Outgoing Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy has indicated it may be some time before we see another Indiana Jones movie, saying: “I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it.”
It’s been two-and-a-half years since the critically panned Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny came out, and Lucasfilm has yet to indicate that a follow-up is in the works.
In an interview with Deadline confirming her exit from Lucasfilm after 14 years, Kennedy stood by Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which saw Harrison Ford reprise his role as the much-loved whip-cracking archeologist. Indeed, Kennedy said the reason Lucasfilm went forward with the film was Ford was so keen to do it.
“I have no regrets about that because Harrison wanted to do that more than anything,” she said. “He did not want Indy to end with the fourth movie. He wanted a chance at another, and we did that for him. I think that was the right thing to do. He wanted to do that movie.”
The question now is, will there be another Indiana Jones movie? Harrison Ford, who is approaching his 84th birthday, has said he’s done playing the character, so if Disney were to greenlight a new Indy film or TV series, it would have to be with another actor in the iconic role.
“I don’t think Indy will ever be done, but I don’t think anybody is interested right now in exploring it,” Kennedy confirmed. “But these are timeless movies, and Indy will never be done.”
IGN’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny review returned a 4/10. We said: “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny fails to recapture Spielberg’s magic. With uninspired action and conflicting themes and character motivations, it’s proof that some things should just be allowed to end.”
"When [Indy] had suffered the consequences of the life that he had to live, I wanted one more chance to pick him up and shake the dust off his ass and stick him out there, bereft of some of his vigor, to see what happened," Ford said. "I’m still happy I made that movie."
Following the release of Dial of Destiny, director James Mangold told Variety he had no interest in continuing with Indiana Jones. "I refuse. I just can't do it," he said. "The amount of lore and Easter eggs and fan service starts to become antithetical to any of this stuff at a certain point. It isn't storytelling anymore. It's large-scale advertising."
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.
New details on the cancelation of the Game of Thrones Jon Snow sequel have emerged, with HBO reported to have found Kit Harington’s idea for it too depressing to move forward with.
As part of a sweeping interview with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, The Hollywood Reporter said Harington worked with two writers from drama series Gunpowder to come up with the story, which would have seen Snow living alone as a broken man with PTSD following his exile to north of the Wall as a compromise after he killed Daenerys Targaryen.
The story would have also shown Snow having chased off Ghost, his much-loved direwolf, and ditched Longclaw, his Valyrian steel bastard sword. According to THR, in this story Snow would have spent his time building cabins and burning them back down again, with Harington calling for his character to die and avoid being a hero.
It’s worth noting that Harington has spoken about the personal difficulties he faced coming out of the end of Game of Thrones. According to a recently published New York Times profile, Harington had become a “dry drunk” and spent time in rehab after wrapping up work on the hit show. After he emerged, he “was also finding it hard to escape Jon Snow.” Harington took a year out and prepared to act again, but the pandemic hit, tearing up his plans.
When work became possible again, Harington told his agent he wanted a “no swords” rule for vetting potential jobs, but he took on the role of Black Knight in high-profile Marvel flop The Eternals, which was released in November 2021. After the movie's disastrous box office, Harington apparently “toyed” with the idea of reprising his role as Jon Snow for a spinoff, but eventually decided against it.
Harington was said to have been “shocked” by the negative response to the final season. “That [petition] genuinely angered me,” Harington said, because he knew how much effort the show’s writers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, had put in. “Like, how dare you? Sorry, that’s just how I feel. I think it was a level of idiocy that can only come about through social media.”
During a Game of Thrones fan convention in 2022, Harington hinted that his spinoff would focus on his character's struggle to overcome past traumas following the Season 8 finale. "He's gotta go back up to the place with all this history and live out his life thinking about how he killed Dany, and live out his life thinking about Ygritte dying in his arms, and live out his life thinking about how he hung Olly, and live out his life thinking about all of this trauma, and that, that's interesting," Harington said at the time.
As THR points out, Harington’s story idea for the Jon Snow sequel had echoes of his personal struggles, but it was too depressing even for HBO. According to the report, HBO found the “broken Jon Snow” idea “too much of a bummer” and “pushed it aside.”
