David Fincher and Brad Pitt are reportedly re-teaming to revive a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel script written by original director Quentin Tarantino.
Details on what could eventually be a groundbreaking entry in Tarantino’s resume come from The Playlist, which says the Se7en duo is propping up the unexpected film to come to Netflix, continuing Fincher’s long-lasting relationship with the streaming giant. Should everything proceed according to plan, the currently untitled Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel would see Pitt return as stunt-double star Cliff Booth.
How such a script came into Fincher’s possession is its own wild story. The Tarantino screenplay is said to be an evolved version of a story previously known as The Movie Critic, a project previously lined up to be the Pulp Fiction mastermind’s final film before it was suddenly shelved last year. Tarantino was seemingly uninterested in letting the idea fade to black and is getting Fincher to bring it to life.
The Playlist’s sources say Netflix paid $20 million to acquire the screenplay with an expected $200 million budget and plans to shoot in California in July – just three months from now. No additional casting details have been confirmed just yet, but Leonardo DiCaprio is not expected to return as Rick Dalton. Fincher and Pitt are putting aside all other projects to focus on this new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel.
Deadline later corroborated The Playlist's findings that a Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel is in development. Its sources say Pitt received Tarantino's blessing to present the script to Fincher, resulting in the wildly surprising project that is now in the works.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood premiered in 2019 and is largely viewed as yet another outstanding entry in the Tarantino pantheon. That said, what could eventually be known as Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2 has a lot to live up to. The original project came with an unambiguous ending that tied up its story with a brutal bow. However, much of its world has been explored elsewhere.
In 2021, Tarantino released a novelization covering the movie’s events while expanding upon its take on a 1960s California. It brought a few interesting revelations about Cliff Booth’s past to the conversation, including an answer to whether or not the dog lover really did kill his wife as teased in the movie. It’s a book that will no doubt carry more meaning when the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel finally sees the light of day, though it’s unclear just how important to the story it will be.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).
An extended sneak peek from James Gunn’s Superman will be shown ahead of A Minecraft Movie screenings in theaters this weekend, but it was first shown by Warner Bros. at their CinemaCon presentation on Tuesday.
DC Studios bosses James Gunn and Peter Safran were on hand along with lead actors David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Nicholas Hoult to promote the film.
The preview focuses on the "take me home" scene from the trailer where a wounded Superman is saved by his super-pet Krypto. However, this preview also features Superman's automatons and our longest, best look yet at the Fortress of Solitude.
However, it's Krypto's crazy dogness and misbehavior that stole the show. Gunn recalled how Krypto's depiction is inspired by his own rescue dog.
Warning: This review contains full spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episode 7!
Many dominoes have been set up throughout the first half of Daredevil: Born Again, and boy is it great to watch them start to fall. Matt Murdock’s personal and vigilante lives collide in violent fashion in episode 7, and the fun comes from watching him fight to keep them separate. (We all know that’s a fruitless endeavor, of course.) Wilson Fisk’s story mirrors Murdock’s, but the merging of his two lives as gangster and politician isn’t a burden to him but an opportunity. This all comes about thanks to the serial killer artist known as Muse, who’s sending big shockwaves through this little corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Murdock starts off this episode feeling revitalized and energized after suiting up as Daredevil again, but his romantic moment with Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva) quickly turns sour when she calls him out on his erratic behavior. She can plainly see that Murdock is hiding something, and she may even be on to the fact that he’s Daredevil. It’s fascinating to watch her see through all of Murdock’s usual BS and use her therapist's ways on him to highlight his rather unhealthy method of coping with trauma.
Daredevil may have just saved an innocent life, but you wouldn’t know it based on how everyone is treating him. Detective Cherry (Clark Johnson) is mad at Murdock for blowing up his life by donning the horns once more, but it’s hard to feel invested in their argument, or their relationship for that matter, when Cherry’s character has remained as paper thin as it was in the first episode. Can we please get him a flashback or dramatic monologue about his past or something?
Mayor Fisk is put in a precarious spot this episode thanks to Muse, but he manages to spin it in his favor. His task force fails to find Muse before Daredevil, but that doesn’t stop him from taking credit for his defeat and taking the opportunity to demonize all those who wear masks. Early in the episode, it’s almost funny watching Fisk explain why, yes, it would be bad for him if Daredevil were to be the one to stop Muse. Daredevil is the one who brought down his criminal empire, after all. Fisk sees New York City as his new empire, and he’s doing every rotten thing he can to protect it from Daredevil this time around. It’s truly scary how realistic his rise to political power feels, as though it were ripped from today’s headlines.
Meanwhile, in Fisk’s private life, the subplot involving Vanessa and Luca the gangster finally reaches its bloody conclusion. I was never sold on the idea that Vanessa would actually betray her husband, so this whole side plot seems a bit empty. It always felt like Fisk’s Fisk’s inability to outrun his past life as a criminal would amount to something a bit bigger and more consequential, but alas, it doesn’t. If anything, at least we got to enjoy the classic mafia-movie vibes of the final scene where Luca tries, unsuccessfully, to assassinate Fisk at dinner.
The main thrill of this episode is the bloody brawl between Daredevil and Muse. I find it hard to believe that a young man with three months of martial arts training, even from a Taekwondo master, could go toe-to-toe with Daredevil like that, but I’m willing to accept it as an excuse to have him go absolutely wild on Daredevil and push him to his limits. There isn’t a lot of suspense leading up to the reveal that this psychotic guy is Muse, but they sure do a good job of making him as creepy and unsettling as possible. It makes Daredevil’s arrival at the last second to stop him all the more satisfying. The hook-through-the-shoulder move in particular got an audible reaction out of me.
Other Thoughts
What are the odds that Glenn is a therapist not only to the Fisks but also Muse? Daredevil’s love interests do always end up being a magnet for supervillains, so that would at least count as some consistency from Marvel.
Okay how much did Muse’s nose have to bleed to allow him to paint that much with it?
If your wallet has been pleading for mercy, it might just have to hold on a little longer because today’s gaming deals are too good to ignore. Whether you're into high-speed hijinks, fantasy epics, or quirky co-op chaos, there's something to tempt every kind of gamer. With discounts this tempting, now’s the time to grab a controller, a mouse, or a magic paintbrush and dive into something new!
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I'm using a NOS burst to light 26 candles on a cake for Need For Speed: High Stakes. This beloved racing game wasn't just about sating one's velocity requirements while unlocking new whips; lose a High Stakes race, and you'd perma-lose your car. Us launch adopters loved that risk-versus-reward structure and the groundbreaking damage system that would go on to influence the future of racing simulations.
Better yet, we had I highly localised Aussie version with Holden VT Clubsport and Ford AU Falcon XR8 featured prominently on the cover. Even cooler, winning the special HSV Pro Cup would unlock Craig Lowndes' MHRT VT Commo'. Using it to evade the fuzz down Durham Road (preferably in split-screen PvP) was mighty boss stuff.
Over on Nintendo Switch, Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a nostalgic joy, letting you wield a magic paintbrush to reshape the world. Meanwhile, It Takes Two delivers co-op perfection with its ever-changing mechanics and won a slew of GOTY awards.
Xbox Series X deals pack a punch, with Hogwarts Legacy offering the chance to live out your wizarding dreams. One fascinating detail: while the game is set in the 1800s, developers hid references to modern Harry Potter lore, including a sneaky nod to the Room of Requirement. On a darker note, Lies of P takes the Pinocchio story and turns it into a twisted soulslike. Its eerie puppet designs were inspired by the haunting works of E. T. A. Hoffmann.
For PlayStation 5, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is slashed in price, making it the perfect time to experience Cal Kestis’ Force-fueled adventure. And then there's Tekken 8, where the King of Iron Fist Tournament continues with Jun Kazama’s long-awaited return after a 25-year absence.
PC gamers aren’t left out, with Marvel’s Midnight Suns offering deep strategy at a fraction of the price. (Pro tip: if you pet the demonic Hellhound Charlie every day, you unlock special perks!) Otherwise, Frostpunk turns city-building into a brutal survival challenge. The developers, 11 Bit Studios, were so committed to the game’s bleak tone that they banned happy endings from the story.
Amazon is offering a great discount on one of the best budget headphones you can find. For just $49, the JLab JBuds Lux Over-Ear Headphones offers features you'd find in headphones that can cost 5x-10x as much, like wireless connectivity with Bluetooth Multipoint, active noise cancellation, spatial audio technology, and more. Most importantly, sound quality is better than any other headphone in its price range.
JLab JBuds Lux Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for $50
SoundGuys recently reviewed the JLab JBuds Lux and gave these headphones an absolutely glowing review, mentioning that they were one of the best headphones under $100. SoundGuys considered them an extremely good value at their retail price of $79. At the current price of $49.99, it's hard to find a better bang for your buck, and it's especially nice that all four color options have been discounted.
The JLab JBuds Lux's laundry list of premium features include large 40mm drivers, Dolby Atmos compatible Spatial Audio, support for PlayStation Tempest 3D AudioTech and Windows Sonic, hybrid active noise cancellation, a "Be Aware" mode that lets you listen in on your environment, built-in microphone for hands-free calling, up to 70 hours of battery life on a single charge (40 hours with ANC enabled), USB Type-C charging, and Bluetooth Multipoint.
These headphones even look the part. The JLab JBuds Lux are thoughtfully designed for both comfort and performance, with cushy earcups that conform to your ear while also providing an effective seal for passive isolation, a padded headband for prolonged comfort, and a foldable design that makes them easy to tote around.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Out of all the modern consoles available on the market, Nintendo Switch easily has the most diverse lineup of games available on the system. Nintendo itself has published over 130 games on the platform since it first launched, with thousands from third-party developers also available. Depending on whether or not you buy games physically or digitally, it can be challenging to search for where to overall best place to buy Nintendo Switch games is at any given time.
If you're new to the console and don't know where to find games, we've put together the ultimate guide on everything you need to know regarding where to buy Switch games online or in stores. And if you're wondering whether your Switch games will work on the Switch 2: The new console's official announcement confirmed it will be "mostly" backward-compatible and continue to support both physical and digital games. Take a look below and add something new to your collection!
Where to Buy Switch Games Online
There are multiple ways to purchase Nintendo Switch games for your console. Purchasing them online tends to be the easiest way to buy any of the most popular Nintendo Switch games, as you can purchase digital or physical versions. Since you don't need to drive to pick up a game, you can either ship a physical copy to your home or purchase a digital key to start playing immediately. Take a look below to discover the best way to score deals on Nintendo Switch games.
Best Places to Buy Digital Switch Games Online
By far, the best place to purchase digital Switch games is the Nintendo eShop. This is directly accessible from any Nintendo Switch console. The entire library of Nintendo Switch can be bought from the eShop, with many games exclusive to the platform. Since some games are digital-only, you won't be able to buy physical or digital copies from retailers.
Speaking of, you can also buy certain digital games from online storefronts such as Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and more. These retailers will offer digital codes that you can purchase, which are sent directly to your email inbox upon payment.
Overall, it's important to pay attention to prices on both the Nintendo eShop and across retailers. The eShop tends to have many more sales throughout the year, but outlets like Amazon and Best Buy will offer discounted digital games for certain sales events that may be better than the eShop discounts.
Best Places to Buy Physical Switch Games Online
As the best place to buy physical Switch games, we recommend Amazon. With a Prime membership, it's incredibly easy to purchase a physical Switch game and receive lighting fast shipping. Most of the time, you can get in stock Switch games within 24 hours. Plus, Amazon doesn't charge your card for pre-orders of upcoming Switch games, as the company waits until the item is in stock.
There's also other solid options like Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. Though, for the latter, you'll want to be careful when purchasing, as sometimes Walmart has listings for European Switch games. These will work on your system fine, but some players do prefer to own North Amercian, ESRB-rated copies.
Beyond these picks, you can also find rare or limited Nintendo Switch physical copies at retailers like Limited Run Games and Video Games Plus. Since these games are either reprints or limited print runs, you won't be able to find these at retailers like Amazon or Best Buy.
Beyond traditional retailers, you can even buy physical Switch games directly from Nintendo! Nintendo's store has almost every Switch game published by the company available, and often, you'll find discounted titles throughout random periods of the year.
Where Can You Still Find Switch Games in Stores
With the physical market slowly shrinking over the last few years, sometimes it can be difficult to find Switch games in store. Luckily, there are still dozens of stores that carry all sorts of Nintendo Switch games on their shelves. Although the company removed its collection of Blu-rays, Best Buy still offers plenty of Nintendo Switch games. It's easy to walk into any store and browse the collection of 50+ physical games available, with most of Nintendo's first-party offerings available.
Additionally, GameStop is a solid option. While we don't necessarily recommend purchasing online from the retailer, it's still easy to walk into any GameStop storefront and find a wide variety of Switch games available. In addition, other major retailers like Target and Walmart still offer physical games, but the offerings can vary depending on the store.
When Is the Best Time to Find Discounts on Switch Games
Collecting and purchasing Nintendo Switch games is not a cheap hobby, but you can offset some of that by buying when games are the cheapest during the year. There are many great times to buy video games, but we recommend holding off for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By far, this is usually the best time to score discounts on Nintendo Switch games, both physically and digitally. Nintendo will discount many of its own titles, and you can score on hundreds of third party releases from major publishers.
While the best options for physical games are limited, it's another story with digital games. The Nintendo eShop hosts countless sales events throughout the year, and it's easy to find great deals. Our advice is to pay close attention to the news posts on the Nintendo Switch home page, as those will mention any new eShop sales on the horizon.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
The Google Pixel line has seen its fair share of discounts so far in 2025. Amazon and Best Buy have been dropping prices on the standard Pixel 9, Pro, and XL versions of this phone pretty much every month so far this year. Now Target has decided to get in on the action by dropping the price of the Pixel 9 Pro down to just $699. The last discount we saw on this phone was at Amazon back in February, so this is a great deal to take advantage of if you've been looking to upgrade.
I purchased a Pixel 8 during Prime Day last year when it went on sale and have loved the phone so far. It's a great alternative to the iPhone with an excellent camera and a pretty good battery life. The Pixel 9 series is the latest in the Pixel phone line, so it's the newest model you can buy.
The Best Google Pixel 9 Pro Deal Today
This deal is only available at Target right now and only for the Obsidian and Porcelain color options. The discounted price doesn't show up unless you add it to your cart, so if you don't initially see the price, that's why. It's also worth noting that only the 128GB version of the phone is available at this price, so you'll need to look elsewhere if you want increased storage.
If you're on the fence about the Pixel 9 Pro, you can check out our guide to the best overall smartphones for 2025. We've featured the Pixel 9 Pro as the best camera phone on the market. This is thanks to multiple excellent front and back cameras as well as AI-powered photo editing features that make it really easy to edit photos after you take them.
See more popular Android phones
When Is the Next Line of Pixel Phones Coming Out?
If you are hoping to wait for the next generation of Pixel phones to arrive before you make a purchase, you will still need to wait quite a while. We expect Google to launch the Pixel 10 line sometime in August or early September. The new phones will usually come out a month or two before the new iPhones tend to release. There is also the Google Pixel 9A, which is set to come out on April 10. This should be Google's answer to the budget iPhone 16e.
After years as a working actor, comedian, and musician (as one half of righteous comedy-metal duo Tenacious D), Jack Black broke out huge at the top of this century, landing roles in big-time blockbusters, breathtaking animation, and even his own starring vehicles.
With a wicked wit, dulcet tones, and a lovable demeanor, Jack Black has found a home in action flicks, family adventures, the occasional drama, and -- of course -- memorable comedies. So, we've looked over Jack Black's vast film catalog and pulled out 14 of our favorite movies.
