Spoilers ahead for the Season 2 premiere of Peacemaker!

DC Studios co-president James Gunn has often said the DCU canon begins with Creature Commandos, Superman, and Peacemaker: Season 2, but that elements of his film The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker: Season 1 will also be canon going forward.

“The truth is almost all of Peacemaker is canon with the exception of Justice League… which we will kind of deal with in the next season of Peacemaker,” Gunn exclusively told IGN last year. “Now in Creature Commandos, you'll hear them talk about things that happened in [The] Suicide Squad or Peacemaker. … Well then, those things automatically become canon.”

So how exactly does Peacemaker: Season 2 address that DCEU Justice League cameo in the final episode of Peacemaker: Season 1? Is there some huge multiverse realignment given that Season 2’s storyline involves a parallel dimension? Nope.

Peacemaker’s Justice League Cameo Changed for Season 2

Peacemaker: Season 2 begins with a sequence aptly titled “Previously in the DCU,” where key moments from Season 1 are recapped to catch viewers up to speed on the saga of Chris Smith (John Cena), his backstory, and how he came to work for the secret government organization A.R.G.U.S.

When, in Season 1, Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) made a call to see if the Justice League can come help them in their mission to thwart an alien invasion, her line has been redubbed to say “the Justice Gang” instead. This is followed by a scene of Chris telling Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) that he once puked all over Green Lantern, a character who was not in the DCEU.

The Justice League’s cameo in the Peacemaker: Season 1 finale has been reshot for the recap to feature the Justice Gang, who made their debut in Gunn’s Superman. (Gunn has said Peacemaker: Season 2 begins about a month after the events depicted in Superman.)

We see Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and, glimpsed in silhouette, Mister Terrific, Superman and Supergirl. “You’re late, you fuckin’ dickheads!,” Chris shouts at them as he did to the Justice League in the original version.

The nasty rumor about Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and banter with Ezra Miller’s Flash has been replaced by an exchange between Guy and Hawkgirl. After Hawkgirl refers to Peacemaker as a “meathead,” Guy replies, “Screw that guy. You know he tells people I’m a puke freak?”

James Gunn: Stop Stressing About Canon

Gunn’s resolution to the Justice League cameo is handled so quickly and simply that some fans might applaud it for just wiping the slate clean from the get-go, while others might feel like they’ve been gaslit. In a virtual roundtable discussion this week with media outlets, including IGN, Gunn said a more convoluted sci-fi fix to the canon predicament was “not really” in the cards.

“Was there ever a thought of it? Not really. I mean, could I make it so that Peacemaker is the DCEU Peacemaker, even though he's not really the DCEU Peacemaker and he walks through that portal and that's where the DCEU Peacemaker is? I could have, but people are like, ‘How are normies going to understand it?’ And no, the answer is, normies don't give a shit. Normies don't care about all this canon stuff so intimately.”

Gunn added, “It doesn't matter if it's not completely consistent in the past. So I thought the simple way was really the best, which is just saying, yeah, this world is a little different. We know there's universes, and this is the universe in which everything was exactly the same as Season 1, except for the Justice League.”

This isn’t the first time Gunn has cautioned fans not to take canon so seriously. “One of the weird things to me is none of this is real. It may be alarming to people, but none of it is real,” Gunn told IGN last year. “It's all just stories that we're telling about characters.”

Will Peacemaker’s Justice League Cameo Still Be Available on HBO Max?

While the Justice League cameo may not be DCU canon, the original ending of Peacemaker: Season 1 will remain the way it is on HBO Max. The Justice Gang version of the scene will just be part of the Season 2 opener. Not that Gunn wouldn’t mind making that change if he could.

“I wish I could do that. I wish I could Lucas the shit out of this, but I can't because it's too expensive,” Gunn quipped at the aforementioned press roundtable. “And I think we'd rather spend the money on a few more Supergirl VFX shots.”

That’s not to say that Gunn regrets the Justice League cameo. Indeed, as the filmmaker told us this week, he was “excited” at the time awaiting people’s reaction to it.

