was going to happen, but love nonetheless: the film’s main characters are in the real world now.

“Look who’s on the loose,” Sony Pictures’ official Twitter/X account shared on Wednesday, November 19, alongside a photo of Dwayne Johnson's Dr. Xander 'Smolder' Bravestone, Karen Gillan's Ruby Roundhouse, Kevin Hart's Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar, and Jack Black's Professor Sheldon 'Shelly' Oberon standing in the middle of a residually snowy wintertime Boston street. That means they’ve left the video game world of Jumanji — and there’s a chance they might have an encounter with the real-life board game now that they’re beyond the console.

Look who’s on the loose 👀 #JumanjiMovie is coming exclusively to theatres Christmas 2026.

📷: @hhgarcia41 pic.twitter.com/WRbOxesuk6

— Sony Pictures (@SonyPictures) November 19, 2025

The first two films in the spinoff franchise — 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level — saw the characters getting pulled into a Jumanji video game, so it’s clear that the last film in the franchise is changing up the tactic.

It feels like there’s a big chance the characters will encounter the actual board game in this installment, and one of the biggest hints in favor of that plot point is the fact that Johnson’s character will be wearing a dice necklace in the film meant to pay homage to the original 1995 classic.

"The significance of the dice in the last picture is a little Easter egg that my character, Dr. Smolder Bravestone, wears on a necklace in our final film," the actor recently shared on Instagram. "It’s the dice from the original 1995 JUMANJI and a way of paying homage, love, and respect to the great Robin Williams."

Johnson also shared that the movie will officially be the final installment in the franchise. "What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure," Johnson wrote in a post that highlighted the film’s first table read. "Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved JUMANJI franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film."

Jumanji 3 is set to be released in theaters on December 11, 2026.

Image credit: @hhgarcia41.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Remember that MTG: Avatar Collector Booster Box I shared yesterday? Well it's just dropped by nearly $100, so get your preorder in before prices go up. Seeing as you all liked the Final Fantasy Anniversary Collection deal so much, I've also included the HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest I - III on Nintendo Switch. It's a pixel art kind of week.

TL;DR: Deals for Today

The Prismatic Evolutions Figurine Collection is also dropping from today at potentially four different retailers, so if you missed out on your preorder I have all the inside scoops on where it'll show up and when. I've also got a couple of essential gadget deals for your desk and car too, so let's get straight into it:

Prismatic Evolution Figurine Collection

Magic: The Gathering | Avatar: The Last Airbender Collector Booster Box

Final Fantasy I-VI Collection Anniversary Edition

Dragon Quest HD-2D Remakes

Dragon Quest I, II and III HD-2D remakes are all out now on Nintendo Switch, with I and II also out on Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo Switch titles can be played on Nintendo Switch 2 if you want the full game on-cart rather than a game-key card, which requires a sizable content download to play. Of course you'll miss out on graphical fidelity and other upgrades.

JVSCAM 130,000RPM Cordless Electric Air Duster with Adjustable Tips

AstroAI P10 Car Battery Jump Starter

Up to 50% off Pokémon TCG and Free $60 Gift Card

Imagine getting Pokémon TCG Booster Bundles for free, or paying $20 to $30 for an Elite Trainer Box, cool right? Well it's a real deal, and here's how to do it. Start by applying for a Amazon Visa card, then if accepted you'll get an instant $60 Amazon gift card added to your account, which means free Booster Bundles, Premium Collections and Booster Blisters.

If you're after something more expensive and want to knock the price down before using the $60 gift voucher, you'll need an AMEX or Discovery card. By paying $1 on your Pokémon TCG items in your basket, you'll receive an automatic discount up to 50%. So whatever you need to pay after the gift card is cut in half. That's not bad when you're talking Elite Trainer Boxes and Booster Boxes. If this discount doesn't apply, check the loyalty page on Amazon to see if you're eligible.

TCGPlayer 10% Cashback Black Friday Event

You read that right, everything is eligibe too. Buy something, get 10% back as in-store credit. With sets like Mega Evolution and Phantasmal Flames finding new floors, this is 100% the best time to fill those gaps in your binder. The sale kicks off on Black Friday, November 28. and ends on Cyber Monday December 1.

Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra Resin 3D Printer Deals

The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra line of Resin printers are perfect for anything that needs intricate detail, especially the 16k model, although the standard ultra does an amazing job too. The Saturn 4 Ultra and Mercury V3.0 wash is a perfect starter kit for anyone wanting to get into the hobby.

Elegoo FDM Printer Deals

What if I said I printed a full sized Stormtrooper helmet on a Neptune 4 Max in one go? It was such a fun project and this printer can handle some insane projects on the large and small side. In fact all of these FDM 3D printers are great for printing anything practical. I'm looking at you cosplayers.

Meta Quest 3S 128GB (Gorilla Tag Bundle)

TMNT: The Last Ronin Box Set

Amazon has officially greenlit a new Stargate series, which will be released exclusively via Prime Video.

In a press release today, Amazon described its fresh show as a "new original series" rather than a direct continuation of anything that has come before, in order to tell "a bold new chapter" of the dormant sci-fi franchise.

Casting and release details remain under wraps for now but, speaking to fans in an announcement video, the new series' creator Martin Gero reassured long-term Stargate followers that the project would definitely "not be a reboot."

Stargate fans, a new extraordinary journey is about to begin. pic.twitter.com/1S2GhWOuT8

— Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) November 19, 2025

Gero previously served as story editor on Stargate: Atlantis, alongside work on the franchise's other two series, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Universe. Here, he will serve as showrunner and executive producer. Other executive producers will include Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell for Safehouse Pictures (Obi-Wan Kenobi, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Dean Devlin (Stargate, Independence Day), and Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Moonfall).

Long-term Stargate fans will also recognize Stargate SG-1's co-creator Brad Wright and executive producer Joe Mallozzi in the video above, who are working on the new series as consulting producers. "We're back, it's happening, it's going to be incredible," Gero teased.

"I'm beyond thrilled that Amazon MGM Studios has entrusted me with guiding this incredible franchise into its next phase," Gero continued. "For those who've kept the gate active through conventions, rewatches, and unwavering faith — this one's for you. And for those that are new to our world — I promise you're in for something extraordinary."

Stargate originally kicked off with Roland Emmerich's 1994 sci-fi film of the same name, which established a core group of characters expanded upon by hit television spin-off SG-1. Across 10 seasons and several TV movies, SG-1 then spawned its own sister show, Atlantis, and latterly a more separate, darker take on the franchise, Stargate Universe.

Over the years, various novels, video games and a web series have expanded the franchise, though Stargate has lately fallen into something of a hiatus — until now.

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

The Battlefield 6 team has reversed its defibrillator changes for the Support class after players reported recent difficulty reviving teammates.

EA and Battlefield Studios delivered a series of new adjustments via a small update that is live for players across PC and consoles now. Details about the hot fix, which were published in a post on X/Twitter, highlight a fix for those pesky defibrillators, as well as tweaks to the new limited-time Sabotage game mode and additional challenges changes.

Players took to social media to complain of inconsistent defibrillators following the launch of the Battlefield 6 California Resistance update yesterday. Where previous versions of the game had players using the Support gadget to slide and dive in for last-second saves, changes brought about by update 1.1.2.0 instead asked players to slowly and precisely use the tool if they wanted to revive their friends. It’s resulted only in confusion, as the demanding requirements left teammates with what has been perceived as either a new bug or a bizarre nerf without any explanation.

“At first I thought it was just a pointless range nerf,” one comment says, “but it's also much more inconsistent and easy to get bodies bugged into a state where the defib doesn't work at all, and you have to grab / drag them.

“Overall, I hate it, but that second part of it makes me think it wasn't really intentional.”

The Battlefield 6 team didn’t clarify what caused faulty defibrillators to pollute matches, but it sounds like they didn’t like the change either. Today’s hotfix reverts the gadget back to how it was before yesterday’s update by increasing hit-boxes and range.

Meanwhile, Sabotage game mode has had its AFK kick timer increased from 60 seconds to 180 seconds. Bot backfilling for the mode has also been temporarily disabled and will be reintroduced in the future.

