Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is out now on Netflix, and with it comes major reveals not just for what’s gone before, but what’s coming next.

Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 follow:

In Season 5, Episode 4, we see Noah Schnapp’s Will display powers, complete with Eleven-style nosebleed. When all seems lost, he is able to take control of multiple Demogorgons and kill them, stopping the invasion from claiming the lives of much of the cast.

It’s a huge moment for Stranger Things and a significant development in what we know of Will’s abilities. Season 5 had built up to this moment by showing a growing connection between Will and the hive mind Vecna had created within the Upside Down, to the point where he was able to see through the eyes of the Demogorgons himself. In a prior scene, Will was seemingly able to force a Demogorgon to hold back against his mother (Winona Ryder), and then, right at the death, he levels up, eyes white and arms aloft as this new power ignites inside of him.

Where this is all going in Volume 2 is a matter of intense speculation among fans — and something we here at IGN have discussed ourselves (check out our article, Stranger Things Season 5: Our Biggest Burning Questions After Episodes 1-4, to find out more).

In an interview with IGN, Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown reacted enthusiastically to the revelation that Will would get powers, and teased that Volume 2 will explain how it works. We asked the pair if they shared notes on how to do the arm movements associated with Stranger Things psychic powers, but Noah countered to say he wanted Will’s movement to feel different.

“I remember talking about this with The Duffers,” Noah said. “They’ll explain more in Volume 2, like how it works. But the powers come differently, so I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t Eleven’s thing.”

That line about the powers coming differently is an interesting one. It’s something the Duffers explained in detail in a recent interview with Variety. They confirmed Will’s powers are proximity based — unlike Eleven, who can turn her powers on and off at will, essentially Will must be near the hive mind, which Vecna created within the Upside Down in order to take control of its various monsters.

“He taps into the hive mind,” Matt Duffer explained, “and then he can manipulate anything within the hive. You’ll see how far he can take it as you continue to watch. But that’s how he’s able to manipulate the monster. So he can’t open a door, because the door is not part of the hive mind.”

And how did Will get his powers? They came as a result of being hooked into the hive mind, which we see at the start of Season 5 in a flashback scene that takes us back to the moment Will was kidnapped by Vecna a decade ago. “So it’s very different from Eleven in that regard,” Matt continued.

Also in our interview, Millie Bobby Brown reacted to the shock return of Kali/Eight, who it turns out was captured by the military and confined to a room in a base inside the Upside Down.

"I didn’t know that she was coming back, so when I read it I was like, oh my god! Kali!" she said. "It just felt like that storyline started and never actually got the closure it deserved. So I’m really excited. I think what’s really exciting about the next volume is that she’s back for a reason and it’s pretty impactful.”

Kali, otherwise known as Eight, is one of the children who were experimented on in Hawkins Lab, and is a sort of sister to Eleven. She has psychic abilities, but not telekinetic powers like Eleven does. Given what has happened to Kali, it seems likely she’s not going to be happy about recent events.

Stranger Things Season 5 debuts on Netflix in three parts, with the first four episodes arriving for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 26. The next three episodes premiere on Christmas, and the series finale will debut on the streamer and in over 350 theaters nationwide on New Year’s Eve.

Stranger Things Season 5 release dates:

• VOL 1 - November 26, 5pm PT
• VOL 2 - Christmas, 5pm PT
• THE FINALE - New Year’s Eve, 5pm PT

We’ve got plenty more on Stranger Things, including Ross Duffer’s call to arms for fans to turn off “garbage” TV settings before watching Season 5. And be sure to check out our Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 1 spoiler review.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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's been a rough few years for Tony Stark, but things are looking up as 2026 dawns. Marvel is gearing up for the launch of a new monthly Iron Man series, as Superman and Dark Crisis writer Joshua Williamson hops over to the Marvel Universe to establish a bold new status quo. Williamson will be joined by Exceptional X-Men artist Carmen Carnero, as the world is reminded of one critical truth - Iron Man isn't the real threat; Tony Stark's big brain is.

To learn more about Tony's new status quo and new armor, IGN chatted with Williamson via email. Check out an exclusive preview of Iron Man #1 in the slideshow gallery below, and read on to learn more about the new series:

On Making the Jump From DC to Marvel

Williamson is one of the biggest names at DC these days, where he currently writes the flagship Superman series and has a major hand in the DC K.O. crossover event. That's why it was surprising to see Marvel announce a new Iron Man comic with Williamson's name attached. Williamson makes it clear that while he isn't leaving DC anytime soon, he did see an appeal in crossing over to the Marvel Universe for a change.

DC is my home, and I have a lot of love for that universe, its characters and the publisher as a whole," Williamson tells IGN. "But at the end of the day, I love all of comics, and there are a lot of Marvel characters that I love. And I would regret never working on them. I had to explore the opportunity. I’m not leaving DC, or Superman or GI Joe, but I knew I needed to take a swing at Marvel. I love that universe too much not to.

