Apple's iOS 18 will be released today, September 16, with 10am PT predicted as the most likely time for it to go live. The update will introduce new features like new visual perks for iMessages, new ways to customize and color your home screen, and a massive redesign of the photo app. Here's when it's expected to drop in the major timezones:

United States

• PDT - 10:00 am
• MDT - 11:00 am
• CDT - 12:00 pm
• EDT - 1:00 pm

UK

• 6pm BST

Canada

• PDT - 10am
• EDT - 1pm

Europe

• WEST - 6pm
• CEST - 7pm
• EEST - 8pm

Australia

• AWST - Tuesday 1am
• AEST - Tuesday 3am

China

• CST - Tuesday 1am

Japan

• JST - Tuesday 2am

“We are thrilled to introduce iOS 18. It is a huge release with incredible features, including new levels of customization and capability, a redesigned Photos app, and powerful ways to stay connected with Messages. There are so many benefits for everyone,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering back in June.

“This release also marks the beginning of a tremendously exciting new era of personal intelligence with Apple Intelligence delivering intuitive, powerful, and instantly useful experiences that will transform the iPhone experience, all with privacy at the core. We can’t wait for users to experience it.”

One thing that iOS 18 won't include just yet is the much hyped Apple Intelligence features that will bring AI to your iPhone. Despite getting a mention during the Apple iPhone 16 event, Apple Intelligence won't be available until OS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 later this fall, and at first only in the US.

Rachel Weber is IGN's Managing Editor.

Lando star Donald Glover thinks Star Wars has become a little too serious and wants to bring fun back to the galaxy far, far away.

Glover told The Wall Street Journal he believes Star Wars needs to be fun and suggested recent films have veered away from that. He wants to use his character Lando Calrissian's status as a scoundrel to create a fun film that people can relate to.

"I just want it to be fun," Glover said when asked what one thing he wants to bring to Lando, which was originally announced as a Solo: A Star Wars Story spin-off show but is now being developed as a movie.

From the outside, Pixar’s narrative is a clear story of redemption: after an undeniably tough few years – battered by COVID-19 theater shutdowns, two Hollywood strikes, and a couple of box office disappointments – the studio needed a win, and that win was Inside Out 2.

The sequel to Pete Docter’s Oscar-winning 2015 blockbuster is Pixar’s biggest hit in years, and it’s not even close. Inside Out 2 isn’t just Pixar’s highest-grossing film. It’s the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, sitting at a jaw-dropping $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office. It’s a stunning turn of events when considering the studio’s aforementioned recent struggles. And who doesn’t love a redemption story, especially when a brand as beloved and nostalgic as Pixar is involved?

But for many of the workers behind Inside Out 2, its record-shattering success is more than a little bittersweet. As reported earlier this year, the studio began layoffs affecting 175 workers, or 14% of its staff, in May. And not only are laid-off employees unable to benefit from a bonus for Inside Out 2’s success – some are also recovering from what several sources describe as an “unprecedented” crunch surrounding Inside Out 2.

“I think for a month or two, the animators were working seven days a week,” one source says. “Ridiculous amounts of production workers, just people being tossed into jobs they'd never really done before… It was horrendous.”

IGN spoke to 10 former Pixar employees for this story under the condition of anonymity. They go into detail about the pains of the layoffs, the financial struggles those layoffs have left them with, and the details behind what one source calls “the largest crunch in the studio’s history." It’s a claim disputed by a senior executive at Pixar, who tells IGN that the crunch at the end of Inside Out 2 was no different from those on many other films from the studio. But the fact remains: there are many who feel like they rushed to give Pixar the hit it so desperately needed, and were hung out to dry.

“I would venture that at least 95% of the people that got laid off are financially f*cked right now,” one person says.

Outside of the financial strain of it all, sources also paint a picture of a studio that’s terrified to rock the boat, with some internally pushing to avoid LGBTQ themes, requiring edits to Inside Out 2. It’s a studio, they say, that’s overly reliant on Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, stubbornly set in its ways, and setting its remaining team up for more crunch in its future films.

“The internal culture of Pixar right now is really rough,” one former employee says. “There is just an incredible amount of people who are like, ‘I can't do this anymore.’ “

Disney declined to comment for this story.

Like much of Hollywood, Pixar was massively affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns that hit movie theaters in March 2020. The last Pixar movie to be released theatrically before lockdown was Onward on March 6, 2020, though it would be made available on On Demand and Disney+ just a couple of weeks later as lockdown orders spread across the globe.

The next three Pixar movies – Soul, Luca, and Turning Red – were all released directly on Disney+, skipping theatrical runs entirely with the exception of a few international territories. Disney/Pixar was far from alone in its pains — every major studio struggled against the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, when theaters did start opening back up in 2022, Pixar’s return to the big screen wasn’t the financial redemption it hoped for.

Lightyear was a well-publicized disappointment, closing out its box office run with just $226 million worldwide. While the next film, Elemental, did end up faring better with nearly $500 million worldwide, it had to rebound from what Pixar president Jim Morris admitted was a “disappointing” opening of just $29.5 million domestically. And according to one source, due to the profit-sharing model at Disney/Pixar, a movie has to cross $600 million to be considered profitable for Pixar, and it’s not seen as a true hit until that coveted $1 billion mark.

It all led to a situation where Inside Out 2, a sequel to arguably one of the most beloved animated movies ever, was seen as the film that could reverse the studio’s fortunes, making it what one source called “an all-hands-on-deck studio emergency.” It was rare, we’re told, to find someone who worked at Pixar in the past couple of years who didn’t contribute to Inside Out 2. One source points out that the credits for Inside Out 2 are longer than any other Pixar movie, given the amount of studio workers who were pulled in on it.

Some go so far as to say they believed Pixar would fall apart if Inside Out 2 wasn’t a runaway success. It was seen by many employees as “a life or death situation” for the studio.

“That was the pressure felt by everybody,” one source says. “‘We need this movie to succeed because we won't have a studio [otherwise].’ And that is the pressure that everybody felt the whole time. The whole time. Even now, I think people are gone, still feeling that pressure of like, ‘Oh my God, we did it. We did it.’ “

Whether or not Pixar was actually in danger isn’t confirmed. But, in a TIME interview just before the release of Inside Out 2 that, Docter said, “if this doesn't do well at the theater, I think it just means we're going to have to think even more radically about how we run our business.”

Plus, Inside Out 2 had many of the obstacles that the Pixar movies before it did, and even some that they didn’t. It was heavily impacted by 2023’s SAG-AFTRA strike, but as other films were delayed out of Summer 2024, Pixar was adamant about staying put. The unwillingness to delay the film persisted despite last-minute rewrites and the quiet expansion of Docter’s role on the film.

While Docter is publicly an executive producer of Inside Out 2, multiple sources say that he stepped in as uncredited co-director, working heavily alongside credited director Kelsey Mann. In some ways, that move made sense to many; Docter, after all, co-wrote and directed the first Inside Out, in addition to boasting directing and story credits on beloved Pixar movies like Up, WALL-E, and Toy Story.

“I mean, you saw the end result of that. [Inside Out 2] made a billion dollars at the box office,” one person says of Docter taking a larger role. “That was a direct result of Pete's involvement. Pete's a genius. Nobody can dispute this.”

In fact, many of the sources IGN spoke to generally don’t have particularly negative feelings toward Docter – it’s well known that, after all these years and a proven track record, he knows what he’s doing. But it’s also indicative of what some sources say is a “god-like worship” of the man in charge, a holdover from the days of ousted Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter. One source says the studio leans on Docter to an “unhealthy degree,” and it’s, partially, what leads to a situation like the crunch on Inside Out 2.

“You cannot do anything without Pete. Literally nothing,” one former employee says. “And that creates a bottleneck.”

For many, it’s also a symbol of Pixar holding fast to an internal culture that’s stubbornly set in its ways, with an aversion to bringing on new directors and voices. One source cites a period of time, between 2020 and the release of Lightyear, where the studio was more open to bringing in producers and creatives from outside its typical ranks, as well as greener filmmakers. Mann made his directorial debut on Inside Out 2, beginning development during that more experimental period in 2020.

That brief period of willingness to experiment, however, didn’t last. Particularly after Lightyear’s financial failure, sources say, Pixar lost the desire to take risks, either in its creative appointments or in its story decisions. As reported at the time, there were many reasons why Lightyear disappointed at the box office: a confusing spinoff concept, a new voice for Buzz, growing pains in going from Disney+ back to theatrical. Doctor even admitted that it prompted “a lot of soul-searching” at the studio, citing some of Lightyear’s conceptual and character issues.

But multiple sources say that Disney leadership internally put a large part of the blame for Lightyear’s financial failure on a same-sex kiss in the film, which was briefly removed then reinstated after an internal staff uproar. In a joint statement to Walt Disney Company leadership, LGBTQ workers and allies at Pixar said leadership was censoring “overtly gay affection” at a time where employees were also protesting the company’s response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

“It is, as far as I know, still a thing, where leadership, they'll bring up Lightyear specifically and say, ‘Oh, Lightyear was a financial failure because it had a queer kiss in it,’” one source tells IGN. “That's not the reason the movie failed.”

