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The Nintendo Switch 2 has been out for almost a year now, while Nintendo seems a little disappointed with its sales, it was still the best-selling console of the year. If you're one of the many people who has grabbed a Switch 2 in the last year you've probably noticed that it doesn't quite have enough storage, with only 256GB of space to fit all your games. Luckily that storage is expandable, but you will need a special MicroSD Express card to do it. And, well, they're more expensive than regular SD cards.

The Best MicroSD Express Cards for Switch 2 Right Now

MicroSD Express cards have been around for a while, but there are only a few on the market as creative professionals haven’t really found much of a use for them. However, with the Switch 2 launch, there's been a deluge of Express cards to fill that gap.

My colleagues and I are in the process of testing these cards – including that super cheap Walmart-brand one, which is fine – but if we were to recommend any based on experience, these are the MicroSD Express cards (an essential Switch 2 accessory!) we'd say to buy right now. These come from reputable manufacturers that have a track record of making excellent storage expansion cards. We'll be updating this as we play around with the Switch 2 and SD cards.

Why MicroSD Express?

Unlike many devices, the Nintendo Switch 2 is mandating a MicroSD Express card for storage expansion. Nintendo hasn’t really explained its reasoning behind the decision, but it’s not hard to see why it might want to require faster storage.

For one, the flash storage built into the system is the same kind of UFS flash that powers most smartphones. This storage is much faster than the eMMC drive in the original Switch, and it’s likely Nintendo wanted its developers to be able to count on that kind of storage speed, no matter if the game is being stored internally or on an expansion card.

The only thing you can use a regular old MicroSD card for is loading screenshots and videos you took on your first-gen Switch. That means unlike something like the PS5, which allows you to store last-generation games on slower external drives, Nintendo isn’t allowing for any wiggle room here. If you want to expand the Nintendo Switch 2 storage, you’re going to need a MicroSD Express card.

1. Lexar Play Pro

The Best MicroSD Express Card

2. Samsung P9 MicroSD Express

Best Budget MicroSD Express Card

3. SanDisk MicroSD Express

Best 256GB MicroSD Express Card

4. Samsung MicroSD Express for Switch 2

The Best (and Only) Official MicroSD Express Card

5. Onn MicroSD Express Card

Best Cheap MicroSD Express Card

Disneyland Paris is set to have a very big year in 2026, led by the transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World and the opening of World of Frozen. Beyond that, the park is planning tons of upgrades to existing attractions, new restaurants, and many more changes that should make a stroll through these magical lands something truly special.

With the help of Disney Parks Blog, this Disneyland Paris in 2026 Guide will be a place to see all the fun headed to the parks this year. It's still early, so we will be updating this article as more details are revealed, but this should give you a good idea of what to expect!

We'd love you to let us know what you are most excited for, and we'd love for you to also check out our 2026 guides for Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

We now have our hands on the Nintendo Switch 2, a new console from one of the biggest names in gaming. Alas, a new console is only as valuable as the library of games you can build on it.

Thankfully, Nintendo hasn't been shy about planned releases over the next year, which include a mix of Switch 2 exclusives, third-party releases, and the benefit of backward compatibility with any games still launching on the original Switch. Without further ado, here are all of the new Switch 2 games we can look forward to in 2026.

All Upcoming Switch 2 Games With Release Dates

PGA Tour 2K25 (February 6, 2026)

If you found Wii Sports golf to be a little too easy, here you go. PGA Tour, 2K's golf series, is coming to a Nintendo console for the first time since 2K21. Take on tournaments as your favorite pro player or build up your own character through the MyCareer mode. IGN's 8/10 review gave the game some solid praise, highlighting that "new swing mechanics, paired with the significantly improved graphics, makes for a much more realistic ambiance." Let's hope that performance holds up on the Switch 2.

Tokyo Scramble (February 11, 2026)

Tokyo has been destroyed in a massive cave-in. In the aftermath, Anne wakes up underground to find a subterranean organization filled with creatures called Zeno. If they catch you, they’ll kill you. To escape, you’ll have to focus on stealth. Announced during the February Nintendo Partner Direct, Tokyo Scramble is launching on Switch 2 pretty darn soon.

Paranormasight: A Mermaid’s Curse (February 19, 2026)

Yuza Minakuchi is working as a pearl diver who encounters another version of himself on the sea floor. As strange incidents continue to plague his home island, he must investigate a curious cast of characters throughout the town as well as mysteries in the water.

Mario Tennis Fever (February 12, 2026)*

Mario Tennis is making its return with the first new release since 2018’s Mario Tennis Aces. The sports game will continue the more recent tradition of a Story Mode alongside Tournament, Trial Towers, and Mix It Up modes, all while featuring a whopping 38 playable characters.

A new island just came to Fortnite that features a digital reimagining of Qatar’s capital city, Doha, as well as Hamad International Airport and a Qatar Airways aircraft. Called QVerse Island, it’s meant to give travelers an immersive way to experience the sights of the city and its airport. There are lots of minigames, a glimpse at some of the city’s unique architecture, and a hidden golden ticket that you can find for a chance to win a free Qatar Airways flight.

You can reach QVerse Island within Fortnite by searching for “QVerse” or using code 6020-0265-6735. When you arrive on the island, you’ll pull up to Hamad International Airport and get a look at the skyline of Doha with re-creations of its real-life skyscrapers. You’ll be greeted by Sama, Qatar Airways’ digital cabin crew member, who will give you five quests to complete.

After you’ve talked to her, you’re free to explore the city and do things in whatever order you choose. Right off the bat, you’ll see floating coins that give you 10 gold each. You can spend that gold at the airport vending machines for things like faster running speed, a jetpack that lets you double jump, or consumable items. You can also look for a hidden door that takes you inside the Business Class cabin of a Qatar Airways aircraft, where you’ll join other Fortnite characters as passengers.

Once you exit the airport and make your way to the street, you’ll see you can summon a car with one button press, making traversal of the city quick and easy. Your HUD will have icons for the island’s biggest attractions, which is also where you can complete the quests Sama gave you. These are some of real-life Qatar’s most recognizable landmarks, like the National Museum of Qatar, West Bay, Katara Towers, and The Pearl Island. And QVerse Island has a persistent day/night cycle, so you can watch the sunset around these locations and see the whole city light up at night.

