Argos is back with a fresh round of Switch 2 preorders back in stock today, April 8, in the UK, including not just the console, but games and accessories too. If you missed out last time, now’s your chance to lock one in without the faff.

Amazon UK has also confirmed it’s dropping the invitation system entirely—listings are expected to go live for purchase soon, or even later today, so it’s worth keeping an eye out. Nintendo’s own store is also expected to follow suit and will be sending out invites to buy today as well.

• See at Argos (BACK IN STOCK)
• See at EE (BACK IN STOCK)
• See at Amazon (LIVE SOON)
• See at Currys (LIVE SOON

Unlike in the US, UK preorders are still smooth sailing—no price hikes, no delays. For instant alerts on new drops, bundles, and restocks, follow @IGNUKDeals on Twitter/X or Bluesky and stay ahead of the pack.

Nintendo’s official UK preorders for the Switch 2 kick off today, but the console’s already proving tough to pin down. Retailers like EE, GAME, and Smyths have gone live early—only to sell out almost instantly. Scalpers are already circling too, with listings popping up on eBay well above RRP.

Things are even messier in the US, where delays and tariff concerns are adding to the chaos. Back in the UK, Amazon has dropped its invite-only system and will make stock available to buy soon. The upside? There’s no upfront payment—Amazon only charges when your order ships, so it’s a low-risk way to secure your console. Some users have seen a June 7 delivery estimate, but Amazon support says that’s just a glitch. Launch day delivery on June 5 is still the plan.

35% Off NSO Expansion Pack Memberships

GameCube games coming exclusively to the Switch 2's exclusive online library is one of the best features of the new console. To make those membership costs just that little bit easier, UK retailer ShopTo has NSO at 35% off right now, and there's an extra 5% when you use code SPRING at checkout. As you get your Nintendo Switch 2 preorders in, this is an absolute bonus bargain to consider.

While some Nintendo Classics catalogues are unlocked with the base online subscription, you'll also need the Expansion Pack to play GameCube titles on Nintendo Switch 2. What's more, while you can subscribe to a monthly model for just Nintendo Switch Online, the Expansion Pack is only available on the 12-month plan, so make a note when purchasing. So, if you're the only Nintendo Switch players in your household, you can buy the individual Online + Expansion Pack plan for £24.55 or the Family Membership for £43.55 with the promo code SPRING.

No need to dig through digital shelves this week; some sick deals have landed across all major platforms, with prices low enough to make your backlog quake in fear. Whether you're into lightsabers, loot, or just causing utter chaos as a goat, there’s something here to tempt all types of bargain hunters.

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating S.W.A.T. 4's 20th birthday. My lasting memories of this Irrational Games shooter are of no checkpoints, having to abide by strict "baddies have to draw first" rules, and the randomisation of hostages and enemies (skill, numbers, arsenal, and morale). The spiritual successor to this, Ready or Not, is well worth targeting.

• Switch Lite Console Hyrule Ed. (-12%) - A$299
• FC 25 (-62%) - A$35
• Mortal Kombat 1 (-60%) - A$24
• Goat Simulator 3 (-24%) - A$35
• Mysims: Cozy Bundle (-35%) - A$40
• Darkest Dungeon Ii (-20%) - A$48
• Bluey: The Videogame (-35%) - A$40
• GTA Trilogy Def. (-60%) - A$32

Expiring Recent Deals

• Bravely Default II (-35%) - A$52
• Persona 5 Royal (-35%) - A$66
• Persona 5 Tactica (-45%) - A$53
• Kingdom Come Deliverance: Royal Ed. (-41%) - A$48
• Sonic X Shadow Gen (-39%) - A$49
• Looney Tunes: Wacky World of Sports (-49%) - A$36

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Spoilers of course follow for The White Lotus Season 3 finale, “Amor Fati.”

Man, of course it wound up being Chelsea.

It’s become a tradition at this point for fans of Mike White’s HBO/Max series, The White Lotus. You spend the whole season trying to puzzle out who’s going to die, hoping certain characters won’t be the one(s) to get it, but in the end it’s the people who definitely didn’t deserve to go… who wind up going.

That’s not to say that any of the characters on The White Lotus actually deserve death. (Although some certainly need to face justice.) Sure, someone like Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff is hilarious but also awful, but often creator-writer-director White manages to evoke sympathy in us for even the seemingly most loathsome characters. (Patrick Schwarzenegger’s Saxon, the protein-shake-guzzling son of Victoria, is almost tragic in his final scene with Chelsea here, for example.)

But then there are the characters you love because they’re so, well, nice compared to most everyone else. And that’s where Aimee Lou Wood’s Chelsea came in this season. As the always smiling girlfriend of Walton Goggins’ troubled Rick Hatchett, Chelsea, in all her astrology reading, chipper chattering, and undefatigable love for Rick, seemed to have figured out something about the universe that evaded most of the other characters on the show. The episode title sums it up: “Amor Fati,” which as Chelsea describes it, means “you have to embrace your fate, good or bad. Whatever will be will be.”

Of course, Chelsea absolutely should not have been the one to take a stray bullet in the White Lotus finale, and of course that’s exactly what happened to her. Just as Murray Bartlett’s Armond was accidentally stabbed in Season 1 because of a dumb feud and Jennifer Coolidge’s Tanya died in Season 2 in a ridiculous fall after she managed to take out all of her would-be assassins, Chelsea didn’t deserve to die. But she did. “Amor Fati.”

Anyway, while the big mystery of the season is always “who’s going to be murdered,” White basically showed his hand this time in the scene where Rick finally returns from Bangkok. He had headed there to try to put his inner demons to rest by confronting the man (Scott Glenn) who he thought had killed his father. Meanwhile, Chelsea had waited for him the past couple of episodes, fending off the advances of Saxon – despite being tempted otherwise at one point – because she loved him. The messed-up, kind of an a-hole (but not, and I quote Star-Lord, “100% a dick”) Rick seemed to barely notice her half the time in their relationship. But as Chelsea spotted him and ran to Rick on the beach, there was no denying that they were fated to be together. “At this point we’re linked,” Chelsea would later say, also during that Amor Fati chat. “If a bad thing happens to you, it happens to me.”

There’s something about the way White shoots that moment of Chelsea rejoining Rick on the beach. It’s just the one shot, which lasts about one second, of Aimee Lou Wood running towards the camera, but her joy at seeing him and his reaction to her cinched for me that she (and probably they) were doomed. She’s too pure to make it out of this place.

The actress telegraphed her fate a bit when IGN’s Michael Peyton spoke to her and The White Lotus cast at the start of the season: “Chelsea gone wrong could be Tanya. There is that overtrust. But she's got more robustness, so I feel like she wouldn't go down that route hopefully.” Uh, sorry Aimee…

By the climactic scene where the shoot-out teased in Episode 1 finally happens, we learn that Rick and Chelsea indeed are both killed. Chelsea catches that stray bullet – we don’t even see it happen, just her lying thereafterwards, and as Rick carries her body away, he’s shot from behind and falls into the surrounding pond. Both of their bodies float on the surface of the water, side by side, and yep, they’re together forever. Somehow, I think Chelsea would have wanted it that way.

Chec kout Best Buy's best gaming laptop deal of the week. Right now the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 4060 gaming laptop is on sale for just $1,199.99 shipped after a $400 off instant discount. This is a great price for a 14" gaming laptop that weighs in at about 3 pounds, boasts a gorgeous high-resolution OLED display, and features premium build quality.

$400 Off Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop

I’m not entirely convinced Dogubomb didn’t develop Blue Prince as a personal gift to me, specifically. This exceedingly clever puzzler mixes together a shortlist of my top game genres and concepts: First-person puzzling with a straightforward facade that hides a seemingly bottomless pit of secrets, roguelite runs that perfectly balance permanent improvements with the growth of your own skills, drafting mechanics that capitalize on the best parts of deckbuilders without the baggage that comes with actually being one, and even tile-based map building reminiscent of my favorite board game, Carcassone. Even if there are things in that pile of Tom Stuff that don’t excite you as much as they do me, the combination comes together beautifully. I’m still rabidly peeling back the layers of this onion after dozens of hours, but I’m already certain Blue Prince has secured its place as an all-time puzzle great.

You play as Simon, a teenage boy who has inherited the stately mansion of his well-respected and somewhat eccentric great uncle, but may only claim that inheritance if he can figure out how to navigate the ever-shifting halls of the estate in order to find a hidden 46th room. It’s a fairly simple setup at the start (apart from the whole M.C. Escher shifting house thing), and while there are plenty of helpful tips scattered around for you to find, you are largely just set loose to see what you can piece together for yourself. It’s a great foundation, because while you don’t always know what the next step may be, your goals are always clear enough that I never felt like I was just wandering around in the dark.

You probably will feel like you are wandering around in circles from time to time, though. The meat of Blue Prince is the drafting mechanic you use to explore the house: You start each day with a limited number of “steps” that are spent whenever you go through a door, and each time you open a new one you are given three options for which of the mansion’s many unique rooms will be on the other side. That means you are filling out the nine-by-five room floorplan differently every single time, connecting doorways and trying not to hit dead ends as you find helpful items and invaluable clues along the way. It may sound like nothing too outside the box, but it’s a real delight to slowly gain mastery over this system.

Some rooms are just simple hallways, while others play more varied roles that are split into colored categories based on type. For example, purple bedrooms often give you additional steps when entered, yellow shops can sell helpful items if you’ve picked up enough coins to buy them, and red rooms have negative effects (like obscuring your draft options) that could throw a wrench in your plans. Certain rooms may only appear when specific conditions are met, too, such as when you are drafting on the edges of the house or once you get deep enough in. It was fun to figure out which should be my go-to rooms early on in order to set myself up for success later, gathering items like keys to unlock doors or gems that can be spent to draft special rooms, and then using that prep work to make targeted dives toward a room or lead I was eager to hunt down.

The actual “puzzles” take on a variety of different forms within those rooms, but all of them are as entertaining as they are devilish to solve. Some have very straightforward math or logic problems, there are a few literal puzzle boxes to find, and others require a slightly more complicated combination of button pushes or lever pulls to solve whatever that room is doing. But fully self-contained challenges like that are side dishes to what Blue Prince truly has to offer, and the most interesting stuff feels closer to incredible first-person puzzle games like Return of the Obra Dinn or Outer Wilds. It asks you to really look at the world around you, take notes on what you find, and then use that knowledge to make connections where you can – and it does so in that expert way where something can feel completely cryptic at the outset and then brilliantly achievable when you finally crack it. That might mean looking through documents to find the combination to a safe, decoding why certain objects are where they are, or using the function of a specific room to get past an obstacle somewhere else.

That last part can lead to the only real point of frustration I found with Blue Prince, however, which is that the best-laid floorplans of house mice and men can come crashing down with a few bad draws. Don’t get me wrong, there are very real and effective ways to help mitigate the randomness of which rooms are offered to you – both in terms of learning what to prioritize and when you should or shouldn’t take risks, as well as in permanent upgrades I won’t spoil that can make future runs more consistent. But, plain and simple, sometimes you will need a room that lets you turn left, do everything in your power to set yourself up to get it (including collecting dice that let you reroll the rooms you draw), and still be as stuck as Zoolander when you’re ultimately given your options. Those bad breaks are infrequent, but it still stings when an otherwise-good run ends because you just never saw the room you were looking for.

(Tangentially, I also really wish you could save and quit mid-run without having to cut your progress short by ending your current day entirely, or at the very least that opening the menu stopped the in-game clock from ticking. Runs can often stretch over an hour, which makes dipping in and out of Blue Prince a hard proposition – though this is only really a problem since I was playing on a desktop PC, as consoles and even the Steam Deck would let you suspend it if you need to go do something else.)

Thankfully, any pain from that randomness is mitigated by the fact that there is just so much to discover here that a given run is rarely a waste of time. You may not have been able to draft that specific combination of rooms you were after or reach that certain square you wanted to, but odds are you still entered some new rooms along the way, and doing so almost always added to the growing list of mysteries I have jotted down across a pile of handwritten notes. “Beating” Blue Prince took me about 15 hours, and getting to that 46th room is absolutely a satisfying puzzle to solve on its own, but I also have far more goals now than I did when I first set out. There are safes to open, doors to unlock, books and letters to read, clues to decipher, and loads of lore to uncover.

It’s impressive how all of these optional puzzles are woven into and around the path of the “main” one – some are hiding in plain sight from the first minute, just waiting for you to realize they are important, while others drop an unassuming string of crumbs in your way that lead down a deep and unexpected rabbit hole when followed.

Blue Prince was an incredibly difficult game to talk about with friends who were also playing because the randomness of the drafting mechanic, combined with your own personal sense of curiosity, can send two players down very different paths. One time when I was around five hours in, I excitedly mentioned I’d unlocked something to a friend who had already played 40, only to learn they hadn’t even found that thing yet. And yet, this fractal abode doesn’t frustrate by randomly withholding things either, because clues can often be found in multiple forms or places; Once again, you’re always making progress toward something.

As you do get deeper, Blue Prince’s initially light-touch story also begins to shift more directly into the spotlight. Discovering more about both your character’s great uncle and the larger history of their family starts off as a little fun set dressing, but it eventually becomes as rich and compelling a reason to keep playing as any puzzle. The worldbuilding here is doled out with a patience I’m not used to seeing, with tons to learn about your relatives, the manor, and the nation it’s located in, but none of that is ever forced down your throat. That made anything I could glean about important historical events or complex geopolitics feel like a win that would almost always help me solve future mysteries, not just some “lore” to read about in books or letters and then move on from.

Still avoiding spoilers like laser tripwires in a Mission Impossible trap, that story and its themes smartly tie into your actions in a way few games are able to pull off so successfully. Piecing together the messy history of an extended and sometimes estranged family is rarely a linear process - Simon wanders through the house he has suddenly inherited finding bits of information told from conflicting points of view, and often in the entirely wrong order. Trying to make all of the right connections as he goes from a boy simply solving a fun puzzle so he can win a prize to one who understands the real reward this mansion holds reflected my own journey with Blue Prince, which is the sort of subtle brilliance you don’t see in many games.

Looing to upgrade your audiophile setup without investing too much money? For a limited time, Best Buy is offering a pair of the excellent KEF Q1 Meta Bookshelf Speakers for only $399.99 shipped. All three color options - white, black, and walnut finish - are discounted. These speakers normally retail for $600 and don't go on sale very often.

KEF Q1 Meta Bookshelf Speakers for $399.99

In the mid-2010s, three seasons of Daredevil introduced audiences to the underbelly of Hell's Kitchen for one of the best-reviewed Marvel series of all time, which why it was such a shock when Daredevil was cancelled by Netflix in 2018.

While Charlie Cox's Daredevil has made brief appearances in more recent, lighter MCU projects, namely She-Hulk and Spider-Man: No Way Home, few people expected the supe to get another instalment of his own solo show. Well, we were wrong. The hero has, in fact, been born again, and while he may returning be on the relatively chaste Disney+, Marvel has promised more grit and action than ever.

If you're wondering where to stream Daredevil: Born Again online or want a full look at the episode release schedule, check out the details below.

Where to Stream Daredevil: Born Again

Looking to upgrade the storage capacity of your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or ASUS ROG Ally? Here's a great deal on a very well-rated SanDisk memory card. Walmart is offering a 512GB Samsung ImageMate Pro Micro SDXC Card for just $21.53. An SD card adapter is also included. Despite the low price tag, this is actually one of the faster Micro SD cards we've seen. It's compatible with most gaming handhelds including the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and ROG Ally.

Note: Availability is based on region. Some zip codes might have more in stock than others.

512GB SanDisk ImageMate Pro Micro SDXC Card for $21.53

A monitor is the best gaming accessory to make the most of the stunning graphics and speedy refresh rates your gaming PC is capable of. What’s the point of investing in a rig with a top-tier graphics card and CPU if your display can’t keep up? That’s why we’ve found the best gaming monitors with crisp pictures and motion fidelity to play all the best PC games as intended.

TL;DR – These Are the Best Gaming Monitors:

Your gaming monitor should offer specs that match up with your PC; there’s no point in grabbing one of the best 4K monitors if games will be virtually unplayable with a GeForce RTX 4060 at that resolution. Likewise, pairing a Radeon RX 7900 XTX with a 1080p display is a waste. The best gaming monitors will show off all the capabilities of the rig you’ve invested in, delivering solid picture quality, speedy response times, and a host of gaming features. Of course, high refresh rates help frames remain silky smooth and those extra milliseconds could mean life or death for competitive gamers.

Whether you’re after a beastly future-proof option with a sharp 4K picture, OLED panel, and wild 240Hz refresh rate – like our top pick, the Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro – or you have a more modest setup that's better suited for a great budget monitor, we’ve got you covered. All our favorite gaming monitors have been thoroughly vetted by me and my colleagues and are ready to suit just about any need.

Looking for savings? Be sure to check out the best gaming monitor deals happening right now.

1. Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro

Best Gaming Monitor

If you want proof that OLED is the new mainstream for the best gaming monitors, just take a look at my thorough review of the Gigabyte FO32U2 Pro. This is a gorgeous 32-inch 4K gaming monitor with an extremely thin panel and one of the brightest displays I've ever had the pleasure of using. And while it is a bit on the pricey side, the best is never the cheapest option, and you'll be well rewarded for the money you invest in this gorgeous piece of kit.

This gaming monitor is extremely forward-facing, too. While most of the best graphics cards aren't really able to drive a 4K gaming monitor at 240Hz, the Gigabyte Aorus FO32U2 supports that high refresh rate anyways. That means even after upgrading your PC a few times over the next few years, you won't really need to buy an all-new gaming monitor for a very long time. Hell, this monitor supports DisplayPort 2.1 technology, which isn't even in most current-generation gaming PCs right now.

