Streaming has gone from being a cheaper alternative to cable, to an actually worse version of cable. The price of streaming services has skyrocketed since the early days, and content has been haphazardly strewn across different subscriptions. Not only that, each of the streaming services are continually raising prices on consumers. If you find yourself subscribed to Netflix, Max, Hulu, Paramount+, and Disney+ all at once you're probably paying way too much for streaming right now.

Thankfully there are some options to cut down on your budget without just canceling your access to everything. There are ways to bundle services together, free trials, and streaming alternatives out there you can take advantage of. Below I've gathered a quick list of ways I've found to save money and still watch an endless stream of quality entertainment on the daily.

Bundle Services Where You Can

Rejoice, fellow Nintendo fans. On Wednesday, the clouds parted, the sun rose, and the divine spectra; hand of Miyamoto reached down from the sky to grace us with Nintendo’s newest handheld carnival of joy, the Switch 2. After years of speculation, we finally have a clear look at the mysterious console hybrid.

Sadly, while sleek, compact, and powerful, the rumours are untrue. The Switch 2 does not in fact pack a tiny little Reggie into every GPU. But after we spent an hour during the Direct glued to every word: dissecting it, screenshotting every image, poring over captured video for tiny clues to its form and function, we can finally apply something besides guesswork and give you some solid facts, including all the ways it leaves its beloved predecessor in the dust.

1. Switch 2 packs in a lot more raw graphical power than Switch

This is probably the least-surprising revelation as practically every next-gen Nintendo console has been significantly improved over its predecessor (yes, even the Wii). Still, when released in 2017, Switch was hardly a cutting-edge powerhouse in comparison to Sony and Xbox consoles, and eight years later it noticeably struggles under demanding games. Nintendo and its partners were increasingly running up against the limitations of the hardware.

This week we saw elements on display promising us a vastly improved experience: handheld resolutions up to 1080p, docked up to 4K, both with HDR, and framerates extending up to 120 fps. It’s a welcome upgrade that should allow a wider variety of games to come to Switch 2. We may already see some of the fruit in EA’s decision to host soccer and football games on Switch 2, and 2K’s intention to do the same with wrestling and basketball.

Third parties revealed all manner of current-gen games to give us some idea of the Switch 2’s increased capabilities, and what we saw was encouraging: a console/handheld capable of handling Elden Ring, Street Fighter 6, and other demanding software. And what Nintendo showed of their new first-party offerings was simply gorgeous.

2. Switch plays GameCube games. Switch doesn’t

The little purple lunchbox that could finally comes to Nintendo Switch Online, exclusively available on Switch 2. Nintendo has effectively drawn a fence between online experiences on Switch and Switch 2, and that means that from this point forward those who want to play some of Nintendo’s best retro games are going to have to shell out for better hardware. Sure, it’s only three games right now, but those three games are absolute bangers: The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and, holy crap, Soul Calibur 2, complete with Link.

Okay, seriously. Soul Calibur 2 is incredible. If you’ve never played it with a friend you are in for such a treat.

3. Switch 2 recognizes the existence of the Internet

When humanity later reviews and catalogues the glorious day in video game history, the opening chapter won’t be about how Mario Kart is now like Forza Horizon, or about Donkey Kong’s return in Bananza, or even about the announcement of the until-now secret project called Duskblood. Instead, the book will open and perhaps also close with the most significantly un-Nintendo thing to happen this week: easy integration of online features commonly available on other platforms.

The company that brought us Friend Codes now graces us with GameChat, a feature-rich communication and visual sharing feature set for Switch 2. A noise-cancelling mic picks up your voice and shares it with friends. An optional desktop camera allows you to share your face, both in window-corners and in compatible games like Mario Party. You can also share screens across consoles remotely. It’s much of what we gave up on asking Nintendo for years ago... a simple, straightforward tool for playing with friends. I’m looking forward to seeing how it actually plays out.

If you have a Nintendo Switch (or plan to get a Nintendo Switch 2), you’re probably familiar with Nintendo Switch Online. Beyond being essential for accessing multiplayer features and playing online with friends in popular games, it’s also one of the best ways to enjoy over four decades of classic Nintendo games, including titles from the NES, SNES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, and (with the upcoming launch of the Nintendo Switch 2) the new GameCube libraries.

If you haven't tried Nintendo Switch Online yet, don't worry—we've got you covered. Below, we’ll walk you through how to activate the free trial, explain the different subscription tiers, share pricing details, and more.

Does Nintendo Switch Online Have a Free Trial?

Yes, Nintendo offers a seven-day free trial for Nintendo Switch Online, giving you access to online play for your Nintendo Switch (and eventually Nintendo Switch 2 games), cloud backup for your save data, select game soundtracks on Nintendo Music, and a library of over 100 NES, SNES, and Game Boy games.

825 Forest Road is now streaming on Shudder.

Writer and director Stephen Cognetti is ready to be known as more than the “Hell House LLC Guy.” Unfortunately, his latest movie won’t help him accomplish that goal. 825 Forest Road ditches the found-footage Halloween scares of Cognetti’s directorial debut and its sequels for a more traditional approach to horror. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near as engaging or inventive as those four (and counting) trips to the cursed Abaddon Hotel. 825 Forest Road is a tangle of feeble lore, jumbled storytelling jumps, and an upsetting mannequin who’s scary, but can’t quite escape the shadow of the terrifyingly mobile clown dummies that stalk the Hell House movies.

The ingredients of his past success are all in place: 825 Forest Road brings a malevolent force and unsuspecting victims to the central location of the title. Chuck Wilson (Joe Falcone), his seamstress wife Maria (Elizabeth Vermilyea), and his artistic younger sister Isabelle (Kathryn Miller) leave tragedy behind to make a fresh start in the small town of Ashland Falls. But Ashland's darkest supernatural secret eventrually comes a-knocking at Chuck's front door: Her name is Helen Foster (Diomira Keane), and untimely deaths are her calling card. Cue the stock possession-horror thrills as the trio’s spacious yet surprisingly affordable home is infested by a vengeful spirit that Helen eventually channels into Maria's disturbing antique mannequin, "Martha."

There’s no visual imagination to be found in 825 Forest Road. Ashland Falls is portrayed like any other humble American community, no different from the settings of the 50 other scrappy little haunted-house movies you’ll see this year. The character Cognetti brought to Hell House LLC's monstrous attraction doesn’t extend to 825 Forest Road, either – with its architectural stuffiness and generic production design, the house might as well be an unoccupied model in the middle of a new housing development. And without the found-footage hook, the filmmaking lacks pop, sucking the life out of Chuck's residential nightmare.

Cognetti also miscalculates the durability of his storytelling, splitting 825 Forest Road into three repetitive chapters focused on a different member of the family. We follow Chuck, Irene, and Maria as they interact with Helen throughout the same sorta-spooky events, but the momentum is choppy at best – nothing revealed along the way is thunderous enough to be rewound multiple times. Cognetti struggles to bring his concept to life, whether it's Helen's underbaked backstory or the counterintuitive motivations that peg Chuck's crew as mindless cannon fodder. A few valiant efforts are made to prop up the exposition – like introducing the town's underground paranormal discussion group – but if the devil's in the details, he's on vacation.

I'll admit: Martha the mannequin – with her crackly, papier-mâché complexion and habit of turning up where you least expect her – makes an effective antagonist. As Helen taunts the befuddled residents of 825 Forest Road by puppeting Martha around the house, Cognetti calls back to his nerve-shredding usage of Hell House LLC's bald-and-painted clown prop. The ghastly figure makes a good jump scare (when she’s not a shoddy digital effect), but 825 Forest Road is never scarier than when Martha gains mobility, scampering about like one of Donna Beneviento's Resident Evil Village minions. So much of 825 Forest Road is a struggle, but not when Cognetti reminds us why Hell House LLC garnered a ravenous following addicted to blood-pumping terrors. If only the Martha material had a more powerful, lingering effect.

The rest of 825 Forest Road stumbles through the motions. The performances are a serviceable crop, but the cast doesn’t give you anything that'll stay seared in your memory. Cognetti recycles a few tricks from his Hell House LLC experiences, but they're less impactful without the intimacy found-footage can provide. Then there's the death blow of the final act, an anticlimax that fades to black at the worst possible moment. The kernel of an idea in 825 Forest Road never puffs into something tastier – it’s the hardened shell at the bottom of Cognetti’s bowl of savory found-footage frights. Perhaps the upcoming Hell House LLC: Lineage will prove a better method of closing the door on this chapter of his career.

LEGO has been rolling out new LEGO Lord of the Rings sets at a leisurely, hobbit-like pace of late. In 2023 we got a stunning Rivendell set. Last year, LEGO released a huge set of the Sauron’s iconic Dark Tower, aka Barad-dûr. And now, finally available for anyone to buy (exclusively at the LEGO Store), is a lovely, peaceful set based on The Shire – specifically, the hillside residence of Bilbo and Frodo in Bag-End.

LEGO The Lord of the Rings: The Shire

You'd think pulling together a "best video game movies" list would be fairly easy given the meager amount of qualifying flicks... so we made it a bit more challenging with a Top 10! The question you should have now isn't "Oooh, which movies made the cut?" but instead "Wow, there are actually 10 decent movies based on video games?"

Yes, effectively translating games to film has always been one of Hollywood's biggest challenges, even as games became more and more story-focused, acting like long-form movies in their own right. It's understandable why old school cabinet games and platformers, with scant narratives, would be tough to adapt but modern games come almost automatically assembled for the big screen. How hard is it to make an Uncharted movie when the Uncharted games feel like movies? As it turns out? Super gd difficult.

So games-to-movies is still a heck of a nut to crack, apparently, but in recent years we've been seeing some marked improvement. (And we didn't even cheat by including all three Sonic the Hedgehog movies... though maybe we should have!)

And a note: This list is made up of movies that are based on real games. It does not include movies that are about video games (The Wizard, Pixels) or the many movies that feature a made-up game (Free Guy, Ready Player One, Wreck-It Ralph, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, etc.).

With A Minecraft Movie landing on our doorstep this week, here's our Top 10 Video Game Movies of All Time!

10. Street Fighter (1994)

Our official crap entry here, since we have to admit that some video game movies are brilliant schlock, is the goofy guilty pleasure of 1994’s Street Fighter. Look, most video games at the time were either platformers or fighting games so… not a lot of narrative was unfolding. And Street Fighter was kind of exactly what you wanted from a Street Fighter movie.

Popping up right toward the end of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s heyday (he’d still have the underrated Peter Hyams’ movies Timecop and Sudden Death to unleash), Street Fighter has now meandered over into beloved cult movie territory, with a crazed cast that included Ming-Na Wen, Kylie Minogue, Wes Studi, and the late great Raul Julia (in what would be his final film role). Written and directed by screenwriter Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard, The Running Man, Richochet), Street Fighter was transformed into a Van Damme vehicle, making Colonel Guile the central character and guaranteeing a ton of roundhouse spin kicks.

9. Rampage (2018)

This is most definitely the best movie you could have whipped up based on the 1986 arcade game featuring Godzilla and Kong-esque monsters, and their best pal -- a giant Werewolf -- climbing buildings, eating people, swatting planes, and then reducing said buildings to rubble. For 2018's Rampage, however, the battle lines were a little different. It was Lizard and Wolf vs. Ape and... Rock.

Yes, Dwayne Johnson re-teamed with director Brad Peyton (following Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and San Andreas) for a smash-em-up disaster flick all about mutant beasts tussling in, and subsequently leveling, Chicago.

8. Uncharted (2022)

Asked in the intro: How hard could it be to make a good Uncharted movie? Putting aside, of course, how hard it is to make any movie, in general.

The Uncharted games not only play like action movies, with eye-popping interactive cutscenes that are basically stunt spectaculars (one of which even wound up kinda/sorta in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning), but the games themselves were also influenced by classic action-adventure flicks like the Indiana Jones films.

The choice to have stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg played aged-down versions (that's Hollywood, baby!) of hero Nathan Drake and mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan soured some fans of the game franchise while also robbing the film of Uncharted's heart and lived-in appeal, but the action was decent (particularly the third act set piece) and there was enough charisma on set to allow this mixtape of Uncharted characters and lore to persevere.

7. Resident Evil (2002)

With overall quality up for spirited debate, the single most resilient video game movie franchise is the Paul W. S. Anderson Resident Evil series. Spanning two decades, with six movies, Resident Evil became the little Umbrella Corporation engine that could with its own brand of cheese-tastic action and horror.

Representing the entire run -- and even the more recent Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City reboot in 2021 and the separate Netflix series in 2022 -- is the 2002 original, featuring The Fifth Element's Milla Jovovich as amnesiac heroine Alice, who joins up with a band of warriors to battle the sinister Umbrella Corporation and the scourge of the zombie-creating T-virus.

Mixing up various parts of the first two Resident Evil games, this first movie nicely set the stage for 25 more years of RE films. With 28 Days Later and the Dawn of the Dead reboot helping popularize zombie horror at the start of this century, Resident Evil found itself in a sweet spot being able to pull from games filled with undead monsters and tons of dystopian lore.

Oh, and the franchise isn't done reinventing itself either, as a brand new version from Barbarian's Zach Cregger is slated for 2026.

6. Mortal Kombat (2021)

With this list we're trying to strike a balance between old and new when it comes to video game movies, honoring old adaptation attempts and previous big swings while also saluting the newer grittier and grounded reboots. 2021's Mortal Kombat, which gets a much-buzzed-about sequel in 2025, hit all the right notes when it came to world building, bone-crunching action, and occasional wit. It took the iconic, pivotal fighting game and gave it a new sheen, showcasing our heroes' quest to save Earth from Outworld hostiles while using the revenge story between Scorpion and Sub-Zero as the film's... er, spine.

But we'll also throw some love to Paul W. S. Anderson's original 1995 adaptation. Yes, before he cracked the Resident Evil code, Anderson had a nice '90s hit with the first Mortal Kombat movie - a fun, campy crash course in throwing a fighting game up on the big screen.

5. Tomb Raider (2018)

And here's another legendary game franchise that has been running for so long we've gotten into reboot territory. So much so that the Tomb Raider movie from 2018 was based on an entirely different rebooted game series -- the Survivor Trilogy -- than the previous two Angelina Jolie films, which had big action directors at the helm in the form of Simon West and Jan de Bont.

The new Tomb Raider, starring Ex Machina's Alicia Vikander, was a thoughtful, exciting reworking of the 2013 game, the first of the new trilogy, and included the island of Yamatai adventure that helps transform young Lara Croft from an aimless heiress into globe-trotting adventurer. Or, survivor, if you will, as this origin story portrays Lara as a scrappy, skin-of-her-teeth type more than a confident action hero.

