After weeks of heated speculation about whether Netflix was done with Stranger Things, including thousands of TikToks and social media posts about #ConformityGate and whether there was a secret, ninth episode of Season 5, the streamer has finally revealed the first look at new episodes of the hit series. Well, sort of. They actually unveiled the official, two-ish minute teaser for Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, a new animated series that’s been in the works for at least the past three years.

So yeah, sorry Season 5 truthers, Netflix has moved on with something new… Or rather, moved backwards, as this new series takes place smack in the middle of the action of Hawkins, Indiana, with some new characters, new creatures, and a whole lot of those ’80s vibes you know and love.

That said, there’s a lot that’s changed, and it isn’t just the fact that everyone is looking a whole lot more cartoony. So with that in mind, let’s break down some of the biggest burning questions about Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, and answer everything we know about the series so far.

What Is Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 About?

Okay, before we get into it, to set the stage – and we’ll expand on some of this later – here’s the official synopsis for the series:

Return to Hawkins with Stranger Things: Tales From ’85, an exciting new animated series from Showrunner Eric Robles and Executive Producers the Duffer Brothers. In the winter of 1985, snow blankets the town and the horrors of the Upside Down are finally fading. Our heroes Eleven, Mike, Will, Dustin, Lucas, and Max have settled back into a normal life of D&D, snowball fights, and quiet days. But beneath the ice, something terrifying has awakened. Could it be from the Upside Down? From the depths of Hawkins Lab? Or from somewhere else entirely? Our heroes must race to solve this mystery and save Hawkins in this untold story set in the Stranger Things universe.

So they might solve a mystery? Perhaps rewrite history? What is this, DuckTales? Well, sort of. Except for the ducks. And the large, swimmable bin filled with money.

In addition, this is – as you may be able to tell from the footage – being done with computer animation, despite being partially inspired by ’80s cartoons. The reason? Originally, the show was going to be made in the style of cartoons from the 1980s. But then they realized it was much darker, and characters might die. Because of this, they updated the look.

When Does Tales From ’85 Take Place (in the Continuity of the Show…)?

This might get a little bit of a deserved groan from you, dear reader, because yes, it takes place in 1985. And as you might have either read in the synopsis or seen in the trailer based on the snowball fights, this takes place in the winter of 1985. But for those wondering when it takes place in the continuity of the live-action show, the answer is between the end of Season 2 and the beginning of Season 3.

More specifically, at the end of Season 2, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) sealed the gate to the Upside Down in Hawkins Lab after a legion of demodogs had invaded tunnels under the town. The final episode took place at the Snow Ball, a winter dance, so this happens after Max (Sadie Sink) and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) kissed for the first time, El and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) are together, and Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) have hooked up.

Season 3 kicks off the next summer with the opening of the Starcourt Mall, and the emergence of a goopy, rat-filled Mind Flayer, so we’re not quite there yet.

Point being, the Upside Down is closed off, the threat has dispersed, and mostly everyone is exploring new romantic relationships. And perhaps more importantly, they’re all still in eighth grade. Or at least, the kids are. Hopper (David Harbour) is not in eighth grade. FYI.

What’s Up With All the Monsters Then?

Great question! With previous spinoffs of Stranger Things, they’ve mostly touched on things that could maybe be supernatural but ultimately are not. Specifically any of the in-continuity Dark Horse Comics or novels will have things like Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) thinking he’s dealing with a Jason-style slasher at summer camp (he’s not), or the kids trying to find a secret treasure left by Bob Newby (Sean Astin) that isn’t really rich stuff so much as emotionally rich stuff.

The reason for that is pretty simple: If they fought monsters between seasons, why wouldn’t that come up in conversation during seasons? Tales From ’85, on the other hand, clearly has what looks like demogorgons with pumpkin heads, giant plant beasties, and more.

The answer is that Tales From ’85 exists in its own continuity. And in that continuity, Hawkins Lab is messing with the Upside Down. Showrunner Eric Robles explained to Tudum that, “All of it is still connected to the Upside Down, so there is the DNA of Upside Down creatures in all of our creatures. It’s like Hawkins Lab science meets Upside Down matter. When you put them together, those are the kinds of creatures we have in our world.”

So Wait, This Isn’t in Canon With Stranger Things?

Er, yes and no on the in canon thing. The closest comp to Tales From ’85 is The Real Ghostbusters, which Robles has noted was an inspiration for the show. Like that Ghostbusters spinoff, it didn’t do anything to contradict the live-action adventures, but also it followed its own path and ideas. So, for example, Dustin isn’t going to lose an arm on Tales From ’85, and we aren’t going to find out the Upside Down is not a wormhole – in fact, it’s likely nobody will mention wormholes at all. Probably.

So by not contradicting, one could simply imagine that fighting plant monsters before the summer of ’85 in Season 3 just never came up in conversation on screen, but they were talking about it all the time off-screen. It’s a narrative trick to allow the writers of Tales From ’85 to not be constrained in the same way that, for example, Broadway play The First Shadow had to cut out certain plot points so as to not spoil them before Season 5 of the show. Basically, it’s everything we said about the novels and comics, but with some of the restrictive guard-rails taken off.

Are Any of the Live-Action Actors Returning for Tales From ’85?

That’s a big “N-O,” good buddy. The entire voice cast of the show is new, with probably the most famous member being Jeremy Jordan – who you nerds might know as Winn from Supergirl – as the voice of Steve “The Hair” Harrington.