Each location has a minigame associated with it. At the National Museum of Qatar, you’re given a scavenger hunt to find five lost artifacts that lie scattered around the city. At West Bay, you can use your summoned car to complete a time trial race. At Katara Towers, you’ll need to cross between the towers, high in the air, while a rotating bar tries to knock you off. And at The Pearl Island, you can take on a parkour obstacle course that runs across the rooftops of the city.

While you’re exploring, you’ll notice a timer counting down to the next departure. Once the countdown finishes, you’ll be transported to a multiplayer minigame with other people currently on the island. There are four minigames in all: Wild Wheels Safari, Neon City Drop, Jumpus Maximus, and Home Run Rush. For all four, the last person standing wins.

In Wild Wheels Safari, you drive cars around a desert arena while floor tiles gradually fall away. If you fall into a hole, you’re eliminated. Neon City Drop is a similar concept, but you’re on foot and the floor is made up of brightly colored panels that fall away over time. Jumpus Maximus puts you on a giant spinning wheel in the air while rotating bars of different heights try to knock you off. And Home Run Rush gives everyone a superpowered baseball bat that can launch other players out of the stadium.

In between all the fun and games, you can explore QVerse Island to find the golden ticket. You’ll get an on-screen alert letting you know in what area of the map it just spawned, and then it’s up to you to find it. It only stays in one place for a few minutes, so you need to hurry before it moves again.

Once you find it, take a screenshot of your in-game character with it. Then post that photo to Instagram, Facebook, or X/Twitter with the hashtag #FlyWithQR, follow Qatar Airways on Instagram, and you’ll be entered in a drawing. A winning entry will be randomly selected, and that person will win a Qatar Airways flight ticket. There will be a new drawing each week and the contest will run for 10 weeks. If you don’t win one week, you can try again the next.

QVerse Island is available to explore now, and between February 7–20, gaming content creators around the world will join in on the fun, too. So be sure to check that out. Who knows who you’ll get to face off against in all those minigames? To keep up with the latest news and updates from Qatar Airways, you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or X/Twitter.

Project Hail Mary is one of the most anticipated movies of 2026. The upcoming film is currently set to hit theaters on March 20 and stars Ryan Gosling in the lead role of Ryland Grace. If you're not already familiar with the story, Project Hail Mary is being adapted from Andy Weir's best-selling novel of the same name. Weir is mostly known in the entertainment world for writing The Martian, which was a triumph both as a both a book and a movie (see IGN's glowing review).

As a book-to-movie adaptation, Project Hail Mary has been getting a lot of attention lately. Just today it was announced that the final movie trailer will be played during the Super Bowl this Sunday. What I didn't expect to see was any sort of LEGO announcement. Nevertheless, the plastic brick company has thrown its weight behind the film and we're officially getting the very first LEGO Project Hail Mary set ahead of the movie's release, on March 1.

The LEGO Project Hail Mary Set Is Up for Preorder

Nvidia Blackwell graphics cards launched more than a year ago, starting with the RTX 5090. And while this generation had a controversial launch, the RTX 5080 Super could have redeemed the generation. But that's probably not going to happen.

Thanks to its immense success with AI hardware, it seems like Nvidia has both scaled back production of existing 50-series cards and cancelled its mid-generation refresh of Blackwell, according to a report from The Information (via Insider Gaming). At the same time, known hardware leaker @kopite7kimi suggests that the next generation of GPUs, likely led by the RTX 6090, won't be out until the second half of 2027.

Just like with the RAM shortage that's affecting all kinds of gaming hardware right now, this is thanks to the AI industry's demand for computer hardware. Nvidia has reported huge growth, thanks to the AI boom, leading to the company being the most valuable in the world, at $4.24 trillion. It wouldn't be surprising, then, if Team Green wanted to focus on the enterprise market.

Nvidia issued IGN the following comment: "Demand for GeForce RTX GPUs is strong, and memory supply is constrained. We continue to ship all GeForce SKUs and are working closely with our suppliers to maximize memory availability." That doesn't sound like a denial, so we'll just have to wait and see how the year plays out.

The State of PC Gaming

Nvidia isn't the only company that has been mysteriously silent on mid-generation releases. AMD also hasn't released a new consumer graphics card since the Radeon RX 9060 in August 2025. And it's likely for the exact same reason that Nvidia isn't releasing its super cards: the AI demand is just too high right now.

AMD just had its earnings call as well, and while CEO Lisa Su used it as a chance to reassure gamers that the Steam Machine is still coming soon – which was followed by a delay from Valve – the company also reported $16.6 billion in revenue from its datacenter business last year. Team Red's gaming business, on the other hand, brought in $3.9 billion, and that seems like it was largely driven by the custom chips in devices like the Xbox Ally X and the Steam Machine.

Instead, both Nvidia and AMD have been focused on improving the software that runs on their graphics cards. AMD launched FSR Redstone in December 2025, which improves frame generation and ray tracing, while Nvidia launched DLSS 4.5, which gives a noticeable boost to image quality – though with a performance cost.

If both companies are indeed skipping their mid-generation GPU launches, we'll probably have to make do with these software improvements. And while I would prefer to have an RTX 5080 Super that actually performs better than the RTX 4090, I can make do with better upscaling.

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

There's still time to set yourself up with a banging home theater set before the big football game. Best Buy recently kicked off an outstanding deal on the Sonos Premium Entertainment Set, which includes the Arc Ultra soundbar and Sub 4 sub.

Normally this bundle retails for $1,998 and there's a Sonos sale going on right now that drops it to $1,599. However, Best Buy currently has it for just $1459 shipped. That is the best price I've ever seen and beats out last year's very popular Black Friday deal by $40. You may still have the chance to get it delivered before Sunday, February 8, or for peace of mind you can choose in-store pickup at your local Best Buy store.

Sonos Premium Entertainment Set for $1459

Includes Sonos Arc Ultra ($1,099 retail) and Sonos Sub 4 ($899)

A new report has shed light on Microsoft’s Xbox plans for 2026, while confirming one unannounced game is still in the works.

