If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further than Alienware's flagship Area-51 gaming PC equipped with a GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card. It was on sale during Cyber Monday at the lowest price of the year, and fortunately the deal hasn't expired yet. You can still score one for as low as $3,899.99 after a hefty $1,150 off instant discount. This was the first time an Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 prebuilt had dropped below $4,000.

Alienware Area-51 RTX 5090 Gaming PC for $3,899.99

The $3,900 configuration features a 240mm liquid cooled Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 2TB SSD. The system includes a 1,500W 80Plus Platinum power supply which gives you extra headroom for future upgrades down the roam. The RAM and hard drives are easily user-swappable. The $4,250 system upgrades the processor to an unlocked Intel Core Ultra 9 and a more robust 360mm liquid cooling system.

New for 2025: The Alienware Area-51 Chassis

Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis is a super-sized upgrade to the 2024 R16 system with aesthetic and cooling redesigns and updated components. The I/O panel is positioned at the top of the case instead of the front, and the tempered glass window now spans the entire side panel instead of just a smaller cutout. As a result, the side panel vents are gone, and instead air intakes are located at the bottom as well as the front of the case. Alienware is now pushing a positive airflow design (more intake than exhaust airflow), which means a less dusty interior. The internal components have been refreshed with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and bigger power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and GPUs.

The RTX 5090 Is the Most Powerful Graphics Card Ever

The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 has emerged as the most powerful consumer GPU on the market. Although with this generation Nvidia has prioritized software updates, AI features, and DLSS 4 technology to improve gameplay performance, the 5090 still boasts an impressive 25%-30% uplift over the RTX 4090 in hardware-based raster performance. If you want the absolute best performance for your gaming PC, there is literally no other option from any other brand.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Battlefield Studios has published the Battlefield 6 update 1.1.3.0 patch notes ahead of next week’s Winter Offensive update, revealing a detailed list of audio improvements, soldier visibility tweaks, a range of map adjustments, and more.

Patch notes for the third major Season 1 update were published in a post on the EA shooter series’ website today. The full breakdown follows up on promises made by BF Studios’ outline from earlier this week and touches on every notable change coming to Battlefield 6 and REDSEC when Winter Offensive reaches its December 9 release date.

Though today’s patch notes cover everything from audio to Sector sizes, players may be happy to see the studio continuing to adjust an issue that has wormed its way to the front of online discussion since launch: hit registration. BF Studios says the 1.1.3.0 changes should result in more predictable bullet impact and easier-to-read damage feedback thanks to tweaks to quick aim, pre-zoom firing, and close-quarters gunfights.

Other elements the Battlefield 6 developers took aim at with the Winter Offensive update include better weapon handling, improved character highlights and animations for visibility, gadget reliability, and refined gameplay for vehicle-savvy players. Launch players will also notice relatively extensive changes to Sectors and vehicles across seven Breakthrough maps: Manhattan Bridge, Mirak Valley, New Sobek City, Operation Firestorm, Liberation Peak, Siege of Cairo, and Empire State.

It may be some time before players get a handle on whether many of these changes correct the balance of the average Battlefield 6 multiplayer match. Those audio tweaks, however, will likely be noticeable from the get-go, with the hope being that infantry noise is clearer and easier to read at different distances.

“We’ve also continued addressing performance and memory issues that could cause sounds, such as footsteps or vehicle audio, to drop out or fail to play, especially during large-scale Battle Royale matches,” BF Studios says in the update 1.1.3.0 patch notes. “To get ahead of this as we add more audio content to the game, we’ve adjusted the memory priorities for most sounds in the game and optimized how some larger audio assets load. In practical terms, this means that important combat, movement, and vehicle sounds should play more consistently even under heavy load.

“These changes are part of an ongoing effort to improve the overall stability of the soundscape. While this isn’t a complete overhaul, and there may still be edge cases depending on hardware and match conditions, it's a big step toward more reliable and predictable sound across the game.”

Each change arrives in addition to new weapons, limited-time winter events, and more new content that players have been told to expect since launch. Highlights include the Ice Lock Empire State map, the Ice Lock multiplayer and Gauntlet modes, the Ice Climbing Axe melee weapon, Portal updates, and a mini–Winter Offensive-themed battle pass bonus path. It’s the latest in the run of Battlefield 6 Season 1 chapter updates, which saw Rogue Ops bring Blackwell Fields and battle royale to the experience October 28, while California Resistance added Eastwood November 18.

Plans for Season 2 remain under wraps for now. In the meantime, you can read up on another recent change that saw BF Studios unveil another round of challenge and progression tweaks. You can also learn about why some players both loved and hated the new The 323 cosmetic pack.

Finally, you can check out the full Winter Offensive patch notes below.

Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.0 Patch Notes

Update 1.1.3.0 delivers a broad range of fixes and refinements across Battlefield 6, improving soldier clarity, weapon reliability, vehicle behaviour, audio consistency, and overall gameplay flow. This update also includes several quality-of-life improvements across UI, HUD, and controller aiming options, along with map-specific updates designed to stabilise objective play and reduce round-end matchmaking frustration.

We also made improvements to reduce cases where player settings could be reset when updating the game to the newest version. While this behaviour should now occur less frequently, we are still seeing isolated instances and expect to fully resolve the issue in an upcoming update.

As always, thank you for continuing to share your feedback which helps us refine and evolve the Battlefield 6 experience.

New Content: Winter Offensive

• New Time-Limited Map: Ice Lock Empire State. A winter-shrouded version of Empire State featuring frozen streets and seasonal environmental visuals.
• New Time-Limited Multiplayer and Gauntlet Mode: A themed event mode playable across Domination, Conquest, and Gauntlet mission variations on Ice Lock Empire State featuring the event-limited “Freeze” mechanic.
• New Melee Weapon: the Ice Climbing Axe. Unlocked through the Winter Offensive Bonus Path.
• Portal updates: Ice Lock Empire State is available for use in supported Portal experiences during the event window.
• Battle Pass: Winter Offensive Bonus Path: an 11-tier, time-limited reward track featuring event cosmetics, XP Boosters, and the Ice Climbing Axe.

Major Updates for 1.1.3.0

• Improved hit registration across situations that previously felt unreliable, including quick aim adjustments, firing before a zoom completes, and close-quarters fights with many players. These updates make bullet impacts more predictable and damage feedback easier to read in the moment.
• Enhanced close-range soldier visibility, with stronger character highlights and improved prone animations to help soldiers stand out more clearly in low-contrast or visually busy areas.
• Refined weapon handling for more consistent accuracy, addressing issues with first-shot behaviour, recoil interaction, and attachment alignment so weapons feel more stable and predictable during firefights.
• Improved reliability across several core gadgets, including updates to the LWCMS Portable Mortar, Supply Pouch, Smoke Cover, and traversal tools to ensure they behave consistently and provide clearer feedback.
• Strengthened vehicle clarity and interaction, fixing issues around damage zones, HUD overlaps, seat reticules, and camera behaviour to make vehicle play more stable for both drivers and passengers.
• Updated Breakthrough and Rush layouts on multiple maps to improve attacker–defender balance, smooth out sector flow, and adjust vehicle distribution based on match outcome data and player feedback.
• Delivered a broad audio pass improving combat readability, including clearer footsteps and movement cues, more reliable armour-break feedback, and tuning across several high-priority gameplay sounds.

AREAS OF IMPROVEMENTS

AUDIO

With this update, we’ve made a wide range of audio improvements, including a dedicated tuning pass on footsteps to make movement clearer, easier to locate, and more readable at different distances.

We’ve also continued addressing performance and memory issues that could cause sounds, such as footsteps or vehicle audio, to drop out or fail to play, especially during large-scale Battle Royale matches. To get ahead of this as we add more audio content to the game, we’ve adjusted the memory priorities for most sounds in the game and optimized how some larger audio assets load. In practical terms, this means that important combat, movement, and vehicle sounds should play more consistently even under heavy load.

These changes are part of an ongoing effort to improve the overall stability of the soundscape. While this isn’t a complete overhaul, and there may still be edge cases depending on hardware and match conditions, it's a big step toward more reliable and predictable sound across the game.