The Stranger Things: Tales From ’85 voice cast includes:

• Jeremy Jordan as Steve “The Hair” Harrington
• Luca Diaz as Mike Wheeler
• Brooklyn Davey Norstedt as Eleven
• Braxton Quinney as Dustin
• Elisha Williams as Lucas
• Ben Plessala as Will
• Jolie Hoang-Rappaport as Max
• Brett Gipson as Hopper

In addition, there will be a new character named Nikki Baxter, who is described as a tinker with pink hair. A pinker, if you will. You won’t? Okay then.

Odessa A’zion, Janeane Garofalo and Lou Diamond Phillips are also in the cast in undisclosed roles.

That doesn’t preclude a surprise cameo from any of the live-action cast, but they won’t be playing the roles they made famous on TV. At least part of the reason for that is likely that the “kids” don’t, uh, sound like that anymore.

Is This the Spinoff the Duffer Brothers Were Teasing in Season 5?

Nope. Tales From ’85, as mentioned, has been in the works for a while now. But the live-action spinoff the Duffers are working on that has yet to be officially announced is not the animated series. That will involve entirely different characters than Stranger Things did, and in a different setting than Hawkins. Given Tales From ’85 includes the same characters in the same place… Well, you can probably figure it out from there.

Another big clue that this animated series is not the Duffers’ live-action spinoff? One is animated, and the other is live-action. And no, this show does not Roger Rabbit it up (probably).

How Many Episodes Are in Tales From ’85? And When Does It Premiere?

Last one first! Tales From ’85 premieres on April 23 on Netflix. As of now, we don’t have any info about how many episodes the show will run, or how long the episodes will be. We also don’t know if there will be additional seasons, or if those additional seasons would also be set in 1985… While animation has a long lead time to get ready (see above re: this taking three years), it’s possible Netflix may be waiting to see how this goes before greenlighting Season 2: Tales From Slightly Later In 1985.

As for now, we’ll just have to wait for April, when we find out that life is like a hurricane, here in, Haw-kins.

Welcome to the HP OmniBook X Flip 14 experience.

Your workday will start as it always does. Inbox. Calendar. Couple of documents. Too many tabs, but handled like a boss. A vid conference where you’re nodding like a bobblehead but yawning through your eyeballs. The HP OmniBook X Flip chews through this stuff without fuss.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 keeps everything feeling responsive, Copilot+ features handle the background admin like live captions and image tweaks, and the 5MP IR camera with Poly Camera Pro does a heroic job of making you look perky and present even when you’re spiritually down the street.

Then you get five minutes.

Five minutes is enough time to check on your Baldur’s Gate 3 save. Maybe respec a character. Maybe roll a newy, because that’s the kind of office-based number crunching that truly matters. On this beast, BG3 loads quick and looks a treat on the 14 inch 2K touchscreen. Turn based combat is perfect here. It waits. It understands your life is dungeons & dragons + deadlines.

Back to work. Creative time now. Premiere Pro open. Timeline scrubbing. Exports running. The HP OmniBook X Flip stays cool and cooperative, which is exactly what you want from a work machine. This is the part where you feel smug about the purchase. See? Work.

During a mid morning commute or coffee break, jack into Cyberpunk 2077. Experience preem Night City visuals, cybersexy escapism, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing the beast from your lappy bag can handle it without begging for a charger. Intel Arc graphics keep things smooth enough to stay immersed, and the battery holds on like it knows what’s coming later.

Another meeting. Notes this time. Flip the OmniBook X Flip into tablet mode. Touchscreen. Jot things down. Pretend you are sketching ideas, not thinking about optimising perks. The 2 in 1 design is genuinely useful here, which makes the inevitable pivot back to games feel earned rather than cheeky.

Lunch break. Controller out. One reality hop later and you’re in Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart, another PS5 crown jewel ported up into PC Valhalla. Tent mode works beautifully, load times are short thanks to the SSD, and clueless meerkating co-workers ask you when Pixar started making interactive movies.

Afternoon slump. Your day slides into (hopefully paid) overtime as you indulge in a particular joy of irony. Using a laptop bristling with AI features to play Terminator 2D No Fate feels like tempting fate on purpose. Running a sprite heavy love letter to 90s action excess on a Copilot+ PC barely taxes this beast, obviously, but it scratches that old school itch.

The cleaners are vacuuming, but you’re headphoned up for a night of AAA delights. Grip a ripcord and zip into Battlefield 6 REDSEC, avoiding peak hour traffic with fully loaded graphics. Or sling into Marvel’s Spider Man 2 for spandex-tight combat as you Peter parkour like his rent’s due and you both should be doing real work instead.

Art imitating life.

The HP OmniBook X Flip does not force you to choose between work or play. It lets you oscillate between the two grinds that matter. Better yet, it looks sensible enough to justify itself in any room, and is capable enough to reward every stolen moment.

So yes, “I need it for work”…works. Spreadsheets. Creative projects. Vid calls. Whatever.

It just also happens to slay at play.

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

Samsung has added Nvidia G-Sync support to its 2026 OLED TVs and gaming monitors, the company announced over the weekend. In addition, a couple of TVs – the S95H and S90H – will also come with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

Both of these VRR technologies aim to smooth out your gaming experience by preventing things like one part of an image moving ahead of another part, aka screen-tearing. In the past, Samsung displays have instead relied on its own version variable refresh rate, or VRR.

Besides the high end S95H and S90H, Samsung says it'll make the midrange S85H G-Sync Compatible, too. Over in gaming monitor land, the company named the new 27-inch Odyssey G6 – its absurdly high-refresh-rate 1,040Hz model – and its 240Hz refresh 27-inch Odyssey G6 sibling. (We love confusing lineup naming, don't we? Those are the G60H and G61SH, respectively). Equipped with G-Sync Compatible screens, Samsung's gaming displays could fare a little better when compared to some of the best gaming displays; the company has struggled to outperform the likes of Dell or Asus, at least by our estimation. It has done better in the OLED arena, though – the Odyssey G9 is, after all, our favorite OLED widescreen gaming display.