As Microsoft announced last month, Playground's Forza Horizon 6 is out in May. The Verge said Halo: Campaign Evolved is tentatively targeting a release in the summer. Gears of War: E-Day, meanwhile, is set for the second half of the year. Playground's Fable, as we know, is due out in the fall. Microsoft reportedly wants both Gears of War: E-Day and Fable to avoid GTA 6’s gargantuan November launch.

According to the report, the Fallout 3 remaster fans are desperate to see announced is still in “active development,” three years after it appeared in FTC documents as part of Microsoft’s bid to buy Activision Blizzard. The Verge said Bethesda is keen to ensure the game is polished enough to enjoy a successful launch similar to last year’s The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, which Bethesda chief Todd Howard recently told IGN he was "really, really pleased" with.

Amazon's Fallout TV show countdown turned out not to be Fallout 3 or Fallout: New Vegas Remastered, so news that the Fallout 3 release is still happening will be of some comfort to fans. The Verge did not provide an update on the potential Fallout: New Vegas remaster.

Bethesda's space RPG Starfield, meanwhile, is reportedly set for new content soon, and it looks like we’ll hear about the heavily rumored PlayStation 5 version soon, too. Double Fine's recently revealed Kiln is reportedly out in April.

In terms of hardware, The Verge said Microsoft will release a new Xbox controller this year. It will reportedly include Wi-Fi connectivity to reduce Xbox Cloud Gaming latency. There's no suggestion Microsoft will release its next-gen Xbox this year, which tallies with recent comments from the boss of AMD. However, The Verge expressed hope that Microsoft will talk more about its next-gen console plans later this year.

Last month, Microsoft held an Xbox Developer Direct Showcase where it revealed new information and gameplay on everything from Forza Horizon 6 to Fable. Check out everything announced here.

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.

Looking for a high-capacity, high-output power bank with a slim footprint? Amazon has dropped the price of the Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W power bank to just $39.99 shipped after you apply coupon code "YBKEIAQE". Unlike previous iterations of this deal, you do NOT have to be an Amazon Prime member. Unlike most high-capacity power banks that are shaped like a chunky bar, the Baseus Blade is slimmer. It's powerful enough to charge any gaming handheld PC at its fastest rate. This is one of the most popular power banks on IGN.

Baseus Blade 20,000mAh 100W Slim Power Bank for $39.99

Bethesda has trumpeted the news that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will be squeezed onto a proper Switch 2 Game Card for its physical release — though other titles coming to the console will just be codes in a box.

During today's Partner Direct broadcast focusing on upcoming games coming to Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, Bethesda boss Todd Howard briefly appeared to welcome a swathe of games coming to Nintendo's newest console.

In a press release sent to IGN following the broadcast, Bethesda has now detailed its launch plans further, and announced on social media that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would get a full-fat cartridge launch, rather than on one of Nintendo's widely-disliked Game-Key Cards.

And yes, the game is on Game Card.#IndianaJones https://t.co/jJ0cTDKLLL

— Bethesda (@bethesda) February 5, 2026

Bethesda's social post has received a string of praise, with many fans wondering how the game has been made to fit onto a Switch 2 cartridge. "Wow, totally unexpected," wrote Digital Foundry veteran and game preservation fan John Linneman in response.

Late last year, one Switch 2 developer initially suggested that Nintendo was preparing to make more sizes of Game Cartridge available for manufacturers to ship titles on, rather than relying on Game-Key cards. However, the developer then scrubbed most of this information from the internet, and implied it was unable to announce anything that Nintendo itself had not confirmed officially.

Bethesda's other three titles getting physical launches on Switch 2 this year will not be on Game Cartridges, or even Game-Key cards. Instead, Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Anniversary Edition will all have physical editions that are "code-in-a-box," Bethesda has said. Of course, all of these games will be available via digital download too, via the Switch 2's eShop.

As announced (and leaked) earlier today, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle will launch digitally and physically on May 12. The game's DLC, The Order of Giants, will also be available download separately on that date.

Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition launches digitally on February 24 and physically on April 28. Skyrim Anniversary Edition is available digitally already, and will come in a box on April 28. Finally, Oblivion Remastered has a vague "2026" launch window for now.

For much more, here's everything else announced in today's Nintendo Partner Direct.

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

Project Hail Mary is almost here, but before the highly-anticipated film can grace us with its presence, it has to drop a final trailer. Well, according to a new TV spot teaser, below, both the film’s final trailer and a Super Bowl spot are coming very soon.

The new teaser confirmed that both of the film’s seemingly final promotional drops will happen on Sunday, February 8 — which makes Project Hail Mary one of several films that will reportedly have trailers during the big game. Fans can reportedly anticipate new trailers for Scream 7 and the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael, as well as Toy Story 5, The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Minions 3.

Something’s coming this Sunday…
I cannot wait for you all to see Project Hail Mary in cinemas March 20. pic.twitter.com/5h8NHpzOmp

— Christopher Miller (@chrizmillr) February 5, 2026

It seems as though we will also get a trailer for the new Steven Spielberg epic Disclosure Day, which might just be my most anticipated trailer of the game personally. One thing to note is that it's looking like there won't be any Marvel trailers this year, meaning no sneak peaks at Spider-Man: Brand New Day or Avengers: Doomsday just yet.

There’s going to be a lot of interesting pop culture events, so to speak, happening during Super Bowl LX. Pokemon will be airing a special video in celebration of their 30th anniversary featuring Jigglypuff (excellent choice, right?) during their spot, while Xfinity will have their own spot featuring an uncannily de-aged Sam Neil, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park. Hey, I didn’t say whether the events would be good or bad, I just said there would be pop culture events.

Project Hail Mary was directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from a script by Drew Goddard based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir. It stars Ryan Gosling alongside Sandra Hüller, Lionel Boyce, Ken Leung, and Milana Vayntrub.

The film is set to be released in theaters on March 20, just under two months from Super Bowl weekend.

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

You've probably heard of Hellboy, but did you know this demonic paranormal investigator has a family? That was one of the big reveals in Mike Mignola's Hellboy in Hell series, which introduced Hellboy's brothers, Gamon and Lusk. Now Mignola is teaming with his own brother, Todd, to craft a new story that sheds more light on Hellboy's dysfunctional family dynamic.