CHANGELOG

PLAYER:

• Fixed a clipping issue when dragging a soldier on an inclined surface when being prone.
• Fixed a clipping issue with character shoulders when jumping.
• Fixed a rare issue where fall damage wouldn’t be applied immediately after being revived.
• Fixed snapping and aggressive camera movements when performing takedowns on prone enemies from specific angles.
• Fixed an issue allowing players to use vaulting to avoid being roadkilled by an enemy vehicle coming at high speed.
• Fixed an issue causing controller haptic feedback to continue indefinitely when a reload was interrupted by swapping to another weapon or gadget.
• Fixed an issue causing hit registration to fail when firing while making extremely rapid aim adjustments. We’re continuing to investigate additional edge cases and reviewing player reports related to hit registration.
• Fixed an issue causing soldier legs to rotate incorrectly with the body when falling while prone.
• Fixed an issue causing soldier movement to feel slow while walking on uneven terrain.
• Fixed an issue causing the character’s hands to appear misaligned when vaulting through windows.
• Fixed an issue causing vaulting while charging a defibrillator to make the soldier’s hands disappear.
• Fixed an issue that caused getting revived after dying mid-fall to trigger fall damage the next time the player jumped.
• Fixed an issue that caused the player to continue controlling their soldier after dying in water.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the player to become stuck when entering water while crouching.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent melee damage from being dealt to soldiers in water.
• Fixed an issue that could prevent melee damage from being dealt to soldiers seated in exposed vehicle seats.
• Fixed an issue that made it difficult to traverse some stairs, especially at slow movement speeds.
• Fixed an issue where climbing down ladders with a grenade equipped caused misaligned animations.
• Fixed an issue where first-person grenade animations appeared incorrectly when spectating another player.
• Fixed an issue where getting hit by melee damage prevented the victim from performing melee attacks.
• Fixed an issue where hands clipped into ladders when in first-person view.
• Fixed an issue where interrupting a drag and revive would not cancel revive progress as expected.
• Fixed an issue where jumping in and out of vehicles could lead to later hit-registration for soldiers on foot.
• Fixed an issue where landing on a vehicle prevented the player from taking any fall damage.
• Fixed an issue where melee animations would not play correctly when attacking while vaulting over mid-height obstacles.
• Fixed an issue where melee attacking and returning to an Assault Ladder caused the player to appear to attack with the ladder.
• Fixed an issue where performing zoomed aiming while colliding with a wall during sprint would offset the player’s aim.
• Fixed an issue where soldier models glowed incorrectly in front of the thermobaric visual effect when illuminated by a flashlight.
• Fixed an issue where the death camera could appear beneath the map when dying inside a vehicle.
• Fixed an issue where the melee weapon briefly appeared in an incorrect pose when holding the M87A1 shotgun.
• Fixed first-person stair locomotion animations starting with a delay when moving on stairs.
• Fixed third-person mounting clipping issues with the HK433 when using certain bottom-rail attachments.
• Improved first- and third-person vault-up and vault-over mid-height animations for smoother transitions.
• Improved hit registration reliability when multiple players were within close proximity.
• Improved how recoil and aim input interact, resulting in more reliable accuracy when compensating for recoil.
• Improved melee animation when attacking while prone.
• Improved movement responsiveness at the start and end of drag and revive interactions.
• Improved soldier animation smoothness when entering and exiting prone.
• Improved visibility of soldiers at close range by applying brightness adjustments at 0 metres with a higher minimum intensity.
• Resolved an animation issue where quickly applying armour immediately after using a melee weapon could result in an unintended transitional animation.
• Updated third-person prone animations to improve clarity, reduce static poses, and enhance soldier visibility.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed an issue where heavy machine-gun fire from some vehicles would not consistently register damage against soldiers.
• Fixed an issue where some vehicle seats were incorrectly classified, preventing the correct passenger reticule from appearing while spectating another player.
• Fixed an issue where the soldier compass could appear simultaneously with the vehicle compass when sitting in certain gunner seats.
• Fixed issues with damage zones on armoured vehicles that caused them to take higher-than-intended damage in certain situations.
• Fixed UI behaviour for the Quadbike’s spawn camera to ensure it displays correctly upon deployment.
• Partially fixed an issue where vehicle audio could stop functioning during live gameplay due to suspected memory-related issues.

WEAPONS:

• Fixed a bug where players could become stuck in the weapon inspect animation when entering a vehicle.
• Fixed a rare visual glitch that could cause scopes to be displayed incorrectly.
• Fixed a visual issue where the Adjustable Angled Grip sat slightly higher on the weapon than intended.
• Fixed an issue causing the first bullet fired during early zoom transitions on certain weapons and scopes to be more inaccurate than intended.
• Fixed an issue that caused quick melee attacks to sometimes not return the player to their previous weapon after striking.
• Fixed an issue where some scopes unintentionally received thermal or depth-of-field blur.
• Fixed an issue where target dummies in the firing range remained down after being shot.
• Fixed an issue where the effects of FMJ ammunition were incorrectly applied to additional ammunition types.
• Fixed an issue where underslung attachments were not always restored correctly when picking up another soldier’s kit.
• Fixed an issue with the flashlight weapon attachment being misaligned when sprinting at high FOV values.
• Fixed the “peekaboo” timing bug affecting target dummies on the firing range.
• Increased the minimum time between shots by 100 ms on the Mini Scout to improve pacing and reduce rapid-fire inconsistencies.
• Reduced recoil magnitude but increased recoil variation on the M250, NVO-228E, RPKM, SG 553R, and SOR-300SC. These weapons now perform less effectively at long range, with the SG 553R receiving the most noticeable adjustment.
• Reduced the cost of the L110 and M123K 200-round magazines from 55 to 50, and removed the penalty to ADS movement dispersion.
• Tweaked haptic feedback for weapon reloads on PS5 controllers.
• Updated melee behaviour to allow players equipped with a melee weapon to choose between a takedown (F/RS) or a bash attack (Mouse 1/RT).

GADGETS:

• Fixed an issue where Assault Ladders did not allow smooth traversal by increasing the maximum ramp angle from 45° to 52°. Players can now run up the ladder without shifting into a climbing stance.
• Fixed an issue where gadgets that should be hidden by occlusion were still visible through geometry.
• Fixed an issue where lock-on indicators appeared for Engineers without a lock-on capable launcher equipped.
• Fixed an issue where Supply Crates deployed by enemy players were visible on the mini map.
• Fixed an issue where Throwing Knife animations lasted longer than intended.
• Fixed an issue where XFGM-6D Recon Drones spawned facing the wrong direction instead of matching the soldier’s facing direction when being deployed.
• Reduced Throwing Knife dispersion so that headshots are reliably achievable up to 15 metres.

LWCMS Portable Mortar

• Fixed an issue where an incorrect shell type was used during firing and reload animations.
• Fixed an issue where firing a Smoke Shell did not shake the camera or tube.
• Fixed an issue where Smoke Shell clouds were smaller than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the fire rate was lower than intended.
• Fixed an issue where the Smoke Shell always regenerated via Supply Crates.
• Logistics Expert in the Fire Support tree now slightly enhances the Supply Crate’s effect on the Portable Mortar’s fire rate.
• Smoke Shell ammunition now starts at 0 and regenerates every 45 seconds.

Supply Pouch

• Fixed an issue where the Supply Pouch instantly regenerated health on deployment.
• Fixed an issue with incorrect ammunition setup that caused inconsistent resupply behaviour.
• Removed the initial heal on gadget deployment; the Supply Pouch now only heals over time.
• Thrown Supply Pouches now prioritise players who are low on, or have requested, health or ammunition.

MAPS & MODES:

• Adjusted Conquest and Escalation capture areas on Manhattan Bridge so objectives can no longer be captured from rooftop positions.
• Extended rooftop out-of-bounds areas on Empire State, Manhattan Bridge, and Saints Quarter.
• Fixed an issue where deaths were not tracked correctly in Strikepoint.
• Fixed an issue where players were not properly credited for a kill caused by the destruction of the crane on Mirak Valley.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle selection in Escalation became temporarily unavailable if the player was on the deploy screen when a territory changed hands.
• Made improvements to reduce cases of players matching into games that were near the end of a round.
• The out-of-bounds timer on Manhattan Bridge is now correctly set to 10 seconds.
• Updated M-COM placement on Liberation Peak and Manhattan Bridge to improve attacker flow based on player feedback.
• Updated spawning behaviour for Battle Pickups:
  • In Breakthrough, Battle Pickups now spawn when their associated sectors are enabled.
  • In Conquest and Escalation, Battle Pickups now spawn when their associated capture points are owned by a team.