From awesome animated sagas to rowdy music-making to the truly odd and offbeat, these are the 14 best Jack Black movies of all time.
14. King Kong (2005)
Jack Black played a film director determined to film real monsters on Skull Island in Peter Jackson's King Kong remake. Starring alongside Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Kyle Chandler, Colin Hanks, and a swirling torrent of beasts trying to rip them all limb from limb, Black represented the decaying moral compass of Hollywood, willing to get the shot no matter whose life was put at risk. A full spectacle, King Kong is an epic retelling of a classic story.
13. The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
Based on the 1973 novel by John Bellairs, and directed by Eli Roth, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is rollicking blend of family-friendly heart and humor starring Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Hamilton's Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kyle MacLachlan, and young Owen Vaccaro. This fantastical tale of a boy sent to live in his uncle's warlock-haunted house is a blast and a half (and Roth's first-ever non R-rated movie). Black and Blanchett teamed up with Roth again for Borderlands, although you won't find that disasterous video game adaptation on this list.
12. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Jack Black nailed the body-swap game in this Jumanji reboot-quel blockbuster, as a portly professor video game avatar inhabited by popular, vain teen Bethany (Madison Iseman). Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle grossed close to a billion dollars thanks to a great cast, a fun twist, and vulnerable heart. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan rounded out the quartet here in this superb update/upgrade to the Jumanji franchise.
11. The Polka King (2017)
“Weirdly enjoyable” is how The Guardian described 2017’s The Polka King, and that is correct. This isn’t the only time on this list that Jack Black plays a lovable criminal based on a true story, but he shines as Jan Lewan, who lives his dream by forming a polka band with Jason Schwartzman and dating Jenny Slate… all while running a Ponzi scheme. Black’s beaming enthusiasm and joy for music and performance break through while also managing to let you forget that he’s also swindling innocent people. Is there any actor more likeable, relatable, and easier to root for than Jack Black? Spoiler alert as this list goes on: No.
10. Tropic Thunder (2008)
2008’s Tropic Thunder is a wild, raunchy, so-wrong-it-might-actually-be-right action-comedy featuring an all-star cast. The movie tackles topics like fame and the state of big-budget Hollywood, and features Black as a thinly-veiled Chris Farley/Adam Sandler/Eddie Murphy-inspired character who wants to prove he can really act while dealing with a drug addiction. So of course he ends up naked on a water buffalo, which is just one of many physical comedy scenes to which he commits. Hard.
9. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Jack Black stole the show in The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the sinister, serenading (how could one ever forget 'Peaches'?) villain, Bowser. He was one of our favorite parts of the film, actually, with our 8/10 review stating that, "Jack Black’s Bowser feels like the standout vocal performance as the actor’s trademark bombast fits well with the Koopa King’s outsized sense of self."
8. Nacho Libre (2006)
Jared and Jerusha Hess' follow-up to 2004's sleeper hit Napoleon Dynamite was a fun fable featuring Jack Black as a Catholic friar who secretly moonlights as a luchador to earn money for a struggling orphanage. Nacho Libre is charming entry in Black's catalog, one that finds himself toning down his more-familiar, manic persona for a mild-mannered heroic turn. Army of the Dead and The Forever Purge's Ana de la Reguera co-stars, along with late Lucha Libre legend Silver King.
7. Be Kind Rewind (2008)
This isn’t the most acclaimed entry on this list, but Jack Black is absolutely solid in it, and Be Kind Rewind is sold by his scrappy, sweet energy at the center of things. Black stars as a weirdo who accidentally erases all the VHS tapes in an on-its-last-legs rental store that needs to be saved from demolition, and so he and Mos Def decide to remake “sweded” versions of every movie someone wants to rent, becoming a town sensation. Black’s thrown-together “let’s do it anyway, it might even be great!” optimist vibe carries the feel of the movie and makes you believe something so ridiculous might actually be possible.
6. Orange County (2002)
Jake Kasdan's Orange County, written by School of Rock's Mike White, is a clever teen comedy that managed to be original, funny, and heartfelt in amidst a landscape of raunchy American Pie clones. Starring Colin Hanks as an aspiring writer with dreams of going to Stanford and Jack Black as his dim-witted stoner brother, Orange County is smart, sweet and filled with comedy luminaries like John Lithgow, Harold Ramis, Catherine O'Hara, Chevy Chase, and Gary Marshall.
5. Bernie (2012)
Richard Linklater's true crime dark comedy Bernie was a superb side-step for Jack Black, who plays Texas mortician Bernie Tiede, a man convicted of murdering his companion, a wealthy 81-year-old widow named Marge Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). Black received some of the best reviews of his career here in this rich and rewarding love letter to Southern eccentricities. Matthew McConaughey and Gabriel Luna co-star in this cunning, playful film.
4. The Holiday (2006)
Jack Black's never really been cast in rom-coms, but the one time he was he damn well brought it home. Nancy Meyers' The Holiday features Black as Miles, a Hollywood film composer who adorably helps Kate Winslet's lovesick Iris get over her problematic romantic obsession and find love stateside. Meyers created Miles after seeing Black in School of Rock, recognizing his charm and relatability. Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Eli Wallach also star in this touching story of two women who find new loves after swapping houses (and countries).
3. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Kung Fu Panda, and its three sequels, represent some of Jack Black's best work, and also one of the best-fitting characters for his style of heart and humor. As Po, a lazy panda bear dreaming of martial arts greatness, Black embodies a pure, charismatic underdog spirit in one of the best animated franchises of the past two decades. With wondrous visuals, exciting fight sequences, and Black leading the charge with nothing but his voice talent, Kung Fu Panda is a beautiful, blazing feast for the eyes and spirit.
2. High Fidelity (2000)
After spending the '90s doing bit roles in notable films like Waterworld, The Cable Guy, and Dead Man Walking -- and Tenacious D even appearing in Bio-Dome -- Jack Black was washed in a wave of acclaim for playing prickly music snob/record shop worker Barry in Stephen Frears' High Fidelity. It was a role that showcased both his comedic and musical talents. Witty and wise, High Fidelity would be a big stepping stone toward Black getting headlining roles over the next decade.
1. School of Rock (2003)
Only a handful of movies have been able to capture all that is magical about Jack Black and one of them, School of Rock, did it so well that an entire business chain was created to capitalize on kids wanting to learn to kick ass in a band. School of Rock is a hilarious crowd-pleaser, with Black playing a struggling rocker, Dewey Finn who sees an opportunity to win a Battle of the Bands using reluctant prep school students. This Richard Linklater film is tonally perfect, featuring a top-notch cast, a winning script, and infectious energy.
Upcoming Jack Black Movies
Jack Black is showing no signs of slowing down and continues to work on new movies. Below are all of the biggest upcoming movies featuring the actor that we currently know about.
That's it for our picks of the best Jack Black movies of all time! Let us know what you think of our ranking, and whether we missed your favorite, in the comments.
Looking for more great films? Check out our other movie star lists:
With its online services allowing players to enjoy iconic games from previous console generations and access several expansions for some of its biggest releases, Nintendo bundles a lot into its pair of Nintendo Switch Online membership plans. For those hopping onto the Nintendo Store in search of some new Switch games to play, you can find a ton of added extras with the right subscription.
Now that Nintendo has confirmed that NSO will carry over to the Switch 2, we know for sure that these memberships will continue to provide the same perks, including retro game libraries, on the new console. But which membership plan is right for you? With two plans available, it’s worth deciding which benefits you’re looking for from a Nintendo Switch Online membership and the best offers you can take advantage of when signing up.
Whether you’re looking to play classic games like Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64, or just want to hop into some Mario Kart online with friends, below we’ll run through Nintendo Switch Online’s full list of membership plans so you can make the right decision for you.
Does Nintendo Switch Online Have a Free Trial?
Nintendo Switch Online offers a seven-day free trial of its basic membership, giving you access to online play in your existing Switch games as well as a wide range of NES, SNES, and Game Boy libraries. You can sign up for the free trial on your Switch or through the Nintendo Online website by signing into your Nintendo account and following the prompts when you head to the eShop. After your free trial, your subscription will automatically renew as a monthly subscription at $3.99/month. Keep in mind each Nintendo account is limited to one free trial period.
How Much Is Nintendo Switch Online?
In total, there are two Nintendo Switch Online membership plans - Nintendo Switch Online and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. Both plans can be purchased in an individual or family package, which affects the number of accounts with access to the plan’s benefits. We’ll run you through what each of these plans offer, the benefits and drawbacks, and the pricing.
The base Nintendo Switch Online package, this is the ideal pick for a player who’s the sole user of their Switch and mainly just wants to play online multiplayer. Offering full access to Nintendo’s online multiplayer services, after purchasing the pass, you’ll be granted access to the online portions of your favorite games.
There are also a few added extras. The full Switch Online NES, SNES and Game Boy games emulator libraries are included, featuring a curated list of games that includes classics like Super Mario Bros. 3, F-ZERO and Donkey Kong Country. As long as you have logged into your Nintendo Switch Online account in the last seven days, you’ll also be able to play these games offline, meaning you can take them with you on the go. However, at this price point, you won’t be able to play titles from the N64, Game Boy Advance or SEGA Genesis emulator library.
Finally, you’ll get additional deals and offers, the ability to save your data to the cloud (allowing you to transfer saves between Switch consoles) and access to the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app.
One of the biggest selling points of this pass is that you don’t have to commit to paying a year-long membership from the offset. Although you will get a $27 dollar reduction by paying for a full year out the gate, for those that largely play on other consoles and hop onto their Switch when a big new release hits stores, it means you can jump in and out of paying for Switch Online without having to purchase a full year-long membership.
Nintendo Switch Online: Family- 1 year: $34.99
Nintendo Switch Online Family is practically identical to the Individual tier listed above with the caveat that up to 8 accounts can reap the benefits of Switch Online. Unlike the Individual package, you have to pay for a year upfront with the family plan. That being said, for large households all using different accounts, it’s a much lower price than paying for 8 Individual accounts separately.
As with the Individual plan, you’ll be granted access to online play for all of Nintendo’s multiplayer titles as well as the NES, SNES and Game Boy emulated libraries. You can also expect member-exclusive offers and deals, the ability to save games to the cloud and full access to the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app.
The Nintendo Switch Online Family package is the best deal for large households mainly wanting to play online without any of the additional bonuses and features included in the Expansion Pack.
For frequent Nintendo Switch players, the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass offers a few extra goodies for a bump up in price. In the Individual package, you’ll get all of the features listed in the standard Nintendo Switch Online plan for one account, plus some additional emulators and expansion packs. It’s worth noting that you have to purchase a year’s subscription for the plan instead of being able to opt in monthly like you can with the standard Nintendo Switch Online package.
In terms of emulators, you’ll be able to hop into the N64 games, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis emulated libraries, allowing you to play a curated catalog of classic hits like Ocarina of Time, Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Metroid Fusion. Nintendo also recently added more Rare games to their Switch Online library.
You’ll also be able to access major expansions for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 2. It’s worth noting that each of these expansions can be purchased separately via the Nintendo Switch Online store if you want to play the DLCs without subscribing.
The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Individual package is best suited for those looking to play some classic games on their Switch without having to source old consoles and games. If you’re mostly just looking to play with friends in multiplayer, you’re best opting for the standard Nintendo Switch Online plan rather than paying extra for the Expansion Pack upgrade.
Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack: Family - 1 year: $79.99
As with the Individual version of the plan, the Family Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack package offers the N64, Game Boy Advance and SEGA Genesis emulator libraries plus the Animal Crossing, Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 expansions. The major difference is that up to eight accounts will be able to use these benefits simultaneously.
That’s of course also packaged with everything contained in the standard Nintendo Switch Online plan, including the NES, SNES and Game Boy emulated libraries, online multiplayer, cloud saving and exclusive deals and discounts.
The Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Family package is best for households all wanting access to Nintendo Switch Online and the Expansion Pack’s various bonuses. However, the hike in price is much larger than the standard Nintendo Switch Online package, so it’s worth noting that the expansion packs included are purchasable separately if that’s mainly what you’re after.
Given the potential release of GTA VI and the possibilities presented by Nintendo's Switch 2 launch lineup, 2025 could go down as the decade's most memorable year in gaming. Even without those juggernauts, games like Monster Hunter Wilds and Assassin's Creed Shadows have already set the tone for what should be another great year for new games.
Through the first quarter of the year, 18 games have earned a spot on this list, which compiles every game and expansion released in 2025 that received a review score of 8 or higher from IGN. These are IGN's best video games of 2025.
This list will be updated as new releases receive qualifying review scores.