Finally, there’s challenges, which have benefited from frequent adjustments as BF Studios continues to fine-tune its progression system. Today’s Battlefield 6 update targets clarity while reducing requirements for a few of the harder-to-achieve challenges. You can see the full list of every challenge change below.

Battlefield 6 Challenge Updates November 19, 2025

Here is the full list of changes:

Recon 2: Get headshots beyond 150m as Recon.

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Get head shots hits beyond 75m as Recon.

Recon Expert 3: Get headshot kills beyond 200m as Recon in a match.

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Get headshot kills beyond 125m in a match as Recon.

Deadeye 2: Get headshot kills over 200m with Sniper Rifles

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Get headshot kills beyond 125m with Sniper Rifles

Engineer 3: Deal damage to Laser Designated enemy vehicles using lock-on weapons.

• This has been removed.

Rapid Fire 2: Get kills beyond 50m with Assault Rifles

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Get kills beyond 40m with Assault Rifles

Rapid Fire 3: Inflict damage under 15m while hip-firing with Assault Rifles.

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Inflict damage while in ADS with Assault Rifles.

Bullet Storm 1: Suppress enemies with LMGs

• This has been removed.

Bullet Storm 1: Inflict hip-fire damage with LMGs

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Inflict damage with LMGs

Squad Death Match 5: Enemy Squad Wipes of the whole Squad in a Round

• Adjusted to add squad to the criteria

Rush 4: Destroy M-COMs in Rush

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Destroy or disarm M-COMs in Rush

Battle Royale 3: Call in three strike packages in a match of Battle Royale.

• Added team mates to this criteria

Combat Expert 2: Perform 10 Takedowns in a round

• Challenge and Description Updated to: Perform Takedowns

Protection Expert 3: Destroy a Vehicle with the Power Tool.

• This has been removed.

Battlefield 6 launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S October 10 and is currently in the midst of its first post-launch season. So far, Season 1 has introduced two new maps, with the most recent, Eastwood, arriving as part of the California Resistance mid-season update yesterday. Another content update called Winter Offensive will follow December 9.

BF Studios has consistently delivered updates aimed at tackling fan feedback in the month since its launch. Highlights include a new (expensive) skin pack, a fix for that notorious sledgehammer drone exploit, and even toned-down colors for a few controversial infantry skins. Plans for more changes were outlined in a community update last week.

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).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans have a nice treat releasing soon: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is getting a box set with all three volumes in a hardcover format that's now available to preorder at Amazon and Walmart.

It's currently listed for $71.23 at both retailers, which is a nice little discount down from its original list price on each site. Fans won't have to wait too long to get it, either, as this set is expected to be released on November 25.

Preorder TMNT: The Last Ronin Box Set

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been wondering what’s going on with the American spinoff of Squid Game, which was supposed to be directed by David Fincher for Netflix. Well, we’re here to tell you that it appears the new series is still happening — and has set a date to start shooting.

The show, which will be titled Squid Game: America, has been listed on the Film and Television Industry Alliance website with a filming date of February 26, 2026. It is also set to shoot in Los Angeles, according to the site.

The listing includes Fincher as director and original Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk and producer Kim Ji-yeon as producers on the new series, alongside Fincher and Zeus Zamani and Rhett Giles. Dennis Kelly is listed as the screenwriter and Cate Blanchett stands out as the only cast member listed at this point.

The listing also includes a new description of the series, albeit one that doesn’t tell us anything we don’t know yet: "A U.S. version of the Korean hit series, the spinoff is set in the same world but we get to see how the games are handled in America."

That said, it appears this show will take place after the Squid Game finale, which is a choice that illuminates how the original series set up this spinoff.

Warning! Spoilers for Squid Game Season 3 finale follow:

Gi-hun, the series’ main character, sacrifices himself at the end of the game in order for Player 222’s baby to win. After that, Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) takes the baby and escapes, leaving him room to blow up the island locale where contestants are sent to play the games. Several months later, Front Man spots a recruiter (none other than Blanchett) in a Los Angeles alleyway, playing ddakji with someone. They share a look, and then the credits roll — so it’s clear the ambiguous Season 3 ending was always preparing for this new show (and hopefully Front Man shows up in it).