A sequel was in the works for a while until COVID delays stalled everything up so much that MGM wound up losing the film rights to the game franchise in 2022. Such a pity. Trinity's definitely behind this.

4. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

The less said about the original Super Mario Bros. film from 1993 the better, though it is a fascinating study from a blockbuster disaster standpoint. And the film's now wandered into "so bad it's good... but it's still bad" territory. Overall, it was a live-action miscalculation of epic proportions.

That first attempt to bring Mario and Luigi was so abysmal that it basically stamped out all future tries. Nintendo essentially stopped licensing its characters for movies. Almost 30 years later, the Super Mario curse was broken with a vibrant, delightful animated film that basically printed money at the box office. The Mario Bros. world was just too ridiculous and disjointed -- plumbers, princesses, mushrooms, Bowsers -- for live-action and needed to thrive in a cartoon environment. This fantastical story needed a fantastical presentation. And while the casting of Chris Pratt as Mario became a sticking point for the internet, no one ultimately gave a s***. Everything worked here.

3. Detective Pikachu (2019)

The live-action/animation hybrid Detective Pikachu was a clever, heartfelt dive into the vast world of Pokemon, with Ryan Reynolds voicing a smart, sleuthing Pikachu who teams with Justice Smith's forlorn former Pokemon trainer, Tim, who's the only person who can hear this particular Pikachu talk. Together they investigate the death of Tim's estranged father in Ryme City. This energetic, offbeat take on the unique game world led to box office gold, making Detective Pikachu the highest-grossing video game movie of all time (at the time). Great character arcs, surprising story twists -- the film clearly understood the assignment. As of now, a sequel is supposedly still "in the works."

2. Werewolves Within (2021)

The least-watched film on this list for sure, and based on the least-known game on the list (a VR game for Oculus Rift from 2016), Josh Ruben's Werewolves Within is a hilarious, freaky monster mystery starring Sam Richardson (Veep, The Detroiters) as a new park ranger in a small town full of feuding citizens who are either being bumped off by their own neighborly rivals or... a gruesome beast stalking from the woods. Filled with funny, accentuated by co-stars Milana Vayntrub (our lost Squirrel Girl), Michaela Watkins (Heart Eyes), and George Basil (Severance), Werewolves Within is a great watch and a must-add to all Spooky Seasons marathons.

1. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

We already told you that the Sonic movies weren't taking up three spots, so here stands Sonic the Hedgehog 3 -- the best of the three movies to date and also the rep for the new Sonic franchise as a whole. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have gotten better with each installment, with the series as a whole having truly perfected the way to bring Sega's bonkers console-launching speedy platformer to life with animation and live-action.

It's high-octane family fun that managed to find the perfect voice for Sonic in Ben Schwartz, balancing snarky and sweet. It's also responsible for bringing Jim Carrey out of blockbuster retirement, gifting a whole new generation with his incomparable comedic antics. It feels like a modern cinematic miracle that we've now managed to get Sonic and Mario up in movie theaters in big, successful ways. And Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was the deepest, most effective movie so far. The chemistry between Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in the film is spot-on and Keanu Reeves voicing Shadow was impeccable casting.

So what are your favorite video game movies? What would you have liked to have seen represented here? Vote in our poll and let us know below!

And if you're looking for all the Upcoming Video Game Movies and TV Shows, follow the link. Or, if you're in the mood for something a little more analytical, check out our Dream Video Game Movies and TV Shows Wishlist, and also this op-ed about why it might be so dang hard to make a good video game movie.

There’s a purely primal pleasure in stacking things up and then watching them fall down: witness how it’s one of the earliest activities children learn to play by themselves. And however much we might grow up and think of ourselves as mature, sober citizens, you can still get a frisson of that pleasure by organizing a closet, or watching a tower block demolished. So why not go the whole hog and indulge that secret pleasure with one of the very best dexterity games on the market?

TL;DR: These Are the Best Dexterity Games

• Junk Ark
• Catapult Feud
• Nekojima
• Catacombs and Castles
• Klask
• Barbecubes
• Jenga
• Crokinole
• Dungeon Fighter
• Jungle Speed
• Kabuto Sumo
• Drop It
• Hamster Roll
• Looping Louie
• Rhino Hero

Junk Art

Catapult Feud

Nekojima

Catacombs and Castles

Klask

Barbecubes

Jenga

Crokinole

Dungeon Fighter

Jungle Speed

Kabuto Sumo: Bug Wrestling

Drop It

Hamster Roll

Looping Louie

Rhino Hero

Originally launched as a free service to rival Xbox Live in 2010, PlayStation Plus has evolved significantly since its humble beginnings in 2010. The current iteration of PlayStation Plus is a subscription-based service for PS5 and PS4 users that is mandatory for online play, but also features additional tiers that add benefits such as a catalog of downloadable games, cloud streaming, and more.

While Sony used to offer free trials for new users to its online service, PlayStation Plus does not currently offer any free trials.

Can You Get PS Plus For Free in Other Ways?

Although PlayStation Plus doesn't offer free trials to everyone, certain countries or regions may occasionally have access to a limited-time free trial according to Sony's website. Unfortunately, Sony doesn't reveal exactly who these free trials are for or when they are available, so you'll need to keep your eyes peeled. PlayStation also occasionally has free multiplayer events with no PS Plus subscription required, although these are often unpredictable.

PlayStation does have occasional deals on PlayStation Plus subscriptions, however, they are often only available for new or expired members. Come on, Sony, share the love!

What PS Plus Alternatives Have Free Trials?

There really isn't a direct replacement for PS Plus as it's required for online play on PS5 and PS4, but there are some alternatives with free (or close to free) trials that offer a catalog of games to stream, if you so desire. However, most (if not all) of these alternatives require either a different console, a PC, or a mobile device to use the service.

1. PC Game Pass (14 Days for $1 - $11.99/month

Many of the best gaming keyboards I’ve reviewed in recent years are tenkeyless – ones that lop off the number pad to save desk space that also deliver high performance and fancy features. But I still want full-sized functionality on my keyboard, which is why I love the 96% layout where you still get all of the essentials with all of it crammed into a slightly more compact board with no gaps between keys or wasted space. They are tougher to find, however. And for that, I rode out the original Keychron K4 as my main until I spilled a drink over it and destroyed its mechanical switches. It was a solid keyboard that had everything I wanted at the time, but now it’s been updated with Hall Effect magnetic switches, and the results are fantastic.

The Keychron K4 HE has been outfitted with Gateron double-rail magnetic Nebula switches and the frame has a slightly different trim, but it’s still the simple and sleek keyboard I’ve always loved. While it doesn’t have anything like an OLED control screen on the likes of a SteelSeries Apex Pro or Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75, I don’t mind because sometimes it’s about getting the basics right, and offering that at a reasonable price.

Keychron K4 HE – Design and Features

I received the special edition of the Keychron K4 HE that comes in a cream white color scheme with wood grain along the side of the aluminum frame and a couple of gold keycaps for a pleasing accent. The OSA profile double-shot PBT keycaps are nice to the touch and have rounded edges for a softer overall look. There is RGB backlighting and a dedicated RGB key at the top-right to cycle through built-in RGB effects like breathing, waves, ripples, wheel, or just a single static color. But since the keycaps on the special edition don’t have transparent legends, it only really seeps through between the keys (the standard edition does have transparent keycaps so I would recommend going with that model if it matters to you). It’s bright enough to come through vividly even if it doesn’t light up the key lettering.

The 96% layout tickles a certain part of my brain and I like how neat everything looks despite being crammed together. There’s no wasted space, but that does mean I reach for the wrong key sometimes, like hitting home key instead of delete when working. Because it’s truncated in the way it is, you save a lot of deskspace without sacrificing the full suite of keys – side-by-side with my tenkeyless SteelSeries Apex Pro, there’s only a one-inch difference in width. The functionality I get back in return is very much worth it, and I find myself using the number pad often again for work or mapping additional actions/macros in games like the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.

There aren't going to be groundbreaking high-tech features here, or even simple things like easily accessible dedicated media keys, which are things I find useful, but at least you don’t necessarily lose that functionality since those are combined with other keys via the FN key. It is nice, however, to have 2.4GHz wireless and Bluetooth connectivity to give it a little extra versatility. The connection toggle is on the left side of the frame along with a Windows/Android-MacOS input toggle – the buttons are smaller than I would prefer, but it’s one of those set-it-and-forget-it kind of situations.

Keychron K4 HE – Software and Customization

There's still a decent amount of customization on account of having magnetic switches, and they’re very easy to tinker with. Boutique manufacturers like Keychron have moved toward having web-based configurators as opposed to downloadable suites that bigger manufacturers use. (I get that Razer, Logitech, Asus, etc. do that to get you in their ecosystems.) You simply go to the Keychron launcher site, select your keyboard from the Connect menu, and you immediately have access to a full set of customization options.

From here, you can set the actuation point on a per-key basis anywhere between 0.2mm and 3.8mm and in increments of 0.1mm – and having a short actuation point is crucial for competitive gaming performance. You also have more nuanced features like one-key multi-command, which lets you map different inputs to various distances along the keystroke. And there’s the analog gamepad feature that allows you to simulate specific sensitivities of controller inputs on a keystroke. Hall Effect switches are great for performance alone, but it’s this kind of versatility enabled by magnetic technology.

It’s pretty much expected for magnetic keyboards to have features like Rapid Trigger and LKP (last keystroke prioritization), the latter of which is the contentious SOCD (simultaneous opposite cardinal direction) input. We cover this with each magnetic keyboard since it’s becoming more commonplace and different companies call it something different. It certainly has its uses cases, but if you’re not aware, SOCD (or LKP in this case) lets you hold one key and register an opposite direction every time you hit it, and re-register the key you're holding every time you let go of the other. You can counter-strafe (or jiggle strafe) at inhuman speed, making you a much harder target. Be aware that you will get kicked from Counter-Strike 2 matches, for example, if you exploit SOCD like LKP.

Looking to upgrade your mouse, too?

There can be no doubt that The Hunger Games is one of the best young adult series' out there, and one I have personally invested a lot of time into. There have been a total of four Hunger Games books so far and all of them have been made into movies. Not only that, the latest book, Sunrise on the Reaping, just released and it is already an instant best seller. Suzanne Collins doesn't miss.

Similar to other popular young adult novels, The Hunger Games has been slowly getting the illustrated treatment. Just last year the first illustrated edition was launched featuring art from Nico Delort. The illustrations themselves are gorgeous and detailed, making the first illustrated edition a worthy collectors item for any fan of the series. There is also already an illustrated edition of the second book, Catching Fire, in the works and both of them are currently on sale on Amazon at their lowest-ever prices. The first book has dropped all the way down to under $20.

The Hunger Games Illustrated Editions Deals on Amazon

I feel like we've earned a reprieve today from the news chaos of tariffs and Nintendo Switch 2 pricing, so here's something fun (?) for your Friday: IGN played Mario Kart World at a Nintendo event in New York this week, and confirmed that yes, the new Cow character can in fact eat burgers and steak (and many others things as well).

If you're wondering what on earth we could possibly be talking about, allow me to point you to the recent announcement of Mario Kart World, which included the introduction of the Moo Moo Meadows Cow as a playable racer. The Internet, of course, is thrilled about this, already coming up with dozens of memes and fanart of the adorable Cow that, until recently, was nothing more prominent than a fun background character in a single Mario Kart track.

However, as news of Cow spread throughout the land, fans began pointing out a potential, erm, problem, with another element of the Mario Kart World reveal. In the Nintendo Direct 2 trailer from Wednesday, Mario eats a burger. Burgers are (typically) made of beef. Would Cow, whose people are ostensibly a source of beef, consume beef herself? Fans really wanted to know.

Well at the Nintendo preview event, we found out. You see, the food items we saw in the trailer are obtainable in Mario Kart World at Yoshi's diner locations scattered across courses. They function like a drive-thru, allowing racers to drive up and grab a bag of take-out just like they would an item box. There are a lot of different food items that can be inside, including burgers, steak kebabs, pizza, and donuts.

And yes, Cow can eat them all.

Yes, Cow CAN eat steak in Mario Kart World. pic.twitter.com/qN5PZ9IIM4

— IGN (@IGN) April 4, 2025

During our session we also saw Cow eat a number of other items, including the burger. We're still a little hazy on what these items are actually doing for Cow — other racers change costumes when consuming them, but Cow doesn't seem to experience any effects. Could she be eating beef just because she enjoys it? Is there a secret power-up she gets from burger consumption that we just don't know about yet because Nintendo hasn't revealed it? Or perhaps are these veggie burgers and Beyond meat kebabs?

IGN reached out to Nintendo to try and clear all this up, but we haven't heard back yet. I'm sure it's because they're busy at their New York event, and not because this is an unhinged question to ask their PR about. Yeah, that's probably it.

Anyway go check out our preview of Mario Kart World, the video version of which features an appearance by our friend Cow.

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

Gaming fans are feeling the heat after Nintendo announced its Switch 2 U.S. pre-order date was delayed as a direct result of the newly announced tariffs posed by the Trump Administration.

Wednesday morning, Nintendo fully unveiled its hybrid console sequel alongside plans to open pre-orders come April 9 — news that Donald Trump would soon implement sweeping tariffs across the globe arrived just hours later. It was a moment of whiplash that the industry is still struggling to come to grips with, and now, two days later, the average gaming fan is already feeling the impact.

“Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions,” Nintendo said in a statement shared with IGN. “Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.”

I really hate being right. I kept telling folks that things can literally change tomorrow. People kept yelling at me that the tariffs won't affect us...aight man 😒

— JG (@UTxJGTheDon) April 4, 2025

46% tariff on Vietnamese imports announced now.

Nintendo Switch 2 are produced there…

It’s so fucking over. pic.twitter.com/5N1iAMI2Jm

— Pory (@pory_leeks) April 2, 2025

they’re gonna make it even more expensive pic.twitter.com/5Y8FL9FZF6

— Just Some Bread (@garliclessbread) April 4, 2025

“Wait a minute… are you saying we have to pay the tariffs??” one Reddit user commented. “Who could have possibly foreseen this?!”

While pre-order timing for other territories, including the UK, remains unchanged, Nintendo didn’t mince words when it came to how tariffs will affect those in the United States. However, changes to a release schedule, even when it comes to something as simple as pre-order timing, signal that Nintendo has more on its mind than it has revealed thus far.

There were fears that Nintendo’s proposed $450 Switch 2 price and $80 games might be too big of an ask pre-tariffs — a movement aiming to get Nintendo to lower its price plans already began shortly after that initial reveal — but the struggle for affordable games is just getting started. While some analysts had suggested Switch 2 prices were calculated with potential tariffs in mind, Nintendo’s announcement today suggests those numbers have room to increase.