Now, Docter largely uses the language of making “universal stories,” which to him means “something that's very homogenous that anyone can relate to,” one source says.

The apparent hesitance to touch on LGBTQ themes storylines in particular affected Inside Out 2’s development, according to several of our sources. Multiple people recall hearing about continuous notes to make Riley, the main character of both Inside Out movies, come across as “less gay,” leading to numerous edits that ramped up around September 2023 after the resolution of the WGA strike. Sources describe rumors that there was special care put into making the relationship between Riley and Val, a supporting character introduced in Inside Out 2, seem as platonic as possible, even requiring edits to the lighting and tone of certain scenes to remove any trace of “romantic chemistry.” One source describes it as "just doing a lot of extra work to make sure that no one would potentially see them as not straight."

It’s worth noting that Pixar released a short in 2015 that followed Riley’s first date with a boy. Still, many fans online started to call out queer-coding in Inside Out 2 from the moment the first trailer arrived. (Inside Out 2 spoiler to follow). The movie also teased a “Deep Dark Secret” that Riley was harboring throughout, only to reveal in the post-credits that the secret was that she once burned a hole in the carpet. Many fans, however, thought the reveal would be that Riley was actually grappling with her sexuality, and even felt “baited” over what it actually was.

“Mind you, Riley is not canonically gay,” one source says. “In the film, what you saw, nothing about Riley says that she is gay, but it is kind of inferred based on certain contexts. And so that is something that they tried to play down at multiple points.” Another source calls some leadership “uncomfortable” with queer themes at large, and the insistence on keeping those themes out of Inside Out 2 was “a big thing throughout” development.

All of this – the pressure, the creative bottlenecks, the story hesitations – led to a rush in the last few months of production on Inside Out 2, former employees say. Or, as one source puts it: “It was a shitshow.”

Part of the issue for those who worked on Inside Out 2, sources say, was a new internal methodology that Pixar leadership called “Long and Lean,” a workflow that was, in theory, supposed to give the studio "a longer runway to finish a project, but with less staff." But some sources feel it mostly gives the creative leads more time with the material, while roles like editors and artists are left to pick up the slack.

Elio, too, is hard to separate from the story surrounding Inside Out 2. The upcoming sci-fi adventure was originally slated to release on March 1, 2024, but was delayed to June 13, 2025 last fall. In a recent interview with The Wrap, which also quietly revealed that Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi would be taking over directing duties from Adrian Molina, Docter said the delay was largely due to the actors’ strike. But several of IGN’s sources say it was also due to major story changes, leading to a grind on that film even before many of its artists were moved to work on Inside Out 2.

One source who had pleasant experiences on their prior projects reports feeling a marked shift when they were on Elio: “It was rushed work, paranoid work, paranoid leadership, mixed messaging,” the source says. “...You're just working 24/7. And so after awhile, your body just starts breaking down.”

As for Inside Out 2, one source claims the crunch started in earnest just after the WGA strike ended in late September 2023, and lasted all the way through the end of production. Some, one source says, were working on weekends for the last four months. While sources acknowledge that an increased workload isn’t uncommon at the end of any animated film (and, again, a senior Pixar executive says it wasn’t out of the ordinary), one also points to an “overall mismanagement of the show (Inside Out 2) in general.” There were, the source says, a larger amount of “last-minute” changes than usual, requiring tools to be developed on the fly.

“It was definitely rough,” they say. “Everybody, at least in my circles when we were talking, it was just kind of the sense of, ‘we just want to get it over with. We just want it to be finished and done and to not be looking at it anymore,’ which, I don't feel like is the best way to make a movie that everyone feels good about. There was definitely kind of a sense of ‘just push through it. We're just going to hit the finish line and get it over with.’”

The rush at the end of the production, too, was spread unevenly throughout Pixar. A couple of sources were largely unaffected; others found it unusual how long they had to wait to get their work while watching their colleagues push through grueling hours. “It was odd to see some people on fire and some people with nothing to do,” one source recalls.

It got to a point where some had to wait so long while others crunched, one source says, that visual effects artists were starting their shots when the shots weren’t even fully animated. It’s a practice that’s referred to as “working dirty” – essentially, doing a large chunk of work ahead of time that you know will likely be thrown out, on the off chance that it will be used.

Still, others are willing to give Pixar itself credit. Those who crunched were paid overtime, and workers were offered time off in return, although it could be hard to find time in the production schedule to take it. But, sources say, even with solid benefits and well-meaning team leaders, the production structure in place and the demands to meet the release timeline make for an untenable situation.

“They do take care of us when we do have aches and pains,” one source says of Pixar. “They throw everything at us to try to help. There's really great health benefits, mental health. So it's not like they're not trying and they're not offering things. But at the end of the day, I feel like the expectations and that ‘let's just crunch and get it done,’ but then it goes on for months and months, it’s not sustainable.”

Others worry that, due to Inside Out 2’s success, Pixar won’t have any motivation to change its bottlenecked systems. One recalls a recent company meeting where, citing Inside Out 2’s victory, Docter essentially expressed that they would replicate the system on Elio.

“I think people just kind of were like, ‘really?’ “ one source says. “You kind of killed everybody on Inside Out, and now you're wanting to do that with Elio?”

And, while not everyone crunched on Inside Out 2, what struck many of our sources is how many people who did were affected by the layoffs earlier this year.

At the very least, the fact that Pixar was having layoffs at some point wasn’t a huge shock to the staff. Employees were told layoffs would be happening at some point in January 2023, and Disney announced a “strategic realignment” that May that would include layoffs of 7,000 from the company at large. Seventy-five Pixar employees were laid off in June of that year. Those layoffs included Lightyear director Angus MacLane, as well as Galyn Susman, the producer who became famous for saving Toy Story 2 after it was accidentally deleted from Disney’s servers.

Some sources expected more layoffs in September 2023, but theorize that those layoffs were pushed back due to the amount of work that still needed to be done on Inside Out 2 after the summer’s strikes.

“For a good year, year and a half, everyone was on edge,” one source says. “I think that's maybe why they had their heads down and just worked as hard as they could.”

Instead, the layoffs of 14% of Pixar’s workforce began in late May, after much of the work on Inside Out 2 was complete. The layoffs, Docter said in a recent interview with The Ankler, were “another thing that made this year really weird. Unfortunately now Disney has come to the point where they realized, you know what? The amount we have to spend to do the quality we do doesn't make sense.”

Though expected, the news was a blow for many employees, at least in part because they would not receive a bonus for Inside Out 2’s eventual success. To qualify for the bonus, an employee would have to have worked on a project for a certain amount of time (which, as noted, was most of Pixar at the time), and be employed at the time when the bonuses are distributed.

“To be told by our HR reps that we were not going to qualify for that bonus felt like an ultimate ‘f*ck you’ from Disney,” one former employee says.

One of the major reasons that bonus was important, multiple sources say, is because Pixar’s base pay for many positions is considered low for Emeryville, Calif., an expensive Bay Area city where many of them were required to live. It’s worth noting, too, that unlike much of California’s animation business, Pixar employees are not unionized under The Animation Guild (TAG). The short explanation for why that is: Pixar opened as an independent studio in Emeryville, Calif., in 1986. Its location put it outside of TAG’s jurisdiction of Los Angeles County, making it non-union from the start. Being acquired by Disney in 2006 did not automatically place Pixar under the TAG umbrella, even though Walt Disney Animation workers are represented by the union. Pixar workers could, in theory, join TAG, although it would take a formal organizing effort and an election.

Still, currently, Pixar remains outside of union coverage, and without union rates.

“And the way they kind of excuse that is with these bonuses. They're like, ‘yeah, we pay less, but here's this huge bonus you might get,’ “ one source says. Other sources say it’s something that frequently comes up when talking to Pixar’s recruiters and in offer letters.

“We work all year for that bonus,” another says. “That is what partially makes working at Pixar worth it… we depend on that.”

Depending on a project’s success, along with other factors like whether or not it came in under budget, those bonuses can range from one week to ten weeks’ pay. Given Inside Out 2’s record-breaking success, the bonus will likely be on the higher end for those eligible to receive it. Many employees, sources say, were counting on the bonus for Inside Out 2, especially since the bonuses were lower for Elemental and nonexistent for Lightyear.

“If they had just tacked on something to the severance of those who were being let go, that was like, ‘oh, here's a prorated bonus,’ it feels like something that could have been done out of kindness, to me,” one person says. “I think it would've gone a very long way in their claims of trying to be compassionate and kind to colleagues that have to leave.”

“It really crushed a lot of us,” another adds. “...When we were told the day we were laid off that it (the bonus) is only for active employees, I sobbed.”

Sources describe it as yet another gut punch when the news of the layoffs came down.

“The day that the layoffs happened was like a funeral. There was weeping and crying in the atrium,” one source says. “There are images from that day that are going to stay with me for quite a long time.”