IGN can exclusively debut a new preview of The Crown: A Tale of Hell, which is set in the 16th Century and focuses on Hellboy's brothers and their long-lost mother. Check it out in the slideshow gallery below:

The Crown: A Tale of Hell is a two-issue series co-written by Mike and Todd Mignola, while artist Warwick Caldwell-Johnson (Our Encounters With Evil) makes his Hellboy debut on the series. The first issue features covers by Mike Mignola and Caldwell-Johnson. Here's Dark Horse's official description of the series:

The Crown: A Tale of Hell stars Hellboy’s brothers Gamon and Lusk, who first appeared in Mignola’s beloved 2012 series Hellboy in Hell, as they fight for control of Pandemonium in this demonic family reunion. But it isn’t just the siblings who get involved in the power struggle, as their mother returns from her prison for the first time in a hundred years with plans of her own.

“Todd came to me with the idea of writing something about Hellboy’s brothers,” said Mike Mignola in a statement. “It never would have occurred to me to do more with those guys but it didn’t take much prodding. Brothers writing about brothers in a somewhat complicated family dynamic—once we got going it was almost too easy. And fun. And SO MUCH fun that I could only imagine it drawn by Warwick.”

“The Crown follows a day in the 16th century life of Hellboy’s ‘Hell family.’” said Todd Mignola. “In the bowels of Castle Azzael, a crown is secretly being forged for a new king. Palace intrigue and deceitful backstabbing ensue as Hellboy’s dad, uncle and half-brothers all vie for the prize; for the chance to seize sleeping Satan’s throne.”

The Crown: A Tale of Hell #1 will be released on February 11. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.

In other comic book news, find out which series was selected as IGN's best comic book of 2025, and see which comics we're most excited for in 2026.

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

Odds are, if Mouse: P.I. for Hire caught your eye, it's because of its unique, hand-drawn, black-and-white 1930s-era "rubber hose" animation style. But it's aiming to be a lot more than just a pretty face. We played Mouse last year – and we'll be doing so again as part of this month's exclusive IGN First coverage – but today we're taking a deeper dive into its wild cartoon arsenal and its boomer shooter-inspired combat.

The developers at Fumi Games told us, "The core combat gameplay revolves around an 'Always Be Moving' approach, encouraging players to stay constantly on the move to survive." Complicating that will be environmental hazards, like freeze, turpentine, fire, and explosive barrels that can either be used against you or used by you. But ammo and health are scattered about, encouraging further exploration of the environment. And you won't be a tank; just a few hits can put hero Jack Pepper in a serious world of hurt.

Meanwhile, an assortment of core abilities and unlockable ones will help you Always Be Moving, such as a slide, dash, double jump, pipe crawl, kick, wall run, and wall climb – along with your multipurpose tail that, over the course of the campaign, can be used for lockpicking, helicoptering, and as a grappling hook.

Power-ups, too, will spice up the moment-to-moment gameplay, like Spinach (think: Popeye), Coffee (activates Cuphead-like finger guns that shoot rapidly), Chili Peppers (damage bonus + rate of fire bonus + fire damage), and Cheese (health powerup that can be activated anytime you want).

But let's get to the stars of the combat show: the weapons (See a bunch of them in the gif gallery above). There are a whopping eleven of them, starting with your fists if you run out of ammo – but you'll probably never use them if given any other choice. Moving up from there, the Micer pistol is what you'd expect, though it does have a burst-shot alt-fire. Your Boomstick, meanwhile, packs a short-range punch – with a hold charge/pump fire as an alt.

Things get more interesting and unique with the Devarnisher, which melts the skin off your foes, Roger Rabbit-style, courtesy of the balls of turpentine it fires. Its alt-fire is a larger blob that explodes to affect more enemies. The James Gun is a Tommy gun that stops enemies from attacking and has a spray fire for an alt.

The Kiss Kiss is a double-barrelled shotgun that adds fire damage thanks to its exploding shells. The alt fire on this one is a larger, area-of-effect explosion. The Loose Cannon, meanwhile, really leans into Mouse's cartoon framework; it's a literal cannon like you'd find on a pirate ship that has knockback effects as well as doing big damage. In alt-fire mode it launches a charged-up burst shot. The Jar Head, on the other hand, fires waves of psionic power that stun and eventually kill enemies – and it carries an AoE. Its beam-attack alt is particularly potent if you aim at the opponent's head.

The last of the arsenal starts with the Portable Freezer, firing a cold beam that slows and eventually freezes foes in their tracks, allowing you to shatter them. The alt-fire spits speedy snowballs. I'm eager to try the Hellrazor, a chainsaw that pummels enemies with fire damage if they get hit with the wave. Its alt-fire is a traditional chainsaw that you do not want to be caught on the business end of.

And finally, the D-namite can take out certain walls and floors in addition to blasting the bad guys to bits. All told, I'm eager to try out all of these toys. Circle March 19 on your calendar, as that's when Mouse: P.I. for Hire will be released on PC, PlayStation platforms, Xbox platforms, and Nintendo Switch platforms.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, so it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.

Dell wants the Alienware Aurora 16X to be your star mid-range gaming laptop, and it mostly succeeds in that role with its strong RTX 5070 performance and gorgeous 16-inch, 2K display. But after spending enough time with it, its keyboard gets too tiresome to game with, and I clung to my gaming headset even when playing alone. Already, those flaws mixed with a high price tag are tough to swallow. However, the Aurora 16X still gets the job done (and in style), so it might still be worth taking a look.

Design and Features

Just because it’s smaller than the Area-51 doesn't make the Aurora 16X sleek — it’s still a chunky beast, but I’m not mad about it. The indigo colorway spreads like a silk sheet over the Aurora’s anodized aluminum lid. I love this color way more than what the Area-51 is wearing (teal), which is ironic because that’s the more expensive one.

The curved edges around the lid, hinge, and sides give a soft approach, which is a refreshing break from the usual edgy gamer look. With little-to-no flex over its iridescent Alienware logo, this gaming laptop is hella sturdy. It stacks up to 14.05 x 10.45 x 0.76~0.92 inches and 5.7 pounds.