So then

Those WERE the pre tariff prices

Yeah the Switch and Mario Kart bout to be 650 after taxes

— Colin (@IntroSpecktive) April 4, 2025

Americans checking the updated Switch 2 prices after complaining about the old ones https://t.co/fsC60LU5YE pic.twitter.com/t4RwqXia8J

— imonlyhereforpikmin (@onlyhereforpkmn) April 4, 2025

Nintendo hasn’t announced when or if its Switch 2 prices will change, but there is plenty of reason to worry they will shift in a more expensive direction. What began as a wave of frustration aimed at the current Switch 2 price has now evolved into an ocean of people who, of course, are still angry, but now they are just hoping they’ll be able to afford the new console.

“This unironically frustrates me so much,” another Reddit user added. “The switch 2 was already going to be quite expensive (compared to the OG) but I was still okay with paying the extra money for it. The games were another blow. Was too expensive already but whatever. But this? Huge tariffs Plus Sales tax Plus tariffs on the games???

“I don’t want to pay 130$ for a damn copy of a game or 600$ for the new Switch. I genuinely (think) this will impact the amount of people able to buy into all of this. I shouldn’t as an average person be priced out of this, yet I probably will be. Augh…”

I feel bad for all my US followers. If you thought the Switch 2 price was expensive before. It looks like its going to get even worse due to new tariffs.

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) April 4, 2025

We've spoken to other industry analysts who acknowledge that these unprecedented tariffs have gamers and game-makers walking into uncharted territory and that there's no telling what exactly will happen with the Switch 2. While some believe we could soon see a price increase, others aren't so sure, but all agree that the industry will no doubt feel the impact of the Trump Administration's wide-reaching tariff plans.

The Switch 2 is Nintendo’s latest groundbreaking console, but a suddenly increased price could be just the start of what’s to come. We spoke with Entertainment Software Association (ESA) spokesperson Aubrey Quinn to learn more about how Trump’s unprecedented tariffs will impact video game fans moving forward. As many have already feared, the ESA says there’s no reason to believe the damage will stop at Nintendo.

It does not stop at Nintendo Switch 2 btw.

-PC parts like CPU's and GPU's are gonna go up

-Laptops going up

-Anything Tech related is going up.

Next PlayStation and Xbox gonna require a blood sacrifice.

— Mightykeef (@MightyKeef) April 4, 2025

The prices of your consoles, tech, and pretty much every daily necessity are about to go up.

There's a good chance Nintendo is about to announce a price hike for the Switch 2. Do not be surprised if Sony and Microsoft follow suit.

PC market is already screwed. https://t.co/M40UFMyRH5

— KAMI (@Okami13_) April 4, 2025

The Nintendo Switch 2 is priced at $449.99 at the time of this piece’s publication. For more, you can read up on how we think it’s original price announcement impacted how players felt about the Switch 2 Direct. You can also click here to see the full launch lineup so far.

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).

At CinemaCon this week, Amazon MGM had a notable array of star-driven upcoming films to tout that are opening in theaters (before streaming) over the course of 2025 and 2026, including Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson in Mercy and Chris Hemsworth and Halle Berry in Crime 101. And while it might take awhile before we see James Bond again – though executives promised newly-hired producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are hard at work developing the next film – it was clear the studio has especially high hopes for Project Hail Mary.

Despite opening a full year from now, in March 2026, Project Hail Mary was the film Amazon MGM opened their presentation with, showing an extended preview for the film. Based on Andy Weir’s book of the same name, Project Hail Mary stars Ryan Gosling, with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directing, all of whom were in attendance (it was Lord’s second appearance of the week, since he’d also been at Sony’s CinemaCon presentation to announce Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’s new 2027 release date).

Lord and Miller are known for funny and eclectic projects like 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie and the Spider-Verse films (the latter of which they write and produce, with others directing), but the footage indicates Project Hail Mary has a different vibe to it from their previous work. The story follows Gosling’s mild-mannered school teacher turned astronaut, Ryland Grace, whose knowledge and skill leads him to be sent into space on a mission to save humanity, when it’s discovered that the Earth’s sun is one of many stars that are dying.

There was certainly a good amount of humor to be found in the footage, as Ryland panics over what he’s being asked to do, declaring at one point: “You have the right stuff! I have the wrong stuff!” But overall, it felt more subdued than their broader comedies, or even the heartfelt yet frequently very funny Spider-Verse movies, appearing to have a more poignant and awestruck overall feeling, as Ryland goes on his incredible mission to the far reaches of space - leaving Gosling at one point sporting long hair and a bushy beard.

The big added element here is screenwriter Drew Goddard, whose credits include projects like Cloverfield and Cabin in the Woods. But most notably, when it comes to this film, Goddard wrote the Academy Award-nominated screenplay for The Martian, which was also adapted from a book written by Andy Weir. And there’s definitely a similar feel between that film and Project Hail Mary, with its science-friendly, warm-hearted and witty look at a man alone in space…

…well, alone at first. Because as the footage teased at the end via a quick shot of a strange hand reaching out, Ryland comes to encounter an alien he names Rocky, who Miller noted “is trying to solve the same problem” in order to save his people. The footage concludes with Ryland sending a message back to Earth in which he declares “So… I met an alien! He’s kind of growing on me. Not growing in me. …Which was a concern for a while.”

Miller described Project Hail Mary as “the biggest challenge we’ve taken on,” with Gosling saying “It’s an insanely ambitious story that’s massive in scope. It seemed really hard to make and that’s kind of our bag.”

CinemaCon is an event aimed at movie theaters, and as the group were touting the big screen visuals of the film – despite them stressing none of the effects were final, what we saw looked quite good even this early – Miller remarked: “Movies are meant to be seen on the biggest screen possible with the weirdest-looking novelty popcorn bucket possible!”

Also starring Sandra Hüller and Milana Vayntrub, Project Hail Mary opens March 20, 2026.

For more CinemaCon coverage, here’s we learned about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Thunderbolts, Predator: Badlands, Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, The Beatles, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, TRON: Ares, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

The GeForce RTX 4090 is a generation older than the new Blackwell 50 series GPUs, but this doesn't change the fact that it's still one of the most powerful cards out there, eclipsing the GeForce RTX 5080 or RTX 4080 Super or the Radeon RX 9070 XT or RX 7900 XTX. Only one GPU performs better - the RTX 5090 - and you'll need to use up a lifetime of luck to find one that isn't marked up by hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

Because the RTX 4090 has been discontinued, it's getting harder to source as well. Fortunately, Dell has two prebuilt gaming PC models that can be equipped with a 4090 GPU, and at reasonable prices. The base model costs $2,999.99. The upgraded model with a more powerful processor, more RAM, and more storage costs $3,599.99. These are currently the best prices we see for an RTX 4090 equipped gaming PC, and many other manufacturers - including Lenovo and HP - no longer carry RTX 4090 prebuilt gaming PCs at all.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $2,999.99

It’s been a wild news roller coaster for U.S. gamers this week. It began with the celebratory full reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 in all its glory and games, followed closely by audience dismay over its $450 price tag and $80 for Mario Kart Tour, only for everyone to reel once again this morning as Nintendo announced it would hold off on pre-orders for the system until it could assess the impact of the Trump Administration’s sudden, sweeping, unprecedented tariffs on just about every nation in the world.

We’ve written elsewhere about why the Nintendo Switch 2 cost so much to begin with, and what impact the industry’s trade association thinks these new tariffs are likely to have on games writ large. But right now, the real question on everyone’s minds is, what’s Nintendo going to do? When pre-orders do open, will the Nintendo Switch 2 be even more expensive?

Normally, when there are questions to the tune of “what is going to happen with video games?”, I go ask a panel of expert industry analysts. While they can’t literally predict the future, most of the time, they have a pretty solid consensus understanding, backed by evidence and data, of what’s most likely to happen, and I turn around and write about that. I’ve already done it twice this week.

But for the first time since I started interviewing analysts on such topics, every single analyst I spoke to was effectively stumped. Several had guesses one way or another: Nintendo will raise the price, or won’t. But every single one of them heavily caveated their response with an emphasis on the chaos of the moment. This has never happened before, it’s all happening very fast, and absolutely no one can accurately predict what Nintendo, Trump, or anyone will do tomorrow, next week, or months down the road.

So with that rather astonishing disclaimer in mind, here’s what all the analysts I spoke to did say:

Sky-High Switch

With everyone I spoke to taking their best wild guesses on what was going to happen, I ended up with a pretty divided panel. On the side of “Nintendo will raise prices” was Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games. Though he says he at first thought it was too late for Nintendo to raise prices after it had announced them, this delay has changed his mind. At this stage, he doesn’t think Nintendo has much of a choice.

“It is very difficult to predict, but Nintendo will likely take a few days to run simulations and then announce hikes, not only for the system itself but also games and accessories,” he said. “I hope I am wrong but if sustained, these sky-high tariffs leave them no choice. Would you be surprised now to see Switch 2 hit US$500 for the base model? I wouldn't.

“What I also want to add is this: Why on earth did Nintendo not wait for the US to fix their tariffs first and then decide on pricing during a Direct a few days later? This made no sense.”

Mat Piscatella, senior analyst at Circana, heavily caveated his opinion (as did basically everyone else) with a reminder that this is all unprecedented and unpredictable. But ultimately, he too came down on the side of games prices generally, including Nintendo prices, likely going up. But how much, and on what is anyone’s guess. “Based on the conversations I'm having, the breadth and depth of the tariffs surprised everyone, not just consumers,” he said.

Piscatella told me that Nintendo likely had some assumptions in mind about what the tariffs would be when it set the price originally. But when the actual tariffs came in on Wednesday, it was probably much higher than Nintendo, or anyone, anticipated.

“Every reasonable and responsible business that relies on international supply chains will be reevaluating its US consumer pricing at this point. They have to.

“Some territories and regions globally have historically been subject to higher pricing than other parts of the world when it comes to video games. The US could certainly be joining that group because of these tariffs. The haphazard and chaotic nature of the tariffs and their announcement obviously has many scrambling to navigate the fallout.”

Manu Rosier, director of market analysis at Newzoo, also predicts that hardware prices will increase, though he suggests software will likely not be impacted in the same way.

“While physical versions might be subject to tariffs, the growing dominance and lower cost of digital distribution would likely limit any broader effect,” he said.

“Regarding hardware, however, the situation is more sensitive. If a 20% tariff—or any substantial increase—were to be introduced, it’s unlikely that companies like Nintendo would absorb the additional cost by cutting into their margins. In such cases, the burden could shift to consumers in the form of higher retail prices.”

Holding the Line

On the other side of speculation, again with a heavy dose of telling me how unprecedented this is and how no one really knows what will happen, I find Joost van Dreunen, NYU Stern professor and author of SuperJoost Playlist. He acknowledges that a price increase on the Nintendo Switch 2 is possible, especially given the high tariffs on Vietnam. But he thinks the company will try very, very hard to avoid that.

"I believe the volatility from the Trump tariffs was already considered in the Switch 2's $449.99 pricing,” he said. “Given the first Trump administration's impact, Nintendo, like other manufacturers, has since restructured its supply chain to mitigate such geopolitical risks. Historically, Nintendo has aimed for a launch price around the $400 mark, adjusted for inflation, suggesting that the current price already reflects an anticipation of potential economic challenges stemming from ongoing trade disputes.

“Nevertheless, the unpredictable nature of these tariff decisions—exemplified by the recent situation in Vietnam—injects a significant amount of uncertainty into the market. This could compel Nintendo to find ways to absorb or offset additional costs, especially when initial product margins are typically narrower. While I expect Nintendo will strive to maintain the $449.99 price point, the external economic pressures may eventually force a reassessment if the trade landscape deteriorates further."

Piers Harding-Rolls, games researcher at Ampere Analysis, agrees, saying that Nintendo runs the risk of consumer backlash if it raises prices further:

“The extent of the tariffs and its impact on Vietnamese exports are really bad news for Nintendo,” he says. “The company is now in between a rock and a hard place, having already announced the launch price. I have already suggested that the pricing would stay as announced until 2026 at the earliest but then might be adjusted if the tariffs stay in place. This delay in pre-orders is to give the company more time and it will be hoping some sort of solution will be found over the next few weeks. This is a pretty fluid situation after all. Nintendo will not want to change the price having announced it, but I think everything is on the table now. If the pricing does change, it will impact the brand and the US consumer’s view of the product at launch. I don’t think that will put off loyal fans, but it might put off broader consumers who will take a wait a see approach. That’s particularly important during its first holiday season.”

Living in Unhinged Times

Finally, I spoke to Rhys Elliott, games analyst at Alinea Analytics. Elliott joined the first camp of analysts in predicting higher prices on both Nintendo hardware and software due to Trump’s tariffs. He also pointed back to his comments in my previous analyst piece, where he spoke on Nintendo announcing cheaper digital editions of Nintendo Switch 2 games in certain markets. “It seems the lower prices in other markets were to nudge Switch 2 buyers to digital, as I mentioned my comments to IGN about Mario Kart World’s pricing. Nintendo might have wanted to do something similar in the US, but the tariff situation is so chaotic that Nintendo was in ‘wait and see’ mode — and decided to hedge its bets to see if it needed to offset the tariffs.”

Elliott went on to project a rather grim picture of what will happen to the games industry more broadly as a result of the tariffs, with his predictions in line with what a spokesperson from the Entertainment Software Association warned me of earlier this morning on the same topic. He says that the tariffs will result in a “weaker, poorer nation”, with consumers ultimately paying the price. Here’s the rest of Elliott’s take on this:

“Some manufacturers – Nintendo included – have been shifting their manufacturing to non-tariff-impacted markets,” Elliott says. “And even if companies can afford to switch up (no pun intended!) their supply chains, who knows which markets will get tariffs next – as recent news supports. Companies cannot just lift up their whole supply chain and move everything to the US. It’s just not logistically possible. Under current law (I can’t believe I have to qualify this, but here we are), Trump would not be in power anymore by the time such a move would be completed – for Nintendo and other manufacturers. We are living in … there’s no other word for it .. unhinged times driven by an unhinged man (and other forces).

“These extreme tariffs will also be bad for consumers in the US but are positive for the US administration’s populist façade. Policies that lead to higher prices for everyday people amid a cost-of-living crisis are deplorable. They're bad for gamers and the games business. I won’t comment on the real reason for the US tariffs, but ‘a much stronger, much richer nation’ is not it.

What’s more, time and time again, data has shown that tariffs harm the economy. Comparative advantage is a core principle of international trade theory. Basically, consumption and economic well-being are stronger when countries focus on producing goods they can efficiently produce (at the lowest cost compared to other goods) – and trade for goods they are less efficient at producing. The trade war flies in the face of these core economic principles.”