Last month, Harington indicated he was done playing Jon Snow for good. "No, god no," Harington told Variety, when asked whether he'd reprise his old role again for an audiobook version. "I don't wanna go anywhere near it. I spent 10 years doing that. Thanks, I'm alright."
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.
Magic: The Gathering is set to have another big year in 2026, but there's no harm in looking back at the best of 2025 as well right now, especially with the latest discounts available on booster boxes and more.
My favorite deal in Amazon's latest MTG sale is on the Edge of Eternities Booster Box, featuring 30 packs, which has dropped to just $139.99 today. That's just $1 off its best price ever ($139.98), and a brilliant offer to kick off the year with.
Amazon Has Big Discounts on Magic: The Gathering Today
However, that's not all. You can also find some of the most recent 2025 Universes Beyond sets, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Marvel's Spider-Man, at low, low prices right now as well. That includes Spidey's Play Booster Box, which is available for just over $110.
That's a pretty big discount compared to the almost $210 asking price back when preorders kicked off last year, just about $100, in fact. Avatar only came out in November, and you can already pick up its Play Boosters for even less than Edge of Eternities, and now just $134.99 at Amazon.
You can also score the Collectors versions of these Universes Beyond sets as well, both of which have seen tidy price drops since last year, and are your best bet of finding the rarest cards from each set.
Play Boosters are now the standard way to crack open Magic packs, having replaced both Set and Draft Boosters. But if you're on the hunt for rare cards, Collector Boosters are the best option.
These packs are more expensive, but are much more likely to include various foil treatments, extended arts, and all sorts. There are usually 5 Commons, 4 Uncommons, 5 Rare or Mythic Rare cards, a Land and a Token, but the rub here is that 6 of the included cards have a 'booster Fun frame' and 12-13 of them are foil.
In terms of 2026 sets, Magic's highly anticipated Lorwyn Eclipsed set is getting closer as well, but we can already expect another trip to New York not long after in March.
In other TCG news, there are also some great deals on Pokémon cards right now at Amazon and TCGplayer, including a great deal on the most recent expansion's ETB, Mega Evolution - Phantasmal Flames. It's down to its lowest price ever at Amazon after its market price took a mighty tumble over the New Year, dropping almost 50% in a matter of weeks.
Unsurprisingly, stock is still running low on Amazon for a lot of Pokémon cards, even from last year, and even upcoming MTG sets like Lorwyn and TMNT. That said, sites like TCGplayer still have a solid supply, and in some cases, better prices too, so are definitely worth checking out while on your hunt for cheap boosters.
Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.
HBO's new Harry Potter series will be scored by Hans Zimmer, the award-winning composer behind Interstellar, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Gladiator and countless other blockbusters.
Zimmer will work with Kara Talve and Anže Rozman from Bleeding Fingers Music, an Emmy Award-winning collective of muscians he co-founded, to produce the new Harry Potter TV series score. Their work will first be heard when the show launches via HBO Max in 2027.
Warner Bros.' previous Harry Potter movie series initially featured a soundtrack from the legendary John Williams, though other composers took over for later entries. Still, Williams' themes remained throughout, and became synonymous with the franchise's sound. It'll be interesting to hear how Zimmer takes this legacy on.
"The musical legacy of Harry Potter is a touch point for composers everywhere and we are humbled to join such a remarkable team on a project of this magnitude," Zimmer said. "The responsibility is something that myself, Kara Talve and Anže Rozman do not take lightly. Magic is all around us, often just beyond reach, but as in the world of Harry Potter, you simply must look for it. With this score we hope to bring audiences that little bit closer to it whilst honoring what has come before."
While it is unlikely Zimmer will include Williams' themes in this new soundtrack, his statement suggests the sound of HBO's series likely won't feel like a huge departure from what fans have come to expect from the wizarding series.
