The Resident Evil Requiem from The Game Awards finally confirmed that Leon S. Kennedy will return as the game’s second playable protagonist. Although he has aged a bit since we last saw him, Japanese fans have been taking to social media to praise Leon’s suave, older look.

Slated for a multiplatform release on February 27, 2026, Resident Evil Requiem is the ninth mainline title in Capcom’s survival horror series. It will introduce new main character Grace Ashcroft, an FBI analyst who is investigating a series of mysterious deaths that seem to be linked to Victor Gideon, a former Umbrella Corp. researcher. While it seems that Grace’s parts of the game will play more like typical survival horror, the new trailer, below, gave fans a peek at Leon’s more action-orientated zombie-battling gameplay, complete with chainsaw. “Grace’s gameplay style is based on Resident Evil 2, whereas Leon’s is based on Resident Evil 4,” director Akifumi Nakanishi revealed in a recent interview with Denfaminicogamer.

Although Leon has always had his fans, the D.S.O agent’s middle-aged incarnation is getting much praise from Japanese speaking users on X. He’s already being affectionately called ikeoji (literally, “hot uncle” — a cool and attractive older guy). “Leon’s gradually becoming a hot uncle” one user mused. Sharing some screenshots, another user chimed in with “Leon’s aging in a cool way.” Another user summed up: “Resident Evil 9’s Leon is too hot. He’s 49 in this (as of 2026)? He’s so suave."

Fans are also getting inspired to draw Leon’s new look. “Leon in Resi 9’s new trailer is too damn fine,” said one user, posting the following fan art. “He’s aging in such a wonderful way, while retaining his coolness. I’m really looking forward to meeting this Leon,” enthused another user. “He’s turning into a hot older guy, like Keanu Reeves!” said one commenter.

RE9新トレーラーのレオンが良すぎて。 pic.twitter.com/PIkrWuylo1

— □ (@dbox_2525) December 12, 2025

Other eagle-eyed trailer viewers have noticed that Leon seems to have some kind of rash on his neck, prompting concerns that he has been infected. While many seem to be enjoying middle-aged Leon’s looks, others are worried as to whether he should still be fighting off mutants at his age, with one person saying: “I love Leon, but they should let him rest.” In the previously mentioned Denfaminicogamer interview, Resident Evil Requiem’s director revealed that Leon has a “major secret” that will have significant implications (but he’s keeping quiet on what exactly that is).

コメントで教えてもらったけど
レオン..感染してるのかい？...#バイオハザードレクイエム pic.twitter.com/6GY05WqofY

— それいけジェットでやってみよう！ (@neko_sougo) December 12, 2025

Legendary Japanese game developer Hideki Kamiya also weighed in on Leon’s new appearance and how some of Capcom’s beloved characters are getting long in the tooth. “Uncle Leon, at the very least, I would like for you to live happily in your old age,” Kamiya commented, sharing a timelapse of Leon’s aging face. In response, another user wrote that, although they were fine with game characters getting older, they hoped that Resident Evil and Devil May Cry characters could receive the happy ending they deserve. Replying to this, Kamiya mused: “Even if Dante became happy, won’t he always be poor?”

レオンおじさん…せめて老後は幸せに暮らして欲しい… https://t.co/EzsvnVHp54

— 神谷英樹🍀 Hideki Kamiya🍀 (@HidekiKamiya_X) December 12, 2025

Resident Evil Requiem’s devs have already revealed that switching between playing as Grace and Leon will be like “jumping into a cold bath after a hot sauna,” such is the contrast between the tense survival horror sneaking and Leon’s no-holds-barred action. According to director Akifumi Nakanishi, there will be an almost equal split between newcomer Grace and fan favorite Leon. "Although he’s a character who carries a lot on his shoulders, we took a lot of care in refining him into an 'ikeoji',” Nakanishi concluded. "The reactions to the trailer on that front have made us happy (laughs).”

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.

Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios has released the Cold Snap update alongside lengthy patch notes for version 1.7.0 of the extraction shooter.