“Two things that I was so excited for people to see [in Season 1] was the dance sequence that they didn't know was coming until it showed up after the cold open in Episode 1, and then the ending with the Justice League. I just knew that people would flip out over that. And here's this little punk, Peacemaker, telling the Justice League to piss off. And I thought that was so fun and crazy and such a big idea.”

But now the DCU has arrived and the Justice Gang are the costumed team protecting this reality. Beyond their “Previously in the DCU” cameo, the Justice Gang will also, as revealed in the trailer, reappear when Peacemaker endures a humiliating job interview hoping to join their ranks.

Whether the Justice Gang makes any additional appearances this season beyond those two remains to be seen, but Gunn has revealed there’s a major DCU cameo coming in the later episodes of Season 2.

What did you think of how James Gunn retconned the Justice League out of the DCU? Sound off in the comments.

For more DCU coverage, read our Peacemaker: Season 2 premiere review, find out why John Cena thinks Peacemaker hates Superman a little less now, and learn how Peacemaker: Season 2 offers clues about whose story the DCU is actually about.

Harman Audio is offering big price savings on one of its more affordable soundbar speakers. Right now you can pick up a JBL Cinema SB510 3.1ch Soundbar for just $80.78 with free shipping (this final price shows up only after you've added it to your shopping cart). It retails for $170. This soundbar will sound way better than your stock TV speakers, the dedicated center channel clears up muddled dialogue, and the built-in sub means you don't have to deal with the hassle of setting up an external subwoofer to enjoy satisfying bass.

JBL Cinema SB510 3.1ch Soundbar for $80.78

Must add to cart to see this price

Netflix revealed the teaser trailer and more voice cast members for its upcoming animated series Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch at Anime NYC on Thursday. You can view the trailer via the player above or the embed below.

Netflix also released new images and the key art for Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, which can be seen by scrolling through the slideshow below.

In addition to Liev Schreiber as Sam Fisher, the voice cast includes Kirby (The Sandman) as Zinnia McKenna, Janet Varney (The Legend of Korra) as Anna Grimsdottir, and Joel Oulette (Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender series) as Thunder.

While Splinter Cell players know Anna Grimsdottir from the games as Sam’s tech officer, Zinnia McKenna and Thunder are new characters created for Deathwatch.

The show’s official synopsis said the premise is that “Sam Fisher is drawn back into the field when a wounded young operative seeks out his help,” so it stands to reason that Zinnia is that operative.

The show – written by Derek Kolstad, the creator of John Wick – appears set after the events of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory as the trailer shows the funeral of Sam’s former comrade-in-arms Douglas Shetland, who Sam killed in that game.

Derek Kolstad, Helene Juguet, Hugo Revon, and Ubisoft Film & Television’s Gerard Guillemot serve as executive producers. Guillaume Dousse and Félicien Colmet-Daage are the show’s co-directors while the animation is by Sun Creature and Fost.

Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Deathwatch launches on Netflix this fall.

In addition to Splinter Cell, Netflix also released new teasers for Devil May Cry Season 2, Blue Eye Samurai Season 2, Sakamoto Days, and Record of Ragnarok III at Anime NYC.

This year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood will feature Chainsaw Man: The Chaos, an original anime horror short based on the hit Japanese manga and MAPPA's anime series.

The short will play in-language within the DreamWorks Theatre. The poster for it can be seen below.

According to the official synopsis, Chainsaw Man: The Chaos “recounts the tale of Denji and the Devil Hunters as they battle the Halloween Horror Nights Devil and his army of zombies. Denji, resurrected into Chainsaw Man, a devil-human hybrid with protruding chainsaws from his body, ultimately takes control in a quest to combat the Devils. It’s an extreme showdown that dares guests to survive a chaos of screams and blood.”

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood begins Thursday, September 4 and runs select nights through Sunday, November 2, 2025.

There’s even more Chainsaw Man coming this fall. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will open in Japan on September 19 before hitting US theaters October 29, 2025.

The movie is directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara and written by Hiroshi Seko. The voice cast reprises their roles from the anime, which premiered October 2022.

In IGN’s Chainsaw Man review, our reviewer Rafael Motamayor gave the anime a 9/10 and said the show “more than lives up to the manga's hype with some stunning and brutal action, gallows humor, an incredibly bleak story, and an endearing protagonist.”