Review Score: 8 (“Great”)
These games leave us with something outstanding to remember them by, usually novel gameplay ideas for single-player or multiplayer, clever characters and writing, noteworthy graphics and sound, or some combination thereof. If we have major complaints, there are more than enough excellent qualities to cancel them out.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
From our review:Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes a flashing blade to the series’ established norms, trimming them to a more precise form in lieu of chopping them down outright. Combat is aggressive and requires more intentional parrying and skill management than in the past, and exploring the gorgeous provinces of Sengoku-period Japan is encouraged thanks to the revamped map that deemphasizes collecting icons and checking off lists. Naoe and Yasuke are well-realized and memorable protagonists, even though most of the story they drive follows pretty predictable paths. Both have unique playstyles that bolster each other’s weaknesses, but they are ultimately imbalanced by the fact that you can make use of the stealth and exploration skills of the master shinobi far more than the superhuman strength of the samurai. This isn’t the Assassin’s Creed that will change the minds of folks that never connected with the series before, but for those of us with lots of hours logged in the Animus, the sum of Shadows’ parts provide a refreshing realignment of the series that you should not skip. – Jarrett Green
Atomfall
From our review:Atomfall is a gripping survival-action adventure that takes some of the best elements of Fallout and Elden Ring, and synthesises them into its own fresh mutation. It presents a picturesque chunk of English countryside littered with alluring structures to pique and reward your curiosity, eccentric locals to meet, and absorbing mysteries to unravel, and uses classic iconography from British sci-fi and horror to consistently unsettling effect. In spite of some enemy behaviours that are occasionally less stable than a reactor in meltdown, Atomfall is a compelling, post-apocalyptic survival story that satisfyingly bends to your choices and discoveries no matter which direction you take. – Tristan Ogilvie
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector
From our review:Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector does not stray too far from what made the first one a cult hit, but it doesn’t need to. It tells a rich and poignant story about the complex nature of control on one’s self when that self is a machine that can be rebooted and hacked, finding and enriching community in the face of overwhelming odds, and expressing personhood both to oneself and to others. It’s visual novel-like presentation is heavy on reading and dice rolling, so its not exactly pulse-pounding, but the retooled character classes and stats, new crew missions, and stress mechanics provide just enough feedback and create a sense of precarity throughout that it stays engaging. – Jarrett Green
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD
From our review: Somehow, Donkey Kong Country Returns returned (again), but Nintendo’s third full release of this 2010 Wii platformer is almost as fresh and fun today as it was 15 years ago. DK’s satisfying, weighty movement paves the way for a challenging, momentum-based platformer that demands more skill and precision than the average Nintendo game. But it stays fun rather than frustrating thanks to incredibly impressive level design that explores every clever idea to the fullest and a ton of hidden collectibles worth tracking down. As a remaster specifically, it’s no more than a passable update, with graphics that can only really be described as “good enough” and some outdated elements that could have used more modern touches, like a lack of checkpoints during boss fights and a few obnoxious sections full of one-hit kill obstacles. But Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is still a competent update and easily the best way to play one of the greatest 2D platformers Nintendo has released this century. – Logan Plant
Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
From our review: Propelled by a breezy and often completely bananas treasure-hunting tale, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a delightful spin-off that seamlessly shifts between street thuggery and skulduggery. Majima’s Sea Dog stance is one of the most fun and flexible fighting styles I’ve enjoyed in the series to date – at least in its classic, combo-based form – and I welcomed the challenge of carefully balancing my crew lineup in order to survive the many turbulent naval battles. While its overworld maps feel a little padded out with recycled island settings, Honolulu itself is jammed with unpredictable substories and overhauled activities that meant every moment of shore leave was full of surprises. Absolutely heaving with buried treasures and varied pleasures, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is a consistently captivating voyage that kept my timbers shivering whether on land or at sea. – Tristan Ogilvie
Monster Hunter Wilds
From our review:Monster Hunter Wilds continues to smooth off the traditionally rough edges of the series in smart ways, reducing as much friction as possible that could get in the way of you grabbing any of its exceptionally fun weapons and planting them firmly in a monster’s hide. But in that quest to make Monster Hunter more approachable, Wilds has carved a little too close to the bone in some places, trimming its challenge back so much that I barely needed to dig into its in-depth equipment system at all this time to become an apex predator. Its more flexible combat is some of the most fun I’ve had with the series, but like the blustering lighting storms of its gorgeous desert, it'll burns brightly but briefly until Capcom unleashes some real endgame beasts to challenge us. – Tom Marks
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
From our review:Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is neither Ninja Gaiden 2 nor Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, but instead a secret third thing that mixes both versions together to create something that is wholly unique and by far the most beautiful version of this excellent action game yet. While I have a hard time calling it the definitive release because I prefer the original’s “more dudes who are more aggressive but die faster” approach, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black is a definite improvement over the Sigma 2 release, fixes several long-standing issues, and unlike the original, isn’t trapped on the Xbox 360. It isn't the version I was hoping for (get on it, modders), but it is still an incredible game and I'm happy it exists. If this really is it for Ninja Gaiden 2, it will at least go out on a high note. This trip through time reminded me that while you can't go home again, and nothing will ever truly be like it was, that doesn't mean something can't still be beautiful. Ninja Gaiden 2 is remarkable, even with its flaws, and it's good to finally have it back in Black. – Will Borger
PGA Tour 2K25
From our review: With substantial changes to how it looks and plays, PGA Tour 2K25 feels like a different game from its predecessor. The new swing mechanics, paired with the significantly improved graphics, makes for a much more realistic ambiance, even with a lethargic performance by the announcing team. The highly customizable MyCareer campaign mode shines as one of the most enjoyable parts even though it has a tacked-on personality system, occasional unnecessary connectivity issues, and of course microtransactions. PGA Tour 2K25 is still a few strokes behind EA Sports PGA Tour as the best golfing simulator around, but if it continues to improve like this with each new iteration, we may see it close that gap relatively soon. – Andrew McMahon
Rift of the NecroDancer
From our review: I could wear out my keyboard slapping arrow keys to the beat and jamming in my seat to Rift of the NecroDancer’s excellent soundtrack, fervently chasing down a perfect run of a song for hours. Whether I was fighting stuffy puppet masters, rhythmically ridding the world of monsters, or just waddling around in a silly mole costume, it provides many excellent flavors of arcade-style rhythm action. Even though this “Greatest Hits” anthology isn’t as focused or Earth-shattering as Brace Yourself Games’ genre-bending debut album, it still continually surprised and delighted me by providing clever twists on time-tested mechanics. – Charlie Wacholz
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (Early Access)
From our review:Tokyo Xtreme Racer is an infectiously addictive time capsule of a racing game that needs little more than a bit of menu refinement and some major aggression injected into its sound to really soup it up and prep it for even more classic Japanese cars to race in and against. In fact, it’s already well worth its early access asking price. It’s narrow in scope, but its highway battle hook makes it hard to put down, and its total lack of modern baggage like microtransactions and tacked-on multiplayer is outright refreshing. – Luke Reilly
WWE 2K25
From our review: A couple of microtransaction-fueled missteps aside, WWE 2K25 is really the best wrestling game since… WWE 2K24, which was also pretty great. It looks fantastic, still feels good, and there’s a lot of it, including small but welcome updates like intergender matches or bigger updates like the new MyRise and Showcase modes. It’s an upscale wrestling buffet, if you will: It’s pretty scrumptious, there's a wide selection of dishes on the table, and you could spend an awful lot of time in the squared circle if you’re not careful. Speaking of, I need to get back to it. I have some more Showcase things to unlock, Universe is calling my name, and… well, you get the idea. – Will Borger
Review Score: 9 (“Amazing”)
We enthusiastically recommend that you add these games to your to-play list. If we call a game Amazing, that means something about it seriously impressed us, whether it’s an inspired new idea or an exceptional take on an old one. We expect to look back at it as one of the highlights of its time and genre.
Dynasty Warriors: Origins
From our review: If Dynasty Warriors: Origins is meant to be a new beginning, it’s one that gets off to a masterful start. It doesn’t just have the largest amount of enemies the series has thrown on screen at once, it also deepens its combat, improves its storytelling without getting in the way of the action, and provides a healthy amount of replayability and postgame content – all while looking better than ever. Your amnesiac hero is a bit too much of a blank slate at times, but the impressive ensemble cast made this story sing as I grew to care about the characters around him, big and small. Origins is both a great entry point for newcomers and a triumphant return for veterans like me who felt the last few entries had become stale or missed the mark. It feels like the series I once loved is finally back. – Jada Griffin
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
From our review: In many ways, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 feels like it’s picked up and run with the reactive first-person RPG torch that Bethesda left lying in the mud years ago in pursuit of a broader audience. And it has excellent melee combat, which The Elder Scrolls never came close to even at its peak. Sometimes it's not sure if it wants to be a cinematic tale about a specific guy going on a specific adventure or a truly dynamic open-world sandbox packed with interesting and varied side quests, and that can lead to a few immersion-shattering conflicts. But most of the time, leaning into one doesn't get in the way of the other, and you’re free to go on any of its many optional adventures along the way to a thought-provoking and rousing finale for the main plot. I was delighted to get lost in its world, and it will be a long time before I forget its exceptional story. – Leana Hafer
MLB The Show 25
From our review: MLB The Show remains one of the best sports series around. The new upgrade system and the amateur portion of your player’s journey have reinvigorated Road To The Show, while the shift away from Sets and Seasons has righted Diamond Dynasty’s biggest wrong. While it’s a bit of a bummer that the Storylines feature isn’t living up to its full potential, it remains a worthwhile and important inclusion that has reach beyond the game of baseball. All the small touches, such as updated infielder reactions and new quick time events like the swim move, have the on-field action in a great place, too. It’s not always easy for an annual franchise to justify the move to a new entry, but in the case of MLB The Show 25, it does more than enough to make me glad it has arrived. – Justin Koreis
Split Fiction
From our review: An expertly crafted and absorbing co-op adventure that pinballs from one genre extreme to another, Split Fiction is a rollercoaster of gameplay ideas and styles that are usually discarded as quickly as they’re introduced. This keeps it fabulously fresh for its full, 14-hour duration. With no idea sticking around long enough to get stale before making way for the next, it’s a victory of imagination and restraint in equal measure. Hazelight may have been rewriting the co-op rule book for a decade now, but Split Fiction is a new chapter that you (and a partner) cannot miss. – Luke Reilly
Two Point Museum
From our review:Two Point Museum is a rewarding, deep, challenging, and highly entertaining tycoon game that demonstrates Two Point Studios has really hit its groove with this third iteration of the idea. The variety of different exhibits to unlock and level up, the thrill of discovering new expedition maps, and the array of clever and easy-to-use management tools make designing and running a museum joyful and consistently rewarding. I've sunk more than 40 hours into it already and I could easily see doubling that without running out of stuff to do. Call the curator. They're really going to want to take a look at this. – Leana Hafer
Wanderstop
From our review: Every inch of Wanderstop pushes the conventions you’d expect of similarly wholesome games. Its vibrant colors, quirky characters, and enchanting music are used to tell a compelling story that forces you to grapple with both its lead character's insecurities as well as your own. It’s a powerful adventure not just about burn out, but about how deeply painful it is to free ourselves from coping mechanisms that may have previously kept us secure. At the same time, Wanderstop’s simple but satisfying tea brewing experimentation serves as a safe and entertaining space to do that deep digging. There aren’t many games like Wanderstop out there currently, but for all our sakes, I hope there will be soon. – Shailyn Cotten
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
From our review: Xenoblade Chronicles X was already one of the Wii U’s best games, and this Definitive Edition has escaped the destruction of its old home like the White Whale and settled down nicely on Switch. The quality-of-life improvements here are enough to justify another trip to Mira alone for veteran players, and it’s the perfect opportunity for newcomers to explore its beautiful landscapes for themselves. Its combat systems are deep and engaging, and the massive open world never got old to run, jump, or fly across. Its main story may not quite live up to the standards of the series, but a likable cast of characters and plenty of compelling side missions mean Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition is still an adventure worth writing back home about. – George Yang
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.
Sometimes, even the best gaming chairs don’t offer sufficient room, support, or comfort if you’re bigger or taller. That means you need to find chairs designed with your size in mind, like the Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen XL. It’s a premium choice ready for gamers up to 6' 9" and 395lbs. Whether you’re on a budget, want an extra wide seat, or like the breathability of a mesh option, we’ve found great "oversized" gaming chairs for you to try out.
TL;DR – The Best Big and Tall Gaming Chairs:
A great seat is one of the best gaming accessories you can invest in, but the wealth of available gaming chairs is overwhelming, and many aren’t suited for larger-than-average gamers. You want to seek out wider seats, taller backs, higher load capacities, and solid ergonomics that ensure your ultimate comfort so you can focus on what matters: the game.
To help in the search, I’ve thoroughly tested and researched a range of seats that won’t come up short (literally!) no matter how long you’re gaming. Take a look at our favorite bigger chair options – and also see which XL gaming chairs are available now in the UK.
The Secretlab Titan Evo Nanogen XL is the best gaming chair for big and tall gamers. It's designed to offer next-level comfort and support, even if you find yourself on the tall side or tipping the scales beyond what the normal Evo Nanogen can handle. It features Secretlab's new fabric and seat cushion and brings through all of the fan-favorite features of the standard Titan Evo. In a word, it's great.
I reviewed most of the mainline gaming chairs that Secretlab has released over the last five years, and the Titan Evo Nanogen XL is easily the best among them. It features a new ultra-soft yet somehow more durable fabric that reminds me of Brisa, a so-called ultra-fabric used on high-end, uber-expensive furniture. This alone would have made a substantial upgrade. Sitting in it, the new material feels much nicer against the skin, and its improved softness and breathability is noticeable in a single gaming session.
Secretlab didn't stop there, however. One of the biggest and most pervasive criticisms the company has gotten is that its cold-cure fabric, while durable over years of heavy use, is very firm out of the box. The Nanogen XL now features a dual-cushioned seat with a softer top layer on top of the traditional long-lasting cold-cure foam. This, alongside the fabric, makes it more comfortable and feel significantly closer to some of the luxury chairs costing hundreds of dollars more.
I reviewed the standard size, but the XL version is bigger and more robust than ever before. It's able to hold a maximum weight of 395lbs and supports gamers up to 6'9". It's also compatible with Secretlab's range of accessories, including its recliner add-on that turns the chair into a feet-up, head-back demonstration of PC gaming luxury.
2. AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL
Best Budget Big and Tall Gaming Chair
The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL, which my colleague reviewed, is a spacious racing-style chair with all the quality-of-life features you could want without spending a ton of money. It offers solid lumbar support and adjustability so you can focus on your game instead of fiddling with your chair. Even though it's affordable, it's still very comfy.
The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL learns a lot of lessons from other successful chairs on the market. It offers quality lumbar support that's adjustable using easy-to-control knobs. You can shift the back contour to make sure it matches your actual needs. It also includes 4D armrests, so you can count on support whether you're hammering away on a keyboard or kicking back with a controller.
If you're in need of a quick cat nap, the Kaiser XL offers a deep recline using a familiar car-based lever on the side. There's no footrest, so you'll still need an ottoman (or printer) under your desk. Still, its wide seat makes gaming in different postures easier than ever.
Despite the low cost and handy extras, the Kaiser 3 XL is still a throne meant for larger-than-average gamers with its tall back, along with a sturdy aluminum base and steel frame to hold up to 395lbs. The wide, heavily cushioned seat wrapped in durable PVC leather doesn't have any of the metal bolsters seen in many racing chairs that often dig into the back of your thighs. It's available in nine color options to match your space’s aesthetic.
3. Anthros Chair
Best Ergonomic Big and Tall Gaming Chair
The Anthros chair doesn't look like a chair for big and tall gamers, but make no mistake, its unique approach to back support centered on the pelvis means that it's able to cater to gamers and computer users of all sizes. It's well made and super comfortable once you get used to its unique method of support. It looks a little alien, but in my forthcoming review, I found that after a couple days of use, it's hard to go back to a normal lumbar-based desk chair.
Anthros got its start in the wheelchair business. The company is composed of a small team of health experts in designing chairs that people would be sitting in perpetuity. It developed a unique breadth of experience and insight into chair design that actually meets the needs of the human body.
In a meeting ahead of the review, one of the representatives, a practicing physical therapist, revealed to me that they had trialed virtually all of the leading office chairs and found that just about all of them missed the mark on what is actually required to support positive posture and relieve back pain generated by a wide range of causes. By centering the design of the Anthros chair on the actual mechanics of the human body and leveraging their deep understanding of its interconnected nature, the Anthros chair was born.
What makes this chair special is that instead of focusing on lumbar support and thoracic support like the majority of other ergonomic chairs, it instead focuses on pelvic support right at the base of your sit bones. This positions your spine forward, naturally supporting the curvature of the spine.
At first, it does feel a little strange. But once it's properly set up for your body and you've become acclimated to sitting with proper posture, it can feel downright refreshing to return to the Anthros after a traditional ergonomic chair, and especially a gaming chair. It also features one of the best seats I've ever used. It's wide, thickly padded, and has internal cutouts to relieve tension on your sit bones, enhancing your comfort without even realizing that it's doing anything differently in the moment.
There's something magic about this chair, but don't get confused. You should still be trying to stand regularly throughout the day. Even Anthros will say that no chair is a magic bullet. However, this is one that really does approach seating differently, and though very expensive, it clearly succeeds in its goals for postural support and all-day comfort.
4. Razer Iskur XL
Best Gaming Chair for Tall Gamers
If you're tall tall, then you already know how difficult it can be to find a chair that's big enough to match your body. Whether that height comes from your legs or your back, the Razer Iskur XL is your best bet and will elevate your PC gaming setup with one of the most recognizable backrests out there.
In our review of the original Razer Iskur (the non-XL version), we found it to be exceptionally comfortable, and all of that holds true with the XL version. It's bigger, taller, wider, and able to hold significantly more than the standard Iskur, which means that a few extra inches won't hold you back from the comfort and support you desire. It's made for users up to 399lbs and up to 6'10", so no matter how big you are, it’s probably going to work well for you.
Razer has also earned significant acclaim for its unique backrest trimmed in a snakeskin-like pattern. The lumbar is pronounced, working on a tension system to ensure it always matches the position of your back. It's true that some users have found it to be too pronounced, but most people find that they adapt and very much come to like that added support after giving it enough time for their body to acclimate. Once you do, you'll find you can sit for extended gaming sessions completely pain-free.