Popping open the hood revealed more of the same sleek colorway, this time on a magnesium alloy frame with a nice satin finish. There’s a curved palm rest for comfort and ease of lifting the lid. Meanwhile, the keyboard is neatly packed in the center, but supports only one-zone RGB lighting, which looks cheap. The touchpad sits just underneath, somewhat smaller than I expected, and the bezels on the display look a bit thick due to the angled lip.

A neat feature about the underside is there’s a thick slab that props the laptop up, with vents all around it to ensure good airflow. More laptops need better cooling designs like this — there’s nothing more annoying than an underside that gets scorching hot because you positioned it on the wrong surface.

Configurations

The Alienware Aurora 16X is a classic mid-range gaming laptop, but it comes in pricey compared with other rigs in its category. But that’s what you get when you’re looking to buy from a premium brand like Alienware. Here’s what’s packed in the unit Dell sent me for review:

This review unit costs $1,999 (seen for $1,649), which is up there for an RTX 5070 gaming laptop. It also comes in an RTX 5060 version for $1,549. But if you’re looking for something cheaper than that, you need to lose the “X” in the Aurora 16X (yes, really).

The Aurora 16 comes in two GPU variants, including the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050, and both opting for an Intel Core 7-240H processor. They cost around or under $1,000. But wait, what does the “X” really lose you? Well, you drop to a 120Hz display with lower brightness, a 720p webcam, and you lose the Thunderbolt 4 port. The latter two are pretty insignificant, but losing the display is tough.

Display

While I will continue to rant about Alienware needing to offer OLED or Mini-LED options for their gaming laptops, the Aurora 16X’s IPS display is quite stunning.

This display is plenty bright, rated at 500 nits, and offers a crisp 2560 x 1600 resolution, so I could admire the sharp strands of hair on Naoe Fujibayashi’s head in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Making my way through Hijacked in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the brown wood planks contrasted well against the milky white ship, which was dreamy enough to get me killed by some jabroni running out of the cabin.

With Nvidia G-Sync to reduce screen tearing and the 240Hz refresh rate, getting in car chases across Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 felt satisfyingly smooth as I drifted back onto the highway. However, keep in mind that if you want to use the full breadth of the 240Hz refresh rate, you’ll need to turn down the graphics quite a bit. An RTX 5070 can’t get you quite that far on the highest settings – especially at 1600p.

Everything In-Between

There’s a decent number of ports to get your essential peripherals all connected to the Alienware Aurora 16X, even if you don’t have Bluetooth accessories. There’s a Thunderbolt 4 slot for fast connectivity (great for external storage) as well as an additional USB Type-C port. You also get two USB Type-A ports and a headphone jack to connect legacy devices. Then there’s an HDMI 2.1 slot to connect to an external display, and an Ethernet port to speed up your internet speed. But with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, you shouldn’t have to worry much about connectivity.

The keyboard is comfortable thanks to the cushy palm rests, but the key travel is a bit short. It’s okay to type on, but it’s not satisfying to use when gaming. I wish the keyboard was a bit higher on the deck. The angled palm rest makes it feel like my hand is sliding off when in the WASD position. And the touchpad is in a similar boat where it’s unpleasant to use – it’s too resistant, stiff, and small.

Laptop webcams are almost never good, and the Alienware Aurora 16X’s 1080p shooter is no exception. It’ll get you through video chatting with friends, but between the grain imposed over the image and the washed out colors, I wouldn’t try to stream with this thing.

Dolby Atmos isn’t enough to elevate the speakers beyond middling. The dialogue in Cyberpunk 2077 sounded crisp, but combined with the gunfire and techno music, it felt more like a muddled mess. It gave me a headache listening to it for a short while. I highly recommend gaming with headphones.

Performance

The Alienware Aurora 16X delivers all the performance you expect from an RTX 5070, hitting solid numbers even in the highest settings on intensive AAA games. However, you may struggle in certain areas, especially if you’re averse to supersampling technology.

Before I got to the crunchy numbers, the Alienware Aurora 16X suffered from some serious stuttering while gaming. I updated my graphics drivers and Windows 11, and yes, turned it off and on again. I took a peak at the Alienware Command Center (Settings > Performance) and saw that Hybrid Graphics was enabled, which allows the laptop to switch between integrated and discrete graphics to save on battery life. I disabled that with the MUX Switch and games ran fine after that.

I reached out to Dell for some insight, and a representative tried to replicate the issue on a different machine, but didn’t see the stuttering. I have experienced issues with hybrid graphics on other gaming laptops, so it might not be a problem on Aurora 16X, but if you run into it, you now know what to do.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 ran smooth as I started rinsing fools through a Japanese feudal castle and a war-torn Alaskan town. The benchmarks reflected that great performance, too, proving that the Alienware Aurora 16X can handle competitive games at the highest settings. However, as I mentioned earlier, the Aurora isn’t taking full advantage of its 240Hz screen. If you want higher frames, you need to turn the graphics down.

On a more intensive test, the Alienware Aurora 16X cleared 30 fps in Cyberpunk 2077 at its native resolution set to Ray Tracing Ultra. However, Ray Tracing Overdrive proved to be too much for it, and that tracks with most mid-range gaming laptops. But if you run it at 1200p, you’ll get playable frames at the highest settings.

With no upscaling technology, the Aurora 16X’s RTX 5070 did decently well on the Metro Exodus benchmark, scoring close to 60 fps at 1200p on the highest settings. But it failed to get past the 30 fps threshold at its native resolution.

In games like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you can see the benefit of frame generation technology. At Ultra High settings on its native resolution, the Alienware Aurora 16X jumped from unplayable to an average of over 50 fps.

Battery Life

Gaming laptops typically don’t last very long in the battery life department, although they’ve improved over the years, with laptops like the Razer Blade 14 hitting over 7 hours. But the Alienware Aurora 16X isn’t a 14-inch gaming laptop with reduced power output. Its chunky 16 inches lasted only 3 hours and 20 minutes on Procyon's Office Productivity Battery Life Test. (This is with hybrid graphics enabled.)

The Alienware Aurora 16X isn’t going to get you very far when gaming on battery alone, not to mention the fact that the performance will tank as well. I highly recommend keeping the Aurora 16X plugged in at all times.

Square Enix is planning to "share more updates than ever before" on its Final Fantasy 7 Remake project this year, according to game director Naoki Hamaguchi.