But even in the current day, the gorgeous OLED panel is extremely color accurate. Supporting up to 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, you'd be hard pressed to find any screen with better color representation, at least without forking over the cash for a display meant for creative professionals. Combine that with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and a contrast ratio of 1.5M:1 and this will make any game, movie, or even your desktop seem like it's popping off of your screen.

Of course, because it's a flagship gaming monitor in 2024, it also comes with quality-of-life features like picture-in-picture and an automatic black equalizer that'll help you tune how your monitor looks. You can even download the Gigabyte Control Center, plug the monitor into an open USB port (in addition to your standard HDMI/DP port, obviously), and control image settings on your desktop rather than fiddling with an OSD.

This is a dream gaming monitor, and while it's a bit expensive, you're genuinely getting what you pay for.

2. AOC Q27G3XMN Mini-LED

Best Budget Gaming Monitor

The AOC Q27G3XMN Gaming Monitor offers true HDR gaming at a fraction of the usual price. That's because it uses a mini LED backlight to offer localized brightness and contrast all the way up to 1,000 nits. That means that you can enjoy gaming in HDR knowing that you're receiving a full-fledged experience and not the typical "HDR 400" or "HDR compatible" experience found elsewhere.

This monitor uses a VA panel for improved contrast even when you turn local dimming off. You could be forgiven for leaving it on, however, as it's the gateway to more vivid colors and deeper blacks, no matter what you happen to be doing. With 336 local dimming zones, it's able to pinpoint shadows and blacks far better than a traditional edge-lit gaming monitor. In fact, this is the reason why the technology has largely cost two, three, or even four times as much as this monitor.

Even without the mini-LED backlight, however, this would be a great monitor to choose for anyone on a limited budget. Its 27-inch frame is perfectly matched to its 1440p resolution, allowing it to offer crisp visuals and smooth, responsive gameplay. It's lacking some amenities like built-in speakers or a USB hub, but that can be forgiven for its generously priced panel and gaming experience.

With all of that in mind, AOC did make a sacrifice to get the price so low: local dimming zones. While 336 sounds like a lot on paper, flagship mini-LED monitors usually feature over 1,100. Its reduced zone count leads to noticeable blooming (glowing around bright objects on dark backgrounds). While this isn't always noticeable, especially when you're playing games, it's also not something you can ignore when it's there. You'll notice it every time, though many people do get used to it and find it doesn't bother them over time.

Even with some blooming to contend with, the AOC Q27G3XMN mini-LED gaming monitor is still a great pick that offers some truly impressive visuals its biggest competitors simply can't compete with. This monitor stands apart because of it and is well worth your consideration.

3. Acer Predator X34 OLED

Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor

4. Dell Alienware AW2725Q

Best 4K Gaming Monitor

5. Asus ROG Swift PG27AQDP

Best 1440p Gaming Monitor

People might be clamoring over 4K displays and 1440p has a home in the hearts of many gamers trying to balance visual quality with value, but 1080p monitors still have their place. The Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM is a prime example where FHD fits in because, for less than $300, you get a screen that delivers an overclockable 240Hz refresh rate, a one-millisecond response time, and low input lag, which will see your games run as smooth as hot butter. FreeSync support and G-Sync compatibility also ensure your monitor and GPU are on the same team for visuals that look great without tearing.

The Asus TUF Gaming VG279QM stretches its 1080p picture across a 27-inch screen, which is reasonable for the resolution. Although, you may do some pixel peeping in exchange for a more immersive viewing experience. Its IPS panel offers decent viewing angles and color reproduction, while the 400-nit brightness means you can use it in brighter spaces. It's been DisplayHDR 400 certified, but given a mediocre contrast ratio and no local dimming, HDR support shouldn’t be why you buy this monitor.

Some other quality-of-life boxes can get ticked off, too, with a height-adjustable pivoting stand, two HDMI ports, and one DisplayPort for ample connectivity opportunities. It's a monitor I consider a good value for the price. Its high refresh rate, ample size, and engaging picture make it a great pick for gamers on more limited budgets.

The Straw Hat Pirates’ sprawling adventure across the Grand Line has been a staple of anime ever since the late 90s, and with more than 1000 episodes, it’s fair to say that One Piece has had more than a few unforgettable moments. Narrowing down this list to just 10 of the best moments from One Piece was an extraordinarily difficult task, and some tough cuts had to be made, but regardless, here are our picks for the top 10 One Piece moments, as of episode 1088 of the anime.

Note of course that by the very nature of this feature, there are going to be major spoilers for One Piece. We are holding nothing back here, but we will inform you before each entry what episode the spoiler covers so you can skip the ones you haven’t come across yet.

10. Luffy’s Pain (Episode 377)

This moment is what solidified Zoro as the badass of the Straw Hat crew. With Luffy exhausted from his battle with Pirate Warlord Moria and the Straw Hats taken out by Warlord Kuma, Zoro is the only one left standing. Realizing he can’t win against Kuma, Zoro offers his life in exchange for Luffy’s. Kuma agrees, but only if Zoro can take on Luffy’s injuries as his own. This emotional moment is when Zoro’s bond with his crewmates solidified, proving that despite being a pirate hunter, he was willing to give up his life to spare theirs.

9. Red Leg’s Leg (Episode 26)

Sanji has one of the saddest backstories in all of One Piece. He just can’t catch a break. Young Sanji could care less about pirates, especially Zeff, who was stranded on a deserted island with him. Nonetheless, the subtlety of Zeff’s actions made for a heartwarming moment when Sanji finds out that Zeff sacrificed his leg so he could live. The fact that Sanji thought Zeff was a rotten, no-good pirate the entire time, only to find out that he’s one of the most selfless people he’s ever met is one of One Piece’s most memorable moments.

8. Arrival of the Worst (Episode 1015)

“Roof Piece!” It’s the term fans were throwing around leading up to the end of the epic Wano story arc. It was only a matter of time before this confrontation happened and, oh boy, did the anime step it up! Knowing fan expectations were high, Toei clearly went above and beyond for the episode. From the entrance of the Worst Generation to Luffy’s stroll past the Emperors and Kin’emon’s heartfelt plea, the emotions build in an incredible dramatic crescendo, accented with quick flashes of their journey up to that point as far back as Raizo’s safety and Pedro’s sacrifice. Finally, we see Luffy’s vibrant Red Roc punch with “We Are” booming in the background to accompany one of the biggest smackdowns in all of anime. In only about five minutes, the sequence makes us appreciate the long and winding journey Luffy has been on, and why it’s so special.

7. Ultimate Defeat (Episode 405)

The Saboady arc is jam-packed full of game-changing moments, but there’s one moment that helped define who the Straw Hats are that came at the hands of the stoic, overpowered Kuma. Up until this point, Luffy and the crew were able to overcome even the most difficult of challenges, but there was no escape from the utter devastation that took place on the archipelago. Even Luffy knew they didn’t have a chance, and he’s not one to give up so easily. As he watches his friends begin to disappear, he yells out in desperation to escape, not knowing it was futile. When he’s finally the last one standing, Luffy can’t help but cry in agony for not being strong enough to save his friends. It’s the first time we’ve seen our plucky protagonist so vulnerable. With the final disappearance of the Straw Hats, we were left in shock, and it was clear from this point on the crew would never be the same after suffering such a dreadful defeat.

6. Don’t Be Mad…(Episode 396)

We can’t talk about the previous moment without also mentioning the inciting incident that led to it. If there was a list for best, or at the very least, most cathartic singular punch in all of anime, this punch would be at the top. There isn’t a single person with a beating heart who watched Episode 396 that wasn’t begging Luffy to beat the heck out of Saint Charlos at Sabaody, and when he finally did, man did Luffy make it count. What makes this so special is the build-up and payoff. After spending the last few episodes learning why the Celestial Dragons are basically untouchable, and the serious consequences that come with laying a hand on them, it’s all the more shocking when Luffy strikes him down anyway without a second thought.

5. The Punch That Changed the World (Episode 483)

The battle between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates rages on as Luffy and Ace finally begin their escape. In a brief moment of desperation, everything changed. The sound of crying fills the air as Akainu’s magma fist plunges through the back of Ace, taking his life in front of Luffy. In Ace’s last heartfelt words, he thanks everyone for loving him as he dies on the battlefield. We feel the weight behind Ace’s death as we are stuck watching Luffy in disbelief, realizing that his life has forever changed.

4. A Funeral (Episode 312)

It may seem odd to be emotionally invested in an inanimate object like a pirate ship, but One Piece fans are built different. The “funeral” of the Going Merry had us shedding actual tears over a dying boat. The way the focus shifts from each crew member as they relive their own introduction to the Merry while somber music plays in the background is just so beautifully done. Then there’s the one-two emotional gutpunch of hearing the Merry’s disembodied voice saying, “I’m sorry, I wish I could have taken you farther.” followed by Luffy breaking down and apologizing for every little thing he ever did to the ship. It all adds up to one of the most heart wrenching moments in all of One Piece.

3. Luffy… Help Me… (Episode 37)

The scene featuring Luffy and Nami during the Arlong Park arc is one of the most defining moments for the Straw Hat crew. At this point, we’ve known Nami as a scheming, confident woman who can take care of herself, but her dire situation with the Arlong Pirates brings her to tears as her family and friends prepare to fight to the death. Seeing Nami drop to the ground in despair, screaming in anger as she attempts to cut her despised Arlong tattoo from her own flesh is as brutal as it is sad. It's at this moment that we see a different side of Luffy that’s calm and serious. With the last ounce of Nami’s stubbornness whittling away, she finally says to Luffy, “Help me”. With Nami at her lowest point, Luffy gifts her his treasured straw hat and exclaims, “Of course I will!” This moment has become one of the most iconic in the series because it encapsulates what makes it great and shows why it’s so beloved amongst fans.

2. The Return of a Legend (Episode 1071)

Though its place on this list might be controversial, Gear 5 was an event so big that it nearly broke the internet. It’s the perfect culmination of Luffy’s journey thus far. His delightful romp around Onigashima in Gear 5 was not only a joy to behold from an animation standpoint, but one that also marks Luffy’s all-important ascension into the fabled Joyboy – a moment that both tastefully encapsulates all that has occurred as well as foreshadows the coming epic of Luffy’s final steps in becoming the King of Pirates.

1. I Want to Live! (Episode 278)

This moment of payoff was a hundred episodes in the making. Ever since she left the Straw Hats without saying a word out of fear of losing her friends like she lost her family on Ohara, we had been waiting for Robin to do something, anything, to show some sort of resistance to the ruthless and weasley Spandam. That moment finally comes in episode 278, where, upon gazing at her captain and crewmates on the other side of Enies Lobby, and seeing that they’re willing to go to war even with the World Government if it means having her in their lives, Robin finally responds to Luffy in one clear voice. And that’s all that Luffy needed.

What were some of your favorite moments in One Piece? Let us know in the comments, and if you want more anime, check out our list of the top 10 anime of all time, along with our list of the biggest anime coming in 2024. And for everything else, keep it here on IGN.

Note: This ranking was updated on April 7, 2025. It was originally published on Feb. 27, 2020.

This list was written by Mitchell Saltzman, Mike Mamon, Jay Park, and Rosie Knight, a few of the biggest One Piece fans at IGN. Thanks for checking it out, and let us know in the comments which moments would make your top moments in One Piece list!

Path of Exile 2’s largest update yet, Dawn of the Hunt, adds a ton of new content and changes the game in many ways. IGN and Maxroll have teamed up to bring you lots of new, helpful guides and builds to take on the daunting swatch of new stuff that we will do our best to summarize here: Patch 0.2.0 brings more ways to play with the all-new Huntress Class along with 5 Ascendancies, Azmeri Wisps to chase, shiny new Uniques to hunt for, and a revamped endgame experience.

The Huntress

A new class joins Path of Exile 2’s roster of characters, the Huntress. This Azmeri lost everything when she used a Virtue Gem to defend her home. So now she wields new skills in addition to her trusty Spear. The Huntress is a Dexterity class that shares a starting area with the Ranger in the lower-right portion of the Passive Skill Tree. Spears have a mix of close-range melee strikes and long range projectiles with bonuses that incentivize the use of both. Create an elemental surface with Frostbolt, drop a Whirling Slash, and unleash a flurry of Twisters, before leaping back in to do it all again. Another new item class is Bucklers, a special shield with the ability to Parry regular attacks. When you Parry an enemy you put them off balance increasing the attack damage they take. Unlike Souls games, there is no Parry window and you can use the Parry to animation cancel other skills making it quite agile. However, each time you Parry your stun meter increases and when the bar is full you are heavy stunned for 2.5 seconds, which is likely to result in your untimely demise.

Dive deeper with Maxroll’s Dawn of the Hunt Megapost, or read on for more information.

New Ascendancies

In addition to the new Huntress class, Dawn of the Hunt adds 5 new Ascendancies to Path of Exile 2. After completing a Trial of Ascension, your Ascendancy further specializes your class by unlocking new synergies and catering to unique playstyles. The Huntress has 2 Ascendancies to choose from, Ritualist and Amazon, and the Warrior, Witch, and Mercenary each get one new option.

Ritualist

The Ritualist learned in the depths of the Wildwoods, that power is achieved through sacrifice. You can steal bonuses from Rare monsters, or sacrifice a portion of your own health for a random bonus. With Corrupted Life Force, you gain a skill causing nearby enemies to grow Volatile Blood Boils, slay them to infect surrounding foes with Corrupted Blood a powerful degenerative effect that deals Physical Damage. The Unfurled Finger Notable grants a third ring slot, this is especially potent when paired with Mystic Attunement and a high-end ring. Lastly, the Ritualist has a variety of charming bonuses making it easier to combat dangerous elemental effects.

Amazon

An Amazon strikes swiftly. Elemental Infusion consumes charges to add elemental damage to your Attacks, and Infused Avatar gives a chance for your projectiles to benefit from the infusion without consuming it. Critical Strike and Penetrate further scale damage, based on accuracy rating, which is particularly notable because Dexterity classes have easy access to accuracy. Defensively, Mystic Harvest opens up access to leech, a recovery layer usually limited to Physical damage, and Azmeri Brew makes Flasks far more versatile. Lastly, her Predatory Instinct and In for the Kill Notables grant massive bonuses against Wraeclast’s most dangerous foes.

Smith of Kitava

The Smith of Kitava wields the Devourer’s power to his own ends. This ascendancy is harder to nail down, as many of the bonuses like Temper Weapon, Maifest Weapon, and Fire Spell on Hit are the sort of thing you need to play with to truly understand. However, Coal Stoker and Forged in Flame provide some of the most powerful defenses in the game. With Coal Stoaker, you need to dedicate less of your suffixes to resistances, meaning there’s more of them to use for damage. Maximum resistance is incredibly potent, with even as little as +5% Maximum Resistance mitigating around 20% of the elemental damage you take. Lastly, there’s Smith’s Masterwork, the ability to forge yourself a custom chest piece at the cost of some Ascendancy points. How useful this is depends on where Living Weapon, Against the Anvil, and Heat of the Forge fall as you only get 8 Ascendancy points to distribute amongst all the passives. With that said many of the passives including, Dedication to Kitava, Support Straps, Flowing Metal, Molten Symbol, and Kitavan Engraving all have potential.

Lich

A Lich wields forbidden power, even at the cost of her soul. First, there are some fan-favorite nodes from the original Path of Exile in Rupture the Soul and Dominion Over Flesh. Being able to curse enemies to make them explode into piles of loot is always a good time. Soulless Form provides a unique way to solve mana by increasing your maximum life. It also splits damage between your life and energy shield which is useful when you have easy ways to recover both. Eternal Life further enhances this effect, because your life cannot change while you have energy shield any damage split to your life is ignored so long as you have energy shield active. Atziri’s Distain splits damage to your life allowing you to ignore even more damage. Then there’s Necromantic Conduit and Blackened Heart, a way to provide a significant damage buff to yourself or allies, and what better allies exist than the mindless dead bound to your command? Lastly, Crystalline Phylactery, Price of Power, and Eldrich Empowerment offer solid bonuses to a variety of builds.

Note: there is a slight error in the graphic, Blackened Heart should be the node after Necromantic Conduit and Dominion Over Flesh should be the node after Rupture the Soul.

Tactician

The Tactician never works alone. This is a support-focused Ascendancy for the Mercenary class. It provides a variety of bonuses focused on Auras and buffs. A Solid Plan is particularly noteworthy as it’s normally difficult to scale your Spirit without using Sceptres. With Suppressing Fire and Right Where We Want Them, you can Pin foes to prevent them from acting, adding another crowd control effect to your party’s toolkit. Unleash Hell! Is a unique skill that gives you personal artillery, summon them to unleash a barrage of withering fire onto the battlefield.

Azmeri Wisps

With each new league, comes a new league mechanic, and for Dawn of the Hunt it’s Azmeri Wisps. Follow the lights and slay any monsters they empower. Each Wisp enhances the rewards of any monsters it empowers while giving them a variety of lethal bonuses. For example, a Cat Wisp gives empowered monsters Critical Hit Chance, whereas a Sacred Wisp upgrades the monster’s tier, turning Rares into Unique Bosses! Each time you encounter a Wisp it seeks out a Rare or Unique monster to infuse, greatly increasing the creature’s strength and its rewards.

Rogue Exiles

You can encounter Rogue Exiles, NPC invaders who fight like players and even wield powerful items. If you’re able to slay them, you get all the items they’re wearing, but be warned, if they slay you they escape and take their riches with them. Rogue Exiles provide a different kind of challenge since their builds work like a player’s, with a wide variety of skill combinations on offer. These foes tend to be more agile than most bosses, but aren’t as tanky. Keep an eye on their Unique items as these can be extremely valuable, and may make the encounter much more difficult!

