February has arrived, and as with every new month, it comes with a new batch of LEGO sets. There aren’t many new sets this month (just wait for the wild deluge scheduled for March 1), but all of them are worth a look. We’ve got the first Pokémon LEGO sets releasing toward the end of the month, plus a couple more sets, all of which are detailed below. Let’s dive in.

Featured in this article

Is you’re just looking for a quick list of what’s coming this month, just scroll through the catalog above. There are only five sets for February 2026.

Eevee - LEGO Pokemon

Pikachu and Poké Ball - LEGO Pokemon

Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise - LEGO Pokemon

LEGO Golden Retriever Puppy

LEGO Flower Wall

LEGO Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise Is Available at Amazon

New LEGO Gift With Purchase

A big band remix of Super Mario themes just won a Grammy Award, beating Wicked star Cynthia Erivo to win in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category.

Super Mario Praise Break, a five-minute medley of toe-tapping Mario tunes, marks the second win for talented video game soundtrack outfit The 8-Bit Big Band, which previously won in the same category for a Kirby cover back in 2022.

Featuring tunes from throughout the Mario franchise, from its earliest days through Super Mario Galaxy and beyond, you can listen to the Grammy Award-winning composition below:

Jazz Orchestra '8-Bit Big Band' won a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental, or A Cappella for ‘Super Mario Praise Break’

It contains music from Super Mario Bros., Super Mario World, Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy.https://t.co/dqaA1X7buZ pic.twitter.com/YV0zel6gLt

— Stealth (@Stealth40k) February 2, 2026

Once again, this is an entirely unofficial cover, meaning that Nintendo shares none of the glory (other than having created the original tunes in the first place). The tune beat three other tracks to the award, most notably including Cynthia Erivo, who was nominated for her arrangement of original song Be Okay.

"WE JUST WON OUR 2nd GRAMMY 🤯🤯🤯," The 8-Bit Big Band wrote on social media. "Thank you to everyone who listened and supported to all of our new releases and huge congrats to my co-arrangers on the now Grammy winning Super Mario Praise Break."

Video game nominations remain a rare occurrence at the Grammys. Back in 2011, Civilization 4 theme song Baba Yetu scooped the Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals. A year later, Austin Wintory's soundtrack for Journey became the first video game soundtrack to receive a Grammy nomination in the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media category, though that award was ultimately won by The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Since 2023, the Grammy Awards have featured a dedicated video game soundtrack category, at least. This year's award was another gong for Austin Wintory, who won for his work on Sword of the Sea. Losing out this year were Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora — Secrets of the Spires, Helldivers 2, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Star Wars Outlaws: Wild Card & A Pirate's Fortune.

Despite cover versions from two of its franchises now being Grammy winners, Nintendo has never officially been nominated itself, despite decades of soundtracks and tunes.

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

I’m a sucker for nostalgia, so I have yet to tire of the enhanced ports, remasters, and remakes that are all the rage these days. I love revisiting games from simpler times, sporting fresh graphics and handy new features, but I also enjoy completely new takes on them I would never have expected. Dragon Quest VII already got the latter treatment on 3DS a decade ago, and now Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is ringing in the 40th anniversary of the series with a fine third iteration, though it’s not one without sacrifices. This time around, there is a clear focus on improving the pacing of one of Dragon Quest’s most notorious entries, and Square Enix has succeeded in that regard – but some of the other adjustments Reimagined makes in an effort to appeal to newer players have come at the expense of longtime fans.

Alone on a small island in a vast ocean, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined tells the tale of a humble fisherman’s son (your main character) and his childhood friends, the outspoken Maribelle and the rebellious and brotherly Prince Keifer, as they seek out fragments of 17 magical tablets in an effort to restore the world. Their quest takes them to the pits of volcanoes, under the sea, high into the sky, and even through time itself, meeting new allies and uncovering dark secrets from history along the way. I’ve always thought Dragon Quest VII stands out among the series, approaching its storytelling in a different and engaging way thanks to those time-travel elements and how it reveals the overarching story over the course of the adventure.

Instead of a single sprawling plot that grows increasingly complex, Dragon Quest VII weaves a tapestry from many seemingly independent strands into a final work of art – a grand story the Dragon Quest games are known for, but one that’s hidden at the start. That really helps drive home its themes of isolation, with the oddly disconnected nature of each island’s tale being lessened as you literally rebuild the world. Add in that you get to see how your actions in the past echo through into the present, and this still remains one of my favorite stories of the Dragon Quest series.

Bringing the world of Dragon Quest VII into the modern era of high-definition graphics, Reimagined sports a brand-new art style inspired by a puppet-and-diorama aesthetic that does a really good job of depicting Akira Toriyama’s original cast of characters. The proportions of these particular heroes have always been a bit more chibi compared to others in the franchise, but here muted tones and being able to see the fabric materials of hats and clothing have replaced the vivid colors and dramatic, anime-inspired outlines that I usually adore about Dragon Quest. The fact that Reimagined removed the 3DS version’s outfit changes for the different vocations saddens me as well. I admittedly found myself growing more accustomed to the puppet-y look as I went, and both my wife and my two-year-old loved to point out how cute everything was as I played, but I’d still be fine if this art style ended up being a “one and done” affair.

Thankfully, Reimagined retains much of the same classic RPG goodness that the Dragon Quest series has held onto these long decades, but it also introduces more goodies than just a facelift to mix up the adventure. New Monster Heart accessories impart unique aspects to the character they are equipped to, such as reducing your MP to zero but doubling your strength or increasing the damage you dish out with each subsequent attack. You can now take out weaker enemies in the field without ever entering combat as well, cutting them down from the world map itself. As nifty as both of these additions are, they are just the tip of the iceberg.

What I found more fun to mess around with and build my team around were the powerful Let Loose attacks, which are super moves that act as Reimagined’s take on the Square staple Limit Break concept, and the ability to have characters equip two vocations at a time. Both of these can result in some deliciously broken combos that feel great to pull off. Anyone currently equipped with the Priest vocation will be able to fully heal and revive the entire party with its Born Again action, while the Troubadour's Encore ability will temporarily reduce the party’s MP costs to zero. My personal favorites were the Champion’s Divide and Monk’s Critical Stance, with the former causing three copies to appear and perform whatever action you pick that turn, and the latter guaranteeing your next physical attack to be a critical hit – a particularly devastating option when using the Monk’s Multifist attack that hits seven times.

It’s nice that the new Moonlighting feature that allows each party member to have two vocations at a time provides both their specific stat buffs and access to their toolkit of spells and abilities. Accessible a few hours after unlocking the vocation system itself, I appreciate the flexibility that Moonlighting offers in adjusting how you want your team to run. What I like even more is that there are no downsides or restrictions with whatever you pick for that Moonlighting spot – both vocations earn the same amount of experience points after combat, and it just speeds up the whole process of unlocking the especially good advanced vocations that require you to have mastered multiple other ones already. Keeping one of those mastered vocations equipped even gives the non-mastered role a boost with extra vocation experience.

The previous versions of Dragon Quest VII, especially the original PlayStation release, were known – almost notoriously so – for how long they could take to play through or get to the cool stuff, like combat or unlocking character classes for your party of heroes. Addressing those pacing issues was a core principle behind Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, and some of those changes are more welcome than others, but the pursuit has been a success overall. You’ll get to swing your sword (or sticks, in this case) at some monsters for the first time within 30 minutes of starting Reimagined, and I was able to get to Alltrades Abbey to unlock the vocation system, the crux of your party customization, around 11 hours later. To put the difference here into perspective, at one point I booted up a save from my 3DS version of Dragon Quest VII that was at roughly the same spot: not only was I five levels higher in Reimagined with twice as many vocations mastered, I had also done all that in half the time. When I rolled credits in Reimagined, I clocked in at just over 46 hours, with my party hovering right around level 50, which is much shorter than both previous versions – although that time doesn’t include either of the post-game dungeons or going for 100%, which will likely put you up to the 70+ hour mark.

It’s no secret that this adjusted pacing has come at the cost of some parts of the original game being removed, with producer Takeshi Ichikawa being transparent about how locations such as El Ciclo, Gröndal, and Providence were left on the cutting room floor. Certain areas and dungeons have been reduced in size, too, with the boat the main character’s father departs on right out of the gate now being only a single level instead of two. The Sunken Citadel in the Wetlock region is another such example, with the dungeon being basically removed altogether and replaced with a short, straight-shot corridor. Losses like that are certainly disappointing, but outside of the occasional dungeon feeling a bit small, I actually really enjoyed how the story flows now, and I never felt an obvious gap or awkward break caused by “missing” content.

What I think has had a more noticeable negative impact on the pacing, though, is how Reimagined has seemingly smoothed over nearly every aspect of the original that could potentially cause even the smallest bit of discomfort or aggravation. That may sound fine on the surface, but it has resulted in the removal of things that have traditionally helped define this series, taking away much of that crucial sense of discovery. When I boot up a Dragon Quest game, I expect that the journey will take me into some headwinds and that there will be points where I struggle with a challenge to overcome. In Reimagined, I found none of that.

In any other Dragon Quest, managing your resources – be it your HP, your MP, or your consumables – is something you always need to keep in mind. For example, you have to weigh the benefits of an encounter with whether or not you can spare the MP to end that fight quickly, at the expense of not being able to cast your biggest spells as many times in the eventual boss fight. In contrast, Reimagined bombards you with free healing statues, respawning items that refill both health and magic are all over the place, characters fully heal whenever they level up, and party members that die during a fight even respawn with a single hit point afterwards, doing away with that classic Dragon Quest imagery of seeing your lone character leading around a parade of colorful coffins in a dreary dungeon. And if you do find yourself in a situation where everyone dies, the penalty is so minimal, forcing you to lose only 1,000 gold as opposed to half of your total, that even that threat is far from scary. The first time I actually had to pay this fee was in the very last dungeon, playing on hard difficulty, and at that point I was more just curious to see what would happen.

Individual carrying bags have been done away with in favor of a single shared inventory as well, making it so you don’t have to worry about strategically divvying up your items. (And you have no need to worry about accidentally equipping a cursed item you can’t get off – those are gone now.) There are some difficulty options you can toggle and adjust, such as lowering or raising the amount of experience, vocation points, or gold you earn after a fight (though, unfortunately, you can’t set them to zero), but none of the other stuff I mentioned is included in those settings. In fact, you can choose to make things even easier for yourself by fully restoring your party after every encounter.