Zimmer's back catalogue extends to more than 500 projects which have collectively grossed more than $28 billion at the box office. His scores for The Lion King and Dune won Oscars, and he is also the recipient of three Golden Globe Awards, five Grammy Awards and a BAFTA. You'll have heard his work in The Pirates of the Caribbean series, Black Hawk Down, Inception, No Time to Die, Man of Steel and Top Gun: Maverick.
The Harry Potter TV series is expected to debut on HBO in early 2027, with an eight-episode first season. Subsequent seasons will adapt each of the Harry Potter books in turn, with their release expected to last much of the next decade.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Amazon has announced that its MMO, New World, will be officially taken offline from all platforms on January 31, 2027.
The game is now delisted, which means it is no longer available for purchase. You can still play New World until January next year, with the Nighthaven season extended until the servers are taken offline.
“We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion,” a statement on the New World website reads. “We are grateful for the time spent crafting the world of Aeternum with you. Together we built something special. While we are saddened to say goodbye, we’re honored that we were able to share so much with the community.
“It has been our pleasure to work on New World: Aeternum and evolve this unforgettable adventure with you all. We look forward to one more year together, and giving this fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero. From the bottom of all our hearts, thank you for sharing this world with us.”
New World was a rare hit for Amazon in the video game space, and followed multiple flops that resulted in game and studio closures. The MMO set in an alternate 1600s America saw huge player numbers on Steam, with a whopping 913,634 peak concurrents on Valve's platform back in 2021. Player numbers significantly declined following that peak, however.
Bloomberg had reported that Amazon was cutting back especially on MMOs, but would continue to develop Amazon Games Montreal’s March of Giants, its new Tomb Raider game in the works at Crystal Dynamics, and "casual and AI-focused games" for its cloud gaming service Luna. UK studio Maverick Games were said to be continuing to work on its racing game, too. Following the news about New World, there was concern over the status of Amazon's The Lord of the Rings MMO. Amazon has yet to provide an update on it.
But is there hope for New World yet? Alistair McFarlane, COO and company director at Rust developer Facepunch Studios, tweeted to offer Amazon $25 million for New World, adding: “Games should never die.” “If you need tips about buying cancelled games, lmk,” Hypixel Studios founder Simon Collins-Laflamme, who rescued Hytale after years spent in the doldrums at League of Legends maker Riot Games, replied.
It sounds like McFarlane has thought about this, explaining what should happen to New World rather than closure: “As with everything we do at Facepunch, empower the community. Give them control, make servers publicly hostable. A game will live forever in the hands of a dedicated community.”
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.
It was a huge deal last year when these were even in stock, let alone at a new best price. At $75, I'd snap this up ASAP, as it's even cheaper than the market price seen at trusted resellers like TCGplayer.
I don't have to tell you why ETBs are the marquee product for each set, and Phantasmal Flames is no different. Packed with nine booster packs, a 1 full-art foil promo card featuring Charcadet, themed sleeves, dice, and all the accessories needed for play.
There's been a significant drop in price on these ETBs compared to last year as well. You'd be lucky to pick one up for around $150 resale, closer to launch in November 2025. But, now, we've seen a big ol' crash in market price, upwards of 50%.
There's a whole lot more Phantasmal Flames goodies up for grabs right now, at more reasonable prices. But, I'd still recommend checking on TCGplayer to ensure you're getting a good deal, or even just ordering from there altogether, as it often has the best prices.
Still, even with the prices coming down, I'd snap up the ETB at Amazon ASAP, especially while you can get it at the best price possible; with 1-2 day delivery on Prime, and so you can use any handy Amazon gift cards you've got saved up as well.
If you're looking to just chase cards, however, I'd also recommend checking out how much some of the best single chase cards are going for right now, to pick up individually. Or, to consult after you've cracked open all your packs. Good luck!
From aggressive Mega attackers to powerful evolution support, Phantasmal Flames brings a fiery mix of competitive threats and high-demand pulls. Let us know in the comments if you've pulled anything super rare since last year.
Robert Anderson is Senior Commerce Editor and IGN's resident deals expert on games, collectibles, trading card games, and more. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter/X or Bluesky.