Besides G-Sync and FreeSync, Samsung's OLEDs this year will also get support for HDR10+ Advanced, which the company previewed late last year. That's the fancy-pants HDR standard meant to fix the soap opera effect, or the unnaturally fluid movement you see on your parents' TV when you go home for the holidays every year (I know you've been surreptitiously turning that off every chance you get, you sneaky old so-and-so).

Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.

Mark “Markiplier” Fischbach shared an emotional moment with fans after his new movie, Iron Lung, managed to win big at the box office over the weekend.

The YouTube star took to a livestream in the wake of the theatrical premiere of his debut feature film to speak about its success and clear up any confusion about how it compared to competing films. He starts the 25-minute video crying as he speaks about the response he’s received so far.

“Man, it’s been a bit of an emotional day. I’m not gonna lie. It’s been a bit of an emotional day in a good way, in the best way possible,” Markiplier, fighting back tears, said during the Sunday broadcast. “Everything good. Everything’s fine. I don’t even know where to start. OK, so I’ll first say… man, just thank you, guys. Just thank you, guys, so much, because it’s been a really special day.”

What starts with Markiplier’s reaction to a positive review from fellow content creator Hbomberguy then turns into a moment reflecting on his mark on independent filmmaking. Iron Lung premiered alongside Sam Raimi and Disney’s R-rated Send Help, but both films spent the weekend neck-and-neck for the number one spot.

Although Send Help will continue its run while Iron Lung drops out of the box office race (and most theaters), the $21.5 million the film has made globally means it more than made up for its reported $3 million budget. It also means Markiplier is going to be able to “give the crew a big bonus.”

“I had a conversation today with a fan, and it was a perfectly normal conversation,” he said through tears. “They mentioned that they were a film student, and they said how cool it was that this was done independently, and that this was really kind of an inspiration for people that wanted to get into making movies, that it was even possible.”

When Markiplier told the film student that he had “some conversations going” about bringing a studio in to help with distribution, they replied, “please don’t because it’s really cool and kind of a hero moment to showcase that indie filmmaking was possible.” After going back home shortly after, he received an email stating that Send Help was “closing the gap” and only $300,000 away.

“I’m almost hesitant to ask this, but I think it might be a big win for independent filmmaking,” Markiplier added, calling on fans to see Iron Lung before it left local cinemas. “It’s not to shutout Sam Raimi. It’s kinda to shutout Disney for winning 10 weeks in a row – maybe they could only win nine weeks in a row and the one weekend that Iron Lung is here, it could, you know… I think that might be pretty cool.”

He continued: “And maybe if I could inspire someone to keep making films, that would be pretty cool. And maybe if it could open up the door for other people to do their projects independently, and know there could be success in it, I think that would be pretty cool. I think that might actually be really cool.”

Markiplier wrote, directed, self-financed, distributed, and starred in Iron Lung. It’s a live-action adaptation of the 2022 independent horror game of the same name and follows a man trapped inside an iron submarine in an ocean of blood. We gave it a 4/10 in our review.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

This morning Wizards of the Coast put a new Magic: The Gathering product up for sale with an unexpected twist. The “Prints Charming” Secret Lair drop contains four reprinted cards with pretty excellent new art – but rather than simply telling us how much it costs, it was given five different non-foil store listings and five more for the foil version, each with a different price ranging from $10 all the way up to $50. The product description on all of them is careful to point out the following: “The only difference between listings is the price. Higher-priced listings do not include anything extra.”

This, by my estimation as someone who has been playing Magic since the 90s and literally wrote the announcement for the very first Secret Lair, is pretty lame. Taken graciously, it’s a goofy marketing stunt meant to do something silly and get folk talking about it, but it nevertheless leaves those who arrived too late with a very sour taste in their mouth. A more pessimistic reading would be that WOTC is price testing what people are willing to pay for a Secret Lair drop in broad daylight, shedding even the thinnest veneer that may be hiding the capitalist hunger a lawsuit recently alleged is designed specifically to hide shortfalls in other parts of Hasbro’s business.

The reaction amongst the Magic community has been muddled. Some were confused. Some very generously assumed the higher price points were to bait automated scalper bots into spending more while real people could snag a more affordable version – an argument that doesn’t exactly hold water when you consider that they could just make them all cheaper if that was the desire. And some were just angry, either because the cheapest versions sold out so fast, or because they similarly see this as bold-faced market research in cardboard form.

I actually really love the idea of Wizards of the Coast’s Secret Lair line overall. Directly selling small drops of thematically linked cards with cool and unique art treatments is quite fun, and often comes at little-to-no cost for those who just want to ignore it. Being able to give Kratos or Aloy their own cards without the production lift a larger product would require is a neat tool in WOTC’s toolbelt. The “Chaos Vault” moniker this latest one was released under intentionally pushes the envelope even further with weird, off-schedule ideas and one-offs that are explicitly meant to experiment. I dig that!

But that does not mean Secret Lair is free from criticism. Most pressing here, folk (myself included) were already displeased by WOTC’s 2024 decision to move these drops from a “print to demand” model to one with limited and undisclosed quantities. The former system meant anyone who wanted a certain drop could get it within a specific timeframe, while the latter has historically meant you need to get in line right when a popular drop arrives in order to have a chance at purchasing it – something you can’t do if you, say, have work or school at the same time.