This handholding approach, where you almost can’t fail, even extends into the main questline. So much of the sense of exploration and discovery has been removed, with enough information being fed to you that quests almost turn into a simple matter of glancing over your screen to find where the big icon is. Is there a tablet fragment in your location? You’ll see a marker on your map letting you know one is somewhere nearby, which turns the hunt for them into an almost mundane task to check off a list rather than the epic, world-saving mission it’s made out to be. You don’t even have to try spells out on enemies anymore to know how they might affect them, as an icon over the monster's head will show whether the one you have highlighted is weak or strong against it, or if they will resist it altogether.

Having recently played through last year's spectacular HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quests I & II, all of this smoothing gave me whiplash. That package added some solid accessibility options to help newer players, but it still retained – and in many cases expanded – the challenge of the originals. Dragon Quest VII Reimagined feels like it goes in the complete opposite direction, with the only real challenge coming from the last hour of the story and the post-game grind.

That all said, the more I played this new version, the more I eventually came to accept it for what it was, even if that wasn’t exactly what I was expecting or looking for. Between its faster pacing, toy-like aesthetic, and insistence on reducing pain points, this really is a literal reimagining of Dragon Quest VII as a sort of “My First Dragon Quest” entry point for new players. Once that realization clicked, I just let myself enjoy the ride as I soaked in a story and characters I still adored – I just also had to come to grips with the fact that it wasn’t going to deliver the challenge and discovery that I usually play Dragon Quest games for.

Amazon is offering some excellent discounts at the moment on a select few JRPGs, which is great news for those looking to fill up their game library with something new.

After clipping a coupon on its store page, Metaphor: ReFantazio for PS5 is down to $23 at the retailer, while the Xbox Series X version is down to $32. Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is another on sale, with its Xbox Series X version down to $20.59 with a coupon and its PS5 and Switch copies down to $34.99. Then there's Octopath Traveler 0, which is down to $31.99 for Xbox Series X with a coupon and $39.99 on all other platforms. Finally, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake has dropped to $49.99.

Select JRPGs on Sale at Amazon

What's nice is that each of these games has earned a glowing 9/10 rating from us in their respective reviews, and Metaphor: ReFantazio was even chosen as our Game of the Year back in 2024, so they all certainly seem like worthy additions to your library. In particular, for Metaphor: ReFantazio, its PS5 price even marks its lowest price yet, so there's no better time to scoop it up.

It's not the only game that's down to its lowest price at the moment from this selection. Octopath Traveler 0 is another that's now available at its best price so far on all platforms, and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake for Xbox Series X hits its lowest price if you use the coupon on its store page.

There are plenty of other game deals worth checking out right now, too. Over at Woot, which is an Amazon-owned online retailer, there's a big selection of video game deals available as part of its Video Game Mega Sale, including quite a few Switch deals. If you're stocking up, it's well worth a look before the sale ends on February 6.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.

Netflix has pulled the curtain back on Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85, the upcoming animated series set between Seasons 2 and 3 of the hit show.

We have a release date, April 23, 2026, a new trailer, below, new images and art, and further voice actor confirmation.

Here’s the story setup:

Return to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an exciting new animated series from Showrunner Eric Robles and Executive Producers the Duffer Brothers. In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this untold story set in the Stranger Things universe.

Something from the Upside Down must have survived…

Stranger Things: Tales From '85, a new animated series, premieres April 23. pic.twitter.com/7lwtOsU0wr

— Netflix (@netflix) February 2, 2026

In the trailer, the main characters from the show encounter what looks like a sort of pumpkin monster. It evolves into a more terrifying creature. We’re told something from the Upside Down survived last year — a reference to prior events in the Stranger Things timeline.

"We get to spend time with these kids in a way that you did not have time to in the flagship series,” commented showrunner and executive producer Eric Robles. “We were able to freeze time and really go on these never before told adventures with them in this timeline.”

Of course, given fans know the events that follow those we see in Tales From ‘85, there is a risk of a lack of stakes here. But Robles insisted that wasn’t the case.

“We want the audience to feel that these kids are in danger, the stakes are real, and bad things can happen to anyone,” Robles said. “And things do happen that are very scary in a sense, so that really makes the danger for the kids that much more tangible."

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 features the main characters from Stranger Things itself, but they’re voiced by new actors. Today, Netflix confirmed Jeremy Jordan as the voice of Steve. Jordan is the voice of Lucifer Morningstar in the adult animated musical series Hazbin Hotel.

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 voice cast:

• Brooklyn Davey Norstedt is Eleven
• Jolie Hoang-Rappaport is Max
• Luca Diaz as Mike
• Elisha “EJ” Williams as Lucas
• Braxton Quinney as Dustin
• Benjamin Plessala as Will
• Brett Gipson as Hopper
• Jeremy Jordan as Steve
• Odessa A’zion
• Janeane Garofalo
• Lou Diamond Phillips

Stranger Things: Tales From ‘85 comes hot on the heels of Stranger Things Season 5’s dramatic and controversial ending, which wrapped up the main characters’ stories for good (at least, according to creators the Duffer Brothers). The Duffers have ruled out a Stranger Things sequel that would check in on the characters years later, saying it would be “a gross cash grab.” As well as Tales From ‘85, there is an unnamed live-action series spinoff also in the works. We don’t know much about it, but we do know it will address a plot thread left dangling in the Season 5 finale.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

As part of a "month of anniversary surprises," Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead has formally introduced us to the "face of Freedom, the voice of Victory, the light of Liberty… John Helldiver."

In a fascinating deep dive into the writing and casting of the iconic character, actor Craig Lee Thomas and lead writer Russ Nickel discussed developing the face and voice of the game that the fandom has dubbed, quite rightly, John Helldiver.

"Casting was crazy," said Russ Nickel, Helldivers 2's lead writer between 2020 and 2022. "I did all the writing, and then the script went off sort of into the abyss, and I didn't hear anything for a while. Then I found out that it was going to shoot in a week.

"They actually hadn't really done any casting. They were just going to use this actor who's based in Sweden, who was perfectly good, but I was like, 'This is going to be John Helldiver!' (I didn't know that would be his name at the time). We can't just get someone who's good! Like, we need to get the funniest person we can possibly find!"

"From the initial audition, you read for what you can as an actor, and you get excited about so many things," added Thomas, admitting: "But this in particular, as soon as I read it, I was like, ahh, I really, really, really want to do this." So, with very little notice, he recorded a quick audition tape and sent it off. The video includes Thomas' audition and even though his portrayal is a little less amusing than we've come to expect, there's no doubting that it's our John Helldiver.

"Within a couple days, I had gotten self tapes from Craig Lee Thomas, who plays John Helldiver," Nickel explained. "He's perfect. I love that man. He's so good!"

For more, check out the 15-minute featurette on YouTube, complete with insights into the recording and mocap process, and some thoughts from the director of the opening cinematic.

Helldivers 2's next Warbond 'Siege Breakers' will release tomorrow, February 3. As detailed in a recent post by Arrowhead's social media and community manager, this Warbond is for players needing "something to smash through [...] towering foe with impenetrable fortifications,"... which I'm pretty sure means it's needed by all of us.

In September, the studio’s CEO confirmed Helldivers 3 is not in any plan developer Arrowhead has right now, saying that instead it wants Helldivers 2 to keep going for years and years, like veteran MMO RuneScape. The Helldivers 2 movie is also picking up steam, and in December, Helldivers 2 received its big 5.0.0 patch as well as its jungle-themed Python Commandos Warbond, which added a number of fan-requested weapons, including a minigun.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Nioh 3 is slated to release on Friday, February 6, on PC via Steam and PS5, but the game's latest trailer has revealed that Xbox and maybe even Nintendo Switch 2 owners may not have too long a wait for a version of their own.

According to the small print in the trailer, the PS5's console exclusivity period looks set to run for just six months. This means Nioh 3 could debut on other consoles, such as Nintendo Switch 2 or Xbox Series X and S, as early as August 6, 2026, potentially marking the first time a Nioh title will be available on any console other than Sony's PlayStation.

Though none of this is confirmed, of course — and publisher Koei Tecmo may hold off on porting to other consoles for technical and other reasons — it should be good news nonetheless for Team Ninja fans with an Xbox Series X and S looking to give it a go.

Nioh 3 was unveiled at Sony's State of Play show in June 2025. Here's the official blurb, as shared in the PlayStation Blog: "In Nioh 3, the protagonist is a young warrior poised to become the next Shogun. Why is he dedicated to battling against yokai? We’ll save those details for another day, but what we can tell you today is as the battles unfold, players will now be able to fight using two distinct combat styles: Samurai and Ninja.

"The Samurai style provides a gameplay experience similar to previous Nioh titles," it adds. "New actions such as Arts Proficiency, which enhances the power of martial arts, and Deflect, which allows players to block enemy attacks at the last moment have been added, helping create a series of intense and deadly face-to-face confrontations."

A demo is out now, progress for which carries over into the full game, plus players who complete the demo will receive the Twin-Snake helmet reward when Nioh 3 officially releases. IGN gave the original Nioh a 9.6/10, calling it "an epic, unforgettable adventure carried by a fierce combat system that cleverly balances style and strategy," and we similarly praised Nioh 2 with a 9/10, too.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Veteran actor John Lithgow has addressed his decision to play Albus Dumbledore in HBO's upcoming Harry Potter TV series, despite pressure for him to ditch the role due to J.K. Rowling's divisive comments on trans issues.

In comments reported by Variety, Lithgow said he found Rowling's views "ironic and inexplicable" when contrasted with the Harry Potter stories, but refused to be told he should "walk away from the job."

"I take the subject extremely seriously," Lithgow began. "She has created this amazing canon for young people and it has jumped into the consciousness of the society. It's about good versus evil, kindness versus cruelty. I find her views ironic and inexplicable. I've never met her, she's not really involved in this production at all. But the people who are, are remarkable.

HBO Max has announced early episode debuts for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Industry ahead of Super Bowl Sunday.

Super Bowl LX kicks off this Sunday, February 8, and will see the Seattle Seahawks do battle with the New England Patriots. It will command the attention of a global audience, which is why entertainment companies pay so much money for ad slots (speaking of which, here are the movie trailers to expect at the Super Bowl).