Williamson reveals that this series has been in the planning stages for the past year, saying, "A bit over a year ago I started to talk with Marvel editors here and there and that led to my awesome Iron Man editors offering me the new series. Iron Man is one of my favorite characters in all of comics, so it was impossible to turn down. I had to do it for the nerd in me, BUT I also had this idea for years that I wanted to do. I had a lot of thoughts on Tony and his world that I wanted to get down on paper. And luckily that story idea is the one we’re telling in the new series."

Williamson continues, "I also saw it as a challenge. It’s good to mix things up every once and while and surprise people by working on projects that are unexpected. And I think for a lot of people…me doing anything at Marvel was a surprise. But I’ve been having a lot of fun with the series and working with Carmen and my editors. That was also a big part of the appeal of working on a Marvel series, a chance to work with artists I’ve never worked with before."

Tony Stark's Dangerous Mind

As soon as Marvel announced the new volume of Iron Man, it became clear that one of the central themes of the book is going to be the notion that Tony Stark's mind, not the Iron Man armor, is the truly dangerous weapon. Williamson reveals that one of the goals is to explore what might have transpired if Tony never had that life-altering experience where Iron Man was forged in a cave. What other terrible weapons might have been created by someone so dangerous?

"I wanted the story to not be about the Iron Man armor but about Tony," Williamson says. Before Tony became Iron Man he was a selfish and ego driven person who used his genius for destructive gains. I’ve always wonder what role would someone like Tony have played if he never had his near-death experience in the bunker?"

Williamson continues, "When he thought he was going to die, it changed him. It was never the armor that Tony built in that cave. It was Tony. Tony is the creator. And I honed in on the idea of focusing on Tony as the creator who made a weapon…but TONY is the true weapon. We’ve seen him use his genius before in questionable ways, so yeah, Tony is the dangerous piece there. The armor has been stolen a million times now, and it always made me think…why don’t they kidnap Tony? Have him make new armors? And then it led me down a path of thinking about…what if instead of making new armors, someone made a new Tony?"

Despite that ominous premise, Williamson is also adamant that the new series is meant to be a fun superhero romp. As mentioned before, the past few years haven't exactly been kind to Tony Stark, and in some ways Williamson wants to get back to basics in terms of portraying Tony Stark as the suave, overconfident billionaire.

"I didn’t want Tony to read like a bummer," Williamson says. "I wanted the cocky version of Tony. The one who puts his foot in his mouth. The one who knows he is the smartest person in the room and doesn’t understand why that is a bad thing. I didn’t want to focus on the boardroom, or his money. I wanted to focus on Tony and pure super hero escapism. I want to see Tony’s role in the Marvel Universe in a different way. He is feeling a bit of 'is this all I’ve done with my life…build armor?' but he isn’t letting that get him down. He’s too distracted by Madame Masque and A.I.M. The events of the first five issues will make Tony confront a part of himself and then take him down a new path."

Williamson adds, "This leans a bit more classic with Tony as a suave Avenger. But he still feels a heavy responsibility to use his genius to help people. At the end of the day, I wanted to write a Tony that was fun to write and to read."

Iron Man's Enemies and Allies

Ryan Stegman and Adam Kubert's respective covers for Iron Man #1 hint at a large cast of both supporting characters and villains in the new series. Williamson confirms that Madame Masque will be a major focus of the series right out of the gate, with the villain doing nothing less than helping A.I.M. to build a new Tony Stark.

"Madame Masque knows Tony," Williamson says. "They once had a relationship. Maybe they still do? But Madame Masque knows some of Tony’s nightmares. She knows what he loses sleep over. And can use that against him. And she enlists A.I.M. to do it. Together they try to build a new Tony. And that makes Tony question his past, present and future."

But A.I.M. isn't the only threat here. It also appears that the series will be reviving the classic Thunderbolts roster, though Williamson confirms there's a new person wearing the mantle of Citizen V. But are they friend or foe?

"I’m a big fan of the original Thunderbolts and its cast. I had to find places for them," Williamson says. "Fixer has a role in the first five issues and the identity of the new Citizen V is a mystery that will be spread out across a few issues. It’s someone who sees Tony as dangerous and is keeping an eye on him. There will be a few mysteries and new pieces added to Tony’s ongoing mythology."

Most surprising of all, it appears that Norman Osborn will be part of Tony's supporting cast. Osborn himself is in the midst of a redemptive arc, even moonlighting as Spider-Man in the pages of Joe Kelly's The Amazing Spider-Man series. This series will dig deeper into their shared history and the current ties they share.

"I think there will be some concerns about Tony and what he is planning in response to what A.I.M. is doing from all kinds of corners of the Marvel Universe," Williamson teases. "But I also like the dynamic between the two of them. Two billionaires who have made…questionable choices and often seek redemption. I love writing the conflict between the two of them. They knew each other before they became Iron Man and Green Goblin, and I wanted to explore that relationship. Also when you have Norman…Spider-Man isn’t too far behind."