As announced, the headline gameplay change here is the Cold Snap map condition, but there’s also the start of the Flickering Flames event. Players also have the Expedition Departure Window to consider, the new free Raider Deck ‘Goalie’ coming on December 26, and new quests and items. We've got a full rundown of all the new content in the Cold Snap update as well as the gameplay changes.

But the focus here is on the just-released 1.7.0 patch. Highlights include Skill Tree Reset functionality, the addition of an option to toggle Aim Down Sights, Raider Tool customization, the Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap, the Aphelion blueprint drop moved from the Matriarch to Stella Montis, and various festive items “to get you into the holiday spirit.” It’s also worth noting an improved Stella Montis spawn distance to address the issue of players spawning too close to each other.

The patch notes, below (from the official Arc Raiders website), detail various balance changes alongside explanations from Embark Studios. And there are various fixes. Strap yourself in — this is a long one.

Arc Raiders Cold Snap update 1.7.0 Patch Notes:

Balance Changes

Weapons:

Bettina

Dev note: These changes aim to make the Bettina a bit less reliant on bringing a secondary weapon. The weapon should now be a bit more competent in PVP, without tipping the scales too much. Data shows that this weapon is still the highest performing PVE weapon at its rarity (Not counting the Hullcracker). The durability should also feel more in line with our other assault rifles.

• Durability Burn Rate has been reduced from ~0.43% to ~0.17% per shot
  • In practice, it used to take about 12 full magazines to fully deplete durability, but now it takes 26 (also accounting for the increased magazine size).
• Base Magazine Size has been increased from 20 to 22
• Base Reload Time has been reduced from 5 to 4.5

Rattler

Dev note: Even though the Rattler isn't intended to compete with the Stitcher or Kettle at close ranges, it is receiving a minor buff to bring its PVP TTK at lower levels a bit closer to the Stitcher and Kettle. The weapon should remain in its intended role as a more deliberate weapon where players are expected to dip in and out of cover, fire in controlled bursts, and manage their reloads.

• Base Magazine Size has been increased from 10 to 12

ARC:

Shredder

• Reduced the amount of knockback applied by weapons. Increased movement speed and turning responsiveness.
• Increased health of the Shredder's head to prevent cases where its head could be shot off, leading to unintended behavior.
• Improved Shredder navigation to reduce getting stuck on corners, narrow spaces, and short obstacles.
• Increased the speed at which the Shredder enters combat when taking damage and when in close proximity to players.
• Increased the number of parts on the Shredder that can be individually destroyed.

Content and Bug Fixes

Achievements

• Achievements are now enabled in the Epic store.

Animation

• Fixed an issue where picking up a Field Crate with a Trigger ’Nade attached could cause the character to slide or move without input.
• Fixed an issue where combining Snap Hook with ziplines or ladders could store momentum and propel the player long distances.
• Fixed an issue where the running animation could appear incorrect after a small drop when over-encumbered.
• Fixed interaction animations: interactions now end correctly when performing a dodge roll; interacting while holding items or deployables no longer causes arm twisting; updated crouch repair to use the correct animation.
• Added physical based secondary movement to character skins and equipment.

ARC

• Fixed an issue where deployables attached to enemies could cause them to launch or clip out of bounds when shot.
• Missiles no longer reverse course after passing a target and can correctly track targets at different elevations.
• Sentinel
  • Fixed a bug where the Sentinel laser did not reach the targeted player over greater distances.
• Surveyor
  • Disabled vaulting onto ARC Surveyors to prevent unintended launches when they are moving.
• Fixed an issue where Bombardier projectiles could shoot through the Matriarch shield from the outside.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where Gas, Stun, and Impulse Mines did not play their trigger sound or switch their light to yellow when triggered by being shot.
• Increased the number of simultaneous footstep sounds and increased their priority.
• Fixed an issue where footsteps in metal stairs became very quiet when walking slowly.
• Improved directional sound for ARC enemies.
• Added sounds for sending and receiving text chat messages in the main menu.
• Removed the unsettling "mom?" from Speranza cantina ambient sound.
• Tweaked the loudness of announcements in various Main Menu screens.
• Number of small audio bugfixes and polish.