Following feedback since launch, several Breakthrough layouts have been updated to address attacker–defender win/loss imbalance and improve overall flow, vehicle balance, and capture-zone clarity across multiple maps.

Manhattan Bridge

• Removed Defender vehicles in Sector 2 and Sector 3.
• Added an additional Attacker IFV in Sector 3.
• Updated capture volumes across Sectors 1, 2, and 3 to support more consistent attacker progress.

Mirak Valley

• Removed Defender vehicles in all sectors.
• Adjusted Attacker vehicle counts:
  • Sector 1: Reduced Attacker IFVs from 2 to 1; increased Attacker tanks from 1 to 2.
  • Sector 2: Added 1 Attacker IFV.
  • Sector 3: Added 1 Attacker IFVs.
• Updated capture volumes across all sectors to make attacking easier.

New Sobek City

• Sector 2: Added 1 Defender tank and one Defender IFV.
• Sector 3: Added 1 Attacker IFV; removed Defender tank and light transport.
• Updated capture volumes in both sectors to improve attacker flow.

Operation Firestorm

• Sector 2: Adjusted Defender armour (added and removed tank spawns).
• Sector 3: Added 2 Attacker tanks and 1 Attacker IFV; removed the Defender tank.
• Updated capture zones across affected sectors to support attacker momentum.

Liberation Peak

• Sector 3: Removed Defender tank.
• Sector 5: Added 2 Attacker IFVs; removed the Defender transport.
• Updated capture volumes to improve attacker advancement.

Siege of Cairo

• Added an additional Attacker tank in sector 1 and 3.
• Updated capture areas on B flag to improve sector push potential.

Empire State

• Sector 1: Updated capture volume on B flag.
• Sector 2: Updated capture volumes on A and B flags.

PROGRESSION:

• Fixed an issue where enemies spotted by the LTLM II Portable Laser Designator did not count towards the “Spot enemies with Recon Gadgets” weekly challenge.
• Fixed an issue where the Incendiary Airburst Launcher did not track progress for the “Support Specialist 2” challenge when dealing damage with its lingering fire cloud.

UI & HUD:

• Added a loading popup when entering a tournament code to provide better feedback on what's happening.
• Added “Free Look” helicopter game hint to be part of pilot hints..
• Enemies can no longer be spotted from the big map.
• Ensured players who trigger crane destruction now have their killer ID correctly logged in the scoreboard’s score log.
• Ensured the “Cut Parachute” prompt appears correctly in Multiplayer modes outside of REDSEC.
• Fixed a mini map issue where empty vehicle icons did not transition correctly into a friendly vehicle icon when entering a vehicle.
• Fixed a rare issue where objective icons could disappear when redeploying.
• Fixed an issue where a teammate’s armour briefly appeared as soft-armour colour when their armour broke, causing a momentary incorrect visual.
• Fixed an issue where camos in the Challenges section did not show their name or category.
• Fixed an issue where hints for “Re-Enter” and “Deploy” were displayed in the wrong order when using a controller with the EOD Bot.
• Fixed an issue where killcards did not always appear when players were killed inside vehicles.
• Fixed an issue where loading screen combat zone descriptions did not update correctly based on the active game mode.
• Fixed an issue where loading screen combat zone descriptions were incorrect for Sabotage on Eastwood.
• Fixed an issue where loading screen combat zone text displayed incorrectly on Sabotage across all maps.
• Fixed an issue where Store offers did not scroll correctly when fast-scrolling along the same row.
• Fixed an issue where the deploy camera could appear incorrectly rotated when spectating a soldier or vehicle.
• Fixed an issue where the different painted states of the LTLM II Portable Laser Designator weren’t correctly represented by the gadgets HUD warning label.
• Fixed an issue where the Helicopter HUD would disappear when the color was set to black in the settings.
• Fixed an issue where the LMR27 and ES 5.7 attachment lists were not sorted correctly.
• Fixed an issue where the LWCMS Portable Mortar icon had visual inconsistencies between the big map and the minimap.
• Fixed an issue where the Traverse Mark 2 displayed duplicate LMG text in the second seat, despite having only one mounted weapon.
• Fixed an issue where the vehicle 3D preview did not update when switching loadout presets.
• Fixed an issue where zooming in on the big map would sometimes result in a black screen.
• Fixed issues that prevented Resupply Station icons from appearing on the big map as intended.
• Improved Commorose behaviour by correcting the request distances for “Need Repair” and “Need Pick Up”.
• Improved image cropping to better align artwork in the Battle Pass purchase screens.
• Improved ping behaviour on friendly soldiers, revive requests, and stationary weapons.
• Improved the text used to describe unlock conditions for Bonus Mission for better clarity.
• Reduced man down icons to only show the two closest downed team mates.
• Removed the ability to cycle between classes on the deploy screen using Q and E to prevent unintended class changes before spawning.
• Snap Zoom (Aim Assist) has been clarified in the menu: this option is only available in Single Player and Portal modes, not in Multiplayer.
• Squad and friendly in-world nametags now blink when the player regains health or receives ammunition.
• Stationary weapons no longer show pickup provider icons when a player is requesting to be picked up.
• Unlocked cosmetics now appear above locked ones in selection lists.
• Updated back-navigation logic so consoles can no longer back out far enough to trigger the quit-game popup unintentionally.
• Updated the countermeasure hint to only display when a weapon lock-on state makes the prompt relevant.
• Updated the lock-on warning behaviour so that lock-on alerts can take priority over painted labels when appropriate, ensuring threats are more noticeable.
• Updated the Saints Quarter loading screen to display correct combat zone text.
• Updated underbarrel launchers so the correct type icons appear in the HUD.

SETTINGS:

• Fixed a bug where changing the “Command Console” option would not apply until the game was restarted.
• Fixed an issue where navigating back from the Options menu could behave incorrectly when accessed through Pause Menu.
• Fixed an issue where the “Edit Controller Schemes” menu title could disappear in Options.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle aim sensitivity displayed an incorrect value in the vehicle control settings.
• Fixed an issue with options sliders “stepping” functionality being broken and not allowing players to step through decimals.
• Improved the “Dynamic” response curve option for controller stick aiming to better match player expectations and player feedback.
• The range for Infantry and Vehicle mouse sensitivity options are now doubled and can go twice as high.

SINGLE PLAYER:

• Fixed an issue where the out-of-bounds timer did not correctly account for player death or Mandown state in Single Player.

AUDIO:

• Added new vehicle-specific hostile type identifiers for more accurate callouts.
• Added safeguards so background environmental soldier audio no longer triggers during moments with no combat.
• Adjusted the balance of the bootflow logo music and sound effects.
• Fixed an audio issue that occurred when crawling while aiming down sights.
• Fixed an issue that caused health-replenishing audio to play multiple times.
• Fixed an issue where background environmental soldier audio wasn't affected by the voice over volume slider.
• Fixed an issue where end-of-round music would sometimes not play, or play the incorrect track.
• Fixed an issue where players could experience a stuck “Low Health” audio cue after remaining at low health for 30 seconds in modes without health regeneration.
• Fixed an issue where round-start music could play before the round actually began.
• Fixed an issue where Supply Crate sound effects could repeatedly trigger on downed soldiers.
• Fixed an issue where the “Advance to Next Sector” audio cue played “Out-of-Bounds” sound effect.
• Fixed an issue where the incorrect nearby-friendly voice over line would play when a mortar shell landed beside the player.
• Fixed an issue where the proper sound effect did not play when performing a combat dive.
• Fixed an issue where the Rorsch Mk-2 SMRW Rail Gun’s charge loop sound effects did not play correctly.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle prop-fuse fire effects were missing their intended audio.
• Fixed missing audio when performing weapon inspections.
• Optimised memory handling and improved prioritisation for most in-game sounds, reducing cases where important audio, such as vehicles or footsteps, sometimes failed to play.
• Partially fixed an issue where vehicle audio could stop functioning during live gameplay due to suspected memory-related issues.