While its aesthetics won't be for everyone, I find that it delivers where it counts. For any gamer on the tall side, it's definitely worth a closer look.
5. Razer Fujin Pro
Best Mesh Big and Tall Chair
The Razer Fujin Pro has it all: style, substance, and comfort. With its mesh design, you can happily sink into this chair day or night. While it doesn’t necessarily look the usual part you’d expect from Razer – ditching the big branding and heavy gamer style – you'll still get your money's worth with breathable mesh that will serve you well in all seasons, a comfortable waterfall seat edge, adjustable lumbar support, and overall ergonomic comfort.
If you spend a lot of time at your desk, the investment is definitely worthwhile. It offers a wide range of ergonomic adjustments to ensure that it will properly support your body through long gaming sessions. It’s an outstanding gaming chair that offers plenty of luxury across its understated frame, providing the support you need whenever you’re sitting.
When I reviewed the Razer Fujin Pro, I described it as "Razer, all grown up" and it's true. Razer describes this as a chair for gamers that may want something that will fit just as easily into an office as their gaming space but don't want to sacrifice ergonomics along the way. We definitely think it achieved its goal, and in doing so delivered a competitor to legendary ergonomic chairs like the Herman-Miller Aeron. It will serve you well for years to come, thanks to its unique balance between a productivity and gaming chair.
Where to Get the Best Big and Tall Gaming Chairs in the UK
How We Chose the Best Gaming Chairs for Big and Tall Gamers
In deciding which gaming chairs to include on this list, my first consideration is always which chairs I've personally tested and know are worth including from first-hand experience. I, and my colleagues, test a lot of gaming chairs, so drawing on that experience is critical to the process. I strive to recommend only chairs I've personally tested and when that's not possible, do extensive research to find real user feedback on any other compelling options that might exist. For the Best Big and Tall category, I'm looking for three key things: size, support, and durability. Any recommendation I make here is made to last, is known to be supportive, and is big enough to match a wide range of gamers.
What to Look for in a Big and Tall Gaming Chair
Strength and weight capacity: One of the first and easiest things to make sure you’re getting is a sturdy chair. Check the max load capacity to ensure it’s strong enough to hold you up. It’s a good idea to get one that offers a bit of a buffer so the chair’s not always operating near its limit.
Seat width: Many racing chairs have bucket seats that have lightly padded metal bolsters at either side. If that seat is too narrow, the bolsters are going to dig into your thighs and hips. Checking to ensure that a chair’s listed width doesn’t include those bolsters is essential (which we looked out for on the chairs that made this list). Better still, you can find some big and tall gaming chairs that don’t have these bolsters, and that’s a good sign the chair maker knows who they’re building for.
Dimensions and adjustments (seat depth, height, backrest): Your vertical adjustments are going to play a big part in your overall comfort. You’re going to want to ensure the seat is deep enough to come close to the backs of your knees (without pressing into them), tall enough to let your lower legs drop straight to the floor while still touching it, and with a long enough backrest to support your spine. A short backrest may seem like a small problem at first, but if the lumbar and neck pillows, as well as the curves of the seatback, don’t line up with the curve of your spine and shoulder, it will impact your posture.
Ergonomics: If you want to ensure you’re going to get good ergonomics, you may want to also check that the height range from the floor to the top of the armrests overlaps with the height of your desk, as this keeps your arms level with your mouse and keyboard. (This is less of a concern if you’re playing with a controller, though.)
Big and Tall Gaming Chairs FAQ
Should you get a gaming chair or an office chair?
The seats themselves are one of the biggest differences between gaming chairs and office chairs. The ones designed specifically for gaming often come with a long back and a headrest to better support your back and shoulders than a short office chair. Extra lumbar and neck pillows on gaming chairs help keep you sitting straighter, while office chairs often offer more effective lumbar support and better seat adjustability.
Depending on your needs outside of PC gaming, you may also want to explore some XL bean bag chair options you can find within our top bean bag gaming chairs list. We also have our favorite selections of rocking gaming chairs in 2025 which may be interesting to try out as a segue from your couch to a somewhat casual gaming seat.
How does a gaming chair help with gaming?
The biggest thing any gaming chair needs to do is provide you with the support your body needs to game in comfort for extended periods. Beyond that, gaming chairs often come with extra features and bolder designs than traditional office chairs. Their armrests are usually more adjustable to support gaming with a controllers as well as mouse and keyboard. Likewise, the backrests usually offer an extended recline range similar to what you might find in a car. Simply put, the best gaming chairs offer the versatility you need to play games in the position that’s most comfortable in the moment and look good doing it.
Are expensive gaming chairs worth it?
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. If all you want is a chair that looks good on stream, then the added features of a premium chair aren’t as important. Paying a little more can get you important upgrades, like improved cushioning, greater adjustments, and better materials. With that in mind, gaming chairs are like anything else: There are diminishing returns the higher in price you go. If you care about comfort, it’s best not to cheap out, but you don’t need to lay out $500+ for a quality gaming chair.
Are gaming chairs good for your back?
Lumbar support varies from chair to chair, but it’s true that some gaming chairs put looks ahead of support. Many gaming chairs have completely flat backrests flanked by bolsters that hold you in a single position. These are what we call “bad gaming chairs.” Thankfully, it’s no longer true that all gaming chairs have poor back support. In fact, there are many that are quite good, like the Razer Iskur XL. When shopping for a gaming chair, be sure to look at the backrest from multiple angles if possible and read up on what lumbar features it actually offers.
Christopher Coke has been covering all things tech for IGN since 2019. He has reviewed more chairs than most people own in a lifetime from brands big and small, gaming to ergo, and more.
Image Credit: Annalee Tsujino is a multi disciplinary designer and illustrator. Check them out on Instagram @antsu_illustrations.
One Piece as a franchise has been getting a lot of extra attention lately. There's the live-action version of the show on Netflix, some highly anticipated LEGO One Piece sets, and even a recent collaboration with the NBA. Whether you're new to the series or have been around since the very beginning, there's never been a better time to be all-in on One Piece, especially with new episodes arriving next week as the anime returns from its six-month hiatus.
While the series seemingly has an endless amount of episodes – more than 1,000 to be more precise – One Piece has no shortage of movies either. The latest film in the franchise, One Piece: Red, was released back in 2022, but Amazon has only recently dropped the price of the 4K steelbook to a reasonable price. You can also find the same deal at the Crunchyroll store right now.
The Best One Piece Movie Deal at Amazon Today
Since this steelbook was first available on Amazon, it has not dropped below $29.79 as its lowest ever price. The discount that is happening now is largely thanks to the Crunchyroll store offering a price reduction alongside the Crunchyroll Anime Awards that are starting in April. If you're hoping to add this steelbook to your One Piece collection, right now is the best time to do so.
One Piece Film: Red is the most recent movie in the series and probably not the best place for a newcomer to jump right in. There are are actually a total of 15 One Piece movies in the franchise and they all fit in various points in the timeline. This particular movie takes place after episode 1030 on the One Piece timeline, so you have a long ways to go if you're just starting on The Romance Dawn Arc. If you're ready to start the ultimate anime marathon, One Piece is available on pretty much every anime streaming site, including Crunchyroll.
See more popular Blu-rays
Where to Stream One Piece Film Red
If you want to stream this movie online rather than purchase a physical version, there are currently two main places you can watch it online with a subscription. The first is on Netflix, which has pretty much all of One Piece available to stream. The second option is a Premium Crunchyroll subscription, which does offer a free trial for new subscribers.
It’s been a while since we saw a new preorder item this big go live. Nintendo is planning to unveil the Switch 2 in a super-sized 60-minute Nintendo Direct tomorrow, April 2. We expect to learn all about the next-gen console’s new features, along with its launch lineup of games, and maybe even new accessories and peripherals. We also expect to learn when you can preorder the Nintendo Switch 2.
Whether preorders go live tomorrow or at some point in the future, you’ll want to be ready when they do. Here are some pro tips from the IGN commerce team on how to prepare to preorder the Nintendo Switch 2.
When a major piece of gaming hardware goes up for preorder at a retailer, there’s no telling how long it will be available. We’ve seen sought-after hardware sell out in seconds. The best and most reliable way to know when a listing goes live is to follow IGN Deals on Twitter/X or Bluesky and keep an eye on those accounts in real time. Wario64 and CAG are also reliable sources of links the moment they become available.
During and after the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct (which starts April 2, 2025 at 6am PDT / 9am EDT / 2pm BST), we’ll be in the trenches, posting links the moment they become available.
Log Into Your Retailer Accounts
There’s no point in clicking a live preorder link early if you’re not logged in. The precious seconds it takes to enter your login name and password could make the difference between you getting a Nintendo Switch 2 at launch and not. The retailers below are all likely to have Switch 2 preorders, so create an account if you have to, and make sure you’re logged in tomorrow morning, in case Switch 2 preorders go live.
The next step is to make sure your credit card info is entered in at the above retailers so you don’t have to type numbers with your excited fingers as everyone else on the planet buys a Switch 2 before you can.
Don't Despair if You Miss Out at a Retailer
With big ticket items like the Switch 2, the preorder links rarely go live at the same time across all the retailers. Often, Best Buy's link goes up first, followed a few minutes later by GameStop and Walmart. Amazon is usually the wild card of the bunch, sometimes going live hours (or even days) later. So if you miss the chance to preorder from one retailer, stay tuned to see if others will have Switch 2 preorders in stock a little later.
There's even a chance a given retailer will get additional preorders after its initial stock has run out. And even if you miss out preordering at all of the retailers, local brick-and-mortar stores may get stock on launch day. And failing that, even if stock is scarce at launch, Nintendo will catch up with demand at some point, so remain steadfast.
Avoid Switch 2 Scams and Resellers
Anytime a hard-to-buy piece of gaming hardware goes up for preorder, out come the opportunists. You can bet shady sites and resellers on eBay will be primed and ready to capitalize on this moment. Some sites will make their original Switch stock seem like Switch 2 stock. Others will take their actual Switch 2 preorders, crank the price sky high, and re-sell them at a massive profit. If you fail to secure a Switch 2 preorder at a legit retailer when they go live, please don’t pay large sums of money to these people looking to make an easy buck. It’s almost always better to wait until more stock becomes available at a site you trust.
Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.
The Dark Knight and LEGO are the sort of odd couple pairing that shouldn't work on paper, but are brilliant in practice. The moodiness and psychological torment of the source material, and the blocky medium through which it's translated, creates a humorous juxtapostion. The Joker, terrifying though he is, looks adorable as a LEGO Minifigure.
LEGO Batman sets tend to cycle very quickly, from the time that they're launched to the time they're retired. The designers have a near endless well of Batman media to draw from – from comic books, to TV shows, to Hollywood blockbusters.
LEGO recently retired the bulk of its Batman sets, including the Batcave Shadow Box, at the end of 2024. Here are the best LEGO Batman sets that you can buy in 2025.
LEGO Batman Best Sets in 2025
LEGO Batman: The Classic TV Series Batmobile
For people who prefer their Batman funny rather than brooding, LEGO recreaed the Batmobile from the 1966 Adam West-led TV series. If you open the trunk, you'll find Batman's trusty Bat-Computer. And of course, it also comes with minifigure of Batman, clad in his signature gray throwback costume.
Batman Tumbler vs. Two-Face & The Joker
Based on Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, this set pays homage to Batman's tank-like tumbler. The tumbler is scaled to minifigure size, allowing Batman to sit comfortably inside. The set also comes with a Bat Signal and two villain minifigures: one of Aaron Eckhart's Two-Face, and the other of Heath Ledger's Joker, complete with a Glasgow smile.
LEGO Batman: The Animated Series Gotham City
This set is inspired by Batman: The Animated Series, which aired on the FOX Kids cartoon block from 1992-1995. It's a 3D Art Deco relief portrait of the Gotham City skyline, complete with its iconic red sky.
When you open up the buildings, you can find numerous Easter Eggs and references to famous episodes and noteworthy locations in the show's universe. It comes with four Minifigures: Batman, Catwoman, Joker, and Harley Quinn, who made her debut in the series. Check out our "We Build" feature on putting this set together.
Batman Construction Figure and the Bat-Pod Bike
Inspired by The Dark Knight (2008), this sturdy, chunky set is two separate builds: a Bat-Pod Bike with triggered stud shooters, and an articulable Batman figure with a cowl and a cape.
LEGO has recognized and paid homage to every iteration of Batman – from the Adam West television series to the Pattinson-led films beginning in 2022. So no matter your age, or which Caped Crusader is your childhood hero, you can buy a set that will tickle your nostalgia and fandom.
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.
If you're looking for a larger capacity power bank at an affordable price, then check out this new deal from Amazon. Right now you can get the Iniu 20,000mAh 22.5W Power Bank for only $11.99 after you clip the 50% off coupon on the product page and apply coupon code "OORHFI4M". A 20,000mAh power bank at this price is uncommon, especially one that can also deliver up to 22.5W of power over USB Type-C (enough to fast charge a Nintendo Switch). Iniu power banks have solid reviews and are less expensive than equivalent Anker models.
Iniu 20,000mAh Power Bank for $11.99
This Iniu power bank boasts a generous 20,000mAh, or 74Whr battery capacity. If you factor in 80% power efficiency, here are the approximate number of times you can fully recharge each gaming handheld or iPhone model:
Nintendo Switch (16Whr) about 3.7 times
Steam Deck (40Whr) about 1.9 times
Asus ROG Ally (40Whr) about 1.9 times
Asus ROG Ally X (80Whr) about 1 time
Lenovo Legion Go (50Whr) about 1.5 times
Apple iPhone 16 (14Whr) about 4.2 times
Apple iPhone 16 Plus (18Whr) about 3.3 times
This power bank is equipped with three output ports: one 22.5W USB Type-C port and two USB Type-A ports that support QuickCharge 4. The USB Type-C port can charge Nintendo Switch at its fastest rate, which is 18W. It will also charge the iPhone 16 at nearly its fastest rate (ChargerLAB has shown that the maximum rate caps at 30W for the Pro Max).
You don't need to worry about being stopped at airports. The 20,000mAh capacity is well below TSA's 27,000mAh carry-on limit. Iniu provides a 3 year warranty with purchase.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Ever since LEGO's slow pivot to adult-targeted sets, the separation between traditional LEGO bricks and LEGO Technic – the rods, beams, pins, and gears that builders use to create simple machines – has become increasingly blurred. Nowadays, one is often an accompaniment to the other. Technic creates a sturdy skeleton, and the bricks form a decorative shell around it, which gives the model its form and outward appearance.
Featured in this article
It's a product of LEGO's ambition – that the builds got so massive that the designers needed an underlying structure to stabilize them. It also eased many LEGO fans into a whole new sub-genre of building techniques, and if you're one of those fans, you might want to check out a proper LEGO Technic set, which do away with the bricks almost entirely.
Here are the best LEGO Technic sets that you can purchase in 2025.
LEGO Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit
This is a welcome diversion for the Technic line, which typically focuses on vehicles but broadened its scope with this set: a movable model of the sun, Earth, and moon. You turn a crank, and the heavenly bodies rotate and revolve around each other, in sync with the month and the moon phases. It's one of the coolest LEGO space sets you can buy right now.
LEGO Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator
You get two builds for the price of one. First is a flatbed truck. You can lower its ramp and tilt the cabin back to reveal a 6-cylinder piston engine. Second is an excavator, which connects to a charging station and operates via pneumatic pump. You can play with both vehicles together – with the excavator resting on the flatbed – or separately. For the high prices that LEGO charges, it's nice to get some quantity along with the quality, and the Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator feels like a bargain for its size and piece count.