In January 2025, we informed you about Black Mesa: Military. This is a mod that lets you experience the events of Half-Life from the point of view of a marine. And a couple of days ago, its creator released its first 2026 version. In this mod, you and your squad have to secure the Black … Continue reading First 2026 Version of Half-Life Black Mesa: Military Released→
Epic Games is currently giving away for free the first two Styx games, Styx: Master of Shadows and Styx: Shards of Darkness. Until January 22nd, PC gamers can visit their EGS pages and acquire their free copies. Since Styx: Blades of Greed comes out on February 19th, this is the best way to play and … Continue reading Styx: Master of Shadows and Styx: Shards of Darkness are free on Epic Games Store→
Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson "got spooked by the online negativity" while considering his future with the franchise, according to outgoing Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.
In a Deadline interview published alongside the news of her departure, Kennedy suggested that Johnson was put off continuing early plans with Lucasfilm for him to produce his own Star Wars trilogy, following the intense online backlash to The Last Jedi.
It's a notable admission from Kennedy, especially after numerous interviews with Johnson and others previously blamed the filmmaker's work on hit Netflix murder mystery movie series Knives Out as the main reason why he was now too busy to continue on Star Wars. Kennedy mentions Knives Out too, but then goes further — describing the online response to The Last Jedi as "the rough part."
"Once he made the Netflix deal and went off to start doing the Knives Out films, that has occupied a huge amount of his time," Kennedy began when asked why Johnson had not yet returned. "That's the other thing that happens here. After Shawn [Levy, now the director of Star Wars: Starfighter] and I started talking about Star Wars, Stranger Things kicks in and he was completely consumed for a while by that. That's what happened with Rian.
"And then I do believe he got spooked by the online negativity," she continued. "I think Rian made one of the best Star Wars movies. He's a brilliant filmmaker and he got spooked. This is the rough part. When people come into this space, I have every filmmaker and actors say to me, 'What's going to happen?' They’re a little scared."
Lucasfilm initially announced plans for Johnson to write and direct his own Star Wars trilogy, separate to the franchise's main Skywalker Saga. But as the years have worn on — and numerous other Star Wars projects have fizzled out or been placed on the back burner — it has become increasingly clear this trilogy will never materialize.
Speaking only last month, Johnson said he had intended The Last Jedi to be a film that "shook the box" in order to upend fan expectations, rather than simply serve up another movie that handled the franchise and its audience with "kid gloves" — something other entries in Disney's Star Wars sequel trilogy have also been accused of.
"I was hoping for that — I wasn't afraid of it per se," Johnson told Polygon in December 2025. "Having grown up a Star Wars fan, I know that thing where something challenges it, and I know the recoil against that. I know how there can be infighting in the world of Star Wars. But I also know that the worst sin is to handle it with kid gloves."
Yes, it marks our second trip to New York in less than a year, thanks to last year's Spider-Man set (seriously, there are infinite dimensions we could travel to!), but the Heroes in a Half Shell are doing things a little differently.
Not only does it offer our first Universes Beyond Commander Deck since Final Fantasy, but there are some new product types, too. Here's everything you can preorder.
TMNT MTG Preorders in a Half Shell
As you can probably imagine, there are more products coming than you can shake a Bo Staff at launching on March 6, with pre-release a week prior from February 27 to March 5.
You can also grab the now-customary booster bundle, which includes a promo card, a series of nine Play Boosters, a storage box and a spindown life counter. That’s dropped to $61.01 right now, making it an even more appealing gift option for a Turtle-loving Magic player in your life (there are dozens of us!).
We promised something new, and here it is: The Turtle Team-Up box, which offers co-op gameplay where "2-4 players battle for survival against an onslaught of villainous adversaries". It's still $49.99 at Amazon, and includes four pre-built 60-card hero decks, one Enemy deck with 11 bosses, seventeen Event Cards, and four 14-card boosters.
Also new this time is a Pizza Bundle, which includes 9 Play Boosters, 1 Collector Booster, 25 non-foil Pizza lands (yes, really), five foil Pizza lands, 2 foil promo cards, and a spindown life counter. Amazon had this for $99.99, but they're all gone - almost certainly because there's a single Collector Booster inside.