So, given there is already anxiety around the availability of Secret Lairs, one that got almost no pre-promotion offering an early bird discount (alongside the option to pay WOTC more money) is understandably frustrating. It’s the sort of thing that independent creators admittedly do with their products from time to time without drawing any ire, rewarding their most dedicated fans while also providing a way to support them even further for those who want to. But for a multibillion-dollar corporation to do it is not endearing in the same way – it comes across more like profit analysis wearing a sign around its neck that reads “it’s just a prank, bro.”

Much to my dismay, both the lowest and highest priced versions of Prints Charming sold out the quickest, either lending some credence to the “ha ha stupid bots” theory or offering evidence that “speaking with your wallet” is and will always be a doomed suggestion. The standard Secret Lair pricing of $30 for non-foil and $40 for foil lasted much longer than the others, so it seems likely the “stock” for those versions was intentionally the largest of all the options. But even if that does make this one big stunt, or even a cute way to subsidize a few discounted drops through folk who are willing to spend a little more, the ultimate result is still that a majority of players feel like they are the ones left holding the proverbial bag.

I don’t know, maybe I am yelling at the clouds. The card-selling company is experimenting with how much money it can sell its cards for. This should not be a shock, nor am I surprised to see Prints Charming sell out within hours (the art is really excellent, even if its total reprint value of around $5 is not). But the quiet part is being said louder than usual here. The teacher has handed us a test, and I fear what the results will be. The theme of this drop is cards that speed up your green resource production, and if that’s not as on the nose as naming your giant evil space station the Death Star, I don’t know what is.

Tom Marks is IGN's Associate Reviews Director and local MTG Cube obssessive. He loves puzzles, platformers, puzzle-platformers, and lots more.

Now is the time to retire that pedal-powered bike of yours and upgrade to electric. The price of electric assisted bikes has plummeted over the past year. Nowadays you can find a decent bike for well under $500. To kickstart the new year, AliExpress is offering the 5th Wheel AB17 500W 375Wh Electric Bike for a rock bottom price of $272.34 after you apply $25 off coupon code "025USAFF". This bike ships locally from a warehouse in the United States, with most orders being delivered within a week. That means you don't have to worry about tariffs, import fees, or egregiously long shipping times.

5th Wheel AB17 500W 375Wh Electric Bike for $272.34

Full spoilers follow for Primal Season 3, Episode 4, “Prey for the Wicked,” which is available on Adult Swim and HBO Max now.

Wow, I didn’t see this coming so soon. Fang is back! And so are her babies and Mira, all of whom we last saw in the Primal Season 2 finale back in 2022. Not only has our favorite T. rex returned, but by the end of this episode she’s been reunited with Spear… or what’s left of him, anyway.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The first three episodes of this season have taken their time just getting us acquainted with the zombie version of Spear, and while it was clear that our undead hero was looking for his lost family – and specifically for Fang – even if he wasn’t entirely conscious of it, it didn’t seem like series creator Genndy Tartakovsky was in any rush to reunite them. Yes, Tartakovsky hinted that the beautiful girl would return eventually, and a trailer gave us a glimpse of her too, but so far Primal Season 3 has very much been centered on zombie Spear, so much so that it wasn’t even clear how much time had passed since his death – er, “death” – in the Season 2 finale.

So I was a bit surprised to find that this episode opens with a flashback, and not just any flashback, but one to Spear’s funeral. How heartbreaking is it when, among the array of villagers mourning Spear, we see Mira intensely dancing in her grief? And even more touching, there’s Fang off in the distance, watching the ceremony with her babes. She might not fully understand the nature of the funeral, but she knows well enough what it means.

Cosmere fans, rejoice! At long last, Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere universe will be officially coming to both big and small screens courtesy of Apple TV. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the deal will adapt his most popular Mistborn (Era 1) and Stormlight Archive book series into film and television series, respectively, with Sanderson himself set to “write, produce, and consult” on the projects.

As a big fan of Brandon Sanderson and his works, (check out my reviews of both the Cosmere TTRPG and Mistborn deck building card game), I thought I would put together a short little helper guide for any of you out there that want to get a jump on the stories and characters that will soon be jumping out of your screens.

If once you finish these books and find yourself chomping at the bit for more, check out our full reading guide on The Cosmere to figure out where to go next!

Mistborn - Era 1

Mistborn and its metal-burning allomancers will be the first of the Cosmere works to coin-push their way from the pages and onto the screen in the form of films. Along with the Stormlight Archive’s world of Roshar, Mistborn’s Scadriel forms what could be considered the backbone of the entire universe-spanning story that Sanderson has been weaving together for the past two decades. The world of Scadrial is told over the course of multiple Eras, with only the first set of books, referred to as “Era 1” being the focus of the first film.

Mistborn (Era 1) follows Vin, a thief with the ability to use Allomancy, Scadrial’s special type of magic, which allows a person to burn specific metals for various effects. We don’t know just yet if Apple and Brandon will attempt to condense into a single film the entire Vin saga (I highly doubt it), but here is what you should check out beforehand.

The Books

One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with a body that responds like rubber thanks to eating Devil Fruit, on his quest to become the next Pirate King by finding the ultimate treasure of legendary Pirate, Gold Roger. Based on Eiichiro Oda's best-selling manga series, One Piece is full of epic battles and a highly entertaining and eclectic ensemble of characters known as the Straw Hat Pirates.

With over 1,000 episodes across over 20 seasons (divided into 10 sagas with 52 different story arcs), specials, OVAs and shorts, it can be difficult to decide when and where to put the One Piece movies into your (re)watch list. Whether you’re new to the world of One Piece or settling in for an epic movie rewatch alongside the live-action series, we’ve got you covered.

Take a look at our One Piece timeline guide for what order you should watch the One Piece movies and episodes in.

Jump To:

• How to watch in chronological order
• How to watch by release order

How Many One Piece Movies Are There?