Footsteps

• Balanced enemy-specific layers for clearer cloth and gear cues.
• Further reduced or removed the momentary dampening of enemy movement audio triggered by damage, low-health states, game notifications, or occlusion effects.
• Improved distance-based acoustics for clearer separation between close, mid, and far ranges.
• Improved distant world reflections to better convey space and positioning.
• Increased enemy movement audio at distance for greater readability.
• Increased overall enemy movement volume, with an additional boost when an enemy is behind the player.
• Reduced how heavily sneaking stances (crouch walking, crawling) lower enemy movement audio.
• Reduced how much the “Spec-Op” trait lowers footstep audio when sneaking.
• Reduced scuff and scrape audio from movement against walls and ground.
• Reduced self and friendly footstep volume in Wartapes, Wartapes VAL, and REDSEC.
• Refactored footstep triggers to be more reliable across different speeds and stances.
• Removed limitations on the maximum number of close-range enemy audio sources.
• Small balancing tweaks to footsteps on different materials for outliers, such as slow speed on gravel and different directions (up, down, sideways) on wooden stairs.

PORTAL:

• Fixed an issue where AI squadmates in Portal did not display class identifiers on the insertion screen.
• Fixed an issue where mod.PlaySound() and mod.PlayVO() accepted any object type as input. These functions now correctly require sound effects and voice over object types respectively. While existing syntax remains unchanged, any TypeScript code that explicitly references generic object types will now need to specify mod.SFX or mod.VO as appropriate.
• Fixed an issue where mod.PlayVO() always played the voiceover for the Alpha flag, regardless of the flag specified by the script.
• SDK Assets for MainStreet, ClubHouse, and Marina have been corrected to only use relevant assets.

AI:

• AI bots can now respond to ammo, healing, and pickup requests.
• Fixed an issue that caused AI repairing friendly vehicles to be less responsive than intended.
• Fixed cases where AI attempted to take cover in ways that left them static or unresponsive. Bots will now correctly move toward locked objectives in King of the Hill.
• Fixed instances where AI soldiers could take too long to find a valid path to their objective, causing them to remain stationary.
• Improved AI responsiveness when performing revives.
• Improved AI revive logic and movement to make their actions more consistent and reliable.

REDSEC

PLAYER:

• Fixed a rare issue where a Second Chance respawn could place players over 1,000 metres in the air.
• Fixed an issue where incorrect mouse sensitivity was applied to the MH-47’s third-person camera during insertion.
• Fixed an issue where players could be kicked for inactivity while spectating.
• Fixed an issue where players could not claim a second custom weapon dropped as a mission reward.
• Fixed an issue where takedown prompts did not appear consistently when approaching enemies from behind.
• Fixed an issue where the wrong animation would play when switching from a call-in grenade to a different weapon.
• Fixed an issue where weapon swap animations broke after switching away from the Resupply Drop Call-In.
• Triggering a redeploy tower or beacon now disables or destroys any other active tower or beacon for the same team.

GAUNTLET:

• Fixed an issue where mission objects would not drop if the carrier disconnected.

VEHICLES:

• Fixed an issue where tanks and ambulances would be clipping through each other.
• Fixed an issue where vehicle containers could occasionally be empty after being opened.

WEAPONS:

• Adjusted damage for the Rorsch Mk-2 SMRW Rail Gun against fully armoured soldiers. Headshots now kill the opponent on one shot while a bodyshot will leave the opponent with 10 HP.

GADGETS:

• Fixed an issue with incorrect textures on the projectile deployed by the XFGM-6D Recon Drone
• Fixed an issue where the XFGM-6D Recon Drone’s altitude unintentionally decreased as the match went on.

CALL-INS:

• Fixed an issue where Smoke Cover could not be activated during the late stages of a match.
• The UAV now fully explodes on impact when shot down.

MAP:

• Fixed an issue where a Razer keyboard lightning event did not trigger when interacting with antennas on the “Signal Hack” mission.

Battle Royale

• Improved loot box placement across the map for more reliable accessibility.

Gauntlet

• Fixed an issue where M-COMs in Wreckage would not reactivate after being destroyed.

UI & HUD:

• Fixed an issue where the armour bar of your team mates were showing even though they were at full capacity.

Battle Royale

• Added clearer distinction between player and squad member inventory requests.
• Added upgrade notifications to the loot feed when a weapon is improved.
• Fixed an issue where ping icons of lootable vehicles would disappear from the mini map when the players get more than 25m away from them.
• Fixed an issue where the Tank Hunter mission UI could remain active if the targeted squad destroyed its own tank.
• Updated the artwork for mission rewards to reflect new keycard changes.

Gauntlet

• Added correct interaction prompts for counter-mission teams when defusing explosives in Wreckage.
• Fixed an issue where the scoreboard was sorted by deaths instead of score.
• Fixed an issue where the Loadout screen overlay could incorrectly appear over the Gauntlet Mission Briefing on Aftermath.
• Fixed team-ownership colours for M-COMs in Wreckage missions.

AUDIO:

• Fixed an issue where subtitles would not appear correctly during insertion.
• Fixed missing UI audio when unlocking the first Field Upgrade.
• Increased the volume of armour-break audio for both incoming and outgoing hits.

This announcement may change as we listen to community feedback and continue developing and evolving our Live Service & Content. We will always strive to keep our community as informed as possible.

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).

Direct from the showroom floor of CCXP 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil, we've got a close-up look at Supergirl's costume from the 2026 DC movie. Also along for the ride is the Girl of Steel's dog Krypto, or a statue of him at least.

Warner Bros. and DC's activation dominates the São Paulo Expo where CCXP is held, as it's situated right next to the Omelete Stage, which is a location where the stars and creators who are visiting the convention brave the showfloor amid a sea of fans.

Check out some images of Supergirl and Krypto below (click through the slideshow for all the shots):

Supergirl stars Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) as Kara Zor-El, returning after her brief appearance in last summer's Superman. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Fright Night, I, Tonya, Cruella), the film is an adaptation of the comic Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely. James Gunn and Peter Safran of course serves as producers on the film.

Supergirl will be released on June 26, 2026.

Earlier this year, Disney announced it would bring the original Star Wars film, later dubbed Episode IV: A New Hope, back to theaters for the film's 50th anniversary in 2027. But it looks like we'll be seeing it a little earlier than we originally thought, on February 19, 2027.

This comes from an official announcement on the Star Wars website, which also revealed another piece of pretty big news. The version of A New Hope that will show in theaters in 2027 will be a "newly restored" version of the original 1977 theatrical release. This is likely the same version that was shown earlier this year in London at the Film on Film Festival.

The original version of the film features a number of differences from the Special Edition, which at the behest of George Lucas has replaced the original in just about every possible medium for watching it since 1981. The differences are the origin of the "Han shot first" controversy, which is probably the most-discussed aspect of the differences, but there are a number of other changes of varying levels of subtlety throughout.

Lucas has been firm over the years that the Special Edition is his true vision for the film, speaking to the Associated Press in 2004 about his feelings:

The Special Edition, that’s the one I wanted out there. The other movie, it’s on VHS, if anybody wants it. I’m not going to spend the — we’re talking millions of dollars here — the money and the time to refurbish that, because to me, it doesn’t really exist anymore. It’s like this is the movie I wanted it to be, and I’m sorry you saw a half-completed film and fell in love with it. But I want it to be the way I want it to be. I’m the one who has to take responsibility for it. I’m the one who has to have everybody throw rocks at me all the time, so at least if they’re going to throw rocks at me, they’re going to throw rocks at me for something I love rather than something I think is not very good, or at least something I think is not finished.

It's unclear if this 2027 showing and the London festival showing are indicators of Lucas relaxing his stance a bit, or if everyone has just sufficiently bullied him into letting it exist alongside the Special Edition. Probably Disney's ownership of Lucasfilm has something to do with it. Or, as he told People Magazine in October of this year, perhaps he's simply managed to let go. “Of course I’ve moved past it," he said. "I mean, I’ve got a life."

We also don't know how long Star Wars will stay in theaters. The original announcement suggested it would debut on April 30, 2027, with the intent of it showing at least through May the 4th, or Star Wars Day. It's possible they'll keep it in theaters long enough to still celebrate May the 4th, or perhaps Disney has other, even splashier plans for the big 50th. We only have to wait just over a whole year to find out.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Walmart is offering a great deal on a wonderful gift idea for anyone who is constantly fiddling with small electronics, building PCs, or modding consoles and controllers. Right now you can get the Fantik S1 Ace 3.7V Precision Cordless Screwdriver for just $21.99. Walmart states the list price is $100, but I've generally seen it closer to $50. Nevertheless, this is still a great deal on a versatile product.