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

FragPunk is a 5v5 tactical hero shooter featuring 13 unique playable characters, known as Lancers. Each Lancer is equipped with at least three otherworldly Abilities, so whether you want to slide around the map with an electric guitar modified into a shotgun, teleport your entire team to quickly rotate to another site, or heal your allies after a narrowly won gunfight, there's a Lancer for you.

FragPunk's hero roster is mostly well-balanced at the moment, allowing all Lancers to thrive in optimal situations or when handled by players who recognize a character's weaknesses and leverage their strengths. But that doesn't mean all Lancers are created equal. While some may flourish on Attack or Defense, or when combined with specific team compositions or Shard Cards, others stand above the rest and provide consistent value no matter the circumstances.

Determining the best characters in the current meta is especially important in FragPunk because many of the game's Lancers must be unlocked using Gold, FragPunk Coins, or Lancer Trophies. So before you spend your hard-earned Gold on the worst character in the game, this FragPunk tier list will break down every Lancer and place them in a tier from S to B based on their ease of use, versatility, and consistency of value:

FragPunk Tier List

S-Tier Characters: Nitro, Hollowpoint, Pathojen, Spider, Kismet

A-Tier Characters: Serket, Broker, Zephyr, Sonar, Corona

B-Tier Characters: Jaguar, Axon, Chum

S-Tier: Nitro

Nitro is a Lancer limited only by your imagination, and her lack of mobility options. Nitro’s Chug Chug deploys a remotely-controlled combat drone that can dish out 20 damage per projectile, but the drone's greatest strength is its ability to gain intel while Nitro hides in relative safety. Nitro's The Wall ability enables you to create unique and unexpected sightlines, climb onto otherwise inaccessible areas, block incoming damage, and force enemies to reveal their location as they spray to destroy these surprisingly sturdy shields.

Nitro’s Mr. Pewpew sentry turrets can monitor most doorways and entry points, and they can also be used as a sneaky offensive tool. Use them to guard flanks, or when you know an enemy is expecting your advance, toss a turret in line of sight of your foe. This will force them to either accept the incoming damage from the turret, or they'll turn to destroy it, opening up a brief window for you to peek and gun them down.

S-Tier: Hollowpoint

Hollowpoint is a gifted sniper that provides players with a supercharged railgun that can one-shot enemies to the body in medium-range duels, or one-tap enemies to the head from just about anywhere. Hollowpoint's Meteora railgun is also a great recon tool because aiming down sights detects enemies in the field of view, even if they're an invisible Zephyr. The value of Hollowpoint's Meteora simply cannot be overstated because it essentially acts as a second primary weapon, and as a free sniper rifle that disregards the Shard Clash rule that prevents you from selecting a weapon type after two deaths using them.

Hollowpoint's Smoke Screen is among the best vision control abilities in FragPunk because it's forward-moving, goes through walls, pings all enemies hit by the screen, and can be stopped at will to block off sightlines. Lastly, her Paparazzi trap is especially useful because it attaches to enemies and exposes them until they remove it by holding their interact key for a brief time.

S-Tier: Pathojen

Since this tier list is focused on highlighting the Lancers that provide consistent value regardless of your team composition, weapon, or Shard Cards, Pathojen's AOE healing field all but automatically places her in S-Tier because it's the only healing ability in FragPunk. While many Shard Cards can grant healing, increase your team's Max HP, or reduce incoming damage, Pathojen's Emotional Rescue ability bypasses the RNG Gods and ensures your team can restore their HP no matter what.

On top of that, her Shroom Wall is a respectable defensive tool that grants cover, creates blockades in narrow chokepoints, and completely blocks off doorways. Finally, Pathojen's Killer Queen ability forges a triggered or manually activated trap. Killer Queen is perfect for slowing enemy advances, it can be used offensively by tossing it toward unsuspecting enemies, and don't forget to place one on planted Converters to ensure enemies can’t defuse for free.

S-Tier: Spider

Spider may be the most controversial S-Tier pick on this list because his strongest ability, Teleporter, relies heavily on team coordination to extract maximum value. But because the Teleporter facilitates creative plays, safe disengages and full team site rotations, Spider’s potential is simply too high for a lower ranking. Meanwhile, Spider’s Spirited Away trap is a demoralizing ability that teleports enemies to the spot where the skill was initially cast. Catching an enemy with Spirited Away almost guarantees an easy charged knife kill or one-tap, but be sure to communicate with your team when teleporting more than a single target because you’ll likely require the follow-up.

Spider Trap is also an excellent defensive gadget that nearly covers an affected enemy’s entire screen for roughly three seconds while slowing them. Hide Spider Traps near choke points leading to your teleporters to prevent enemies from camping your TP.

S-Tier: Kismet

Kismet is an elite offensive Lancer in large part because of her Walk on the Wild Side ability that makes her invisible and invulnerable for a brief period. Walk on the Wild Side is the only movement ability in FragPunk that provides both invisibility and invulnerability, but you won’t be able to see enemies for its duration. Still, it allows you to sneakily cross wide-open sightlines or long corridors, before getting to cover. Walk on the Wild Side can also be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card, when cornered or low on HP.

Hello, Goodbye provides a short-range scan that penetrates walls, and though you may be unimpressed by this ability’s range initially, its effectiveness increases as you familiarize yourself with maps and common enemy angles. Kismet’s final ability, Misery Angel, is a complimentary one that can damage enemies regardless of intervening barricades. Misery Angel is a surprisingly lethal threat that deals close to 100 damage and has a large blast radius.

A-Tier: Serket

Serket is an all-around offensive threat that provides intel, can teleport, has a forward moving smoke, and an AOE crowd control tool. Serket’s movement ability, Station to Station, casts a controllable beacon that you can teleport to for a limited time, or cancel to remain in the cast location. When controlling the beacon, any enemies in your line of sight will appear as sandstorms. On paper, this ability may seem broken, but the beacon has a low health pool and can quickly be destroyed. So while the area Serket can cover will decrease as you climb the ranks, even spotting a single enemy’s location is incredibly advantageous.

Serket’s Gold Dust Woman releases a dust tornado that moves forward and slows enemies caught in it. The tornado can also be manually stopped to temporarily block a sightline. Serket is also equipped with a projectile that pulls enemies toward the center. When caught, it’s very difficult for enemies to escape the pull, but landing it consistently has a bit of a learning curve. Outside of throwing it toward enemies you know are pushing through a corridor, Dilemma can also be used to pull enemies from behind cover before quickly lining up a shot. Though Serket may be a few steps behind her S-Tier castmates, she’s just one beacon HP or speed buff away from joining the elite Lancers.

A-Tier: Broker

Like Serket, Broker is another Lancer on the cusp of reaching the S-Tier ranking because of his excellent area denial, smoke, and explosive abilities. Broker’s Goddard’s Vengeance ability allows him to wield a rocket launcher that instantly kills enemies hit directly. While hitting a target dead-on may become more inconsistent in high-rank lobbies, it’s almost guaranteed to inflict a staggering amount of damage and the rocket can also be used to swiftly dismantle a defensive setup. So even if you don’t get your one before being eliminated, Goddard’s Vengeance will ensure one of your enemies leaves the gunfight battered and bruised.

Broker’s Smokestack Lightning is inarguably one of the most versatile smokes in FragPunk because it’s thrown and casts smokes along the flight trajectory, even after bouncing off walls. Though Smokestack Lightning is an insanely useful ability that can be used to cover or obscure just about any area of the map, the prevalence of recon abilities can quickly detect your push. Broker’s final ability, Cherry Bomb, is great for denying space, and though the bombs are easily destroyed and avoided, the info gained when enemies fire at or run through the bombs makes it worthwhile.

A-Tier: Zephyr

Were it not for the pervasiveness of traps and recon abilities in FragPunk, Zephyr and her stealthy kit would undoubtedly be S-Tier. Zephyr is an elusive Lancer whose Midnight Rambler ability grants temporary invisibility, at the cost of becoming unable to fire weapons without decloaking. Her second ability, Fade Away, casts a large zone that allows Zephyr to remain invisible indefinitely, so long as she doesn’t exit the zone or shoot her firearm. These two abilities used in concert can be incredibly lethal on sites, but her loud footsteps and traps remain a constant liability.

Thankfully, Zephyr has a built-in escape strategy in the form of her Get Back teleport beacon. Place a beacon before going for a stealthy backstab or aggressing on a site, and if your invisibility is running out, teleport back to quickly disengage.

A-Tier: Sonar

Sonar’s character design is deeply rooted in gathering information for you and your squad, but we’ve bumped her down to A-Tier because of her lack of mobility and reliance on team follow-up. Sonar’s Echolocation deploys a sensor that scans for moving enemies every few seconds. Though Echolocation is an undoubtedly powerful recon ability, it can be gamed by walking between the sensor’s scans. Nevertheless, at a minimum, Echolocation will slow enemy pushes and make their movements easier to predict.

Sonar’s Sonic Surge is another recon tool that launches a charged-up sonic wave that exposes all enemies hit and knocks them back. Because Sonic Surge can travel through walls, it’s amazing at gathering intel on enemy setups. Finally, Sound of Silence dampens your footsteps and the steps of surrounding teammates for a very brief period. The shortness of this ability’s timer makes it near useless in solo queue, but when on a coordinated squad, the silent pushes can be fight winning.

A-Tier: Corona

Corona’s kit is arguably one of the most harmonious in FragPunk because all of his abilities are meant to be used in concert. Corona’s Fast Lane is a quick dash that allows you to swiftly reposition between cover, but it’ll often be deployed just after casting Hothead. Hothead transforms Corona into a flash that briefly blinds all enemies looking at this Lancer. Corona players will time their Hothead flash, dash into line of sight, and blind all nearby enemies.

While this combo can be round winning, it tragically leaves Corona in no man’s land unless he has team follow-up. Corona’s last ability is Ashes to Ashes which creates a spell field that damages enemies, and grants Corona damage reduction and increased movement speed while in the zone. Though Corona sits in the A-Tier, he’s one of the best 1v1 duelers in FragPunk, making him a major asset in overtime matches.

B-Tier: Jaguar

Despite receiving a buff in a recent balance patch, Jaguar remains a B-Tier Lancer simply because there are Lancers that outmatch each of his abilities. Jaguar’s Live Wire trap deals an impressive amount of damage but not enough to secure kills, and it doesn’t reveal enemies unless you also use his I Can See for Miles skill. I Can See for Miles detects the number of enemies directly ahead, enemies on critical HP, or opponents affected by Live Wire or Electric Avenue.

Electric Avenue summons a cage around enemies scanned by the cast ability, but again, you’ll only be able to see the enemy inside if you use I Can See for Miles. Electric Avenue also lacks agency because it’ll automatically surround the nearest enemy in range. This isn’t always advantageous as teams can strategically bait your push before entering or exiting the cage.

B-Tier: Axon

Axon is one of the most aggressive Lancers in FragPunk, but like Zephyr, his kit is heavily reliant on the enemy team being distracted or lacking recon traps. Axon’s Electric Guitar deals a hefty, yet inconsistent amount of damage, but you’ll need to get into close-range engagements for it to be effective. Sticky Fingers are Axon’s grenades which can stick to targets or bounce off the environment, making them decent when you know an enemy’s precise location, but they rarely get value otherwise.

Axon’s final ability, Super Freak, is unquestionably the most niche in FragPunk because it makes him immune to flashes. While many believe Super Freak becomes near useless when facing off against a squad with no blinds, that isn’t necessarily the case. Super Freak can still get value if you throw flashes and quickly swing toward your enemy to blind them without getting flashed yourself. Despite Axon being one of the more fun and high-octane Lancers in the cast, a skilled marksman like Hollowpoint will decimate him on maps with long sightlines, so stick to running him on maps with tight flank routes.

B-Tier: Chum

To be clear, Chum is still a perfectly viable pick in B-Tier, but his reliance on his bestie Chomper places him at the bottom of the list because Chomper can be destroyed relatively quickly. Chomper is a deployable friend who can patrol a given area, enter Explosive Mode to chase down enemies, or enter Smoke Mode to release a controllable stream of smoke.

Chomper enters Explosive Mode when fed Chum’s Explosive Bait trap, and enters Smoke Mode when fed Smoke Bait. Smoke Bait can also be thrown to create a smoke cloud when the projectile hits the ground. Smoke Mode Chomper can be rather effective, but you’ll become vulnerable while controlling him, so be sure to get coverage from your teammates. Lastly, Chum’s lack of mobility options make him one of the easiest Lancers to isolate unless you keep Chomper by your side and limit your playmaking.

For more FragPunk guides, check out our explainer of FragPunk's ranked mode, plus How to Get Ultimate Material, and How to Slide in FragPunk!

Warning: this article contains basic plot spoilers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

This year’s CinemaCon has been especially eventful, including the reveal of the title of Tom Holland's next Spider-Man movie and an extended look at James Gunn’s Superman. CinemaCon has also given us a closer glimpse of Marvel’s upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Along with finally seeing Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer in action, this new Fantastic Four footage dropped a major bombshell. Vanessa Kirby’s Susan Storm is pregnant.

Anyone familiar with the Fantastic Four comics will know that this is a big deal for the team. Marvel Studios is about to introduce arguably the most powerful mutant in existence. And maybe his super-genius sister for good measure? Let’s take a closer look at why Sue’s pregnancy has major implications for the MCU and the Marvel movie multiverse.

The Children of the Fantastic Four: Who Are Franklin and Valeria Richards?

There’s a reason the FF are known as “Marvel’s First Family.” They’re a loving (if somewhat dysfunctional) family first and a superhero team second. That family element only becomes all the more pronounced once Reed Richards and Susan Storm become parents. In the comics, Reed and Sue currently have two children. Their elder son Franklin was introduced in 1968’s Fantastic Four Annual #6. Franklin’s younger sister Valeria followed in 2002's Fantastic Four #54.

As you might expect from parents whose bodies were inundated with cosmic radiation, Franklin and Valeria are both far from ordinary children. Franklin is easily one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. He has the ability to warp reality and matter at will, a power that even allows him to create entire pocket dimensions out of nothing. This power also manifests in other ways, giving Franklin everything from telepathy and telekinesis to the ability to project his consciousness across the astral plane.

Essentially, Franklin is the one being on Earth whose power is so great it rivals that of cosmic entities like the Celestials and Galactus. And he’s destined to only grow more powerful with age. The FF have met multiple adult versions of Franklin from the future, suggesting that he’ll one day grow to become an immortal defender of the entire Marvel Universe.