This comes from a tweet posted by Hamaguchi following today's Nintendo Switch Partner Direct, during which Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received a June release date for Switch 2 and Xbox consoles. The post, which Hamaguchi wrote in both Japanese and English, reads as follows:

"We’ve announced that FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH will launch on June 3.

"With the addition of Switch 2 and Xbox, the game will be released as a full multi‑platform title.

"This year, we plan to share more updates on the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Project than ever before.

"We look forward to celebrating together with even more players around the world."

We’ve announced that FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH will launch on June 3.
With the addition of Switch 2 and Xbox, the game will be released as a full multi‑platform title.
This year, we plan to share more updates on the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Project than ever before.
We look… https://t.co/GFImeiPiC7 pic.twitter.com/f0TaiDHlhJ

— 浜口直樹 /FFVII REBIRTH launches on Switch2&Xbox Jun 3 (@nhamaguc) February 5, 2026

This is exciting news for Remake fans, who have been on the edge of their seats for the last few years, waiting for news of the third game in the trilogy, which we have yet to see at all. Though Hamaguchi didn't outright say it, this feels like a tease for a reveal this year. Rebirth left the story on one heck of a cliffhanger, with players left doubting whether the game's most famous twist really took place or not. The third game has a lot of work to do to land the plot plane set up by Remake and Rebirth, and it will be interesting to see how Square Enix does it. Fans have already been speculating as to what Part 3 will be called, following the "Remake" and "Rebirth" titles as well as "Reunion" on the recent Crisis Core remake. Popular suggestions include Reincarnation, Revival, Reawakening, Redemption, and Return.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake first launched in 2020. At the time we gave it an 8/10, saying that it "breathes exciting new life into a classic while standing as a great RPG all its own." The game was originally a PS4 exclusive, but came to PS5 in its fancy DLC-filled form with Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade, later to PC and Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2 as well just last month.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was also excellent, with us giving it a 9/10 and saying it "impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion, both as a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Netflix is taking us back, not a few decades but millions of years to the era of dinosaurs. The streamer has revealed its official trailer, key art, and release date for the upcoming documentary series The Dinosaurs.

The poster features a monstrously huge dino mouth about to swallow a shark whole, and the trailer gives viewers a glimpse of exactly that in action, while narrator Morgan Freeman tells us: “This is the story of the dinosaurs.” Intense stuff! The sneak peek also gives viewers a look at many different types of animals sharing the world with dinosaurs, as well as several different types of dinos themselves.

Take an epic journey into a lost world in THE DINOSAURS, a new documentary series narrated by Morgan Freeman, premiering March 6.

From executive producer Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, and the award-winning team behind Life on Our Planet. pic.twitter.com/Dv5LC07n1F

— Netflix (@netflix) February 5, 2026

The series, which will consist of four hour-long episodes, is narrated by none other than one of the smoothest voices in Hollywood: Morgan Freeman. Plus, the legendary Steven Spielberg is producing the series, so there’s already two great reasons to watch.

Alongside the other details, Netflix also revealed the show’s logline: “Welcome to The Dinosaurs – an epic journey into a lost world. From executive producer Steven Spielberg, Amblin Documentaries, and the award‑winning team behind Life on Our Planet, this groundbreaking documentary series follows the rise and fall of the dinosaurs across hundreds of millions of years.”

Dan Tapster, Keith Scholey, and Alastair Fothergill will serve as co-showrunners, with Nick Shoolingin-Jordan directing the series and Lorne Balfe serving as composer. Industrial Light & Magic is also behind the visual effects and animation in the series.

The Dinosaurs is set to premiere on Netflix on March 6.

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

Today's Nintendo Switch Partner Direct has revealed a new exclusive for Switch 2 — bizarre-looking dinosaur survival game Tokyo Scramble.

While a trailer shown during the Partner Direct focused on tension, and the fact that protagonist Anne has to rely on setting traps for survival, a subsequent video posted by Binary Haze takes a more light-hearted approach.

In a montage of scenes we see a dinosaur (officially here called a "Zino") getting stuck going the wrong way up an escalator, as Anne makes a quip about its daily steps. Further clips show dinosaurs getting pelted with beach balls, repeatedly flattened and set on fire by various objects, electrocuted by a tripwire, rammed by a minecart and yanked off by a robot arm. Honestly, it's enough to make you feel sorry for them.

As well as hairy velociraptors, other Zino species include one that looks like a vampire bat, and another hairy creature that looks a cross between a dragon and that thing from The Neverending Story.

"A life-or-death struggle begins deep below Tokyo, where clear thinking and split-second decisions could make all the difference," reads an official blurb. "You play as Anne, a survivor who finds herself in a network of subterranean caverns overrun by Zino – mysterious creatures that resemble dinosaurs. Use stealth, strategy, quick thinking and unwavering determination to escape the prehistoric world alive."

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the game is your ability to share control with up to three other players across Switch and Switch 2 consoles via GameShare. Here, control of Anne's movement, actions, abilities and even the game's camera can be portioned out to a group.

Tokyo Scramble launches exclusively for Switch 2 on February 11 via the Nintendo eShop. For much more, here's everything announced in today's Nintendo Partner Direct.

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

If you're a horror fan who's been keeping an eye on the A Nightmare on Elm Street seven-film 4K collection since its release, we have exciting news: it's dropped to a brand new all-time low price at Amazon. It's currently on sale for $67.49 at the retailer, which is 36% off its list price of $104.98. This means you get all seven movies on 4K for just under $70, or about $10 a movie, which is a pretty sweet deal.

Considering this is the lowest price we've seen so far on this collection, now is an excellent time to grab it for your library if you've had your eye on it.

A Nightmare on Elm Street: 7-Film Collection on 4K for $67.49

Fans of 2023's Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, got a delightful surprise this morning during the Nintendo Partner Direct, with the reveal of a surprise sequel coming to Nintendo Switch. It's called Paranormasight: The Mermaid's Curse, and it's coming out in just two weeks, on February 19.

The Mermaid's Curse follows a young pearl diver named Yuza who one day, while working, sees a ghostly version of himself. This sets off a chain of other strange incidents: corpses washing up, a girl with no memories, and townsfolks with ulterior motives. As Yuza, you'll question people around the island to try and find out what's going on, while also diving into the waters of the bay for clues. All of it has ties somehow to a centuries-old legend of a mermaid, and true to form, it all seems kind of creepy!