So, to avoid a particularly brutal clash with the Super Bowl, HBO has brought the upcoming episodes of two of its biggest shows forward. Season 1, Episode 4 of Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and Season 4, Episode 5 of Industry will premiere early globally on HBO Max on Friday, February 6 at 12.01am PT / 3.01am ET ahead of their respective HBO airings on Super Bowl Sunday, February 8.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms just aired Episode 3, and you can check out IGN’s review right here. It’s a six-episode season, which debuted on January 18. Industry, meanwhile, is halfway through its eight episode Season 4, which debuted January 11. Check out IGN's Industry Season 4 review to find out what we think.

HBO boss Casey Bloys recently confirmed that fellow Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon will end with Season 4. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms was renewed for a second season ahead of the Season 1 debut earlier this month, with Season 2 due out in 2027. House of the Dragon Season 3, meanwhile, debuts in summer 2026, with Season 4 set for 2028.

Bloys also responded to Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin's “abysmal” relationship with the House of the Dragon showrunner, and suggested Season 3 of The Last of Us will be its last.

Photograph by Steffan Hill/HBO.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Following the trade paperback collection of Absolute Batman Volume 1: The Zoo, the next installment in writer Scott Snyder's newest Bat-title is out on February 3.

Volume 2, titled Abomination, is seeing a small discount on Amazon. Pick it up for $18.59, 7% off. Not the biggest price cut, but we're excited to finally get more Absolute Batman.

Absolute Batman Vol. 2: Abomination

Read DC's Absolute Universe Comics

The Absolute Universe started after the events of Absolute Power from 2024, and has spawned a handful of more unique takes on popular heroes. and villains.

Without the restrictions of a preexisting continuity to inform character decisions, the creators on the Absolute comics have been given free reign to have some fun.

Below is the first wave of Absolute Universe graphic novels you can pick up before their respective second volumes start to release throughout 2026.

Myles Obenza is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Bluesky @mylesobenza.bsky.social.

Two actors from Silent Hill f revealed today that they have been appointed ambassadors of the real life location in Japan that inspired the survival horror game’s eerie setting.

Takeshi Masago, who plays Kanta Shimizu, the father of main character Hinako, and Tamami Hiraoka, who plays her mother, posted a YouTube short cryptically entitled ‘Important Announcement’ on February 2, 2026. The video begins like a solemn apology or serious announcement, with the two actors suddenly jumping for joy at the end of the video, while holding their tourism ambassador certificates.

The actors have both been made tourism ambassadors for Gero City in Japan's Gifu Prefecture. Gero City, specifically the Kanayama-cho area with its quiet, narrow alleyways and old houses, served as inspiration for Silent Hill f's fictional Ebisugaoka, a rural Japanese village in the 1960s.

Although Hinako's father in the game is abusive, the actors who play her parents started uploading wholesome videos on YouTube last month of themselves going on "husband and wife dates." The actors are not married in real life, but these videos have got some fans wishing they were. The solemn tone of the ‘important announcement’ video caught many viewers off guard, as did the ‘jump scare’ with the certificates. "I thought you were going to say 'we're getting married for real’ lol," said one commenter about the tourism ambassador announcement video, with others echoing the same sentiment: “When they revealed the documents, I seriously thought for a moment that they were marriage certificates.”

As part of efforts to promote what Gero City has to offer, Masago recently visited the 300-year-old Okuhida Shuzo rice wine brewery in the area, as posted on X. Last month, the brewery released Silent Hill f themed sake and chocolates, the first batch of which quickly sold out.

先日、SILENT HILL fで雛子のお父さん役”深水寛太”を演じられた真砂豪さんが奥飛騨酒造に遊びにいらしてくださいました✨

とても気さくにお話しして頂き、嬉しかったです☺️
寒い中ありがとうございました！#silenthill #silenthillf pic.twitter.com/LajrwornFS

— 奥飛騨酒造 (@okuhidashuzo) February 1, 2026

Since Silent Hill f was released, many of the Japanese actors involved in the production have livestreamed all or parts of the game, while sharing behind-the-scenes stories about what filming was like. This kicked off when Hinako’s actress Konatsu Kato began livestreaming her playthrough of Silent Hill f back in October 2025, amassing over 5 million views. Shortly after, Yuuka Iijima (who plays Rinko Nishida) and Natsuki Osaki (who plays Shu Iwai) also set up YouTube Channels and did their own livestreams of the game.

Although Takeshi Masago and Tamami Hiraoka are the first game-related tourism ambassadors for Gero City, this is not the first time that video games have been used to attract visitors to lesser-known parts of Japan. Back in 2020, the Tsushima Tourist Board partnered with Sucker Punch’s hit PlayStation game Ghost of Tsushima to promote the real life Japanese island. Not long after, fans banded together to raise funds to repair one of the island’s shrine gates, which was destroyed by a typhoon. The following year, Ghost of Tsushima lead developers Nate Fox and Jason Connell were made permanent tourism ambassadors to the island, for spreading its history to the world in "such a wonderful way," according to Tsushima mayor Hiroki Hitakatsu.

Verity Townsend is a Japan-based freelance writer who previously served as editor, contributor and translator for the game news site Automaton West. She has also written about Japanese culture and movies for various publications.

It’s almost time for Super Bowl LX, and with it the promise of a number of new movie trailers to whet the appetite for cinemagoing during the rest of 2026. But what should fans expect to see? And, perhaps more importantly, what should they expect not to see?

A new report from Deadline suggests Marvel will skip the Super Bowl ad rush entirely, which would mean no Spider-Man: Brand New Day or Avengers: Doomsday trailers. If true, this would be a shock omission, as Marvel has a history of using the Super Bowl to tease its upcoming movies. Last year, for example, Marvel showed up with a trailer for Thunderbolts*. In 2024, Marvel fans were given a first look at Deadpool & Wolverine.

Similarly, Deadline reports that Warner Bros. will sit out the Super Bowl, which means no new trailer for Supergirl. But that’s less of a surprise than the Marvel skip, given Warner Bros. tends not to go in on the Super Bowl.

So, if Marvel isn’t splurging millions of dollars for a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl, who is? According to Deadline, we’ll see a new trailer for Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, due out April 24. We’ll also reportedly get a new trailer for Scream 7, which hits theaters on February 27.

While Marvel is sitting it out, parent company Disney is reportedly all in on the Super Bowl, with trailers for Pixar’s Hoppers and Toy Story 5 apparently due. Deadline also expects a trailer for Star Wars movie The Mandalorian and Grogu, which is due out in May.

Meanwhile, Deadline said to also expect new trailers for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Minions 3, and Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, which comes out on June 12.

Super Bowl LX kicks off this Sunday, February 8, and will see the Seattle Seahawks do battle with the New England Patriots. Meanwhile, marketers at the biggest entertainment companies in the world will do battle for the hearts and minds of the Super Bowl’s global audience. Brace yourselves!

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

The developer of a game censored due to Nintendo's content guidelines has apologized to fans and said it that its own disclaimer on the changes should have been more visible.

Last week, fans were shocked to discover that hit superhero game Dispatch had been censored on Nintendo Switch — where enormous black boxes cover nudity and even a character raising their middle finger. While an option to hide these already existed on other platforms, on Switch it is enforced by default, and cannot be toggled off.

Now, after a backlash largely aimed at Nintendo, and questions around why the game has been censored when others (such as The Witcher 3) have not, Dispatch maker AdHoc Studio has released a lengthy statement addressing the situation, apologizing for its own part in it, and promising it was working on changes.

"As Nintendo states, any game that's going to be on the Nintendo platform needs to 'meet [Nintendo's] established content and platform guidelines'," AdHoc wrote, referring to Nintendo's own statement on the matter last week.

"This is the key point. Nintendo has content guidelines. Our game didn't meet those guidelines, so we made changes that would allow us to release on their platform. That's what happened here. Honestly we thought this would be obvious since we're the devs that released the fully uncensored version of the game on other platforms."

In reality, numerous fans had blamed Japanese rating board CERO for the censorship, as it is widely believed to be the reason why an entirely separate Japan-only version of Cyberpunk 2077 exists for Nintendo Switch without nudity or beheading, even though an uncensored version was released for the platform everywhere else in the world.

"We initially assumed, like some of you, that because games like Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk are on the platform with similar types of uncensored mature content, Dispatch would be allowed to do the same," AdHoc continued. "During the porting process it became clear that was not the case. So we asked that we include a disclaimer on the store page to inform customers that content would be different than on other platforms. We worked with Nintendo to get storefront language approved.

The future of the newly released Ashes of Creation is in doubt after its leadership team quit following a dispute with the management board — and now Steam is reportedly investigating.

Ashes of Creation — funded by a hugely successful $3.2 million Kickstarter campaign back in 2017 — is described as "an old-school take on the modern MMORPG set in a living, reactive world where your choices shape civilization." After significant interest and excitement from MMO fans, Ashes of Creation finally released in December, albeit as a $50 Early Access game on Steam. By the end of January, however, the game's director Steven Sharif had quit "in protest," reportedly along with most of the game's senior development team at Intrepid Studios, after claiming that the management board had asked him to do things he "could not ethically support." According to Sharif, the Board then issued WARN Act notices — layoff warnings, in other words — to the remaining staff. It's unclear how many employees remain.

Though Sharif did not specify the alleged heinous requests, he shared a brief update with fans on Discord, stating that it was only "a limited statement in [his] personal capacity and not on behalf of the company."

"Control of the company shifted away from me, and the Board began directing actions that I could not ethically agree with or carry out," Sharif wrote (thanks, PCGN). "As a result, I chose to resign in protest rather than lend my name or authority to decisions I could not ethically support. Following my resignation, much of the senior leadership resigned. Following those departures, the Board made the decision to issue WARN Act notices and proceed with a mass layoff.

"I cannot responsibly speak to further details at this time due to ongoing legal and governance matters. What I can say is that the developers and staff acted in good faith and deserved better than the uncertainty that they are now facing. I am incredibly dismayed at the situation."

Over the weekend, director of communications Margaret Krohn confirmed that they too had left the company, writing on LinkedIn: "Well… this chapter has come to a close. My time at Intrepid Studios has officially ended.