For more on Chainsaw Man, you can read up on how original author Tatsuki Fujimoto’s work has already influenced other popular anime.

Disney invited us to Disney World to learn more about what it has in store for the rest of 2025 and 2026, and we've gathered all the big reveals from the showcase right here, including Zootopia: Better Zoogether!'s opening date, the "new magic" headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a new look at Rock 'n' Roll Coaster Starring The Muppets, and the improvements headed to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

With everything mentioned above and the revamped Test Track, Disney Starlight, Cool Kid Summer, and the imminent opening of the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge called Beak and Barrel, there is a lot to look forward to at Walt Disney World.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Opens at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom on November 7

Zootopia: Better Zoogether! is officially opening at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom on November 7, 2025. This brand-new 4D show that is replacing It's Tough to Be a Bug! looks to celebrate Zoogether Day in a big way with Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and many more new and fan-favorite characters from the world of Zootopia.

What is Zoogether Day? Imagine Earth Day meets New Year's with lots of parties and excitement, and we'll get to see how a few of the different biomes in Zootopia celebrate. When guests enter the Tree of Life Theater, they will get to see a livestream of the Predator and Prey Ice ballet from Tundratown, synchronized swimming from the Marshmaids of Marsh Market, a mouse drone show above Little Rodentia hosted by Fru Fru and Mr. Big, and a grand finale from Gazelle herself.

The festivities will be hosted by Heidi Howler, a new wolf character with a lot of energy. She was chosen to be a wolf because when wolves "start to howl, you can't just help to howl along."

As previously mentioned, Judy and Nick will be part of the show, and they will be voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman, respectively, and even Benjamin Clawhauser will join the party as he is a superfan of Gazelle.

The show looks to be very faithful to Zootopia and Zootopia 2, as even co-director Jared Bush co-wrote the script and co-director Byron Howard directed the animation. In fact, some of the same animators who worked on the films are working on this.

The runtime will last around nine minutes and will feature 'Carrot Vision,' which will activate four of our senses throughout the show - sight, sound, smell, and touch. Don't worry, though, as the team promised there won't be the smell of a stink bug and nothing will poke your back.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether! will hopefully also impart a message on those who leave the theater, and Disney Imagineering Senior Creative Director, Danny Handke, shared a few words as to what that is.

"We wanted to have a message that kind of summarizes everything you get to do in Animal Kingdom," Handke said. "And we're all interconnected, right? If anything's thrown out of balance, well, that affects every biome. So if we protect our environment, we're all better together."

Lastly, Judy and Nick will be part of a new meet-and-greet location at Discovery Island near the Tree of Life, and they'll even look like they do in Zootopia 2, which will be released in theaters on November 26. So yes, that means Nick will be wearing his new tie that Judy got him after their first case together.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is Re-Opening in 2026 With 'New Magic'

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom will re-open in 2026 with "new magic," and we learned a bit more about what new additions will be part of the classic attraction.

The story of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad centers around Barnabas T. Bullion, who struck gold in the Big Thunder Region, and he started the Big Thunder Mountain Company to keep growing his fortunes.

Unfortunately, one day, everything began going wrong, including machines failing, cave-ins, and more. It almost seemed as though Big Thunder Mountain was fighting back. Those who venture on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will learn more of this story when the attraction opens back up next year.

There will be plenty of new things to look forward to as well, as one new area will be an underground section with natural caverns full of phosphorescent pools, stalagmites, stalactites, and the colors of the rainbow all around you. However, a crack of thunder will quickly turn things much more dangerous as the cave turns to an "eerie red," which is another warning that you shouldn't be here.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed on January 6, 2025, and it's re-opening is now closer than ever.

Rock 'n' Roll Coaster Starring The Muppets Looks to Be A Worthy Successor to Hollywood Studios' Aerosmith Attraction

The big finale of our Play 'n' Preview Showcase was all about Rock 'n' Roll Coaster Starring The Muppets, which will debut in 2026 and replace Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney World's Hollywood Studios.