Endgame Revamp

Dawn of the Hunt brings sweeping changes to Path of Exile 2’s endgame experience. The goal is to make mapping more exciting by providing players with more random encounters while reducing tedious busy work. You can now use up to 3 tablets in each Tower, this reduces the amount of busy work needed to enhance the nearby maps and maximize your loot. To balance this, fewer Towers spawn and they have been revamped to be more rewarding. Mechanics can spawn in Towers and they are guarded by a Unique Boss.

The Corruption mechanic has also been changed, you now choose between clearing each corrupted map, or rushing to the center to purify the cluster, changing the rewards, and unlocking the new purified map type. You can choose to farm the corrupted zones, slaying additional enemies in hopes of gaining currency and rare items. Alternatively, you could rush to the nexus to purify the zone in hopes of obtaining more Fraturing Orbs. This is a crafting currency that locks an affix on an item with 4 modifiers, making it unmodifiable by any means.

There’s a wealth of content to explore. In addition, Unique Maps present special challenges, each is difficult but rewarding. The Fractured Lake (pictured above) rewards you with exclusive base types that have more Prefixes or Suffixes than are normally possible. A Crystalline Cavern presents you with a room full of Essences to claim. Each one you defeat further empowers the boss, making the challenge at the end both more lethal and rewarding. Or you could explore the Feral Megaliths, a 10-round boss gauntlet that drops tons of loot and exclusive Runes.

Beyond just endgame content, crafting also got numerous changes. You can use Corrupted Essences to craft items with special effects. When encountering Rituals to the King in the Mists you’re now guaranteed an Omen, and Omen rewards are more common. If you explore Expedition you can now use your currencies to Recombinate items, merging 2 bases in hopes of keeping desirable affixes.

Patch Notes

It’s almost easier to talk about what didn’t change than it is to list everything that got tweaked, adjusted, or reworked for Dawn of the Hunt. When GGG said to forget everything you already knew about Path of Exile 2, they weren’t kidding. In particular, outlier builds like Archmage Spark Stormweaver and Attribute Stacking Hand of Wisdom and Action Monk saw heavy nerfs.

If you want to know more about the changes in patch 0.2.0 and have a strong constitution, check out the Patch 0.2.0 Patch Notes.

Path of Exile 2 Beginner’s Guide / Leveling Walkthrough

Whether you’re a veteran looking to improve or a new player trying to get into Path of Exile 2, Maxroll’s Comprehensive League Start Leveling Guide holds your hand with step-by-step instructions throughout the leveling process. This covers an efficient leveling path, how to get good gear, tips to increase your damage and defense, and how to solve common problems.

Maxroll Planner

Maxroll’s PoE2Planner is updated for Dawn of the Hunt and better than ever. You can now import your characters directly into the planner and share your build in just a couple of clicks. The PoE2Planner lets you quickly assemble the passives, items, and skills used in your build. You can also add more details like which bonuses to take from the campaign, outline a skill rotation or link to a custom loot filter on FilterBlade.

Start theorycrafting your own build on the Maxroll PoE2Planner!

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something to play, check out the Maxroll Builds section for planners made by the experts on Maxroll’s Path of Exile 2 team, or browse Community Planners for more builds put together by the community.

Builds

Dawn of the Hunt has brought a huge shakeup to the build meta! The increased difficulty nerfs to meta builds, and buffs to underperformers have resulted in a lot of changes. The Amazon, Lich, and Smith of Kitava have been absolutely dominating the meta during the first few days of the league. Here are a few of the builds being cooked up by the experts at Maxroll.

Amazon

Rake is a travel skill that easily rips through packs of monsters when combined with Stomping Grounds, with this planner from ZiggyD you can unleash carnage across Wraeclast. Rake has great mobility, decent single target damage and satisfying bleed pops thanks to Herald of Blood. As you keep progressing, you can continue scaling your build using Goratha's endgame Bleed/Rake Amazon.

The Amazon is also adept at using Crossbows, combine Glacial Bolt with Artillery Ballista to clear easily while also doing high single target damage. Because your Ballistae can attack enemies while you’re dodging mechanics this build is easy to use against bosses. Check out this planner from Palsteron on how to build a Crossbow Amazon.

If you’re looking for something different, grab a bow and bring winter to your enemies with Aer0’s Ice Shot Amazon! This build uses Ice Shot to clear and Freezing Salvo to unleash icy devastation on more difficult enemies.

Then there’s the good old explosive Gas Arrow. This was one of the most popular builds for bow leveling at the start of early access and it’s a great way to get your Amazon to maps. Check out Tenkiei’s Explosive Gas Arrow Amazon planner for some inspiration!

Lastly a more endgame build, Crouchung_Tuna’s Lighting Spear Amazon! This build captures the feel of a Diablo 2 Javazon by blasting everything on the screen with lightning. As an endgame build you need to be in maps to start playing it, so use one of the earlier planners through the campaign and then respec to this.

Lich

Chaos DoT, or damage over time skills like Essence Drain and Contagion excel at clearing the screen while providing consistent damage. This makes them the perfect choice to pair with the excellent defenses provided by the Lich Ascendancy. Check out this planner from CaptainLance9 to play your own Chaos DoT Lich.

Why fight alone when you can bring your own personal army to each battle? If that’s your preferred playstyle then HelmBreaker’s Minion Army Lich is the build for you. You get excellent defenses from Eternal Life and new Spectres provide you even more mindlessly loyal dead for your army. If you prefer infernal flame you can play a similar build on Infernalist.

Other Builds

Here are a few more builds on existing ascendancies:

• If you’re looking for a hand holdy Mercenary Grenade Leveling Guide. ZiggyD’s planner takes you through the campaign and into early maps.
• Stormweaver was one of the most popular builds in 0.1 and if you enjoy freezing your way through the campaign you can do so with this build from ZenM: Frost Bolt Cold Snap Stormweaver Leveling.
• Monk is fast and fluid, filling the screen with particle effects while dashing to the next pack to do the same. This build from Milkybk_ helps you find your center as you progress: Invoker Monk Leveling.
• The Smith of Kitava is Wraeclast’s ultimate tank, so if you’re looking to play hardcore this is one of your best bets. The Endgame HC Artillery Ballista Smith of Kitava build from Zizaran goes over everything you need to know to play this tanky artillerist.

With that said, Dawn of the Hunt is brand new and there’s still a lot to explore in the buildcrafting space so keep a close eye on Maxroll’s Builds for more ways to play.

On the Hunt

Dawn of the Hunt adds a lot of content and streamlines the mapping experience but the campaign is slower than it was before. The best players are already blasting maps and juicing towers but a lot of people are still making their way through the campaign.

It’s going to take some time for the dust to settle and for the meta to stabilize in Path of Exile 2 0.2.0 Dawn of the Hunt. If you want to know more about the best builds and most profitable currency strategies keep an eye on Maxroll’s Meta Section. Their Path of Exile 2 team is hard at work writing new Build Guides and sharing their Planners with the community!

This article was created by IGN Staff with help from the Maxroll Path of Exile 2 Team.

LEGO has a seemingly endless amount of sets. The toy company has collaborated with practically every major franchise and puts out a number of new builds each month. Unfortunately, LEGO doesn't just continue making every new set forever. Alongside every addition to the LEGO family comes the departure of several others. Sets get retired just as fast as new sets arrive to replace them. If there's a LEGO build you love, it could potentially disappear forever within a year if you don't pick it up before its expiration date.

While there are still ways to buy LEGO sets that have long been retired, your best bet is to pick them up while they are still available at major retailers and haven't been marked-up by resellers. Depending on the popularity of the set, you can sometimes find them at Amazon even months after LEGO removes them from its website. I've gathered some of those options right here to give you a chance to pick them up before they're gone forever.

Retired LEGO Sets Still Available at Amazon

Some really cool sets were retired near the beginning of 2025, including builds that have been consistently popular but have just outlived their shelf life. The LEGO Taj Mahal for example is one of the best LEGO Architecture sets we've ever seen come out of that line, depicting one of the seven wonders of the world. There's also the Sonic Green Hill Zone set that IGN actually had the chance to build back in 2022 when it first came out. It's a fun tribute to the iconic video game level from the series. It is one of our favorite Sonic the Hedgehog LEGO sets and is great for any fan of the franchise.

If you want to keep better track of what LEGO sets are retiring, I'd recommend checking out the Brick Economy website, which includes the full list. This is a great resource for collectors so they can keep tabs on any of the more expensive sets they have their eye on. One of the best times to buy a LEGO set at a discount is right before it gets retired.

Which LEGO Sets Are Retiring Soon?

It's fairly easy to find out what LEGO sets are retiring soon thanks to LEGO's "Last Chance to Buy" page that features all of them. Unfortunately, LEGO does not put the actual date that a set will be retired on this page, so it's hard to decipher when exactly each option will be officially removed. The safe assumption is that if it's on this page, it could be gone by the beginning of the month as the new sets become available.

Below I've gathered some of the most intriguing sets that are getting retired. There is a slew of Nintendo LEGO sets as well as some Star Wars and Marvel options worth a final look.

Tron fans have reason to be excited in 2025. Following a long dormant period, the franchise is racing its way back into theaters this October with a new sequel called Tron: Ares. The third Tron movie stars Jared Leto as the titular character, a program who ventures into the real world on a high-stakes yet very mysterious mission.

But is it safe to call Ares a sequel? Visually, this new movie is clearly cut from the same cloth as 2010’s Tron: Legacy. The newly released trailer makes that much apparent. And with Nine Inch Nails stepping in for Daft Punk, it’s obvious the electronica-heavy score remains as big a priority as ever.

But in other ways, Ares is looking less like a direct sequel and more like a soft reboot of the franchise. Where are all the surviving characters from Legacy? Why aren’t stars Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde returning for Ares? Why is Jeff Bridges of all people the one Tron veteran confirmed for the cast of Ares? Let’s take a deeper look at how Legacy set itself up for a sequel, and why Ares seems to be ignoring that setup.

Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn & Olivia Wilde’s Quorra

Tron: Legacy mainly revolves around the shared struggle of Garrett Hedlund’s Sam Flynn and Olivia Wilde’s Quorra. Sam is the son of Bridges’ character, Kevin Flynn, the CEO of telecom giant Encom who disappeared in 1989. In Legacy, Sam ventures into the digital landscape known as The Grid to find his father and prevent Kevin’s creation CLU from leading a digital army into the real world.

As Sam reunites with his father, he also meets Quorra. Quorra is a member of a race known as ISOs, digital lifeforms who appeared spontaneously in The Grid. Quorra is proof that life finds a way, even inside a computer simulation. In the end, Sam defeats CLU and returns to the real world with Quorra in tow. The world’s first digital lifeform has been transformed into flesh and blood.

Legacy’s ending lays a pretty clear path for a sequel. Sam himself is finally ready to embrace his responsibility as Encom’s largest shareholder. Rather than simply play annual pranks on the Encom board, Sam is prepared to lead the company into a brighter and more open-source future. Quorra is by his side, serving as living proof of the true wonders that await in the digital realm.

Legacy sets up an ongoing storyline for both Sam and Quorra. In fact, the home video release even includes a short film called “Tron: The Next Day,” showing Sam returning to Encom to begin shepherding the company into a new era.

But despite that, neither Hedlund nor Wilde seem to be returning for Tron: Ares. They’re both very conspicuous by their absence in the sequel. On some level, it’s not surprising that Disney would want to pivot to a different, more standalone direction for Ares. Legacy grossed $409.9 million worldwide on a budget of $170 million (not including marketing costs). If not an outright failure, it wasn’t quite the smash hit Disney was hoping for. Like 2012’s John Carter and 2013’s Lone Ranger, Legacy is one of a number of underperforming live-action movies from an era before Disney really started to lean on Marvel and Star Wars. The studio may have decided that Legacy didn’t strike enough of a chord with moviegoers that directly continuing the plot made much sense.

Still, as we’ve explored, Sam and Quorra are too central to the narrative of Tron to just completely ignore. Are we meant to assume Sam gave up on his mission to build a better Encom? Did Quorra grow tired of the real world and return to The Grid? The absence of these characters leaves a major void in the franchise, and we hope Ares finds some way of at least acknowledging Sam and Quorra’s importance, if not bringing them back in unannounced cameo roles.

Cillian Murphy’s Edward Dillinger, Jr.

Hedlund and Wilde aren’t the only Legacy actors whose absence in the Ares cast is baffling. There’s also Cillian Murphy, whose character was clearly being set up for much bigger things in a third Tron movie.

Murphy very briefly appears in an uncredited role in Legacy, playing Edward Dillinger, Jr., the son of David Warner’s Edward Dillinger from the original Tron. The younger Dillinger is introduced as the head of Encom’s software development team, and a fierce opponent of Sam’s commitment to free, open-source software.

It goes without saying that Murphy wasn’t cast just to appear in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo role. Dillinger was obviously intended to play a bigger part in a future sequel, where he likely would have become the main human antagonist, just as his father was in Tron. Dillinger’s role likely would have coincided with the return of the Master Control Program, the sinister entity that served as the main digital villain of the first movie.

Judging from the Tron: Ares trailer, the MCP itself may be back in play. Ares and his fellow programs are marked by glowing red highlights, which is the calling card of the MCP, just as CLU’s faction was orange and Tron was blue. That suggests a sinister undertone to Ares’ mission. We don’t know if he’s meant to be hero or villain. He doesn’t seem to understand much about his mission either. But if the MCP is back, why hasn’t Edward Dillinger returned, too? Why is Gillian Anderson’s new character suddenly the focus of the Encom board?

That said, we do know that Evan Peters is playing a character named Julian Dillinger, so at least it appears that the Dillinger clan has a part to play in this story. And it’s always possible that Murphy (who, again, wasn’t actually credited in Legacy) is still secretly returning for the new film.

Bruce Boxleitner’s Tron

Arguably the most baffling omission of all from the Tron: Ares cast is Bruce Boxleitner. If this is a Tron movie, where is Tron himself? In the original movie, Boxleitner played both Encom executive Alan Bradley and the heroic security program Tron. Boxleitner reprised the Alan role in Tron: Legacy, while it was eventually revealed that CLU’s bodyguard Rinzler was a reprogrammed Tron. When last we saw Rinzler in Legacy, he had fallen into the Sea of Simulation, which wiped away his new programming and restored the hero within.

Sadly, it doesn’t appear that Boxleitner is returning for Ares for either role. We can deal with Alan being written out of the picture, but is the plan really to make a Tron movie without its namesake? Or is it possible that Tron has been recast with a younger actor? Perhaps that’s who Cameron Monaghan is playing?

Whatever is going on here, we would hope that Ares intends to follow up on Tron’s open-ended fate from Legacy. This character deserves redemption after what he was subjected to by CLU. And a Tron sequel needs to include Tron in some capacity.

Why Is Jeff Bridges in Tron: Ares?

Perhaps the single most baffling announcement regarding Tron: Ares is the news that Bridges is returning to the franchise. Sure, he’s the most recognizable and bankable star among the Tron: Legacy cast, but there’s the little problem that both of his characters were killed off in that sequel. In the climax of Tron: Legacy, Kevin Flynn sacrifices himself to destroy CLU and give his son and adopted daughter the chance to escape back to the real world.

So why is Bridges of all people back for a third movie? It’s hard to say. We can briefly hear Bridges’ voice in the trailer, but there’s no indication of whether he might be playing a still-living Kevin Flynn or a version of CLU. Did Flynn’s digital archenemy somehow survive their shared death in Legacy? Did Flynn keep a backup of CLU handy? Or has Flynn himself somehow transcended the limits of flesh, achieving immortality in The Grid?

That’s a mystery that will no doubt be solved in Ares. We’ll also find out whether Ares himself is working with Flynn/CLU or carrying out the Master Control Program’s agenda. But whatever the film reveals, there’s no getting around the fact that it’s pretty weird to have a Tron sequel that resurrects Bridges’ character(s) but ignores all the important players who actually survived the events of Legacy. As much as we’re looking forward to Tron: Ares, the sequel also leaves us more than a little perplexed.

But, hey, at least that NIN score is sounding pretty swell.

In other Tron news, find out about the series return to the gaming realm with the Metroid/Hades hybrid Tron: Catalyst.

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

If you're looking to build together a car emergency kit, two items you'll undoubtedly want to add are a tire inflator and jump starter. Right now a couple of AstroAI branded devices are on sale right now, although you'll need to be an Amazon Prime member to maximize your savings. Not only are they very reasonably priced, they're both completely cordless, which eliminates the need to plug it into an available cigarette lighte. They're also compact and pack in other features like USB charging, built-in flashlight, and more.

AstroAI L7 Tire Inflator + Tire Pressure Gauge for $19.99

A Minecraft Movie is now in theaters, and it turns out the team behind the film built their own Minecraft private server that was accessible to the whole cast and crew in order to make the movie as authentic as possible. In fact, Jack Black himself set out to prove he was a "real Minecrafter" and built a massive mansion on top of the highest mountain -- with an art gallery.

Having Minecraft so readily available was a huge help for the filmmakers when creating A Minecraft Movie, and producer Torfi Frans Ólafsson told IGN it fostered a feeling of "being in an indie game studio, where things are jamming and ideas are floating around everywhere." While they couldn't utilize every idea that came out of that as the "train was already moving," it did give them a chance to "add a little pizzazz" on top of the film and make it feel true to the game.

A Minecraft Movie director Jared Hess added that Black, who plays Steve in the film, was all the way in on playing Minecraft and proving he could stand toe-to-toe with the best.