"As for how this all ended… I don't really have the words. It wasn't what I expected. But I'm holding onto the good because there was so much of it".

Asked for confirmation that the game was still in development at Intrepid Studios, Krohn wrote: "I don't work there anymore, so I can't answer that for you. Personally, I don't know how they would make it when the heart and soul of the product, the amazing dev team, was all laid off."

Now, according to redditor LawdAizen, Steam is "investigating the issue" after they contacted Valve's storefront and requested a refund. In response, a Steam representative said: "Sorry to hear about this issue and I understand your concern. We are aware of the issue and are currently investigating this further. As soon as we have more information, we will update your ticket."

For what it's worth, The Ashes of Creation "team" did post to its official site late last week, detailing a small list of issues that are on its To Do list. If the game's Steam review page is anything to go by, however, I'm not sure it's right that the "concerns [it] hears most clearly" are merely about bugs and QoL. Though a Development Update livestream is planned for February 13, dozens of fresh negative reviews already blight the game's 'Mixed' Steam score, with comments like "scam rugpull of a game," "Ashes is officially cancelled," and "the game was a cash grab" have brought it down to 'Mostly Negative.'

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Warning! Potential spoiler for Avengers: Doomsday follows:

X-Men actor Ian McKellen appears to have accidentally confirmed the destruction of New Jersey in Avengers: Doomsday.

Speaking to YouTube channel Jake's Takes, McKellen dropped the apparent spoiler while musing about how his physical workload had eased over the years, following some of the stunts performed in the X-Men movies.

"Two police cars in front of me were raised up by cranes," McKellen recalled of the memorable sequence in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand. "These were not special effects. Nowadays I think things will become a little bit easier — though I did destroy New Jersey the other day." At this point, the actor appears to realize he has said too much, saying: "Oooh, I perhaps shouldn't have said that..."

Disney Lorcana kicks off the new year with its upcoming release of Winterspell, the latest expansion set for the popular card game. The eleventh set will have an early release on February 13 at your local game stores, followed by the wide release on February 20. The exciting bit for every card game and their new sets or expansions is the change in gameplay and what that means for the meta. There’s also, of course, the beautiful new cards for those collectors out there. In Winterspell, the game finally brings in characters like Pocahontas, Tod from The Fox and the Hound, and even Darkwing Duck. In addition, different versions of characters already here make an appearance, like Lilo and Stitch, alongside new friends who are prominently featured in this new set. With all these new cards and the expected power creep, players will have a good excuse to tweak some competitive decks or make new ones entirely.

Speaking of the newly introduced characters to Lorcana, Pocahontas and friends have a slew of cards to play around with. Namely, the legendary Pocahontas Peacekeeper card, which has a fun shift-related ability. When you play her onto the field using shift (which is upgrading an already played version of Pocahontas in play), you can freeze out your opponent’s characters from challenging until the start of your next turn as long as none of your characters challenged the turn it’s played. This means your characters can quest freely without having to worry about your opponent defeating them through challenges or battles on their turn. It’s quite a strong ability that also lines up with Pocahontas’ character in avoiding battles and creating peace. Some of the other cards from Pocahontas also focus on questing versus challenging, like Wisdom of the Willow or Mother’s Necklace. In a game where questing for lore ultimately wins you the match, I can see Pocahontas decks potentially lore rushing, since there are so many positives to questing with these cards than trying to control your opponent’s characters individually.

Another legendary card showcasing a new character to Lorcana is Darkwing Duck Cool Under Pressure. This character also has the ability to shift, but his power comes from his passive synergy with item cards. During the player’s turn, they may pay 1 ink or mana to deal 2 damage to a chosen character whenever an item is banished or discarded. Being the Batman-like character that he is, this is a pretty cool way to emphasize Darkwing Duck’s use of gadgets. He also has a secondary ability that allows him to challenge or battle ready characters if they have the classification of Villain on their card. Normally, you can only challenge rested or tapped characters, so unlike Pocahontas, Darkwing Dark is all about fighting. Other Darkwing Duck-related cards fall into the Steel and Sapphire type categories, which lines up with that color combo’s style of play. Between the toughness of Steel cards, and the numerous items and control cards in Sapphire, this legendary Darkwing Duck can wreak havoc with the right build.

In addition to these strong character cards, there are some location-based ones that could make games a bit more interesting. For example, the Game Preserve Protected Land location can gain Evasive itself if there’s a character with Evasive on that location. The Tod Playful Kit card, for example, has the ability to give a character evasive each time he quests, so the Game Preserve location will ideally have evasive every turn as long as Tod is on it, giving himself evasive. Another The Fox and the Hound card, Education or Elimination, is a song card with a similar ability of giving evasive. There are other location-based characters, like the new legendary Elsa Ice Artisan, which allows the owner to exert or rest a character with 3 or less strength when that Elsa or a location is played. While she’s at a location, she also gains an additional 3 lore when questing, so you want her on locations at all times. These are just some examples of the fun stuff you can do with various aspects of the gameplay getting further support.

Now that rotating sets have affected Disney Lorcana as well, that leaves players with a smaller pool of cards to optimize their decks. With that said, some older cards do get reprints, but it’s all for the sake of balancing the game. In a recent big competitive event, the top cut saw a lot of control decks with 5 of the top 8 running Sapphire. Amethyst was also popular with 5 of the top 8 players representing the color as well. Ultimately, a Sapphire/Emerald deck took the top spot in a mirror match that focused on filtering the deck with card draw alongside some removal and hand manipulation. Unfortunately, some of the new rare Sapphire and Emerald Winterspell cards don’t really work on this champion deck like Darkwing Duck, since there are no items in that deck. Still, cards like the new Moana Curious Explorer could be a worthy addition to keep your hand size while building up ink or mana through a different source like the discard pile.

Another deck in the top cut is an Amethyst/Steel deck that revolves around playing many characters, and being able to draw more because of low hand sizes and a legendary Dumbo. A new Winterspell card that could fit very well in this competitive deck is Angel Experiment 624, who can gain resist +2 if the player has no cards in hand. A fairly easy feat for a deck that likes to have fewer than 3 cards in hand. Angel also has another ability to discard a card to deal 2 damage to a chosen character. Yet another option to keep that hand size low. The deck is already proven, and this Angel card just optimizes it a bit more.

One color lacking in the competitive scene lately is Ruby, with no representation in the top 32 of that recent major event from late last year. It seems to be due to the card set rotations banning certain staple cards in the currently constructed meta, so hopefully the new Ruby cards can give the color a fighting chance. For instance, this new legendary Wreck-It Ralph Raging Wrecker card is a triple threat with his ability to get stronger, quest for 3 lore, and a potential board clear if given the support. It’s a bit expensive, but it’s nothing Sapphire can’t achieve with its ramping capabilities. With this and the location support Elsa Ice Artisan, there could be some meaningful Ruby decks in this upcoming meta.

Of course, this is all speculation, but that’s the fun part about getting into new cards and brewing new decks. Do you follow the meta and tweak decks to their optimized state, or do you build a spicy meta breaker to keep your friends and opponents on their toes? The Pocahontas cards seem to favor questing and the protection of that strategy. The Darkwing Duck cards make him the hero he was made to be while making opposing characters villains with negative effects. Plus, familiar characters like Moana get a new spin for an everchanging competitive scene. Players will have a fun go with these new Winterspell cards, and it’ll be interesting to see what people gravitate towards as the season progresses. For more on Disney Lorcana, check out our interview with the game designers about the Winterspell cards we exclusively revealed.

February is here, which means another month of pretending you’ll “just browse” before losing an hour to thumbnail chaos. Let’s skip that part. This is the smarter way to stream in Australia right now. No doom scrolling, no six-service paralysis.

I’ve rounded up the genuinely good stuff across every major platform. The critically adored films, the dangerously bingeable series, and the originals that actually justify their existence. Pick your service, lock onto the must-watch list, and let your retinas get to work.

Before we dive into the shows, allow me to swing a personal spotlight onto something near and dear to my heart. After the debacle that was the TV-ified Halo, I didn’t hold much hope for Amazon’s Fallout series, but it has exceeded my expectations and then some. Even better, the companion piece DLC for Fallout 76, entitled Burning Springs, offers an enjoyable grind. After that season 2 finale pops, I recommend y’all give it a look-see.

Table of Contents

• Foxtel/Binge
• Netflix
• Disney+
• Apple TV+
• Amazon Prime Video
• Stan

New in February on Foxtel and Binge

TV litter pick: Jurassic World: Rebirth – 8 Feb : Follows a team led by Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson) on a secret mission to extract DNA from the world's three largest dinosaurs to cure diseases. The team becomes stranded on an island, confronting both prehistoric threats and a hidden conspiracy.

Movie litter pick: The Copenhagen Test S01 – 16 Feb : One for Simu Liu fans. A compromised intel chain leads to a Wi-Fi signal streaming from someone's head, forcing a choice between removal or keeping the hack open.

What notable movies are coming to Binge?

• How to Train Your Dragon – 1 Feb
• M3gan 2.0 – 1 Feb
• The Friend – 5 Feb
• Jurassic World: Rebirth – 8 Feb

What notable series are coming to Binge?

• The Brokenwood Mysteries S11 – 2 Feb
• 1000-Lb Sisters S06 – 3 Feb
• Game of Wool S01 – 3 Feb
• Summer House S10 – 4 Feb
• The ’Burbs S01 – 8 Feb
• Allegiance S03 – 9 Feb
• Grand Designs UK S24 – 12 Feb
• Don’t Date Brandon S01 – 13 Feb
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver S13 – 16 Feb
• The Copenhagen Test S01 – 16 Feb
• Mary Berry at 90: A Lifetime of Cooking S01 – 18 Feb

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New in February on Netflix

TV litter pick: The Lincoln Lawyer S04 – 5 Feb : Based on Michael Connelly's novel The Law of Innocence, Season 4 flips the script as defense attorney Mickey Haller becomes the defendant in a murder case.

Movie litter pick: A Quiet Place: Day One – 14 Feb : Sam, a terminally ill cancer patient, finds herself at the ground zero of an alien invasion in NYC. Amidst the chaos caused by sound-sensitive creatures, she navigates the city with her cat, Frodo, and a new companion, Eric.

What notable movies are coming to Netflix?