The original Paranormasight debuted in 2023 on Switch, PC, and mobile. While thematically similar, it told a different mystery story with different characters, and it's unclear if there will be narrative times between The Seven Mysteries of Honjo and The Mermaid's Curse. The first Paranormasight was well-received, and currently stands at an 85 critic score and 8.9 user score on Metacritic. We're still waiting to hear if the new game will come to other platforms, but given the mobile and PC releases of The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, it seems like a reasonable expectation.

You can catch up on everything announced at today's Nintendo Direct right here.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

As Fallout Season 2 draws to a close, all signs point towards Colorado as the setting for the next adventure. A postcard left in an abandoned cryopod all but confirms that The Ghoul’s wife and daughter are waiting for him there, and a shot of the Enclave’s secret headquarters suggests that the show’s newly-revealed big bad is operating out of the Rocky Mountains.

For fans, this is an interesting new direction. After the first season explored California, the setting for the original two Fallout games, and the second expanded into the Mojave wasteland of Fallout: New Vegas, it seemed logical that the story would continue to visit familiar locations. Washington, D.C. or Boston, the settings of Fallout 3 and 4, respectively, seemed sensible bets. But certainly not Colorado, which despite geographically making sense for the next steps beyond the New Vegas strip, is barely a footnote in the RPG’s extensive lore.

Dive deeper into the Fallout archives, though, and Colorado becomes significantly more important. The state was planned to be the setting for what would have been Interplay and Black Isle Studios’ third Fallout game, codenamed “Van Buren”, which was cancelled back in 2003. Since then, dozens of design documents have fallen into public hands, revealing the intended storyline for what could have been the original Fallout 3. And as the show signals its intent to travel to the Centennial State, it’s impossible not to wonder if Season 3 will be at least a little inspired by the Fallout that never was.

The Second Apocalypse

Sony has finally announced Guerrilla’s Horizon live service multiplayer game, Horizon Hunters Gathering. It’s due out for PlayStation 5 and PC.

A “small-scale” closed playtest is due at the end of February, which you can sign up for via the PlayStation Beta Program. Expect crossplay and cross-progression. There's no release date yet, nor is there word on whether it's free-to-play or a premium game. The debut trailer, which includes gameplay, is below.

As you can see from the trailer and screenshots, Horizon Hunters Gathering has a cartooney art style, which is in contrast to the photrealistic visuals of the mainline Horizon series. Clearly, Sony and Guerrilla are trying to create a more lighthearted experience with Hunters Gathering, with the Zero Dawn and Forbidden West more serious offerings. There are strong Monster Hunter vibes, too.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, game director Arjan Bak said that in Horizon Hunters Gathering, you fight deadly machines in tactical three-player co-op action and adapt your Hunter for intense missions.

"Combat is tactical, reactive, and deeply skill-based, building on the tactical precision of the Horizon games while embracing the dynamics of team play," Bak said. "The foundation of Horizon Hunters Gathering centers around challenging and replayable hunts."

Bak confirmed two game modes: Machine Incursion, which is described as "a high-intensity mission" where waves of machines pour out from underground gateways, led by a "formidable boss"; and Cauldron Descent, a longer, multi-stage trial in which "ever-changing rooms push Hunters to their limits, from brutal machine encounters to hidden doors that promise power and reward for teams prepared to open them." Both modes wil be available in the upcoming closed playtest.

There's a roster of Hunters to play as, each with distinct melee or ranged playstyles and weapons. Bak said there's also a rogue-lite perk system to craft the build you want. Story wise, there's a narrative campaign "which will introduce new mysteries, characters, and threats, but we’re keeping it under wraps for now," Bak said. "What we can say is that Hunters Gathering is fully canon and its story doesn’t stop at launch!"

The social hub is the name of the game: Hunters Gathering. It's "a vibrant social hub where players can connect, prepare, and celebrate victories together. Here, you can customize your Hunters, visit vendors, upgrade gear, and team up for your next adventure."

Horizon Hunters Gathering isn't the only multiplayer game set in the Horizon universe. Bizarrely, NCSoft and Sony are working on Horizon Steel Frontiers, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game designed for mobile devices, but also playable on PC. NCSoft is said to be working closely with Guerrilla to craft the world, but this is very much an NCSoft-developed game. Horizon 3, meanwhile, was in late 2024 described as being "a ways off." Sony is said to be aiming to start filming its live-action Horizon Zero Dawn movie this year, with a release at some point in 2027.

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.

Listen, I’m always going to have a Leon-sized hole that needs filling and from playing his portions in the latest Resident Evil 9 Requiem demo, I’m pretty sure I’ll be taken care of (for the year, at least). The roundhouse kicks, the corny one liners, and the brutal blood-splattering finishers – things I loved from the recent Resident Evil 4 remake round out what’s otherwise a terrifying survival horror experience. And the crux of that survival horror is stealth and having the proper mechanics in place to make that tension tangible. So, not only does Grace’s side of Requiem evoke a petrifying sense of dread atop the classic puzzle-solving of the series, it’s also a fantastic expression of the kind of stealth-action gameplay I’ve been wanting for a while.

Our previous Resident Evil 9 Requiem preview by my colleague Dale Driver touched on plenty of sentiments I share; most notable for me being the refreshing balance between the drastically different playstyles of Grace and Leon as dual protagonists. Grace being timid and having to rely on moving slowly and carefully, contrasting with Leon being the action hero who blasts through every zombie. But it’s the Grace sections where Capcom is doing something really special with stealth gameplay that feels natural and forward-thinking.

Capcom has made a big deal out of zombie behavior where their presumed personalities as humans feed into how they move and react in the game world as zombies. One example being the zombie fixated on light switches in a dark hallway you have to pass through as Grace – instead of taking him head-on with your limited resources, you can slip by and hit a light switch down the hall to distract him to clear the path to the other end. While this isn’t a complicated situation on its own, it’s a microcosm of how Requiem is challenging you as Grace, where observation and environment are just as important as staying out of sight. The game doesn’t outright tell you this, so thinking outside the box can lead to more elegant solutions.