Also out of stock is the Collector Boosters. As with any set, these are where you’ll find the high-value cards, and Amazon sold out fairly quick for both boosters and a box of them. Expect them to be expensive, though, with an MSRP of $37.99 each, or around $479.99 for the box.
While they are out of stock now, they could come back, especially since the Spider-Man Universes Beyond Collector Boosters are also back at Amazon recently as well. As a reminder, Collector Boosters include alternate art treatments and foils, but they're functionally the same cards. Buy them, or don't, but don't feel like you have to spend almost $500 for a box just to play this great card game.
Draft Night, a new boxed product making its debut in January’s Lorwyn, is also included. It has a bunch of packs (twelve in total) to play sealed draft, and a Collector Booster for the winner to take home. It’s $119.99 at Amazon, but also out of stock for now as well (probably for the same reasons outlined above).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is Getting a Commander Deck
Finally, Commander players can expect a return to precon decks… but just one. After being absent since Edge of Eternities, there’s a new precon coming, which is a five-color deck called Turtle Power!
It's also interesting that after very few five-color decks in recent years, we're now getting two in consecutive sets after Dance of the Elements from Lorwyn: Eclipsed.
UK Preorders
I can’t remember the last time a set came with a single Commander precon. In 2025 alone we’ve had sets with no precons (Spider-Man, Avatar), sets with two (Aetherdrift, Edge of Eternities), a set with four (Final Fantasy) and a set with five (Tarkir Dragonstorm).
Why just the one? I honestly can't complain. Even at my age, picking my favorite turtle is serious business, so having the whole gang in one, 100-card boxed product means I don't have to make any tough choices.
Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.
LEGO's upcoming The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time set featuring Link and Zelda's climactic battle with Ganon has leaked online, alongside its pricing and release details.
The Final Battle will be a 1,003-piece design that launches on March 1, according to Brick Tap. The set will be priced at $129.99 / €119.99 / $99.99 — a cost that has raised eyebrows among fans when compared to other, non-licensed LEGO offerings.
At least the design itself is going down well, with fans praising the look of Ganon in his pig-human guise, and the inclusion of three The Legend of Zelda minifigurines: Link, Zelda, and a human form of Ganondorf. You'll also get a set of recovery hearts, Navi, and the Megaton Hammer.
The set features the flaming rooftops of Hyrule Castle, where Ocarina of Time's dramatic final boss fight takes place in the classic N64 video game. LEGO had teased this location previously in an earlier sneak peek at the set — presumably an official reveal isn't far off.
"It’s INCREDIBLE," wrote Zelda fan TheLegendofCap via reddit. "I’m buying this day one for sure. Happy we’re getting a Ganondorf minifigure." Added Donkeyrocket: "Yeah, the Deku Tree set is pretty cool but I’d be far more eager to have this one as a display piece. Really good size and detail."
LEGO's first foray into The Legend of Zelda came in September 2024, when it launched a Great Deku Tree set. This included versions of the tree from both Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild, as well as two sets of Link and Zelda minifigures.
This week, Nintendo finally removed an infamous, adults only-themed island from Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Existing since 2020, the suggestive fan creation was almost as old as the game, and gained much attention from Japanese streamers for its distorted, humorous world view and huge level of detail. Despite years of work being deleted, the island’s creator expressed gratitude to both Nintendo and those who have visited over the years.
Literally named Adults’ Island (otonatachi no shima 大人たちの島), the suggestive location was crafted by a dedicated Animal Crossing player who goes by @churip_ccc on X. As spotted by Automaton, the island’s creator took to Twitter / X to comment on its removal from the game. “Nintendo, I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” they said in a tweet with 3.1 million views so far. “Rather, thank you for turning a blind eye these past five years. To everyone who visited Adults’ Island and all the streamers who featured it, thank you.”
The creator of Adults’ Island first publicized the location’s Dream Address in 2020, and it was quickly picked up and featured by streamers in Japan. Plastered with colorful Japanese signboards, vending machines, arcade cabinets and a lot of attention to detail, the island mimicked an entertainment and red-light district in the evening. While not explicit, the version of the characters that it presents turned Animal Crossings’ cute and wholesome image on its head.