LEGO Technic Liebherr Crawler Crane LR 13000
Its price is something to gasp at considering it's one of the most expensive LEGO sets. But for that money, you do get a massive, working crane that you can control remotely with your cell phone. It rolls on treads, and thanks to counterweights, it can lift a considerable amount of weight relative to its size. Just make sure you plan ahead; it's over three feet tall, and you can't put it on a shelf once you're done playing with it.
See Cheaper Options Like This:
LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car
Created in close collaboration with the team at McLaren Racing, this is a replica of the car that raced during the 2022 Formula 1 season. Open it up, and it has a V6 cylinder engine with differential, pistons, steering, and suspension. It even comes with sponsor stickers, if you want to give the model that 'race day' feel.
LEGO Technic Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance
This race car comes equipped with two pullback motors, which can be manually triggered by a person's hand or foot. It also can also sync with an AR app on your mobile device, allowing you to roleplay as a Formula E driver.
LEGO Technic 2022 Ford GT
With independent suspension on all four wheels and a V6 engine, the 2022 Ford GT is the newest car in the LEGO Technic line. It comes with a working spoiler wing and some beautiful details on its rear lights.
LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR
This motorcycle is bigger than it looks. In fact, it's the largest motorcycle set that LEGO has ever built, at 1:5 scale. Created in partnership with BMW, it comes with a 3-speed gearbox, chain transmission, and two different stands (display and racing) to properly show it off.
LEGO Mercedes-Benz G 500 PROFESSIONAL Line
Luxury and off-road capability combine into one, powerful package. This model of a Benz G500 comes with the usual bells and whistles like working steering, suspension and a fascimile of the engine under the hood. But it also comes with two differentials, as well as a spare tire, ladder, and roof rack.
LEGO Technic Lamborghini Sián FKP 37
With its unique lime green color and golden rims, this is an expensive LEGO set that looks every bit of its cost. It has all the extras expected in a supercar, from the butterfly doors that open upwards and outwards, to the 8-speed transmission and movable gearshift, to the V12 engine. Other supercars in this price range include the Ferrari Daytona SP3 and the McLaren P1.
LEGO Technic Mars Crew Exploration Rover
And now, here's something a little out of this world. This manned LEGO Mars rover doesn't exist in real life yet, but it's a wonderful aspiration, and it comes with a truck bed, a crane, and a cramped if well-appointed living quarters, which includes a shower, toilet, and treadmill. If you're in the mood for something space-geared more reality-based, try this replica of the Nasa Apollo Lunar vehicle.
LEGO Technic has evolved rapidly in the last several years. The rods and pins are part of nearly every "traditional" LEGO brick set, adding mechanical function and stability to even the smallest build. If it's been a few years since you've checked out LEGO Technic, you might want to give it another look. It's only gotten more sophisticated with time.
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.
If you're thinking of jumping on the AMD bandwagon for your next upgrade, now is certainly the right time to do so. Alongside the Ryzen 7 9800X3D which debuted earlier this year, AMD has just released its two higher-end Ryzen 9 siblings in the Zen 5 "X3D" stack: the 9950X3D is available for $699 and the 9900X3D is available for $599. Collectively, these processors represent the best gaming chips across both Intel and AMD. Pure gamers should go with the 9800X3D and allocate their funds elsewhere; creators with deeper pockets and a penchant for gaming will benefit from the immense performance uplift on the new Ryzen 9 processors thanks to their increased core count and cache.
Note: Processors are going in and out of stock (mostly out of stock, unfortunately).
The Creator's Choice: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D CPU
Creative professionals who also want the best gaming chip on the market shouldn't think twice; this is the CPU to get. The new 9950X3D boasts a max boost clock of 5.7GHz with 16 cores, 32 threads, and 144MB of L2-L3 cache. In terms of gaming, it's only a few percentage points better than than the 9800X3D. However, for productivity use, it easily outperforms the other two Zen 5 X3D chips, and anything offered by Intel for that matter.
The Gamer's Choice: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU
AMD's X3D series processors are gaming optimized thanks to AMD's 3D V-Cache technology. However, since all three CPUs have the 3D V-cache loaded onto a single CCD, you get roughly the same gaming performance across all three chips. The minor differences are mostly due to the difference in clock speed. The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D boasts a max boost clock of 5.2GHz with 8 cores, 16 threads, and 104MB of L2-L3 cache Although perfectly capable of handling multitasking, rendering, and creation, the limited number of cores means they aren't the ideal processors for those tasks. However, this is an absolute monster of a processor for gaming, especially at this price point.
The Middleman: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D CPU
The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is the processor you'd get if you do creative work and like to game, but you have a budget to adhere to and the 9950X3D crosses that line. The new 9900X3D boasts a max boost clock of 5.5GHz with 12 cores, 24 threads, and 140MB of L2-L3 cache. This is the one chip we haven't reviewed yet, but from the specs, it's pretty easy to guess its performance. In terms of productivity tasks and multi-core workloads, it should perform somewhere in between the 9950X3D and 9800X3D. In terms of gaming, we expect it to be a wash compared to the other two.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Big news for Now You See Me fans: not only is Now You See Me 3 officially titled Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, but Now You See Me 4 is in the works.
The announcement was made on-stage during CinemaCon by Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, who also confirmed that Now You See Me 3’s previously announced release date of November 14, 2025 remains on-track.
Director Ruben Fleischer has signed a deal with Lionsgate to develop and direct a fourth installment of the action-heist franchise, which has made $700 million at the global box office so far.
The first two films starred Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco, and Morgan Freeman, among others, with Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt joining as a new generation of illusionists and Rosamund Pike also starring in the franchise’s third installment, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t.
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t reunites Fleischer with Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, who were also the stars of Fleischer’s debut film Zombieland. His most recent film is Uncharted, which took in over $400 million worldwide, and he directed Venom, which grossed over $850 million globally.
Bobby Cohen, who originally developed and has produced all the films in the series, will return to produce the new installment alongside Alex Kurtzman of Secret Hideout. Meredith Wieck will oversee the project for Lionsgate.
Fogelson commented: “Ruben has delivered all of the twists and turns and sleight-of-hand that audiences expect from this franchise while upping the stakes and scale in every way. We can’t wait for audiences to discover what he’s done with the third film and thrilled he’ll be making even more magic with us.”
Fleischer added: “Directing Now You See Me: Now You Don’t was as much fun as making any movie in my career. It combines two of my favorite things — heist movies and magic — and working with this incredible cast was truly magical. Of course I want to keep it going.”
IGN’s Now You See Me review gave it 6.3/10 and said: “Now You See Me seemed so promising, but it squanders its cool cast and nifty premise on smarmy, shallow characters and a flimsy, nonsensical plot.”
IGN's Now You See Me 2 review returned a 6.2. We said: "Now You See Me 2 isn't the worst magic act in town, but it's all flash and no substance."
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.
The animated film prequel will tell the story of John Wick’s legendary ‘Impossible Task,’ which is referenced in the movies as helping to create the mythos — and dread — surrounding Wick’s character.
Here’s the official blurb:
The animated film will go back in time to tell the story of John Wick before the first film, as he completes the Impossible Task — the killing of all of his rivals in one night — in order to free himself from his obligation to the High Table and earn the right to be with the love of his life, Helen.
Like the live-action feature films, the animated movie will deliver the highly stylized and defined action that John Wick fans expect and will be aimed at more mature audiences.
It will be produced by the John Wick producing team of Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, 87Eleven Entertainment’s Chad Stahelski, and Keanu Reeves. 87Eleven Entertainment’s Alex Young and Jason Spitz will executive produce.
The film will be directed by Shannon Tindle, an animation veteran who most recently co-wrote and directed the Annie-nominated Netflix film Ultraman: Rising. Tindle also created the double Oscar nominee Kubo and the Two Strings and served as executive producer/showrunner on the Emmy-winning series Lost Ollie. The film will be written by Vanessa Taylor, writer and co-executive producer of Game of Thrones, writer of Divergent, and an Oscar nominee for her work with Guillermo del Toro on the Best Picture winner The Shape of Water.
Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said: “In both animation and the world of John Wick, the possibilities are endless. And there is no John Wick story fans are clamoring for more than the Impossible Task. Shannon’s take on that story is an incredible one, and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”
Stahelski added: “I’ve always been fascinated with anime. It has always been a huge influence on me, especially with the John Wick series. To have the opportunity to develop a John Wick anime seems to be the perfect progression for the John Wick world. I feel John Wick is the perfect property for this medium — anime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters, and our action in ways unimaginable before.”
It’s a massively busy time for the billion dollar John Wick franchise. In addition to the already released four mainline films and the just-announced John Wick 5, the John Wick Universe includes two spinoff films (Ballerina, to be released June 6, and a spinoff directed by and starring Donnie Yen reprising his Caine character, set to start production this summer).
In addition, Lionsgate Television produced The Continental: From the World of John Wick for Peacock and Amazon Prime, and Lionsgate confirmed it’s developing the series John Wick: Under the High Table, which Stahelski and Keanu Reeves are executive producing.
Outside TV and films, Lionsgate recently opened an immersive John Wick experience in Las Vegas and has a John Wick AAA video game in the works.
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.
John Wick 5 is official, with Lionsgate confirming the 60-year-old Keanu Reeves is set to return to the role.
The announcement was made on-stage during CinemaCon by Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. Development on John Wick: Chapter 5 has begun, with Thunder Road producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, franchise director and producer Chad Stahelski, and star and producer Keanu Reeves all on-board. No release window was offered.
While it makes sense that yet another mainline John Wick movie would be green lit, given John Wick: Chapter 4 took in over $440 million at the worldwide box office and each of the first four films accomplishing the rare feat of outperforming its predecessor, it perhaps does not make much sense when you consider the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4.
Warning! Spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4 follow.
John Wick appears to die at the end of John Wick: Chapter 4 after, once again, defeating the bad guys. We even get to see John Wick’s gravestone, with Winston (Ian McShane) and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) saying their farewells. But, crucially, we only see John Wick collapse from his injuries and appear to die. I don't remember getting a look at the death certificate, let's put it that way.
So, how can Reeves continue as Wick? We don’t have story details yet, but we do have quotes from some of the people putting the movie together that confirm this is a continuation of John Wick’s story.
Fogelson said: “Keanu, Chad, Basil, and Erica would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world. We can’t wait for audiences to see where the journey takes us next.”
Iwanyk and Lee added: “It’s so important to get this story right and give John’s story the proper next step. It’s exciting to take the first step on that road.”
As for what a John Wick 5 might entail, check out our breakdown of (spoilers) John Wick: Chapter 4's ending and what it may mean for the future of the franchise. You can also check out IGN's 10/10 John Wick: Chapter 4 review.
It’s a busy time for the billion dollar John Wick franchise. In addition to the four mainline films, the John Wick Universe, as it’s called, includes two spinoff films (Ballerina, to be released June 6, and a spinoff directed by and starring Donnie Yen reprising his Caine character, set to start production this summer).
In addition, Lionsgate Television produced The Continental: From the World of John Wick for Peacock and Amazon Prime, and Lionsgate confirmed it’s developing the series John Wick: Under the High Table, which Stahelski and Keanu Reeves are executive producing.
Outside TV and films, Lionsgate recently opened an immersive John Wick experience in Las Vegas and has a John Wick AAA video game in the works.
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.
The story behind the Metal Gear Solid Board Game is nearly as wild as the plot of a Metal Gear game, featuring a mix of delays and licensing issues, with odds stacked against it ever seeing the light of day before being rescued (much like Solid Snake rescuing Gray Fox) by CMON Games. But at long last, this cardboard adaptation of the Hideo Kojima masterpiece has finally reached the masses. From sneaking around in cardboard boxes to dynamic and exciting boss fights, the game’s tactical stealth gameplay has successfully made the jump from video games to board games. However, the whole package isn’t without its faults, leaving me feeling both satisfied and let down at the same time.
Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game is a campaign-style board game that retells the story of the first Metal Gear Solid game, originally released on the PlayStation in 1998. Designed for one to four players (at least according to the box; more on that below), the game has players move plastic miniature versions of series favorites like Meryl, Otacon, Cyborg Ninja Gray Fox, and Solid Snake himself through 14 scenarios featuring iconic moments from the game, such as the confrontation with Ocelot, changing the PAL Keycard, and, of course, taking out REX.
Unfortunately, there is one significant omission that didn’t make the cut: the final confrontations between Solid and Liquid are not recreated as playable scenarios. It’s a bummer that neither the barehanded fight on top of REX nor the Jeep escape is included. Perhaps the developers couldn’t find a way to balance or explain a 4v1 battle on REX or figure out how the escape would work with all present characters. Instead, they've opted to end on the high note of a dramatic and memorable team-up against Metal Gear REX. But in the meantime, the fan community around this game has you covered. Over on BoardGameGeek, user @Geoff907 and their wife devised and published their own unique Stage 15 for this game for you to try out, if you just absolutely need to get some of that shirtless fist-fight action into your game.
If you opt for the more expensive “Integral Edition,” the rest of the story bits that aren't told through gameplay are instead presented in a striking 109-page graphic novel with art by comic artist Kenneth Loh. It's reminiscent of the scenes in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker or the Digital Graphic Novels on PSP. But MGS wouldn’t be MGS without its CODEC calls. These little burst transmissions between Snake and his support team have been faithfully adapted to this new format, with prompts directing players to specific calls in the included Codec Book, as well as pre and post-scenario briefings. I particularly appreciate the care the developers have taken to make them just as campy yet informative as those in the video game. For example, Snake refers to how many actions he can take or offers tips on beating Psycho Mantis involving “Player 2”-like trickery. Even as a game made of cardboard and dice, this still feels distinctly Metal Gear.
Players unlock new equipment, from Snake’s favorite sidearm, the Socom, to the iconic cardboard box.
Regarding gameplay, players take up to four actions per turn, chosen from those listed on their character’s unique player boards. As scenarios progress, players unlock new equipment, from Snake’s favorite sidearm, the Socom, to the iconic cardboard box, which can be used in future scenarios. This equipment expands each character’s skill pool, effectively replicating the video game’s “procure on-site” philosophy. Once players take their actions, it’s time for the enemies to act. Both generic guards and bosses have action cards that dictate their movements and behaviors, which can change depending on whether they’ve spotted the player. Guards also have a separate reaction deck used in various situations, such as spotting a knocked-out guard or investigating a noise.
Boss encounters pose their own unique challenges, forcing you out of your comfort cardboard box and requiring you to think on your feet. Each boss fight feels distinct, from Revolver Ocelot darting around while bouncing bullets off walls to the Hind D having multiple target areas to damage. Thanks to the game’s tile-based nature, each boss fight takes place on a unique, large board with special elements affecting the encounter. For example, in Ocelot’s arena, the injured Kenneth Baker can be hit and killed, adding a new way to trigger a game over. These special tweaks only enhance the excitement and tension of the encounters, as they are rarely designed to favor the players.
This element of randomness kept me on my toes, never knowing exactly how far guards would move or which way they’d turn. The added dice rolls for checking if my actions made noise or if enemy shots would hit me resulted in an experience that balanced strategy with luck. There were multiple moments where I held my breath as I pulled a guard movement card, waiting to see if I’d be spotted. I never felt the game was unfair, but I also never expected it to be kind. Metal Gear does a superb job balancing strategy and luck.