That’s a tough act to follow, but Valeria has never had much trouble holding her own in the Richards clan. She doesn’t have any superhuman abilities (not yet, at least), but her mind more than makes up for that. Despite her young age, Valeria is every bit as brilliant a scientist as her father. She’s a skilled inventor and an integral member of the Future Foundation, a team spearheaded by Reed that brings together the most brilliant young minds in the Marvel Universe.

As they’ve grown older, Franklin and Valeria have begun to take a more active role in the Fantastic Four’s adventures. They even have their own superhero codenames (Franklin is Powerhouse and Valeria is Brainstorm). Whatever the future holds for the Marvel Universe, Franklin and Valeria will be there to shape it.

LEGO has recently released a brand new set to its LEGO Disney line for 2025. Unlike many of the other LEGO Disney sets we've seen from this collaboration, the newest addition is targeted more at adults than kids. The massive LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle is a whopping 2,916 pieces of pure Disney magic filled with little scenes from the classic film.

This isn't the first adult LEGO set from Disney, but it certainly is a break from the norm when it comes to LEGO castles. Usually these types of sets come with a lot fewer pieces and more play-friendly elements, but the Beauty and the Beast Castle was meant to be displayed in all its glory. If you're an adult fan of the animated movie and LEGO, this set was meant for you.

The LEGO Beauty and the Beast Castle Is Now Available

The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been revealed, and while it brings huge improvements over the original console, it doesn’t exist in the same vacuum that the original handheld did. With the introduction of devices like the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally X, a ton of handheld gaming systems out there can play AAA PC games on the go.

So, while the Switch 2 will automatically have a niche carved out for being a system that plays, well, Nintendo games like Mario Kart World, anyone that’s buying a Switch 2 to play multiplatform games will have to reckon with devices like the Steam Deck – especially with the Switch 2’s $449 price tag.

Now that Nintendo has given a sneak peek into the hardware that’s running its new console, we can take a look at how exactly it will run, and whether or not its 4K promises are more than empty words.

Nvidia’s Custom Chip

The SoC (System on a Chip) that runs the Nintendo Switch 2 is probably the most important part of the console, but it’s the thing we know the least about. We do know that it’s a “custom Nvidia processor” that supports DLSS and ray tracing, but beyond that, neither Nintendo nor Nvidia have revealed any specifics. Luckily, there are a ton of leaks that suggest the Nintendo Switch 2 is using the aging Ampere graphics architecture behind the RTX 3080.

Going all the way back to 2023, there were leaks suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 would be using the Nvidia Tegra T239 SoC. This APU uses 8 ARM A78C cores, combined with an Nvidia Ampere GPU with 1,536 CUDA cores. Napkin math puts that at 12 Streaming Multiprocessors, which would be significantly smaller than even the smallest Ampere GPU – the RTX 3050 for laptops. However, assuming Nvidia didn’t nerf the Ampere SMs in the T239, each SM would have four Tensor Cores and an RT core, making for a total of 48 and 12, respectively.

To be fair, the Steam Deck is using a custom AMD APU that’s built on 8 AMD RDNA 2 GPU cores, which is smaller than what Nintendo is offering here. But, you have to keep in mind that the Steam Deck has a lower resolution display, and pumps more power into it. Plus, AMD Z2 processors are coming out over the next year, with the Z2 Extreme featuring 16 RDNA 3.5 GPU cores, which will be a huge upgrade. Though, systems with that chipset are going to be much more expensive than the Switch 2.

That small of a GPU basically makes 4K gaming an impossibility natively, but because the Tensor Cores are there, DLSS is going to be a major factor in how the Nintendo Switch performs when docked – assuming this is the SoC that’s actually in the system. However, with so few Tensor Cores, even upscaling to 4K is going to be a stretch in everything but the most lightweight games.

Instead, most games are likely going to target 1080p, even if they don’t natively render at that resolution. There are games like Donkey Kong Bananza that do seem to be rendering at a native 1080p resolution, according to Digital Foundry’s hands-on demos. However, third-party games like Cyberpunk 2077 seem to be relying heavily on upscaling, with native resolutions as low as 540p. I wouldn’t expect the Nintendo Switch 2 to ever be able to handle Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K, even with DLSS, though Nintendo will definitely have better luck with any game it can get running natively at 1080p.

The Ampere cores in the rumored T239 also have RT cores, which should theoretically allow for ray tracing in Nintendo Switch 2 games. Though, again, this will be heavily constrained by the processor’s 12 RT cores. Ray tracing will be possible, but don’t expect any jaw-dropping implementations of the technology, and especially don’t expect it in games like Cyberpunk 2077.

Even with RT cores, ray tracing is an extremely expensive workload for the GPU, and the T239 is limited by more than just its small SM count – power is a huge limiting factor, too. I spoke with Richard Leadbetter over at Digital Foundry, who told me that the entire system likely consumes as little as 10W, including the display, the SoC, and the mainboard. We won’t know exactly what the T239’s actual TDP (thermal design power) is until someone finds a way to measure it, but it likely leaves only 5-6W for the SoC itself – a third of the power of the Steam Deck’s AMD APU.

However, while the Nintendo Switch 2 might not be able to produce the same amount of power as a handheld gaming PC like the Asus ROG Ally X, that doesn’t mean there won’t be gorgeous games running on the system. After all, games like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza look stunning, and it goes to show how clever Nintendo developers are at getting the most out of the hardware in the Switch.

After all, the original Nintendo Switch was powered by the Nvidia Tegra X1, which was built on the now-ancient Maxwell graphics architecture and only packed 256 CUDA cores. Ampere is orders of magnitude more efficient than Maxwell even on its best days, and there are six times more cores in the Switch 2’s GPU. The Nintendo Switch 2 should be way faster than the original console, which bodes well for cross-generation ports like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Battery Life

While a total system power budget of 10W means the system isn’t quite as fast as it could be, it does mean the battery will have a much better time keeping up. Nintendo has come out and said it should last around 2 hours at a minimum. That’s less than was quoted for the original Switch, but that shouldn’t be too surprising, due to its higher-resolution display and more powerful processor.

The Nintendo Switch 2 has a 5,220mAh battery, a large step up from the 4,310mAh battery in the original console. That’s a sizable jump, and if its battery has the same voltage of the original Switch, that would equate to around 19Whr. That’s a smaller battery than the Steam Deck, which is probably why Nintendo quotes a similar battery life to the Steam Deck, despite its less power-hungry processor.

Nintendo probably could have put a more powerful battery in the Switch 2, but its decision likely came down to size constraints. There’s only so much battery that’ll fit while retaining the same thickness as the original Nintendo Switch, after all.

The Display

The most striking difference at first glance between the Switch and Switch 2 is probably going to be the display. While it doesn’t have the OLED screen that made the Switch OLED such a marvel, the display is bigger and has a higher resolution. The Nintendo Switch 2 sports a 7.9-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 with HDR 10 support. The display is also fast, supporting variable refresh rate up to 120Hz. That’s honestly a bit overkill considering the silicon powering the thing, but it does mean that older games or indie titles will feel extremely smooth – assuming they have unlocked frame rates. 120Hz is also a useful refresh rate for games that target 40fps since that makes for a clean ratio that won’t result in excessive stuttering.

Nintendo hasn’t released any information about the brightness of the display, but the HDR 10 certification means it needs to at least have a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, so it’s going to be a bright screen. We don’t know exactly how color performance will turn out either, but Nintendo does claim that it supports WCG, or Wide Color Gamut.

The display is probably going to be the thing that lifts the Nintendo Switch 2 above its competitors. The Steam Deck LCD has an 800p display with a peak brightness of 400 nits, and it doesn’t support WCG. The Steam Deck OLED does offer a much nicer display, but it’s still an 800p display. The Nintendo Switch 2 screen is also a huge upgrade over the original, which had a 6.2-inch, 720p LCD display.

Is the Nintendo Switch 2 a Worthy Upgrade?

In a vacuum, the Nintendo Switch 2 is massively better than the original Nintendo Switch. It’s leagues faster, has a screen that’s bigger, brighter and sharper, and has Joy-Con that you don’t have to wrestle with to disconnect. The only problem is that the Switch doesn’t exist in a vacuum anymore.

There are a ton of handheld gaming systems out there now, and while most of them are more expensive than the $449 Nintendo Switch 2, they likely offer a better gameplay experience in multi-platform games. The real appeal of the Switch 2 is going to be Nintendo’s catalog of first-party games, just like with the original console. Nintendo is known for making great games that make the most of its – relatively – weak hardware. If you’re the type of gamer that falls in love with Nintendo games, then the Nintendo Switch 2 makes a lot of sense. However, if you’re just going to get this thing to play Cyberpunk or Elden Ring on the train, there are better gaming handheld options out there.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

For seven years, Metroid Prime 4 was just a logo. Fans obsessively tuned into every Nintendo presentation hoping for an update on the game to no avail until 2024 when a trailer was finally released and footage of the game in motion was actually revealed. This year, not only is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond getting released but it’s also getting some really interesting visual and gameplay upgrades on Nintendo Switch 2. We’ve played Retro Studio’s latest installment in the classic sci-fi action adventure series on Switch 2 and we have lots to tell you about. Read on to find out more.

Beyond Beautiful

The first thing we noticed with Metroid Prime 4 was how gorgeous it was. It’s got an incredibly clean and stylish aesthetic and Nintendo was advertising it as running in 120 frames per second on Switch 2. This won’t be the case on Switch 1 and it’s tough to track how much Nintendo will be able to stick to that number on the full game, but it’s an ambitious goal either way. So far, Prime 4 has a really great sense of scale. We fought a bunch of grunt-like enemies, saw a massive, hulking mech strut into the battle, and then took down a large boss that featured several different attack phases. The area we demoed was just a small glimpse at what the full game might offer so we’re hoping we see some grander setpieces and large, open environments, some of which have been teased already in trailers.

But Metroid games are also about cramped tunnels and dark corridors and we got to see a few of those, too. Like previous Prime games, a quick button press instantly pops Samus from first-person aiming into third-person morph ball mode, allowing her to traverse some areas she can’t reach otherwise. We got to test this out a bit and it works great so we can’t wait to search around every nook and cranny of this game looking for missile upgrades, energy tanks, shortcuts, and more. This is the most detailed Metroid game yet and these sections are no different, giving us a glimpse of battles happening between warring factions happening beneath you as you roll around in tunnels above them. But wait, how does it all play?

Samouse Aran (Or, Of Mice and Metroids)

One of the most fascinating additions to Metroid Prime 4 on Switch 2 is the optional mouse controls. Looking back, the Prime series has experimented a ton with unique control options across various games. The first two Metroid Prime games were built around the fairly traditional Nintendo GameCube controller (although there was nothing traditional about turning a historically 2D sidescrolling game into a first person action adventure game with third person ball rolling mechanics) but after that, all bets were off. Metroid Prime: Hunters on Nintendo DS had touch screen controls. Metroid Prime 3 on Nintendo Wii had pointer and motion controls. Metroid Prime Pinball on DS shipped with a Game Boy Advance cartridge shaped rumble pack. We don’t talk about Metroid Prime: Blast Ball on Nintendo 3DS.

And now, Metroid Prime 4 on Switch 2 lets you turn your right Joy-Con 2 sideways, place it on a flat surface, and control Samus’ aiming with a snappy and precise mouse pointer complete with haptic feedback for every shot. Even neater, the game seamlessly allows you to switch from traditional stick controls to mouse controls on a whim, with no need to pause to go into the settings. We could see plenty of people deciding this is their preferred way to play Metroid Prime 4, and the ease of which you can swap back and forth between mouse and pointer controls makes it so you can choose to only plop the Joy-Con 2 on the table when it’s time for a serious combat sequence, and use traditional controls for the more chill exploration segments Prime 4 will surely deliver. Or maybe you’ll want to play the whole game in handheld mode or with a Pro Controller. Either way, you’ve got options.

The "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" Upgrade Path

One thing Nintendo isn’t being totally clear on just yet is where Prime 4 sits in their awkward transitional Switch 1 to Switch 2 titles list. While some original Switch games like Echoes of Wisdom and Link’s Awakening are getting free upgrade patches for Switch 2, others like Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are charging $10 for visual upgrades (and a few bells and whistles) while some games like Kirby and the Forgotten Land will receive $20 upgrades that improve visuals and add new content. Which of these categories will Metroid Prime 4’s mouse controls and 120FPS options be in when they come to Switch 2?

Well, like its release date and base game price, we just don’t know yet. You’ll be able to buy the base game and the “Switch 2 edition upgrade pack” individually or as a bundle in a bright red Switch 2 branded box but as of now, we have no idea how much any of those will cost you. Our best guess is that it will be $10 more for the Switch 2 version given that it’s not coming with an expansion like Mario Party’s “+ Jamboree TV” and Kirby’s “+ Star-Crossed World”, but we’re not 100% sure yet. Samus has unlockable psychic powers in Prime 4 so we might just have to ask her. She’s usually not very talkative, though.

Metroid Prime 4 doesn’t have a release date just yet but it’s coming to Switch 1 and Switch 2 in 2025 so hey, at least we won’t have to wait seven years again to find out more. Keep it locked to IGN for all things Metroid, and be sure to read up on our hands-on coverage of the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Mario Kart World.

Brian Altano and Logan Plant love Metroid and talk about it frequently on Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo podcast. Check it out on Fridays on IGN.com, YouTube, and podcast services.

It’d be difficult for any TV series, let alone an anime series, to be greeted with higher expectations than Lazarus. And, as Lazarus proves, it’d be equally difficult to live up to those expectations. The series comes from Shinichirō Watanabe, creator of the undisputed anime masterpiece Cowboy Bebop. With action overseen by John Wick director Chad Stahelski and a soundtrack featuring original compositions by the tantalizing trio of Kamasi Washington, Floating Points, and Bonobos, it would seem Lazarus promises nothing but slick and exciting visuals, storytelling, and atmosphere. In the first five episodes, only some of those promises are fulfilled. The opening chapters of Watanabe’s mildly compelling mystery anime remain watchable not because of the style on display or how much we care about the characters, but because of its heightened, apocalyptic stakes.

The beginning of Lazarus gives you no time to breathe: It instantly hits you with bucket loads of context and double-exposed imagery that define its vision of the future. The year is 2052, and a miracle painkiller called Hapna has exploded in popularity across the globe, ending humanity’s relationship to pain and putting a large chunk of the population in a perpetual sleepwalk. Believing this was a mistake, the drug’s creator, Dr. Skinner, announces that within 30 days, everyone who has ever taken Hapna will die. The sensory overload and intrigue surrounding this information is almost enough to paper over the clunky dialogue and poor acting (in the English version, anyway) that relays it.