• Glitter & Gold: Ice Dancing – 1 Feb
• How to Train Your Dragon – 1 Feb
• Is It Cake? Valentines – 4 Feb
• Deeper – 6 Feb
• Queen of Chess – 6 Feb
• Jurassic World: Rebirth – 8 Feb
• A Quiet Place: Day One – 14 Feb
• Being Gordon Ramsay – 18 Feb

What notable series are coming to Netflix?

• The Lincoln Lawyer S04 – 5 Feb
• Love Is Blind S10 – 11 Feb
• How To Get To Heaven From Belfast – 12 Feb
• The Night Agent S03 – 19 Feb
• Bridgerton S04 Part 2 – 26 Feb

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New in February on Disney+

TV litter pick: The Artful Dodger S02 – 10 Feb : Following the dramatic conclusion of Season 1, Jack Dawkins finds himself in more peril than ever in 1850s Australia. Cue: yet another explosive mix of high-stakes crime and intense medical drama.

Movie litter pick: In The Blink of an Eye – 26 Feb : A sci-fi drama directed by Andrew Stanton (WALL-E, Finding Nemo) that explores the history of humanity through three distinct, interconnected storylines spanning thousands of years.

What notable movies are coming to Disney+?

• Despicable Me – 1 Feb
• Despicable Me 2 – 1 Feb
• Jackie Brown – 1 Feb
• Jerry Maguire – 1 Feb
• Jumanji – 1 Feb
• Kill Bill: Volume 1 – 1 Feb
• Kill Bill: Volume 2 – 1 Feb
• E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial – 1 Feb
• Fifty Shades of Grey – 1 Feb
• The Hateful Eight – 1 Feb
• Inglourious Basterds – 1 Feb
• Reservoir Dogs – 1 Feb
• Bombing Pompeii – 4 Feb
• The Muppet Show – 4 Feb
• Stay – 13 Feb
• In The Blink of an Eye – 26 Feb

What notable series are coming to Disney+?

• The Artful Dodger S02 – 10 Feb
• The Eighth Family – 18 Feb
• Girl on the Run: America’s Most Wanted Woman – 19 Feb
• In Your Radiant Season – 20 Feb
• Paradise S02 – 23 Feb
• Scrubs – 26 Feb

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New in February on Apple TV+

TV litter pick: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S02 – 27 Feb : The new season shifts its focus toward King Kong and the mysteries of Skull Island, moving beyond the immediate aftermath of Godzilla’s 2014 San Francisco rampage.

What notable series are coming to Apple TV+?

• The Last Thing He Told Me S02 – 20 Feb
• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters S02 – 27 Feb

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New in February on Amazon Prime Video

TV litter pick: Fallout (Season 2 Finale) - Feb 4 : The finale sets up a massive three-way conflict for Season 3 (which is numerically satisfying for me). No, I’m not saying who between. Just watch it yourself.

Movie litter pick: The Bluff – 25 Feb : Follows Ercell "Bloody Mary" Bodden, a former ruthless pirate queen who has successfully hidden her violent past to build a quiet life in the Cayman Islands…for a while.

What notable movies are coming to Prime Video?

• Relationship Goals – 4 Feb
• Shadow Force – 8 Feb
• A Big Bold Beautiful Journey – 10 Feb
• The Travellers – 10 Feb
• Love Me Love Me – 13 Feb
• Four Letters of Love – 17 Feb
• Roofman – 18 Feb
• The Bluff – 25 Feb
• Man On The Run – 27 Feb
• Together – 28 Feb
• Relay – 28 Feb

What notable series are coming to Prime Video?

• Fallout (Season 2 Finale) - Feb 4
• Cross S2 – 11 Feb
• Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix – 13 Feb
• 56 Days – 18 Feb
• The CEO Club – 23 Feb
• Vanished – 27 Feb

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New in February on Stan

TV litter pick: Lord of the Flies S01 – TBA : A 1950s-set, four-ep adaptation of William Golding’s 1954 novel that follows a group of British schoolboys stranded on a deserted tropical island.

Movie litter pick: Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – 19 Feb : [Spoilers for Part I] Picking up after Dead Reckoning, the sequel follows the team to find the Sevastopol submarine's source code, while battling Gabriel, a rogue AI proxy, and dealing with a cult-like following of the Entity.X

What notable movies are coming to Stan?

• 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards – 2 Feb
• The Count of Monte Cristo – 2 Feb
• The Rock – 7 Feb
• 50 First Dates – 14 Feb
• Friendship – 15 Feb
• Captain Phillips – 17 Feb
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – 19 Feb
• Checkpoint Zoo – 22 Feb
• Fury – 24 Feb
• Dumb and Dumber – 27 Feb

What notable series are coming to Stan?

• Dear Life – 1 Jan
• Red Eye S02 – 2 Jan
• Changing Ends S02 – 3 Jan
• Gods of Tennis S01 – 10 Jan
• Accused S02 – 15 Jan
• The Walsh Sisters – 22 Jan
• Memory of a Killer – 26 Jan
• Lord of the Flies S01 – TBA

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 3!

Episode 3 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a big one, as it ends with the reveal that Dexter Sol Ansell’s character Egg is far more than just a humble squire. He’s actually Aegon V Targaryen, a member of one of the most famous and volatile families in Westeros. That also makes him a distant heir to the Iron Throne.

Episode 3 (titled “The Squire”) foreshadows that big reveal earlier on, when Egg and Dunk (Peter Claffey) encounter an elderly fortune teller and she makes a rather startling claim about Egg’s future. Is he actually destined to become king? Why does everyone hate him so much? Let’s break down what the future holds for this character, but beware of spoilers for the Tales of Dunk and Egg books ahead!

The Prophecy in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

In Episode 3, Dunk and Egg encounter a fortune teller who offers a glimpse of their respective futures. She tells Dunk, “You shall know great success and be richer than a Lannister.” That sounds pretty generic and optimistic as fortunes go, but she’s actually more accurate than Dunk would ever dream.

But the real meat of this exchange comes next, when Dunk urges the fortune teller to read Egg’s fortune and she responds, “You shall be king, and die in a hot fire, and worms shall feed upon your ashes, and all who know you shall rejoice in your passing.”

Pretty dark stuff, especially when delivered to a confused young boy. But, again, this fortune teller seems to be legit. Occasionally, Westeros has real, genuine examples of magic at work, and this appears to be one of them.

What Is Egg’s Future?

If there’s one truth about Westeros, it’s that Targaryens pretty much never have happy endings. That’s as true for Egg as it is any of his other relatives. The fortune teller gives a pretty accurate breakdown of what befalls him as an adult.

Egg eventually returns to his real identity as Aegon V, and he does indeed become king one day. In Westerosi lore, he’s actually known as “Aegon the Unlikely” because, as the fourth son of a fourth son, he was never expected to have a strong claim to the throne. But after the death of his father, King Maekar I, the line of succession becomes unclear.

A Great Council is convened to choose the new king. The Council passes over the late Prince Daeron’s children and instead selects Aegon’s brother Aemon. But when Aemon (whom you probably remember as a very old man in Game of Thrones) opts to join the Night’s Watch instead, it finally falls on Aegon to be king.

As far as Targaryen kings go, Aegon V is actually a pretty decent guy. His time spent among the smallfolk of Westeros gives him a certain affection for the underprivileged classes, and he does his best to institute new policies that would help them. He also makes Dunk the Lord Commander of his Kingsguard, hence the fortune teller’s promise of success and wealth.

Unfortunately, those same social policies make Aegon a pariah among the wealthy elite of Westeros, and he grows to be hated by many nobles. The fact that he has no dragons with which to enforce his rule doesn’t help. Aegon becomes obsessed with restoring the Targaryens’ dragon line, an obsession that eventually becomes his undoing.

True to the fortune teller’s word, Aegon eventually dies in a massive fire at his Targaryen summer home, a fire started when he attempts to hatch dragon eggs. That fire also claims the lives of his eldest son, Duncan, and his lifelong friend Ser Duncan the Tall. It’s safe to say that few among the upper classes miss King Aegon.

From there, the Iron Throne passes first to his son Jaehaerys, and from there to Jaehaerys’ son Aerys. Aerys is that “Mad King” everyone talks about, and Game of Thrones fans know what unfolds from there…

How much of Egg’s tragic story will we actually see play out in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? It’s hard to say, but we do know the series has already been renewed for a second season. Showrunner Ira Parker would like to cover the full scope of Dunk and Egg’s shared lives, though he admits that the series may ultimately just focus on the three Dunk and Egg novellas published to date.

“George has outlined 12 more of these stories that he’s shared with me. These stories take them all the way through their lives,” Parker told The Hollywood Reporter. “Some of these are just a paragraph, but they give you a sense of where they’re going to go and the people who come back in and out of the story.”

For more on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, check out IGN’s full review of Season 1.

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

This review contains full spoilers for this week’s episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

“I think I could be quite happy in a place like this.” Aww, poor Egg. A tranquil life in the country doesn’t seem to be what fate has in store for him because, as we learn in the closing moments of this week’s episode (“The Squire”), Egg is actually Prince Aegon V Targaryen.

“Egg” (Dexter Sol Ansell) is the son of Prince Maekar (Sam Spruell) and kid brother of both major jackass Prince Aerion (Finn Bennett) and the elderly Maester Aemon of The Night’s Watch in Game of Thrones. (A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set roughly 90 years before the events of the flagship series.)

This revelation happens after Dunk (Peter Claffey) does what any good knight should do and come to the aid of a damsel in distress, in this case the puppeteer Tanselle (Tanzyn Crawford) who is being assaulted by Aerion for her puppet show depicting the slaying of a dragon. To Aerion, her show is tantamount to treason because it depicts a symbol of the ruling Targaryen family being killed. (Aerion isn’t completely wrong about that symbolism, mind you, if the vitriolic disdain towards the Targaryens by the likes of Raymun Fossoway is any indicator of public sentiment.) Dunk then unleashes a beating on Aerion up until Egg’s intervention saves him from the guards.

Dunk and the other non-Targaryens present are floored by the revelation that Egg, the squire to a lowly hedge knight, is actually a prince of the realm. Although Egg’s behavior has been slightly evasive and curious in the past two episodes, we now know why this kid’s bald (“I cut it off, brother. I don’t want to look like you.”) and knows so much about knights and the Great Houses.