There are currently 15 feature length One Piece movies you can watch alongside the anime series. The movie stories are not connected to the series, and therefore aren’t canon. But the stories are built around canon characters and offer an opportunity to learn more about the world of the Straw Hat Pirates.

While the original One Piece movies are a little hard to track down online, more recent One Piece movies are available to stream on Crunchyroll and also have Blu-ray releases.

Where to Stream One Piece

If you want to start the true binge (don't be intimidated by that episode number, it's worth it), the One Piece anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll, Hulu, and Netflix. The live-action One Piece show is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

The One Piece Series In Chronological Order

To avoid confusion or early introduction to canon characters, we recommend watching the One Piece movies alongside the anime series and its corresponding episodes in the expansive franchise.

1. One Piece: The Movie (watch after episode 18)

The Straw Hat Pirates find themselves pitted against the ruthless pirate Eldoraggo after an encounter with a trio of thieves. The Straw Hat Pirates must thwart Eldoraggo on his hunt for the treasure of a legendary captain and secure the hoard of gold for themselves. One Piece: The Movie falls in between the Syrup Village arc and the Baratie arc of the East Blue Saga. It offers a good, if visually nostalgic, world overview by showcasing the early days of the crew as they embark on a treasure hunt.

2. One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure (watch after episode 53)

The Straw Hat Pirates join forces with the Thief Brothers in order to recover their stolen ship, Going Merry and weapons from bandits. The crew and their allies must go to war against the pirate clan reigning over the Clockwork Island, in order to stop their leader from acquiring a superweapon and forcing their crew mate Nami into marriage. One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure falls after the second half of the Loguetown arc of the East Blue Saga. While this may be a standalone story it's a fun must-watch adventure about a vacation gone awry.

3. One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (watch after episode 102)

Stories about a great treasure lure the Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates to the wilderness of Crown Island where the crew encounters intelligent animals. While separate from the rest of the Straw Hats, the crew’s doctor Tony Tony Chopper triggers a prophecy and ends up crowned the island's lord and protector, the King of Beasts. Despite a few interesting fight scenes, Chopper’s Kingdom is an extremely skippable filler film. But if you’re a completionist, One Piece: Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals falls after episode 102 of the Arabasta Arc: in the Arabasta Saga.

4. One Piece: Dead End Adventure (watch after episode 138)

The Straw Hat Pirates need cash so they enter an underground race between pirates known as the Dead End Competition. The crew finds themselves pitted against a vice-admiral with his own powers and his formidable bounty hunter sidekick. Dead End Adventure is the first full-length feature and offers a fantastic adventure newbies and diehards can enjoy. This movie can be watched at any point after episode 130 but we think it falls in line best after episode 138 in the Goat Island arc of the Sky Island Saga.

5. One Piece: The Cursed Holy Sword (watch after episode 143)

The Cursed Holy Sword centers on Zoro, the crew’s swordsman. While on the island of Asuka, the Straw Hat Pirates learn about a legendary cursed sword the Shichiseiken. The crew’s quickly swept up in the shenanigans of marines intent on freeing the sword. Zoro’s joined their ranks and the rest of the crew must unravel his reasons and figure out what’s going on. This film is a chaotic mess that doesn’t fully come together and is pretty much a miss unless you’re just dying to know more about Zoro. The Cursed Holy Sword falls in line best after episode 14 of the Ruluka Island arc in the Sky Island Saga.

6. One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (watch after episode 224)

Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island, the sixth movie in the franchise, see the Straw Hat Pirates interrupt their journey to Grand Line for a pit stop on a recreation island to relax. Upon arrival the leader of the island, Baron Omatsuri, welcomes them and gives them seven challenges to achieve greater relaxation. The remainder of the movie is unraveling the mystery lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly happy community. Without giving anything away for the uninitiated, it's safe to say the Secret Island should not be on your skip list. The Secret Island falls in line best after episode 224 of the Ocean’s Dream arc in the Water 7 Saga.

7. One Piece: The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (watch after episode 228)

If you’re in the mood for great action sequences and an off-kilter plotline, then The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle will fully satisfy. The Straw Hats find and open a treasure box. Instead of loot, the crew finds an old lady inside. They agree to help her return home in exchange for a treasure on her Mecha Island. Upon arrival, the crew comes under attack by the island’s leader before he reverses track and asks for their help finding the treasure. Karakuri Castle is best seen after episode 228 of the Foxy’s Return arc in the Water 7 Saga.

8. One Piece – Episode of Arabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates (watch after episode 312)

Most One Piece fans will list the Arabasta arc as one of the best in the franchise. Which means if you watched the episodes, then this movie is extremely skippable. This movie is essentially a condensed version of that storyline that doesn’t offer any new storywise. If you need or want a refresher offered with high quality action sequences then watch the Episode of Arabasta remake after episode 312.

9. One Piece: Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in Winter, Miracle Sakura (watch after episode 325)

The Chopper Plus remake changes events and adds new canon characters, including a sidekick for the villain Wapol, to the original episodes in the Drum Island arc. It’s best to view watch this One Piece movie as an alternate universe where Luffy’s still trying to save crewmate Nami with different obstacles. If you’re interested in seeing the Bloom in Winter play out in a parallel world, watch Chopper Plus after episode 325 and the end of the Water 7 Saga.

10. One Piece Film: Strong World (watch after episode 381)

Luffy and his crewmates learn that islands in East Blue have been destroyed. The crew discovers that an ex-member of the Rocks Pirates, Shiki the Golden Lion, is responsible. Shiki wants to destroy the marines. After he kidnaps Nami to become their navigator, the Straw Hats decide to take matters into their own hands. They come together to battle the legendary Shiki and rescue Nami. Strong World showcases Shiki’s devil fruit powers and pits Luffy and crew against a myriad of challenges. Strong World is absolutely not canon but makes for a great ride. Watch it any time after episode 381. But we suggest waiting until after the last episode (429) of Little East Blue arc of the Summit Saga for best alignment in this epic journey.