However, we don’t exactly know what to expect from the spinoff other than that there will be games and they’ll be happening in America. It’s very possible it’ll be a big rehash of what we’ve already seen. After all, this is Netflix’s most popular show ever, so it wouldn’t be too weird for the streamer to want to give the people what they already love as they make efforts to expand the franchise. But it would be nice to see Fincher switch things up a bit and try something unexpected.

In July, Gi-hun actor Lee Jung-jae discussed how he prepared for his character's final scenes mentally and physically — including by losing 22 pounds to show the toll being taken.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lee Jung-jae said Gi-hun's last scene was "without a doubt, the most challenging" to shoot of the entire series, requiring he mentally prepare for the character's toughest choice, and physically show the stress he had been under.

"To get that scene just right — all of the effort that went into mentally preparing for it and maintaining that psychological state — all of that process was really not easy," Jung-jae said. "Physically, I had gone on a very strict diet for about 14 months, which actually got more strict by the day, up until the day we shot Gi-hun's final scene."

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

I like to think of the mainline Dragon Quest series sort of like a donut. A donut may have sprinkles on top, be glazed, or maybe tied in a knot, depending on where you get it, but at its heart, you know what to expect when you bite into one. You know you will get a delightful treat of fried dough, sweet, and usually covered with some sort of other goodies, and in Dragon Quest’s case, you know you can expect a grindy turn-based RPG, the distinctive designs of Akira Toriyama, and the vexation that comes with trying to dispatch smiling metallic blobs. That familiarity is comforting and the differences exciting, all at the same time. Dragon Quest is the same way, and even after nearly 40 years, even the latest entries all these years later, feel like a DQ game. After sinking my teeth into the upcoming Dragoon Quest VII Reimagined, slaying slimes and solving mysteries, this latest looks to retain that same DQ goodness.

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined marks the third iteration of Dragon Quest VII, the best-selling entry in Japan, following the original 2001 PlayStation release just before the PS2, and the mid-2010s 3DS remake.

Running around the dreary village of Wetlock, where my demo took place, I got a good look at the new art style of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined in action. Coming off the sprite-based goodness of the HD-2D Erdrick Trilogy remakes of Dragon Quests I & II, seeing this new handcrafted style was quite a spectacle. The use of real-world materials as textures in the clothing and gear of the main characters, thanks to the highly detailed puppets that were made and scanned in, gives this version of DQVII, and Prince Kiefer’s broad chin, a distinct vibe and feeling all of its own.

Speaking to Reimagined’s producer, Takeshi Ichikawa, he explained that this shift in style was done to better capture the unique proportions and style that the characters in Dragon Quest VII have. “They're drawn shorter than the other mainline Dragon Quest characters. So we kind of wanted to leverage that. We explored a lot of ideas of visual styles that leverage the adorableness and the cuteness of those short characters.”

Taking out my reverence for sprite-based games, the new style of Reimagined is impressive, but at least for me, it took some getting used to, and one that I’m not entirely sold on just yet. As you might expect from a DQ game, the distinctive art of Akira Toriyama is expertly rendered in this new way, but with representations of real-world materials such as the weave that made up the Bag O’ Laughs enemy, or more pronounced scales, felt… odd? It’s hard to describe, but it’s that “off” feeling whenever you see a more realistic version of your favorite cartoon or anime character, like seeing actual hair strands on Goku. Okay, maybe it isn’t that level of odd, but you get my point.

I also noticed that the colors seemed rather muted compared to what I’ve come to expect from these games and Toriyama’s Dragon Quest work. The green of the hero’s little hat and outfit that I am used to being a vibrant spring-time green looked more like the color of a cloak – like what a sneaky elfish ranger may wear when trying to be seen among the brush, for instance. I’m also a bit bummed that we are losing out on party members changing their appearance based on the vocation they have equipped that was featured in the 3DS version, but I imagine making that many outfits for the puppets would have taken a considerable amount of time to do, and then scan in for the game, so I’m willing to forgive that one.