Dropping such a nuclear event in the first episode is a bold decision. My brain was flooded with curiosity as to how the world would react and questions of how this was even possible, and why someone would decide that genocide on this level was the answer. It’s completely ridiculous, but Dr. Skinner’s speech announcing his intentions is packed with enough shock, intrigue, and mystery that it propelled me through the next four episodes – despite some of the less interesting turns they take.

Watanabe opts for a cold visual approach with Lazarus, with desaturated colors and metallic production design. That chilliness – also reflected in the steely, detached members of the Suicide Squad-like team looking to get a cure from Dr. Skinner – means that the plot and action need to deliver in order for the show to remain engaging. On this front, the results are mixed.

The style of action on display is apparent from the scene that introduces Axel, an inmate being recruited for the dangerous mission at the center of Lazarus. Taking advantage of the situation, Axel uses his almost superhuman kung fu and parkour skills to escape, something he apparently has done over 100 times. The 2D animation is slightly aided by CG in these fight scenes, to great effect. It puts us extremely close to the action – with punches flying right past us – while still letting us understand what’s happening on screen, thanks to the added mobility of the camera in CG. Even when the combat on Lazarus feels a little familiar – Stahelski’s blessing and curse, having now reshaped action filmmaking twice over as a stunt performer and coordinator in The Matrix movies and the architect of the John Wick franchise – the way it’s presented still feels intense and spectacular.

Yet there’s still room for Lazarus’ action to improve in future episodes. Axel and his colleagues are so capable at hand-to-hand combat that there’s no tension or peril in these scenes – despite the unerringly good soundtrack’s best efforts to establish those feelings. As such, I’m thankful for the one thrilling sequence that bucks this trend, involving a helicopter and a Green Goblin-esque glider.

A bigger problem is just how functional the characters are. They’re a group of hyper-competent spies who are too aloof to seem like they care about their assignment – which is, as a reminder, to prevent the deaths of billions of people. Lazarus frustratingly shies away from emotion in the middle of this doomsday scenario in favor of a cool factor that never actually feels that cool. Axel is meant to be the character we see this new world through, but he seems to find everything so easy, like he knows he’s going to survive no matter the challenge. I want to feel the effect of each hour passing, bringing us closer to doom. I want to understand the exhaustion and panic that must come with being tasked to save the world. Instead, Axel treats everything like a game – which could make for an interesting character arc past these five episodes, if Lazarus hadn’t sacrificed my investment in him as a person from the get-go. (A similar constraint affects the side characters as well.)

Watanabe has something to say through Lazarus, but it’s watered down and held back in these five episodes. The message about the way modern society sees and deals with pain is limited to monologues at the start of each episode, in which various characters detail their first encounters with Hapna. In a short span of time, a lot is said about how people desire numbness, and how readily available and monetized it is. But these first passages of Lazarus only touch on these topics briefly, leaving the big questions posed in the premiere – about Skinner’s motivations and how the world at large might react to its impending doom – to be answered (or not) by the episodes to follow.

If you are planning a PC build and have been waiting patiently to get ahold of one of the new Nvidia Blackwell graphics cards, here's an opportunity that's as good as you're going to get. Right now Amazon has Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC graphics cards in stock starting at $899.99 shipped. Inventory is reserved for Amazon Prime members only.

TLDR; Here's a quick list of the GPUs that we've found in stock:

• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC GPU for $899.99
• Asus The SFF-Ready Prime RTX 5070 Ti OC GPU for $939.99
• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Gaming OC GPU for $969.99
• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Aero OC GPU (White) for $979.99
• Zotac Gaming RTX 5070 Ti Solid Core OC GPU for $999.99
• Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Master GPU for $999.99
• MSI Gaming RTX 5070 Ti Vanguard SOC GPU for $999.99
• Asus TUF Gaming RTX 5070 Ti OC Edition GPU for $999.99

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU in Stock on Amazon

Amazon Prime members only for some models

Although the MSRP for these cards range from $899.99 to $999.99, a reference GeForce RTX 5070 Ti card is actually supposed to sell for $750. More advanced cooling designs, a more uncommon colorway, or overclocking out of the box add to the cost, but even then, admittedly, these cards are still priced higher than AMD originally intended.

The reality is that even third party manufacturers like Gigabyte, MSI, Asus (and pretty much everyone else) are also taking advantage of the high demand by marking prices up from the get-go. Unfortunately, you'd be hard pressed to find another RTX 5070 Ti GPU for this price or less. RTX 5070 Ti GPUs are generally selling for over $1,000 on eBay.

The RTX 5070 Ti GPU Has Excellent 4K Gaming Performance

Of all the Blackwell cards released thus far, the RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck, especially when pitted against the previous generation GPUs. It performs neck-and-neck with the RTX 4080 Super and already marginalizes the RTX 5080, which is only about 10%-15% faster but costs 33% more. This GPU is capable of high framerates in nearly all games, even at 4K resolution with ray tracing enabled. Heck, even if you plan on using this card for AI, the RTX 5070 Ti might be the better value than the RTX 50870 since both are equipped with the same 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

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.

Spider-Man and Wolverine are undoubtedly the two biggest characters at Marvel Comics, but it’s not often that their paths directly cross. Even during that very brief period when Peter Parker was a teacher at the Jean Grey Institute, Logan was enjoying the sweet embrace of death. So it’s a pretty big deal that Marvel has revealed a new monthly team-up series called Spider-Man & Wolverine.

Why are these two iconic heroes joining forces? What threat is so great that it requires both Spidey and Wolverine to fight it? And can these two fiery personalities put aside their differences long enough to get the job done? IGN spoke with writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Kaare Andrews via email to learn more about the new series. First, check out an exclusive preview of Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 below, and then read on to see what they had to say.

The Legacy of Spider-Man vs. Wolverine

Apart from the occasional big crossover like 1984’s Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, Spider-Man and Wolverine didn’t have a long track record of teaming up in the first several decades of their Marvel careers. That only really changed with 1987’s Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, a dark crossover special that ends on a particularly bleak note for Peter Parker. That issue set the tone for every Spider-Man/Wolverine team-up that followed.

Given its lofty status, we were curious if Guggenheim and Andrews felt at all intimidated in taking on this assignment. How long a shadow does Spider-Man vs. Wolverine cast over this new series?

“I’m a huge fan of the 1987 one-shot,” Guggenheim tells IGN. “I loved it as a kid and it really left an impression on me. I wouldn’t say, however, that I’ve found myself intimidated by it. It may set a bar in terms of quality, but it’s very tonally different from what I’m trying to do. (Though issue #2 features a pretty bonkers fight between Peter and Logan.)”

“You know, I just don’t look at life as a series of intimidations,” Andrews says. “I look at everything as opportunity and risk—and the bigger the opportunity, the bigger the risk that is required. And I’m constantly betting the bank on whatever I’m doing. Not every endeavor works with that sort of instinct, but comics does. And this is why comics can be the greatest job in the world. You create your own risks, are rarely held back from leaping off of tall objects, and the crashing and tumbling to the floor is the energy it takes to draw the work—to tell the stories.”

Andrews continues, “I loved that first book and was always haunted by the small panel sequence at the end of the story, the same images that haunted Peter Parker. A repeated panel that lingers with Peter after the job is done. That’s pure comics language. You can’t replicate it in any other medium. If anything, I’m looking to be inspired by that sense memory, that residue. I’m looking for new ways to leave our readers with that same haunting. Maybe not in the same way—but in some way. Thank God I loved that comic so much. It makes it a joy to take on these pages and real benchmark to not just hit—but at some opportunity to better. Nothing would be worse than not being inspired, than not having risks, than not measuring yourself up against everything you love. Working to exhaustion on projects with high risk/rewards is a gift that comics gives me. I love this thing. This medium. This language.”

Neither creator is a stranger to Spider-Man or Wolverine at this point. For his part, Guggenheim worked on both the ongoing Wolverine and Amazing Spider-Man comics in the ‘00s, including serving as one of the rotating writers on Marvel’s controversial Spider-Man Brand New Day initiative (the inspiration behind the next MCU Spider-Man movie). Is it difficult to settle back in with these characters after some time away? Has either Peter or Logan really changed in that time? As Guggenheim reveals, he’s the one that’s really changed over the years.

“I don’t think Peter and Logan have changed all that much since I first wrote them,” Guggenheim says. “What’s truly different is how much I’ve changed as a writer. I wrote Spider-Man and Wolverine very early in my writing career and I feel like I’ve evolved immeasurably since those early days. One of the appeals of this project for me is the chance to revisit these two icons as, quite frankly, a better writer.”

Whether or not Andrews is a better artist than he was two decades ago, he’s certainly a different one. One of the hallmarks of Andrews’ art style is that he has no set style. His work evolves and shifts with each new project. But as Andrews explains, Spider-Man & Wolverine is a case of him revisiting an earlier era of Marvel, drawing inspiration from the comics he loved as a young reader.

“You know, my favorite martial artist was Bruce Lee,” Andrews says. “And what Bruce did to revolutionize martial arts was to both abandon and combine styles. To create ‘All Styles Combat’. And that’s how I view artmaking. One time it’s Judo, one time it’s Greco-American Wrestling, one time it’s Kung-Fu or Boxing. And at the same time I know it’s the ‘wrong way’ to do this job. How do you build a fanbase by constantly changing? But I’ve never really been interested in building fanbases. I’m interested in ART. I’m interested in IDEAS. I’m interested in THE NEW. And sometimes the ‘new’ is a revitalization of the ‘old.’ A loop back. You know, I’ve always been experimental—wanting to zig while the world zags. And for a while, that meant my comic art became pretty out there. But now every comic seems a little out there. And I’ve found the most subversive, the most exciting pocket for me is this return to the kinds of comic art I grew up reading. A sort of ‘retro-nouveau’.”

Andrews continues, “At the moment, I’m interested in the kind of comic art that used to hit me right in the middle. Not a recreation of anything in particular but an inspiration of how I remembered those books. And it’s not nostalgia. It’s not homage. It’s life. It’s taking chances and doing the wrong thing because it feels right. If you’ve been following some of my covers for the past couple of years, it’s in line with those. And you know, those covers—I started doing them as a sort of exploration of the past. Of my past. Comics. Fandom. And I found so much joy, so much energy, so much ‘taboo’ that that energy has sort of taken over my body and I’m just radiating with it. For now. Because everything changes. Everything grows. And eventually dies. But until then—you go to LIVE, baby. Whatever that means to you. LIVE.”

Spider-Man and Wolverine’s Dynamic

Peter Parker and Logan have certainly had a rocky relationship over the years. They’ve been at each other’s throats, they’ve been fellow Avengers, and they even went on a cross-dimensional caper together in Jason Aaron and Adam Kubert’s Astonishing Spider-Man & Wolverine. But where do things stand these days? How is the dynamic between these heroes in 2025?

“Well, the beauty part of teaming up Wolverine and Spider-Man is that even when they’re allies, there’s friction. It’s like a buddy action comedy,” Guggenheim says. “That being said, there’s something that causes more than friction between Peter and Logan. It’s actually rather combustible. Expect a lot of fireworks.”

“You know there’ll be some friction. You know they’ll be allies, they’ll be foes, they’ll be a team-up and against,” Andrews adds. “But why this time? Why this book? How many times can we team up Wolverine and Spider-Man and make it meaningful? I will tell you this. These are my two favorite Marvel heroes in existence. I have never drawn them together before. Never told stories with them before. And this one will be special. We are telling stories I didn’t think they’d allow us to tell. This is the new. This is the real. If you love comics or have loved comics you NEED to pick up this book.”

As far as what brings the two characters together again, Guggenheim teases, “The narrative gets kickstarted by something called ‘the Janus Directory’ — a comprehensive database of the true identities of every undercover operative in the world going back decades. Without spoiling things, I can say that Peter and Logan both have very good reasons to want to keep the Directory out of enemy hands.”

Wolverine is practically the poster child for superheroes with shadowy pasts, and even the Parker family has a few skeletons in its closet at this point. Marvel has teased that the new series will delve into both characters’ respective pasts, but Guggenheim confirms that readers needn’t worry about being well-versed in the history of either hero. Spider-Man & Wolverine will be exploring new revelations surrounding these characters, not returning to the Weapon X well.

“[It’s] not really anything I can go into too much detail about at the moment,” Guggenheim says. That being said, my approach to continuity — Peter and Logan’s respective pasts, specifically — is designed to be completely new reader-friendly. Whenever we reference the past, we’ll do more than reference it — we’ll show it. No homework required.”

In general, Spider-Man & Wolverine is designed to be as accessible as possible to Marvel newcomers. While the series will reflect each character’s current status quo, as established in the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man relaunch and Marvel’s X-Men: From the Ashes initiative, it’s telling a standalone story that only requires a basic familiarity with Spider-Man and Wolverine.

“We’ll definitely be referencing what’s happening in the parent titles — Peter’s current girlfriend shows up in Issue 1, for example — but this series is really designed to be enjoyed on its own,” Guggenheim says. “It’s not entirely an ‘evergreen’ but that’s the general approach we’re taking with it. We really want this series to be able to stand on its own and stand the test of time. No pressure, obviously.”

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 will be released on May 7, 2025.

Guggenheim is keeping plenty busy this year. He recently launched the new Prequel-era series Star Wars: Jedi Knights and is making his debut at Comixology later in 2025.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.

A Minecraft Movie just hit theaters, but fans are already able to preorder the limited edition steelbook of the new film. Starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, the new Minecraft movie is a fun comedy for the entire family. Whether you've played the best-selling video game or are an armchair observer of the Minecraft phenomenon, this new steelbook is potentially worth adding to any video game movie collection.

The new limited-edition steelbook is priced at $37.99 and does not currently have a release date. Standard Blu-ray and DVD copies of the movie are up for preorder too, but these are less likely to sell out.

A Minecraft Movie 4K Steelbook Is Up for Preorder

It’s been a wild 48-hour news cycle if you follow economics at all, and wilder still if you’re a Nintendo fan.

On Wednesday, we learned that the Nintendo Switch 2 would cost $450 in the United States, a painfully high price that analysts say was partly due to expectation of tariffs, and partly due to other factors like inflation, competition, and component costs.

Then, last night, the Trump Administration announced wide-reaching 10% tariffs on essentially every country, with much higher tariffs on numerous nations such as China, the EU, Japan, Vietnam, Canada, Mexico, and many, many others. In response, China announced this morning a 34% reciprocal tariff on all U.S. goods. And just hours ago, in the wake of all this, Nintendo announced it would be postponing Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. while it evaluated the impact of tariffs on its console plans.