11. One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase (watch after episode 381)

One Piece 3D: Straw Hat Chase gets treated as the eleventh movie in the One Piece franchise, but in reality it’s more of a short (and at this point, kind of lost media). Luffy wakes up to a missing crew and spends the entire movie on the hunt for them. Cue it up directly after finishing Strong World because there’s nothing special to separate it from the pack. Straw Hat Chase is pretty much impossible to find and so skippable not even hardcore completionists will demand you sit through it.

12. One Piece Film: Z (watch after episode 578)

One Piece Film: Z aims right for the feels with a story centering former marine admiral Z. Z’s stolen a dangerous weapon known as the “Dyna Stones,” and now the Straw Hat Pirates and other admirals must battle him to stop the end of the world. Widely considered one of the best One Pieces movies, Z is colorful and action-packed on top of being a tear-jerker. There’s a bit of debate about the best time to slide Z into the timeline. It’s viewers choice: cue it up after episode 573 or wait until the end of the Z’s Ambition arc with episode 578. Whichever you decide, not watching it would be a mistake.

13. One Piece Film: Gold (watch after episode 750)

The Straw Hat Pirates visit the greatest entertainment city contained on the Gran Tesoro ship. THe story shifts from a gambling vacation to a heist film in short order. This casino adventure offers slick animation and plenty of action from start to finish. Sometimes the point is fan service and that’s exactly the aim of Gold. If you’re this far down the One Piece rabbit hole then that fan service is going to make for a satisfying ride. This is best viewed after finishing the Silver Mine arc of the Whole Cake Island Saga.

14. One Piece: Stampede (watch after episode 889)

Luffy and crew decide to participate in a pirate festival alongside numerous other famous pirates. They quickly realize it's actually a free-for-all to find another one of Roger’s treasures. Over the course of the battle royale, more mysterious goings-on appear and cause upheaval. Do expect to see plenty of fan favorite characters, and the full range of powers operation in the One Piece World. Stampede is next-level fan service wrapped in an epic adventure. This must see movie can be watched any time after episode 889, the end of the Whole Cake Saga. But we suggest maybe waiting until after the Cidre Guild arc in the Wano Country Saga.

15. One Piece Film: Red (watch after episode 1030)

One Piece Film: Red, the most recent movie, is about Shanks and his daughter Uta. The Straw Hats attend a concert hosted by Uta, a famous singer, on Elegia the Island of Music. Things quickly go awry when the attendees discover that Uta is the daughter for Shanks, chief of the Red Hair Pirates. It should be noted that Red is initially driven by songs since that’s how Uta’s power manifests but the unfolding mysteries, chases, displays of legendary powers, and dangerous encounters make it all worthwhile. Red fits seamlessly after the Uta's Past arc of the Wano Country Saga.

How to Watch One Piece Movies in Release Order

1. One Piece: The Movie (2000)
2. Clockwork Island Adventure (2001)
3. Chopper’s Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (2002)
4. Dead End Adventure (2003)
5. The Cursed Holy Sword (2004)
6. Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (2005)
7. Giant Mecha Soldier of Karakuri Castle (2006)
8. The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta (2007)
9. Episode of Chopper Plus: Bloom in the Winter, Miracle Cherry Blossom (2008)
10. One Piece Film: Strong World (2009)
11. Straw Hat Chase (2011)
12. One Piece Film: Z (2012)
13. One Piece Film: Gold (2016)
14. One Piece: Stampede (2019)
15. One Piece Film: Red (2022)

The Future of One Piece

Eiichiro Oda has been teasing that he’s almost done with the One Piece manga for about 15 years, yet here we are. Though no one has a clear idea of when the manga (and therefore the anime) will end, we do know a few years. At a Jump Festa event in December 2025, Oda teased the end of the Elbaph arc for 2026 and said “The story will be moving at a breakneck speed.”

The One Piece anime is going through big changes this year, as it is changing from a weekly to a seasonal release schedule and will only release a maximum of 26 episodes per year starting this April with the Elbaph arc adaptation. We still don’t know when the next One Piece movie is going to come out, but Oda said it is not going particularly well production-wise. Still, he teased at Jump Festa that the story is one “all of you will be very interested in.”

There’s also an upcoming remake of One Piece titled “The One Piece” which is in production.

What About the Netflix Show?

While we don't have any news about new One Piece movies, we do know that the One Piece live-action series is returning for a second season some time in 2026. A new teaser for Season 2 also seems to confirm that Season 3 has already been greenlit.

Another major One Piece collaboration is LEGO releasing seven new One Piece sets based on the first season of the Netflix show. All of these sets represent scenes from the East Blue Saga.

Crunchyroll has announced a price hike across all of its streaming plans for U.S. subscribers. The price increases go into effect for new subscribers starting today, while existing subscribers will see the new prices reflected in billing cycles after March 4.

The changes generally increase every monthly subscription plan by $2, broken down as follows:

• Fan Tier will increase from $7.99/month to $9.99/month.
• Mega Fan Tier will increase from $11.99/month to $13.99/month.
• Ultimate Fan Tier will increase from $15.99/month to $17.99/month.

This is Crunchyroll’s second price increase since merging with Funimation. The previous increase, which took effect in May 2024, had been the service’s first price hike in over five years. The new price hike notably follows Crunchyroll's removal of its free streaming plan at the end of 2025.