This notion of watching out for zombie behavior is flipped around at times, too. Like when walking through the dining room where zombies are just feasting on the dead bodies on the table, not giving a damn about your presence and leaving you alone. I wasn’t sure if they’d react to me poking around picking up items, yet I still treaded carefully and let them do their thing. Naturally figuring out how these enemies respond to you and their surroundings is a fascinating way to give variety to navigating the labyrinthine halls, and a touch of detail that isn’t often seen.

What’s more frightening is the butcher who roams the kitchen. Early in the preview, you have to slip through by pushing a cart to clear the path across the kitchen, and you have to do this undetected, which requires you to pay attention to his patrol pattern. It’s simple enough, and making a mistake means he’ll chase you down and show you how terrifying he is; one hit and you’re dead. But later in the playthrough where you have to revisit that general area, he begins patrolling the hallways around the kitchen, and here, his presence is truly felt. Hearing his footsteps set off alarms in my brain that he began lurking, and the tension that created changed how I navigated an area I already mapped out.

I would duck and peek out from adjacent rooms to see if he was coming, and make a mad dash to where I needed to go hoping for the best and not looking back. One time, I was peeking from the parlor room thinking I was out of sight, but the butcher caught me peeking just a little too confidently and pulled up on me – I now had this cat-and-mouse chase, luring him in one direction before juking him to get out of the room.

Probably the biggest comedy of errors during my playtime came from dashing to the cold storage room where my next objective was. I had a straight shot from, like, three hallways down and I risked it all by booking it and letting fate take the wheel. Just as I got to the last stretch, there was the butcher turning the corner and ending up right in front of me along his new patrol pattern. I backpedaled in a panic, pumped my one remaining shot from the superpowered Requiem pistol and the rest of my 9mm rounds, but it wasn’t enough; so I just took the L and reloaded my save.

The first time I got hit with a jump scare was when Chunk burst out into a hallway after I picked up a quest item. It began chasing me and it was easy enough to run to a room for safety since it couldn’t get through normal-sized door frames. But the rest of the surrounding hallways were fair game. And like many Resident Evils with puzzles, backtracking to this area later on filled me with dread. Thankfully, Chunk wasn’t as overbearing, but it’d more frequently completely block certain paths, forcing me to either take the long way around or wait things out until the coast was clear. But on my first attempt, I wasn’t exactly sure what its behavior pattern would be. And that’s a key part of making stealth gameplay interesting and horror work well – it’s that unpredictable nature of hostility.

These stalker-type enemies aren’t meant to be killed (as Grace, at least), and they’re also not quite like the persistent threats of Mr. X from Resident Evil 2 or Nemesis in Resident Evil 3. Each one seems to play different roles and present a different kind of dread throughout Requiem, which I suspect will lead to more variation. Even thinking back to the very first Requiem preview I played last year with the monstrous patient roaming the halls of the patient wing in Grace’s opening section, that was closer to a specifically scripted sequence. But it was a much more close-quarters stealth challenge where the windows of opportunity to escape were tighter. So, already, that’s three unique enemies playing into a horror experience in their own ways.

Requiem being primarily a survival horror game means it’s going to be a bit outside of what I traditionally expect from stealth-action games; or rather the stealth mechanics you see in so many action games. Hiding in tall grass, waiting for enemies to turn their backs, and getting a one-hit kill undetected is a tired trope at this point. Grace does get craftable single-use items for stealth kills, and I hope we’re challenged by limiting quantities so we have to really consider when to use them. But even then, Requiem doesn’t just deal in patrol patterns or throwing an object to cause a distraction, it also deals in vulnerability and the fear of unpredictability for Grace’s chapters. It’s not just the fear of getting detected, but the consequences that come with it.

Grace's portion of Requiem was about an hour-and-a-half to two hours of playtime. And after that, I was pretty exhausted from the tension. Don’t get me wrong, I was exhausted in a good way. However, that’s what makes the interstitial Leon sections so important. They’re a reprieve and an outlet to get all that stress out, a palette cleanser to balance things out and look at some of the same environments from a different perspective. This also offers a sort of best-of-both-worlds for the series, the slow and deliberate pacing of Resident Evil 7 alongside the top-tier action from Resident Evil 4, as examples.

After getting hands-on with a total of about four hours of Resident Evil 9 Requiem at this point, and sharing that experience with colleagues, I’m more excited for the series than I have been in recent memory. It’s the old mixed with the new, but all in a modern package with two protagonists I already like a lot. No shade to RE7 and RE Village, but Ethan Winters doesn’t compare to Grace, and definitely not my guy Leon. And with a thoughtful mix of action and stealth gameplay, February 27 can’t come soon enough when Resident Evil 9 Requiem hits PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Full spoilers follow for Starfleet Academy Episode 5, “Series Acclimation Mil.”

This week's installment of Starfleet Academy makes good on a promise Paramount+ essentially made last summer at San Diego Comic-Con when the streamer released a trailer for the series which seemed to indicate that the mystery of Captain Benjamin Sisko would be addressed. Sisko, of course, was the Starfleet officer and Emissary to the Prophets, played by Avery Brooks for seven seasons on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, who disappeared in the classic series finale "What You Leave Behind," apparently ascending to a higher form of life as one of the other-wordly and god-like Prophets himself.

And now the episode of Starfleet Academy which delves into this topic has been released. In “Series Acclimation Mil,” Kerrice Brooks' Sam -- who is something of an emissary herself for her people -- embarks on a mission to learn everything she can about Sisko. Along the way, none other than Cirroc Lofton returns as Jake Sisko, having played Benjamin's son in DS9 all those years ago. And while Brooks does not appear as the long-lost captain, we do hear his voice in the final moments of the episode... and if you look really closely, you can see an image of his face in the clouds in that last shot.

We spoke with showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau about the decision to return to the story of the Siskos, how it was achieved, and more...

The Return of Captain Benjamin Sisko and His Son Jake

IGN: At what point did you say, "We want to address the Sisko of it all"?

Noga Landau: I have to say that when I started this job, people from my past, the most random people were emailing me, DMing me and saying, "Hey, congrats. And by the way, when is someone going to do something for Captain Sisko? When is someone going to do something for DS9?" So it felt like the universe was sending us a very clear message.