When the list of those who were laid off from the studio started to form, more confusion and frustration abounded. For one, at the time, Pixar had said it was refocusing away from streaming content and back to theatrical films as the reason for the cuts, having staffed up for the former during the pandemic. In an email to staff on the day of the layoffs, Morris wrote, "I have spoken to you many times over the last year about our pending move away from series production for Disney+, the return to our focus on feature films, and the reduction in our team that would accompany that.”

But some of those affected by the layoffs, sources say, had nothing to do with content produced for Disney+, with the layoffs reaching departments that only worked on theatrical. Additionally, no one on the executive team was let go.

“It was just a great group of people that got laid off, to be honest,” said one person. “It was almost like they laid off so many of the really loyal, nice, lovely, talented people of Pixar.”

“Disney invested $1.5 billion in Fortnite,” one former employee laments. “One percent of that 1.5 billion would've saved all our jobs.”

The way the layoffs unfolded, too, left those affected scrambling. Specifically, Pixar locked affected employees out of the network the day of the layoffs, cutting off access to work materials for demo reels, personal files, benefit information, and more. Even key card access was restricted outside of normal work-week hours, and laid-off employees were asked not to visit the office to pick up their belongings during those times so as to not make the remaining employees feel awkward.

While this behavior might be common at other companies, it was not standard practice at Pixar, multiple sources say, and left many of those affected feeling “suddenly exiled” and “blindsided.” Pixar did establish a system where laid-off employees could request material for their reels, but perhaps the shut-out was more significant for symbolic reasons. One former employee remembers crying at the gates of the studio, feeling “completely shut out physically, not just network-wise, just physically shut out without any communication.”

“There was no one from HR or anything supporting us or guiding us,” another says. “It was all mixed messaging, and that was super frustrating and emotional and just adding to the whole stress of all of it.”

In the meantime, the former employees were left to watch as Inside Out 2 became a runaway global success. One person there at the time says the studio felt “out of touch” with how they celebrated its blockbuster box office while those who worked on it were on the way out. Another laid-off employee recalls getting asked by industry colleagues about their potential bonus, given Inside Out 2’s now-hit status, only to relay that they wouldn’t be getting one at all.

“Yeah, it's bittersweet,” one person who worked on Inside Out 2 says of watching it climb the charts. “I mean, it's like watching an ex be with a movie star, basically. It's like, ‘I'm happy for you, but why?’ “

Those mixed emotions are something that’s uniform across everyone IGN spoke to. One even points out the irony of working on a movie about mental health, only to have their health insurance – and thus, their therapy and other mental health benefits – stripped away.

Some can’t even bring themselves to see Inside Out 2, knowing how many of Pixar’s former employees are struggling to get by. There’s a painful irony, sources say, in the conversations had in the wake of the layoffs. While some are thrilled to have their names attached to the highest-grossing animated film in history, they’re juggling those feelings with not knowing how they’ll pay their bills the next month. Many laid-off employees, sources say, have resorted to moving out of the Emeryville area as they navigate their next moves.

It’s a situation where Inside Out 2’s focus on grappling with various conflicting emotions is unfortunately fitting.

“Just to watch that movie do so well in theaters, it’s great,” one former employee says. “I really am happy for all of us at Pixar that want to see that. But for those of us who got laid off, it is really bad for some of us who just don't know what we're going to do now.”

“I was a fan before I worked there, so it's really hard to see how the sausage gets made now and be like, ‘oh, can I ever just be a fan again?’ I don’t know,” another adds.

Others have concerns about the culture at Pixar, and the storytelling there leaning more toward the “universal stories” directive, especially with the apparent aversion to LGBTQ themes. “A lot of us accepted the fact that we may never see a major gay character in a Pixar movie,” says one source.

But at the heart of it, many of the sources IGN spoke to are just worried for the future of a studio many of them grew up idolizing, and the employees that are still left there. Multiple sources say there’s a particularly low morale among remaining employees, especially as more work on Elio looms. Pixar, they argue, has taken all the wrong lessons from Inside Out 2’s blockbuster success, all while being set in unsustainable work processes. One person calls the studio “rudderless,” saying it got “very lucky” on Inside Out 2.

“They learned nothing. And that's the feedback I'm still getting when I'm just reaching out to [current employees],” another source says. “...Right now, everyone’s on Elio. Things are exactly the same, how they were before. Everybody’s working crazy hours to get Elio fixed.”

“I think the biggest feeling that I heard around the studio before the layoffs and now even post-layoffs, talking to people who are still there, is everybody feels like the executives are really just acting in a fear-based way,” another adds. “Everything is to preserve their own power in their own jobs… So I think morale is really low because people no longer trust that they're being led with their best interests at heart.”

If there are any silver linings to be had, some say they’re still fans of the studio because of the friends they still have there, who pour their hearts into the work. Some stress, again, that their resentments don’t even lie with Docter or Morris in particular, whose hands are likely tied on a lot of the problems.

But still, as Inside Out 2 heads to even more visibility on Disney+ later this month, something of a call for justice for those who were laid off remains.

“We love to tell stories. That's our career. But when your work is put out there, you kind of want to benefit from the strength of that,” one source says. “People need to be compensated for that.”

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Bethesda has released a deep dive into Starfield expansion Shattered Space, offering a first meaningful look at gameplay.

The video, below, shows off Va’ruun, the new planet Starfield players get to explore in Shattered Space. Bethesda describes Va’ruun as an “isolated, handcrafted new world in Starfield’s first major story expansion,” and compares it to some of the biggest and best expansions it has released for its The Elder Scrolls and Fallout games.

The “handcrafted” note in particular feels deliberate. Starfield was criticized by some for leaving the handcrafted feel of Bethesda Game Studios’ previous titles behind in favor of a galaxy-spanning adventure filled with over 1,000 planets, most of which were fueled by procedural generation.

Shattered Space, on the other hand, revolves around a solitary planet, and in the deep dive video Bethesda developers stressed that the entirety of the expansion takes place on it. There is no need to leave it at all.

“From the minute you arrive on Va’ruun’kai the story never sends you off planet,” Tim Lamb, lead creative producer, said. “You’re free to leave at any time, but the story is fully centered around life on the Va’ruun home world.”

“We wanted to give you the opportunity to explore every nook and cranny of this location and find clues as to who these people really are and what happened to them,” added lead producer Joe Mueller.

“When we first started thinking about what this experience would be like, we knew we wanted it to feel like a traditional Bethesda Game Studios expansion. Having the planet laid out so intentionally works perfectly with this isolationist society. Everything they’ve done since establishing themselves will be right here on Va’ruun’kai. The whole planet tells the story of these people who have never left their home and want to remain a secret.”

Here’s the official blurb:

In Shattered Space, players will visit the homeworld of House Va’ruun for the first time. Explore a fully handcrafted new location and unravel the mysteries surrounding the followers of the Great Serpent. House Va’ruun is on the brink of collapse and their people need help finding a path forward. When your sudden presence on their hidden home planet is seen by some as divine intervention, it’s up to you to restore House Va’ruun and decide the fate of this secretive faction.

Bethesda also talked up Shattered Space’s more chaotic, aggressive, in-your-face combat, in contrast to the distance shooting of the base game. Expect ambushes from odd creatures that pop up through rifts in spacetime. Storywise, you end up caught up in a political feud between the planet’s various pockets of power, and ultimately decide the fate of House Va’ruun.

Starfield, which enjoyed the biggest launch in Bethesda Game Studios history, is available on PC and Xbox Series X and S. Shattered Space launches on those same platforms on September 30.

Owners of the Premium or Constellation Editions of Starfield get Shattered Space as part of their original purchase. Owners of the base edition can still purchase the Premium Upgrade for access to Shattered Space plus other digital items including the Digital Art Book, Original Soundtrack, 1,000 Creation Credits, and the Constellation Skin pack.

Bethesda is of course working on more than Starfield expansions. It’s also got The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5 to contend with, alongside updates for MMOs Fallout 76 and The Elder Scrolls Online. On the mobile front, Bethesda has just released The Elder Scrolls: Castles.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Dell is currently offering the Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4070 Ti SUPER gaming PC for $1799.99 after a $300 instant discount. Th RTX 4070 Ti SUPER GPU is powerful enough to run any game at 4K comfortably. In fact, it's one of the least expensive GPUs that I would recommend if you intend to pair it with a 4K monitor. It's paired with the newest Intel Core i7 CPU and a good amount of RAM and SSD storage.

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The GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is about 10% more powerful than the RTX 4070 Ti. This is a great card for 1080p all the way to 4K gaming. At 1080p and 1440p you'll be able to achieve 144fps or beyond in most games, so it would be a perfect complement to FHD or QHD monitors with high refresh rates. 4K is a much more demanding resolution, but you should still be able to achieve at least 60fps on pretty much any game currently released. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER also increases the GDDR6X RAM count to 16GB compared the the RTX 4070 Ti's 12GB, which means it's a pretty good AI card option

Why Pick a Dell or Alienware Gaming PC?