Trimming the Fat

Square previously mentioned that, for Reimagined, the team removed non-critical storylines and other content, including Grondal, El Ciclo, Providence, the Casino, and more, to streamline the experience and make it more approachable. One area that the team has paid special attention to is the opening few hours, which, speaking from experience, really drag on, with your first encounter with a slime not coming until close to three hours in. It was a barrier that caused even Ichikawa-san to give up the game back when he first played it as a child in elementary school. Thankfully, he promises that you will be slaying your first critter within an hour of starting up the game this time.

I realize hearing terms like “streamlining” or “more approachable” – along with the mention of cut content – may be off-putting to hear for some folks, or even causing some to be concerned that Reimagined will be a “diet” version of Dragon Quest VII. Obviously, the small snippet I did get to try out doesn’t give me much insight into how the cut and adjusted narrative content impacts things. At least from a gameplay standpoint, Reimagined feels just like a Dragon Quest game should, with the new mechanics and features feeling right at home.

Get a Second Job

Dragon Quest VII is part of the small and exclusive club of series, alongside the likes of Dragon Quests VI, IX, and III, that features a vocation system that lets you swap around the jobs, and as a result, the abilities of your party members. Reimagined further expands on this with the introduction of Moonlighting, which allows each character to have not just one, but two jobs, with abilities to pick from and level up, giving me flashbacks to Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age. I am a self-admitted job-system sicko, and even though a ton of jobs were still locked and hidden in the snippet I played, I could have easily spent my entire time tinkering around with different combinations of roles and seeing how they played off of each other. I appreciated that Reimagined also clearly shows what the requirements are to unlock new vocations, too, meaning I will be able to really target the ones I want when Reimagined releases!

After fights, I would earn vocation points that act as experience that will level up whatever ones I had equipped. It looks like Reimagined pulls from the 3DS version’s school of vocations, as my characters could only use skills of the jobs they had equipped. Vocations also come with associated “Perks” —special actions they can take when specific criteria are met, essentially a Limit Break of sorts. These can be big attacks, heals, or buffs that will help you turn the tide of particularly nasty boss fights, which Dragon Quest games are never lacking in.

Finding Fragments

The aspect of Reimagined that I was most interested in checking out and seeing how this latest version would handle was the magical fragments, which are, debatably, the most defining mechanic of this seventh installment. These artifacts, which you collect and then stick together like LEGO to reveal new locations to visit, can be a real pain to find. The previous 3DS remake had a special finder on the system’s bottom screen that would alert you when one was nearby, and really eliminated a good bit of the frustration and headache from tracking the suckers down, so I was really curious how this new game would address it.

This time around, fragments simply will show up on your minimap. When you collect them, they will appear greyed out, alongside a support system with the strange Caretaker and adjusted locations for the pesky tablets to make the whole hunt easier. I do hope there is still some challenge in finding fragments in the final release. I don’t need to feel like Indiana Jones uncovering a long-lost and forgotten artifact, but I don’t want to feel like a toddler picking out the square from an assortment of circles and triangles either.

Tweaked for You

There were other handy little tweaks and additions that aided me in my quest to discover missing townsfolk around Wetlock. I stumbled on special Goddess statues that I could save and heal at, which made them far more attractive spots to do some level and job grinding. Reimagined brings over some of the help options from the HD-2D remakes, like being able to toggle fully healing when a character levels up and adjustable difficulty settings, among others, to help bring this tale into the modern era with modern expectations. One unfortunate feature that Ichikawa-san and the team weren’t able to work out was a good way to use the lizard-gecko creature in this new game, never making it past early discussions on how you could utilize this creature. But at least our favorite little critter has made its triumphant return to the character art for the hero after being completely absent from the 3DS release.

When Dragon Quest VII first came to the West in 2001, a year after the PlayStation 2 was released, its dated sprites on 3D backgrounds were competing with the evolutionary leap of the RPG in Final Fantasy X that same year. The 3DS version suffered a similar though not as troublesome, release window in the States, coming to the aging handheld a mere six months before the Switch would begin its campaign to conquer the world with the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Super Mario Odyssey, and a little game called The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, redefining what was possible with a handheld gaming device. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined marks the first time that this story is being told from a standpoint of being already outdated on arrival in the West.