Dunk’s growing disillusionment with knighthood is his overriding arc this season, and if his doubts about knights were planted in Episode 2, then seeing Aerion’s dastardly and purposeful cheating at the Ashford tourney and subsequent punishment of Tanselle were the final straws. (Oh, and he’s also asked to participate in a fixed fight!)

We’ll have to wait until next week’s episode to learn the ramifications of not only Dunk’s assaulting Aerion but also of Egg’s sudden reunion with the family he’d run away from (his eldest brother Prince Daeron remains MIA for now).

The big reveal of Egg’s true identity – which wasn’t shocking to readers of George R.R. Martin’s Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas – shattered the harmony of what had been up until that point a sweet and simple episode. Egg is worried about Dunk’s chances of surviving the tourney, so he singlehandedly trains Dunk’s horse, and later hilariously turns a song about a woman who pleasured men’s bums into a pep talk about hope.

These charming vignettes of Dunk and Egg just talking, helping or teasing each other, eating sandwiches – punctuated by Dan Romer’s melodic score – make them underdogs you love rooting for, and adds them to the ranks of Game of Thrones’ most compelling pairings (e.g., Arya and the Hound, Tyrion and Bronn, Brienne and Jaime, etc.).

You know that part of the year between Christmas and New Years when you have no idea what day it is, time loses all meaning, and guiltless gaming binge sessions run rampant? Well by now you’re probably frighteningly aware of what day it is and it’s probably a work day. Not to worry, I’m going to help you out.

I’m Jess McDonell and I’m a content creator and Twitch streamer, which is kind of like a real job. Here are three easy tips I’ve used to smooth out that rough back to work transition and get more productive in the new year. Brought to you by HP and the HP OmniBook X Flip.

Tip 1: Just Getting Started

First, commit to doing just five minutes of a task. Before you know it you’ll be stuck in, it’s just about starting. By just beginning a single task you’re getting the hardest part over and done with and even doing a little bit more than you originally set out to will get those reward chemicals firing in your brain so you can take on the next part of the task and the one after that.

Big jobs don’t seem so daunting when you break them down and finding a realistic but efficient division of tasks throughout your day can help you cross off even the most dread-inducing projects. For best results try interspersing your work stints with well-earned breaks and rewards of the self-care and self-indulgent variety. There’s nothing wrong with taking your lunch break with a little gaming or TV on the side. With the HP OmniBook X Flip’s all-day battery life and hardy Gorilla Glass 3 display you can even take yourself outside to work or play to your heart’s content without compromising on performance, or having to go back inside

It can be easy to get disheartened and overwhelmed by the mountain of work you still need to get done but it’s important to celebrate your victories and checked boxes, too. Whenever you cross off a task, even a small one, give yourself a pat on the back. Acknowledging your accomplishments will go a long way to keeping you motivated and ready to tuck back into the next part of your project.

Tip 2: Reply To The Most Important Email In Your Inbox

Starting any old part of any task is much better than not starting at all but getting on top of that email in your inbox that you’ve been putting off is a great way to settle you into a steady flow of productivity. And stamp out that nagging voice in the back of your head telling you you really need to have taken care of that one already.

So go ahead and find “That Email”. You know the one. Not the one from your Mum telling you your aunt will be staying in your house for the next three weeks, or the shipping update letting you know the Christmas present you needed two months ago has now arrived in a city you’ve never heard of.

Not those, the big one.

I can almost assure you that it feels like a far larger task in your head than it is in reality and once you’ve handled it you’ll find you’re all set to tackle another one with a renewed sense of freedom and accomplishment. Until, of course, they email back and you need to repeat this step.

In the meantime, you can go back to that crucial “treat yourself” part of the equation and exercise the HP OmniBook X Flip’s Intel Core Processor with a little gaming binge to celebrate that two productivity tips in (if you’re following this game-plan to the letter), you have begun one task and sent a single email. That’s a big day. You’ve earned it.

Tip 3: Use A Focus Timer

If you’re still struggling to focus between all of the breaks I keep recommending you take then consider using a focus timer to dedicate even twenty minutes to deep work. Once you’re done you can take a five minute break and then follow that up with another twenty minute stint of working.

In essence, this is the Pomodoro technique and has proven results in increasing productivity and the effectiveness of your ability to work and focus on your chosen tasks over time. This legitimacy paints it in stark contrast to my personalised tips which largely suggest you do a bit of work so you can feel better about using the HP OmniBook X Flip to play video games and watch Netflix.

Then again, you can totally do exactly that while following Pomodoro. So, in a way my deeply uneducated “new year, new you” productivity tips are identical to that of a legitimate expert in the field. I am going to consider that a personal accomplishment and treat myself to some video games. You’re welcome to join me on the HP OmniBook X Flip 14 - sure, I need it for work, but whether it’s for work or play, it’s unbeatable at both.

You can check out the HP OmniBook X Flip for yourself at your nearest JB Hi-Fi (head to the link: https://w2buy.net/8i2d188u) or via the HP online store.

Today's list is me filtering everything down to the games that actually earn your time once the credit card damage is done. Not hypothetically good. Not historically important. Just good to play, right now, at these prices.

What I scope for is simple. Does the game still have texture once the novelty wears off? Does it respect my time? And crucially, does the discount change the conversation around its flaws? Some games become forgivable. Others become irresistible.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, it's been 28 years since Bungie tried its hand at real-time strategy with Myth: The Fallen Lords. Sadly, it's a series that hasn't persisted, but what has endured are our fond memories of using a surly dwarf to grenade fools into fountains of gore.

Iron Lung, the low-budget horror film written and directed by YouTuber Markiplier based on the video game of the same name, launched big at the global box office this weekend.

It earned $21.5 million globally, with an impressive $17.8 million coming from domestic theaters and $3.6 million internationally, having launched in just seven territories.

Markiplier, real name Mark Fischbach, distributed Iron Lung himself having spent a reported $3 million on production. That ensures Iron Lung is already a hugely profitable venture after opening weekend.

In a comment on his YouTube channel, Markiplier posted an image showing the domestic Sunday chart as displayed on box office website The Numbers, with Iron Lung conspicuous by its absence. “This is hilarious, they took Iron Lung off the charts,” Markiplier said. “I don't think they liked my #1 movie in america victory laps haha.

“But really it's all good, I fully expected Send Help to pass the movie eventually and I'm just so happy to be able to do this at all so second place behind a legend is fine with me. Thank you all so much for making it such an unbelievable weekend, I couldn't be happier!” )The relevant page on The Numbers now shows Iron Lung in second place behind Sam Raimi’s Send Help.) David Szymanski, the indie developer of Iron Lung, celebrated the movie’s box office success in a social media post, saying simply: “what the f**k.”

pic.twitter.com/trJxCxY1ks

— David Szymanski (@DUSKdev) January 31, 2026

With a whopping 38.2 million subscribers on YouTube, Markiplier had a huge audience to steer towards Iron Lung — but he had history with the game before he set out to adapt it. Markiplier is known for incredibly popular Let’s Plays of indie horror games, one of which is Iron Lung itself. The 2022 submarine horror video game hit the headlines in June 2023 for seeing a boost in sales after OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing, something Szymanski said at the time "feels so wrong."

Iron Lung is beating box office expectations in what may be an encouraging sign for other popular YouTubers to try their hand at the movie making business. Indeed, some already are. Seán "Jacksepticeye" McLoughlin, for example, is executive producing a new horror movie called Godmother.

Meanwhile, the number one movie globally this weekend is Send Help, which earned $20 million domestically and $8.1 million internationally for a global weekend debut of $28.1 million. Domestically, Amazon documentary Melania generated $7.04 million from 1,778 theaters. Melania did not feature in this week's global top 10 box office chart.

And for those of you keeping tabs on the big hitters from Hollywood, after seven weekends, Avatar: Fire and Ash has grossed an estimated $1.4138 billion worldwide ($386.1 million domestic / $1.0277 billion international), and after 10 weekends, Zootopia 2 has grossed an estimated $1.7769 billion worldwide ($408.9 million domestic / $1.368 billion international).

Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Mark 'Markiplier' Fischbach.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

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The ninth entry in the mainline Resident Evil series is fast approaching, but if you’re thinking that it could be the ideal point to jump in for the first time, you’ll almost certainly be left wondering what the hell is going on as you play through its opening hours. Resident Evil Requiem builds atop a three-decade legacy of survival horror, so you’re going to have to do some homework before you get started.

To help you out, we’ve put together a (very condensed) synopsis of the main Resident Evil story and everything you need to know leading into Resident Evil Requiem, presented in chronological order. As I’m sure you’ve already worked out, the following contains spoilers – lots and lots of spoilers – for the entire Resident Evil series prior to Requiem.

Resident Evil Zero
July 23, 1998

It’s July 23, 1998. The Bravo Team of Raccoon City Police’s elite S.T.A.R.S division is dispatched to investigate a number of murders in the Arklay region. The team believe evidence can be found in the area’s mountains, but their helicopter crashes before they can reach their landing zone. Survivor Rebecca Chambers makes her way towards a nearby spooky-looking mansion in an attempt to find the rest of Bravo Team.

Before she makes it to the house, Rebecca, along with her newly acquired convict companion Billy Coen, come across an abandoned training facility where they discover that its former director, Dr James Marcus, along with former partner, Oswell E. Spencer, were responsible for a new biological weapon dubbed the T-Virus: a deadly infection that turns humans into zombies and other monstrosities.

Resident Evil
July 24, 1998

The S.T.A.R.S. Alpha team is dispatched to find out what happened to the missing Bravo team. Their search leads Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Barry Burton, and team leader Albert Wesker to the aforementioned grand estate, the Spencer Mansion.

The gang splits up and discovers the horrible fates of the missing S.T.A.R.S. members, who have been decimated by the monstrous results of the T-virus. As he explores the mansion’s many rooms and hidden chambers, Chris finds Bravo team member Rebecca Chambers still alive.

Jill and Chris eventually discover that the Umbrella Corporation, a pharmaceutical company with shady business practices, is behind the illegal experiments that led to undead horrors (and the odd oversized animal) roaming the mansion’s halls.