The Alienware Aurora R16 is one of our picks for best prebuilt gaming PCs of 2024. The current generation R16 chassis is 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations but also boasts better thermal management. It features a simple yet proven airflow design; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area as well as a 120mm rear fan drawing air in and a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler exhausts air out through the top. Another benefit of the side vent is that the GPU isn't choked for air; it is supplied with fresh air from the outside instead of recirculating hot internal air.

The R16 is Alienware's newest desktop PC design and its 40% smaller in volume compared to previous iterations. It features a simple yet proven airflow pattern; air is drawn in through the side intake vents over the GPU area as well as a 120mm rear fan drawing air in and a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler exhausts air out through the top. A secondary benefit of the side vent is that the GPU is supplied with fresh air from the outside instead of recirculating hot internal air.

Looking for more gaming PCs? Check out the best Alienware deals on gaming PCs, laptops, and monitors.

The theatrical sequel to The Batman may still be a ways off, but fans are getting a continuation of the so-called “The Batman Epic Crime Saga” in the form of HBO’s The Penguin series. Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobb takes center stage as he and his fellow gangsters jockey for power in the chaotic aftermath of The Batman.

Oz’s biggest rival in the new series is Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone, the daughter of the late Carmine Falcone and a woman with as much blood on her hands as anyone in Gotham City. But who is Sofia Falcone, and why is she often referred to as The Hangman? Why is she such an important player in The Penguin? Let’s break down what you need to know about this terrifying crime lord.

Who Is Cristin Milioti’s Sofia Falcone?

In Batman’s early days on the job, Gotham City is still under the clutches of old-school mobsters like Carmine Falcone and Salvatore Maroni. Inevitably, Falcone’s reign comes to an end, leaving his heirs and underlings to battle it out for control of the family empire. Carmine’s daughter Sofia is one of those seeking to make a name for herself in a dangerous criminal underworld.

In the comics, Sofia’s story is mainly chronicled in the pages of Batman: The Long Halloween and its sequel, Batman: Dark Victory. The Long Halloween also served as the inspiration for a two-part animated movie adaptation in 2021. The character plays a major role in the TV series Gotham (played by Crystal Reed) as well, manipulating cops and costumed criminals alike in her bid for power. But whether in comics, animation, or live-action, Sofia’s story always ends in violent tragedy. Like so many gangsters before her, her reach ultimately exceeds her grasp.

Now Sofia Falcone is returning to live-action thanks to HBO’s The Penguin series, where she’ll be played by Cristin Milioti.

Sofia Falcone in Batman: The Long Halloween

Sofia Falcone was created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale and debuted in 1997’s Batman: The Long Halloween #6. The Long Halloween is set early in Bruce Wayne’s costumed career, after the events of Batman: Year One and at a time when most of his major villains like Joker, Scarecrow, Penguin, and Catwoman have begun to plague Gotham City. In this chaotic period, the traditional crime families that control Gotham are struggling to deal with the presence of costumed psychopaths upending the old order. That includes Carmine Falcone, arguably the most powerful man in the city.

As if dealing with the crusading trinity that is Batman, Commissioner Gordon, and Harvey Dent isn’t bad enough, the Falcone family faces a new threat when a mysterious murderer known only as the Holiday Killer begins leaving a trail of bodies across the city, with all killings happening on major holidays. Falcone believes Holiday is a member of a rival crime family, but doubt grows as the killer also targets members of Sal Maroni’s family.

The Burrow is the Weasley family home, but thanks to his friendship with Ron, Harry Potter also came to see the Burrow as a place of safety and security. Ron Weasley has everything a young Harry wished he had: a loving, supportive family. And the Burrow was a visual metaphor for that family – a bit eccentric, a bit chaotic, a bit teetering on the verge of collapse – but ultimately sustained by love.

The newest Harry Potter set, available exclusively at the LEGO Store, is an ambitious recreation of the Burrow, as seen in the films. It is a five-floor building, and unlike many other LEGO buildings – which are open in the back like dioramas – the Burrow consists of two halves which clasp together, enclosing the build on all sides.

The build comes with 10 Minifigures – Harry Potter, of course, but also all nine members of the Weasley family. There's Arthur (father), Molly (mother), and all seven of their children: Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.

This is the first time that Charlie has appeared in minifigure form; he wasn't in the movies that these sets are based upon, so the decision to include him here demonstrates a desire to make up for this cinematic omission. Judging by their clothes, this is the Burrow circa 1992, the summer before Harry and Ron's second year.

The build is piecemeal; you construct individual rooms and floors to completion, and then you stack them upon one another to create the final Burrow. Owing to the Burrow's crooked asymmetry (one floor is tilted on its side, thanks to some clever design) there is little to no redundancy during the entire build; no window is ever in the same place, or even at the same angle.

There are several moving elements integrated into the house as well. There's an elevator mechanism that mimics the Floo Network. There's an enchanted, floating brush that's rigged to wash the dishes. Molly Weasley's famous danger clock turns on a gear.

And there's a whole lot of Easter eggs and visual gags, that denote which bedrooms belong to whom. Arthur and Molly's room have Muggle artifacts on the shelves. Ron's room has a Chudley Cannons bedspread. Ginny's room has a Gwenog Jones poster and a Weird Sisters poster. Percy's room has a Gryffndor bedspread and a Prefect's badge. And Fred and George's room has Wizard Wheezes templates, including an Extendable Ear and Weather in a Bottle.

All of these details make this set feel like a true "Collectors' Edition." It would be difficult to create anything any more definitive without upping the price point significantly, but even for die-hard LEGO Potter fans, this set will more than do.

Even for die-hard LEGO Potter fans, this set will more than do.

The rooms are crowded with details, leaving little question that this is a set for display, and thus, for adults. More specifically, it's for the millennials who grew up with the series, so long as they also have enough disposable income to afford this expensive LEGO set. There are so many of these high-end sets now that an adult LEGO fan has some tough choices to make.

LEGO The Burrow: Collector's Edition, Set #76437, retails for $259.99, and it is composed of 2405 pieces. It is available exclusively at the LEGO Store.

Kevin Wong is a contributing freelancer for IGN, specializing in LEGO. He's also been published in Complex, Engadget, Gamespot, Kotaku, and more. Follow him on Twitter at @kevinjameswong.

Netflix has announced the popular series, Emily in Paris, will be returning for Season 5. The announcement comes just days after part 2 of Season 4 released, which left off with a major cliffhanger, along with a surprising location change for the show – taking the characters from Paris to Rome.

Creator Darren Star confirmed Season 5 will have a larger focus in Rome. “Emily’s going to have a presence in Rome. It doesn’t mean she’s not going to be in Paris, but she’s going to have a presence in Rome.”

The decision to establish a storyline in Italy was intentional to bring the audience to new places, while also showing that the series "has the ability to have a bigger footprint," said Star.

Although Pulsar may not be a household name when it comes to gaming hardware, it’s already made a major first impression in the enthusiast space for mechanical keyboards. For gaming, you want something that is responsive, of course, and the multitude of mechanical switches available means there’s bound to be something that caters to your tactile preferences. Meanwhile, gaming-branded keyboards often offer flashy designs, adjustable RGB backlighting, or features that help you control your PC in various ways. The wired-only Xboard QS is the only fully built keyboard Pulsar has available, and it covers all those bases wonderfully – it’s also the heaviest, most durable plank I’ve ever had. I must admit, however, that its price tag will cause hesitation: $300. It’s a tall ask, but in turn you get one of the best gaming keyboards out of the box.

Pulsar Xboard QS – Design and Features

Getting my hands on the Xboard QS was pretty intimidating because I cannot overstate how hefty this thing is. At 1480 g / 55.2 oz, it’s the first time I’ve handled a tenkeyless keyboard that could be used like a weapon. I’m constantly moving things around my desk, making space for other peripherals or just shuffling around my setup, so something as heavy as the Xboard QS isn’t entirely ideal for my situation. It’s built like a tank with a fully aluminum chassis and constructed with several layers including the frame and multiple foam pads underneath. This gives the keyboard extra stability and improves impact absorption of keystrokes, which also makes that signature “thock” sound a little more satisfying.

It sports a vaguely retro-futuristic vibe with its Pulsar branding, and the pristine white color scheme with a select few black keycaps and accents create a nice contrast that’s aesthetically pleasing. There’s also some tasteful RGB backlighting around the keycaps and through the LED strip above the F-keys. The lettering on the double-shot PBT keycaps isn’t translucent so the RGB won’t shine through, but the clean stylings of the Xboard QS make up for that.

Looking for a new gaming mouse?

Check out our roundup of the best gaming mice!

The top of the keyboard is where things get interesting. I find the volume control knob to be super useful, and with the function key, it doubles up as a way to control the 44 preset RGB lighting profiles. But perhaps its marquee feature is its built-in ability to hotswap between two systems with the press of a button. At the top right, there are two buttons (one marked “X” and one marked “+”) which let you bounce between two devices. Since the Xboard QS is not a wireless keyboard, it features two USB-C ports which let you connect to multiple systems. It’s like having a little KVM switch built into your keyboard. The two USB-A ports let you connect other devices as well, which would likely be used for an accompanying mouse for your systems. As cool as it is, it’s admittedly a niche feature since this is for a very specific use-case.

