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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warning! Potential spoiler for Avengers: Doomsday follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Table of Contents

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

New in February on Foxtel and Binge

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

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

What notable movies are coming to Binge?

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

What notable series are coming to Binge?

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

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New in February on Netflix

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

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

What notable movies are coming to Netflix?

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

What notable series are coming to Netflix?

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

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New in February on Disney+

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

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

What notable movies are coming to Disney+?

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

What notable series are coming to Disney+?

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

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New in February on Apple TV+

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

What notable series are coming to Apple TV+?

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

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New in February on Amazon Prime Video

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

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

What notable movies are coming to Prime Video?

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

What notable series are coming to Prime Video?

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

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New in February on Stan

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

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

What notable movies are coming to Stan?

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

What notable series are coming to Stan?

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

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

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

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

The Prophecy in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

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

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

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

What Is Egg’s Future?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tip 1: Just Getting Started

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not those, the big one.

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

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

Tip 3: Use A Focus Timer

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contents

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

This Day in Gaming 🎂

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

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

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

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

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

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

pic.twitter.com/trJxCxY1ks

— David Szymanski (@DUSKdev) January 31, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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