Eventually, once they reach a sinister laboratory hidden beneath the house, the duo discover that Wesker is not actually a loyal S.T.A.R.S. operative, but a traitor who works for Umbrella. Wesker infects himself with a strain of the T-virus as part of an elaborate plan that also involves releasing a new biological super weapon, the “Tyrant”, from containment. Unfortunately for him, the creature swiftly kills him. After managing to defeat the Tyrant, the remaining S.T.A.R.S. team members escape the lab (relatively) unscathed.

Our heroic survivors return to Raccoon City, only to learn that the corruption runs deep. They decide to go rogue, leaving the RPD to investigate the grand corporate conspiracy. Chris heads off to Europe solo, while Jill stays in the city to learn more about Umbrella.

Resident Evil 3
September 28, 1998

It’s September 1998, just a few months after the Spencer Mansion incident, and Raccoon City is overrun with zombies. Umbrella sees the outbreak as an opportunity to test its latest bioweapon, the experimental Nemesis; a hulking beast armed with a rocket launcher, tasked only with the destruction of all remaining S.T.A.R.S. members.

While Jill desperately tries to escape the outbreak with the relentless Nemesis hot on her heels, rookie R.P.D. officer Leon S. Kennedy and Chris Redfield’s younger sister, Claire, both arrive in Raccoon City at the worst possible time.

Resident Evil 2
September 29, 1998

After being separated following a car accident, Leon and Claire agree to meet up at the nearby police station. Unfortunately for both of them, the building is already infested by the undead.

As she navigates the station’s dangerous hallways in search of information about her brother’s whereabouts, Claire runs into Sherry Birkin, a young girl pursued by a monstrous weirdo who not only turns out to be her Dad, but also Umbrella's leading scientist, William Birkin.

Turns out Billy B had planned to betray his corporate masters and sell his newly developed G-virus, but he was gunned down by Umbrella before he had the chance. As he bled out, William managed to infect himself with the G-Virus. His monstrous form massacred Umbrella’s troops and proceeded to dump both the G- and T-virus formulas into Raccoon City’s water supply, creating the enormous mess all our characters now have to deal with. Nice one, Willy.

Meanwhile, Leon runs into Ada Wong, an FBI agent seeking the G-Virus for her own investigation into Umbrella’s corruption. The two decide to form an alliance, for now…

Leon and Ada run into Birkin’s wife, Annette, who is not a big fan of the pair. They follow Annette deep underground to a secret Umbrella facility called NEST in hope of securing the G-virus sample.

Pretty much simultaneously, Claire also arrives at NEST, in search of a vaccine for the now-infected Sherry. Leon manages to obtain the G-Virus sample but runs into the hideously deformed William, who mortally wounds his wife. As she struggles to hold on, Annette reveals to Leon that Ada is not what she seems: she’s actually a mercenary looking to sell the G-Virus to the highest bidder. Ada arrives on the scene and demands the G-Virus, but before Leon can hand it over, Annette manages to shoot her, sending both Ada and the virus sample falling into the lab’s seemingly bottomless chasm.

Meanwhile, Claire finds a vaccine for Sherry. As Annette administers it to her daughter, Claire tangles with an out-of-control William. Sherry is cured, but Annette eventually dies of her injuries. The facility is set to self-destruct, and Claire, Sherry, and Leon board a train to escape.

With NEST destroyed, the crew finally manage to escape the nightmare and, on the outskirts of Racoon City, vow to continue their fight against Umbrella.

Resident Evil Outbreak
September 23 - October 1, 1998

While Jill, Leon, and Claire are dealing with their own issues amidst a zombie outbreak, eight other Raccoon City residents are also in a desperate fight for survival. Among them is a local journalist, Alyssa Ashcroft, who is trying to shine a spotlight on Umbrella’s evil ways. Remember her name, as it’ll come in handy when you start playing Resident Evil Requiem.

Alyssa manages to escape Raccoon City before the government annihilates the entire area with an evidence-destroying thermobaric missile strike, carrying information that could expose Umbrella once and for all.

Resident Evil 3 (continued)
October 1, 1998

Elsewhere in Racoon City, in the hours before the missile strike, Jill Valentine is infected with the T-Virus. Fortunately for her, Carlos Oliveria – an uncharacteristically friendly Umbrella mercenary – arrives on the scene to not only cure Jill, but also help her find the important vaccine that could save the city. Unfortunately, the government has a different “cure”; our heroes discover the plans to wipe out Raccoon City, which is publicly explained away as the only sure method to eradicate the zombie outbreak.

Carlos and Jill head to another underground lab, this time creatively called “NEST 2”. Unfortunately, the Nemesis is still alive and very much still in pursuit. Jill and Carlos manage to take out the abomination once and for all, and with the vaccine sample in hand, manage to escape the city before the missile hits. Unfortunately, Nicholai, Carlos’s former colleague/secret operative, is waiting for them and manages to destroy the vaccine vial. Jill and Carlos take down Nicholai, leaving him for dead, and escape just before government-approved thermobaric hellfire arrives to completely demolish Raccoon City for good.

And as is tradition, our hero vows to take down Umbrella before the credits roll…

Resident Evil: Code Veronica
December 27-28, 1998

Three months after escaping from Racoon City, Claire Redfield, still in search of her brother, attempts to raid a European Umbrella facility. Things go south and she’s captured, taken to an island prison ruled over by Alfred Ashford, the governor of Rockfort Island.

As is mandatory for a Resident Evil game, an outbreak occurs, and amidst the chaos Claire is freed, allowing her to get to work looking for Chris and escaping the island. Unfortunately, Mr. Redfield is nowhere to be found, so after much trouble, Claire tries to escape in a plane. Ashford, who is revealed to have a split personality disorder and often believes himself to be his twin sister, Alexia, remotely takes control of the plane and crashes it into another Umbrella facility, this time in Antarctica. Knocked unconscious, Claire has a dream that turns out to be the plot of Resident Evil Survivor 2. Weird.

Ashford, believing Claire to be a spy, pursues her in a quest for revenge. But after he’s fatally wounded, he frees the real version of his sister, Alexia, who has been cryogenically frozen this entire time, her body riddled with a new virus called T-Veronica.

Meanwhile, back on Rockford Island, none other than Chris Redfield shows up, looking for Claire. But rather than finding his sister, he runs into his old pal/mortal enemy, Albert Wesker, who’s alive, super strong, and on a mission to find the T-Veronica sample. Turns out he had actually planned to be killed by the Tyrant back in the Spencer Mansion, as that would ensure he could reach the full potential of some experimental virus he was infected with… or something.

The pair make their way to Antarctica, where Chris hopes to be finally reunited with Claire, and Wesker hopes to secure the T-Veronica sample. A restored, very powerful Alexia becomes the final boss of Chris’ latest adventure, and everyone escapes the facility before – you guessed it – it self-destructs.

Wesker claims a virus-infected corpse to experiment on. Chris and Claire vow to take down Umbrella… are you seeing a pattern here?

Resident Evil 4
Autumn, 2004

Six years have passed, and the Umbrella Corporation is now long gone due to a government suspension and stock value crash. Is this the lamest way possible for a big bad to go out? It’s certainly up there.

Leon S. Kennedy, former rookie RPD officer, is now a government agent with full permission to roundhouse kick anyone who stands in his way. He’s sent on a mission to rural Spain, where the president's daughter, Ashley, is being held by kidnappers. As he explores the area, he discovers that not only are the kidnappers part of a cult called Los Illuminados, but they’re also all infected by a brand new mind-controlling parasite: Las Plagas.

As Leon hunts for Ashley, he unexpectedly bumps into someone he thought long dead, Ada Wong, who is very much alive and is once again on the hunt for virus samples.

After rescuing Ashley, Leon confronts the cult’s leader, Saddler, and, with the help of Ada, defeats him, bringing down the parasite and all the hordes it infected. Once again showing her true colours, Ada takes a sample of Las Plagas and escapes by helicopter, but not before – you guessed it – setting the base to self-destruct.

Leon and Ashley manage to dramatically escape on a jet ski, which they appear to ride all the way from Spain back to the US. I mean, they probably just went back to the mainland and took more traditional routes, but imagining they jet-ski’d across the Atlantic is funnier, so let’s just say they did that.

Resident Evil: Revelations
2005

Shortly after the events of Resident Evil 4, our original protagonists, Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine, become involved in a new investigation into biological organic weapons. They discover a new strain of the T-Virus called T-Abyss, developed by evil organisation Il Veltro, which plans to use its new weapon to infect a fifth of the world’s oceans.

A lot of evil plots and betrayals unfold, involving names and organisations that mostly don’t feature in the wider series except for one: the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance, or BSAA. Chris and Jill are founding members, and this new organisation’s motives become the driving force for these characters going forward.

Naturally, Chris and Jill survive the events of Revelations, taking us directly into the next chapter of Resident Evil.

Resident Evil 5 - Lost in Nightmares DLC
August, 2006

Two years after Resident Evil 4, our original big bad, Wesker, is still on the loose. Chris and Jill, now operating under the banner of the BSAA, follow a thread that should lead them to Umbrella’s founder, Oswald E. Spencer. Instead, they run into Albert Wesker, who has killed Spencer.

Wesker, seemingly even more powerful than before and now dodging bullets for fun, is more than a match for Chris and Jill. To save a wounded Chris, Jill sacrifices herself, sending both her and Wesker to their deaths. Chris, understandably, is a bit sad.

Resident Evil 5
March 4-6, 2009

Almost three years after Jill’s death, Chris is tasked with apprehending terrorist Ricardo Irving, who is selling bio-organic weapons in Africa. Along with his new partner, Sheva, Chris discovers that the locals are infected by a modified Las Plagas parasite. The duo set out to solve the crisis, but Chris has another thing on his mind: the BSAA believes Jill could still be alive.

After defeating a mutated Irving, Chris and Sheva learn that Tricell, the company that funds the BSAA, has taken over Umbrella’s seedy work in conjunction with – shock, horror – Albert Wesker, who is very much still alive and has been conducting human experiments. Unfortunately, one of his victims is Jill, who is also still alive and now under Wesker’s control.