My favorite thing about the Xboard QS is the type of mechanical switch it uses. The Kailh Box Ice Mint 2 is a buttery smooth linear switch that’s quiet and easy on the fingers – it has a light actuation force of 38g and a standard actuation point of 2.0mm (and bottoms out at 4.0mm). While I’m already partial to linear switches, I was still impressed with its consistency and responsiveness whether I was typing or gaming.

The Pulsar Xboard QS is an amazing wired tenkeyless mechanical keyboard, but $300 is $300.

In recent years, gaming-centric companies like Razer, Logitech, and the like have used proprietary in-house switches and put out keyboards that have much shorter actuation points and travel distances. From a technical standpoint, your input will be registered faster (by fractions of a second) – however, I haven’t found that to be a particular advantage in my experience, probably because I am not a professional gamer (and tend to register errant inputs while typing with much shorter actuation points). While the Kailh Box Ice Mint 2 might still use a standard actuation point, it just feels really good to use all around. While folks who want “high-performance” switches or prefer tactile or clicky switches might be disappointed at first, another important feature of the Xboard QS is how easy it makes physical customization.

Pulsar Xboard QS – Software and Customization

Swapping out keycaps for fancier aftermarket ones is beginner-level customization, and you can do that trouble-free with the keycap puller that comes packed with the Xboard QS. But swapping out mechanical switches is some next level stuff – Pulsar makes that straightforward as well thanks to the Xboard QS’s modular design. Underneath the keyboard, you’ll see a foam layer and some of innards semi-exposed, but swapping out mechanical switches is super simple. You can use the mechanical switch pulling tool included in the package to pluck out individual switches by pinching them on the notches on the north and south. After the first time you remove a switch, you get over the fear of thinking you’ll accidentally break something.

By giving you the tools necessary and making these parts of the keyboard essentially plug-and-play, its modding is made simple. You also get six extra Ice Mint 2 switches in case you need to replace any of them. While I wouldn’t want to swap them since the stock switches are absolutely fantastic, it carves out a niche that very few gaming keyboards offer. As for switch compatibility, the Xboard QS supports MX-style 3- or 5-pin switches including those from makers such as Gateron, Cherry, Holly Panda, and more.

Given that Pulsar isn’t a company with several product lines feeding into an ecosystem, such as Razer, Asus, Corsair and the like, it’s not surprising that its software support is limited, at least directly. You can download the QMK toolbox from Pulsar, but that alone doesn’t do anything. You also need to use supporting third-party configuration programs like VIA, Signal RGB, Remap, and/or Vial to customize things like key assignments and personalized RGB profiles. It takes some extra effort to figure out compared to the all-in-one software suites for gaming peripherals, but it’s not impossible to see how it all works. It further emphasizes the fact that the Xboard QS is intended to be an enthusiast-level keyboard and for those who are interested in the nitty-gritty of customization.

Pulsar Xboard QS – Performance

As I do with all the PC gaming peripherals I review, I played several ranked matches in Counter-Strike 2 and ran through my daily dungeons and raids in Final Fantasy XIV to get both a sense of its competitive and casual gaming performance. I wasn’t surprised to really enjoy the combo of the Ice Mint 2 linear switches and the solid construction of the Xboard QS. With responsive and satisfying keystrokes, techniques like quick-strafing and peeking in Counter-Strike 2 were as easy to pull off as they could get. Whether I was hitting Shift and Ctrl for when I needed to walk or crouch at a moment’s notice, or mashing on Space and Ctrl to crouch-jump, the stability and consistency between each keystroke left me confident in my movements.

The Kailh Box Ice Mint 2 is a buttery smooth linear switch that’s quiet and easy on the fingers.

In FFXIV, I like having the standard 2.0mm actuation point lest my heavy hand accidentally execute a cooldown while waiting to pull a boss. That said, I’m particular about the tactility of the keycaps themselves, which helps me distinguish one key from another when frantically going through my attack rotation in raids. And because the Ice Mint 2 switches have a fairly low actuation force, using the Xboard QS puts a lot less stress on my fingers, making longer sessions much more manageable.

Something I really like doing when I try out a new keyboard is play Stepmania – the PC equivalent of Dance Dance Revolution – using the arrow keys. It’s not just to see how fast its inputs are, but to get a good feel of how responsive its keys and switches are in high-stress scenarios. The keys themselves are set quite deep into the keyboard on the Xboard QS, though, and this was noticeable where my finger would come in contact with the board itself when bottoming out on the up-arrow key. However, getting perfect combos on songs was really satisfying thanks to the smooth linear switches. Similarly, the keyboard’s construction provided stability and a bounciness that played well with rapid keystrokes.

Those sentiments extend to how much of a joy it is to type on the Xboard QS. I still stick with my Cherry MX LP 2.1 for all-purpose scenarios, but this is the closest I’ve been to considering swapping to a different keyboard full-time. Ultimately, if I’m shelling out around $300 for a keyboard, I would want to make damn sure it was a good fit for every scenario I’d use it in.

The infamous Madden curse appears to be back as Madden NFL 25 cover star Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers has been ruled out for four games.

Sky News reported on McCaffrey's shift to the injured reserve list due to calf tightness and achilles tendinitis one month after he graced the cover of the latest American football entry from EA Sports, which arrived August 13, 2024.

McCaffrey could return as early as October 10 to play against the Seattle Seahawks so hopefully this injury scare isn't too serious, but it does bring the so-called Madden curse to mind. This fan theory suggests any athlete who appears on the cover of Madden NFL suffers a downturn in their career, either from an injury or generally underperforming.

During last year's Game Awards, Archetype Entertainment unveiled its upcoming AAA RPG, Exodus. Crafted by a team of industry veterans, including former Mass Effect staff from BioWare and more recruits from 343, Naughty Dog, and other leading studios, Exodus promises to deliver a "next-generation, story-driven RPG" that blends cinematic storytelling with modern AAA gameplay.

Collaborating on the project is renowned sci-fi author Peter F. Hamilton. Acclaimed for his expansive Commonwealth Saga and The Night's Dawn Trilogy, Hamilton has lent his world-building expertise to shape Exodus and its broader universe. Alongside consulting on the game, Hamilton is also penning a duology of books set in its universe. The first novel, Exodus: The Archimedes Engine, will be released on September 19, with preorders now available on Amazon in the UK and the US.

We had the pleasure of interviewing the author, discussing The Archimedes Engine, his assistance in constructing the Exodus universe, and how his signature storytelling style brings depth and complexity to this expansive new sci-fi franchise.

The team at Archetype Entertainment has praised you for helping make the Exodus universe more scientifically accurate. What were some key areas where your expertise made a significant difference?

PFH: The best example was my contribution to the method used by Celestial starships to travel between stars at just below lightspeed. They’d got the basic requirements worked out, I just suggested a more practical method of doing what they wanted, especially in terms of the energy requirement of accelerating the huge mass of a starship up to those speeds.

What were the biggest challenges in writing within a universe that’s being built for multiple platforms? Did any aspect of the world or characters evolve based on feedback from the game developers?

PFH: The whole experience of working with others on this kind of huge-scale project was extremely satisfying. The Archetype team had already drawn up their basic guidelines, what they wanted to achieve, for the Exodus universe by the time I came on board. Being able to apply my take on those objectives was something very new for me.

Sometimes I’d have to come up with whole new technologies, which is relatively easy for a sci-fi writer; then again sometimes I’d have to find a very different societal structure for a Dominion, which means a lot of backstory as to why certain Celestials behave the strange way they do.

I’d send these in and get feedback, which would often necessitate tweaking the concepts to make them a better fit. I think we managed to get most ideas polished after a couple of revisions. It was a very positive time for me.

The Exodus universe is populated by great houses and expansive star systems. How much freedom do you have to invent and flesh out these factions, and do any of them play a key role in The Archimedes Engine?

PFH: I wouldn’t describe it as having a freedom, given that I was one of the consultants that helped shape the nature of the Exodus universe. What that opportunity gave me was knowledge of what could and could not be out there. So when I needed to add a new Celestial species, society, or star system to the story, I knew what would fit into the universe and how to shape it accordingly. And yes, the Celestials play a huge part in the Archimedes Engine. They are not benign, which makes this a dangerous universe to explore, especially for humans.

What challenges did you face in balancing scientific realism with the imaginative demands of world-building in Exodus?

PFH: This is always a challenge for sci-fi. You want to push the envelope of what can be achieved, yet at the same time make it reasonably believable. In this case, the Archetype team had some good ground rules established for what they would and wouldn’t have in the Exodus universe. So in many respects it was like my usual worldbuilding, I always plot the parameters for what can be done before I start concentrating on the individual details. In other words: the team knew what they were doing.

The Archetype Entertainment team has mentioned how much they admire your work. How did their familiarity with your novels influence the creative process during collaboration?

PFH: That’s very kind of them. Given the type of novels and themes I usually write, that is: big stories set in the far future, I think they saw me as someone who could contribute to the kind of Space Opera setting they were building for Exodus. From my point of view, it was a great fit. I had a terrific time working with them.