Maps

• Fixed an issue with spawning logic which could cause players who were reconnecting at the start of a session to spawn next to other players who had just joined.
• Various collision, geometry, VFX and texture fixes that address gaps in terrain which made players fall through the map or walk inside geometry, stuck spots, camera clipping through walls, see-through geometry, floating objects, texture overlaps, etc.
• Fixed an issue with the slope of the Raider Hatch that was too steep for downed raiders to crawl on top of it.
• Security Lockers are now dynamically spawned across all maps instead of being statically placed.
• Fixed Raider Caches not spawning during Prospecting Probes in some cases.
• Fixed lootable containers and Supply Drops spawning inside terrain on The Dam and Blue Gate, ensuring they are accessible.
• Fixed an issue where doors could appear closed for some players despite being open.
• Electromagnetic Storm: Lightning strikes sometimes leave behind a valuable item.
• Increased the number of possible Great Mullein spawn locations across all maps.
• Dam Battlegrounds
  • Moved the Matriarch's spawn point in Dam Battlegrounds to an area that better plays to her strengths.
• Spaceport
  • Adjusted the locked room protection area in Container Storage on Spaceport to not affect players outside the room.
• Blue Gate
  • Locked Gate map condition has been added.
  • Adjusted map bounds near a ledge in Blue Gate to improve navigation and reduce abrupt out-of-bounds stops.
  • Improved tree LODs in Blue Gate to reduce overly dark visuals at distance.
  • Fixed the issue where loot would spawn outside the Locked Room in the Village.
  • Added props and visual cues to the final camp in the quest ‘A First Foothold’ to make objective locations easier to find.
• Stella Montis
  • Increased some item and blueprint spawn rates in Stella Montis.
  • Some breachable containers on Stella Montis no longer drop Rubber Ducks when using the A Little Extra skill (sorry).
  • Adjusted window glass clarity in Stella Montis to improve visibility.

Miscellaneous

• General crash fixes (including AMD crashes).
• Added Skill Tree Reset functionality in exchange for Coins, 2,000 Coins per skill point.
• Wallet now shows your Cred soft cap (800).
  • Dev note: We decided to implement a cap so that players won’t be able to fully unlock new Raider Decks by accumulating Cred and added more items to Shani’s store to purchase using Cred. We believe that the Raider Decks offer a rewarding experience to enjoy while players engage with the game, and a large Cred wallet undermines this goal. We will not be removing Cred that has been accumulated before the introduction of the soft cap.
• Added Raider Tool customization.
• Fixed a bug that caused players to spawn on servers without their gear and in default customization resulting in losing loadout items.
• For ranks up to Daredevil I, leaderboards now have a 3x promotion zone for the top 5 players. New objectives have been added.
• Fixed an issue where the tutorial door breach could be canceled, preventing the cutscene from playing and blocking progression.
• Fixed an issue where players could continue breaching doors while downed.
• Fixed an issue where accepting a Discord invite without having your account linked could fail to place you into the inviter’s party.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused textures and meshes to flicker between higher and lower quality states.
• Depth of field amount is now scaled correctly depending on your resolution scale.
• Fixed an issue where returning to the game after alt-tabbing could prevent movement and ability inputs while camera controls still worked.
• Improved input handling when the game window regains focus to avoid unexpected input mode switches.
• Skill Tree
  • Effortless Roll skill now provides greater stamina cost reduction.
  • The Calming Stroll skill now applies while moving in ADS.

Movement

• Fixed a traversal issue that blocked jumping/climbing in certain areas while crouched.
• Fixed an issue where climbing ladders over open gaps could cause automatic detachment.
• A slight stamina cost has been added for entering a slide.
• Acceleration has been reduced when doing a dodge roll from a slide.