In this reimagining of the ride, legendary Muppet tycoon and owner of The Muppet Theater, J.P. Grosse, decides to diversify his real estate portfolio and purchase G-Force Records. He then asks his nephew, Scooter, to run the place.

This new ownership will see changes in the courtyard outside of the attraction, as the massive red guitar will now get a new "psychedelic wrap" that's inspired by a classic Muppet car paint job. Oh, and the piano motif at the bottom of the guitar will feature a gold key in honor of Dr. Teeth.

Speaking of Dr. Teeth, Electric Mayhem will replace Aerosmith and guests will be able to see them jamming out in the recording studio as they did the classic band. What's even more exciting is that Audio-Animatronics of penguin audio engineers and Scooter will be on-hand to help make the perfect tracks.

Much like the original ride, we will then follow Electric Mayhem in a very fast limo, courtesy of Muppet Labs, and rocket around Hollywood on the way to their concert. This time around, the trip will feature a ton more nods to Muppet history and a soundtrack by Electric Mayhem.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin Returns in 2026 With Improved Ride Vehicles, Blasters, and a New Robot Named Buddy

Following its closure for refurbishment on August 4, we have now learned a lot more about what Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin will be like when it returns in 2026 to take guests to infinity and beyond.

Two of the biggest changes will be the new ride vehicle that is wonderfully inspired by Buzz, and guests will be happy to know the blasters can now come off of the vehicle for an even better experience. The vehicles will seat two, and one rider will have a red blaster and ther other will have a green one.

This is important because the targets will also be improved and will flash in the color of the blaster that shot them for more immersive feedback. This will be good, as the competition will be even more fierce as scores will be displayed on a digital screen on the vehicle and riders will now be able to go beyond 999,999 and hit one million points.

As if that wasn't enough, Imagineering and Pixar have created a new charming robot named Buddy will will welcome guests into the attraction, give them tips and encouragement, and even teach them how to fire the new blaster.

We got the chance to see the ride vehicle and try out the new blasters and targets, and they feel really great in your hand. They still have that laser gun feel, but there is good tactile feedback and it looks to be a big improvement from what was there before.

More Magic Headed Our Way in 2025 and 2026

The presentation also touched upon more experiences headed to Walt Disney World this year and next, including Hollywod Studios' The Magic of Disney Animation and the new Mandalorian and Grogu mission on Smugglers Run. While we didn't learn much more about these two experiences, Disney did update the wonderful poster for The Magic of Disney Animation and add Robin William's Lost Boy from Back to Neverland.

We also got another look at Beak and Barrel, the new Pirates of the Caribbean-themed bar headed to Magic Kingdom on August 29. We'll have a ton more to share about that soon as we are getting a sneak peek tomorrow, August 22!

Overall, there is a lot to look forward to in 2025 and 2026 at Walt Disney World. While the omission of any news regarding Magic Kingdom's Cars and Villains lands was notable, we just may learn more at Destination D23 next week or in the near future about these much-anticipated expansions.

For more, check out everything you need to know about Walt Disney World's Cool Kid Summer (which is returning next year!) and our trip to Germany to see how the Disney Destiny was built.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.

Starting today, Amazon is offering the high-capacity, high-output Iniu 20,000mAh 65W power bank for just $26.46 after you clip the 49% off coupon on the product page. Combined with the instant discount, that's a total of 55% in savings. This power bank is ideal for long flights or trips where you might not have an available outlet for extended periods of time. It's powerful enough to charge just about every phone or gaming handheld PC - including the newer Asus ROG Ally X and Lenovo Legion Go S - even while you're playing games.

Iniu 20,000mAh 65W Power Bank for $26.46

Clip the 49% off coupon

ESPN has officially launched a new streaming service that includes the full suite of ESPN Networks in one package. ESPN Unlimited is currently available as a standalone service or as a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. If you're shopping around for sports streaming service ahead of football season, we've gathered everything you need to know about ESPN Unlimited.

The first thing you need to know is that the previous ESPN streaming service, ESPN+, no longer exists. What was once ESPN+ has been replaced with the ESPN Select plan. So if you already had a subscription, this is what you've been moved over to and the content will pretty much be the same.