After my 45 minutes were up, I had successfully solved the mystery of the disappearing citizens of Wetlock, climbed to the top of a tower to avoid a devastating flood, and vanquished the monster behind it. All in all, a typical day in the life of a Dragon Quest hero and his friends. While many aspects of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined are still a mystery, all of those special little qualities and personalities that have kept this series going for almost 40 years are still on display. I am eager to see all that this new version has to offer and just how the removal of some story beats and addition of new ones impacts the overall campaign, along with what the new gameplay mechanics bring to the Dragon Quest DNA. 2026 may just be the year that the rest of the world really sees what has made Dragon Quest VII the best-selling entry over in Japan, giving it the stage to finally shine.

Marvel's new Deadpool VR game is officially out for Meta Quest users (and we're very big fans of it). If you're hoping to jump into it but don't have a headset, we have good news: both the 128GB and 256GB Meta Quest 3S headsets have seen some nice discounts lately at Amazon and Best Buy before Black Friday sales officially kick off.

The 128GB model has dropped to $249 while the 256GB is down to $329.99. On top of the deals, Best Buy is throwing in a bonus $50 gift card with your purchase of either headset, while Amazon is offering a $49.01 Amazon credit with a purchase of its 256GB headset. That's a sweet little treat to have alongside these deals, especially while Black Friday shopping.

Amazon: Meta Quest 3S Deals

Get ready to get mad again — and by mad, we mean Madison Avenue, of course. One of the most beloved and critically acclaimed dramas of the 2000s is coming to streaming, and will be available to watch in 4K for the very first time. Have you guessed which one yet? It’s none other than the AMC original Mad Men.

All seven seasons of the iconic series will be available on HBO Max — again, in glorious 4K — from December 1.

"Mad Men continues to show truly remarkable staying power with audiences a full decade after concluding its network run, and we couldn't imagine a better home for it than HBO Max," President of worldwide television distribution at Lionsgate, Jim Packer, explained in a statement.

"HBO sets the bar for premium entertainment, making it the perfect place to celebrate one of television's defining series while introducing Mad Men to new viewers and reintroducing it to longtime fans in 4K."

The legendary drama was created by Matthew Weiner and kicked off in 2007. It ran for seven seasons with Jon Hamm at the helm, alongside a stacked supporting cast that included Elisabeth Moss, Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, John Slattery, and more. Several of the cast members, Hamm included, were catapulted to superstardom through the success of the series, which followed the employees and executives of an advertising firm on Madison Avenue — get it? Mad Men? — in the 1960s.

The show went on to collect a whopping 116 nominations over the course of seven years, cementing it as one of the most recognized and appreciated shows of all time. And soon, you’ll be able to rewatch — or watch it for the first time, do it! — in glorious 4K and remember, or discover, what made it so great.

Photo by Stephen Osman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

Ghost of Yotei is set for New Game Plus mode on November 24 alongside a free patch, Sony has announced. Expect a harder difficulty, new armor sets and weapon dyes, the ability to replay missions, and new accessibility options.

Sucker Punch’s PlayStation 5 exclusive sequel gets New Game Plus as part of a free patch that includes new cosmetics, new Trophies, and new Photo Mode features.

As detailed in a PlayStation Blog post, New Game Plus will let you replay Atsu’s quest from the beginning with everything you earned throughout the campaign. “Yes, that means it’s time to bring a gun to a sword fight, with all of the armors, abilities, and weapons from your first playthrough available from the start of the game,” Andrew Goldfarb, Senior Communications Manager at Sucker Punch Productions, said.

Ghost of Yotei New Game Plus details:

New Game Plus will unlock after you’ve finished the main story, and will add new harder difficulty options and two new Trophies. There’s also a new currency called Ghost Flowers that you can exchange with a new vendor for more than 30 new cosmetics including new armor sets and weapon dyes, plus 10 new charms. You’ll also be able to earn an additional tier of upgrades for your existing armor sets and weapons.

New features for the base game coming with the new patch include the ability to replay content in the post-game after you’ve completed the main story, including a new stats display. Sucker Punch is also adding new accessibility options including directional button remapping. New Photo Mode features include shutter speed, a composition grid, and new filters.