UI

• Added an option to toggle Aim Down Sights.
• Added a new ‘Cinematic’ graphics setting to enhance visuals for high end PCs.
• Fixed an issue where returning to the game after alt-tabbing could prevent movement and ability inputs while camera controls still worked.
• Improved input handling when the game window regains focus to avoid unexpected input mode switches.
• Codex
  • Improved accuracy of tracking damage dealt in player stats.
  • Field-crafted items now properly count toward Player Stats in the Codex.
  • Fixed missing sound in Codex Records.
  • Added a Codex section to rewatch previously seen videos.
• Console
  • Updated PlayStation 5 controller button prompts with improved icons for Options and Share.
  • Fixed a crash when using Show Profile from the Player Info on Xbox.
• Customization
  • You can now rotate your character in the customization screen. Also fixed an issue where the first equip could trigger an unintended unequip.
  • Added notifications in Character Customization to highlight recently unlocked items.
  • Fixed an issue where equipment customization items bought from the Loadout screen were not equipped after pressing Equip on the purchase screen.
• End of round
  • Further reduced the frequency of the end of round feedback survey pop up.
  • Added an optional Round Feedback button on the final end-of-round screen to open a short post-match survey.
• Expedition Project
  • Added a show/hide tooltip hint to the Raider Projects screens (Expedition and Seasonal).
  • Added 'Expeditions Completed' to Player Stats.
  • Added resource tracking for Expedition stages: Raider Projects now display required amounts and progress, with the tracker updating during rounds.
  • Added reward display to Raider Projects, showing the rewards for each goal and at Expedition completion.
  • Fixed an input conflict in Raider Projects where tracking a resource in Expeditions could also open the About Expeditions window; the on-screen prompt is now hidden while adding to Load Caravan.
• Inventory
  • Fixed an issue where closing the right-click menu in the inventory could reset focus to a different slot when using a gamepad.
  • Fixed flickering in the inventory tooltip.
  • Opening the inventory during a breach now cancels the interaction to prevent a brief animation glitch.
  • Adjusted the inventory screen layout to prevent tooltips from appearing immediately upon opening.
  • Fixed an issue where the weapon slot right-click menu in the inventory would not appear after navigating from an empty attachment slot with a controller.
• In-game
  • Fixed an issue where the climb prompt would not appear on a rooftop ladder in Blue Gate.
  • Resolved an issue where certain interaction icons could fail to appear during gameplay.
  • Fixed "revived" events not being counted.
  • Fixed an issue where the zipline interaction prompt could remain on a previously used zipline, preventing interaction with a new one; prompts now clear when out of range.
  • Quick equip item wheel now has a stable layout and no longer collapses items towards the top when there are empty slots in the inventory.
  • Updated in-game text across multiple languages based on localization review and player survey feedback.
  • Added a cancel prompt when preparing to throw grenades and other throwable items.
  • Fixed in-game input hints to match your current key bindings and show clear hold/toggle labels. Clarified binoculars hints when using aim toggle and updated hints for SnapHook and integrated binoculars to support aiming.
  • Tutorial hints now stay on screen briefly after you perform the suggested action to improve readability and avoid abrupt dismissals.
  • Fixed an issue where input hints could remain on screen after being downed.
  • HUD markers that are closer to the player now appear on top for improved legibility.
  • Fixed issue where items sometimes displayed the wrong icon.
  • Fixed issue where user hints were sometimes shown when spectating.
  • Strongroom racks and power stations now display a distinct color when full of carryables to indicate that it has been completed. Example: Ancient Fort Strongroom.
  • Fixed an issue where reconnecting to a match could leave your character in a broken state with incorrect HUD elements and a misplaced camera.
  • Slightly delayed the initial loot screen opening and the transition from opening to searching during interactions.
• Main Menu
  • Added a Live Events carousel to the main menu and enabled click/hover interactions on the Raider Project overview.
  • Fixed an issue where the Weapon Upgrades tab would sometimes change location.
  • Resolved an issue where a Raider could pop in and out of the home screen background.
  • Installed workstations no longer appear in the workstation install view.
  • You can now navigate from on-screen notifications to the relevant screens, including jumping directly to learned recipes.
  • The Upgrade Weapon Tab now accurately displays the magazine size increase.
  • Fixed an issue where the map screen could become unresponsive when a live event was active.
  • When inspecting items, rotating will now hide UI only showing the item being inspected.
  • Free Raider Deck content now displays as “Free” instead of “0”.
  • Added a carousel to the Main Menu featuring Quests and a Raider Deck shortcut, with improved gamepad navigation within the widget.
  • Fixed an issue where the Scrappy screen allowed navigating to the quick navigation list when using a gamepad.
• Quests
  • Made pickups on the ground show icons if they are part of quests or tracked, added quest icons to quest interactions and improved quest interaction style.
  • Fixed an issue where the notification could remain after accepting and claiming quests.
  • Accepting and completing quests is now shown as loading while awaiting a server response.
  • Fixed an issue where rapidly skipping through quest videos after completing the first Supply Depot quest could soft‑lock the UI, leaving the screen without a way to advance.
  • Updated interaction text for a quest objective to improve clarity.
  • Updated the names and descriptions of the Moisture Probe and EC Meter quest items in Unexpected Initiative.
  • Improved ping information for quest objectives, with clearer markers for Filtration System and Magnetic Decryptor interactions.
  • Adjusted colors of quest and tracking icons in in-game interaction hints for better clarity.
• Settings
  • Added a new slider that allows players to tweak motion blur intensity.
  • Updated tooltips for effects and overall quality levels in the video settings with clearer descriptions.
  • Added labels that show whether an input action is ‘Hold’ or ‘Toggle’, displayed in parentheses.
  • Fixed an issue where the flash effect ignored the Invert Colors setting; the option is now available.
  • Fixed a crash in settings when rapidly adjusting sliders.
  • Now players will be guided to Windows settings for microphone permissions if needed.
  • Fixed a crash that could occur when opening the video settings.
  • Fixed an issue where some Options category screens continued responding to inputs after exiting.
• Store
  • Players will no longer see error messages when canceling purchases in the store.
  • Newly added store products now show a new indication for improved discoverability.
• Social
  • Fixed an issue where Discord friends could appear with an incorrect status after switching to Invisible and back to Online; their presence now refreshes correctly when they come back online.
  • Added a Party Join icon to the social interface for clearer party invitations and joins.
  • Fixed an issue where the Social right-click (context) menu could remain visible in the Home tab after rapidly opening and closing it with a gamepad; it now closes correctly and no longer stacks.
• Tooltips
  • Fixed incorrect item tooltips of ARC stun duration.
  • Tooltips now reposition to remain fully visible at all resolutions.
  • Fixed tooltips showing 'Blueprint already learned' on completed goal rewards; tooltips now display correct reward information and only show 'Blueprint learned' for actual blueprints.
• Trials
  • Trials objectives now clearly indicate when they offer bonus conditions, such as by Map Conditions.
  • Fixed an issue where the Trial rank icon could be missing on the Player Stats screen after starting the game.
  • Added a Trials popup that explains how ranking works and clarifies that the final rank is worldwide.
• VOIP
  • Added Microphone Test functionality.
  • Added better automatic checks for problems with VOIP input & output devices.
  • Using the mouse thumb button for push-to-talk no longer triggers ‘Back’ in menus.
  • Fixed an issue where the voice chat status icon could incorrectly appear muted for party members at match start until someone spoke.
  • HUD no longer shows VOIP icons when voice chat is disabled; your own party VOIP icon now appears as disabled.