Designing the Mark 75 Armor

A new Iron man comic usually means a new suit of armor, and this series is no exception. Carnero has designed the Mark 75 armor, a suit that looks to be among the most powerful weapons in Tony's vast arsenal. But as for what specifically sets this new armor apart from its 74 predecessors, fans will just have to read the series to find out.

"Carmen did an amazing job on the new armor," Williamson says. "We wanted something that felt iconic. To start, we looked back at our favorite armors. My faves are Marks 4, 9, 12, 13, 15, 51 and 70. There are more but those were the ones that hit the vibe of we were going. How this armor is different for Tony will be played out across the first year. I don’t want to give it away yet. It’s a story piece that we’ll explore. Why Tony built this armor and now."

Williamson contineus, "Carmen took all the pieces that we’d talked about and created an awesome new look for Iron Man and Tony. She’s been a blast to work with and I hope people check out Iron Man #1 to see the beautiful work she’s done with Nolan Woodard!"

Iron Man #1 will be released on January 28, 2026. You can preorder a copy at your local comic shop.

In other comic book news, find out who dies in Marvel's One World Under Doom finale, and learn about Dark Horse's new ongoing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series.

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

So there are two options for this Black Friday deal; it just comes down to where you'd sooner buy a Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box from. The good news is that Amazon has dropped its price to just under market value at $79.69, with TCGPlayer having the higher price point of $80.60.

The even better news is that TCGPlayer is having a Cyber Weekend event that's giving 10% cashback on all purchases from today until the end of Cyber Monday. Plus, if you pick up a TCGPlayer subscription, you'll get a boosted 13% cashback and free delivery, with longtime members getting a total 14%-16% cashback depending on how long you've been subscribed.

Mega Evolution Elite Trainer Box

Black Friday has arrived, and as you’d probably expect, there are plenty of deals on Magic: The Gathering products. Our beloved, TCGplayer, however, is doing things a little differently.

The retailer is offering 10% store credit back on everything - cards, packs, decks, and just about anything else (and 13% or more back for subscribers). It’s not restricted to Magic, either, with the Pokémon TCG, Riftbound, Lorcana, and just about anything included.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a list of cards that I’d recommend picking up. These aren’t super pricey cards necessarily, but are wishlist items that it probably makes sense to pick up if you’re getting something back for them.

The Best MTG Cards to Buy at TCGplayer This Black Friday

Sol Ring

Black Friday is one of the rare times you can get big discounts on first-party Nintendo games, and Woot is this year’s best so far: letting you grab games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for only $37.

Black Friday is finally here, and the sales weekend is already bringing in a whole batch of new deals to check out. That's especially true for Nintendo Switch fans, with up to 50% off a slew of Switch games, some top discounts on memory cards, and even some cheeky Switch 2 accessory deals.

For starters, while there isn't a new Switch 2 console deal, I'm still recommending folks pick up the Switch 2 Mario Kart 8 Bundle to save $30 on buying each item individually, while stock lasts.

Other standout Switch 2 Black Friday offers today include Switch 2 Joy Con 2 controllers from $71.99 via Woot (using the Woot App), and the released Samsung P9 512GB microSD Express card for just $74.99. This is the best option for expanding your console's internal memory.

There are also big discounts on games like Super Mario Odyssey, now just $30, alongside a whole host of other Switch games with mega discounts. Tears of the Kingdom finally got a deal as well, after being absent for most of the Black Friday build up, and is down to $38 at Woot (you can upgrade to the Switch 2 edition for $10 as well).

You can find all of Nintendo's Black Friday deals at the digital Nintendo eShop, as well as at participating retailers such as Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart.

Is Nintendo Switch 2 On Sale for Black Friday?

There’s no denying that the Nintendo Switch 2 has been a runaway sales success, but ever since its pricing was revealed, I've personally been wondering if we'll ever actually see a reasonable discount on the console.

But, as the nascent handheld hybrid comes into its first Black Friday sale, it’s not looking likely that the console will drop in price. Still, let me explain why not all is lost.

Your best bet in the Black Friday sales is to opt for one of the limited time Switch 2 bundles. The most popular, and still in stock, over the sale period has been the Mario Kart bundle, at $499. This includes the console and Mario Kart World, at a $30 discount compared to buying each individually.

It's a great way kickstart your Switch 2 collection, and the the best possible Switch 2 Black Friday deal we're getting. Everyone is after a Switch 2 for the holidays, whether for gifting or themselves, and the bundle is a limited-time offer, so if you're after one, I'd snap it while stock lasts, as I expect this will go before Christmas.

Switch 2 Games On Sale for Black Friday Deals

When it comes to games, my top pick is Super Mario Odyssey, which ranked fourth on IGN's "Top 100 Nintendo Games of All Time", for just 30 bucks. There's also Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake, Splatoon 3, and more down to just $29.99.