Last week, Sony announced that Ghost of Yotei had sold 3.3 million copies in its first month on sale (October 2 to November 2). Predecessor Ghost of Tsushima sold 2.4 million copies in its first three days after going on sale exclusively on PlayStation 4 on July 17, 2020, then hit 5 million after 118 days (just shy of four months). It’s now up to 13 million copies sold, including sales of the PC and PS5 Director’s Cut.

So it’s worth remembering that while we don’t have a figure for a comparable period of sales, it looks like Ghost of Yotei is selling about as well as Ghost of Tsushima before it, a suggestion backed up by sales data from the U.S. and across Europe.

As for what’s next from developer Sucker Punch, in an interview with VGC, co-founder and studio head, Brian Fleming, said the studio will decide its next project once multiplayer add-on Ghost of Yotei: Legends comes out. But, he suggested, don’t expect a flurry of games from the relatively lean developer — it’s one project at a time.

While we wait to find out, check out IGN’s Ghost of Yotei review. We’ve also got a cool story about Atsu's sword-drawing technique, which Japanese martial arts experts have said is kind of doable in real life.

Ready to master Ghost of Yotei? Check out our comprehensive guides, which cover everything from things to do first, best skills to unlock, advanced combat tips, getting the best early-game armor set, and uncovering every Altar of Reflection location. Our Walkthrough also provides essential tips and strategies for defeating every boss, and our secrets and easter eggs guide ensures you never miss another hidden reference again.

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.

Fan-favorite Pokémon Zeraora will gain a Mega Evolution in the upcoming Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension DLC. However, a fresh trailer revealing the creature's design has warned that it may be tough to unlock.

Today's trailer showcases the latest all-new Mega Evolution that owners of Pokémon Legends: Z-A will need to pay another $30 for, meaning a total outlay of $100 for the game and its DLC on Switch 2. The upcoming expansion was first announced alongside two Mega Evolutions for Raichu, though many more are also expected.

Mega Zeraora, which upgrades the black and gold electric cat species with a new and more ferocious blue-tinged look, will apparently require some work to acquire.

⚡ Time to get charged up! ⚡

Watch out for Mega Zeraora, the Mega Evolution of the Thunderclap Pokémon, in #PokemonLegendsZA – Mega Dimension! pic.twitter.com/ZIof29FGev

— Pokémon @ Lumiose City 🥐 (@Pokemon) November 19, 2025

"It looks like getting Mega Zeraora for your team will be a little difficult," reads an accompanying description of the trailer. "Keep your eyes peeled for a way to encounter it as you play through the DLC!"

Pokémon Legends: Z-A's base game already holds back access to some Mega Evolution species by requiring players log on and battle online over time, with several previously-announced creatures still yet to be made available. It's currently unclear if Mega Zeraora will similarly be time-gated, or just unlocked late in the DLC's story.

"The electric energy it stores in its body is equivalent to 10 bolts of lightning," an official blurb for Mega Zeraora reads. "Protrusions on its forehead, chest, back, and the backs of its hands are where the electric energy is particularly concentrated. The protrusions steadily emit a pale blue light. If Zeraora stores up lots of energy and then unleashes attacks, those attacks will pack enough power to take down multiple nearby opponents at once."

A previous trailer for Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC debuted designs for Mega Chimecho and Mega Baxcalibur. Fans peering into the game's files believe around a dozen other species will also be included.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC is set to launch on December 10. If you're jumping into Pokémon Legends Z-A, choose your Starter Pokémon, then check out our complete Pokémon Legends: Z-A Walkthrough, plus our Side Missions List to make sure you don't miss anything. We've also got a Pokémon Legends: Z-A Pokedex, and most importantly, a guide to All Clothing Stores and Clothing in Pokémon Legends: Z-A so you can catch 'em all in style.