Turtle Beach may have made its name through years with gaming headsets – reaching a new peak with the latest Atlas Air headset. But other peripherals, such as gaming mice, have entered its roster in recent years (due in part to the acquisition of Roccat). Its latest in the wired Kone II and wireless Kone II Air go for a balance between ergonomics and gaming, striking a good middle ground. There are some slight yet notable differences between the two, and here, I’m focusing on the wired version of the Kone II. It’s a chunky mouse and that makes it not the best fit for high-level competitive shooters, but despite its somewhat tacky-looking design, it’s super comfortable with a lot of utility as an everyday workhorse.

Turtle Beach Kone II – Design and Comfort

The Kone II sports a somewhat gaudy design, with prominent RGB lights along the top sides of the mouse and sharp contours to give it a high-tech look. The material housing the RGB strips looks a bit muddled and doesn't have the kind of glint you see on other premium peripherals with RGB lighting. I don’t put too much stock into flourishes though, because what’s more important is that this mouse fits like a glove.

Its deep-set grooves let my thumb sit comfortably in place, and its wide base not only gives the mouse stability when swiping it around, but it also serves as a platform for my thumb to rest when I’m not trying to hold it tightly. I don’t have to grip it very much to use in a casual setting, especially because the texture of the mouse itself has a good stickiness, so working with it puts less strain on my hand throughout the day.

Like most gaming mice, the Kone II has two side buttons near the thumb area, and the gap between the front and back buttons make it simple to distinguish between the two. There’s also an extra programmable button along the edge of the base of the mouse – a convenient addition. It’s easy to actuate with my thumb, yet is positioned smartly so I never accidentally hit it. This button can work as the Easy Shift feature unique to Turtle Beach mice – when you hold it down, it temporarily changes the actions of buttons to whatever you program them in the Turtle Beach software, functioning as if it’s a ctrl key for your mouse.

The scroll wheel also has distinct side-to-side clicks, creating two extra programmable inputs in addition to the standard mouse wheel middle click. Thankfully, it’s easy to flick the scroll wheel buttons in whichever direction. The Kone II finds the right balance in actuation force with all these extra buttons, as well as on its standard left and right mouse buttons, so using them is rather effortless.

This is a pretty big mouse, however. As someone with big hands, it was surprising to use a mouse that filled up my hand for a full palm grip, but that did help with comfort. That said, do note that this is a bit on the heavier side, with the wired Kone II coming in at 90g. For an ergonomic mouse with all kinds of bells and whistles, that added weight comes with the territory, which affects performance in certain contexts (more on that later).

Turtle Beach Kone II – Software, Customization, and Battery Life

The Kone II uses Turtle Beach’s Swarm II software suite, which I’ve found to be straightforward to use whether it be for headsets or mice. Here, you can program each button and set the button mappings for the Easy Shift feature. All of this is simple to customize thanks to a clean, responsive UI with options that are laid out clearly. The options themselves are pretty sophisticated, but tinkering with the onboard profile of my Kone II was straightforward.

Aside from button mapping and Easy Shift, you can set your DPI ranges (up to 26,000 in increments of 50), debounce time, polling rate (up to a max of 1000 Hz, which I recommend using at all times), and toggle angle snapping. And of course, you can also customize the RGB profile with different lighting effects and color patterns across the mouse’s five different lighting zones (two on each RGB strip and the scroll wheel). Overall, the Swarm II software makes customization simple, letting the Kone II’s features sing.

Turtle Beach Kone II – Performance

The Kone II is a comfortable, ergonomic-focused, and fully featured mouse, but how it performs in gaming scenarios depends on what you play. The Kone II’s Owl-Eye 26K optical sensor is fast and accurate, and the Titan optical switch for its left and right mouse buttons are as responsive as you could possibly ask. Still, there are a few compromises to consider when using a mouse of this style.

While it’s by no means a bad mouse to use for shooters, there are several other mice I would more strongly recommend for those who take competitive shooters seriously. It’s the same thing I say about my favorite ergonomic-gaming mouse, the Logitech G502 – the weight, size, and wide base make it tougher to whip around for precision shots in the heat of the moment in games like Counter-Strike 2 or Valorant. The Kone II isn’t exactly a nimble mouse, especially compared to something like the Razer Deathadder V3, which is specifically designed to give you the competitive edge in the aforementioned games. If you just dip into multiplayer shooters without worrying too much about absolute peak performance, you’ll be fine, but I personally am always going to prefer a lighter and more nimble mouse regardless of whether or not I’m trying to rank up.

Looking to upgrade your keyboard?

Will Rockstar delay GTA 6 out of 2025 and into 2026? It’s one of the burning questions gamers, publishers, and analysts have of what to expect from next year. In truth, only Rockstar can answer that question, but one former developer at the studio has suggested such a decision could come in pretty hot.

Former Rockstar Games technical director Obbe Vermeij, who IGN has reported on before after he shed light on Rockstar’s long lost game Agent’s development troubles, tweeted to provide some context on any speculation about the fate of GTA 6’s current fall 2025 release window on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.

While stressing he has no inside information, Vermeij pointed to Rockstar’s decision to delay GTA 4 from 2007 into 2008, a decision, he said, that was made just four months before the original release date. GTA 4 originally had an October 2007 release date, but the delay was announced in August 2007, just two months beforehand. According to Vermeij, the decision to delay will have been made around June.

And so, applying that logic to GTA 6, a decision on whether to delay the game could be made around May 2025, around four months before its fall 2025 release window, if September 2025 is indeed the targeted release month. If that’s true, then we won’t know if the game is delayed or not for at least half a year.

“The decision to delay GTA 4 was made four months or so before the original release date,” Vermeij said. “Any further and it's hard to make the call. Rockstar is probably not in a position to determine whether they will hit 2025 until May-ish.”

Vermeij added that Rockstar will be mindful of GTA 6’s impact and its potential to make billions of dollars for years to come, potentially even over a decade. And so, the studio won’t rush the game out to hit a release date.

“GTA 6 will sell for 10 plus years and there is no competition to worry about,” Vermeij said. “They are not going to release the game until they're 100% happy with it. No matter what it said in the trailer.”

Rockstar Games officially revealed GTA 6 last December, with the first official trailer becoming the most-viewed video game reveal on YouTube within 24 hours. Set in modern-day Leonida, a fictionalized version of Florida, GTA 6 sees players control Lucia and an unnamed male that some fans speculate is named Jason.

Questions have swirled around GTA 6's release date ever since the initial reveal, with fans going feral over details like website updates. Internal conflicts over Rockstar's return to office policy has led to questions over whether GTA 6 will ultimately be delayed into 2026. However, as of right now, it looks like parent company Take-Two and Rockstar are set on getting it out by its intended release window.

In May, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick told IGN: "We do feel highly confident that we'll deliver [GTA 6] in fall of 2025.”

For more on GTA 6, check out how musical artists Schoolboy Q and T-Pain are involved, as well as our roundup recapping everything we so know far about the next entry in Rockstars' beloved franchise. Additionally, check out our analysis piece on how GTA 6 could be one of the most important video games ever released.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Woot is once again offering up some fantastic video game deals that you don't want to miss. Right now, as part of the website's 'Fall In Love With Video Games' event that only runs for a few more days, you can score Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for PS5 and Nintendo Switch (see here at Woot) and Unicorn Overlord for Xbox Series X for just $29.99 (see here at Woot). That's 50% off both of their MSRPs - a price drop that's well worth taking advantage of while it's still live for the next few days.

We likely won't see a discount like this again until Prime Day 2 hits around October or even in November for Black Friday, so stock up now while you can. Check them out at the links below.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Down to $29.99 (50% Off)

Nintendo has announced two new Nintendo Switch bundles for release this fall: Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online membership.

These bundles, Nintendo hopes, will prove popular among shoppers hoping to get a jump on the holiday rush.

The $349.99 Nintendo Switch – OLED Model: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle includes the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model system with white Joy-Con controllers, a download code for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe game, and a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online individual membership.

Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection launched last week and — matchmaking issues aside — players have been enjoying its nostalgia-fueled combat. But there’s one problem: fighting game legend Justin Wong.

Wong, one of the greatest fighting game players of all time and one half of Evo Moment #37, has returned to his old stomping ground with the release of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection and, predictably, is destroying his opponents.

Wazzler, the online name Wong is using to play Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, and in particular the long-awaited modernized Marvel vs.Capcom 2, was trending across social media as the fighting game pro began his relentless evisceration of all challengers.

LMAO Someone sent me this and I refuse to believe it pic.twitter.com/lQFXdhbMUD

— Justin Wong (@JWonggg) September 15, 2024

Some reports indicated Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection players were refunding the game because of the online tyranny of Wazzler, but that’s mostly a joke that has now become a meme.

Still, players are having their fun with Wong’s return, and have taken to Steam user reviews to joke about the one problem they have with Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Wazzler himself.