It’s an unprecedented situation for everyone, both within and outside of gaming, and one that analysts, experts, and the general public are still trying to make sense of. Which is why just a short 30 minutes before Nintendo dropped its shocking pre-order news, I was on the phone with Aubrey Quinn, a spokesperson for the Entertainment Software Association, to discuss the impact these tariffs would have on the industry writ large.

The ESA, like everyone else, is still trying to figure out how all this is going to play out. Broadly, she says, they have some expectations. They knew tariffs of some sort were coming – both due to Trump’s past actions in his first administration and his repeated discussion of them on the campaign trail. And, once implemented, Quinn says they expected there would be risk of retaliation from other countries like China, as well as even more future tariffs and levies from the U.S. But the jury is still out on how this will ultimately play out.

What the ESA does feel confident saying, though, is that these tariffs will have a negative impact on video games:

“We really are, at this point, just watching and trying not to have knee-jerk reactions, because we don't think that what President Trump announced this week is the end of the story, but what was announced this week and the tariffs as outlined, we do expect these tariffs will have a real and detrimental impact on the industry and the hundreds of millions of Americans who love to play games,” Quinn says. “And so our goal is to work with the administration, to work with other elected officials to try to find a solution that doesn't damage U.S. industries, U.S. business, but also American gamers and families.”

When Quinn says there will be a detrimental impact, she doesn’t just mean the cost of systems, though she says it’s “hard to imagine a world where tariffs like these don’t impact pricing.” She says consumer spending will also be impacted, which will in turn impact company revenue. If companies see their profits drop, that will in turn impact jobs, as well as investment in research and development, and even what the next generation of consoles looks like. “The entire consumer ecosystem is connected,” she says.

So what’s the ESA doing about it? Well, a few things so far, but Quinn acknowledges it’s been difficult to get started. Even though the tariffs didn’t come as a surprise to anyone, she says the Trump Administration hasn’t been back in office for long – really just two months. Trump’s cabinet and administration is almost entirely made up of new people, too, so the ESA hasn’t been able to leverage relationships from his last term in office. And some of them were only appointed weeks ago.

“But yes, the short answer is we know who the conversations need to be happening with, and we are working on making connections and making sure that they understand that we are eager to work with them to find solutions that this is about public, private sector conversations happening, so we can understand and make sure that they see the impact and the risk of impact to business, to consumers, and really everything that's happening within the US borders,” she concludes.

Quinn points to the recent news that the ESA had already joined a coalition of trade associations to reach out to U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer and express their concerns prior to the tariff news earlier this week. And they’re asking for meetings with a number of legislations and members of the administration to discuss similar topics.

Is it working, I ask? Are they being heard?

“Yes. I can tell you conversations are happening with... I don't want to say every level,” she responds. “I've not met with Trump, right? So I don't want to say every level of government, but certainly we've met with members of the administration. We've met with employees at the White House, we've met with employees at USTR [the office of the United States Trade Representative], so yes, we are having conversations and we're also doing that in partnership with other associations to make sure that... This isn't a video game issue. I represent the video game industry, so I'm very aware of the impact on the video game industry, the potential impact, but it's not a video game industry. This is going to affect all consumer products from food to fashion to electronics.”

So what can consumers do about it if they’re concerned? Reach out to their representatives, Quinn responds. Write letters, call, send emails, tweets, whatever it looks like to let their elected leaders know they’re concerned. “I think the more members of government, elected officials, and their staff who hear that their constituents are concerned, the more likely we are to be heard and to potentially make an impact.”

Nintendo announced its hold on Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders due to the tariffs just minutes after our conversation had concluded. When I reached out to Quinn for further comment on that, she said the ESA doesn’t comment on what individual companies will do. But I did mention the Nintendo Switch 2’s already-high pricing at the end of our conversation, and Quinn had this to say:

“You know what? It's been interesting with media coverage around video games and tariffs because just unfortunate coincidental timing that the Switch [2 reveal] was the same day as President Trump's announcement. There are so many devices we play video games on. There are other consoles, but as I was saying, VR headsets, our smartphones, people who love PC games, if we think it's just the Switch, then we aren't taking it seriously. This is going to have an impact.

“And even American-based companies, they're getting products that need to cross into American borders to make those consoles, to make those games. And so there's going to be a real impact regardless of company. This is company-agnostic, this is an entire industry. There's going to be an impact on the entire industry.”

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

Blogroll image credit: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

FromSoftware unveiled a new exclusive for Nintendo's new console during this week's Switch 2 Direct. The Duskbloods had an ominous trailer, showing lots of action, horrors, and magic. In a new interview, we're now learning much more about FromSoft's plans for this multiplayer experience.

Nintendo posted a three-part interview series with The Duskbloods director Hidetaka Miyazaki, going over what The Duskbloods is, and how it's different from other FromSoftware games.

Despite the multiplayer PvPvE focus, Miyazaki has assured fans that FromSoftware will keep making single-player focused games. But with The Duskbloods, the studio is experimenting, with everything from general game type to having a cute hub keeper.

Here are some of the major takeaways we've learned about The Duskbloods from this new set of interviews.

The meaning of 'The Duskbloods'

While the name, aesthetic, and constant mention of blood might bring to mind another FromSoftware title, Miyazaki said The Duskbloods refers to the Bloodsworn themselves. These Bloodsworn—the characters players control—are people who have achieved superhuman abilities through special blood, similar to vampires.

"We tried to extract the sort of romantic aspects we found interesting from concepts such as vampires and 'blood' and reinterpreted them as the Bloodsworn," Miyazaki said.

The Duskblood is a collective term for these characters, who all partake in a bid for First Blood, which flows during an event known as the "Twilight of Humanity."

There's no set time or place for The Duskbloods

Because the Twilight of Humanity takes place across different times and locales, there is no "fixed era or location" to pin down when or where The Duskbloods takes place.

"There are more traditional Gothic- or Victorian-style maps as well as those depicting the closing years of the early modern period, like the one glimpsed in the trailer with the train running through it," Miyazaki said.

You can choose between different characters

In a manner that sounds similar to the upcoming Elden Ring Nightreign, players can choose from "over a dozen" characters in The Duskbloods. Each character can also be customized, and you'll swap between those options in a main hub area.

While characters will each have their own abilities, it sounds like some skills are universal. The Bloodsworn fighters are essentially superhuman, so they can sprint, super jump, and double jump. Additionally, every character is equipped with "some means of attacking from a distance," which Miyazaki said he feels is one of The Duskblood's "unique aspects" when compared with previous FromSoftware games.

Progression doesn't rely solely on victory

A key component of The Duskbloods is the PvPvE set-up. Online matches support up to eight players, vying for a win. Miyazaki said online matches are "generally" last player standing, but there are "certain cases where victory conditions differ." He gave the example of players being tasked with teaming up to take down a powerful boss, or "other special circumstances."

"Regardless of whether it’s PvP or PvE, the idea is to provide players with an experience that allows them to learn and hone their skills as they play," Miyazaki said. "We’ve therefore designed the PvE boss encounters to present a tough challenge and a sense of accomplishment upon defeating them."

Obtaining "Victory Points," which ultimately decide the outcome of a match, can happen in a few different ways. Direct combat is one, but engaging in more "opportunistic behavior" is also an option. And Miyazaki noted that when players return to the hub after a match, they receive a reward whether they won or lost.

Events can shake up the match

There will be world events through the event system, which has the potential to shake up a match. This can range from special enemy spawns to additional objectives, all with bonus rewards offered.

Miyazaki drew attention to a portion of The Duskbloods trailer, where a giant stone face loomed in the sky. "This is one example of the events that can occur in a match," Miyazaki said. "In this case, the appearance of this stone face affects the environment and changes match rewards, which can have an immediate impact on player motivations and objectives."

Players will have personal objectives and roles, too

While First Blood is something worth chasing, Miyazaki said there will also be "personal objectives" to provide separate rewards for players.

It's unclear whether these fully tie into another system Miyazaki also mentioned, called "roles." While online, roles offer players unique circumstances and opportunities to interact with each other. He outlined a few examples, like the "Destined Rival," which tasks a player with finding and defeating another player. Doing this will count as a personal goal, separate from the overall victory conditions.

Roles can be assigned to characters through customization, so players can roleplay a bit and, as Miyazaki said, add to the "drama" of these engagements.

Lore will be delived through customization

FromSoftware is no stranger to putting some deep lore in its games. And there will, of course, be lore in The Duskbloods.

"One thing I love doing in any game I direct is leaving fragments of lore and worldbuilding details, allowing the player the fun of using their imagination to make connections," Miyazaki said. "The Duskbloods is no exception to this."

However, for The Duskbloods, Miyazaki said the team is going about it a little differently from previous games. Fragments are found in character customization items, the "blood history and fate." Customizing characters, analyzing and altering their blood history and fate, will reveal more information about the world and its story.

"Focusing these elements on the concept of 'blood' or 'blood history and fate' allowed for a deeper exploration of customization and is another reason we placed the Bloodsworn as the protagonists," Miyazaki said.

FromSoftware is certainly painting an interesting picture, but we'll have to wait a little bit to see the image fully realized, as The Duskbloods is currently planned to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive sometime in 2026.

For now, you can check out more info about the Switch 2 by reading over our first-hands on with Nintendo's newest console, or read up on the sudden delay of Switch 2 pre-orders here.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

If there’s one actor we’d like to see return for the Matrix 5, it’s Laurence Fishburne. But unfortunately, it seems as though that might not be in the cards for the legendary actor. He recently revealed that he made himself available for the fourth film, The Matrix Resurrections, but was turned down to reprise his role as Morpheus — so being in the next one isn’t looking so promising.

During a recent appearance on The View, Fishburne explained that his experience with Resurrections didn’t exactly go as hoped, so it’s anyone’s guess what will happen in the future.

“It depends on the circumstances, who is involved, how well the script has been written. If they offer [it to] me,” the actor said of Matrix 5. “I offered my services to the fourth Matrix, and they didn’t respond well to that. It’s not like I didn’t say, ‘I’d like to offer my services.’ I did. And for whatever reason, that didn’t happen.”

Morpheus is regarded as one of science fiction's best characters, so it’s interesting that the creatives behind the upcoming film wouldn’t have wanted him to return for The Matrix Resurrections, especially considering he appeared in all three original installments.

However, there could be a fairly simple explanation there: Morpheus dies in the MMO game The Matrix Online. That specific event in the game is considered canon because the writer-directors, the Wachowskis, gave their approval to the game.

That said, because his death was part of an in-game event, it could very well have been retconned. Instead, Resurrections features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portraying a version of the character that is actually a hybrid program with Agent Smith created by Neo himself — and also alludes to the fact that the real Morpheus, played by Fishburne, died in the 60 years between the second film The Matrix Revolutions and Resurrections.

A fifth Matrix film is currently in development with Drew Goddard attached to write and direct.

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

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.

Take a look at our list of Disney+ alernatives for additional streaming services. To play while you watch, see our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets. For more deals, dive into our Daily Deals page.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original story from Brian Barnett.

No matter which platform you prefer, there's an excellent variety of video game deals to check out right now. Whether you're gaming on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or PC, we've rounded up the best offers to help you get more for your money, including the excellent new PS5 Slim and Astro Bot bundle. And while not a deal, we've also included where you can preorder Elden Ring Nightreign, in case you're itching to return to The Lands Between. Best Buy's also offering a free $10 gift card with your purchase on that one -- what can be better than that?

PS5 Slim + Astro Bot Bundle

Preorder Elden Ring Nightreign

Best PC Game Deals

Humble Choice April 2025

Best Physical Video Game Deals

If you're looking to save on physical games right now, there are plenty of deals worth checking out across PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. We've included just a few of our favorites above, but if you'd like to see more game deals for each platform, check out our individual roundups for these consoles: the best PlayStation deals, the best Xbox deals, and the best Nintendo Switch deals.

Best PlayStation VR 2 Deals

Best Xbox Accessory Deals

Best PS5 SSD Deals

Best Gaming PC Deals

Do you prefer to play on a dedicated PC tower? Navigating the options online can be quite the ordeal. Desk space, portability, and price point are often factors in the decision. However, there are some great PC deals that pop up every now and again that are worth jumping on. One of our favorite deals at the moment is on the Alienware Area-51 RTX 5080 PC for $4,649.99. To see even more PC deals, check out our roundup of the best gaming PC deals.

Today’s deals are all about keeping your game library full and your storage problems in check. We’ve got serious discounts on recent releases like College Football 25 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, a clearance price on Advance Wars 1+2, and rare price drops on official storage for Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Humble’s Spring Shonen manga bundle is also still going strong, and if you like high-stakes demon battles and beautifully absurd haircuts, you’re going to want in on that.

Gaming And Manga Deals for Today

I think what makes today’s lineup so solid is how much value you’re getting without compromising on quality. These are recent titles and brand-name accessories — not knockoffs or old stock. Catch up on campaigns, back up your growing digital backlog, or read your way through Kodansha’s finest chaos backwards, there’s something here that earns the cart space.

College Football 25 Standard Edition - Xbox Series X

Seagate - Game Drive for PlayStation Consoles 2TB External USB 3.2 Gen 1 Portable Hard Drive

Humble Spring Shonen Special By Kodansha

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - Nintendo Switch

Atomfall Merchandise

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Standard Edition - PlayStation 5

Seagate - 1TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S Internal NVMe SSD - Black

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Prismatic Evolutions Booster Bundle

Pokemon TCG: Stacking Tin (Q1 2025)

Humble Choice April 2025

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet - Paldean Fates Booster Bundle

PureArts Assassin's Creed Preorders

Pokemon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

INIU Portable Charger, Slimmest 10000mAh 5V/3A Power Bank

INIU Power Bank, 20000mAh 65W USB C Laptop Portable Charger

Great On The Go Humble Sale

INIU Portable Charger, 22.5W 20000mAh

Metaphor ReFantazio - Gallica - Statue

INIU Power Bank, 25000mAh 100W USB C Laptop Portable Charger

INIU Portable Charger, Smallest 22.5W 10000mAh Power Bank

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet - Surging Sparks Booster Bundle

Insignia - 55" Class F30 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

Outright Games Game On! Bundle

Insignia - 65" Class F50 Series LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV

Death Stranding 2 - DHV Magellan - Model Kit

LG - 65” Class UT70 Series LED 4K UHD Smart webOS TV (2024)

Samsung - Galaxy Watch Ultra Titanium Smartwatch 47mm LTE

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Journey Together Elite Trainer Box

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet—Paldean Fates Booster Bundle

Best of Boomer Shooters 4: Badda Bing Badda Boom

Pokémon TCG: Scarlet and Violet Shrouded Fable Elite Trainer Box

Street Fighter TCG Alpha Warriors Dreams Preorder

Pokémon TCG: Paradox Clash tin: Iron Leaves ex or Walking Wake ex

Pokémon TCG: 3 Booster Packs & 1 Random Foil

Nintendo has taken the unprecedented decision to delay Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S., blaming the impact of Trump’s tariffs and “evolving market conditions.”