Utility

• Increased loot value in Epic key card rooms to better reflect their rarity.
• Expanded blueprint spawn locations to improve availability in areas that were underrepresented.
• Moved the Aphelion blueprint drop from the Matriarch to Stella Montis.
• Fixed a bug where players would sometimes become unable to perform any actions if they interacted with carriable objects while experiencing bad network conditions or were downed while holding a carriable object and then revived.
• Fixed an issue where Deadline could deal damage through walls.
• Fixed an issue where deployables attached to enemies or buildable structures could cause sudden launches or let enemies pass through the environment when shot.
• Keys will no longer be removed from the safe pocket when using the Unload backpack.
• Fixed an issue where cheater-compensation rewards could grant an integrated augment item.
• Fixed bug where Flame Spray dealt too much damage to some ARC.
• Fixed an issue where sticky throwables (Trigger 'Nade, Snap Blast Grenade, Lure Grenade) disappeared when thrown at trees.
• Fixed a bug with incorrectly calculated deployment range for deployable items.
• Fixed an issue where mines could not be triggered through damage before they were armed.
• Playing an instrument now applies the ‘Vibing Status’ effect to nearby players.
• Fix for Rubber Ducks not being able to be placed into the Trinket slot on an Augment.
• Setting integrated binoculars and integrated shield charger weight to be 0.