BRUH WHAT IS HAPPENING pic.twitter.com/2ft0rGpexN

— Justin Wong (@JWonggg) September 14, 2024

“Was really excited to finally play Marvel vs Capcom 2,” reads the “most helpful” Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection review. “Work on decent combos and a team for about an hour. Get matched against Wazzler. I don't even get to play the game. Think I'll stick to playing The Punisher.”

“Be wary of Wazzler,” reads another. “That is three-time winner EVO champion, Justin Wong (not saying to quit him, by all means take on the EVO champ and show him what you got ) but if you're a casual? I'm sorry LMAO!”

“This compilation is really cool,” said another Steam reviewer. “Good filters. Good netcode. Good museum. Good music. The only bad thing is that there is this player named Wazzler who I believe has hacked the game and he is using probably an assist cheat system or maybe a TAS. I hope Capcom can provide a solution for this problem.”

At one point, Wong moved on to the Nintendo Switch version of Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, forcing Switch users to brace themselves for the carnage to come.

Started playing PS4 Marvel 2 this morning.

Didn’t touch grass but yall thought rank was safe on PSN?

I’m coming for you soon Switch pic.twitter.com/2FNI9NIAAN

— Justin Wong (@JWonggg) September 14, 2024

Memes aside, Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection does appear to be having some serious matchmaking problems, despite plenty of people playing the game. Capcom has apologized and said it’s working on it.

As for Wong's next goal: ranking number one across all three platforms MvC2 is currently playable.

We did it everyone! First in ranking on Switch. Version as well for Marvel 2

Gonna see if we can have number one rank on all 3 platforms at the same time in the near future pic.twitter.com/TdLXBIvbFa

— Justin Wong (@JWonggg) September 16, 2024

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

With fitness games coming and going and gimmicks like motion control gaming losing their appeal, most of us swear by our controllers, keyboards and mice. How about burning calories whilst rocking Space Marine II or working from home? Under-desk treadmills are an excellent way to achieve passive fitness gains with plenty of options. Better still, there are some epic UK deals to start your fitness journey. Get ready to release some endorphins with these bargains!

TL;DR - UK Deals For Today

Kiddoza Under-Desk Treadmill

Players can use this under-desk treadmill to walk off the disappointment of the new Funko Pop game, thanks to a 4% incline. It simulates a slight uphill walk that helps target your hips and legs, boosting fat burn by 60%. Powered by a quiet 2.5HP motor, it supports up to 265 lbs, letting you jog or walk without bothering others. It's 8 silicone shock absorbers and 5-layer non-slip belt keep your knees safe and comfortable during your workout. The LED display tracks your distance, speed, time, and calories, and you can control it with a remote or an app. No assembly is needed, and its compact design with wheels makes it easy to store under your desk or bed.

Freepi Folding Under-Desk Treadmill

This folding treadmill has a 4% incline to simulate climbs and helps you burn 60% more calories than flat treadmills. Its 2.5HP motor is quiet and powerful, great for home or office use, and supports up to 140kg. The dual shock absorption system (Disc drive not included), 5-layer non-slip running belt and silicone absorbers protect your knees. No assembly is needed, and the compact, foldable design with wheels makes it easy to store under your sofa or desk. Plus, you can control it via remote or buttons, and the LED display tracks your stats while chopping up nids or updating a spreadsheet.

Sperax Walking Pad Treadmill

Noise is always an issue with treadmills, but this walking pad is a top choice if you need a quiet, powerful solution for staying active. It has a 2.5HP motor with a speed range of 1-6km/h and handles up to 320 lbs. Its steel structure dampens vibration and keeps noise to a minimum. The LED display tracks all your key workout stats, and you can adjust speed or pause using the handy remote control. Its non-slip running belt with shock absorption ensures a smooth, safe workout. At the same time, the portable, no-assembly design makes it easy to move and store under a sofa or bed.

3 in 1 Folding Treadmill

With a powerful 2.5 HP motor and a 7% incline, this 3 in 1 under-desk Treadmill offers a realistic running experience to burn more calories. To suit your fitness goals, you can switch between fast running, walking, or incline modes. It folds easily for storage, and the magnetic remote control makes adjusting speed or pausing a breeze. The treadmill's LED screen and Bluetooth app help track your progress, while its shock absorption protects your knees for a comfortable workout. Plus, it's portable and easy to move when not in use.

Unisex Slip On Running Trainers

You'll also need some practical footwear for your under-desk treadmill. These slip-on trainers do the job without any hassle. The elastic cuff makes them easy to pop on and off, and the ultra-light sole won't weigh you down as you walk. The breathable mesh keeps your feet cool during long sessions. At the same time, the memory foam insole offers excellent cushioning and support, which is ideal for hours of standing and walking.

A Stardew Valley fan has recreated the entire Pelican Town using LEGO in a 75,000 piece build that even brought out developer ConcernedApe.

The build premiered at BrickCon 2024 and includes every iconic building such as the Wizard's Tower, Community Center, JojaMart, and, of course, the player's farm. An enormous version of the Stardew Valley title screen was built from LEGO and placed behind the model too.

Creator Steve Jensen told PC Gamer the build took around two years to complete, and his favorite elements include the Hat Shop, "because I was able to make [it] almost entirely hollow, so you can look through the cracks and broken parts and see through to more such openings on the other side, just as a rundown, abandoned structure would be," Jensen said.

@beyondthebrick Huge LEGO Stardew Valley by Steve Jensen #lego #stardewvalley ♬ original sound - Beyond the Brick

"Another fave is the Wizard's Tower. I was able to get the shape I wanted, including a peaked door, and vines growing up the sides, the cone-shaped roof in blue, everything."

The effort certainly impressed the LEGO community as the Stardew Valley build earned the People's Choice award at BrickCon, and it even attracted the game's creator. Eric Barone, the one man developer behind ConcernedApe, turned up to admire the recreation of his own work, something Jensen said was "even bigger news than an award."

Stardew Valley is a beloved farming simulator blended with role-playing game elements that was dubbed a masterpiece in IGN's updated 10/10 review for 2024. "More than just a cozy farming sim, eight years of updates have grown Stardew Valley into a modern classic with an endless list of enticing activities to complete and a deeply satisfying time management challenge to take on," we said.

These updates have slowed down progress on ConcernedApe's next game Haunted Chocolatier though, as Barone said in August he hasn't worked on it "in a long time" due to the grandiose version 1.6 update.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

This is the first in a guest column series from Nintendo Life, the world’s most-visited independent Nintendo website. It covers the world of Nintendo from all angles: the games, hardware, and history with in-depth reviews and features, and also the fan community, culture, and conversation that’s formed around gaming’s most beloved company and characters.

The negative reaction to the long-awaited PS5 Pro’s staggering price point – $699 / £699 / €799 – is something Sony must have anticipated. Anybody working at the company old enough to remember 2006’s PS3 price reveal and its rich bounty of “$599 USD” meme material must still lie awake at night, dripping in sweat, muttering about weak points and damage.

The backlash to Mark Cerny’s Pro presentation is a topic we’ve been discussing recently on Nintendo Life. The reveal itself wasn’t bad: presented in an unflattering 1080p compressed YouTube video, PS5's lead architect did a fair job of showcasing the slightly-better-looking, slightly-smoother-moving updates the latest half-step console will offer. It’s hard to imagine PlayStation owners getting too excited for marginally more attractive background crowds in 2021’s already-impressive-looking Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, but improvements to Sony’s existing catalogue are there if you zoom in enough. For the hardcore crowd Sony is targeting with this upgraded system, that might be sufficient.

The enormously negative reaction to PS5 Pro mostly comes down to just one thing: the eye-watering price. Sony wants $250 more than the standard digital-only PS5, and a disc drive and stand will cost you more on top. Regardless of the target audience, Sony has failed to make an attractive value proposition to anyone but its most affluent aficionados.

So why are we talking about PS5 Pro in a column that focusses on Nintendo? Because the PS5 Pro pricing fallout brings into sharp relief the pitfalls Nintendo must negotiate with its own soon-to-be-announced hardware, Switch 2.

Let me make it clear, I'm not expecting anywhere near PS5 performance from the Switch successor – we Switch owners have gotten very good at keeping our tech expectations in check over the last seven-and-a-half years. But given the increased cost of squeezing decent components, cooling solutions, and a screen into a tablet-sided system, Nintendo has its work cut out to deliver a meaningful upgrade to the current console while striking that essential balance between price and performance.

The sums involved in developing and manufacturing these things have never been higher, but breaking the $599 barrier feels like a calculated move on Sony’s part, preparing players to dip deeper into their pockets than ever before in the years ahead. And let’s spare a thought for the Japanese PlayStation fans, already at the mercy of the weak yen, who have recently taken a hit with a ~$90 price hike for the base PS5. Sony won’t say it but the signal is clear: it’s ‘second-job time’ once more.

When Switch fans over on Nintendo Life were asked if $499 would be too much to pay for ‘Switch 2’, 20% said they’d pay it while around 30% felt that 500 notes would be too much. The remainder took a sensible ‘wait and see’ approach depending on what the new Switch offered – beyond access to new Nintendo games, that is.