The price increase, announced through a post on the Crunchyroll website, includes the following statement about Crunchyroll’s current value: “Crunchyroll subscribers enjoy the world’s largest dedicated anime library with 50,000+ episodes, 25,000 hours, and 2,000 series and films, alongside music videos, concerts, games, and more.”

The statement goes on to highlight “Recent and upcoming platform enhancements,” including:

• Teen profiles and PIN protection
• Multiple profiles
• Skip Intro/Credits
• Expanded device compatibility

The service also recently expanded its offerings with Crunchyroll manga, a digital-only service bolstered by connections with publishers like Viz Media and Square Enix.

The announcement is not accompanied by any indication of financial challenges. Crunchyroll, which is currently streaming the winter anime season, reported crossing 17 million paying subscribers in March 2025. Deadline reported Sony’s desire to double down on the streaming service after reaching the subscriber milestone: “Amid the anticipated continued growth of the anime market, Sony plans to accelerate Crunchyroll’s growth.”

This strategy will leverage connections with other Sony properties, including the animation studio Aniplex as well as PlayStation. The Ghost of the Tsushima anime, which will stream exclusively on Crunchyroll in 2027, is an example of the synergy Sony seems to be pursuing. It remains to be seen whether that synergy offers enough value to consumers over the spread of free anime streaming options.

Blythe (she/her) is an Audience Development Coordinator at IGN who, when she isn't following streaming news, spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

Fortnite fans are on the edge of their seats as rumors and leaks seem to suggest a potential Chappell Roan crossover coming to Fortnite in February.

The Femininomenon of the pop music world has been the talk of the Fortnite community since cosmetics related to some of her most iconic songs supposedly leaked late last month. Developer Epic Games hasn’t confirmed whether Chappell Roan or her famous pink pony mascot will actually show up in-game, but fans are still expecting an announcement as soon as this week.

CHAPPEL ROAN POTENTIALLY NEXT FESTIVAL ARTIST #Fortnite pic.twitter.com/Ut2jTrm6Ok

— Leaky (@itsmeleaky) January 22, 2026

X/Twitter user @itsmeleaky seems to have been the first to kick off rumors that the Midwest Princess was next to join Epic’s roster of Festival stars, sharing images of some very Chappell Roan-looking music cosmetics and what appears to be a llama sidekick dressed up as a pink, cowboy hat-wearing pony. Players were then able to find these same items in a special room in-game, with some other familiar visuals, including flashy pink stars and some knight armor, adding to the pile of alleged evidence.

All three items would certainly fit the occasion, especially the potential sidekick, which looks a lot like a reference to the star’s mega-hit song, Pink Pony Club. The knight armor, meanwhile, has been taken as a sign that at least one of what could be a few skins could pull from Chappell Roan’s medieval-themed Video Music Awards performance of Good Luck, Babe!. She’s known for her many, many memorable looks, though, so music fans are still guessing which direction Epic could take her cosmetics should she have a substantial presence in Fortnite this month.

👀| Fortnite appears to have begun teasing a possible collaboration with Chappell Roan pic.twitter.com/zUMRqjXlxx

— Chappell Roan Now (@ChappellRoanNow) January 23, 2026

Meanwhile, the studio confirmed plans to launch Fortnite version 39.40 this week on January 30, leaving fans to look out for new content in the days ahead. Again, Epic hasn’t confirmed whether the star will show up at all, but for some, it’s not a question of if, but when and how.

Chappell Roan’s status as a Grammy award-winning artist with millions of listeners has many expecting her to headline an upcoming Festival update as its new icon. It would mean potentially multiple skins to accompany the inclusion of more of her music, though how the star’s career could be represented is unclear. It’s possible she could have a more muted presence, but with the previous icon, Lisa, set to rotate out in just a few days, fans believe it could be the perfect time for Chappell to make her proper Fortnite debut.

FORTNITE VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT TEASER pic.twitter.com/ew7rxBrrzg

— Shiina (@ShiinaBR) February 1, 2026

As Chappell Roan rumors for Fortnite heat up without official confirmation, players are still looking forward to other updates for February. The game’s official account recently put out what appears to be a tease, saying, “In February, Fortnite wears pink.” It could be more evidence that Chappell Roan is on the way, but it’s also likely referencing its upcoming Valentine’s Day plans. Another post from today has music and movie fans looking forward to more KPop Demon Hunters content.

Fortnite leapt into Chapter 7 with an Avengers: Endgame-style event late last year. The months since have, of course, been filled with more crossover content, including a collaboration that brought South Park items into the fold and a few skins from The Office.

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Update: Amazon has removed its preorder listings for the Nitro Deck 2. You can still preorder one from the CRKD website, but the estimated date is between March 31 and April 30.

The Nitro Deck 2 is poised to be one of the Switch 2's hottest accessories for anyone looking to elevate their gaming experience while maintaining comfort over extended periods of time. While this new and improved hardware from CRKD isn't landing until later this Spring (May 1 according to the Amazon listing), it's worth getting excited about its suite of upgrades over the original Nitro Deck.

Here's a great opportunity to pick up a fully featured 3D printer for a supremely low price. AliExpress is currently offering the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 3D Printer Combo - which also includes the Ace Pro multi-filament printing module - for just $199. You'll have to sign into your account to see this price (otherwise you might see $233). This is the first time I've seen this model sell for under $200. The exact same combo sells for $380 on Amazon.

You're buying it from Anycubic's official store on AliExpress. It ships free locally from the United States and arrives within 1 to 2 weeks. The Kobra 3 is an excellent option for any newcomer to 3D printing; it's easy to setup, it produces great 3D prints with minimal fiddling, there are plenty of mods available (that you can print yourself), all at a budget price.