Does ESPN Unlimited Have a Free Trial?

ESPN Unlimited does not offer any sort of free trial. That being said, there is a way to test out the service for free. If you sign up for a Hulu + Live TV free trial, you'll also get access to both ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select. The trial only last for three days, but it's a great option if you're looking to test out a live TV alternative to cable.

The Office spinoff The Paper is switching up its premiere plans and will now debut all 10 episodes of Season 1 at once.

Peacock announced the change to a binge model today, promising to release the entirety of the first season come September 4, 2025 (via Variety). It means dedicated viewers can watch all of Season 1 upon its release date, as opposed to the previously announced plan, which would have seen four episodes initially available to stream with two more dropping every week until the finale on September 25.

The Paper was announced as a spinoff from U.S. The Office co-creator Greg Daniels and Nathan for You co-creator Michael Koman last year. While the original show followed a documentary team and its coverage of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch, the new Peacock series will see that same crew heading to Ohio to meet the staff of the Toledo Truth Teller newspaper.

There’s no Michael Scott, Jim Halpert, or Pam Beesly to find here. Instead, audiences who tune in will be greeted by a new cast, which includes Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus), Chelsea Frei (The Moodys), and more. The only familiar face subscribers can expect to see (for now) is Oscar Nuñez, who has returned to reprise his role as Oscar Martinez.

Despite its status as a follow-up to one of the most popular sitcoms of the 21st century, we know little about how exactly The Paper will shake out. Peacock finally moved to share just one image from the show in July, with a full trailer finally finding its way online earlier this month.

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).

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons is departing the company after 23 years and nearly 10 as CEO. He is succeeded by Justin Truman, currently chief development officer and fellow Bungie veteran.

In a blog post on the official Bungie website, Parsons wrote:

When I was asked to lead Bungie in 2015, my goal was to grow us into a studio capable of creating and sustaining iconic, generation-spanning entertainment. We’ve been through so much together: we launched a bold new chapter for Destiny, built an enviable, independent live ops organization capable of creating and publishing its own games, and joined the incredible family at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Today marks the right time for a new beginning. The future of Bungie will be in the hands of a new generation of leaders, and I am thrilled to announce that Justin Truman will be stepping into leadership as Bungie's new Studio Head.

Parsons has overseen Bungie during many turbulent years, first taking over as CEO in 2016 from Harold Ryan and overseeing its break from Activision in 2019. He was at the helm throughout many of the events catalogued in our 2021 expose of Bungie's internal work culture. Though those we spoke to reported that Bungie had been toxic and hostile toward women in particular prior to Parsons taking charge, they also told IGN that he was frequently slow or reluctant to take action when issues were reported, or even seemed clueless as to how to reign in problem employees. Parsons apologized at the time, saying, "Our actions or, in some cases, inactions, caused these people pain. I apologize personally and on behalf of everyone at Bungie who I know feel a deep sense of empathy and sadness reading through these accounts."

Just months after our report, Bungie was acquired by Sony for $3.7 billion, ending the studio's flirtation with independence. As the acquistion settled in, concerns began to arise about Bungie's future. Destiny 2 was struggling, and upcoming game Marathon was still years away. In 2023, Bungie laid off roughly 100 individuals and delayed Destiny 2's The Final Shape DLC, with Parsons taking responsibility for the layoffs. Developers told IGN at the time that the atmosphere at Bungie was "soul-crushing" as fears grew of a total Sony takeover of the company. In 2024, this was followed up with even more layoffs, impacting 220 people this time, despite The Final Shape's success. 155 people were also integrated from Bungie into Sony at this time. Troubles continued to rock the studio through 2024 and into 2025, with Marathon seeing a delay out of September of this year to an unknown future date.

It's in this environment - Destiny 2 struggling, Marathon delayed, a smaller staff, and Sony looming, that Parsons departs the company. He leaves it to Justin Truman, who began at Bungie as a developer 15 years ago working on Destiny 1 and who has since worked his way up to chief development officer and now studio head.

When we’re at our best – we create those worlds alongside you, our player community, and build something that matters. Something that’s worth your time, your passion, and your investment in us. Something that I’ve learned, hopefully, overdelivers.