Weapons

• Tuned the amount of force applied to lighter ARC when using melee attacks.
• Fixed an issue where stowed weapons would not appear on the first spawn.
• Fixed an exploit allowing players to reload energy weapons without consuming ammo.
• Aiming-down-sights now resumes if it was interrupted while the aim button is still held (e.g., after reloading or a stun).
• Fixed an exploit that allowed shotguns to bypass the intended fire cooldown.

Quests

• Fixed a bug in the ‘Greasing Her Palms’ quest that let players accidentally trigger an objective.
• Made the quest item ESR Analyzer easier to find in Buried City.
• Improved clarity of clues for the ‘Marked for Death’ quest.
• Fixed an issue where quest videos could trigger multiple times.
• Added interactions to find spare keys to several quests related to locked rooms.
• Added unique quest items to the ‘Unexpected Initiative’ quest.
• Fixed an issue where squad sharing incorrectly completed objectives that spawned quest specific items.

Known Issues

• Players with AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT will see a driver warning popup at startup despite being on the latest version that fixes a GPU crash that occurred when loading into The Blue Gate.
• If you have more items than fit in your stash, the value of the items that don't fit is not included in the final departure screen, but is included when calculating your rewards.

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.

We have new official information on Dead Island 3, which is not only now confirmed to be in development, but has a target release window.

In a financial report spotted by X / Twitter user @bogorad222, the Plaion-owned UK developer Dambuster Studios said its primary focus is now Dead Island 3. This is the first time we’ve heard Dead Island 3 mentioned in any official capacity, although the studio had teased it earlier this year.

Dambuster Studios' financial statements are out (as of March 2025)
The company employed 194 employees
Dead Island 3 is in development
The current predicted release window for the project is Q1/2 2028 pic.twitter.com/FOHOitH3nD

— Timur222 (@bogorad222) December 16, 2025

The report mentions that all Dambuster’s developers are now on Dead Island 3, and once the Luna and Mac versions of Dead Island 2 are complete all of Dambuster's QA team will also move over to Dead Island 3. As of the end of March 2025, Dambuster had 194 employees.

“Parts of the game are now in early production with feature, character, world and story design moving at pace,” the report continues. And here’s where things get really interesting: we even have a “current predicted release window” of Q1/2 2028. So, as things stand, Dead Island 3 is due out by the end of June 2028.

The existence of Dead Island 3 shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In September, Dambuster posted the image, below, alongside the caption: “and the next outbreak is already brewing.”

Hollow Knight: Silksong's first big expansion has been revealed by developer Team Cherry.

Teased for 2026, Hollow Knight: Silksong - Sea of Sorrow promises new areas, bosses, and tools as “Hornet’s adventures continue in our nautically themed expansion, coming free for all players next year.”

Further details are expected shortly before its launch, with no specific date given. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, as Silksong's initial release date wasn't announced until just a month before it dropped after one of gaming's most infamous drawn out affairs.

Alongside the announcement of the DLC, Team Cherry also revealed that a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the original Hollow Knight is in development. This improved version incorporates "all the updates and enhancements that Silksong received on the platform: high frame-rate modes, higher resolutions, and many additional graphical effects."

The even better news? If you already own Hollow Knight on Switch, you'll be able to upgrade to this new gen version for free.

The Australian studio will also be updating all current versions of the original Metroidvania soulslike and adding features and bug fixes. If you're playing on PC, some of those changes have already come into effect.

“PC players can experience many of those updates right now, via the public-beta branches on Steam and GOG, where they’ve just gone live,” a Team Cherry blog post states. “That includes full 16:10 and 21:9 aspect ratio support for those of you with Steam Decks or ultrawide monitors."