Pre-orders were set to go live in the U.S. on April 9. Nintendo did not share an updated kick-off date, but did promise that the June 5, 2025 release date of the Switch 2 itself remains intact.

Nintendo issued IGN the following statement:

Pre-orders for Nintendo Switch 2 in the U.S. will not start April 9, 2025 in order to assess the potential impact of tariffs and evolving market conditions. Nintendo will update timing at a later date. The launch date of June 5, 2025 is unchanged.

Nintendo has confirmed the pre-order delay is specific to the U.S. In the UK, for example, Nintendo's pre-order delay remains unchanged.

Nintendo announced the Switch 2 at $449.99, with a Mario Kart World bundle priced $499.99. Mario Kart World itself is priced $79.99.

Nintendo Switch 2 comes with the following:

• Nintendo Switch 2 console
• Joy-Con 2 controllers (L+R)
• Joy-Con 2 Grip
• Joy-Con 2 Straps
• Nintendo Switch 2 Dock
• Ultra High-Speed HDMI Cable
• Nintendo Switch 2 AC Adapter
• USB-C Charging Cable

Nintendo’s statement issued today raises the prospect that it could hike the price of the Switch 2 and its games further amid what is already an angry backlash to its next-gen pricing strategy.

Speaking in a video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang criticized Nintendo for the way it revealed the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price of Mario Kart World following this week's Nintendo Direct.

“I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo,” Ellis said.

U.S. markets tumbled today after China hit back against Donald Trump's raft of tariffs. China, which faces a 54% import tax, has retaliated with an additional 34% tax on U.S. goods from next week.

Moments before the U.S. markets opened, Trump said "China played it wrong, they panicked," and insisted his policies would "never change."

The world is now left facing economic uncertainty, with some mainstream news media declaring the era of cheap goods now over for the American consumer as higher tariffs are automatically passed through to inflation and higher prices.

Tariffs are essentially taxes placed on the cost of importing certain goods. While it's possible for companies in the supply chain to simply eat these costs, more often than not these taxes are passed onto consumers. And unfortunately for gamers, rising prices are very likely to impact tech and gaming goods.

Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad had warned that Trump's surprise tariffs on countries such as Vietnam, where Nintendo had shifted some of its Switch 2 manufacturing in anticipation of U.S. tariffs on China, might have caused a rethink.

"While the company has shifted some of its manufacturing to Vietnam to offset U.S. tariffs on China, the looming threat of reciprocal tariffs prior to the Switch 2 showcase will have also forced Nintendo to consider a higher price for the rest of the world," Ahmad said. "The reciprocal tariffs on Vietnam and Japan have come in higher than expected, and Nintendo will feel the impact of this if the tariffs go into full effect."

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

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.

FromSoftware has shared some more info about its recently announced Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods. The partnership with Nintendo seemed to affect not just the style of game FromSoft is making, but even the design of the keeper of The Duskbloods' hub area into something different — something... cute.

The trailer shown during the Switch 2 Direct this week closed on a shot of a winged rat character, with glowing glyphs drawn all over it, looking at the camera. Curious fans might have wondered what this rat's deal was. As it turns out, this is our new hub companion.

"That character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series. They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance," director Hidetaka Miyazaki said in an interview with Nintendo.

"I suppose you could say we tried doing something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership."

When asked what Miyazaki means by that, he added: "We tried something cute for a change. Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman (laughter)."

FromSoftware's shrine keepers have been central figures for player's journeys through their worlds. Familiar faces like Melina, the Maiden in Black, the Doll, and others are characters you return to over and over on your trip, often offering power to help you move forward.

With a PvPvE game like The Duskbloods, though, it remains to be seen what kind of advice and guidance the winged rat will offer. Miyazaki said the team at FromSoft has tried its hands at introducing "a lot of new and interesting ideas," so expect the unexpected when it hits Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2026.

We've got plenty more on The Duskbloods, including Bloodborne fan reaction, and Miyazaki's comments on whether FromSoft plans to leave single-player behind.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for more Switch 2 news, check out our first hands-on with Nintendo's newest console, its big launch title Mario Kart World, and the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

It's official: The Nintendo Switch 2 is coming very soon. June 5, to be exact! Following a lengthy Nintendo Direct that showed off new games for the highly-anticipated console alongside more information on the Switch 2 hardware itself, some items are starting to go up for preorder. This includes microSD Express cards, which are the only storage cards the Switch 2 will be compatible with.

Preorder MicroSD Express Cards at GameStop

One of the biggest surprises of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct this week was its exclusive FromSoftware reveal, The Duskbloods. It's a PvPvE game developed by the Soulsborne studio, but director Hidetaka Miyazaki said this doesn't mean the company has shifted direction moving forward.

In a new interview with Nintendo, Miyazaki spoke about the decision to make The Duskbloods a PvPvE game. The director said he's "always found" the structure interesting, as it allows for a broad range of game-design ideas while also letting FromSoftware leverage its experience in designing challenging enemy encounters.

"As a side note, please allow me to address one thing," Miyazaki said. "As we previously mentioned, this is an online multiplayer title at its core, but this doesn't mean that we as a company have decided to shift to a more multiplayer-focused direction with titles going forward."

He continued: "The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Elden Ring was also announced, and we still intend to actively develop single-player focused games such as this that embrace our more traditional style."

Since the release of Elden Ring in February 2022, FromSoftware has certainly experimented a bit. Its DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, tried out some interesting new power scaling methods in the form of Scadutree Blessings. There's also Elden Ring: Nightreign, an upcoming co-op survival action game that blends the usual Souls style with an encroaching storm, loot, and character archetypes. The studio even went back to its mecha days with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.

So with The Duskbloods, FromSoftware is trying something a little different again. In the interview, Miyazaki said the company's outline for The Duskbloods was "still very bare-bones" when the team presented it to Nintendo — "more a loose string of ideas than a proper presentation," and the concept was "different from anything [FromSoftware] had done before."

Nintendo was interested in making it happen though, and while a small team started the project for the original Switch, Nintendo approached FromSoft with the idea of moving to the Switch 2 instead. "The new hardware's focus on online features allowed us to stay as true to the original vision as possible, which was very good news for us," Miyazaki said.

So while The Duskbloods might be a little different from the usual FromSoftware game, it sounds like the studio isn't completely leaving the "traditional" style you'd expect behind. Put differently: let FromSoft cook on this one.

But what could FromSoft's next single-player focused game be? Miyazaki has said the developer is not currently considering making Elden Ring 2, but late last year left the door open to the possibility in the future. It's probably not Bloodborne 2, either, much to the frustration of fans.

For more on the Nintendo Switch 2, check out our round-up of everything announced at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct this week, and read over our recent chat with analysts about the sticker-shock of both the Switch 2 console and some of its games.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

It turns out our favorite Hell's Kitchen villain Wilson Fisk is off limits for the big screen — according to Daredevil: Born Again star Vincent D’Onofrio himself.

"The only thing I know is not positive," D’Onofrio explained to Josh Horowitz on the podcast Happy Sad Confused recently. "It's a very hard thing to do, for Marvel to use my character. It's a very hard thing to do, because of ownership and stuff."

He continued: “I’m only usable for television shows. Not even a one-off Wilson Fisk movie. It’s all caught up in rights and stuff. I don’t know when that would work out — or if it ever would work out at all.”

That appears to rule out D’Onofrio's take on Fisk making an appearance in any Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, thus also ruling D’Onofrio out of appearing in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday (I guess we won't be seeing D’Onofrio's name on a director's chair in the future). Could this also throw a spanner in the works of any potential standalone Charlie Cox Daredevil movie, where you'd reasonably expect D’Onofrio to appear as a villain?

D’Onofrio first appeared as Fisk, New York City’s most powerful crimelord and future mayor also known as Kingpin, in Marvel’s Daredevil. The 2015 Netflix original had three seasons and ended with just shy of 40 episodes in 2018. D’Onofrio’s portrayal has been praised up and down by fans and critics alike over the years, so it should come as no surprise that he puts a lot of thought into how he wants Fisk to be perceived — especially when it comes to the influences he pulls from.

“Anytime they were in a fight, or they were holding a gun, they looked nervous,” D’Onofrio explained to IGN last month about the everyman performances of the likes of Harrison Ford and other older greats that inspired his own multifaceted villain.

“They carried their own humility into the action scenes with them. And I always thought that that was the way to go. That made it look real to me. Gary Cooper in Sergeant York, when he takes aim, when he becomes the sniper, it's the humility in his eyes that you see. It's amazing. I think that helps action stuff a lot. We're all very conscious of that.”

Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again is currently airing week-to-week on Disney+ and will premiere its finale on April 15, 2025.

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

The expensive price tag on its new games is one of the drawbacks of the Nintendo Switch 2, of which preorders have already been going live early (Amazon included). Luckily, ShopTo is taking the sting off for UK customers by allowing you to get Donkey Kong Bananza for only £63.50.

While this is still more than the £58.99 RRP for digital copies, it's the best price possible right now for those who want to actually own their games, and hold them in their hands like a newborn bab. This handy bargain comes as the result of using ShopTo's "SPRING" coupon code, which allows you and other future Nintendo Switch 2 players to knock 5% off various games, consoles, gift cards, and more across your order on the website.

Amid the ongoing backlash to Nintendo’s shock pricing for the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World, two former Nintendo PR managers have described the situation as “a true crisis moment for Nintendo.”

Speaking in a video on their YouTube channel, former Nintendo of America PR managers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang criticized Nintendo for the way it revealed the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and the $79.99 price of Mario Kart World.

“I don’t want to blow things out of proportion, but this does feel like a true crisis moment for Nintendo,” Ellis said.

Mario Kart World isn’t the only Nintendo Switch 2 game to cost $79.99. Some Nintendo Switch 2 Edition titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, also cost $79.99.

Nintendo has even come under fire for charging for the Switch 2 tutorial video game experience, Welcome Tour, which fans have said should be a free pack-in. Astro's Playroom, for example, comes pre-installed on every PlayStation 5 console, serving additionally as a free tech demo for the DualSense controller.

Anger at the pricing has even spilled over into Nintendo’s Treehouse livestreams, which are overrun with viewers spamming “DROP THE PRICE” in the chat.

Ellis and Yang were particularly critical of the way Nintendo revealed the price of the Switch 2 and its games. They pointed to the lack of a price in the Direct itself as a "deliberate" omission that caused confusion and misinformation as fans scrambled to find out pricing confirmation elsewhere.

The Switch 2 and Mario Kart World pricing was “intentionally omitted from the Direct for a reason,” Yang claimed, “but handled poorly in terms of the information being in all these different places and you’re expecting the fans or the consumer to piece it all together.”

Ellis added: “It just shows some disrespect to the consumer, where, ‘oh, you just saw the Direct you’re so excited, you’re just gonna throw your money at us blindly, you’re not going to even ask the question of how much it cost because you’re so excited, aren’t you?’ "

“It’s a little bit degrading almost to the intelligence of the consumer,” Yang said.

The former NOA communications staff then went on to discuss Nintendo’s failure to address the pricing concern, either with a public statement or in interviews with the press. This, they said, was causing rampant speculation to fill the void with misinformation.

“They are enabling the story to get out of hand, out of control,” Yang said. “They have lost control of this,” Ellis added.

So what went wrong? Ellis and Yang suggested Nintendo now lacks the consumer mindfulness it once had, following former NOA boss Reggie Fils-Aimé’s retirement and the tragic loss of former Nintendo head Satoru Iwata.

Nintendo’s communications team will now be recommending the company release an official statement, Yang said, but the approval process will be painful, with many people involved before it even gets to current Nintendo boss Shuntaro Furukawa.

Nintendo will also be out of practice because it hasn’t spoken to its community or press in such a long time, the pair said, nor has it had to deal with this sort of negativity since the Nintendo 3DS price debacle of 2011.

Now there is concern for staff manning demo stations at the public-facing Switch 2 hands-on sessions. Fans will have reasonable questions at these public events and might put those to staff who are manning demo stations. If they respond with any sort of answer, that could end up online and framed as Nintendo’s official response.

What happens next? It remains to be seen, but neither Ellis nor Yang expect a price drop of either the Switch 2 or its games before launch.

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images.

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 new Minecraft movie has looked interesting from the very virst trailer. With Jack Black and Jason Momoa plopped into the world of Minecraft, it's a video game movie that has the potential to be popular with a massive audience of both kids and adults. Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time that has infiltrated pretty much every medium, so its jump to a feature film was all but a matter of time. In our review of A Minecraft Movie, we found it to be surprisingly funny despite its contraints.

If you're hoping to catch the new live-action Minecraft movie in theaters this weekend, I've gathered all of the details below. For those of you waiting for it to come out on streaming and digital, I've also gathered the latest info I could find about release dates for both.

Where to Watch A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie, with a wide release date of April 4, is now available in theaters everywhere. To find when and where you can watch the film near you, check the listings featured below for local showtimes.

• Fandango
• Regal Theaters
• AMC Theaters
• Cinemark Theaters
• Alamo Drafthouse

When Will It Come to Streaming?

We don't yet have a streaming release date for A Minecraft Movie, but we know that it will land on Max when it does hit streaming because it's a Warner Bros. project. There is no clear time period when we can expect the movie to make the jump to a streaming service since it depends on how the film does in the box office, but we can make an educated guess based on past Warner Bros. movies. Theatrical windows have shrunk in the last few years, some as short as 14 days before hitting VOD. For a movie with such crossover appeal like this one, we'd bet that it has a longer life in theaters and won't hit streaming for three to four months. That would place the potential streaming release date sometime in June or July 2025.

Starting today, Dell is offering an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC equipped with the new GeForce RTX 5080 GPU for just $2,399.99 shipped. This is one of the best prices you can get right now for an RTX 5080 equipped prebuilt, especially since most other brands seem to be jacking up prices steadily since the RTX 50 series launch in January. The only other prebuilt you can get at Dell with an RTX 5080 GPU costs over $4,000. Good luck trying to find a standalone GPU to build out your own DIY PC; you'll probably spend as much for the GPU as you would this entire system.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC for $2,400

Several of the new 2025 Samsung TVs that were showcased earlier this year at CES are now available for purchase at Samsung's official online store. Select Samsung Neo QLED and OLED TVs are currently in stock and they ship out immediately for as early as April 9-10 delivery. Alternatively, you can pick up select models at your local Best Buy. Not every TV has been released yet, but I expect more models to become available soon.

The 2025 Samsung TVs That Are Available Starting Today