While the box suggests the game can be played with up to four players, at least for the campaign mode, I wouldn’t recommend going beyond two players. Personally, I found playing it as a solo board game offered the best experience. Each scenario specifies which of the four playable characters can be used, with the first two scenarios playable only by Snake. Only five scenarios in the entire campaign allow for four players (with no missions designed for three players), and the first four-player mission doesn’t appear until the ninth scenario.
From a narrative standpoint, this makes sense. It wouldn’t be logical for Snake to infiltrate Shadow Moses with Gray Fox at his side or for Otacon to tackle Vulcan Raven alone. But from a board game perspective, this limitation significantly impacts the experience, making it hard to convince my MGS-loving friends to play when only one of them could participate in most of the game, while the others had to wait for the last few missions. I would have loved to see optional modifiers allowing additional characters in two-player scenarios or “What if?” scenarios offering alternate viewpoints and player counts.
To the game’s credit, the developers addressed this issue by allowing up to four players in the “VR Missions” mode. This additional mode, which includes its own set of special unlockable equipment cards,
has its own caveat: a lack of content. The included VR Missions book features six mission types – Recon, Escape, and Sabotage, among others – but each type has only one associated map layout. While some tokens and traps may change between sessions, and you can swap in a boss model for extra challenge, the guard layouts and objectives remain the same. With the map never changing, once you know what to do, the mode quickly loses its luster. I hope that CMON or the community releases creative and fun new maps and missions to keep things fresh.
While supplies last, Gamestop is offering the excellent Super Mario RPG remake for Nintendo Switch for only $19.99. You can get free shipping on orders over $79 or choose in-store pickup, otherwise pay a $6.99 shipping fee. This game is a brand new and sealed physical copy so you can sell or trade it off when you're done with it.
Super Mario RPG for $19.99
Super Mario RPG is a remake of the 1996 SNES classic. It was one of the best games to grace the console back then amidst a sea of other incredible titles, and Nintendo did a great job of staying faithful to the game's charm and fun factor. A whole slew of improvements have been implemented to bring this game up to modern day standards, including updated visuals, music, gameplay mechanics, and several small yet welcome quality-of-life UI improvements.
In our Super Mario RPG review, Tom Marks wrote that "Super Mario RPG is considered a classic for a reason, and this wonderfully faithful remake makes it easy for anyone who missed it in the SNES era to see why. It’s unabashedly odd, reveling in the unexpected with writing that constantly had me bursting out laughing at jokes I’d heard a dozen times before. Its turn-based combat is fairly simple outside of its very clever boss fights, but it’s also ultra satisfying to keep your timing string going even when you’re plowing through pushovers. And while the updated graphics are equal parts pretty and sort of unambitious when it comes to interpreting the original’s style (with some unfortunate menu lag), the new takes on its excellent music are truly exceptional. Super Mario RPG already held up pretty well if you didn’t mind a bit of dust on its different systems, but now there’s no excuse not to see why Mario’s most unexpected adventure is still so beloved."
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Arzopa is offering an excellent deal on this 16" 1080p USB Type-C portable monitor. The Arzoa Z1C is normally listed at $129.99, but you can get it for $79.99 after you clip a $10 off coupon on the product page. This is an excellent way to boost your productivity by adding on a secondary display with minimal hassle and at an affordable price. It also works well as a portable standalone display for your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.
Arzopa Z1C 16" 1080p USB-C Portable Monitor for $79.99
The Arzopa Z1 is a 16" monitor with both USB Type-C and mini HDMI ports to connect to a laptop, tablet, or gaming handheld. It can work as a standalone or secondary display. If your device is equipped with a USB Type-C output with Power Delivery, then a single cable can be used for both video and power. Otherwise, you'll need two cables: a mini HDMI or USB Type-C cable for video and a second USB Type-C cable to a wall charger for power. USB Type-C cables are provided, however you'll have to supply your own HDMI cable and wall charger.
The monitor is designed to be portable. It weighs just under 1.7 pounds and measures 0.37" thin. It sports a sturdy metal frame and includes a smart cover that has a built-in kickstand. The 16" display features a 1080p resolution (136ppi) with 60Hz refresh rate, an IPS panel with 100% sRGB color gamut, wide great viewing angles, and an anti-glare matte surface. It even has built in speakers for the times you need audio in a pinch.
Compatible with Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck
This monitor works quite well paired with a gaming handheld like the Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck. You will have to use the two-cable setup (one USB cable to the handheld, one USB cable to a wall charger) for this to work properly. The S1's 1080p 60Hz panel is a great matchup particularly for the Nintendo Switch, since the Switch only supports up to 720p @ 60Hz anyway. The Steam Deck can support higher resolutions and refresh rates, but at that point you're really taxing your system, and 1080p/60Hz is an ideal balance between visual fidelity and playability.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
The Nintendo today! app has updated with a new Switch 2 video that shows the mysterious C button up close, as well as new music and a sound effect for when it’s pressed.
The news app updated for those who have now crossed over into April 2, the day Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct will be released, and so there is a corresponding update in the app showing the fun begins “Today!”
The C button is the focus this time. We hear new music and a sound effect for when the button is pressed. This seemingly innocuous, short clip has already sent Nintendo fans into speculation mode, with some saying the music could be the Switch 2 menu music, and the sound effect could be the sound effect users will hear when they press the C button itself.
And some are now speculating that this jingle sounds like the kind of noise you’d hear if you were activating a microphone for voice chat.
— Nintendo Everything (@NinEverything) April 1, 2025
Here's a really fun piece of speculation based on the video. Redditor 'get_homebrewed' thinks the music in the video is similar to the music that played in the Wii U chat. And, well, yeah, it sort of matches! Check out the comparison below.
The Nintendo Direct will also, hopefully, give us the full Switch 2 launch lineup of games as well as a release date, which is expected to be at some point between June and September 2025. Fingers crossed Nintendo announces the Switch 2 price, which analysts predict will be $400.
Meanwhile, Nintendo confirmed a Nintendo Treehouse: Live | Nintendo Switch 2 presentation featuring hands-on gameplay of Nintendo Switch 2 games on April 3 and April 4 at 7am PT each day.
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.
We're just entering Q2 of 2025, but the year is already shaping up to be a big year for excellent video games. An increasing list of big games is set to release this year for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. In April, we'll see the new Microsoft-published turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, along with Microsoft putting Forza Horizon 5 on PS5, plust a lot more. Below, you'll find release dates for all the biggest games and expansions that have been announced for the rest of the year and beyond. Let's get right down to it.
If you're someone who likes to preorder your games, you can click the links on the platform of your choice to make sure it arrives on launch day.
April 2025 - Video Game Release Dates
April is a big month for remasters, re-platforms, and re-releases. First, The Last of Us Part II Remastered is hitting PC on April 3. The first-person puzzle game The Talos Principle: Reawakened is out a week later. The Microsoft-published Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 are hitting PS5 this month. The JRPG series Lunar is getting remastered, as is the zombie apocalypse game Days Gone. Aside from all that, Xbox and PC owners will get the awesome-looking turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on April 24. The only platform that's not getting a major new release is Switch, but we are getting the info dump on the Nintendo Switch 2 on April 2, so at least there's that.
Koira - April 1 - (PS5, PC)
Nif Nif - April 1 - (Switch, PC)
Elroy and the Aliens - April 2 - (PC)
Steel Hunters - April 2 - (PC)
The Last of Us Part II Remastered - April 3 - (PC)
Roman Triumph: Survival City Builder - April 3 - (PC)
Sand - April 3 - (PC)
Ekoh Beach - April 4 - (PC)
The Renovator: Origins - April 4 - (PS5, Xbox, Switch)
Peppered: An Existential Platformer - April 7 - (PC)
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on (long inhale) Threads, Bluesky, Mastodon, and the social network formerly known as Twitter.
As announced by Sony Pictures at CinemaCon 2025, the fourth MCU Spider-Man film will officially be titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The latest adventure for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is directed by Daniel Destin Cretton of Shang-Chi fame, and swings into theaters on July 31, 2026. Anticipation for this new film is at a fever pitch, especially since Spider-Man: No Way Home was a smash hit with critics and audiences. No new details were given about the film at Sony’s panel, but the title gives us plenty to chew on since, unlike the previous MCU Spider-Man film titles, this one is a direct reference to a story from the comics.
Brand New Day is one of the more famous Spider-Man stories because of its connection to the notorious One More Day storyline, and the use of this title may give big hints for Spider-Man’s future in the MCU. Let’s take a look at what Brand New Day may mean for Peter Parker’s upcoming film.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Explained
To properly explain Brand New Day, we first have to go over the events that led into it. During the Civil War crossover event, Peter Parker shocked everyone by revealing his secret identity to the world. He did this because he was part of Iron Man’s pro-registration side of the war, which required superheroes to register their identities with the government. However, the reveal of Peter’s identity led the Kingpin to order his assassination, only for the shooter to miss Peter and hit Aunt May instead. With May in the hospital, Peter looks for any help he can get to save her… which he receives in the form of Mephisto, who offers to save May’s life in exchange for undoing his marriage to Mary Jane.
To say that this story was controversial would be a severe understatement. Spider-Man making a deal with the Devil out of editorial mandate is well known as one of the most hated comic stories of all time. But what’s done is done, and that led to Brand New Day, starting with Amazing Spider-Man #546.
Brand New Day was a reset of Spidey’s status quo, and is less of an individual story in its own right than a branding exercise over a series of smaller arcs that ran all the way until Amazing #564. The overall story is about establishing what’s happened to the timeline after the Mephisto deal takes place, with the big ticket items including the world forgetting Spider-Man’s secret identity, Peter and Mary Jane having never been married, and the return of Harry Osborn. (He’d been dead for a while. Oh, and this one turned out to be a clone.)
Brand New Day is one of the more famous Spider-Man stories because of its connection to the notorious One More Day storyline.
Peter and MJ’s history was altered so they’d only been in a long-term relationship that was already over. New supporting cast and villains were introduced during this period, such as forensic scientist and future Spidey love interest Carlie Cooper, police officer Vincent Gonzalez, redheaded superhero Jackpot, Martin Li aka Mr. Negative, the Goblin-esque villain Menace (later revealed to be Harry Osborn love interest Lily Hollister), and the bane of every Insomniac Spider-Man player’s existence, Screwball. Brand New Day tried to rejuvenate the Spider-Man franchise by relaunching it, and although fan reception was mixed to say the least, the era was a pivotal moment in the history of Spider-Man comics.
What Does Brand New Day Mean for the MCU?
If you remember the plot of Spider-Man: No Way Home, you may recognize that some elements of that film already resemble aspects of One More Day and Brand New Day. Doctor Strange’s spell that Peter botches was supposed to erase the world’s knowledge of his secret identity, and in the end Strange needs to cast a new spell that results in everyone in the world forgetting who Peter is. This includes his love interest Michelle “MJ” Jones and best pal Ned Leeds, as well as all of Peter’s superhero friends. Peter receiving supernatural interference that results in the world forgetting that he’s Spider-Man and removing the Peter/MJ romance from the equation means that No Way Home is now effectively a loose adaptation of One More Day.
With Brand New Day starting a new era for Tom Holland’s Spidey franchise, we might now have some clues as to what characters will be included. Peter ran into Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin in No Way Home via the power of the multiverse, but could the MCU’s take on the Osborns finally make their debut? Harry being Peter’s new bestie would make a lot of sense with Ned no longer knowing him. As well, Stranger Things alum Sadie Sink has already been cast, with the two biggest theories as to her role being either an officially named Mary Jane Watson or longtime X-Men member Jean Grey. However, now that we know the title is Brand New Day, an outside the box choice could be her playing Carlie Cooper as a new love interest for Peter.
As for bad guys, could Mr. Negative be in the running for Spidey’s new nemesis? Fans of the comics and the Insomniac Spider-Man games know that Martin Li is associated with charity organization F.E.A.S.T. (Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter and Training), which actually made a blink and you’ll miss it cameo in No Way Home as the place where Aunt May works. The Darkforce wielding crime lord and his gang the Inner Demons are some of the most prominent Spider-Man foes to never appear in a live-action film. We doubt that Lily Hollister/Menace will be the new villain, but she could still appear in some capacity if the film decides to lay groundwork for the MCU’s Osborns.
Of course, we can’t discount the possibility that the movie is only using the title Brand New Day and will chart its own course. The MCU has a history of doing that, with films like Age of Ultron and Infinity War not having much at all to do with their comic counterparts. Perhaps Brand New Day is merely a signifier that this is a new direction for the Spider-Man franchise after the Home trilogy.
It is also entirely possible that Brand New Day will avoid these newer characters and undo the spell cast at the end of No Way Home, allowing Peter’s old friends to return to the series. However, that would be a missed opportunity to not use No Way Home’s ending to tell a more grounded, street level Spider-Man story. Although with Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars on the way, we’d be surprised if Peter doesn’t wind up in some more multiversal mischief sooner or later. We’ll all find out when the film arrives next July.
What do you think will happen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Let us know in the comments!
Carlos Morales writes novels, articles and Mass Effect essays. You can follow his fixations on Twitter.
Sonos doesn't discount its popular speakers very often, so it's a wise investment to jump on a good sale whenever you see one. Right now, both Sonos direct and Amazon are offering one of Sonos' best speakers – the Sonos Arc soundbar – for only $599 after a hefty $300 off instant discount. This is the lowest price we've seen for the Sonos Arc and beats out last year's Black Friday deal by $100. In fact, this is currently less expensive than a refurbished Sonos Arc SL which isn't even equipped with a microphone for voice assistant functionality.
Sonos Arc Soundbar for $599 ($300 Off)
The Arc is one of Sonos' flagship products and was the best soundbar in its lineup until the recent release of the Arc Ultra, which currently costs $350 more. This is a premium soundbar and it shows. You can't get much better in terms of sound quality from a soundbar, and that's thanks to its chunkier 45" length. There's enough space in there to contain eleven precisely engineered internal speakers, including two dedicated height channels. It's Dolby Atmos ready and the Sonos Arc can easily be synced with other Sonos speakers and subs to add even more room-filling audio. This modularity is one of the main reasons why Sonos is so popular. It has other nifty features, like an ambient light sensor, HDMI eARC, capacitive touch controls, WiFi, and more. The Sonos Arc also has a built-in microphone so it can accept voice commands from Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and more.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Bandai Namco and FromSoftware have revealed another Nightfarer making their way into Elden Ring Nightreign. The bow-wielding Ironeye will be one of the playable characters in the co-op action game, and they're bringing some pretty hefty weaponry to Limveld.
The core of Ironeye's kit is, as you might expect, dealing damage from afar with ranged attacks. The Ironeye starts with a bow and specializes in Dexterity-based weaponry, so they're able to add some extra damage to any team that needs some long-range support.
Bows are especially useful in Elden Ring Nightreign, as they offer the ability to revive a downed party member from a distance rather than up-close. Given some of the up-close combat footage we see in today's trailer, below, it seems like skilled Ironeye players won't have an issue with getting within arm's reach either.
Of course, you'll still be able to loot and utilize whatever weaponry you can scavenge while running throughout Limveld in Elden Ring Nightreign. Picking the Ironeye won't limit you to just bows or anything. But hey, playing to your strengths will probably help when it comes to surviving the night in Nightreign.
FromSoft's survival action co-op game Elden Ring Nightreign isn't far off now, with a May 30, 2025 release date looming just off in the distance. The studio has already confirmed Nightreign will continue to receive more bosses and characters, even via DLC per a store page listing.