As part of the DLC announcement, Team Cherry said Hollow Knight: silksong had sold more than 7 million copies since going on sale in September, and had millions more playing on Xbox Game Pass.

"It’s a truly staggering number of players, more than we could have ever expected (enough to crash all of the storefronts!)," Team Cherry said. "Watching the community grow, seeing the amazing art, the mods, the unexpected strategies, and the support between players through the game’s challenges has been hugely rewarding for us here at home. Your continued enthusiasm remains a massive motivator as we work towards expanding the game even further."

Now seems like as good a time as any to get into both Hollow Knight games, then. IGN's Hollow Knight review returned a 9.4. We said: "Hollow Knight’s rich world and incredible depth of content will make you want to explore its caves for dozens of hours."

Similarly, IGN's Hollow Knight: Silksong review scored the game 9/10. We said: "Hollow Knight: Silksong is packed full of sharp platforming, enticing exploration, and nail-biting combat that's all unapologetically challenging in just the right way."

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

Amazon has brought forward the Prime Video release date of Fallout Season 2 by a day in a surprise move.

Season 2 now debuts tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16, at 6pm PT / 9pm ET — one day earlier than previously announced. Confirmation comes direct from Las Vegas’ Exosphere of Sphere, tweeted by the official Fallout account, below.

Well, well, looks like Christmas came early on Sphere. The Fallout Season Two premiere, now arriving December 16 at 6 p.m. PT. pic.twitter.com/RHpSBBXJ6H

— FALLOUT⚡️ (@falloutonprime) December 15, 2025

To promote the launch of Season 2, the Sphere was turned into a post-apocalyptic snow globe featuring Fallout characters Lucy (Ella Purnell), Maximus (Aaron Moten), and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), as well as a Deathclaw — one of the Fallout universe's most deadly monsters — attempting to break through the Exosphere itself.

The new season picks up in the aftermath of Season 1’s finale and travels through the wasteland of the Mojave to the post-apocalyptic city of New Vegas. The eight-episode season will now premiere tomorrow (or 2am on December 17 in the UK), with one episode rolling out weekly (on Wednesdays) until the season finale on February 4, 2026.

Fans of Obsidian's much-loved video game will be interested to hear that Season 2 takes a "fog of war" approach to how it juggles Fallout: New Vegas' various endings.

We've got plenty more on the Fallout TV show, including a Season 1 recap, below. We’ve also got an interview with Bethesda development boss Todd Howard, who has ruled out ever appearing on the show itself.

Meanwhile, Amazon has pulled its AI-powered Fallout Season 1 recap after fans noticed it made significant errors ahead of the launch of Season 2. To date, Fallout Season 1 has amassed more than 100 million viewers worldwide, ranking among Prime Video's top three most-watched titles ever.

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.

One Battle After Another hits HBO Max on December 19, Warner Bros. has announced.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s comedy action thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio hits the streaming service just shy of three months after it launched in theaters. The film will debut on HBO linear a day later, on December 20 at 8pm ET.

One Battle After Another leads the Golden Globes this year with nine nominations, including Best Picture – Musical/Comedy, and also features Golden Globe nominees Teyana Taylor and Chase Infiniti. It is expected to be in the mix for Best Picture at the Oscars.

The movie is set to be released on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K UHD on January 20, 2026. Plus, fans can look forward to a collectable steelbook in 4k UHD in the spring, which will include exclusive special features curated and produced by Anderson himself.

The streaming release date comes after One Battle After Another made $204 million at the global box office ($71 million domestic, $133 million international). That’s enough to make it the highest-grossing film of director Paul Thomas Anderson’s career, overtaking There Will Be Blood's $76.4 million haul back in 2007. But the bad news is that One Battle After Another reportedly needed around $300 million to break even theatrically.

Still, the film has all sorts of awards buzz about it, and it has its streaming run to help boost HBO Max. IGN's One Battle After Another review returned a 10/10. We said: "Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio finally team up, and the result is a 10/10 masterpiece."

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.