But, there's also some brand new deals to check out thanks to Walmart's official Black Friday sale finally going live. The retailer has undercut Nintendo's official sale, bringing games like Luigi Mansion 3, Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, and more down from their original $39.99 sale price, to now just $30. That's a huge additional saving, and what Black Friday is all about.

There's also loads of games at 20% off for today only at Woot right now. That's another proper Black Friday offer, if I ever saw one. Score Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, and more at a discount for a limited time only via the Woot app.

Several third-party games also just got even better discounts as part of the new sale, including Star Wars Outlaws (including all its DLC) for $30 on Switch 2, $30 off its original list price.

There's also Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds at just $30 on Switch. That's 50% off, down from $59.99, and $15 less than every other retailer. Now that's a proper Black Friday bargain!

Another top game, now under the $20 sweet spot, is Sonic X Shadow Generations, for just $15 on Switch. That includes a free Switch 2 upgrade as well. That was $25 everywhere else earlier this week, so you're saving an additional $10 on top if you've buying now. What a steal!

Best Switch 2 Accessory Deals for Black Friday

If you're setting up a fresh Switch 2, or just trying to get your launch unit properly kitted out, the headliner accessory deals for Black Friday 2025 are finally here.

For starters, for any gamers who’ve been feeling the pinch enough that they can’t splurge on an extra pair of Joy-Con controllers for your Nintendo Switch 2, Woot has a double Black Friday deal that will save you almost $30.

Next up, Switch 2-compatible MicroSD Express cards have dropped to the lowest prices of the year for Black Friday, from the modest 256GB to the mega 1TB capacities. My favorite deal is still on the 512GB version, now just $74.99 at Amazon.

But, if the Samsung P9 microSD card deal is still a little too steep for you, you're better off waiting until Cyber Monday to secure a discount on the 256GB memory cards instead.

Dropping from $59.99 to $39.99, this will certainly catch the attention of Switch 2 owners, especially since microSD Express cards are the only option for expanding their console's internal storage.

How Do These Deals Compare to Last Year?

In all honesty, this year’s deals are a mixed bag. The Switch 2 joy con deals, the fact the console is actually in stock and the discounted bundle still available, Super Mario Odyssey and the rest of the OG Switch lineup for $30 or, and the Samsung P9 512GB memory card for $75 are clearly fanatasic offerings, and nothing to sniff your nose at.

But, we're also left wanting for a lot of other Switch 2 related deals, whether that's more games, accessories, or console deals. There aren't any discounts on Nintendo's first-party Switch 2 games like Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Pokémon Legends Z-A.

Then when we're comparing the deals to last year, take the The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom discount, which is immensely popular (and for good reason). Last year, the original Switch version fell to just $29.99, which was a huge saving and a no-brainer for anyone who hadn’t picked it up yet.

This year, as there's a new Switch 2 edition that you can upgrade to or buy seperately, it's changed the dynamic completely. Say if Nintendo dropped Tears to $30 again, with a $10 upgrade, you could have the full Switch 2 version for just $40 instead of the new $70 MSRP.

While we've got the fairly good Woot discount, there's no way Nintendo would be caught with the game on sale right now, at least not for this year. The gaming giant wants you happily spend $70 on games like Tears of the Kingdom for Switch 2, not $40-$50. We can only help next year brings along some better Switch 2 deals, and keep our fingers crossed for no more price hikes.

You might have already seen my $20 or less roundup, which is still packed with heavy hitters from the last few years and perfect if you want maximum bang for your buck. I also recently covered the best games under $30 right now, sporting Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater as my top pick.

I've also got you covered if you're looking for a more comprehensive roundup of the best video game deals for Black Friday. I'd also highly recommend you check in with my best PlayStation and Xbox Black Friday roundups, both of which I'll be updating daily with the best offers over the sale weekend. After that, I will rest. Have a good one!

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.

If you know a Spider-Man fan or a Magic: The Gathering player, then there’s a perfect product that’s tailor-made for them this Christmas.

Magic’s Spider-Man set includes cards depicting classic comic moments, costumed heroes, and nefarious villains, and you can get an instant collection with the Gift Bundle. Better yet, this unique product is reduced by 25% at Amazon for Black Friday.

If you’ve been interested in PlayStation VR 2 but didn’t want to pay the MSRP, then we’ve got very good news.

While Amazon has discounted the Horizon: Call of the Mountain bundle over the last few days, if you know where to look (and are OK with a ‘Used - Like New’ product), then you can save even more this Black Friday. Thanks to a bonus discount, you can get it for $252.

CEO of gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, has revealed that compared to this time last year, Game Pass cloud hours are up 45%.

Spencer said Microsoft was "building a future where gaming is more accessible that ever," and measures progress by looking at engagement, the "momentum" for which he described as "encouraging." He also reported that console cloud streaming hours are also up 45%, and 24% more on "other devices."