So even if Ironeye isn't your cup of tea, perhaps another adventurer would be. Though, if you want to help your team, lobbing arrows from the backline to thin out the horde certainly isn't a bad way to go about it. Especially if they're absolutely massive arrows.
It’s April, and as we all know, a new month can only mean one single solitary thing: new LEGO sets. This month only has a handful of new LEGO releases, but most of them are big and awesome. That includes a huge Beauty and the Beast Castle, a new take on The Shire from The Lord of the Rings, and more. Let’s dive in and see all the coolest new LEGO sets coming in April 2025.
LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire
If you ask me, the biggest release this month is the this one. LEGO has released three huge and awesome LEGO Lord of the Rings sets based on the films over the past three years. First there was the gorgeously intricate Rivendell set in 2023. Then came the imposing Barad-dûr (aka the Dark Tower) in 2024. This year’s entry is the peaceful Shire, specifically Bilbo’s hillside home of Bag-End in Hobbiton. Check out our We Build LEGO The Shire feature to see what it’s like to put together. It’s available exclusively at the LEGO Store for LEGO Insiders on April 2 (sign up here for free), and for everyone else on April 5.
LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle
A new entry in the ever-growing LEGO Disney sets is this new Beauty and the Beast Castle. Comprised of 2,916 pieces, it’s a massive build that includes memorable rooms from the movie including the library, the Beast’s West Wing, and of course the ballroom. It comes with tons of minifigures, from Belle and Maurice to Lumier and Codsworth. Take a look at our in-depth feature on the LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle to glimpse some of the details and Easter eggs. It’s available now for LEGO Insiders (again, you can sign up here for free) and for everyone else on April 4.
LEGO Ideas River Steamboat
Not to be outdone by the IP-backed sets above, this River Steamboat set from LEGO Ideas also looks pretty rad, in a grown-up sort of way. LEGO calls it a “tribute to the enduring charm of the classic paddle steamer with a touch of modern luxury.” This is a set for adults that’s meant for display rather than for play – and it’s priced accordingly.
LEGO Icons Tudor Corner Is Available at Amazon
New to Amazon is this fabulous Tudor Corner building set. It’s an English mansion that comes with minifigures dressed in period-appropriate clothing. It’s also a modular set with separate builds for a haberdashery, apartment, clockmaker, and more parts that fit together to assemble into a building. The set also fits in with the other LEGO Icons modular building sets, so you can create a whole neighborhood. I don't know what it is, but I love these sets. They're some of the cooler LEGO sets for adults.
These are literally the only other sets releasing this month. It’s a slow month! But when you have three bangers like the Shire, the Beauty and the Beast Castle, and the River Steamboat, you can drop the mic and walk off the stage as far as I’m concerned. It’s a good month.
LEGO Gift With Purchase
The current Gift with Purchase is Easter Bunny Surprise. This is a set you get for free from the LEGO Store when you make a purchase of $75 or more. It’s a cute li’l guy with seasonal significance, and LEGO says it’s worth $19.99. Who are we to argue?
LEGO April Fools: Minifigures with Hair
LEGO’s April Fools 2025 prank is a fun one. LEGO is unveiling a (hopefully) fake project in the 1970s in which it briefly considered putting real hair on minifigures. Truly horrifying stuff.
Chris Reed is a deals expert and commerce editor for IGN. You can follow him on Bluesky @chrislreed.com.
Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anatomy of a Fall and Prey to excellent television series like the Golden Globe-winningShogun, Abbott Elementary, and The Bear there is always something awesome to watch. Oscar Best Picture winner Anora is also now available to stream on the service, so there's no better time than now to get set up with a plan.
How to Get The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle
The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased on any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month - 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.
Hulu deal for students — Get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99/month
If you're a student enrolled in a university (a US Title IV accredited college or university, per Hulu's website), you can sign up for Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99 a month. That's an excellent deal if you're a student, saving you $8 on the usual monthly price.
Hulu subscription tiers
Hulu is available in a couple of different tiers. The least expensive option is the ad-supported tier, which comes in at $9.99/month. This gives you access to everything exclusive, tons of movies, Hulu Originals, children's programming, and more. If you want to ditch the ads, the ad-free plan is $18.99/month.
Hulu: Bundle to Best
If you want a more affordable option when it comes to a Hulu subscription, you can't go wrong with a bundle, and Hulu has several to choose from:
Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) —Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) is $82.99/month and includes Disney+ and ESPN+. It also gives you access to more than 75 channels with live TV and unlimited DVR functionality. The Hulu + Live TV plan also has a three-day free trialto test out the service.
Hulu + Live TV (Ad-Free) —The ad-free version of Hulu+Live TV is $95.99/month and comes with ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney Plus, although ESPN still shows ads.
Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic —This is the most economic bundle. It will set you back $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. It lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both Disney+ and Hulu.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic —This bundle adds ESPN+ into the mix alongside Disney+ and Hulu, bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium — This bundle is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (with ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.
What can you watch on Hulu?
There is a bonkers amount of shows and movies you can watch on Hulu. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer with the base subscription, because if we also talk about what is available via Disney+, ESPN+, or live TV, we'll be here forever. (You can also sync up Hulu with Max to gain access to things like Succession and House of the Dragon.)
Here's what you get:
Network and Hulu Original television shows (AMC, Adult Swim, ABC, A&E, FX, etc.)
Movies (HBO, Hulu Originals, anime films, etc.)
Sports (NHL, Soccer, MLB, Auto Racing, NFL, College Football, PGA, Tennis, etc.)
News (ABC News Live, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, The View, etc.)
Hulu television
Hulu has some amazing shows, both those that are finished and many which are ongoing. For comedy, there are plenty of options to choose from, including New Girl, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, What We Do In The Shadows, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Broad City, Abbott Elementary, and so much more.
There are also some big Hulu originals to watch, including The Bear, The Old Man, The Handmaid's Tale, and Only Murders In The Building.
As far as animated fare, there are modern adult classics like Rick and Morty and Bob's Burgers, as well as Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Anime staples like Cowboy Bebop are also available. And if you want to bring more youth-friendly fun, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Curious George are just a small sample of what Hulu has available.
Former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida has been sharing quite a few insights on the games industry since his departure from Sony. Among them, he says it might be time for Sony to reconsider its adherence to cutting-edge graphics.
In an interview with AVWatch (translated via Genki_JPN), Yoshida said it's time for PlayStation to reconsider its focus.
"Up until now, PlayStation's DNA has been driven by values such as 'cutting-edge graphics' that have continued since [Ken Kutaragi]'s time," Yoshida said. "Users have also expected that from PlayStation games. However, it's about time we have to reconsider that.
"Of course, I think it's necessary to provide the very best (in terms of graphics quality) to those who want it," Yoshida continued. "But, in order to continue to be popular with users in a broad sense, we naturally have to change our way of thinking."
There's little doubt that games like Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part 2, or other major Sony exclusives have put a lot of focus into graphical fidelity. Yet Yoshida's comments indicate it might be time to reconsider approach.
Whether that's a focus on relatively smaller experiences like Astro Bot, or a complete pivot to lo-fi or stylized graphics, it's not suggested. But with the price of making a big, AAA game like those in Sony's stable seemingly only going up, fresh approaches might be welcome.
This isn't the only insight Yoshida has shared in his interview rounds. The former PlayStation exec also discussed NieR: Automata's impact on the games industry, especially in Japan. Whether that's the blueprint for a renewed approach to games or not, I certainly wouldn't complain about more games like NieR: Automata going around.
It honestly shocks me that there aren’t more heist games, because I can think of few experiences more awesome than carrying out my boyhood lawbreaking fantasies with the lads. Thankfully, after more than a decade away from the glamor and gunpowder of criminal activity, a group of familiar faces behind Payday: The Heist and Payday 2 have taken a break from making the insanely difficult co-op shooter GTFO to go back to what they do best. And that is, make games where you and your friends work together to break the law by pulling off a series of elaborate and high-risk burglaries for no other reason than to satisfy your wanton greed. But where the Payday series was and continues to be a fairly standard game about robbing banks, the upcoming Den of Wolves adds a compelling sci-fi world with a gritty, cyberpunk flair, multi-phase planning and execution of break-ins where you can decide exactly how you want to pull it off, and most importantly: the ability to dive into the minds of others to steal the valuable secrets hidden within their brains. If that doesn’t get your blood pumping, I don’t know what will!
Den of Wolves takes place in the extremely dark near future where the world’s technology ecosystem imploded due to hackers, and corporations were given free rein to do whatever they pleased to combat the crisis, including but not limited to human experimentation, and building dangerous and unpredictable technologies (y’know, your basic cyberpunk hellscape stuff) so long as they kept their activities contained to the newly minted libertarian dystopia and Andrew Ryan’s wet dream: Midway City. Naturally this leads to corporations storing their data straight inside totally unhackable human brains, transforming the host to all that delicious data into a wonderful little flesh battery, from the looks of it. But we’re hardened criminals, guys. Are we really gonna let a super creepy meat computer locked away in a bank vault get in the way of us pulling off heists? I think not!
To that end, Den of Wolves has you and three friends planning and carrying out a series of felonies in Midway City, where you’ll overcome those pesky brain-based security systems by mind-melding with victims to rip off their secrets and make off with the loot. My demo focused on a single operation where my crew and I planned and executed a high-stakes assault on a bank currently under new management by a very aggressive street gang with power and tech enough to rival world governments – pretty nasty stuff. In this particular case, our plan of attack was to use a swarm of drones acquired from a previous robbery to ambush a number of these gang members to gain entrance into the reinforced stronghold, then go loud as possible, shooting up the place with reckless abandon until we found what we were looking for. In this instance, the big prize was the data inside someone’s head who was locked safely away inside a vault and scarcely resembled a human anymore; truly just straight nightmare fuel, if I’m being honest.
You'll mind-meld with victims to rip off their brain's secrets and make off with the loot.
Much of this caper went off in a way any Payday fan will immediately recognize: we used a variety of automatic weapons to smash and grab everything in sight while holding off waves of folks who were quite mad about being ripped off, deploying and repairing drills that break every couple seconds even in a sci-fi future, apparently. Naturally, cooperation was critical to our success, as we laid down cover fire for one another, revived downed teammates who got caught in a bad spot, and called out to one another as we heaved bags full of loot across the ruined fortress. There really wasn’t a whole lot new about the foundation of this heist game, aside from maybe the consumable equipment abilities that let my squad do things like throw down a temporary barrier that provided some limited cover in the middle of a fight.
But all that changed when the bank vault doors slid open, revealing the prize we were chasing after: a caterpillar-like human lump locked away to contain valuable secrets. After a little bit of hacking, we lept from the physical plane and into the mind of this person to hack open their brain and make off with their secrets. Now, I don’t know what exactly is going on in the mind of this clearly and understandably disturbed individual, but what we found waiting for us inside his dome was an unsettling and surreal series of landscapes that we had to leap between to gain access to their thoughts. And since we were on a timer, we couldn’t afford to take our time or slip up, lest we get booted back out to the real world and have to continue to hold out against enemies before getting another crack at it.
This was the only brain I dove into in my limited time with Den of Wolves, but I was told that every mind would present unique challenges to play against, not just the high-stakes platforming of our current mission. And while it remains to be seen just how interesting or how much variety these will have, this section completely shook up an otherwise familiar formula in a seriously cool way. I love shooting at rival criminal gangs and robo cops as much as the next convicted felon, but it was really neat to jump back and forth between reality-based FPS combat and completely bizarre cooperative platforming in a geometrically impossible world of imagination. That really helps to set this one apart from what I worried might just be a Payday sequel with a cyberpunk skin plastered over it. Instead, it seems Den of Wolves plans on taking some real risks and trying stuff that makes it weird and interesting, and I’m absolutely down for that.
In between trips into our poor, troubled victim’s mind, we were yanked right back out to where we left off, only milliseconds apparently having elapsed in meat space while we went parading around in someone’s noggin. After jumping back into his skull for a few additional servings of deeply uncomfortable jumping puzzles, we got what we came for and made our exit by blowing up some windows with high explosives and diving out to what I can only hope was some Assassin's Creed-style hay piles waiting conveniently placed just below.
Though Den of Wolves borrows quite a bit from Payday and other crime games, the setting, elaborate planning mechanics, and especially its surreal mind-hacking mechanics all made me feel pretty confident that developer 10 chambers’ return to the wonderful world of heisting has a good chance of being another stunning success. Here’s hoping they can pull off the score of a lifetime when this thing eventually makes its way into early access on PC.
Here's your best opportunity to sign up for an Audible membership at a stellar price. Starting now and running through April 30, you can sign up for three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier plan and normally costs $14.95/mo. As a additional subscription perk, you get a free audiobook of your choice for each of those three months and you get to keep them indefinitely.
Both new and currently expired Audible customers are eligible
Anyone who doesn't currently have an active Audible membership should be eligible. That includes new subscribers as well as existing members whose subscriptions have since expired. There's always a small your-mileage-may-vary disclaimer with these types of promotions, but fortunately it's easy to check if you qualify: log into your account, and if you see the $0.99/mo banner right on Amazon's Audible page then you're eligible for this promotion.
3 Months of Audible Premium Plus for $0.99 per Month
Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to hundreds of thousands of the best audiobooks without ever having to purchase them. There are two paid membership plans: the lower tier Audible Plus ($7.95/mo) and the higher tier Audible Premium Plus ($14.95/mo). The biggest difference between the two is the size of the audiobook library. Whereas Audible Plus only lets you listen to a selection of about 10,000 audiobooks, the Audible Premium Plus plan gives you access to a whopping 500,000 audiobooks. These include all-time classics like Frank Herbert's Dune, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire), The Witcher, The Sandman Series,and The Lord of the Rings.
Although the seriously expanded library is the main draw of the Audible Premium Plus membership, there are some other nice perks as well. Every month Premium Plus members get to pick one audiobook to keep in their library indefinitely, even after the membership expires. Also, Premium Plus members can get 30% off any additional audiobooks they wish to purchase in addition to exclusive limited-time discounts.
If you were already planning to purchase a couple of audiobooks, then it makes more sense to pay less than $3 to get three audiobooks you get to keep indefinitely and enjoy all the benefits of Audible Premium Plus for three months. This deal only pops up a few times per year, so don't waste your "first-time subscriber" eligibility status on a short 30-day trial.
The newest Hunger Games audiobook just released
Sunrise on the Reaping is the newest Hunger Games novel, and it's also available as an audiobook. The book will be narrated by Jefferson White, who you may already know from Yellowstone where he played Jimmy Hudstrom. The audiobook has a listening time of about 12 hours and 48 minutes. It's free to listen with an Audible subscription.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Sony Pictures has announced a Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc release date that will see the anime film tear into US theaters October 29, 2025.
Sony announced the news during its CinemaCon presentation last night, revealing it had acquired worldwide theatrical rights (excluding Japan) to bring the adaptation of creator Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work to audiences this fall. It’s an update that will see US viewers tuning in come late October, with 80+ other countries set to see its release date arrive September 24, 2025. Toho will oversee its release in Japan September 19, 2025.
The Chainsaw Man movie was announced in December 2023 and is a direct sequel to the MAPPA-produced anime adaptation that revved up in 2022. It follows Denji, a boy who gets a second shot at life after he makes a deal with a Chainsaw Devil dog named Pochita. The power to continue forward gives him the ability to sprout chainsaws from his arms, head, and more as he grows to become more than a simple Chainsaw Man.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will introduce new character Reze, a major name from the original manga the anime is based on. It's directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara and written by Hiroshi Seko. The entire Chainsaw Man voice cast has been brought back to reprise their roles in the film.