As many Japanese streamers mentioned, the island had the atmosphere of a nostalgic entertainment district in Japan, with many details recalling the mid-to-late Showa period (1926-1989). Its vibe was also similar to the Wall Market area from the original Final Fantasy 7, with a sense of parody reminiscent of Lost Wages from 1987’s Leisure Suit Larry. The first place you came across on the island after getting off the plane was a “Free Information Center.” While this might sound innocent enough at first, such places are often found in real night life districts in Japan, and tell potential customers about adult-oriented establishments and services in the area, including bars, hostess clubs, and brothels. The inside of Adults’ Island’s Free Information Center was amusingly covered in glamorous posters of Animal Crossing characters, with advertisements for shops including a Hong Kong “massage” parlor. The island also had a smoking area with one villager dropping the bombshell that Animal Crossing character Isabelle smokes Seven Stars.
Places you could visit included a 24-hour sauna called “Love Attack,” a beach-front love hotel (complete with Michelangelo statues and strategically-placed palm trees), a cabaret, and a pachinko parlor. The interiors of the residences of popular Animal Crossing characters on the island often added a naughty twist to the character (for example, Blather’s room has pictures of Isabelle surrounding his bed and used tissues on the floor- likely a side of Blather that no-one wanted to think about). The overall tone was humorous, with an NPC even explaining to you that the island’s theme park (which could also be visited and seemed to be a parody of Disney’s “It’s a Small World”) had gone bust because “there are no children here.”
It also had a dark side as well, with the hut for new employees featuring a bunch of futons crammed together on a dirt floor, providing a sharp contrast to the colorful and comfortable interiors on the rest of the island. The island’s colorful Gorilla Magazine (perhaps run by Violet?) also parodies the real-life free magazines that encourage young women into nighttime work. Speaking of Violet, she is working as an oiran, a term for high ranking prostitutes in Japan’s Edo Era (1603-1868).
Considering that content creators in Japan had been streaming Adults’ Island since 2020, it seems likely that Nintendo was aware of the fan-created area’s existence for a while. However it's not clear why it took until 2026 for the company to delete the kinky island’s Dream Address. Perhaps the recently released Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 2 update jolted Nintendo into action.
In response to the creator’s tweet, Japanese-speaking fans mourned the island’s demise. Former visitors reminisced about the first time they explored the location or saw it streamed. “The shock of ‘you can do something like THIS?!’, the points of interest that made me think ‘you’re recreating THAT?!’, the sense of style, the black humor... I really liked all of it. I’ll treasure my screenshots,” said one user, who first visited when the Dream Address system went live. Others made similar comments: “I’m sad that it’s gone,” “It’s such a miracle that it lasted that long,” and “From now on, I’ll enjoy it through the screenshots.”
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.
In the future, the human race has been divided into 14 different color castes that determine every individual's role and placement in the hierarchical structure of society. This underlying idea is at the core of Pierce Brown’s epic science fiction series, Red Rising, and tells the story of one man, Darrow of Lykos, and his mission to tear it all down.
First released in 2014, the first title, Red Rising, introduces us to the series' protagonist, Darrow, a Red Helldiver of Mars and the lowest of the citizens. Events out of Darrow’s control put him on a path that will see him go from the bottom of society to the top, becoming a symbol and legend that strikes fear into his enemies and inspires hope in his allies. Unlike many other science fiction series, Red Rising isn’t a tale of a utopian society that has spread out amongst the stars. Instead, it is a world of war, betrayal, and uneasy alliances, where some of the worst societal practices have flourished and evolved. Yet it is still a universe where hope still finds a way to survive, and joy and love can still be found, even in the darkest and most profound places.
Compared to other series, like Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere or George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, reading through the Red Rising series is a straightforward affair. The series is divided into two arcs, with the first three novels - Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morning Star- being referred to as the “Red Rising Trilogy”. The second half, which takes place 10 years later, being the “Iron Gold Quadrilogy” and consisting of the remaining novels. Despite being a science fiction series, this series deals with mature themes and graphic violence, and isn’t advised for younger readers.