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

I trust DBrand with some of my most important devices. Its screen protectors (and applicators) have been top-notch, and its cases have wrapped a few of my phones, including my Samsung Galaxy S25. This time, I trusted them with my Nintendo Switch 2 in the process of reviewing the inventive Killswitch 2 grip and case combo – its premium build quality and sleek design complement the ergonomic advantage it provides. If you can contend with an awkward solution to docking your Switch 2 while keeping the grips and back protector on, this is an excellent case that covers several bases all at once. It's easy to recommend to any Switch 2 owner looking to protect their handheld in style.

The Killswitch 2 case is difficult to wrap your mind around at first. Instead of the standard grip and a separate case with a zipper, padded innards, and elastic game slots that wear out, the Killswitch 2 marries multiple ideas into a unified thing. It’s one part rubberized grips and protective shell that attach to the Joy-Con and back of the console, respectively. The second part is a hard plastic cover that goes over the front to provide full protection, and a strong elastic cord wraps around the console and slots into hooks on the cover to keep everything tightly secured. This semi-translucent screen cover doubles as a game holder for up to 10 physical game cartridges on the inside of it as well.

It's a sturdier solution to protecting your screen than the average case, with much less give than even most hard-shelled cases. DBrand claims this screen cover can tank as much as 100lbs of pressure, though I haven't had a chance to put that to the test (and, frankly, I don’t think I will). One frustration is that you can’t charge your Switch 2 with the screen cover attached.

Aside from the cord’s hooks and anchors, this screen cover adds very little profile to the Switch 2, offering extra protection without taking up too much space. But what this screen cover boasts in protection and efficiency, it lacks in space. I think the designers at DBrand made the bet that nobody's just carrying a Switch case by itself, but I do wish there was room for carrying stuff like Joy-Con 2 straps in their grand design. I have room in my backpack for stuff like that, but rifling around between extra pockets kind of defeats the purpose of a bespoke carrying case.

This reinforces the primary design ethos of the Killswitch 2: It feels designed for a standard handheld like a Steam Deck, not something that's meant to connect to a TV, and certainly not a device with as many use cases as the Switch 2. That’s not to say it’s wholly dysfunctional; it’s much nicer than your average grip case, but we’re still early enough into the Switch 2 lifecycle that I want to have easy access to its full range of gimmicks, mouse mode and all.

But you know what isn’t a gimmick? Docking the console. Half of the Switch 2’s appeal is playing it on a TV to enjoy Nintendo’s first 4K console. Unfortunately, the Killswitch 2 case doesn’t fit inside the standard Switch 2 dock. Instead of redesigning the case, DBrand offers an awkward fix to a problem it created. Each Killswitch 2 case ships with an extra dock-like cradle, which has a USB-C input on a rail that gets slotted into the Switch 2 dock and has a USB-C plug in the front that functions as an adapter.

In theory, this should allow you to dock your Switch 2 without taking any extra precautions, but I had some trouble getting my unit to work at first. Maybe it was the fit, maybe it was just that I kept missing the adjustable USB-C plug when slotting the console into place, but it took me multiple tries before the console was properly docked and connected to my TV. It’s a minor inconvenience, sure, but when other high-quality grip cases like Genki’s are comparable while still dockable, this gets annoying quickly.

That’s not to mention the inconvenience of needing to carry an extra accessory just to dock your Switch 2. I left it at home for a recent trip, so I couldn’t dock my Switch 2 without completely removing the case from my console. This extra cradle may be cool for displaying your Switch 2 in your entertainment console, but it’s not the most portable or convenient.

Should you forget your adapter, you’ll run into another of the Killswitch 2’s biggest issues: adhesives. The Killswitch 2 ships with a case for the tablet itself, alongside a cover for the kickstand for a uniform feel in handheld mode. Both have adhesives on them, which ensure the console doesn’t move or wiggle around in the case or potentially even slide out altogether. It’s a great idea in theory, but if you’re taking the case off for any reason, it can complicate things. Especially that kickstand cover.

The Killswitch 2 also comes with thumbstick covers that add extra grip and profile to the Joy-Con 2’s analog sticks. This might secretly be the best part of the whole bundle. These grip covers worked together with the ergonomic hand grips on each Joy-Con to make a long cross-country flight much more comfortable. Even after moving on to test out other cases and grips, these covers have stayed on thanks to their textured, comfortable feel.