Like so many others, IGN fell in love with Chainsaw Man’s first season, awarding it a 9/10 in our review. For more on how Denji’s chainsaw abilities are already cutting into viewers’ minds, click here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).
Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out, including season 2 of Andor on April 22, you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.
At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle. This starts at $16.99/month to get you all three streaming services with ads. It's one of the best bundles available at the moment, but we've included more Disney Plus bundle deals worth exploring below. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best Max deals.
How to Get the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Streaming Bundle
The Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max streaming bundle can be purchased through any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across the three platforms.
If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.
What Is the New Paid Sharing Plan on Disney Plus?
In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has unveiled a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported Basic subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.
What Are the Different Disney+ Subscription Tiers?
Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (called Disney+ Basic) for $9.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $15.99/month or $159.99/year Disney+ Premium package.
What Are the Different Disney+ Bundles?
Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. As far as bundles go, there are two ad-supported bundles and two ad-free bundles. Here's the breakdown:
Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic is $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. This plan lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both services.
Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium is $19.99/month and comes with Hulu and Disney+ with no ads. It also includes Disney+ Premium features like the ability to download shows to watch on the go.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic adds ESPN+ (With Ads) to the mix alongside Disney+ (With Ads) and Hulu (With Ads), bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (With Ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.
Disney+ Gift Cards
If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great way to go. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.
What Can You Watch on Disney+?
There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here with the base subscription.
Here's what you get:
Disney
Pixar
Marvel
Star Wars
National Geographic
Disney on Disney+
On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.
You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).
There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions, nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.
Pixar on Disney+
When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.
Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.
Marvel on Disney+
The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.
Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Deadpool & Wolverine and Your Friendly Neigborhood Spider-Man, there is always more coming.
Star Wars on Disney+
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.
You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest shows, including The Mandalorian and the critically-lauded Andor, which some viewers say is "the best Star Wars has ever been." There are also fantastic short series like Star Wars Visions, and longer-form series like The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Young Jedi Adventures, and a whole lot more.
Whether you're looking to save on games, storage, or accessories, there are plenty of Nintendo Switch deals to check out right now. We've gathered up some of the best Switch deals currently available, including Super Mario RPG down to $20 at GameStop. You can see this deal and even more of our favorites at the moment below. For more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter/X.
Nintendo Switch OLED with Super Mario Bros Wonder Bundle
This is a fantastic bundle deal to take advantage of if you've had your eye on the Switch OLED. Alongside the console you'll also get a three-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership and the Super Mario Bros. Wonder game, which IGN's Ryan McCaffrey said in our review, "establishes a new standard for what 2D Mario platformers should look like."
Best Nintendo Switch Game Deals
While Woot's Spring Sale is still going strong - with great deals on Sonic X Shadow Generations, Princess Peach: Showtime, and more - one of our favorite deals at the moment is on Super Mario RPG at GameStop. This game has gotten a massive 67% discount to $19.99, so if you've had it on your radar now is the time to get it. You can see that deal and many more of our favorites above.
Nintendo Switch Console Deals
At the moment you can score some great deals on a Nintendo Switch Lite and Nintendo Switch OLED at AliExpress. These consoles have dropped to $160.11 and$265.99, respectively. Keep in mind that these are both imported models. AliExpress also offers a 15-day return policy.
Preorder the LEGO Mario Kart Set
While not a deal, the Mario Kart LEGO set that dropped on MAR10 Day this year is up for preorder, priced at $169.99 andreleasing on May 15. Complete with 1,972 pieces, this set features the man himself in his Standard Kart. It also comes with a display stand to show it speeding off among your collectibles.
Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals
The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you're going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That's a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we've left our top suggestions and deals below for your convenience.
Looking for a new power bank to keep your Switch charged up? At Amazon, this INIU power bank has gotten a great discount down to just $15.99 and the Anker 737 has dropped down to $99.99 after clippingthe $10 coupon on the store page. The former is a limited time deal as well, so you'll want to be quick to scoop it up at this price.
Best Nintendo Switch Accessory Deals
Whether you're looking for a new controller or case for your Switch, there are quite a few different accessory deals that are worth checking out. Here, we've listed just a few of our favorite discounts at the moment, including a deal on the PDP gaming bundle (which comes with an AIRLITE wired headset and REMATCH wired pro controller) and a Princess Peach carrying case.
The short answer is that you should buy a Nintendo Switch whenever there’s any kind of sale, regardless of the time of year. Amazon will likely offer the same console bundles on any other sale as it will on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, so there’s no real reason to wait if you’re in need of a Nintendo Switch.
That being said, there are sometimes some unique bundles and promotions during Black Friday that you won’t find any other time of the year. They usually include additional games (like the famous Mario Kart 8 bundle) or Switch accessories for free, but quantities tend to be limited. As always, do your research into the seller before you make a purchase and keep in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 is on the horizon.
With how expensive gaming is getting in 2025, we're trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We've got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand-new offers. If you're trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Marvel Rivals’ Venom twerk emote is finally here, and to no one’s surprise, it has resulted in a swarm of twerking Venoms in nearly every Marvel Rivals match.
Load up NetEase Games’ hero shooter today, April 1, and you’ll no doubt be met by at least a few Venoms throwing it back. It’s a calculated release meant to coincide with all of the other gags polluting the internet today. The emote is also completely free to obtain, so the low barrier to entry, coupled with April Fools’ Day, has Marvel Rivals fans acting up, to say the least.
Even if you’re just perusing through your social media feeds, you’ll likely run into a few clips showing how the more creative players are bringing Venom's cheeks to the battlefield. While some break up the heat of battle with a quick dance, others are gathering in matches populated exclusively by Venoms, presenting the perfect opportunity to start a twerking dance party. It’s exactly what everyone expected to happen, and it’s hilarious to see in action.
While the emote has been made available as part of April Fools' Day 2025, it doesn't look like the emote will be removed when Season 1 ends, so expect to see Venom dancing for years to come. For now, even those without the free Venom emote are gathering to enjoy Eddie Brock’s twerking abilities. You can see how it’s being celebrated with some of the posts below.
If you’re looking to get in on the booty-shaking fun, you’re in luck. The “Symbiote Boogie” Venom emote is available for free as part of the Galacta’s Cosmic Adventure limited-time mode. You can read more about what it takes to nab the emote before it’s gone here.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor 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).
Atomfall looks like a hit, with 1.5 million players reached and, ahem, 300,000 cups of tea drank.
Rebellion’s brand new IP set in the north of England is the company’s most successful launch in its 32-year history, it said. Rebellion is the developer behind the popular Sniper Elite series of games, as well as the spin-off Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army entries.
Here's the official blurb:
A UK-based post-apocalyptic survival-action game, Atomfall is inspired by the real life Windscale nuclear incident in the 1950s. Players will embark on a fictionalized adventure meeting a cast of weird and wonderful characters as they try to uncover the mystery and escape the quarantine zone.
“We are delighted that so many players are enjoying Atomfall,” said Jason Kingsley CBE, CEO and co-founder of Rebellion.
“To have surpassed the 1 million players in such a short space of time speaks volumes for the creativity and dedication of the entire team here at Rebellion. Our size and stability mean that we can take risks to create something as different as Atomfall. Happily, that risk is paying off.
“We are a British company, and the game is a true reflection of that. Not only is it set in the lush, beautiful countryside but Atomfall also draws inspiration from so many classic British books, films and TV series.
“We hope that players continue to enjoy exploring the world of Atomfall and are looking forward to future content for the game.”
While Atomfall launched simultaneously across PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox Series X and S and Xbox One, it also released on Game Pass as a day-one title, which will have significantly boosted player numbers.
Rebellion did not say how many copies of the game were sold, however, preferring, like Assassin’s Creed Shadows maker Ubisoft, to go down the player number route. But it did provide some fun stats to back up it announcement.
Over 316,000 Atomfall players, for example, have killed the scientist at the very beginning of the game. In total there have been over 3.7 million kills using the cricket bat, while over 4 million pasties and 300,000 cups of tea have been consumed.
IGN's Atomfall review returned an 8/10. We said: "Atomfall is a compelling, post-apocalyptic survival story that satisfyingly bends to your choices and discoveries no matter which direction you take."
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.
Nintendo's next Direct will take place on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 and will focus on the Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has confirmed the broadcast will be roughly 60 minutes long, and IGN will have a live watch-party, along with a live-reaction NVC post-show where fans can tune-in for a deep dive of what is revealed.
How to Watch the Nintendo Direct for April 2025
The upcoming Nintendo Direct will take place on Wednesday, April 2 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST. IGN will be doing a live watch-along party on IGN platforms with our very own Nintendo Voice Chat crew, followed a post-show by a breakdown of everything we learn in the Direct, immediately following the broadcast.
Below, you can find all the places to watch IGN's Live Watch Party and NVC Post Show:
This article contains SPOILERS for the original “USS Callister” episode.
“From the very start, I thought I'd like to keep this story going,” Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker recently told IGN about his acclaimed series’ first-ever sequel episode, “USS Callister: Into Infinity”, which premieres with the entire seventh season on Netflix on April 10th.
“USS Callister” was the first episode of Black Mirror, Season 4 back in 2017. In it, twisted video game creator Robert Daly (sublimely played by Jesse Plemons) subjected sentient digital clones of his coworkers to his personal brand of terror within Infinity, the hugely popular MMO he programmed.
Within his game, which is modeled after Daly’s favorite TV show, Space Fleet (itself a riff on Star Trek), Daly is the captain of the starship USS Callister and his colleagues are the bridge crew who must do his bidding and placate his monstrous ego no matter what. Cristin Milioti played Nanette Cole, a meek programmer who inadvertently found herself on Daly’s bad side and, in both the game and real life, helps engineer his downfall. The real and virtual Daly is left for dead at the end of that episode, with the digital Nanette taking command of the Callister.
Milioti returns for “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” with both the real and digital Nanette front and center this time around. “When we last saw Nanette, she had discovered that actually, she was more than capable of rising to the occasion and that she could be her best self in the virtual game world. She was the captain, the leader, she stood up to their oppressor and defeated him,” Milioti said.
“Now she's found that she's not the captain she thought she was, she is failing both the crew and herself and has run out of ideas as to how to get them out of an infinite, dangerous, and extremely boring existence. She's dealing with some of the same let-downs she would have to deal with in the real world, in fact. She's at her wits’ end, and once again, desperate to escape her situation.”
Also reprising their roles for the sequel are Jimmi Simpson (as Walton), Billy Magnussen (Karl Valdack), Milanka Brooks (Elena Tulaska), Osy Ikhile (Nate Packer), and Paul G. Raymond (Kabir Dudani). (Michaela Coel, who played Shania Lowry, was unable to return due to scheduling issues, according to Brooker.) Toby Haynes is back in the director’s chair, while Brooker and “USS Callister” co-writer William Bridges penned the sequel with Bisha K. Ali and Bekka Bowling.
“I remember thinking I like these characters, which is not something you can always say about Black Mirror and people in general. Quite often, we feature quite unpleasant characters or deeply flawed characters, but I was very fond of the crew of the Callister. And obviously at the end of the first one, they find themselves flying out of the frying pan and into the fire in many ways in that they are in a massively multiplayer, procedurally generated universe and kind of threatened by casual gamers,” Brooker recalled.
Scroll through the gallery below for four exclusive new images from "USS Callister: Into Infinity":
Development on the sequel ended up taking years, prolonged by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the entertainment industry’s dual labor strikes as well as the busy schedules of its cast. While Brooker said there were writers’ rooms held for the seventh season during the pandemic, cracking the code for what would become “USS Callister: Into Infinity” presented its own unique set of challenges for him and his fellow writers.
“It's kind of like doing two different Rubik's Cubes at the same time because you've got the dynamics going on in the real world and the logic of that, and then you've got the logic of what's going on in the game world and the ramifications of that,” Brooker explained.
“You want quite a lot of interaction between the two sides. And so working out how that will work and how the flow of that [goes], it was quite a headache. And also trying to do that within 90 minutes as well. Sort of doing it within 90 minutes and making it coherent is also a challenge.”
The sequel also had to tackle an issue the original “USS Callister” episode didn’t have the bandwidth to fully explore: the mortality of digital clones and what constitutes a sentient life form. While gamers in the show's real world can have their in-game avatar eliminated, they can regenerate. Digital clones, however, cannot.
“[In the first "USS Callister"] they can't even die, basically. They're sort of at the behest of Robert Daly,” Brooker said of the clones in the original episode. “He's a tyrant ruling the roost, and he decides whether they live or die. As soon as they fly off his computer and go through the wormhole, and the 1960s Space Fleet skin is stripped away, and they're in the game, they are very mortal.
“They can't respawn [in "Into Infinity"]. If somebody shoots them, they're not going to respawn. That immediately became the problem.”
The Callister crew resorts to unorthodox methods in order to find ways to stay alive. “They're sort of talking about how everything has gone a bit micro-transaction-y in the game. That's one of the problems they're up against is that not only are they very, very mortal in this world, and no one else seems to realize they are, but everything costs money,” Brooker explained. “They're sort of virtual people. They're not real people. They don't have access to money, so they're having to scramble around and steal in order to move about in the universe.”
“Into Infinity” will see the in-game clones interact with people from the real world, particularly the actual Nanette, who remains largely in the dark about what exactly went down in the original episode where she aided the clones in escaping from Daly’s hold over them.
"If the first one was Star Trek, this is Star Wars.
“You've got an interesting situation where the in-game version of Nanette is strong and assured and has proven herself and has become a more confident, capable individual,” Brooker said. “And then the version of her in the real world is still asking questions. She has no idea, really, what happened [in the game]. She just knows she was roped into something by person or persons unknown [in the original]. There were a lot of spinning plates, basically, that we wanted to keep spinning [in the sequel].”
Like its predecessor, “USS Callister: Into Infinity” draws narrative, design and costume influences from an array of sci-fi films, TV shows and video games, including No Man’s Sky, Fortnite, Borderlands and Fallout.
“If the first one was Star Trek, this is Star Wars,” Brooker revealed. “We've got a bit more sort of space battle action going on. We've got more planets that they go and explore and so on. And also, it's a little bit Battlestar Galactica. … They're in a world in which, if a player shoots you, you're dead. If you shoot them, they can respawn and come back, which is a little Cylonesque.”
While the original “USS Callister” took aim at fandom, Brooker maintains “we weren't taking the piss out of Star Trek” and that “Daly was misinterpreting or warping” the meaning of the then-progressive TV series Space Fleet. And while gamers play a crucial role in both the real and virtual worlds of “Into Infinity,” Brooker made it clear the episode is not knocking them.
“Within this we show people playing and they're just engaging in it like they would in a Fortnite game effectively, that they're just going in and shooting people. I certainly wouldn't like to infer anything about gamers because it bugs me as a gamer when people make sweeping generalizations about video games [or] all the people who play them,” Brooker said.
“The players in this are unaware of the stakes for the real characters. And if they were, they'd definitely be treating them very differently. Because they're in a playground and that's where they think they are, is in a playground, playing a game. I think they'd be absolutely mortified if they thought they were absolutely actually injuring or killing real people. Certainly it's not the intention to say that gaming is violent or all of that sort of crap that tends to get pushed around in the media.”
Brooker, a former video game industry journalist who told IGN he’s still a big gamer, put it bluntly:
“I trust people who play games a lot more than people who watch sports.”
All six episodes of Black Mirror, Season 7, including “USS Callister: Into Infinity,” launch on Netflix on April 10.
Editors’ note: Our interview with Charlie Brooker has been edited for clarity.