How Many Books are There in the Red Rising Saga?
Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series will comprise seven books in total, but currently, all but the final book have been released. The first three titles, composing the Red Rising Trilogy, are told strictly through the viewpoint of the character, Darrow. In contrast, the rest of the books, the Iron Gold Quadrilogy, are told through multiple characters' viewpoints.
Red Rising Trilogy Reading Order
Red Rising
The first book in the Red Rising Saga, titled “Red Rising”, tells the story of Darrow of Lykos - a Red Helldiver, born in the mines of Mars whose only prospects are to live out his days in the mines, with the belief that he is helping to bring about the terraforming of the planet. A tragic event sets Darrow’s life on an entirely new trajectory, where he now fights as a member of the rebel group Sons of Ares in a bid to overthrow the society that has oppressed him his entire life and bring about equality for mankind. But, to do so, he will have to become what he hates the most.
Golden Son
Picking up two years after the conclusion of Red Rising, Golden Son follows Darrow’s continued exploits as he carefully navigates the Gold society. As his reputation continues to grow, he has to be more careful and not risk being exposed as a Red. Golden Son ratchets up the stakes for Darrow, with some fantastic twists and tense white-knuckle moments that will leave readers biting at the bit to dive right into the third book after finishing this one. Where Brown’s first novel felt like a mix of Hunger Games and Ender’s Game, Golden Sun starts to define what the series will be moving forward, and how it sets itself apart from other science fiction series.
Morning Star
Taking place one year after Golden Son, Morning Star sees the Reaper at his lowest yet as he deals with the effects of being betrayed, and his year-long isolation. His work isn’t done yet, however, and his mission must go on, but at what cost? This third book brings the conclusion of the original trilogy of the Red Rising Saga, setting Darrow and his friends on a path they could never have imagined, one that will require relying on old enemies to make it through alive.
Iron Gold Quadrilogy Reading Order
Iron Gold
Picking up 10 years after Morning Star, the Reaper’s legend continues to grow and has even outgrown the man, as mankind is struggling to adapt to the events of the previous book. Iron Gold marks a departure from the previous books, and a shift for the series, as no longer do they follow strictly Darrow’s perspective and instead show events from the four different views, including Darrow and two brand-new characters, Ephraim ti Horn and Lyria of Lagalos.
The points of view that this follows include Darrow, Lysander, and two new characters, a Red named Lyria and a Gray named Ephraim.
Dark Age
War has come to Mercury. Picking up directly after the events of Iron Gold, Dark Age lives up to its name, being the darkest in tone and subject matter of the series. It’s a book that's overall pretty gruesome and may be difficult for some readers to get through. The repercussions of many of the Reaper’s past decisions and debts have come to be paid. As author Pierce Brown puts it - “The Solar System is at War. No one is safe”.
The points of view in this fifth entry of the Red Rising series include Darrow, Ephraim, Virginia, Lyria, and Lysander.
Light Bringer
It has been eight months since the events of Dark Age, and the surviving members of the Republic struggle and prepare for the war that is just over the horizon. After the events of Mercury, the struggle between the Republic and Society has shifted to Mars and beyond, as both sides struggle to secure the needed allies and resources to grasp victory once and for all. Enemies will become unwilling allies, allies who will betray one another, and new threats will arise from the shadows that could throw everything into chaos, but hope can always be found, even in the darkest of nights.
Lightbringer is told through the points of view of four characters (omitting who to avoid potential spoilers)
Red God (forthcoming)
Red God is currently planned to be the final novel in the Red Rising series, and also the longest. In a brief interview, Brown teased that he hopes that this final book will be released late next year, but only if he is happy with it.
Other Content
Red Rising: The Sons of Ares
Taking place before the events of the first book, the Sons of Ares comic series offers a deeper look into the rebel faction and its various actors, who play such an important role in the first few books of the Saga. These comics do contain some massive spoilers for events that are revealed throughout the first three books, and it’s advised that you only read them after completing the third book, Morning Star.