Of course, an enticing, exclusive first-party lineup is the backbone of any Nintendo’s console and a brand-new 3D Mario adventure is a far easier sell than, say, the prettier AI-uprezzed foliage in the Last of Us sequel you already platinumed. Even with ageing mobile hardware from the middle of last decade, Nintendo has done a spectacular job with its value proposition this gen. $500 for the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Switch OLED bundle with Mario Odyssey, Animal Crossing, and maybe a Zelda? If you can stomach the jaggy foliage, that sounds like great value.

Now Sony has boldly busted through the door nailed shut for 18 years with a sign saying “$599 USD – DO NOT OPEN”, it’s possible that, in a couple of years’ time, a PlayStation 6 launching at $700 might seem reasonable for a true generational leap, with software to match. Geoff Keighley helpfully highlighted on Twitter the adjusted-for-inflation cost of previous Sony home consoles, with PS5 Pro second only to PS3 ($778) on the list - although the 2006 machine came with a disc drive.

What Keighley’s round-up fails to factor in is the cost-of-living squeeze that’s been eating away at our disposable income for years now. Despite video games’ impressive resistance to inflation from a consumer standpoint, $70 for the latest releases still feels like a lot, even for those of us who understand the costs involved in producing triple-A titles these days. For the majority of people, $700 is an enormous amount to spend on a video game console.

It's easy to think that the reduced specs of Nintendo’s hardware make competitive pricing a breeze compared to Sony and Microsoft’s under-the-telly behemoths, but again, squeezing even PS4 Pro-level tech into a handheld not much bigger than a game case is a big ask, especially at a consumer-friendly price point. Rumours that Switch 2 will not have a sexy OLED display like the current premium offering but instead an 8-inch LCD screen, raised many an eyebrow at Nintendo Life. After three years of enjoying per-pixel illumination, it seems like an odd decision the release a new machine with screen tech that's not as desirable as the machine we're already using.

But hey, perhaps it will have an OLED screen. Every week the rumour mill churns up something new about the next Switch, and it has done for years at this point. It’s launching this year! No, next year! It’s a Pro in ‘2’ clothing! It’s a doughnut or something! We’ll know soon enough. Whatever Switch 2 turns out to be, the PS5 Pro pricing backlash demonstrates how thin Nintendo’s tightrope will be when it finally pulls back the curtain before the fiscal year is up.

Gavin Lane is the Editor at Nintendo Life. He’s been flying the Nintendo flag since the 8-bit days. You can find him in the usual places as @dartmonkey.

Palworld developer Pocketpair has said the survival crafting game dubbed "Pokémon with guns" isn't going free-to-play despite comments from CEO Takuro Mizobe suggesting such a move was under discussion.

Pocketpair said on X/Twitter that the comments — with Mizobe saying that "making [Palworld] a live service game would extend its lifespan and make it more stable — were actually made months ago when the studio was considering different options. It has now decided definitively that Palworld will remain a pay-up-front game.

"This interview was conducted several months ago," Palworld said. "At that time, we were still considering the best way forward for Palworld to create a long lasting game that continues to grow. We are still discussing this internally, as it is quite challenging to find the ideal path, but we have already decided that the free to play or games as a service approach is not suitable for us.

"Palworld was never designed with that model in mind, and it would require too much work to adapt the game at this point. Additionally, we are very aware that this just isn't what our players want, and we always put our players first."

Pocketpair said it is still considering live service elements like adding skins and other additional content to Palworld in the future but it will discuss this with players if and when the time comes.

"We apologize for any concern this may have caused, and we hope this clarifies our position," Pocketpair concluded with. "Thank you for your continued support of Palworld."

Palworld arrived in January 2024 and was instant hit despite complaints it was copying Pokémon in several of its monster designs.

It had reached more than 19 million players by the end of the month, having launched on Steam and Xbox where it went straight into Game Pass. And though many of its players could have arrived via Microsoft's subscription service, Pocketpair made clear its numbers weren't a fluke by announcing Palworld had sold 15 million copies on Steam after a month of sale.

In our 8/10 review, IGN said: "Palworld may crib quite a bit from Pokémon’s homework, but deep survival mechanics and a hilarious attitude make it hard to put down, even in Early Access."

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Intel reportedly lost the PlayStation 6 chip contract to AMD in 2022, Reuters has reported.

Sources told Reuters that Intel lost to AMD in the bidding process to supply the design for the forthcoming PS6 chip (PlayStation 5 uses a custom chip designed by AMD). Sony has yet to announce the PS6, and failed to respond to requests for comment on the report.

The contract, which is worth billions of dollars in revenue, is now with rival AMD, which also fended off competition from Broadcom. While AMD declined to comment, Intel issued a statement, saying: "We strongly disagree with this characterization but are not going to comment about any current or potential customer conversations. We have a very healthy customer pipeline across both our product and foundry business, and we are squarely focused on innovating to meet their needs."

As Reuters pointed out, moving from AMD to Intel for the PS6 chip “would have risked backwards compatibility,” which was reportedly a subject of discussion between Intel and Sony engineers and executives during the contract talks. Apparently maintaining backwards compatibility while switching to Intel “would have been costly and taken engineering resources.”

The news comes hot on the heels of Sony’s controversial PS5 Pro announcement, which has raised eyebrows over its $700 price. But when might the PS6 come out? The PS4 came out November 2013, and the PS5 seven years later, in November 2020. If this pattern repeats itself, the PS6 will come out November 2027. One game that may be set to launch on PS6 is Physint, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima’s long-awaited return to the “action espionage” genre.

Sony itself has said sales of the PS5 will fall as the console enters the second half of its life cycle. Rather than cut the price of the PS5, Sony has in fact raised its price in some markets. As of the end of June, Sony had sold 61.8 million PS5s.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

A former Bungie lawyer has commented on upcoming improvements to embattled live service looter shooter Destiny 2, saying the role of parent company Sony in “forcing” through these changes is very much a good thing.

Last week, Bungie unveiled what it called “major changes” to Destiny 2 that it hopes will win back players. Bungie has reportedly struggled to meet key financial targets, with Destiny 2 significantly underperforming last year. The Final Shape expansion reportedly sold less at launch than last year's critically panned Lightfall.

Destiny 2 will now adopt a new model that includes the release of two medium-sized expansions and four major free content updates annually.

“This evolution aims to enhance the player experience through a new multi-year saga, introducing a non-linear story, more systemic innovation, and significant improvements to core game activities and rewards,” Bungie said.

One of the problems with Destiny 2 that Bungie has now identified is that it’s nigh on impenetrable to newcomers. Speaking in a blog post, game director Tyson Green admitted Destiny is “too complex.” “With literally hundreds of activities, you practically need a PhD to decide what to play and how to get rewards you're looking for, Green added, before revealing plans to modernizing Destiny 2’s user interface “to make it easier for everyone to find and launch into great activities.”

In a LinkedIn post, Don McGowan, the former general counsel at Bungie, reacted to a Kotaku article rounding up the Destiny 2 changes to say he was pleased with Sony’s apparent influence here, which, he said, means the studio is finally “running the game like a business.”

“Much though it pains me to say this, it appears that Sony’s inflicting some discipline on my former colleagues may have forced them to fix the things that were wrong with their game,” McGowan said.

“To be clear: I’m not talking about the layoffs, I’m talking about forcing them to get their heads out of their asses and focus on things like: implementing a method of new player acquisition; not just doing fan service for the fans in the Bungie C-suite; and running the game like a business. Good. I still have friends in that environment and I’d like them to keep jobs.

“This is the future I thought the company should embrace after the Sony acquisition: a studio, not an ‘independent company.’ But there were a lot of egos for whom it was important to pretend that ‘nothing would change.’

“I remember sitting there during the deal saying ‘do you think Sony describes this as them getting to pay $3.6 billion for the right to have no input into what Bungie does?’ That was exactly what a lot of people thought. I guess they’ve been given cause to understand that that’s not how things work. Good. The changes described in this article are the things you do to run a franchise, not to keep making the game you and your friends have mastered, or to chase trends.”

IGN has asked Sony for comment.

Bungie’s Destiny 2 changes come amid a period of speculation and unrest within the Destiny community about the franchise's future. Uncertainty grew when Bungie announced plans to cut 220 staff in late July, with an additional 155 workers planned to move from Bungie into Sony Interactive Entertainment in the coming months. That left the developer with around 850 employees.

“I realize all of this is hard news, especially following the success we have seen with The Final Shape,” controversial studio head Pete Parsons said in a statement. “But as we’ve navigated the broader economic realities over the last year, and after exhausting all other mitigation options, this has become a necessary decision to refocus our studio and our business with more realistic goals and viable financials.”

Bungie reportedly has no plans for Destiny 3 and has canceled a Destiny spinoff project known as Payback. Development on its Marathon revival is said to still be ongoing.

In December, IGN reported on an apparent scramble by Bungie studio leadership to avoid a total Sony takeover. Then, in March, IGN reported on a leadership shakeup on Marathon, which included the removal of long-time Bungie designer Christopher Barrett from the game director role.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.