"It was so much fun," Hess said. "Jack was super-weirdly method with the game. He was in his trailer harvesting lapis lazuli and always building stuff. [He] was geeking out on the game and would come back with ideas. It was a constantly evolving thing where everybody was contributing in their own fun, unique way."

"I had an Xbox in my trailer and I did play because an actor prepares," Jack Black added with a grin. "So I got as many hours as I could on this Minecraft server, which had tons of props from all the different departments.

"The cast and crew on the server were building some insane structures and I wanted to stand out. I wanted everyone to know that I was a real Minecrafter, so I said I was going to find the biggest, highest mountain in this world and build a stairway to Steve and a mansion up on top of that hill. I had a basement in there with an art gallery and... I don't even know if it's still there!"

"It's up!" Ólafsson confirmed. "I kept it up and I extended it for a year. I popped up in there a couple days ago and I said, 'Wait, there's somebody online!' I went in, and there were these two security guards who worked the gate on set and and they're like, 'Hey, welcome!' I said, "You guys are still in here?' and they said, "Oh, yeah!"

While it remains to be seen if we'll ever see Jack Black's 'Real Minecrafter' Mansion, it's always a joy to hear what goes into making a movie and how these filmmakers brought the beloved game to life.

For more, check out our review of A Minecraft Movie, our explainer of the film's ending and post-credits scene, and how it had the biggest domestic box office debut in history for a video game adaptation last weekend.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

A Minecraft Movie has crashed into theaters and is already taking over the box office upon arrival. What's more, Amazon started offering preorders for a 4K steelbook of the new movie as early as last week. If you've seen the film and are hoping to pick up a physical copy to add to your collection, you can already place your order.

While the limited-edition steelbook does offer a 4K disc and some special features, it isn't the only option available. Walmart has recently launched its own exclusive Blu-ray collector's edition of the movie that is made to look like a Minecraft crafting table and it actually seems pretty awesome.

Walmart Exclusive Edition of A Minecraft Movie on Blu-ray

Dell announced the return of the venerable Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop back in CES 2025, and starting today it is finally available to order. It comes in two size variants: the 16" model starts at $3,199.99 and the 18" model starts at $3,399.99. As expected from Alienware's new flagship laptop, the Area-51 is equipped with current generation components, including the latest and greatest Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU and NVIDIA Blackwell GPU. Orders are expected to ship out starting April 30, so get your reservation in now to prevent any additional delays.

The Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Is Now Available

Sonos doesn't discount its popular speakers very often, so it's a wise investment to jump on a good sale whenever you see one. Right now, both Sonos direct and Amazon are offering one of Sonos' best speakers – the Sonos Arc soundbar – for only $599 after a hefty $300 off instant discount. This is the lowest price we've seen for the Sonos Arc and beats out last year's Black Friday deal by $100. In fact, this is currently less expensive than a refurbished Sonos Arc SL which isn't even equipped with a microphone for voice assistant functionality.

Sonos Arc Soundbar for $599 ($300 Off)

OK, roll with us on this one... Oscar Isaac might just be returning as Moon Knight, and in Avengers: Doomsday no less. Shocked? Us too, but there’s one particular recent development that is starting to make the theory seem plausible.

Earlier in the weekend, Star Wars Celebration’s official social media revealed that Isaac would no longer be making an appearance at the beloved convention in Japan this year “due to changes in his production schedule.”

Isaac's appearance at Star Wars Celebration was a headline-grabbing announcement back in February, sparking rumors of Poe Dameron's return to the galaxy far, far away. Rey actress Daisy Ridley appeared at Star Wars Celebration 2023 to announce she would appear in a new film, so fans were wondering if Isaac would do something similar here.

Naturally, Isaac's production schedule changes were not detailed, but considering Avengers: Doomsday is currently in production in London, it didn't take long for fans to put two and two together to come up with Moon Knight in Avengers.

He’s gonna be filming doomsday?

— James Young (@YoungJames34) April 4, 2025

Dooooomsday

— G the Gamer (@G_da_Gamer) April 4, 2025

Doomsday

— Taco John (@SWaddict_) April 4, 2025

That said, the theory is still just a theory. Marvel does like surprises, but the fact remains that Isaac wasn’t actually one of the many announced names in the Doomsday cast reveal. However, Marvel Studios producer Kevin Feige did confirm that the livestream did not include the entire cast of Doomsday — “We revealed many, not all,” he said over a video call at CinemaCon — so we can dream, can’t we?

One six-episode season of Moon Knight was released back in 2022 starring Isaac, but Marvel has yet to announce a follow-up. Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with a whole host of returning heroes and famous faces bringing the story to life as per the epic livestream.

Meanwhile, MCU fans have also turned their inquisitive gaze upon Robert Downey Jr’s hair after the Iron Man actor recently sent out a Doctor Doom-themed invitation for this 60th birthday party.

Last month's Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal was heavy on veteran X-Men actors. Kelsey Grammer, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, and James Marsden are all now set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, confirming the X-Men are in the film in a big way. Grammer famously played Beast in the Fox X-Men franchise before making his MCU debut via The Marvels' post-credits scene. Stewart played Charles Xavier/Professor X in the X-Men films before appearing briefly in the MCU via Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati. McKellen, who played Magneto, has yet to appear in the MCU. Neither has Cumming, who played Nightcrawler, Romijn, who played Mystique, nor Marsden, who played Cyclops. It begs the question: is Avengers: Doomsday secretly an Avengers vs. X-Men movie?

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

Michael Sarnoski, director of A Quiet Place: Day One, is reportedly set to write and direct the live-action adaptation of Kojima Productions' Death Stranding.

Per Deadline, Sarnoski will write and direct the Death Stranding adaptation with A24 and Kojima Productions producing, alongside Square Peg. Sarnoski directed and wrote for both the A Quiet Place spin-off Day One and 2021's Pig, starring Nicolas Cage. He's also the writer/director for the upcoming The Death of Robin Hood, another A24 project.

Few details were given about what the live-action adaptation of Death Stranding would entail. The original 2019 game sent players out into the wasteland to try and reconnect a scattered America amid an extinction-level event, in a world haunted by nightmarish creatures and strange happenings. It's already good movie fodder before you factor in Hideo Kojima's cinematic tendencies.

Death Stranding also featured a star-studded cast that included Norman Reedus in the lead role of Sam Bridges, as well as Léa Seydoux, Mads Mikkelsen, Guillermo del Toro, and Margaret Qualley. It'll be interesting to see if these actors reprise their roles for the live-action adaptation.

There's still more for Death Stranding in store though, as Kojima Productions recently confirmed Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will launch later this year on June 26, 2025 on PlayStation 5. The next game in the Death Stranding saga also picked up some more stars, including the likes of Luca Marinelli and Elle Fanning.

Hopefully this particular Kojima-linked project forges ahead, as the Metal Gear Solid movie is still reportedly being worked on despite slowing updates. With all the stars and cinematics though, Death Stranding certainly seems poised to make the jump to live-action.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

The final chapter of the My Hero Academia manga was published last August, and the final season of the anime will air later this year. That doesn’t mean the world of My Hero Academia is over though. New movies and spin-offs like My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will hopefully help fill the void with new storylines, characters, and Quirks.

The Vigilantes spin-off manga, written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, is set five years before Deku's story starts. Of course, Bones Studio returns to produce the anime adaptation, and IGN's review of the first episode describes it as "a worthy spin-off of the popular superhero anime."

If you’re wondering where to watch new episodes of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, check out the details below.

How to Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Online

If you're still catching up on the My Hero Academia timeline, Crunchyroll's free tier includes all seven seasons of the original series with ads. You can also watch My Hero Academia with a Hulu subscription.

My Hero Academia Season 8 Release Date

The final season of My Hero Academia is planned to air during the fall anime season later this year, most likely kicking off in October.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Characters and Voice Cast

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes features a range of new and returning characters from the original series. Here's some of the show's main voice cast in English and Japanese:

• Koichi Haimawairi/The Crawler voiced by Jack Broadbent and Shuichiro Umeda
• Oguro Iwao/Knuckleduster voiced by Jason Marnocha and Yasuhiro Mamiya
• Kazuho Haneyama/Pop Step voiced by Macy Anne Johnson and Ikumi Hasegawa
• Soga Kugizaki voiced by Joshua Waters and Kohsuke Toriumi
• All Might voiced by Christopher R. Sabat and Kenta Miyake
• Shota Aizawa/Eraser Head voiced by Christopher Wehkamp and Junichi Suwabe
• Hizashi Yamada/Present Mic voiced by Dave Trosko and Hiroyuki Yoshino
• Nemuri Kayama/Midnight voiced by Elizabeth Maxwell and Akeno Watanabe

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

If you’re a Minecraft die-hard, you might have seen one particularly sneaky Easter egg in the new film adaptation A Minecraft Movie — but all is not what it seems. According to Mojang Studios Senior Creative Director of Entertainment and producer on A Minecraft Movie, Torfi Frans Olafsson, that moment that seemed to be alluding to the 2010 Creepypasta story Herobrine isn't an Easter egg, but a mistake the visual effects team ran out of time to fix.

Warning! Spoilers for A Minecraft Movie follow:

For context, A Minecraft Movie has a scene that takes place at the Woodland Mansion where Henry (Sebastian Hansen) meets an Enderman who puts him in a state where he’s able to see a vision of Steve (Jack Black), except the character is verbally berating him as his eyes go white. Because Herobrine is characterized as Steve with white eyes, fans were convinced that the moment signified that there was a future for the Creepypasta story within the MCU (Minecraft Cinematic Universe, duh).

However, Olafsson has cast doubt on this assumption. "It’s super strange that all of their eyes were supposed to be purple but when it was rendered one of the characters eyes kept coming out white in the final rendered frames so we wound up keeping it like that, because the VFX studio ran out of time," he revealed on X / Twitter.

In the early Minecraft days, an anonymous poster on 4chan claimed they saw an in-game version of Steve with white eyes and weird powers showing up around the game. Following the post, a Creepypasta story surfaced, which “revealed” that the character anomaly was actually the spirit of a dead player.

If you're in the market for an awesome gift for the Dune fan in your life (even if that person is you), LEGO is offering its first ever big discount on the LEGO Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter. The set includes the dragonfly-like helicopter, as well as eight minifigures including Paul and Leto Atreides, Chani, Lady Jessica, Gurney Halleck, Liet Kynes, Duncan Idaho, and Baron Harkonnen.

The discount is only the second price drop we've seen on this set, but it has officially dropped to a new low on Amazon for the first time since its launch. The Ornithopter was released just last year alongside Dune: Part 2 hitting theaters and has been sitting at or near full price pretty much since then.

LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter

A Minecraft Move just hit theaters over the weekend and is already seeing record-breaking success at the box office. This video game movie has had the support of various toy marketing campaigns from the very beginning, like Minecraft Movie LEGO sets as well as McDonald's toys targeted specifically at adults. But if you're in the market for a Nerf gun after seeing the movie in theaters, you also already have quite a few options.

Amazon is offering new discounts on a variety of Nerf Minecraft weapons based on actual Minecraft weapons. Each of these Nerf picks have the ability to shoot darts, even if they don't necessarily appear to be able to. They are also all fairly cheap compared to other Minecraft toys on the market right now.

The Best Nerf Minecraft Deals at Amazon Today

There are four Nerf Minecraft deals at Amazon right now, and almost all of them are at their lowest prices of 2025. The best deal within this list is the Minecraft Pillager's Crossbow, which has only recently droppped to its lowest-ever price of $19.99. This is one of the most affordable Nerf crossbows you can buy, and it also doubles as a wonderful Minecraft gift.

Outside of this blaster, there's also the Nerf Minecraft axe and hammer, which are each under $20 and at their lowest prices in 2025. While they don't function as effectively as a standard Nerf gun, they look awesome and are still able to fire darts.

The last Nerf Minecraft option that is on sale is the Sabrewing Motorized Blaster. Although it is arguably the coolest thing on sale right now, it is nowhere near its lowest price of 2025. It is, however, still priced below $20 and is the most enticing actualy Nerf Blaster on this list. It also has the largest dart capacity at eight darts.

Where to Buy Nerf Ammo

After you’ve secured a Nerf Blaster, grabbing some extra darts or rounds is always a good idea. If you’ve ever played with one of these before, you know that ammo goes missing way too quickly. Luckily, a range of nerf darts are on sale. Big 100 packs for an epic war with friends or smaller, ultra-cheap sets to replace a few missing darts are all discounted right now. Just be sure to grab the right ammo.

Here's your chance to get a massive, top notch OLED TV at one of the lowest prices we've seen, especially for a recent Samsung model. Right now, both Best Buy offering the 83" Samsung S85D 4K OLED Smart TV for just $1,799.99 with free delivery. This is such a big discount that even the next size down (77") at this price would have been a good purchase. This is an excellent TV to pair up with your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X since it has HDMI 2.1 inputs and supports 4K gaming at up to 120Hz.

83" Samsung S85D 4K OLED Smart TV for $1,799.99

Hulu has been around for a while and, for our money, it's one of the absolute best streaming services available. From great movies like Anatomy of a Fall and Prey to excellent television series like the Golden Globe-winning Shogun, Abbott Elementary, and The Bear there is always something awesome to watch. Oscar Best Picture winner Anora is also now available to stream on the service, so there's no better time than now to get set up with a plan.

Below, we've detailed all of the best Hulu deals and bundles so you can get started on your streaming adventures with its library right away. This includes the Hulu, Disney+, and Max streaming bundle, which starts at just $16.99/month and is currently the best value available for the streaming services following the Disney Plus and Hulu price hikes. To see even more streaming deals, make sure to check out our roundups of the best Disney Plus deals 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 on any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across all three platforms. If you're looking to cut down on streaming costs and currently own all three of these, this is an excellent bundle to invest in. It'll save you quite a bit compared to what you'd pay for the three of them separately per month - 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.

Hulu deal for students — Get Hulu (With Ads) for just $1.99/month

If you're a student enrolled in a university (a US Title IV accredited college or university, per Hulu's website), you can sign up for Hulu (With Ads) for $1.99 a month. That's an excellent deal if you're a student, saving you $8 on the usual monthly price.

Hulu subscription tiers

Hulu: Bundle to Best

If you want a more affordable option when it comes to a Hulu subscription, you can't go wrong with a bundle, and Hulu has several to choose from:

• Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) — Hulu + Live TV (With Ads) is $82.99/month and includes Disney+ and ESPN+. It also gives you access to more than 75 channels with live TV and unlimited DVR functionality. The Hulu + Live TV plan also has a three-day free trial to test out the service.
• Hulu + Live TV (Ad-Free) — The ad-free version of Hulu+Live TV is $95.99/month and comes with ad-free versions of Hulu and Disney Plus, although ESPN still shows ads.
• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Basic — This is the most economic bundle. It will set you back $10.99/month and comes with subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu. It lets you stream on multiple devices at once and comes with ad-supported versions of both Disney+ and Hulu.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic — This bundle adds ESPN+ into the mix alongside Disney+ and Hulu, bumping up the price to $16.99/month. You can also download and watch select content on ESPN+ at this level.
• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium — This bundle is $26.99/month and comes with ESPN+ (with ads) and ad-free versions of Disney+ and Hulu. You can also download select content across all three streaming services.

What can you watch on Hulu?

There is a bonkers amount of shows and movies you can watch on Hulu. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer with the base subscription, because if we also talk about what is available via Disney+, ESPN+, or live TV, we'll be here forever. (You can also sync up Hulu with Max to gain access to things like Succession and House of the Dragon.)

Here's what you get:

• Network and Hulu Original television shows (AMC, Adult Swim, ABC, A&E, FX, etc.)
• Movies (HBO, Hulu Originals, anime films, etc.)
• Sports (NHL, Soccer, MLB, Auto Racing, NFL, College Football, PGA, Tennis, etc.)
• News (ABC News Live, Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, The View, etc.)

Hulu television

Hulu has some amazing shows, both those that are finished and many which are ongoing. For comedy, there are plenty of options to choose from, including New Girl, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, What We Do In The Shadows, Modern Family, Cougar Town, Broad City, Abbott Elementary, and so much more.

There are also some big Hulu originals to watch, including The Bear, The Old Man, The Handmaid's Tale, and Only Murders In The Building.

As far as animated fare, there are modern adult classics like Rick and Morty and Bob's Burgers, as well as Futurama, Family Guy, and King of the Hill. Anime staples like Cowboy Bebop are also available. And if you want to bring more youth-friendly fun, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, and Curious George are just a small sample of what Hulu has available.

The future of Hulu

Hulu isn't going anywhere. As a matter of fact, beyond it being awarded the best streaming service by us and receiving a 9/10 in our updated Hulu review, it was bought in full by Disney in November 2023 and the House of Mouse has created a one-app experience for those bundling Hulu and Disney+. With an FX partnership, Hulu is also home to those shows, including the latest drama miniseries, Shogun.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Original story from Brian Barnett.

With PS5 games getting bigger each year and SSD prices rising, we want to make sure you can find the best amount of storage for the lowest price possible. Here, we'll point you in the direction of some of the greatest 2TB SSD deals we can find at the moment, like this acer Predator GM7000 2TB M.2 SSD down to $125.99.

It's worth noting that you can't use any old SSD and expect it to perform well on the PS5 console. You'll want to pick up a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid-state drive with at least a 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5's internal drive. We've gathered up SSDs that match or exceed these specs in the list below to make your search easier.

Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD and not all SSDs listed here have pre-installed heatsinks. For the ones that do, we'll be sure to mention it. For the ones that don't, all you have to do is purchase your own heatsink (like this one for $8) and install it yourself. For our top recommended picks for 2025, check out our full breakdown for the Best PS5 SSDs.

Predator M.2 2TB GM7000 SSD for $125.99

The following is a spoiler-free review of all seven episodes of The Last of Us Season 2. The first episode premieres on Sunday, April 13 on HBO/Max.