Chris and Sheva manage to subdue Jill and remove Wesker’s mind-control device before it’s too late. Wesker tries to flee on a plane, which crash-lands in a volcano. After some boulder punching, Chris and Sheva finally kill Wesker once and for all, and all is well in the world… for now.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2
January, 2011

Claire Redfield is now a member of TerraSave, an anti-bioterrorism taskforce, and once again finds herself trapped in an island prison, this time with her new partner, Moria Burton, daughter of Barry Burton. Remember him from the Spencer Mansion incident? He’s the “Jill Sandwich” guy…

Jill and Moira are directed around the prison’s labyrinth-like halls by someone known only as the Overseer, all while being stalked by mysterious monsters. After the entire playbook of typical Resident Evil hijinks involving other survivors, shady corporations, and betrayal unfold, it’s revealed that the Overseer is a woman named Alex Wesker. Although she shares the surname, she’s not actually a relative of the series’ infamous villain, but rather a child who was kidnapped for her “talents” and inducted into “The Wesker Project”, a sinister plot developed by Umbrella founder Oswell E. Spencer to try and develop a race of superior beings. Alex has been doing her own experiments on the prison island, creating a fresh batch of monstrosities.

Eventually, Claire and Moria corner Alex, and with nowhere left to run, Alex commits suicide. But not before, of course, setting the base to self-destruct. Claire manages to escape, but unfortunately, Moira is trapped under the rubble. Enter big daddy Barry.

Six months pass before Barry reaches the island, who has been desperately chasing Moria’s SOS signal. But before finding his daughter, he comes face-to-face with Alex, who’s now heavily mutated into her disgusting final form, complete with orange glowing weak points. Fortunately, both a still-alive Moria and a returning Claire armed with a rocket launcher arrive to swing the odds in Barry’s favour.

In the epilogue, Claire receives a message about Chris and his jaunt to China, where he’s off to handle another bioterror threat…

Resident Evil 6
December 2012 - June 2013

Next up is Resident Evil 6, which features three interwoven campaigns, and it all gets really, really messy. So strap yourself in….

In 2012, a new virus is developed by a company dubbed Neo-Umbrella, led by someone who appears to be Ada Wong. Mercenary Jake Muller is immune to the virus, on account of being the child of Albert Wesker (who has… let’s say “unique” DNA after all those experiments), and so is believed to be the key to creating a vaccine.

In 2013, the American president decides enough is enough with all these bioterrorism incidents, and that it’s time to reveal what really happened in Raccoon City. However, before he can spill the beans, there’s another viral attack. The president, now a zombie, must be taken down by his loyal agent, Leon Kennedy.

Ada Wong arrives on the scene to tell Leon that National Security Advisor Derek Simmons is affiliated with Neo-Umbrella, and is behind the terror attack that zombified the president. Leon heads to China in pursuit of Simmons. Chris Redfield, now wracked by post-traumatic stress and a thirst for revenge after his team was slaughtered by Ada, also heads to China. As does Jake, because, you know, plot.

It’s no secret that Resident Evil 6 is the most convoluted game in the series, so let’s just get through this quickly:

• Chris finds out Jake’s true identity, and despite an awkward moment where Chris tells Jake he killed his dad, they mostly work it out.
• Simmons dies.
• Chris’s buddy, Piers, is wounded, then grows a new arm thanks to the C-Virus, and saves Chris.
• Jake kills his boss, who’s not worth talking about.
• We discover that there are two Adas, with one being an imposter called Carla.
• Finally, all the good guys win and go their separate ways.

Basically, a lot is going on, and it’s not very good. Maybe just ignore this bit – I highly doubt anything that happens here will have any implications for the future of Resident Evil.

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard
July 19-20, 2017

In 2017, Ethan Winters is looking for his missing wife, Mia. His search eventually leads him deep into Louisiana, where he finds her imprisoned by the Bakers, a very odd and very disgusting family.

Ethan is captured by the family’s patriarch, Jack Baker, and forced to join a vomit-inducing dinner with Jack’s wife, Marguerite, son Lucas, and a mysterious elderly woman. It turns out the entire family is infected by something called “mold”, a sort of parasitic, fungal virus that has the added benefit of increasing your resilience, but the downside of making you just a bit gross.

Side note: you can find a newspaper clipping written by Alyssa Ashcroft in the Baker’s house. Remember her from Resident Evil Outbreak? Turns out she’s still a journalist, now investigating the disappearances in Louisiana.

After escaping and managing to kill hideous forms of both Jack and Marguerite, Ethan reunites with his wife and develops a serum to help shake off her apparent mold infection. The couple attempt to flee on a boat, but the vessel is capsized by a mysterious creature that turns out to be a “girl” named Eveline. This child is actually a bio-weapon that Mia, who’s actually a secret agent, was tasked with escorting. Eveline is responsible for the Baker family’s mind-altering infection because she was desperate to create her own family. You know, like all bioweapons are. Classic stuff.

Ethan injects Eveline with a toxin, which causes her to revert to her true form: the mysterious old woman from the Baker’s disgusting dinner. It turns out she’s been rapidly aging. Of course, a senior is hardly an ideal final boss, so Eveline mutates into a giant blob like all classic Resident Evil big bads do, and after a climatic confrontation with Ethan (who gets a little help from a recently arrived military squad), she’s finally destroyed.

In a final twist, the leader of the military squad is revealed to be none other than Chris Redfield, who emerges from a helicopter branded with the Umbrella logo. Man, things have really changed around here.

Resident Evil 7 - Not a Hero DLC
July 20, 2017

Chris and his team pursue Lucas Baker, who had avoided Eveline’s mind control thanks to a serum provided to him by a new shadowy organisation called The Connections.

They were the ones behind Eveline’s creation, and Lucas had been gathering data on her for them. Naturally, he planned to betray his masters, because Lucas is a Resident Evil villain, and that’s apparently part of the contract.

After working his way through a series of traps, Chris manages to kill a mutated Lucas. He then returns to base to take an urgent phone call…

Resident Evil Village
February 8-10, 2021

Over three years later, Ethan and Mia have settled in Eastern Europe, but their new-found family bliss is violently interrupted by Chris Redfield, who shockingly and mercilessly guns down Mia and kidnaps Ethan and his child, Rose.

Ethan wakes to find himself in a rural village that has been besieged by a horde of marauding lycans. On a desperate quest to find Rose, Ethan works his way through the abandoned village and into a nearby castle inhabited by vampires, most notably an enormous goth mommy called Lady Dimiterscu.

Lady D, along with a wider group of oddities including a fish man and a cowboy Magneto, all belong to cult that worships Mother Miranda; a god-like, mold-infected matriarch who, in a quest to resurrect her dead daughter, Eva, became consumed by the infection and spread it to her four elevated lords and houses. Ethan discovers a crest for these four lords that looks eerily similar to Umbrella’s logo.

Ethan’s journey to rescue Rose and take down Miranda’s lords eventually leads him back to Chris Redfield, who explains that the Mia he gunned down wasn’t actually Mia at all, but rather a shape-shifting Mother Miranda. Miranda believes Ethan and Mia’s daughter, Rose, is the successor of bioweapon, Eveline, based on the fact that both her parents were infected by the mold. After Miranda finally confronts Ethan in her true form, she explains that the mold will help rebirth Rose as her own daughter. Without hesitation, Miranda rips out Ethan’s heart.

Chris and his squad launch a full assault against Mother Miranda, battling through her waves of monsters and destroying a large mold barrier that protects her. Once inside, Chris and the team discover a large mold root called the Megamycete; the source of the mold that plagued both the village and the Baker family. Turns out the Megamycete not only infects its victims, but it also absorbs their DNA and memories.

Chris plants a bomb, but before destroying the mold once and for all, he passes through Miranda’s lab for one last lore dump. He discovers the entirety of her plan to find a suitable vessel for her daughter’s consciousness to be reborn into. Miranda was also responsible for the creation of Eveline, working with The Connections.

That’s not the most shocking revelation, though: Chris discovers that Oswell E. Spencer, founder of Umbrella, was actually a student of Miranda's and began his work on the progenitor virus based on her teachings. To honour this, he designed Umbrella’s logo after Miranda’s four lords’ symbol. So not only is Miranda responsible for everything in Resident Evil 7 and Village, but she’s the inspiration that started this entire 30-year, virus-riddled affair!

After Chris exits the exposition-packed hallway, he encounters the true version of Mia, who’s very much alive and reveals that Ethan isn’t quite dead, either. It turns out that Miranda didn’t kill Ethan after all – Jack Baker did, way back at the start of Resident Evil 7. Ethan was infected by the Mold, which had kept him moving and “alive” this entire time, and explained how he could regularly reattach body parts with just a bit of healing juice.

Despite his mold infection, Ethan is falling apart, only able to muster just enough energy for one last stand against Mother Miranda. Upon defeating the big bad once and for all, he hands his daughter over to Chris and agrees to stay behind with the detonation device that will activate the bomb planted on the Megamycete, destroying the village, the mold, and himself once and for all. Ethan triggers the explosion as Chris, Mia, and Rose escape.

Resident Evil Requiem
October 2026

The upcomming adventures of Leon Kennedy and Grace Ashcroft take place in 2026. If the trailers are to be believed, the story will take us to the bombed out remains of Raccoon City, as well as the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center, which we explored in our hands-on preview. But until we play the full game, we don't know what this chapter will mean for the Resident Evil timeline.

Resident Evil Village - Shadows of Rose DLC
2037

In 2037, a teenage Rose learns about her abilities, one of which is the power to connect with a surviving piece of the mold root recovered from the incident 16 years prior. After jacking in, Rose enters a new realm filled with the memories of the Megamycete’s victims. She takes a jaunt through a version of the village her father was once trapped in, guided by the spirit “Michael”, who is actually Ethan’s remaining consciousness. As she explores, Rose is taunted by the trapped consciousness of Mother Miranda, who is desperate to escape this realm of memories. With the help of Ethan and her newfound abilities, Rose manages to defeat Mother Miranda and share one last moment with her father before she returns to the real world. In the aftermath, she visits Ethan’s grave while shadowed by a mysterious agent who calls her Eveline. After threatening him, Rose reveals she has abilities that even Chris doesn’t know about.

And there we go. That’s the entire plot of Resident Evil – well, all the stuff that actually matters. Yes, we skipped over some bits here or there, but there’s a lot to cover in the wacky world of Resident Evil, and that should be everything you need to know before diving into Resident Evil Requiem. Now, excuse me while I set my base to self-destruct and vow to get my revenge.

Dale Driver is an Associate Director of Video Programming at IGN. Be thoroughly bored by following him on Bluesky at @daledriver.bsky.social