I’ve also been part of these efforts at Bungie when we’ve maybe not been at our best. When we’ve stumbled and realized through listening to our community that we had missed the mark. I know I’ve personally learned a lot over the years, as have all of us here, from those conversations.

I am committed to supporting and working alongside every member of the team here as we continue pouring our hearts and souls into these worlds. Worlds that we love, and that we hope have been worth your time and your passion. Because ultimately those worlds only exist, and thrive, with you in them.

We are hard at work right now doing that – both with Marathon and Destiny. We’re currently heads down, but we’ll have more to show you in both of these worlds later this year.

Per Bungie's social media post, Parsons is retiring and will seemingly not remain at the studio.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Having launched in 2019, Apple TV+ is one of the youngest streaming services available today. Over the years, the Apple-owned platform has grown into a powerhouse of original TV shows, like Ted Lasso and Severance, as well as movies like Killers of the Flower Moon. While it may not release new content at the same pace as something like Netflix, Apple TV+ comes bundled with just about every new Apple device purchase, making it easier than ever to check out its growing library.

Like seemingly every other service on the planet, Apple TV+ recently announced a price increase to its standalone monthly subscription. Below, we'll break down what Apple TV+ is as a service, how much it costs, and how to sign up for a free trial.

Does Apple TV+ Have a Free Trial?

A soldering station is an invaluable tool for anyone who works with electronic components, whether it be for mods or repairs, and Amazon has a popular and affordable model that's even less expensive today. Right now you can pick up the Fanttik T1 Max Cordless Soldering Iron Kit for just $49.59 after you apply coupon code "49T1MAXSD" during checkout. You do not need to be an Amazon Prime member to get this discount. This is more than just a basic soldering station; the T1 Max comes with almost everything you need to get started, except for the solder itself.

Fanttik T1 Max Soldering Iron Kit for $49.59

Not everyone is the DIY type. If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of the best brands we'd recommend. Alienware desktops and laptops feature solid build quality, top-of-the-line gaming performance, excellent cooling (further improved on the newer models), aggressive styling, and pricing that is very competitive with other pre-built options. Best of all, there are plenty of sales that happen throughout the year, so it's not difficult to grab one of these computers at considerably less than their retail price. Right now there's a Dell Back to School Sale going on that takes up to $1,200 off select Alienware gaming configs. This page includes all of the best deals that are currently available.

Dell and Alienware Coupons

Alienware Gaming PC Deals

Alienware Gaming Laptop Deals

You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 Gaming PC

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PC

Dell has dropped the price of the new 2025 Alienware Aurora 16 gaming laptop equipped with an GeForce RTX 5060 mobile GPU to just $1,100 with free delivery. Compared to other Alienware laptops, the Aurora 16 is designed to look less like a gamer's laptop. It boasts a sleek, understated design with the absence of extraneous visual-only embellishments or unnecessary RGB lighting outside of the keyboard's white-only illumination. The RTX 5060 is about 15%-20% more powerful than the RTX 4060 that replaces, making it a perfectly capable GPU for most games at up to 1600p. It approaches the performance of the RTX 4070, especially in games that support DLSS 4.

You can pick up an Alienware 16X Aurora gaming laptop equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU and GeForce RTX 5070 mobile GPU for $1,599.99 after a $300 instant discount. This is the best Alienware laptop for gamers on a budget.

Sony has sold its ownership stake in fighting game competitive event Evo to Indian gaming and events company Nodwin Gaming, leaving Nodwin and RTS as joint owners.

This is the second time Evo has changed hands in four years. It was previously purchased jointly by Sony and RTS (a talent management and brand consulting company founded by streamer Pokimane) in 2021.

Sony is not fully departing Evo. It will be a global sponsor of Evo through 2028, and is one of the backers of Nodwin Gaming. “When SIE acquired Evo alongside RTS in 2021, our goal was to help the Evo community grow and spotlight the skills and passion of fighting game fans on a global stage,” said Phil Rosenberg, SVP and Head of Global Partner Development & Relations at Sony Interactive Entertainment. “As SIE transitions to become an Evo sponsor, the momentum for Evo has never been stronger, following a successful Las Vegas event and upcoming expansion to new regions. We look forward to supporting the continued growth of Evo globally.”