"Progress is also about more choice for players — play what you want, where you want — and that’s what drives us forward," he added. "Thanks to Team Xbox, our partners, and our players for helping make this vision real."

Without a baseline measure, though, its difficult to assess just how impactful this is for Xbox, not least because cloud gaming is available as part of Xbox Game Pass, and Microsoft’s shock price rise for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate last month saw prices jump 50% from $19.99 to $29.99 in the U.S., resulting in anger, cancellations, and frantic subscription stacking. Microsoft does not make Game Pass subscriber numbers public, nor does it say how many Xbox consoles it's sold. It tends not to announce game sales, either.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft has said Game Pass reached a new annual record of nearly $5 billion in revenue this year, following the launches of The Elder Scrolls Oblivion: Remastered, Doom: The Dark Ages, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Microsoft has insisted “creator participation” and “player engagement” in Game Pass are at an all-time high, without providing hard numbers.

Interestingly, Spencer's latest comments come as rumors swirl that Microsoft is reportedly set to launch a free version of Xbox Cloud Gaming with ads for PC, Xbox consoles, handheld devices, and the web. A version of Xbox Cloud Gaming supported by ads is reportedly being tested internally, and would not require a Game Pass subscription. A public test is said to be coming soon.

It's been a rocky year all round for the company. In July, amid layoffs that swept through Xbox, the founder of Microsoft-owned Arkane Studios hit out at Game Pass, calling the subscription model “unsustainable.” Raphael Colantonio, who founded the Dishonored and Prey developer and served as its president before leaving in 2017 to start Weird West maker WolfEye Studios, took to social media to ask: “Why is no-one talking about the elephant in the room? Cough cough (Gamepass).”

The cost of being an Xbox fan has also been a hot topic this year. After announcing a jump to $80 for its games due out this holiday, Microsoft backtracked to stick with $70 for the likes of The Outer Worlds 2. It also raised the price of Xbox consoles in the U.S. not once but twice, blaming "changes in the macroeconomic environment." Microsoft similarly raised eyebrows when it confirmed a $999.99 price tag for the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld, and $599.99 for the ROG Xbox Ally.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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.

We made it: Black Friday is here. This is the best time to pick up any LEGO sets you’ve had an eye on. That’s because this is when you can reliably get the steepest discounts on sets. Typical sales throughout the year might drop prices by 20% or so. But on Black Friday, you can find sets for 30% off, 40% off, or even more. It’s the time to buy if you want to save as much as possible. LEGO official LEGO Store Black Friday sale is live today through Monday, December 1, and other retailers have their deepest discounts on sets as well. Let’s dive into the deals.

The Best LEGO Black Friday Deals

Here are all the best Black Friday LEGO deals we’ve found so far. We’ll be scouring the retailers throughout Black Friday and Cyber Monday and updating the list as items go out of stock and new sets go on sale.

Some of my favorite deals include the LEGO Pac-Man Arcade set (on sale at Amazon), which we built when it came out. You can turn a crank on the back of the set to make the characters move. Another is Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory set (on sale at Target), which we also built and has a moving chocolate waterfall, plus the Wonkatania ship.

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

The Games Done Quick (GDQ) community regularly celebrates the art of speedrunning while raising money for different charities. Last year’s Awesome Games Done Quick event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania raised approximately $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation, marking the organization as one of the largest global fundraisers. Not only is each event a testament to the skills of runners, but it also highlights the generosity of this subsection of the gaming community.

GDQ is not just known for its impressive speedruns, though. It’s commonly praised for its diversity. From Games Done Queer, to Black in a Flash, the speedrunning charity regularly creates safe spaces for marginalized identities. And this year, across the weekend of November 29-30, disabled and neurodivergent runners and community members alike will have their own platform to raise awareness and money for the Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network, as well as showcase their speedrunning skills in games such as Tetris, Tunic, Dark Souls 3, and Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow.

Speaking with IGN, GDQ Disability and Neurodivergence Special event leads and speedrunners Madeleine “SatanHerself” Callan and Jaida “Anarchyasf” George discuss the importance of disability representation in the speedrunning scene, as well as the logistics of planning this event.

Making Speedrunning Inclusive

In March, Callan joined the GDQ team. She notes that the organization actively encourages the creation of different showcases, sometimes focused on specific games, and other times rooted in communities, like disabled and neurodivergent. After conferring with GDQ and formulating the idea for several months, she thought it appropriate to align the first disability speedrunning charity drive with International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which takes place on December 3. And to help organize and host the showcase, Callan brought on George, a speedrunner known for highlighting marginalized voices.

“I jumped at the opportunity when Maddie asked me to be on,” George says. “My Hotfix show [part of GDQ’s regular scheduled programming] that I started last November is called Hidden Heroes, and the point is to showcase marginalized speedrunners. Sometimes, when you are looking at the speedrunning space, it can seem overwhelmingly one kind of person, and you don’t often see people like me or people like Maddie on the big stage.”