Fantik S1 Ace Precision Screwdriver Set for $21.99

If you're in the market for a new gaming PC or laptop, Alienware should top your wishlist. The brand has been around for ages and has always been considered a premium option that features bold aesthetics, powerful performance, reliable warranty. Alienware holds a few big sales throughout the year where it offers huge discounts on gaming laptops and PCS that normally cost a premium, and Cyber Monday is one of those sales.

If you missed Black Friday, there's no reason to fret. Dell's Cyber Monday Sale is still live and some prices are actually lower that what I saw on Friday. This is the best opportunity to stretch your dollar and get the most powerful Alienware gaming PC or laptop your budget allows. Play the latest games like Battlefield 6 or Ghost of Yotei in glorious 4k with buttery smooth framerates, but also future-proof your PC for the next generation of games. If you're looking for even deeper discounts, check out some incredible price drops on refurbished "Like New" computers at Dell Outlet.

Alienware Aurora R16 Gaming PC Deals

The Aurora R16 is Alienware's bread and butter gaming PC. It can be equipped with an Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics card all the way up to an RTX 5080 and the prices for Cyber Monday are extremely competitive with other brands. For example, currently Alienware has the least expensive prebuilt RTX 5080 gaming PC that I've found anywhere. Most of these systems are customizable, however it's not difficult to upgrade your own RAM and storage yourself.

Alienware Area-51 Gaming PC Deals

If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell unveiled the new Alienware Area-51 gaming PC at CES 2025. The chassis is a super-sized upgrade to the Aurora R16 system with aesthetic and cooling redesigns. The internal components have been refreshed with a new motherboard, faster RAM, and bigger power supply to accommodate the new generation of CPUs and GPUs. With a high-end system like this, it's only fitting that it be equipped with an RTX 5080 or RTX 5090 graphics card, so these are the configurations I've listed here. Note that Dell Outlet refurbished PCs come with the same warranty as buying new.

Alienware Aurora Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware's new mainstream gaming laptop for 2025 is dubbed the "Alienware Aurora" and it replaces the previous generation's x16 and m16 series of laptops. It comes in two models: the 16 and 16X. The 16 is the more economical model, but gamers should definitely opt for the higher-end 16X model. If you're looking for build quality and performance on par with the previous generation m16, then the 16X is its spiritual successor. It features an anodized aluminum lid and base, a higher quality display, a more powerful CPU, and a GPU that isn't throttled for maximum gaming performance.

Alienware Area-51 Gaming Laptop Deals

Alienware 18 Area-51 (18")

Alienware 16 Area-51 (16")

The Area-51 is Alienware's new flagship gaming laptop for 2025. It features an anodized aluminum shell for both the lid and bottom chassis with a gorgeous iridescent finish. The frame is made of a durable and lightweight magnesium alloy. Cooling has been upgraded with generous amounts of copper and a new thermal interface material to better transfer heat away from your hottest components as well as more fans and bigger cutouts for greater airflow. Dell claims that the laptop can handle a higher power ceiling of up to 240W TDP without raising acoustics.

Design-wise, the Area 51 has a sleeker, more contoured shape compared to previous models, with rounded edges and soft corners replacing the traditional squared off design. The hinges are internally positioned so that they're near invisible. There's a transparent window on the undercarriage to show off the internal components. As befits an Alienware laptop, there's plenty of RGB illunimation, although most of it can be turned off if you want your laptop to be a bit more subtle.

Gaming Monitor Deals

Dell makes some of the highest quality gaming monitors around. They're easily on par with the best that other brands like Samsung, LG, and Asus have to offer. For Cyber Monday, they're also incredibly well-priced. For example, the venerable 34" Alienware AW3423DWF Qfor $499.99 is the lower price I've ever seen for a 34" OLED monitor. By the way, if you do opt for a Dell or Alienware OLED monitor, you also get a 3 year warranty that includes OLED burn-in protection.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Superhero blockbuster and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Infinity Saga bookend Avengers: Endgame will return to theaters for the first time since 2019 next year.

Marvel Studios confirmed plans to bring the last Avengers movie back to the big screen September 2026 with a social media post and short video teaser. It’s a nostalgia pull that calls back not only to the crossover film’s iconic “on your left” moment but also the viral audience reactions that came with it.

Avengers: Endgame — Back in theaters, September 2026. pic.twitter.com/PRmW9pEAxm

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) December 5, 2025

THR reports that Avengers: Endgame is set for a September 25 premiere, specifically, though it’s unclear how long it will stick around in theaters. There’s currently no explanation as to why Marvel seems to have opted out of bringing back the story’s first half, Infinity War, to tie a bow with the full package.

However, we can probably guess why the comic book company is looking to bring back its massively successful superhero team-up film in 2026. Across its April 2019 premiere and June 2019 theatrical victory lap, Avengers: Endgame managed to rack up a box office total of a whopping $2.8 billion (via Box Office Mojo). It’s a number that saw the MCU Phase Three event film earning a record-shattering opening weekend and eventually following James Cameron’s Avatar ($2.92 billion) as the second-highest-grossing film of all time.

Avengers: Endgame proved to be quite the moment for the movie world, as theatergoers lined up to see how Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and other Marvel mainstays would finally take down Thanos. Now, Marvel seems to be looking to give those numbers another boost as it barrels toward its first superhero team-up flick in six years with Avengers: Doomsday.

The film, which features MCU veterans Joe and Anthony Russo back as directors, is set for a December 18, 2026, release date. The Marvel calendar has the movie set to follow Tom Holland’s long-awaited return as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day come July 31, 2026. It’s a plan that has the Avengers: Endgame re-release hitting theaters perfectly between the two new entries, giving die-hard fans the chance to keep the hype going between releases.

While we wait for more details, you can check out our original 9.5/10 Avengers: Endgame review. You can also read up on the list of the top 10 highest-grossing Marvel movies of all time.

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).

The weird, sprawling saga of Warner Bros. Discovery just dropped another major plot twist, as Netflix has seemingly emerged victorious in the bidding war over the company. This means that Netflix, already one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, will now control the film and TV rights to franchises like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and, of course, DC. Batman is now a Netflix character (provided the acquisition is approved by federal regulators, that is).

This new deal raises many, many questions about the future of Warner Bros. as a studio and what this means for theatrical distribution, many of which will only be answered in the months and years to come. But for many superhero fans, the biggest question is what this all means for DC Entertainment, a company that has already experienced more than its fair share of turmoil in recent years. Let’s explore why the best-case scenario for DC right now is simply business as usual.

A Decade of Turmoil at DC

DC’s leadership has been nothing if not tumultuous over the past decade. Back in 2016, Warners ushered in the era of DC Films, with Geoff Johns and Jon Berg serving as co-chairmen of the division. But after films like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League underperformed, Johns stepped down in favor of Walter Hamada in 2018.

Despite the success of 2018’s Aquaman and 2019’s Joker, the DC brand remained on rocky footing, leading Hamada himself to leave the company in 2022. Thus began a brief bloodbath where several parties jockeyed for control of DC’s future, including Black Adam star Dwayne Johnson. Only in 2023 did things settle down when James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new co-CEOs of the rebranded DC Studios and the sun finally, officially set on the DC Extended Universe.

Nor has this behind-the-scenes chaos been limited to DC’s film and TV division. The publishing side has also seen some big shake-ups in recent years. DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson left the company in 2018. In 2019, DC laid off approximately 3% of its staff, and co-publisher Dan DiDio left the company later that year, cutting short plans for the controversial 5G initiative that would have replaced DC’s iconic cast of heroes with a new generation of characters. Currently, DC’s publishing division is overseen by President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee and Editor-in-Chief Marie Javins.

In short, this is a lot of chaos for any one company to endure in such a relatively short span of time. There’s been a tangible lack of consistency and direction behind the DC brand for a long time now. Just look at the latter years of the DCEU, with the company afraid to leave behind the foundation established in Zack Snyder’s films but simultaneously failing to build on that foundation in a meaningful way. And all the while, box office returns steadily plummeted.

Meanwhile, DC continued to struggle in other media. 2024’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League proved that even the mighty Rocksteady can miss with the DC brand. Over on the comics side, while the 5G reboot and its accompanying revamped DC timeline were certainly ambitious, they threatened to undo all the goodwill DC had only recently recaptured through the DC Rebirth initiative.