Season one of HBO’s The Last of Us was a superb retelling of the Naughty Dog game of the same name, both staying loyal to and enriching a beloved story. But season 2 struggles to replicate those qualities – it’s a bleak, abbreviated chapter whose key moments fall flat with too much regularity. It's by no means bad – in fact, at times it’s very good – it just kept me at arm's length, never letting me quite connect to its characters in the way that’s so crucial to The Last of Us Part 2. It's often a spectacle, crafted with skill throughout, but fails to live up to the thrilling heights of its source material or capture the heart of its first season.

If season 1 was about discovering love in the post-apocalypse, season 2 is about holding onto hate, and the more rugged production design reflects this: Fire engulfs snow, melting it away to reveal the fragility of the world these characters inhabit. Five years after Joel (Pedro Pascal) freed Ellie (Bella Ramsey) from the Firefly hospital, we see cities that have fallen apart at the seams, with cult-infused graffiti and showcases of mass murder seemingly on every street corner. It evokes the descent into hell that Ellie goes on, as everything, including the elements, turns against her, with rain pouring and darkness overwhelming sunlight with increasing frequency.

This show is dark in every sense of the word, with little aside from a few dad jokes and the occasional love song to lift the gloom. These moments that puncture through the misery and offer hope are always welcome, though, despite how deliberately eye-rolling the punchlines may seem. They’re at the crux of what makes The Last of Us still compelling, if flawed, television this time around.

I’m not envious of showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin. Adapting The Last of Us Part 2 and balancing its many reveals with moments of shocking violence and subtle revelations is a highwire act, indeed. Splitting the game into multiple seasons to adhere to a dual-perspective story that delivers its heaviest hammer blows in flashbacks was always going to be a challenge. For what it's worth, I love Part 2, even more than the original The Last of Us, but watching the HBO version has me questioning just how much of that is due to me being able to actively control its two leads, and just how much being part of this story is what makes it work.

Those coming in fresh may be as equally floored by the way the story is being told here, but I can’t say it fully works for me. I think this is largely due to some big early revelations emerging about newcomer Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). She’s a less compelling presence when she isn’t shrouded in mystery. As a whole, season 2 feels a little stop-start, a startling cadence where momentum quickly ramps up with one action scene after the next, before grinding to a halt with whole episodes dedicated to reflection and remembrance. And with only seven episodes to play with, it struggles to find its rhythm as a result.

Much like the first season and The Last of Us Part 1, season two keeps Part 2's larger plot intact. The same events still take place, albeit sometimes presented to us at different junctures, with some expanded upon to add context, but never to the extent that Bill’s story was woven into season 1. That’s not to say there aren’t frequent flashbacks – they’re often parsed out to give extra context to choices being made or emotions being felt. Pascal continues to portray Joel with an excellent, tearful humanity as he learns to live with his fateful actions in Salt Lake City. Ellie is all that matters to him now, and that’s expertly conveyed by Pascal’s eyes, which work overtime in numerous heartfelt conversations with his surrogate daughter.

The jumping back and forth in time is largely successful here, too, filling us in on fresh faces such as Jeffrey Wright’s Isaac – a deliciously performed character who is woefully underexplored in the game. But one episode that takes place almost entirely in the past doesn’t quite work, mainly due to where it falls during the season. The individual scenes are beautifully performed and often tugged my heart in several directions, but it just feels oddly placed in the series as a whole, grinding forward momentum to a halt at a critical point. It then hurtles towards its end in a slightly disorienting fashion, almost deliberately confusing us with fraying threads of subplots leading to other stories that are left dangling.

The quieter moments – Bill’s tragic romance, Henry and Sam’s doomed brotherhood – were my favourite in season one and, thankfully, the same can be said for its follow-up. The problem is they’re fewer and further between this time around. Little time is afforded for contemplation, or to form our own interpretation of the characters’ motives. Instead, everything is handed to us in quite an obvious manner, which is to the detriment of a story that should be slaloming through the grey areas of right and wrong. Catherine O’Hara’s therapist character seems mainly present to be a proxy for the audience, but rather than prod us in the right direction and make us think, she frustratingly delivers exposition dumps concerning the people of Jackson’s internal feelings, rather than letting us form our own assessments.

I fear the pendulum has swung too far from season 1’s scarce encounters with the infected. Hordes and literal avalanches of cordyceps-encrusted monsters descend regularly, especially in the season’s earlier episodes. At one point we’re treated to an almost Helms Deep-like battle sequence in which a flood of infected attempt to wipe out another pocket of humanity; the problem is, this event, although spectacular in its design and execution, overshadows what should be the pivotal moment of the whole season. The catalyst for the rest of its story is reduced almost to a sideshow. It’s a rare miss for a creative team that displayed such elegance in the way it weaved its biggest, most shocking moments into the fabric of season 1.

After a stop-start beginning, the show settles into more of a rhythm (albeit a breakneck one). A familiar feel of deadly road-tripping is resumed, with some of the game’s most threatening foes transferring over to add horror to every dark corner – and providing some of the season’s brightest highlights, too. The midpoint is where it feels most like season 2 is reliving the glory of its predecessor, compared to earlier episodes that strain to fit new characters and Joel and Ellie’s journey into the same spotlight. But The Last of Us gets back on the road soon enough, blending moments of pure horror and touching sentimentality gracefully – episode 4 proved my favourite of the bunch.

The pace skips along too breezily for a supposedly grueling suicide mission into an unknown warzone that’s told over the span of just seven episodes. What should feel like Martin Sheen's long ordeal in Apocalypse Now is presented more like a whistlestop tour of Seattle landmarks. Ultimately, the only hearts of darkness here belong to the many people who have chosen violence as a way of life – a reality seemingly inescapable for any citizen of post-apocalypse Seattle.

Tribalism is at the core of this season, and indeed the core theme that resonates through its source material. Seattle has its warring factions, and Jackson is a tribe all of its own. The problem is that Ellie has never been one for authority, stretching back to her FEDRA training days and subsequent betrayal of the fireflies at the hands of Joel. Personal ties are what powers her choices, and the internal conflict between selfishness and selflessness is keenly explored. This is aided by Ellie’s new friends Jesse and Dina, who are played fantastically by Young Mazino and Isabela Merced, respectively.

Gabriel Luna is the early episodes’ MVP. His Tommy is the rock of Jackson: tender but strong, and the cool to his often hotheaded and impulsive brother, Joel. But it’s the charismatic Merced who’s the star of the show in season 2. As Dina, she’s a great source of warmth and humour throughout – as much as can be found in this world, anyway. A fun (bordering on jarringly quippy) foil to Ellie, she gives as good as she gets but also stands strong in their many encounters with Clickers and other such threats. (And when the time comes, she knows to just run away, too.) Between this and Alien Romulus, she’s proven that she’s perfectly at home being chased by monsters.

Bella Ramsey was fantastic as a younger version of Ellie, but their performance in season 2 didn’t really sell me on the fact that five years have passed in the world of The Last of Us. Ellie just doesn’t appear to have matured, and it sits strangely next to the very mature content of season 2. Ramsey acts with more physicality, displaying impressive combat skills, but still behaves like a child in conversation. They’re great most of the time, but in the flashes of rage they’re asked to present, it feels slightly off – especially now that Abby is around: In the brief moments we spend with her, Kaitlyn Dever is a force. Ramsey mostly remains a strong interpreter of Ellie, and they’re superb at the precocious, cheeky side of the character, but upstaged by Dever in the show’s more heated moments – she’s simply able to deal a more ferocious shade of heat.

On a production level, The Last of Us remains a near-faultless display of prestige television. Beautifully shot, it captures both the scale of the depravity taking hold over nature and presents both the beautiful and horrific details that inhabit it. The lighting stands out in particular: Sentimental moments are drenched in warm sunlight, while horror is often (and appropriately) bathed in blood-red hues or hand-lit by the flame of stalking threats. At its best, the atmosphere sparks images of Ben Wheatley's thriller-come-folk horror masterpiece, Kill List, as it merges modern architecture with thoroughly medieval, violent practices – an ominous, cultlike religious group introduced in season 2 only adds to this air of doom.

But this is a story barely half-told, and as such is hard to evaluate. The further into Seattle we get, the more we’re getting scraps of things we won’t see in their entirety until later on. It could be that by the end of season 3, these seven episodes feel like an exciting piece of a greater whole. The problem is, this is television, and we’ll have to wait many months, if not years, for those gaps to be filled in. I fear, for all that makes season 2 worth recommending, it will leave a lot of people bewildered rather than intrigued. I ultimately respect the decision to largely stick with the game’s structure – it's part of what makes the steady reveal of its story and our evolving sympathies towards its characters such a masterstroke. I’m just wary that the effect hasn’t translated all too well here.

The weather may be getting warmer, but why spend your time outside when you can be inside building new LEGO sets? While there are some fun new sets dropping in April, there are a few on sale right now that have caught our eye as well. In particular, an adorable selection of Animal Crossing LEGO sets have gotten great discounts at Amazon.

These sets include K.K.’s Concert in The Plaza (down to $46.74), the Dodo Airlines Airport (down to $23.32), Leif's Caravan & Garden Shop (down to $25.49), and a Stargazing with Celeste set (down to $8.49). These deals can also be found at Target right now. Below you can learn a little bit more about each set, including what comes in each box and how many pieces they are.

Animal Crossing LEGO Sets on Sale

K.K.’s Concert in the Plaza LEGO Set

Fly With Dodo Airlines Airport LEGO Set

Leif’s Caravan & Garden Shop LEGO Set

Stargazing With Celeste LEGO Set

The first episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

My Hero Academia is nearing its conclusion, but its first seven seasons – with their focus on the heroes-in-training of U.A. High School – have only shown us a sliver of a fascinating world where most people have superpowers (a.k.a. Quirks) and some parlay their Quirk into a lucrative career. Enter My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, an adaptation of the manga of the same name written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court. This is both a spin-off and a prequel to the main show,, and it’s not only a worthy expansion of the My Hero Academia universe, but a dazzling anime whose visual style pays tribute to classic superhero comics.

The anime follows Koichi Haimawari, an 18-year-old with a desire to help people despite having a less-than-stellar Quirk. His power allows him to travel quickly across any flat surface – as long as he makes contact with that surface with at least three limbs. Unfortunately, he’s no Flash: at top speed, he only moves about as fast as a bicycle. In many ways, Koichi is like My Hero Academia lead Deku: Both are big-hearted optimists and admirers of the world’s greatest superhero, All Might. In others, he’s a different kind of superhero for MHA: An everyman. The premiere does a lot of work to establish Koichi’s relatability. Sure he has a Quirk, but it’s not one that’s useful for superheroics. He tries to help people, but cowers when things get too real.

Even in the first episode, it is clear Vigilantes is giving audiences a different perspective on My Hero Academia. This is not a show about big villains with grand schemes fighting the A-listers. Its concerns are smaller, like the frustration of a convenience-store work being robbed by a small-time vandal with Wolverine claws. These are the villains that aren't prioritized or even acknowledged by cops or heroes. It’s in line with the parent series: The best parts of MHA’s world-building involve the way regular people view hero society; in its earliest goings, it portrayed heroes as celebrities who sometimes cared more about endorsements than saving lives. Vigilantes promises to be a fascinating new spin on that idea, with a street-level view of a world where superpowers don’t just exist, but are common.

Without a doubt, the visuals are the main draw of the series so far. Director Kenichi Suzuki (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders) and the animators at Bones Studio B (Mob Psycho 100) give Vigilante an art style that is distinct from the flagship series – even compared to other series adapted from manga, this one has distinctly comic-book-y aesthetic. The character outlines are thick, the shading is striking, and the colors pop. Every frame is vibrant; like the Spider-Verse movies, sounds effects are rendered as onscreen onomatopoeia. (“Bam!” “Pow!,” etc.). The first episode doesn't reach the level of epic action of My Hero Academia, but these touches make even small alley brawls feel unique and dynamic.

Vigilantes is its own, smaller-scale story completely unconcerned with top heroes and U.A. High School. But some familiar faces show up nonetheless. Fortunately, these cameos and guest appearances (in the premiere, at least) aren’t shoehorned in as reminders of Vigilantes’ roots. Instead, they’re just another example of the fully realized, lived-in world in which these episodes take place in.

Nintendo fans are presumably eager to get their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2. But one in particular seems a bit more eager than most, as he's already starting the line in front of the Nintendo New York store two months in advance to ensure he gets one.

YouTuber ChickenDog has started making the rounds as the "first" person to line up for the Nintendo Switch 2 at the New York store location. He started on April 5, two months before the planned June 5 launch of the new Nintendo console, and he said he plans to camp out and record updates as he does so.

First in line for the Nintendo Switch 2 gonna be camping out for 2 months can’t wait to see what happens throughout my journey! #NintendoSwitch2 #NintendoNYC #nintendostoreus pic.twitter.com/Vb7wrmk52y

— ChickenDog (@ChickenDog64) April 5, 2025

The "camping out" is a little more in the colloquial sense, as ChickenDog clarified in an update video that he has an AirBnB and hotel, as well as friends in the area, so he won't be braving the elements for two straight months. He's also got a crew of friends helping him hold the spot down when he's not physically there.

It’s raining for day 3 staying strong 💪 pic.twitter.com/lkFVycX2xW

— ChickenDog (@ChickenDog64) April 7, 2025

There's certainly a history of Nintendo fans camping out for big console and game releases, including a month-long wait for the Nintendo Switch. It seems like ChickenDog is looking to follow in those footsteps, waiting out the two months for Switch 2.

The YouTuber plans on recording and uploading content while he's out there, so head over to ChickenDog's YouTube if you want to follow all the updates day-after-day. Even without a tent or sleeping bag, waiting out for two months is a long, long time, so best of luck and some sunny skies to him.

Assuming ChickenDog stays the course, he'll need to hand over $450 just for a Switch 2, or $500 if he wants the Mario Kart world bundle. That is, unless the price goes up in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, which have already caused Nintendo to delay Switch 2 pre-orders.

For more Switch 2 info, check out our big Nintendo Switch 2 interview with Nintendo of America's Bill Trinen going over price, mouse controls, and more.

Image credit: ChickenDog / YouTube.

Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.

Microsoft has created a playable "interactive space inspired" by Quake II using AI, and it's sparked a vociferous debate online.

As spotted by PC Gamer, the demo is powered by Microsoft's recently announced Muse and the World and Human Action Model (WHAM) AI system, and "can dynamically create gameplay visuals and simulate player behavior in real-time," which means a semi-playable environment has been generated entirely through AI and without an in-game engine.

"In this real-time tech demo, Copilot dynamically generates gameplay sequences inspired by the classic game Quake II," Microsoft explained. "Every input you make triggers the next AI-generated moment in the game, almost as if you were playing the original Quake II running on a traditional game engine. Enjoy the experience, share your thoughts, and help shape the future of AI-powered gameplay experiences.

"This bite-sized demo pulls you into an interactive space inspired by Quake II, where AI crafts immersive visuals and responsive action on the fly. It’s a groundbreaking glimpse at a brand new way of interacting with games, turning cutting-edge research into a quick and compelling playable demo."

All that sounds pretty impressive, but the demo itself is... well, less so.

After The Game Awards boss Geoff Keighley shared a brief video of the demo in action on X / Twitter, hundreds of people responded, with few having anything positive to say.

Microsoft has created an AI-generated replica of Quake II that you can play in browser.

"Every frame is created on the fly by an AI world model."

Play it here:https://t.co/WGQymDOmsj pic.twitter.com/35MX5aHPbF

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) April 5, 2025

"Man, I don't want the future of games to be AI-generated slop," said one Redditor. "There will be a point where it will be easier to use AI, and then all the greedy studios will do it exclusively. The human element will be removed.

"And the worst part is gamers will buy it. They buy skins for 100 dollars. They will buy whatever you sell them."

"Microsoft's boast that they want 'to build a whole catalog of games that use this new AI model,' despite it not being clear if the current technique will ever even be capable of letting you turn around without moving to a random point on the map let alone come up with an original game, really typifies what's wrong with AI and the tech industry," added another.

"I had a better experience literally just imagining the game in my head," said another commenter.

Not everyone was so quick to dismiss it, however.

"I don't know why everything has to be doom and gloom," said a more cheery respondent. "It's a demo for a reason. It shows the future possibilities. Having an AI that is able to create a coherent and consistent world is crazy. But this cannot be used to create a full game or anything enjoyable. You cannot play this. Seems like a tool for early concept/pitching phase. This can also bring improvement in other fields in AI as what it is doing is impressive.

"This is not even a product yet but a demo showing how much they've improved from just a few months ago."

Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney had a rather different response:

pic.twitter.com/XidCvhLDTI

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) April 5, 2025

Generative AI is one of the hottest topics within the video game and entertainment industries, which have both suffered massive layoffs in recent years. It has drawn criticism from players and creators due to a mix of ethical issues, rights issues, and AI’s struggles to produce content audiences actually enjoy. For instance, Keywords Studios attempted to create an experimental game internally using entirely AI. The game failed, with Keywords citing to investors that AI was “unable to replace talent.”

Still, that hasn’t put off a number of video game companies from using generative AI in the development of their products. Activision recently disclosed the use of generative AI for some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 assets as part of new requirements on Steam, amid a backlash to an "AI slop" zombie Santa loading screen.