George explains that her presence in the speedrunning scene is directly attributed to black speedrunners offering her opportunities to perform and compete. With over a decade of experience in the hobby, she was welcomed within black-led spaces and events at GDQ. And for Callan, her speedrunning career at GDQ is a tribute to the Frame Fatales community, an all women and femme speedrunning group. These groups, which offer safe and welcoming spaces within the greater speedrunning scene, were direct catalysts for the creation of the GDQ Disability and Neurodivergence Special. For Callan and George, elevating this community speedrunners, just as they were welcomed, is the most important aspect of building a new showcase.

“I often feel in professional spaces I can’t say the word Autism,” says Callan. “It makes people feel uncomfortable. I can’t say a myriad of the types of [disabilities] we’re going to be talking about during the event. I feel like in this space we made for ourselves, we can talk about [disabilities], and so many people are excited to.”

Callan explains that some runners have designed their showcases to highlight and educate audience members about their specific disabilities. “If you provide the safe space then people are going to flock to you. Do something that you’re excited about. And if you need more time, float around the space, and then, maybe you’ll feel more comfortable.”

Making Speedrunning Accessible

Establishing a safe and healthy environment for disabled and neurodivergent speedrunners is only one part of the overarching challenge of creating an accessible event. While most modern triple-A and indie games include some form of accessibility options or inclusive designs, they still cannot fully account for the individualistic nature of the disabled experience. This, according to Callan and George, helped drive discussions around ensuring that competitors could run from the comfort of their own homes.

That’s just one of many decisions made by the team to ensure the event is accessible to all. Another example is particularly beneficial for cognitive disabilities: “People who have speech impediments, or who are nervous about speaking for one reason or another, can get commentary buddies,” Callan reveals. “We’ve been linking people up with people who will help them with commentary, sort of like having a buddy support system. I’ve been enjoying seeing that come together and seeing people look at their limitations and saying, ‘I still want to try and see what I can do within this space.’”

To coincide with providing accessibility for casters and their specific runs, the disability and neurodivergent event also removes any kind of restriction on controls and control types. GDQ does traditionally allow unique controllers and control schemes to complete runs, like using a bicycle to beat Undertale or Peanut Butter the Dog’s makeshift paddles to beat Gyromite. But for disabled runners that need accessible controllers or schemes, George is making it very clear that GDQ encourages everyone to use what is necessary.

“Whatever it is you need to do to complete your run in a way that allows you to do it is encouraged,” she says. “I know there are people who play with alternative control styles. There is a particular person I know, who did not submit for the event, but uses a modified controller in a way that is helpful for them to do the hobby that they like to enjoy. Whatever people need to use, we are totally accepting.”

Callan does explain that there’s a chance that runs may be denied, not from an accessibility standpoint, but from a “technological limitation on the type of run that we can do, not the actual control scheme.”

Disability inclusion is still lacking across the greater gaming industry. From official fighting game tournaments restricting certain controls and settings, to companies like Microsoft outright banning third-party hardware, it’s difficult for disabled players to participate in events. Combine the lack of controls with little representation across major events, and disabled individuals struggle to fully belong in the scene. Callan and George ultimately want to rectify these missteps with the GDQ Disability and Neurodivergence Special. And, as Callan notes, creating a space where disabled runners can be welcomed and supported is what’s most important.

“My main message with this [event] and in general, as a person in this space, is to be proud of yourself,” she says. “Look at our positions in life and say ‘This sucks, and the world isn’t built for us, and it’s difficult when the world doesn’t want us to succeed, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come together and have fun and make a space for ourselves in the world that we want to see.’”

The GDQ Disability and Neurodivergence Special takes place this weekend, November 29-30, ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on December 3. You can watch the event streamed live on the GamesDoneQuick Twitch channel from 1pm ET/10am PT each day. You can find the schedule here.

Grant Stoner is a disabled journalist covering accessibility and the disabled perspective in video games. When not writing, he is usually screaming about Pokémon or his cat, Goomba on Twitter.

The Xbox Elite controller may not have seen any new hardware revisions in recent years, but it’s still a great way to upgrade your experience on console and PC.

While Amazon has it discounted from $199.99 down to $139.99 (a 30% Black Friday discount in itself), look a little closer, and you can pick up a ‘Used - Like New’ pad for even less.

The cast of Shrek 5 will include Skyler Gisondo, best known as Jimmy Olsen in this year's Superman, as one of the ogre's two sons, Fergus and Farkle.

SNL and Happy Gilmore 2 actor Marcello Hernández will play the other male offspring of Shrek and Fiona, Variety has reported. Previously, DreamWorks Animation confirmed Spider-Man star Zendaya would voice the third of Shrek's triplets, Felicia.

Shrek and Fiona's trio of ogre babies first featured in 2007's Shrek The Third, and reappeared in minor roles within 2010's Shrek Forever After — once intended as the final movie in the series. But now, DreamWorks is keen on reviving its hugely-successful franchise, and clearly has plans to establish Shrek's kids as more of their own characters.