DC was badly in need of a consistent, steady vision by the time Gunn and Safran were hired to right the ship in 2023. And while it’s far too early to say whether they’ve accomplished that goal, the early signs are certainly promising. Superman was the box office success DC sorely needed after a truly disastrous 2023 and 2024 film slate. Creature Commandos and Peacemaker have established a strong track record for the DCU on the streaming front. And as for the comics, the Lee/Javins era of DC Comics has been truly great, most notably giving us the chart-topping Absolute Universe imprint.

Things are finally looking up for DC, which is exactly why the chaos and confusion of the Netflix acquisition is an unwelcome development. The very last thing this company needs is another regime change or a fundamental pivot.

Why Netflix Needs to Trust the Plan

It’s going to take some time for Netflix’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery to be approved and completed (and there are any number of things that could go wrong along the way). But once all the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted, Netflix is going to have a massive pile of new IP to play with. Which then begs the question, do they continue following Warners’ roadmap for these franchises or start fresh?

It’s hard to imagine Netflix changing course with the Harry Potter and Game of Thrones series. They’ll be inheriting a Harry Potter series in the midst of adapting the original novels and an ever-growing slate of Game of Thrones spinoffs. No reason to rock those boats. But with DC, there’s always a danger that Netflix will want to wipe the slate clean and start a brand new shared universe of films and shows from the ground up for their streaming service.

We can only hope the company resists that particular urge. After so many years of creative turmoil and leadership shake-ups, the very last thing DC needs right now is change. Gunn and Safran need to be left alone to cook. We’ve only gotten one live-action DCU movie so far in Superman, which will be followed in 2026 by Supergirl and Clayface and in 2027 by Gunn’s Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow. On the TV front, we’ve only seen the barest glimpse of 2026’s Lanterns and the other shows that will make up this new universe.

Clearly, there’s a plan in place. Gunn even has a name for it - “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters.” But we’re still in the very early stages of that plan. As much as things are looking up for DC after a bad few years, we’re still very much in the rebuilding stage right now. Gunn’s Superman did respectably well at the box office (narrowly beating 2013’s Man of Steel domestically), but one might argue that a big-budget Superman reboot by the director of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy should have performed better. Repairing the damage done to the DC brand is a long-term, ongoing process.

Netflix needs to commit to letting that process continue to play out, not tossing everything out and starting over yet again. We just found the ideal live-action Superman in David Corenswet. Don’t start that agonising process all over again.

And what of DC Comics in all of this? Is DC’s publishing division even a blip on Netflix’s radar? Will they have any interest in overseeing a comic book publisher, or simply license DC’s characters out to other companies? Again, DC Comics has been in a very good place these past couple of years, so the ideal scenario is that Netflix stays as hands-off with the division as it has Mark Millar’s Millarworld line. Let DC Comics continue to operate as it has these past few years, producing good, character-driven stories that can be adapted in other media.

If Netflix wants to make waves anywhere with the DC brand, it should be with the games division. While somewhat overshadowed in the initial announcement, it’s been confirmed that Netflix will take ownership of WB Games along with everything else. With all the movies Netflix has been making into the interactive games space lately, they may well have big plans for the developers and IP now coming under their umbrella.

As it is, WB Games has hardly been making the best use of the DC brand in recent years. Games like 2022’s Gotham Knights and the aforementioned Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League were big disappointments, while the much-anticipated Wonder Woman game has been canceled after a long, chaotic development cycle. Meanwhile, as much as Gunn and Safran seem to be including the games in their long-term plans for the DC line, that has yet to yield any concrete announcements. Hopefully, having Netflix’s resources to bring to bear can only mean better things for DC’s future gaming slate.

But beyond the games, the best thing that can happen for DC in the midst of this merger is nothing at all. After so many years of shifting leadership and pivots in direction, what DC needs is stability, consistency, and a chance to win back moviegoers still skeptical of the brand. What it doesn’t need is a new captain at the helm or yet another reboot. Just trust that Gunn and company know what they’re doing and leave it at that.

Should Netflix overhaul the approach to the DC brand, or do you want to see Gunn and Safran continue their vision for the DCU? Vote in our poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments below:

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

Nintendo and LEGO fans rejoice, because one of our favorite sets just got a major discount ahead of the holidays. Amazon has lowered the price of the LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426 to just $35.99 after a 40% off instant discount. This happens to just barely clear the free shipping threshold for non-Prime members. The 18+ rating means that this set is relatively challenging, but I've built this one myself and I think it's a great set for builders of all ages. It would make a pretty amazing gift for the holidays and, unlike many new LEGO sets, won't cost an arm and a leg.

40% Off LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426

Released in two parts, Kill Bill was originally envisioned as a single experience, which has been teased since at least 2008. Now, audiences can finally get a taste of The Whole Bloody Affair across a gargantuan 275-minute runtime (including an intermission), as the unified version of Quentin Tarantino’s sprawling revenge saga roars into theaters after having been screened only sporadically over the decades.

The film is as vicious, fun, and sentimental as it’s always been, and although you could technically rewatch Vol. 1 (2003) back-to-back with Vol. 2 (2004) for a similar experience, nothing rivals the delights of watching Tarantino’s cross-cultural mash-up the way it was meant to be seen. At a micro level, the changes between the duology and the complete epic vary from a few shots to an entire 2D animated sequence (as well as a Fortnite-centric “lost chapter” that plays after the credits). However, the story’s emotional rhythms are also cemented far more firmly this time around. Watching Uma Thurman’s “Bride” — a.k.a. Kiddo, Arlene, Black Mamba, or B-[REDACTED] — tear her way through masked henchmen with a katana in Vol. 1 always felt like a markedly different experience from the more introspective sequel, but the two halves echo each other in more meaningful ways when watched in the same sitting.

For the uninitiated, Kill Bill traces the Bride’s non-linear, globetrotting journey after she awakens from a four-year coma and begins exacting bloody vengeance on her former assassin squad who tried to kill her on her wedding day. Adding to the emotional stakes is the fact that she was pregnant at the time, and now believes her child to be dead – a flourish Tarantino added when Thurman, his Pulp Fiction star, became a mother herself. The result is a fiery lead performance that lives on the edge of melodrama but never tips over into irony. No matter the mayhem on screen, it always feels personal. Recurring images of the wedding chapel massacre add fuel to the fire, but the story remains just as much about a vengeful killing spree as it does about the nature of revenge itself, as well as the way violence curdles the soul.

Of course, Kill Bill is the kind of movie that tries to have its cake and eat it too when it comes to this central theme. It’s a film that revels in the cartoonish blood spatter of classic samurai fare while also featuring harsh close-ups of a bruised and battered bride, presenting two dueling forms of bloodshed. On the one hand, there’s the righteous and ludicrously enjoyable violence of hacked limbs and severed scalps; on the other, the wince-inducing, unapologetically evil violence that robs a woman of her autonomy. It’s a cognitive dissonance the movie never fully resolves, but by the end, neither does the Bride. In fact, she seems consumed by this contradiction, and watching all ten chapters laid out end-to-end practically justifies Tarantino’s refusal to untie these emotional knots. Each vignette works perfectly in and of itself, and if that makes the whole thing a thornier predicament, then so be it.

Two decades on, the story, designs, and characters are as vibrant as they’ve ever been, from the Bride clad in Bruce Lee yellow slicing her way through the House of Blue Leaves (a sequence now entirely in color, emphasizing Robert Richardon’s resplendent cinematography) to the slick charms of David Carradine’s titular villain, who warps the whiz-bang saga into something far more melancholy whenever he’s on screen. Lucy Liu’s icy yakuza boss O-Ren Ishii remains a particular highlight, especially now that she receives an expanded backstory courtesy of an additional anime sequence that adds to her ruthless drive. An additional shot of a sliced hand is really the only major visual update in live action, but the movie’s structure is also impacted by the placement of a key reveal. What was once a cliffhanger at the end of Vol. 1, meant to hook audiences for a sequel, is now a shocking plot twist near the end. This may not change things for long-time fans, but going forward, it ensures that new viewers will never have more information than the Bride, resulting in emotional beats that perfectly map onto her journey.