And last month, Horizon actor Ashly Burch addressed a controversial AI Aloy video that leaked online, using it to call attention to the demands of striking voice actors.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

As Marvel Rivals Season 1 nears its final chapter, Season 2 quickly approaches, promising dozens of hero balance adjustments, new superpowered Team-Ups, and the introduction of Emma Frost and Ultron as playable characters. But as we eagerly await Season 2’s arrival, the fight between good and evil rages on with a slightly different meta. Since the publication of our Season 1 Tier list in late January, Netease Games has implemented the Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 or Mid-Season Patch Notes, which included over 20 hero balance changes, and they made even further refinements to hero balance just under a month ago.

Now, three weeks removed from the most recent hero balance adjustments, the community has had plenty of time to solve the meta and test a near infinite variety of team compositions. With the meta crystallized, standouts like Luna Snow and Hela continue to reign, some dominant characters like Mantis and Storm have lost a bit of luster, and other heroes like Groot and Winter Soldier have improved on their already stellar performance.

This Marvel Rivals Season 1 Tier list will rank all 37 Heroes in Marvel Rivals from S-Tier down to D-Tier, to help you decide which characters to pick in your end-of-season Competitive Matches. Your character selection in these final days is especially important because the arrival of Season 2 on April 11th also brings a rank reset that will drop your rank by 9 divisions, so let’s get on with our Marvel Rivals Season 1.5 Tier list:

Marvel Rivals Tier List

• S-Tier
  • Doctor Strange, Groot, Magneto, Hela, Namor, Star-Lord, Winter Soldier, Wolverine, Invisible Woman, Loki, Luna
• A-Tier
  • Hulk, The Thing, Venom, Hawkeye, Psylocke, Storm, Cloak & Dagger, Mantis
• B-Tier
  • Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Magik, Spider-Man, Squirrel Girl, The Punisher, Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon, Jeff the Land Shark
• C-Tier
  • Peni Parker, Black Panther, Black Widow, Human Torch, Moon Knight
• D-Tier
  • Iron Fist, Mister Fantastic, Scarlet Witch

S-Tier

Doctor Strange

Early in Season 1, Doctor Strange was arguably the best tank in Marvel Rivals because of his versatility, ease of use, and fight-winning ultimate. Strange is a strong pick across all ranks, especially when paired with the ideal composition, but the 50 HP nerf he received in the mid-season patch, along with the rise of Magneto, has shifted the meta away from the Sorcerer Supreme in high ranks. Still, Strange just barely hangs on to his S-Tier title because most players understand how to play alongside him, his ultimate remains a threat against most comps, and his well-rounded kit performs well regardless of the game mode or map.

Groot

Despite only receiving a minor buff to his Thornlash Wall placement range in the Season 1.5 balance update, Groot has emerged as the tank with the most carry potential in the game because of his game-changing ultimate and his ability to isolate targets or block incoming damage with his walls. Groot’s early Season 1 partner, Moon Knight, has since received an ultimate nerf through a bug fix, but that doesn’t make Groot’s ultimate any less lethal. Pair Groot’s ultimate with Namor or Winter Soldier to decimate the enemy team regardless of the active support ults.

Magneto

Though Magneto had already earned an S-Tier rank at the start of Season 1, he’s emerged as one of the best, if not the best, Vanguard in Marvel Rivals. In the mid-season patch, Magneto received nerfs to his shield energy consumption and maximum duration but received a slight damage buff on his primary fire as compensation. However, Magneto’s improvement has more to do with his versatility as an enabler. Whether bubbling Venom on dives, Star-Lord as he pops his ultimate, or saving his backline, Magneto is the quintessential off-tank and excels alongside Groot, The Thing, Venom, Doctor Strange, and more. Plus, Meteor M is a great counter to ultimates such as Star-Lord’s Galactic Legend, and the projectile can still be thrown to secure eliminations through many support ults.

Hela

Hela was and remains the pick-or-ban Duelist. So long as her primary fire damage sits at 70, she’ll continue to two-tap headshot most squishies from range and take over your lobbies. As if that weren’t enough, her kit has mobility and crowd control, and she can dominate regardless of the composition, game mode, or map.

Namor

While Namor was placed in A-Tier in our previous tier list because of his ability to stave off flankers, he’s been bumped up to S because of his synergy with Groot’s ultimate and his Team-Up with Luna Snow. The Frozen Spawn Team-Up is even often the target of bans, where Luna is banned not only to avoid her ultimate but to enable a dive composition by weakening Namor. Meanwhile, pairing Namor’s Horn of Proteus ult with Groot’s ultimate unleashes enough damage to cut through most support ultimates.

Star-Lord

In the mid-season patch, Star-Lord received a buff to his Rocket Propulsion’s maximum energy, and though this undoubtedly helped his survivability, we admittedly underestimated his strength in our previous tier list. Star-Lord is heavily favored in 1v1 duels, he can chunk down tanks from range, and he’s only further enabled by the rise of Magneto. Magneto can bubble Star-Lord for added protection when popping his ultimate, or Star-Lord can call for a bubble as he uses Blaster Barrage to farm ult charge off a group of enemies. Very few Heroes can effectively deal with a good Star-Lord, his ultimate is still nuts, and he thrives in just about any situation.

Winter Soldier

Since getting buffs to the base health and bonus health he receives when using his abilities at the start of Season 1, the Winter Soldier has only further established himself among the best Marvel Rivals Duelists across all ranks. Bucky shoots projectiles the size of beach balls, his Bionic Hook can mean instant death to any kidnapped character, and his ultimate synergizes perfectly with Groot’s. Pop Kraken Impact to smash enemies imprisoned by Groot, and if you don’t instantly secure a kill, a couple of follow-up shots will almost certainly reset your slam to enable your team to dismantle your foes.

Wolverine

Wolverine has received no balance changes since the start of Season 1, but his ability to cut down tanks and kidnap targets remains uniquely invaluable. Wolverine can also deal with Groot if he’s not paired with Magneto or Invisible Woman, which elevates his stock in the current meta. Unfortunately, Wolverine’s biggest weakness is making it past the ban selection screen.

Invisible Woman

Invisible Woman was an S-Tier Strategist on arrival, and little has changed since because the only balance change she’s received is a slight ultimate cost nerf. Her ultimate grants extreme healing to all teammates within its radius, her push and pull allow her to repel divers or punish bad positioning, and she provides some of the most consistent healing and damage output in the role. Invisible Woman slots in well to just about any composition or Strategist pairing, and she can grant extra shielding to her fellow Fantastic Four members.

Loki

Though Loki was placed in A-Tier at the start of Season 1, the community has further solved this hero, and his true potential places him among the best Strategists in the game. Loki’s healing and damage are amplified by his clones, his Regeneration Domain lamp can save you or your teammates from incoming ultimates, and Loki’s copy is still broken, especially when there’s a Luna in play. Finally, don’t forget that Hela’s prevalence in the meta lets them abuse the overpowered Ragnarok Rebirth Team-Up.

Luna Snow

The frequency of Luna Snow’s ultimate was reduced in the mid-season patch, but it’s done little to remove her from the top spot in the Strategist role. Luna’s ultimate continues to provide 12 seconds of near invincibility if the enemy team hasn’t built a coordinated ult combo, her healing and damage output are excellent, and her freeze and Ice Arts provide plenty of survivability. Luna is an easy S-Tier, and she’ll likely retain the title until her ultimate receives major adjustments.

A-Tier

Hulk

Hulk’s Team-Up Anchor health bonus took a hit in the Season 1.5 patch, and though this undoubtedly impacted the length and effectiveness of his engagements, Hulk has fallen to A-Tier because other tanks get more value with less effort. Venom is better in true dive comps, The Thing is more effective when brawling, and Invisible Woman and Winter Soldier can easily disrupt his disengagements. Nevertheless, Hulk continues to be an elite Vanguard that is underutilized in the current meta.

The Thing

The Thing is the best tank in A-Tier, and he may even make a convincing argument for the final spot in S. The Thing’s Earthbound CC effect can make it near impossible to play certain Duelists, he’s immune to Invisible Woman’s pushes, and he pairs beautifully alongside a Magneto that’s generous with his bubbles. Still, The Thing suffers if Groot makes it past the ban phase, so be sure to communicate with your teammates to ensure your game isn’t miserable.

Venom

Bumped up to A-Tier in this tierlist, Venom is the best dive tank in Marvel Rivals. When paired with synergistic dive characters, Venom can slaughter enemy backlines if they’ve forgone a triple Strategist comp, and he pairs incredibly well with Magneto, who can bubble engages or disengages to maximize Venom’s uptime. Venom is also helped by his ultimate cost reduction in the mid-season patch and the Frenzied Arrival adjustment that now knocks enemies inward upon landing to set up follow-up damage.

Hawkeye

In the mid-season patch, Hawkeye received several buffs despite already sitting in A-Tier on our previous tier list. His base health was bumped up to 275, the cooldown of Crescent Slash was cut by three seconds, his ultimate now increases his bow draw speed, and its damage multiplier was increased. Hawkeye was already a formidable Duelist because of his one-shot potential, but his usage has surprisingly decreased toward the end of the season, likely because he still can’t match Hela’s hitscan firepower. But with Hela as a high priority ban, more people should be picking up the bow and selecting this A-Tier Duelist.

Psylocke

Psylocke’s only balance change in the mid-season patch was a buff to her Psionic Disc Team-Up with Magik, which improved the conversion ratio of lost health to improve her sustained combat potential. Still, her pick rate has unexpectedly plummeted in the current meta. Psylocke continues to be an A-Tier Duelist, and while she thrives in dive-centric compositions, she can also play on an off-angle to chunk down tanks and secure kills on low-health targets.

Storm

After being a terror toward the start of Season 1, Storm received nerfs in the mid-season patch, including a damage falloff nerf and a reduction to her personal damage amplification, but her ally damage amplification was slightly increased. Storm is still an excellent pick in most ranks, but her usage has seen a decline in large part because of the prevalence of Hela, Winter Soldier, and The Punisher.

Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger were a definitive S-Tier pick at the start of Season 1, but their ultimate received a hefty nerf in the Season 1.5 patch. The nerf increased the ultimate cost, its duration was reduced, and most importantly, Cloak & Dagger’s ultimate no longer stacks when the trails overlap. In a game featuring busted ultimates like Loki’s and Luna’s, this nerf has left Cloak & Dagger in a bit of an awkward spot. But because their neutral game is a reliable source of healing and damage, Cloak & Dagger are still a proficient Strategist in triple support comps or when chosen due to bans. With all this in mind, Cloak & Dagger just barely hold on to an A-Tier ranking, but they’re not far off from the Strategists in B.

Mantis

In Season 0, Mantis was praised for her consistent damage and ally damage amplification, but a nerf in the Season 1 patch has similarly knocked her down a tier. The nerf noticeably reduced Mantis’s movement speed, which has made it easier for divers and flankers to eliminate her. With that said, Mantis can still excel in triple support comps where she can focus on enabling her team, and she shines when paired with Adam Warlock for the Nature’s Soul Team-Up rez.

B-Tier

Captain America

Previously ranked in C-Tier, Captain America has since received several buffs to increase his survivability, reduce the time it takes to build his ultimate, and provide improvements to his iconic shield. These buffs have made Cap a viable pick in many situations, especially when you master the ebb and flow of engagements, but he’s still more likely to thrive in lobbies below Grandmaster.

Thor

Thor is another Hero in an awkward spot in the current meta because he essentially operates as a beefy Duelist that farms insane damage and can provide disruption in both the frontlines and backlines. Unfortunately, the nature of his playstyle and ultimate have the God of Thunder sitting on the bench behind the likes of Magneto, Groot, and The Thing. But make no mistake, Thor can be near unkillable in low elo lobbies, and his Team-Up with Hela only augments his power.

Iron Man

Early in Season 1, Iron Man was often only selected when paired with the Hulk for the Gamma Overdrive Team-Up that enhanced nearly all of his abilities. Iron Man’s has since received noteworthy damage buffs that have increased his viability without his green-colored pal. However, like Storm, Iron Man’s potency is greatly reduced by the excellence of Hela, Star-Lord, and Winter Soldier, who can handily take him down. This places Iron Man in B-Tier, but he bumps up to low A-Tier on maps with advantageous architecture.

Magik

On paper, Magik would receive a higher ranking because of the lethality of her combos and her elite brawl potential when paired with a supportive cast. Yet, Magik simply doesn’t play well into the S-Tier Heroes on this tier list, which relegates her into more of a niche role than she’s been used to. She can still farm against some team comps or on specific maps, and she grants Black Panther and Psylocke a powerful recall Team-Up to enhance their dives, but there are more prolific options in the Duelist roster.

Spider-Man

Since the Season 1.5 balance patch, Spider-Man has climbed up to high B-Tier. In the mid-season patch, his Web-Cluster uptime was increased, and his Suit Expulsion Team-Up with Venom was adjusted to provide invincibility for 1 second instead of granting 4 seconds of 50% damage reduction. This change alone has drastically increased Spidey’s pick rate and viability and arguably made him the best dive Duelist in this meta, particularly on console. But if you’re up against a reliable triple support comp or lack a Venom, you may want to consider swapping to a Hero that provides more value for less effort.

Squirrel Girl

Squirrel Girl remains on the lower end of B-Tier because of her ease of use, crowd control combos, and high burst damage. She’s far from the most reliable character in the game because securing kills can be inconsistent, but her impressive burst damage and improved ultimate can be irritating in lower elo lobbies.

The Punisher

The Punisher has always been a solid pick because of his reliable damage output, but he lacks the quick lethality and utility provided by some of the better Duelists on this list. Still, he’s the perfect character for new players because of his ease of use, and his Team-Up with Rocket drastically improves his effectiveness.

Adam Warlock

You may be surprised to see Adam Warlock in B-Tier because of his presence in pro play, where his passive, Team-Up, and ultimate abilities help keep his team in the battle. Soul Bond is also among the most powerful Strategist abilities in the game since it enables his team to survive many fight-winning ultimates. Unfortunately, Adam loses some of his luster in uncoordinated play, but he can still perform well in triple support comps or when paired with Star-Lord and Mantis.

Rocket Raccoon

The slippery Rocket Raccoon is among the most beloved Strategists in Marvel Rivals, and though we still have him in B-Tier, he’s definitely raised his stock within the tier. This is largely due to his Team-Up ability that enables The Punisher and further augments an already lethal Winter Soldier. Rocket’s rez, consistent healing, and movement make him a larger asset than we gave him credit for in the previous tierlist, but we remain unconvinced of his viability outside of triple support compositions because his ultimate doesn’t compare to the likes of Luna, Loki, Invisible Woman, and Mantis.

Jeff the Land Shark

In our Season 1 tier list, we gave Jeff the honorable badge of the worst Strategist in the game, even though many Jeff connoisseurs can turn the Land Shark into a seemingly unkillable pest. This placed him in C-Tier because we were unconvinced that the flanking Jeff playstyle was a viable one. We’re happy to report that we were wrong, as Jeff has carved a niche for himself in many triple support compositions, and he even earned some playtime in the Marvel Rivals Grand Finals. Though Jeff is still arguably the worst Strategist in the game, he’s far from a throw pick and thrives when picked in a composition that enables him to distract and eliminate unsuspecting enemies.

C-Tier

Peni Parker

Despite receiving an impressive buff to her Armor Expulsion Team-Up, Peni is still the worst Vanguard in Rivals. Though she likely farms in low elo lobbies where her mines can see a massive uptick in value, her ultimate is virtually useless, and nearly all of her abilities are comfortably outclassed by the other tanks. Thankfully, the Season 2 balance patch will increase her base HP by 100, and her primary fire will drastically improve because she’ll be able to deal critical damage, and her movement reduction when firing will get cut in half.

Black Panther

Black Panther received heavy-handed nerfs to his survivability in the Season 1 Patch, and he hasn’t recovered since. Black Panther’s viability is further damaged by the continued prevalence of triple support compositions in many ranks. This makes it far more difficult to pick off supports, and other divers like Spider-Man and Psylocke simply bring more to the table.

Black Widow

Though this may just be the most controversial ranking on this tierlist, Black Widow is moving from the depths of D-Tier to a niche C-Tier. Obviously, making the most of your Black Widow pick will be determined entirely by the consistency of your aim, but her magazine size has nearly doubled, and her ultimate has been improved. So, while Black Widow remains vulnerable to all the dive characters in the game and only thrives in compositions and maps that ensure long sightlines, she’s no longer an instant throw pick in lower elo lobbies.

Human Torch

Making his debut on our tier list, Human Torch is a mediocre Hero that’s sadly outclassed by his fellow flyers, Star-Lord, Iron Man, and Storm. Johnny received some damage buffs in the most recent balance update, but they’ve proven to be insufficient fixes, especially in a meta where his soft counters like Hela are dominating lobbies.

Moon Knight

Moon Knight was ranked in A-Tier on the previous tier list because of his ease of use and insane ultimate damage that paired perfectly with Groot’s ultimate. This combo still works in many situations, but Moon Knight’s ultimate was heavily nerfed by a bug fix that makes it far easier to survive. Pair this with the fact that his ankh gets little to no value in high-tier lobbies, and Moon Knight is, at best, a situational pick.

D-Tier

Iron Fist

Since our previous tier list, Iron Fist has gone through a bit of an identity crisis as Netease aimed to position him as more of a tank buster and less of a flanker. Iron Fist now deals damage based on the enemy’s maximum health, and he got a slight HP buff to improve his survivability. Still, his telegraphed engagements are easy to fend off with attentive supports, and he lacks the frontline presence needed to reliably take on Vanguards on his own. In the end, Iron Fist’s micro-rework is seemingly a failure, and he should only be selected by specialists who fully understand the Hero’s current limitations.

Mister Fantastic

On release, Mister Fantastic was marketed as a Vanguard and Duelist hybrid, and sadly, this identity continues to be his downfall. Sure, Mister Fantastic has impressive survivability for a Duelist, but you might as well select a Vanguard with more HP and frontline presence. Similarly, Mister Fantastic lacks the lethality of even the most average of Duelists, so selecting him can be hard to justify. Mister Fantastic sat at a niche C-Tier in our last tierlist, but he’s become one of the worst characters in the game.