If you want to wait for the full omnibus to be released, you can currently preorder the harcover or paperback editions. They will be release don March 3, 2026.
Red Rising: The Board Game
Red Rising: The Board Game, published by the talented team over at Stonemeier Games (the developers of games including Wingspan and Scythe), is a competitive hand management game where players will be playing out cards representing characters from the various books and colors of the Society. This game is not only a good time for fans of the books, but also features some wonderful art that helps give readers a better mental image of this world and its characters, such as Eo, Victra, Sevro, and of course, Darrow.
To avoid spoilers, it’s best to try out this game after you’ve gotten through at least the Iron Age. You can check out my full review of this game for more information on the rules and gameplay.
Upcoming Red Rising Books
The final book in the Red Rising series, titled Red God, is currently on the horizon. Although we don't have a specific date as to when the book will be released, we do have an estimation from the author himself. In an interview in back in January 2025, Pierce Brown stated that Red God would "most likely" be coming out in Summer 2026.
In the meantime, the omnibus for the Red Rising: Son of Ares grapchi novel series is currently set to come out on March 3, 2026.
The Colors of the Society, Explained
In the world of Red Rising, humanity is divided into distinct castes, each associated with a specific color, with individuals born with both a sigil and eye color that correspond to their class. Ruled over by golds, this “Society” has been in charge for over 700 years by the start of the first book. Here is a breakdown of all 14 colors and their respective roles within the Society.
The High Colors
Golds
Rules over all other colors.
Silvers
Composed of business owners
Whites
Members of the clergy and judges
Coppers
The lawyers, administrators, and bureaucrats of the Society
Warning: This review contains full spoilers for The Pitt Season 2, Episode 2!
“Was The Pitt always this funny?”
That’s a question I found myself mulling over a lot while watching Season 2, Episode 2. Season 1 certainly had its moments of levity, but there definitely seems to be more of a concerted effort to inject some humor into the mix this time around. Not that this is a bad thing by any stretch. We’ve seen how dire things can get at the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center, and no doubt the situation will take a turn for the worse soon enough. We might as well have some fun before then.
There’s a lot to be entertained by in Episode 2, whether it’s rookie nurse Emma Nolan (Laëtitia Hollard) undergoing her first day trial by fire or our heroic doctors responding to the dreaded penile injection gone awry. Then you have Javadi’s (Shabana Azeez) personal and professional struggles and Mel’s (Taylor Dearden) sorry situation, where a seemingly innocuous and very flirtatious patient turns out to be a real POS.
Rather than immediately hit the ground running with a barrage of depressing medical cases, the goal is clearly to explore the more surreal side of life in emergency medicine. And why not? Hell, it’s the 4th of July, so it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing the obligatory, gnarly fireworks accidents start rolling through. If anything, it seems like the show is attempting to lull us into a false sense of security before the other shoe drops.
This also raises the question of which of these bizarre cases is going to take a turn for the tragic first. I certainly have my concerns about Louie (Ernest Harden Jr.), as he seems like a guy who might have finally pushed his luck too far. And there’s the cloud surrounding the mysteriously injury-prone girl. As relatively lighthearted as the show feels at present, it sure hasn’t forgotten that life in the ER is one plagued by human misery.
It’s also nice to see the new interns start to develop more coherent personalities. Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) is rapidly becoming the character everyone loves to hate with his insufferable know-it-all routine. I can only imagine that he’ll get blasted with a cold, hard dose of reality before long. In the meantime, his abrasiveness helps take the pressure off of Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), who still isn’t doing much to endear herself to Robby (Noah Wyle). Of course she’s a big proponent of generative AI in the ER…
My main complaint with the direction of the season at this early stage is that we don’t get enough focus on Dr. Langdon (Frank Ball) as he tries to readjust to life in The Pitt. It really feels like he, not Robby, should be the focal point of Season 2 in light of everything he’s been through and his isolation from the rest of the group. Ball makes the most of what he’s given, though, with the quiet scene between him and Dearden’s Mel post-head injury easily being the highlight of the episode.
Connexion