Shrek 2 and Madagascar 2 director Conrad Vernon is helming the new film, alongside Walt Dohrn, a writer on all of the seris' sequels. Its producers include Shrek Forever After's Gina Shay, as well as Illumination boss Chris Meledandri, known for helping Nintendo to success with its Super Mario Bros. Movie.

It's easy to see why DreamWorks and Universal Pictures are keen for a Shrek revival. The franchise's first four Shrek films collectively earned $2.9 billion, and spawned a series of spin-offs, including two Puss in Boots movies, a Broadway musical and more.

When Shrek 5 arrives, more than 17 years will have passed since the launch of the series' preceeding film. A first-look trailer, above, previously revealed Zendaya's character cringing as she looked at images of her dad put through an AI-style filter on his magic mirror.

Details of Shrek 5's story remain under wraps, though Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz are all set to return for the new movie, as Shrek, Fiona and Donkey, respectively.

The movie is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 30, 2027.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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

Any gamers who’ve been feeling the pinch enough that they can’t splurge on an extra pair of Joy-Con controllers for your Nintendo Switch 2, Woot has a double Black Friday deal that will save you almost $30.

For this pair of Switch 2 Joy-Cons, in the same light blue & red colours as the console, Woot has initially knocked $10 off their original $99.99 price tag to $89.99. However, for Black Friday only (November 28), Woot is also offering an extra 20% off any order when placed through the Woot app.

The director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 always believed the turned-based RPG was going to be "cool," but had no idea it would get this "big."

Talking to Radio Times Gaming following this year's Golden Joysticks awards, creative director Guillaume Broche spoke candidly about the studio's work, admitting that the game's reception from fans and critics alike has been so unexpected, saying "nobody really understands what's happening."

"I think people don't really realize that, now it's become big, but before the launch, it was not supposed to be big," Broche said. "I think we all felt the same thing. It's going to be cool. It's not going to be big, it's going to be cool. And what's happening today is like, as we say, nobody really understands what's happening.

"It's a weird feeling, when you put your heart out into the world and the world embraces it and gives you so much love back. We get so much love from the players... it's so touching and incredible that it's very hard to explain."

Ben Starr — who voices Verso in the RPG — feels the same, adding: "It was never intended to be as big as it is. It's turned into this kind of cultural moment, phenomenon, but that's just because the game is very honest, I think. And a lot of people have bought into that.

"I don't think anyone expected this because it's a small game. No one expected those numbers, and we've all just been messaging each other thinking, this is, well, this is just silly. This is just silly now. Everyone just stop. It's a silly joke. But yeah, it's been very cool."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched on April 24 across PC and console, but also straight into Xbox Game Pass as a day-one title. In IGN's 9/10 review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, we described it as a "modern RPG classic," adding: "In so many ways, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reminded me of numerous classic and contemporary RPGs I love, but developer Sandfall truly understood why those games are special and made the pieces it borrowed its own."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold 5 million copies in five months, making it one of the biggest hits of the year. It also received a record-breaking 12 nominations at this year's The Game Awards, and is up for Best Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Independent Game, and Best RPG, as well as the ceremony's coveted Game of the Year gong. Three of its performers are also up for Best Performance.

If that's convinced you to give it a go, be sure to check out our tips for the important things to know before going into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The studio recently published update 1.4.0, adding key features like a Battle Retry option alongside a host of quality-of-life changes, visual improvements, and bug fixes.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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.

Amazon’s Fallout TV show is canon, so the question of which Fallout: New Vegas ending it will rubber stamp as official has been a burning question within the community ever since it was confirmed that Season 2 would take place in what remains of the city. But recent comments from one of the actors on the show suggest Season 2 will dodge the question entirely.

Warning! Spoilers for Fallout Season 1 and Fallout New Vegas follow.

The Fallout TV show is set after all the Fallout games and is considered canon, so when it was confirmed that Mr. House would be in Season 2, it sparked all sorts of fan theories about how he would make his live-action appearance, and what it would mean for Obsidian’s much-loved New Vegas itself.

Robert House appears in New Vegas as Mr. House. He rules the Strip as a brain plugged into a supercomputer that has extended his existence from the pre-war era hundreds of years into the post-war era. Robert House makes a cameo appearance in Season 1 during a pre-war scene in which the then RobCo Industries boss plots with Vault-Tec management and the heads of other companies to not only survive the inevitable nuclear apocalypse, but maybe even trigger it.

Season 1 ends with a Power Armor-clad Overseer Hank stomping towards New Vegas, with The Ghoul and Lucy MacLean in hot pursuit. Much of Season 2 — based on trailers released so far — will be set in New Vegas and deal with the coming together of the main characters there.