Scarlet Witch

In Season 2, Scarlet Witch’s primary fire is being fine-tuned, her damage is being amplified, she’s receiving a new Team-Up, and she’ll move faster during her ultimate. Unfortunately, these balance adjustments won’t arrive until next Friday, so for now, Scarlet Witch continues to be a great pick in lower elo and a difficult one when you reach Diamond or above. She simply lacks the neutral firepower provided by most of the Duelist roster, and her ultimate is incredibly easy to avoid unless she pulls out some trickery alongside Doctor Strange.

Dio Lacayo is a freelance contributor with IGN who has an unhealthy obsession with platformers, Paddington, and Overwatch. And before you say anything, no, it's not a Jojo’s reference.

Minecraft is everywhere right now — including on your feed in the form of a few unfinished clips from A Minecraft Movie that have gone viral on social media. Two sneak peek videos of the new Minecraft film before it was finished have made their way around the internet, and it seems as though fans are getting a kick out of them following the film’s record-breaking opening weekend in the U.S.

Warning! Spoilers for A Minecraft Movie follow:

The first clip features Jack Black as Steve, the film’s central protagonist and Overworld expert, introducing his own personal Minecraft world to the viewers. Naturally, because Black is in the spotlight here, the clip features him dancing alongside cows and pandas of Overworld and it’s super silly.

GTFOH 🤣🤣🤣 https://t.co/2oYUBizgAe pic.twitter.com/X4pLsZLarz

— A.K.A. JLongb0ne (@JonsLongs) April 4, 2025

The second video focuses on a huge battle, showcasing Steve and Garrett 'The Garbage Man' Garrison (played by Jason Momoa, the film’s other lead) falling out of the sky together and landing in a body of water.

the unfinished CGI version of the minecraft movie might be the funniest movie i have ever watched pic.twitter.com/jToi57c5wo

— kooby (@iamkooby) April 6, 2025

The clips seem to be missing CGI and VFX elements, which give them this uncanny kids-show-on-a-soundstage feeling — a far cry from the effects-heavy final product of the film.

The Minecraft adaptation has been a smash hit, especially when it comes to younger theatergoers. The film’s “chicken jockey” scene — yeah, this one’s got big IYKYK energy folks, sorry — has incited major reactions among audiences to the point where the cops have been allegedly called to handle the mayhem in select screenings. Plus, the box office return has already been quite staggering, collecting a massive $301 million for its opening weekend. Needless to say, the kids have been, overall, loving this film.

IGN’s A Minecraft Movie review returned a 6/10. We said: “Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess puts a surprisingly specific and funny comic spin on A Minecraft Movie’s kid-friendly adventure, especially in its less antic first half.”

If you’ve seen the film, be sure to check out IGN’s A Minecraft Movie Ending and Post-Credits Scene Explained With Director Jared Hess and Minecraft's Torfi Frans Ólafsson.

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

If you're anything like me, you're constantly telling yourself you won’t buy more Pokémon cards while also keeping a mental checklist of which sets still have a shot at pulling something ridiculous. That’s exactly why I grabbed the Azure Legends Tin the second I saw it back in stock on Amazon for $29.99. Five packs for under $30 is solid, but two of those are Surging Sparks, and that alone makes this thing worth cracking open.

Pokémon TCG: Azure Legends Tin Has Two Surging Sparks Packs

My Favorite Surging Sparks Cards

I want more excuses to open Surging Sparks packs because pulling something like Pikachu ex (SIR) feels like finding a winning lottery ticket, except way cuter and slightly more legal. I think the art alone justifies framing it, and its ability to hang in top-tier decks makes it that much sweeter. I also love Latias ex (SIR) for finally giving me a reason to hunt down the matching Latios and live out my “twin dragons soaring through art” fantasy. And if you’re sleeping on Milotic ex, that’s your loss. It’s stunning, shuts down Tera Pokémon like a pro, and honestly deserves more hype.

My Favorite Stellar Crown Cards

I’m chasing Terapagos ex (SIR) like it's a gem-studded unicorn. It's visually ridiculous and feels like the set's “trophy card.” I think Bulbasaur (Illustration Rare) is perfect if you like your pulls with a side of nostalgia and Pidgey cameos, which I do. And Dachsbun ex (SIR)? It’s a bread dog. A literal loaf with glitter. I shouldn’t love it, but here we are. Don’t tell my competitive brain.

My Favorite Temporal Forces Cards

I open Temporal Forces hoping for Raging Bolt ex (SIR) and fully expecting disappointment, which somehow makes pulling it even better. It’s one of those cards that looks like it came straight out of a boss fight and hits just as hard. Iron Crown ex is another top-tier choice. It boosts Iron Hands ex damage, which basically means you’re stealing Prize cards like it’s a Black Friday brawl. And then there’s Walking Wake ex (SIR). In my opinion, it looks like a dream sequence in a prehistoric fever dream, and I mean that in the best way.

My Favorite Obsidian Flames Cards

I think it’s illegal to talk about Obsidian Flames without mentioning Charizard ex (SIR). It's the card everyone wants, including me, and somehow still feels special no matter how many versions of this dragon exist. I’m also a big fan of Pidgeot ex (SIR), which is basically the MVP of utility cards dressed like it walked out of an indie graphic novel. And then there's Cleffa (Illustration Rare) — a tiny cosmic marshmallow that looks like it wandered into a Studio Ghibli scene. I want five copies just to look at them.

Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the United States due to the potential impact of tariffs. Parts of this interview were edited for clarity.

After getting hands-on with Nintendo Switch 2 at last week’s reveal in New York, IGN spoke with the hardware leads spearheading the development of Nintendo’s newest console. Kouchi Kawamoto and Takuhiro Dohta from Nintendo’s Entertainment Planning and Development Department, along with Tetusya Sasaki from Nintendo’s Technology Development Division, talked to IGN’s Brian Altano about the technology behind Switch 2, the classic Nintendo handhelds that have inspired them and the impact former Nintendo president Satoru Iwata’s legacy had on the development of the console.

IGN: Can you talk about the SOC system on a chip the Nintendo Switch 2 was running? Is it Nvidia Tegra? If not, can you reveal which graphics architecture it's based on?

Nintendo: I think you'll find a lot of the details in NVIDIA's information that they've shared.

IGN: One of the notes in the direct suggested to hit 4K in dock mode, upscaling may be required. What kind of upscaling is this system using? Is it using AI upscaling?

Nintendo: I think probably the main kind of easiest upscaling to use is the DLSS that Nvidia provides. So from that standpoint, I guess you could say this AI.

Nintendo: That said, we're planning on providing other options of upscaling through software and so ranging from something that uses AI to something that's not. I think you'll see that as time passes. And lastly, I'll add that even though there is upscaling, there's also the option to not upscale and just output natively. So that's also an option that developers can use.

IGN: What about ray tracing? Is that something that your team experimented with?

Nintendo: Just like DLSS, that's when we're kind of making the graphics of a game. We consider ray tracing as just another tool to do that – it's not that we're going to try to use ray tracing on everything, but really trying to figure out what types of graphics, what types of screens, what types of situations are best suited for ray tracing, and then trying to apply that. That's the approach we took when we did all of our researching and experimenting.

IGN: We saw that the switch two supports third party cameras. What about third-party mice?

Nintendo: You're talking about USB mice, things like that?

IGN: Yeah, not the animal!

Nintendo: [Laughs] It really depends on the game software with the structure. So if that software supports third-party USB mice, yes.

IGN: I have a six-year-old daughter. She took my Switch and I don't get to play it anymore. She also has dropped it a lot and it's okay. What have you done with Switch 2 to make sure that it can survive a kid dropping it on the floor or dropping it down the stairs?

Nintendo: Nintendo has made very sturdy devices through the ages and I believe that this time around as well, we've made something that will be sturdy.

Nintendo: Yeah, you can drop it a little bit. I don’t recommend it though!

IGN: I also have a Steam Deck and I like it, but the fan gets very loud when I'm playing high end games. It's almost distracting. What did Nintendo do to make sure that that was taken into account when designing the hardware for Switch 2?

Nintendo: When a fan is loud it really does affect one's gameplay, so that is definitely something we had in the back of our mind during the development of the Nintendo Switch 2. The system is made to adapt depending on the processing capability so I'm kind of curious to hear from the others here what their experience has been like.

Nintendo: When I was playing it it's not like, “Wow, there's a fan in there”. It hasn’t really gotten to the point where, even through development of the hardware, it has bothered me in any way.

Nintendo: The hardware team put quite a lot of effort into making sure the airflow was smooth. So a lot is coming in but there's a lot coming out, and as such the fan noise isn't too significant.

IGN: Nintendo invented the directional pad and it's been important for video games for my entire life. What did your team do to ensure that the Dpad on the Switch 2 was great for fighting games, puzzle games, platformers, all that fun stuff?

Nintendo: You may think that every time you see the directional pad that it's just the same button being reused, but the truth is we do make small adjustments and add small changes every time. I have people – our development and game development teams – try them out when we make a new one.

Nintendo: This is a more detailed point but for the Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller directional buttons, we made it so that it's even more difficult to have mistaken input. Of course, it doesn't completely eliminate that possibility but it should reduce it.

IGN: I'm a big fan of Nintendo handheld systems and always have been since the original Game Boy. What are each of your personal favorite classic Nintendo handhelds?

Nintendo: I have fond memories for each of the systems that have come out but for me personally, I think the original Game Boy really has a special place in my heart. Part of the reason for that is that since then there's obviously new systems that came out, like the Game Boy Advance for example. But I just distinctly remember my mother with the original Game Boy playing Tetris, and that’s just burned into my memory.

IGN: Some of you worked with the legendary Satoru Iwata. Is there any specific part of his legacy that inspired the Nintendo Switch 2 design?

Nintendo: There are various aspects but what comes to mind first is the magnet connector. We originally didn't adopt it for the Nintendo Switch because it wasn't as secure as we would've liked. However, we put a lot of effort into this aspect and that has come to fruition.

Nintendo: It was Mr. Iwata's concerns about the magnets that meant it didn't come to fruition [for the original Switch]. So being able to actually address all of the issues and create something that probably would've met his standards is moving and meaningful.

IGN: I love it. I think I took the JoyCon on and off 20 times yesterday!

Nintendo: I actually have a question for you. You saw the footage of the JoyCon 2 snapping on and off. Was the impression you got from that footage different from actually snapping it on and off?

IGN: Yes. I thought it was going to be like a refrigerator magnet and it was going to be wobbly loose and instead it just goes ‘snap’ and clicks in. And I was like, “Oh, that feels really nice.”

Nintendo: I'm very relieved to hear that!

IGN: Yeah, they told me I had to stop doing it!

Brian Altano has been playing Mario Kart for 30+ years, and it's crazy that 10 of those years were spent with Mario Kart 8. We haven't seen Battle Mode for Mario Kart World yet, but he's still holding out hope that Block Fort can come back. Bring back Block Fort!

Currys have been hitting us hard with the discounts lately, but the UK retailer is back with not just giving us a deal on Nintendo eShop credit, but also offering 15% off gift cards for PlayStation, Xbox, Roblox, EA, Meta Quest, and even EA Sports FC points. When you use the discount code "PERKS15APRIL" at checkout, you'll get 15% knocked off the price.

Right now, you can grab the £50 Nintendo eShop digital gift card—the one featuring Bowser—for just £42.50. That’s a straight £7.50 saving, but the real win is that you still get the full £50 credit to spend however you like on the eShop, whether that’s on games, DLC, or a Switch Online subscription.

This kind of deal is a no-brainer if you’re already planning to pick up digital games in the near future, and it's especially useful with the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon (preorders are now live, by the way).

Plus, Switch 2 games are going to be cheaper when bought digitally (e.g. Mario Kart World, which has been confirmed to cost £75 physically in the UK, but £67 digitally), meaning you’ll get even more value out of your eShop credit compared to physical copies.

If titles like Donkey Kong Bananza or the premium-priced Mario Kart World are on your wishlist, stacking discounted credit now is one of the smartest ways to take the sting out of next-gen pricing when buying digitally.

When it comes to the discounts on other gaming gift cards, PlayStation £150 gift card is by far the best deal in the bunch, giving you a solid £23 discount, meaning you’ll only pay £127 instead of the usual £150. With that full £150 credit, you’re looking at a lot of value.

For example, you could use it to preorder Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for £69.99, and the Digital Deluxe Edition of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for £89.99. Together, that’s £149.98—so you’ll effectively save £22.98 by grabbing the card at the discounted price.

However, keep in mind that not every gaming gift card on Curry’s list comes with the 15% discount. Currys only seemed to have a limited number of each digital gift card available to sell, making the discount code fail if you add one out of stock item to your basket and try to apply it at checkout.

The way to tell if a gift card is still in stock is to look out for the "Get 10% off marked price" label under each item's price or the "DIGIWEEKENDER10" discount code underneath the title—part of Curry's other promotion which gives you a smaller discount of 10%.
If you see this two labels on a gift card you like, that means the product is available for you to apply the "PERKS15APRIL" code instead and get the larger 15% discount.

If you’re eager to grab the latest games or get ahead of some highly anticipated releases, it’s a good idea to act quickly and lock in this deal before it disappears.

Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.

Editor’s note: This interview was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the United States due to the potential impact of tariffs. Parts of this interview were edited for clarity.

Nintendo has finally pulled back the curtain on Nintendo Switch 2, revealing the company's vision for its next-generation console and its games. But overshadowing dicussion around what the Switch 2 is capable of, the new gameplay mechanics in Mario Kart World, and OG Switch games that will find a new lease of life on Switch 2, is a backlash to Nintendo's pricing strategy.

We sat down with Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen to talk about the big first-party reveals like Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza, the strategy behind pricing Switch 2 at $450 and Mario Kart at $80, the decision to release Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour as a paid digital product rather than a pack-in game, his excitement for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's mouse controls and Masahiro Sakurai's return to the Kirby franchise, and more. Plus, does Bill know what Switch 2 cartridges taste like? Read our full interview below to find out.

IGN: Congrats on finally unveiling Nintendo Switch 2. How does it feel to finally have it out there?

Bill Trinen: Well, it's just exciting to be able to get all the details out there. For us, the most important thing is that we really want people to recognize and understand that Nintendo Switch 2 is the true successor to Nintendo Switch, takes what you love about Nintendo Switch, and then builds on it with a whole lot of new features and new capabilities and new games that take advantage of those. And really takes what has evolved gaming with Nintendo into something that's a lot more social through things like GameChat, which takes what was the anytime, anywhere play of Nintendo Switch and makes it more all together, anytime, anywhere.

IGN: So you just mentioned GameChat, that was a huge part of your presentation yesterday. Why was now the time to finally introduce Nintendo voice chat, which is something that people have wanted on your consoles for a really long time?

Trinen: Well, I would say we've always looked at it from the perspective of, 'what is Nintendo's real strength and what are Nintendo's real values?' And for us, the most important thing is putting smiles on people's faces and doing it in a way that people can see and experience the smiles that they have with the people that are most important to them.

And certainly there have been other game systems with chat and things like that up until now, but what we wanted to do was to take something that could finally replicate that same room, couch multiplayer, couch co-op experience and joy, and bring that into an online space. And so for us, GameChat is why it's so important is the combination of being able to see their faces, being able to see what they're doing from a gameplay perspective and being able to feel like you've finally got a virtual space where you can have those same experiences that you might have in your living room. So that's why with the power of, I would say Switch 2, being able to finally execute that has been a big focus for us.

IGN: Cool. And we always knew if you did voice chat, it would be in the most Nintendo way, and just with the camera and the mic on the unit in the dock and you say, 'oh, don't worry the background noise won't get in.' It was a cool presentation.

Trinen: Good. And that's the nice thing is with the built-in microphone, it's like, yeah, you can just voice chat if you want and you can do that portably as well.

IGN: Well, let's talk about Donkey Kong Bananza. I love the title by the way, it's perfect. Although last night when I was scrambling to type my preview, it autocorrected to 'Bonanza' every time, and I was like, 'I’ve got to add this to my dictionary.' But I love the name and it's so exciting to see DK back in the spotlight after so long. And I noticed so many things just getting my hands on the controller for the first time. So when you guys got this game in at Nintendo of America, what stuck out to you the most? What was your favorite part about working on it from a localization perspective or anything else?

Trinen: Well, so I'll start with a really terrible joke, which is I like to call this the most groundbreaking game in video game history.

IGN: [Laughs] I used that in my preview today. I said, 'you have to break all the ground you can because you might make a groundbreaking discovery.'

Trinen: [Laughs] That's right. So for us, the number one thing that I think is probably just the most satisfying about this game is just DK the character. He's back, he's back in a big way. And DK is a character within the pantheon of Nintendo characters who has always been a bit on the more powerful side, wild at times, silly.

And all of that has just been thoroughly baked into this game. And as the character DK, you're able to use the power of his punches and you might attack an enemy in the environment, and that enemy goes flying and hits a wall and the wall crumbles and you see something there, and that then entices you to go in and start digging through the terrain to see what else you can find back there. And it just creates this incredibly rewarding cycle of destruction and discovery that is woven all throughout the game.

IGN: The discovery via destruction was a really cool cornerstone of this game from my time with it. I thought that was just really great. And the second that I started playing it, I just felt the DNA of Super Mario Odyssey and Mr. [Yoshiaki] Koizumi's team all over this in so many ways. Are they the ones that are working on this?

Trinen: It's a very good question. You'll have to stay tuned. We always like to start by showcasing the game and getting people focused on the gameplay, but we'll have some information to share about the developer in due time.