A handful of theaters are showing the new release on pristine 70mm and 35mm film prints, which – if you’re lucky by way of geography – only adds to the splendor of Tarantino’s cinematic remix. It’s perhaps the mash-up maverick’s most overt work of cultural bastardization-slash-homage, a thin line he traipses with gusto by combining the sounds and styles of spaghetti Westerns, spy B movies, Japanese chanbara (or swordplay) and Chinese wuxia, all choreographed by Hong Kong stunt legend Yuen Woo-ping. However, the long-overdue release is also a more mournful tribute to bygone eras of cinema, simply by virtue of the passage of time: Many of its stars have since departed, including David Carradine, Sonny Chiba, Michael Madsen, and Michael Parks, as well as the film’s editor, Sally Menke. Kill Bill should have always been this way, but it’s better late than never.

Over the past few console generations with built-in storage, gamers were typically stuck with however much space that came with the console. With the PS5, Sony made a surprising move by including an internal M.2 PCIe slot to install an off-the-shelf SSD to supplement the internal storage. Given that this is the same company that paired the PS Vita and PSP with ludicrously expensive memory cards, this was a welcome change of pace, especially given the paltry 825GB of storage you have to work with. Now you can install high-end PC SSDs like the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX, our No. 1 pick, to load even more games nearly as fast as the extra-special drive that's built into the console itself.

TL;DR - These Are the Best SSDs for PS5:

There are a few restrictions. First, you need a PCIe 4.0 or Gen 4 drive or better. This interface allows for SSD speeds up to 7,500MB/s, which is a huge improvement over the 3,500MB/s for Gen 3 M.2 SSDs. You're also going to need an M.2 drive. The actual physical size of the drive doesn't matter, with the PS5 having screw holes for every size of M.2 drive on the market right now. However, most of the time you're going to want to stick with an M.2 2280 drive – they're the most common M.2 drives on the market.

We also recommend getting an SSD with a built-in heatsink. There are size restrictions on the heatsink itself; it can't be taller than 11.25mm. Luckily, there really aren't many SSDs out there that won't fit. Your PS5 SSD needs a heatsink because PCIe 4.0 SSDs have a tendency to create a lot of heat when under load, and the little cubby where the SSD slot is located isn't exactly ideal for passive airflow over the drive itself. So, you'll need a heatsink just to make sure your drive doesn't overheat and throttle its performance. You can either get an SSD with a built-in heatsink, or get a seperate heatsink – either way will work just fine.

As for capacity, choose however much storage you think you'll need. Most people will probably be fine sticking with a 1TB drive to supplement their system. This will essentially double your available storage, and can store a ton of games, or at least allow you to install Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and, like, two other games. You can, of course, splurge for a giant 4TB drive and create a huge archive of games, just be aware that these capacious drives have a much higher price tag.

• If you're an Xbox owner, see our roundup of the best SSDs for Xbox Series X

PS5 SSD Basics

A healthy amount of SSDs are available that pair perfectly with the PS5’s M.2 slot. Given there’s more competition in the space than even just a couple of years ago, you’ll find plenty of high-speed, low-cost drives for a sub-$100 price tag. If you’re looking to amp up storage, you’ll find the price of these drives rises exponentially; bigger drives, like the 8TB SSD from Western Digital, will run you well over $500.

You’ll want to ensure you install an NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD with maximum dimensions of 110mm x 25mm x 11.25mm or 4.33" x 0.984" x 0.442", including the heatsink. Clearly, the PS5 has some cramped, shallow quarters, leading to high temps, rendering a heatsink necessary to prevent bottlenecking or damage to the drive. Luckily, most drives come with an optional heatsink, but if you need to venture out on your own to grab one, be sure it fits height requirements of under 8mm above the SSD or 2.45mm below.

Beyond size requirements, you'll need at least a PCIe 4.0 SSD, that can reach sequential read speeds of 5500MB/s or faster. Most SSDs will have a rated sequential read speed and write speed advertised, so you can get a pretty good idea of how fast it'll be by looking at the box. When you go to install a PS5 SSD, it will run the drive through its own speed test, which will tell you definitively if it's fast enough to run PS5 games. In my experience, this speed test peaks at around 6,500MB/s, so drives that are significantly faster than this aren't really worth getting for the PS5. These days, most PCIe 4.0 drives are rated for aroun 7,000–7,500MB/s, so you'll be spoiled for choice.

Another thing you're going to want to take a look at is the warranty of the drive. This is more than just marketing hype, most SSDs will be rated for an amount of time, usually five years, along with an endurance rating, measured in TBW. This stands for 'Terabytes Written' and measures how much data can theoretically be written to the drive over its lifespan before it fails. This doesn't mean that a drive rated for 700TBW will fail after you fill it 700 times, but instead that it should last at least until that point.

You'll also want to look at the type of NAND memory the SSD is built from. There are three types of NAND that are typically used: QLC, TLC and MLC. The main difference between the three are endurance, with QLC lasting the least amount of time, and MLC being the most durable. Of course, this will also affect the price of the drive, with QLC drives usually being the most affordable drives on the market, with MLC NAND typically found on the most expensive SSDs on the market, and are generally meant for creative professionals, rather than gamers. All of the drives on this list are using TLC NAND, which naturally falls somewhere in the middle.

Given the PS5 only offers 825GB of space and the PS5 Slim has 1TB, you’ll more than likely want and/or need more storage. Games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Baldur’s Gate 3 take up well over 100GB each when installed, so your storage will fill up quickly. The M.2 expansion slot lets you add 250GB–8TB of speedy internal storage. 1TB seems to be the sweet spot between capacity and price, but if you’re looking to put your massive gaming library on one console, you’ll want even more space. Luckily, most mainstream PCIe 4.0 SSDs come in capacities up to 4TB, so you can really build up a library if you have the budget for it.

Beyond an internal SSD, which should be your preferred storage option, you can use an external hard drive. Some external SSD offerings hit relatively high speeds. You can’t run PS5 games on them. However, it will save you the hassle of redownloading larger games, and PS4 titles can be played right on the drive.

Looking for assistance in installing your PS5 SSD after puchase? Be sure to check out our guide on how to upgrade your PS5 storage. Luckily, you don't need to be hardware aficionado to figure it out.

1. Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

Best PS5 SSD

2. Crucial T500

Best Budget PS5 SSD

The Crucial T500 is the best-value SSD around, with nice performance bump from P5 Plus, which previously held this spot. For just over $100, it's a drive offering 1TB of storage with a heatsink attached – only $15 more than the non-heatsink model – and is perfectly sized to slot into the cramped quarters of the PS5. Not only does this drive double the storage on the console, but the hassle of finding and spending extra cash on an absolutely necessary heatsink that fits can be avoided.

Afraid of losing fast speeds with such a great-priced SSD? Don’t be: The T500 keeps up with the best high-performance drives thanks to the Micron TLC 3D NAND flash memory – a solid step up from the QLC NAND seen in many budget SSDs. Max read speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s can be expected from the 1TB drive. Write speeds aren’t shabby either, hitting up to 6,800MB/S. So, everything from game boots and saves to transferring massive gameplay clips will be fast and seamless.

If 1TB doesn’t seem like enough storage, bumping up to the Crucial T500 2TB SSD sees a big increase in storage space and even faster speeds. The TBW rating is also doubled to 1,200 compared to the 1TB drive, though it still offers the same five-year warranty found on most SSDs. Unfortunately, a 4TB option isn’t available for the biggest game library.

3. Samsung 990 Evo Plus

Best PS5 SSD Without Heatsink

While you can spend a lot of cash on a PS5 SSD, I’ve always preferred drives that deliver excellent performance without a bloated price tag. That’s essentially what the Samsung 990 Evo Plus provides. It does have a lower endurance rating than the more expensive 990 Pro, but that’s not something you really have to worry about if you’re plugging an SSD into a console. Plus, the 2TB drive I tested is still rated for 1,200 TBW, which is more than most gamers will ever actually use.

What’s more important is speed. While the drive is rated for up to 7,250MB/s sequential read speeds, the PS5 storage test that runs when you install a new drive rated it at 6,137MB/s. That’s still more than fast enough for PS5 games to run on it, and in my testing, it loaded Metaphor: Refantazio in just 4.37 seconds, a bit faster than the native drive at 4.47 seconds. That’s just a 10ms difference in loading time, but hey, at least you know it’s not going to load your games slower, right?