Anycubic Kobra 3 3D Printer Combo for $199

Includes the Ace Pro Multi-Filmanet Printing Module (for multiple colors)

The latest Magic: The Gathering set, Lorwyn Eclipsed, is here to kick off the game’s 2026 release schedule.

This release marks the return to the classic fae and elf-heavy realm of Lorywn, last visited back in 2008. Recently, as I was perusing Instagram, I came across a video by Daniel Powell (aka JollySaintClick), who brought to my attention the new “Mirrorform” card that is part of the latest set.

This card, costing four colorless and two blue mana, reads as follows: “Each nonland permanent you control becomes a copy of target non-aura permanent.” JollySaintClick pointed out how the card can get out of hand with something like Coveted Jewel, and it got me thinking: What other cards would be great to copy with Mirrorform?”

Mirrorform Explained

Punxsutawny Phil saw his shadow, which means we’re in for six more weeks of winter. At least there are some solid deals to ward off those cold-weather blues. From $100 off an Apple Watch Series 11 to the Pokémon ME02: Phantasmal Flames Booster Bundle dropping below the market value on Amazon, there are some nice discounts. You can even grab a preorder for Super Mario Galaxy amiibo or the Criterion Collection release of Monty Python’s Life of Brian, both on sale to boost anticipation for the spring season even further.

TL;DR: Best Deals Today

Super Mario Galaxy Amiibo Preorders Are Cheaper on Amazon

Save $100 on the Apple Watch Series 11

Pokémon Mega Evolution Phantasmal Flames Booster Bundle Is Under $45

Apple AirPods Pro 3 Drop To New Low Price

Score $50 Off the PDP Riffmaster Guitar Controller

Get an Unlocked Google Pixel 9a for $349

Elden Ring for PS5 Is Just $19.99

Criterion Collection Monty Python’s Life of Brian Preorder Discount

Geoff Keighley has already set Thursday, December 10, as the date for The Game Awards 2026.

The show’s creator and host announced the “save the date” news in a post on social media today. It’s early confirmation for this year’s show, securing its spot at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles nine months before viewers tune into what Keighley has previously referred to as “gaming’s biggest night.”

📅 Save The Date

🏆 @TheGameAwards

Live from @peacock_theater in Los Angeles

📍 Thursday, December 10, 2026

More details later this year ✨ pic.twitter.com/uKLVnw6gWU

— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 2, 2026

Gaming fans often spend the months leading up to the award show predicting which titles will take home awards for major categories like Game of the Year, Best Narrative, Best Game Direction, and Best Performance. At just one month into 2026, you’d think there would be no reasonable predictions as far as the winners (and losers) go for this year’s Game Awards, but fans already have one game on their minds: Grand Theft Auto 6.

Rockstar Games has a history of big wins at shows like these (Red Dead Redemption 2 had the most awards at The Game Awards 2018), so the long-in-development sixth mainline GTA game is on everyone’s radar. Other highly anticipated titles, like Resident Evil Requiem, Saros, Fable, and Control Resonant have some expecting steep competition, especially when it comes to the Game of the Year award, but there are a few other issues to consider, too.

Like any other industry award show, The Game Awards has a cutoff date a few weeks before the event itself, keeping some games from being competing despite being released in the year the show is held. For The Game Awards 2025, the cutoff date was November 21, 2025, at 9 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. ET. GTA 6 has a release date of November 19, 2026 – and that’s if it can dodge yet another delay. Meanwhile, with so much time left in the year, there’s a high likelihood at some of the year’s best game may not have even been announced yet.

“And the most anticipated game award in 2026 goes to GTA 6” https://t.co/CoHBHJtN1W pic.twitter.com/GMslOQ90d8

— GTA 6 Countdown ⏳ (@GTAVI_Countdown) February 2, 2026

Today’s announcement arrives less than two months after Keighley hosted The Game Awards 2025 on December 11. The show brought a number of bombshell announcements and reveals, including Divinity, a first look at Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil Requiem, two Tomb Raider games, footage from The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and more. The one-last-thing reveal of the night was a first look at Highguard.

While we wait to see what surprises Keighley will eventually have up his sleeves for The Game Awards 2026, you can see IGN’s list of the biggest games coming in 2026. You can also check out our breakdown of the projects we think are most likely to walk away with the Game of the Year prize, as well as our pick for the best game of 2025.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He's best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).

Zootopia 2 became one of the highest grossing animated movies of all time last year, behind only China's Ne Zha 2 in 2025. The Disney film was made available on digital platforms just last week after its record-breaking box office run and the official Blu-ray release date was announced for March 3, 2026.

Preorders for the physical release of Disney's hit sequel are finally dropping online. The limited-edition 4K steelbook for collectors is available right now, but there's still no sign of the Blu-ray or DVD versions just yet. The steelbook is currently priced at $44.99, which is almost twice as much as it costs to rent the film digitally.

The Zootopia 2 4K Steelbook Is Available at Amazon

2025 saw the release of so many incredible books, and I’ve already shared my roundup of the best books of 2025 so far, which included the likes of The Hunger Games prequel, Sunrise On The Reaping, Emily Henry’s latest release, Great Big Beautiful Life, and many more.

But, as we move into 2026, I’m taking a look back at some of the other best books of 2025 that you might have missed. And I’ve included all the major genres to hopefully pique your interest - and, of course, add a few more books to your shelves this year.

If you’re looking for more reading inspiration or you’ve challenged yourself to read a certain number of books, you’ll also find my recommendations of the best books of each month of 2025 (starting with January) - and I’ll be continuing to do so in 2026 to make sure you’re kept in the loop.

Until then, here are the best books of 2025.

Heart the Lover by Lily King (Contemporary Fiction)