IGN: Okay. Can you tell me, is this internally developed? Because there hasn't been an internal Donkey Kong game since I believe Jungle Beat was the last one?

Trinen: Jungle Beat was the last one.

IGN: You had the NST (Nintendo Software Technology) do the Mario vs. Donkey Kongs, but...

Trinen: NST has done the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, but this is going to be a fun one.

IGN: So nothing more on that?

Trinen: Nothing more on that yet.

IGN: Okay. I had to try. Let's talk about Mario Kart World, because there's so much great stuff in there, but I think the cow is what's stealing everybody's heart. Did you expect that reaction? There's Akira memes about the cow, it's hilarious out there. Did you know the cow was going to be a big star?

Trinen: I would say perhaps not as big as the cow has become. Internally, certainly the very first moment that we saw the cow, everybody wanted to play as Cow.

IGN: When we were playing Knockout Tour yesterday, there were just like seven cows on the track.

Trinen: Well, that's the other thing that I just love about Mario Kart World is with the interconnected world of tracks, as I'm driving, you'll start something like Knockout Tour and you'll be driving across the continent. And what used to be the Mario Kart model was there's discrete tracks and you race on a discrete track and then you choose a different track and you race on a different discrete track.

And now what I find is I'm driving through, I'm starting in a new track and driving across the terrain and, 'Oh, I just happened to pass through Moo Moo Meadows and now I'm onto the next thing.' And it's just like for somebody that's grown up playing Mario Kart for so many years, just to be able to have that experience and piece it all together mentally into this big massive continent of racing has been a whole lot of fun for me.

IGN: It feels like a theme park of Mario Kart history, and I'm driving yesterday and going through all the different segments and then all of a sudden, 'Oh, I'm in the geyser tunnel from Dino Dino Jungle from Double Dash.' But I'm wondering, so right now it seems like the races, you start at one track and end up at another, and then the final lap is one loop around that final circuit you end up at. Not in the Knockout Tour, that's different, but is there a time trial or versus race mode that’s a way to just do three laps at this track? Or are you always driving interconnected between them when you're racing?

Trinen: You will have abilities to drive three laps on certain tracks. Obviously we've got a Nintendo Direct dedicated to Mario Kart World coming. I think you'll see a lot more on the game there, and I think a lot more that will hopefully surprise you and make you really feel like, 'Wow, there's a lot to this game.'

IGN: That will be really good to see. Because right now it looks great, it plays great, but I think the talk of the town is the price tag. This is an $80 game from Nintendo in the United States and $50 if you buy the Nintendo Switch 2 bundle. But I saw somewhere on your website that that bundle is only available for a limited time while supplies last. Can you just talk about the strategy behind pricing Mario Kart World this way?

Trinen: Well, I would say it's less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what's the content, and what's the value? Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you'll be able to find out about that.

But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there's still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they're going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they've ever had.

IGN: Okay. And to just stay on pricing for a little bit here. I'm looking at the Nintendo Switch 2 Editions of games and some games are $70, some are $80. That's what it's looking like right now. And some are cheaper than that too. I don't think we know the U.S. price for the Welcome Tour yet, but I think we saw the Japanese price is around $10.

Trinen: Yeah, the U.S. price is $9.99 for the Welcome Tour.

IGN: $9.99. Okay, digital only.

Trinen: Yes.

IGN: I'm just wondering about the strategy behind pricing these Nintendo Switch 2 Editions at the combination of the Switch 1 retail price, usually $59.99, and then whatever that upgrade path is, like $10 for Breath of the Wild, making that a $70 game, or Tears of the Kingdom is an $80 game because it's $70 plus the $10 upgrade path. Can you just walk me through the strategy behind not offering any sort of discount for newcomers on Switch 2 and saying, 'Tears of the Kingdom is $80 now just like Mario Kart is?'

Trinen: Well, again, what I would say is that we just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?' What I would probably counter to some of that is that really what you're looking at is for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's the physical price for somebody that has not bought the base game.

For somebody who has bought Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, the upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you happen to be a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, both of the Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive within that membership. So there's no additional charge for those. But I think overall, our general approach is really just focus on what's the content, what's the value, and what's an appropriate price based on that.

IGN: Okay, thanks. And then the pricing for the console itself, too. A lot of people are talking about it — $450 in the United States, and we know there are definitely global economic factors at play. Can you share anything behind the strategy for pricing of the console? Was this something that was up to the wire where you didn't know what it was going to cost until recently? Can you share any insight?

Trinen: Can't really share insight into any of that. Obviously the cost of everything goes up over time, and I personally would love if the cost of things didn't go up over time. But I think any time you're building a new system that's got new features and new tech, there's costs associated with that. So again, we look at what is the experience on Nintendo Switch? What's the experience on Nintendo Switch 2? What are the new features that it offers? And certainly there's the cost of goods and things that factor into that, but we try to find the right appropriate price for a product based on that.

IGN: Last question on price, I promise. I played Welcome Tour on the show floor and I walked away and thought, 'this is a perfect pack-in game.' It shows what the console is, it shows HDR, it shows these new technologies Nintendo is embracing — in some cases for the first time — and I feel like it's a great showcase for the console. Was there ever any talk of making this a pack-in game, and why did you make the decision to price it as a separate digital product?

Trinen: It's an interesting product. We're actually getting ready today, we're going to be doing some Nintendo Treehouse Live segments and covering a lot of games in detail. That's one of them. And I think people will be able to see through Treehouse Live probably a little bit more maybe than you were able to see on the show floor. It's a pretty robust piece of software. There's a lot of great detail in there.

For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it's going to be a great product. It's really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick intro to everything it does. And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product.'

IGN: Okay. I want to talk about some of the features of the Joy-Con 2 now because I was really impressed with the mouse functionality. I thought that it worked really, really well in something like Metroid Prime 4. I can see that being the preferred way for a lot of people to play that game. So what are your expectations for mouse controls? Are you hoping that third-party developers make great use of them? Do you think it can bring new types of games? Just talk to me about your feelings about the mouse.

Trinen: Well, personally, I'm really excited about the mouse control. I don't know what your experience with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was, the way that to me is probably my favorite way to play is I like to play split Joy-Con. I just like the freedom of having my hands not locked onto a controller like that. So I often like to play split Joy-Con and having the freedom to just seamlessly drop the mouse down for combat and then pick it back up for split Joy-Con, to me is something, number one, you can't do with any other console, you can't do on PC.

And it makes for a really great experience for the Prime series, particularly because the Prime series is the creator of the first-person adventure genre. And so in a series where you're doing a lot of exploration that's got some combat mixed in with it, that freedom feels right. Because for me, I feel like if I'm doing a lot of exploration, I want to be split Joy-Con. That flexibility to me is amazing.

I think the other thing that probably I'm hoping people are catching onto is that, yes, the Joy-Con 2 introduced mouse control, but they introduce mouse control in conjunction with the other technology within the Joy-Con. So whereas with a PC mouse, you're moving up and down and side to side and whatnot, with the Joy-Con, you've got the added ability to apply things like the angle that you're twisting the Joy-Con at, and having that also impact the play control with the mouse.

Or you've got two Joy-Con that have mouse control each, and that means two things. It means either you can have immediate two-player mouse control gameplay right out of the box with the Nintendo Switch 2, or it means, as we see with Drag x Drive, that you can do things with dual Joy-Con control, which hasn't been done before. And so my hope is really threefold. One, is that our own development teams continue to experiment with what they can do with the mouse to create creative new ways to use it.

I hope that we start to see third-parties that are then looking at opportunities with things like dual mouse control or combination of mouse plus motion control to evolve their gameplay. But I also do hope that when you look at PC developers, for example, if they want to bring a PC-based game to console, they have to spend a lot of time revamping the control scheme and adapting it to button controls. And so having the freedom of mouse control with the Joy-Con hopefully makes PC developers a lot more eager to want to bring their games to Nintendo Switch 2.

IGN: Well, my social team really wants to know. We don't have Switch 2 cartridges here. Do they taste like Switch 1 cartridges?

Trinen: [Laughs] I don't know yet.

IGN: You haven't done a taste test?

Trinen: I have not done a taste test. I keep hoping for pistachio flavor, but that's not happening.

IGN: [Laughs] I don't think that would turn away the kids. Okay, cool. Well, my last question here is that Kirby Air Riders was a huge surprise at the Nintendo Direct yesterday. And to see that is this secret project that Mr. [Masahiro] Sakurai teased earlier this year after wrapping up his YouTube series. Cool to see him come back to work with you guys again. Can you share any details further than that teaser we got in the Direct?

Trinen: Well, I believe Mr. Sakurai has said that there will not be any additional information on the game for quite a while. The team's working very hard on it. But for me, this was probably one of the most exciting announcements for a couple of reasons.

One, I'm always excited to see what Sakurai-san is working on. Two, he created the Kirby character and the Kirby franchise. And so it's great to see him come back to lead and direct a Kirby game again for the first time in a couple of decades. But I think more importantly, I've always felt that Kirby Air Ride on GameCube was a game that was ahead of its time and maybe not fully understood at the time that it came out.

And so I'm just really excited because there's a core group of people that played that game on GameCube that love it to death. And number one, I'm just happy because for them, this is such a big announcement and it's so good to see their excitement. But at the same time, I think that with where we are in the game industry today, I think we've got a real opportunity to introduce a much bigger audience to Kirby Air Riders. And I think people will finally really begin to appreciate just what I think is the genius of Masahiro Sakurai and what he created with that game.

IGN: Well, I'm in that core group. It's like one of my big childhood games. I love Kirby Air Ride, City Trial Free Roam. That's all I was doing, so I'm very excited. But thanks so much, Bill. We're super excited for June 5 and everything else that's coming on the way.

Trinen: Great. Thank you.

Logan Plant is the host of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN's Database Manager & Playlist Editor. The Legend of Zelda is his favorite video game franchise of all time, and he is patiently awaiting the day Nintendo announces a brand new F-Zero. You can find him on Bluesky @LoganJPlant.

Nintendo has insisted Mario Kart World justifies its shock $80 price tag in response to controversy over the $10 hike for some Switch 2 games.

Last week’s Nintendo Direct revealed the Switch 2 and launch title Mario Kart World, but it was not until after the showcase ended that the price for both products was confirmed.

The Switch 2, out June 5, currently costs $449.99 — although Trump’s tariffs, which have already delayed pre-orders in the U.S., may cause Nintendo to hike the price. The real shock, though, is that Mario Kart World costs $79.99 — $10 higher than the most expensive Nintendo-published game on Switch, Tears of the Kingdom.

It’s worth pointing out that Nintendo is bundling Mario Kart World with a Nintendo Switch 2 for $499.99, cutting the cost of the game by a huge $30 in the process. However, Nintendo has indicated this bundle is a limited-time offer, and it remains to be seen if the bundle holds at $500, given the uncertainty surrounding the tariff situation and Nintendo’s pre-order delay in the U.S.

But Mario Kart World isn’t the only Nintendo Switch 2 game to cost $80 — some of the Switch 2 Edition games announced during the Nintendo Direct also cost $79.99, such as Kirby and The Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World, Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition.

These Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games improve upon their original Switch versions in various ways. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, for example, gain additional support for the Zelda Notes service in the Nintendo Switch App that provides game help. They also have achievements on Switch 2.

IGN has plenty of reaction to Nintendo’s jump to $80 for the Switch 2 generation, including from analysts who have helped us understand why this has happened. But what does Nintendo have to say about it? IGN interviewed Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, at a recent Switch 2 preview event in New York, to ask about Nintendo’s pricing strategy for Mario Kart World to find out.

We need to point out here that our interview with Trinen was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. due to the potential impact of tariffs.

In his response, Trinen insisted Mario Kart world justifies its price tag, and pointed to the upcoming dedicated Mario Kart World Nintendo Direct where fans will learn more about the game and what it has to offer.

“I would say it's less about the strategy of pricing Mario Kart World, it's more just whenever we look at a given game, we just look at what is the experience, and what's the content, and what's the value?” Trinen said.

“Mario Kart World, I think especially as you see from the Nintendo Direct, not to give you any hints or anything, but I did read your article this morning and I think you had mentioned that you didn’t find a lot to discover when roaming around. So I would say tune into our Mario Kart Direct to see what, maybe you'll be able to find out about that.

“But honestly, this is a game that is so big and so vast and you will find so many little things in it to discover. And there's still some other secrets remaining that I think as people end up buying and playing the game, they're going to find this to be probably the richest Mario Kart experience they've ever had.”

We also asked Trinen about the $80 cost of some of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games. While there is a $10 upgrade path for existing owners of these games on the Switch, and both The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ($69.99) and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition ($79.99) are available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership, Nintendo is not offering any sort of discount to newcomers on Switch 2.

Trinen’s answer here echoed his Mario Kart World response, pointing to the value Nintendo sees in its games.

“Well, again, what I would say is that we just look at each individual game and we look at the content and the value of that game, and then we say, 'what is the right price for the value of this entertainment?' " he said.

“What I would probably counter to some of that is that really what you're looking at is for the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, that's the physical price for somebody that has not bought the base game. For somebody who has bought Tears of the Kingdom or Breath of the Wild, the upgrade packs for those are $9.99. And if you happen to be a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack member, both of the Zelda upgrade packs are inclusive within that membership. So there's no additional charge for those.

“But I think overall, our general approach is really just focus on what's the content, what's the value, and what's an appropriate price based on that.”

What Trinen is saying here is that Nintendo believes its next-generation push is worth a price hike when you consider what the video games themselves have to offer. And that’s a point echoed by Piers Harding-Rolls, Research Director, Games at Ampere Analysis. He told IGN Nintendo has form when it comes to going high for the cost of its games.

"Nintendo has a bit of a history of pricing games higher than other platforms when coming to the market later than other platforms - in this case PS5 and Xbox Series,” he said.

“I remember back in the day N64 titles being more than PS1 titles for example. Some of that is related to cost of goods, but Nintendo also likes to follow its own approach and price based on its own appreciation of value."

As for the current $450 price tag of the Switch 2 itself, Trinen again pointed to value, but also highlighted the increasing costs associated with releasing a video game console.

“Obviously the cost of everything goes up over time, and I personally would love if the cost of things didn't go up over time,” he told IGN.

“But I think any time you're building a new system that's got new features and new tech, there's costs associated with that. So again, we look at what is the experience on Nintendo Switch? What's the experience on Nintendo Switch 2? What are the new features that it offers? And certainly there's the cost of goods and things that factor into that, but we try to find the right appropriate price for a product based on that.”

As IGN has reported, some Nintendo fans have expressed concern that they may be priced out of the next-generation if the company goes even higher than the already controversial prices for the Switch 2 and its games such as Mario Kart World due to the tariff situation.

What is increasingly clear, however, is that despite calls from the community for Nintendo to drop the price, the Switch 2 and its games are much more likely to get even more expensive than cheaper in the United States.

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.

Amid the furore around the $449.99 price of the Switch 2 and Mario Kart World's $79.99 price tag, there is shock at Nintendo’s decision to charge for the console’s tutorial game, Welcome Tour.

Nintendo revealed Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour during its Nintendo Direct. It’s a game set to launch alongside the Switch 2 in June that offers a guided tour of the console itself in video game form.

Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is described as a "virtual exhibition" of the new hardware. Per Nintendo: "through tech demos, minigames and other interactions, players will get to know the new system inside and out in ways they may never have known about otherwise."

The Nintendo Direct showed footage of a small player avatar exploring a super-sized Switch 2, reading about the different features and facts about the console. It also includes mini-games such as Speed Golf, Dodge the Spiked Balls, and a Maracas Physics Demo.

IGN can now confirm that Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour costs $9.99 and is a digital-only product. That’s significantly cheaper than other Switch 2 games, but IGN has already reported to the complaints from some Nintendo fans that Welcome Tour costs money at all, with many saying it should be Switch 2 pack-in, as DualSense tech demo game Astro's Playroom was for PlayStation 5.

IGN interviewed Nintendo of America's Vice President of Product and Player Experience, Bill Trinen, at a recent Switch 2 preview event in New York, and asked him if Nintendo discussed making Welcome Tour a pack-in game, and why the company made the decision to price it as a separate digital product.

We need to point out here that our interview with Trinen was conducted on April 3, 2025, prior to Nintendo’s announcement about delaying Switch 2 pre-orders in the U.S. due to the potential impact of tariffs, and subsequent concern that Nintendo may raise the price of the console and its games further as a result.

Trinen said there’s more to Welcome Tour than it appears based on the showing during the Nintendo Direct and even during recent hands-on opportunities the media had access to. Based on what’s actually in the game, Nintendo decided $9.99 “is not an exorbitant price,” he continued.

“It's an interesting product,” Trinen began. “We're actually getting ready today, we're going to be doing some Nintendo Treehouse Live segments and covering a lot of games in detail. That's one of them. And I think people will be able to see through Treehouse Live probably a little bit more maybe than you were able to see on the show floor. It's a pretty robust piece of software. There's a lot of great detail in there.

“For some people, I think there are people who are particularly interested in the tech and the specs of the system and things like that, for them I think it's going to be a great product. It's really for people that want more information about the system rather than necessarily a quick intro to everything it does.

"And for that reason and just the amount of care and work that the team put into it, I think it was decided that, 'Yeah, this feels like $9.99 is not an exorbitant price. It feels like a good value for what you're getting out of the product.' "

Welcome Tour is of course just one part of Nintendo’s next-gen push to become embroiled in controversy, and we’ve also got Trinen’s response to questions surrounding the company’s decision to go for $80 Switch 2 games, as well as going for $450 for the Switch 2 itself.

Be sure to check out IGN’s interview with Bill Trinen in full to find out more.

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.