One thing to keep in mind is that the Samsung 990 Evo Plus is a DRAM-less SSD, which means lower peak performance in pro workloads. However, while it does mean this drive has lower peak performance than it would with a dedicated DRAM cache built-in, the PS5 can’t take advantage of its full rated speed anyways, so it really doesn’t matter. What does matter, though, is Samsung doesn’t currently sell the Samsung 990 Evo Plus with a heatsink attached, which means you’re going to need to pair it with one of your own. Luckily, SSD heatsinks are generally just a few bucks on Amazon, and you could probably get away without one, too.

4. Samsung 9100 Pro

The Overkill PCIe 5.0 SSD for PS5

5. WD_Black P40

Best External SSD for PS5

PS5 SSD FAQ

Is an SSD worth it for PS5?

A good chunk of the PS5’s internal 825GB SSD is taken up by system files, leaving you with a little over 650GB of usable storage space. The PS5 Slim adds a bit more storage, and the PS5 Pro further increases the storage up to 2TB. If you dedicate yourself to only a few games at a time, those smaller storage amounts should probably be enough. But if you like having several games on the go, or are a fiend for live service games that tend to balloon in size as more updates and content packs are added, you’ll soon find yourself hitting the limits of the PS5’s storage. At that point, get yourself an SSD. It's one of the best PS5 accessories you can invest in.

What speed SSD should I get for PS5?

You’ll need an SSD that’s rated with a read speed of at least 5,500MB/s. In practice, it’s difficult not to find a PCIE 4.0 drive that ticks that box. The higher the speed the better, but keep in mind that the PS5 only really supports speeds up to 6,500MB/s. Getting a faster drive than that certainly won't hurt anything, but the system will bottleneck faster drives, especially PCIe 5.0 SSDs that can have read speeds that reach 14,700MB/s or more.

When is the best time to buy a PS5 SSD?

PS5 SSDs are a surprisingly expensive add on to any PS5 console purchase. Prices have dropped pretty signicantly over the years, but if you're hoping to save as much money as possible, there are a few different times that are best for buying an SSD. The first big one is Amazon Prime Day, which usually takes place in July every year. After that, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are an excellent time to find big discounts on PS5 SSDs online.

Are PCIe 5.0 SSDs worth it for the PS5?

Not really. The PS5 supports PCIe 4.0, and though PCIe 5.0 drives are backward compatible with PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0, the console can’t take advantage of the full read and write speeds of the latest drives. That means it’s not worth the extra money, especially when you can often find PCIe 4.0 SSDs for far less.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor at IGN and the PC components queen. You can follow her @Jackiecobra

Addditional contributions by Danielle Abraham and Callum Bains

We’re in the final weeks of 2025, and if you’re looking to start up the new year with a fresh selection of PC games, the Humble Choice December lineup is here to provide. This month’s selection features eight games - including Nine Sols, Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, Streets of Rage 4, and more - alongside a month of IGN Plus for $14.99 when you sign up for a Humble Choice membership.

Humble Choice December 2025 Game Lineup

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may be over, but Sonos has decided to continue the deals extravaganza with a new 48-hour Cyber Sale. For Tuesday and Wednesday, you can score some new discounts on select certified refurbished soundbars, speakers, and subs. Sonos refurbished products come like new, in pristine packaging with all the original accessories. They even come with the same one year warranty as a brand new product.

Sonos Era 100 Smart Speaker

Do you have an insatiable titan-sized appetite for anime and live music? Then you'll be happy to know The Wild Faery Company is bringing back the "Attack on Titan - Beyond the Walls" tour to the United States in 2026. There are 18 cities on the menu, starting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on February 28 and ending in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 29.

2025's "Attack on Titan - Beyond the Walls" world tour brought thousands of Attack on Titan fans together for a night of live orchestrated music accompanied by clips of epic titan battles from the hit anime that ran for 10 years starting in 2013. There were 51 performances in total, capped off with the finale at New York City's Carnegie Hall on November 1. The tour visited other venues of note, including the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, OVO Arena near London, and the Sydney Opera House.

"Attack on Titan - Beyond the Walls" combines live orchestra and hard rock to bring new life to the music from series composers Hiroyuki Sawano (composer for seasons 1, 2, and 3) and Kohta Yamamoto (composer for the final season). You can expect to hear fan-favorite tracks like "Counter Attack-Mankind," "At'aek ON Taitn," "Apple Seed," and "Footsteps of Doom."

Check the list of shows below to find the performance that's closest to you.

For tickets & more information, visit HERE !

Event Calendar:

• Ft Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center – Au Rene – February 28, 2026
• Tampa, FL – Straz Center –March 1, 2026
• Charlotte, NC – Ovens Auditorium – March 3, 2026
• Durham, NC – DPAC – March 4, 2026
• Washington, DC – DAR Constitution Hall – March 6, 2026
• Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre – March 7, 2026
• Cleveland, OH – State Theatre – March 10, 2026
• Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre – March 11, 2026
• Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theatre – March 12, 2026
• St Louis, MO – The Fabulous Fox – March 13, 2026
• Kansas City, MO – Music Hall – March 14, 2026
• Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre – March 17, 2026
• Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall – March 18, 2026
• Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre – March 21, 2026
• Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre – March 23, 2026
• Sacramento, CA – Memorial Auditorium – March 26, 2026
• Portland, OR – Keller Auditorium – March 27, 2026
• Salt Lake City, UT – Abbravanel Hall – March 29, 2026

To get the latest updates, you can follow:

• The Wild Faery on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
• Innovation A&E on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Democrat Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on the Justice Department to examine Netflix's $82.7 billion buyout of Warner Bros., and branded the deal as "like an anti-monopoly nightmare."

The prominent politician is among the first to speak out against the proposed deal, which Netflix and Warner Bros. announced early this morning, and said would provide better value to subscribers and shareholders.

In contrast, Warren has highlighted the risks of the potential merger — which, if approved, will be finalized in the second half of 2026. In a statement, Warren said a Netflix-owned Warner Bros. risked job losses and higher subscription prices, and said that the Justice Department must now enforce the country's anti-monopoly laws "fairly and transparently."

Jessica Alba got real about her least favorite scene to shoot as Sue Storm in the 2005 film Fantastic Four 20 years later — a “humiliating” one where her character reappeared completely naked over a bridge.

“I thought that was awful,” she said while giving an expansive talk on her career at the Red Sea Film Festival. “It was very humiliating in real life. I grew up with a pretty conservative family, and I am a pretty modest person. I dreaded that scene for weeks. I have a lot of whiplash from those days.”

That said, Alba went on to say that she “loved” playing the character and breaking gender stereotypes in superhero media with the role. “She was a woman I looked up to,” she explained. “She was very maternal and very kind, but also not a pushover; she spoke her mind. She had a great moral compass. No matter who you are, you can look up to her. Oftentimes, the women in these stories need to be saved by a guy or the villain, the problem in the story. This was back then. It’s different now.”

Interestingly enough, Alba hasn’t had a chance to catch her successor, Vanessa Kirby, try her hand at Sue Storm in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. “I usually watch those movies with my kids, and if Sonic was out, my son wants to watch it 85 times in a row. When it comes to movies that are for the family, my kids dominate what we watch for sure,” she revealed during the talk. “But I have to convince him because we have to see it! I love Marvel, and they’re so fun.”

Alba took on the role of Sue Storm in the 2005 entry and the 2007 sequel film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. After her, Kate Mara played the role in the 2015 reboot film. Last year, Alba said she would "jump at the chance" to reprise her Fantastic Four role, but confirmed Marvel Studios has yet to approach her about a return.

Marvel rebooted The Fantastic Four with Vanessa Kirby taking on the role of Sue Storm alongside Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch.

Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.

XD released Sword of Convallaria, a tactical RPG for iOS, Android, and PC to audiences in the west in August ’24 (around a year after the game’s East Asian launch). Heavily influenced by Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics, the game has captivated fans with its meticulously crafted war story and highly strategic battles, all played out to a beautiful soundtrack.

Just over a year following its release, a truly major collaboration between Sword of Convallaria: For This World of Peace and CD PROJEKT RED's open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been fully realised and delivered to gamers. Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, and Ciri now appear in Sword of Convallaria as playable characters; allowing players to enjoy collaborative stories and quests surrounding the Lord of the Forest from another world.