A quick reminder of where we’re at in the Fallout timeline: the Fallout TV show is set in 2296, nine years after the events of Fallout 4 and 15 years after the events of Fallout: New Vegas. We’ve already seen a debate about which Fallout 4 ending should be considered canon, if any. And now we know Mr. House is in Season 2, does that suggest a canon ending is being used?

Depending on the choices the player, aka The Courier, makes throughout the course of the game, New Vegas can end with victory for the player during the Battle of Hoover Dam, which drives out all factions including Mr. House himself, a victory for Mr. House in which he remains in control of New Vegas and takes over Hoover Dam, a victory for Caesar's Legion, or a victory for the New California Republic.

There are variations within these endings, but given Mr. House is in Season 2 in a post-war setting, as in alive (sort of) when the main characters turn up at New Vegas, then it’s likely he survived the events of New Vegas the video game.

But does Season 2 make a decision on who won Fallout New Vegas? In a new interview with The Spill, Aaron Moten, who plays Maximus, a Brotherhood of Steel squire, suggests not — and it sounds like this was a talking point among the cast and showrunners.

“Actually, you know what's really interesting is our storyline, where we are in time, it's a number of years after the events of New Vegas,” Moten began when asked if Fallout fans will be surprised by the New Vegas they see in Season 2.

“An interesting thing, a conversation Geneva [Robertson-Dworet, co-showrunner] and I have been having, was actually about how history is written in the wasteland by whoever writes it. And different perspectives will have a different perspective on who won and who lost. It's a really beautiful thing. We see it really early on that you guys [Ella Purnell’s Lucy and Walton Goggins’ The Ghoul] find out who believes themselves to be winning, and The Ghoul offering a different perspective.”

So, based on these comments, it sounds like Season 2 will largely dodge the thorny issue of New Vegas canon and include pretty much every faction from the game to some degree. Indeed, trailers have shown Mr. House in supercomputer form and Caesar’s Legion, although it's unclear in what state they're in. So perhaps we’re in for a bit of a New Vegas mashup where everyone thinks they won the Battle of Hoover Dam.

Moten's comments echo those of co-showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet last year: “All we really want the audience to know is that things have happened, so that there isn't an expectation that we pick the show up in season two, following one of the myriad canon endings that depend on your choices when you play [Fallout: New Vegas],” Wagner said.

“With that post-credits stuff, we really wanted to imply, guys, the world has progressed, and the idea that the wasteland stays as it is decade-to-decade is preposterous to us. It’s just a place [of] constant tragedy, events, horrors — there's a constant churn of trauma. We're definitely implying more has occurred.”

It won’t be long until we find out. Fallout Season 2 kicks off December 17.

If you're hunting for the best offers this week, we're actively rounding up the strongest Black Friday deals on video games, tech, and more. You can find all our top picks and price drops in our full Black Friday hub, or check out our relevant pages for PlayStation, Nintendo, and Xbox deals.

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.

Star Wars: Starfighter director Shawn Levy has revealed the movie's high-profile composer, and said the project would deliberately avoid "remixes" of John Williams' classic themes for the franchise.

Starfighter, the upcoming standalone Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, will be scored by Thomas Newman — the Grammy, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer who has also racked up 15 Academy Award nominations.

Newman is behind numerous classic film scores, including American Beauty, Erin Brockovich and The Shawshank Redemption, as well as modern blockbusters such as Bond films Skyfall and Spectre, plus Pixar's Finding Nemo and WALL-E.

Speaking via the On Film... with Kevin McCarthy podcast, Newman said that Starfighter would sound "classically inspired" while avoiding the classic Star Wars themes that have become synonymous with the franchise. It's an approach that makes some sense, based on what we know already of Starfighter's story — which sounds like it'll be completely separate to the franchise's Skywalker Saga.

"I was thinking about this movie and what I need the music to be, because it wants to be sort of classically inspired," Levy said. "But no, it's not gonna be remixes of Williams cues. It may be inspired by some of that, but I knew that I needed a big-hearted movie score from a composer who, like John Williams, doesn't shy away from themes.

"So, I called up Tom Newman... and I said, 'Hey, it's Shawn Levy. Would you ever consider—?' And he said, 'Send me the script, and describe your vision.' And I did both those things, and it was yes. And I'm so stoked... I'm so excited about it."

Black Friday is a wonderful time of year for physical media fans. Those of us with 4K and Blu-ray collections can stock up on so many shows and films at a discount, and this year's sale event has had an amazing selection to look through so far. One of the best offers to cross our radar has been on James Gunn's Superman on 4K, which has just hit its lowest price yet at Amazon of just $12.49.

Superman 4K Drops to $12.49

The last Magic: The Gathering set of 2025, Avatar: The Last Airbender, has been more positively received than the Spider-Man one before it, but Collector Boosters have still been tough to get hold of.

Not only does Amazon have them in stock for Black Friday, but it’s selling a box at a fairly good discount compared to just a few weeks ago. Look, it’s still an awful lot of money, but if you’re desperate for some of the set’s priciest cards, this is still the way to go.