Nodwin Gaming may be an unfamiliar name to many. It's a gaming and events company based in India that was founded in 2015, and has led or facilitated events such as Dreamhack India, Comic Con India, Valorant Challengers South Asia, various PUBG Mobile championships, and others.

At the same time, Saudia Arabian company Qiddiya, which became a global partner of Evo last year, has announced it is investing in RTS and will remain a global Evo partner through 2027. Qiddiya is the Saudi investment company behind a massive entertainment and tourism project in the country, which aims to build a high-tech city centered around sports, gaming, and entertainment.

This change has some Evo fans wondering what the future will hold for Evo. Under Sony's ownership, PlayStation 5 was featured prominently at the event each year, including with demos for Sony games such as Astro Bot and Marvel Tokon. However, Sony's ownership also came simultaneous with Nintendo dropping out of the event and no longer permitting Super Smash Bros. to be played there. Some are wondering if the departure of Nintendo's console rival means Smash Bros. may make a comeback in future years.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

For a franchise as big as Pokémon, there's no such thing as too many plushie options. That's especially true when it comes to fan-favorites like Gengar. The popular grinning Ghost-Type Pokémon is officially coming to Build-A-Bear workshop as a giant-sized plushie. Sitting at 24-inches tall, this new plushie is what Build-A-Bear refers to as "friend height" and comes with its own coat. Gengar's true height is actually closer to five feet tall, so there's still room here for an even bigger life-sized version in the future.

This new plush bundle is priced at $149 and will become available online sometime in September. You can sign up to be notified when it actually releases by joining the email list on the Build-A-Bear product page.

Gengar has been a popular Pokémon since the very first generation. I myself am a bit of a Gengar fan thanks to both the games and the TV series. I was first introduced to this ghosty dude while watching the original anime, but I didn't truly reach the height of my Gengar appreciation levels until I started playing the first Pokémon game as a kid.

When you reach the Elite Four and face Agatha she actually has two Gengars in her lineup and both of them are equally devastating if you aren't careful. It wasn't until later that I realized I just needed a Psychic Pokémon in my party to win those battles, but those first encounters were enough for me to respect Gengar and all he brings to the table. Now I always try to add one to my party any time he's available to catch in any of the many Pokémon games.

More Gengar Merch Available

This Build-A-Bear isn't the only version of Gengar you can buy right now. There are actually quite a few Gengar plushies available from various retailers. They are one of the most popular Pokémon Squishmallows you can buy, and all different sizes are available. There was also recently a Razer Pokémon collaboration released that included a gaming headset with little Gengar ears, but it went out of stock almost immediately.

If you're looking to buy a plushie specifically, I've gathered some of the best options available right now below. Many of these are way cheaper than the new Build-A-Bear version as well.

Fresh off the heels of Superman, we’re getting the next “installment” in James Gunn’s reinvigorated DCU. And it’s not quite a new one. Peacemaker originally premiered back in 2021 as a spin-off of Suicide Squad, when the comic IP was still being adapted as the DCEU. As such, Season 2 returns under the full direction of Gunn’s new chapter, and lands in kind of an ambiguous place when it comes to overall canon.

Either way, Gunn is certainly hyped, saying, “I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve ever done that I love more than this season of Peacemaker, so I’m so excited for people to see it.” Here’s everything you need to know if you’re hoping to tune in.

Peacemaker Season 2 - Episode Release Schedule

If you're a fan of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere books, there's certainly no shortage of written content available. And in recent years, that same universe has started to trickle over into the world of tabletop games. One such experience is a collaboration with Brotherwise Games called Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game, which is currently discounted on Amazon.

The Mistborn board game pulls from Era 1 of the Mistborn book series. These were some of the first Brandon Sanderson books I ever read and are, in my opinion, the best entrypoint into The Cosmere as a whole. If you're a fan of both the books and deckbuilding games, I definitely recommend checking out this crossover board game.

Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game Is on Sale at Amazon