Call of Duty will no longer release multiple Black Ops or Modern Warfare games back-to-back, after two Modern Warfare releases in 2022 and 2023, and two Black Ops releases in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and negative feedback and concerning sales reports for the most recent release, Black Ops 7.
This news was delivered from "the Call of Duty team" (encompassing studios Treyarch, Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software) on the official website, in a post that acknowledged the criticism of Black Ops 7 as well as broader criticism of the franchise in recent years. As the post opens:
First off, thank you for all for the feedback we have received over the last few months. Call of Duty has enjoyed long-standing success because of all of you, a passionate community that demands excellence and deserves nothing less. We also know that for some of you, the Franchise has not met your expectations fully. To be very clear, we know what you expect and rest assured we will deliver, and overdeliver, on those expectations as we move forward.
The post goes on to state a number of changes the Call of Duty studios will be making going forward. For starters, they're opening up Black Ops 7's multiplayer zombies mode for a free trial and Double XP weekend next week, in an effort to get those who have hesitated on Black Ops 7 to "experience the game firsthand and decide for yourselves." They also are committing to "unprecedented season support," saying that they "won't rest until Black Ops 7 earns its place as one of the best Black Ops games we’ve ever made."
Then, the team had this to say about future Call of Duty releases:
We will no longer do back-to-back releases of Modern Warfare or Black Ops games. The reasons are many, but the main one is to ensure we provide an absolutely unique experience each and every year.
We will drive innovation that is meaningful, not incremental. While we aren’t sharing those plans today, we look forward to doing so when the time is right.
The note concludes by saying the team believes Call of Duty's "best days are ahead of us" and that the next era of Call of Duty will "deliver precisely on what you want along with some surprises that push the Franchise and the genre forward."
These changes come amidst, and likely in response to, a rough couple of years for the Call of Duty franchise. The most recent entry, Black Ops 7, debuted last month to middling reviews, including our own 6/10 campaign review, 6/10 Zombies review, and significantly better 8/10 multiplayer review. This is also in the context of both Black Ops 7 and Modern Warfare 3 receiving poor reviews in comparison to their immediate series predecessors the year before, with Black Ops 6 and Modern Warfare 2 being received generally favorably. This likely accounts, at least in part, for the decision to stop the back-to-back releases.
For Black Ops 7, that lukewarm reception has also been reflected in the game's sales numbers, especially in relation to another recent major multiplayer shooter release, Battlefield 6. The game had a "terrible" launch in Europe, down 63% versus Battlefield 6 and down by more than 50% versus last year's Black Ops 6 in the equivalent periods.
It is worth noting that we don't have full visibility into Black Ops 7's sales data, as it launched day one on Game Pass, and a number of people likely played the game through the subscription service and didn't count as unit sales.
But nonetheless, the announcement today feels like an admission that something has gone wrong here. Whether or not the Call of Duty team can fix it will take a few years to truly comprehend.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Book nooks are a great way to add some flair to your book collection and pad out some empty space on your shelf. The best part is that they're typically DIY kits made of parts similar to any other miniature model kit. These are the perfect time sink for a rainy day, with podcast or your favorite movie on in the background, or even for a date night. Looking online, there are seemingly endless options when to brands and styles, but I've gathered some of what I think are the very best. Below are my top picks by brand in terms of style, design, and cost. Each one of these would make for an excellent gift for the readers in your life.
LEGO Book Nooks
The LEGO book nooks were all released in 2025, and thet have been extremely popular so far. I got the Lord of the Rings: Balrog set, and both the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express and Sherlock Holmes book nooks are excellent LEGO gifts for adults this year. Not only do they function well as a typical book nook, but ech one unfolds into classic scene from their respective properties; you have Gandalf facing off against the Balrog in the iconic "you shall not pass" scene, a recreation of Baker Street where Sherlock calls home, and King's Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4 where Harry and Ron are boarding the train back to Hogwarts. These range in cost from $100 up to $130.
Alongside the three book nooks LEGO has released, there's also a LEGO Wicked bookends set that was incredible to build. I'd recommend that if you have a floating shelf rather than a bookcase.
Funpola Book Nooks
Funpola book nooks stand out from the rest in that they offer a lot more modern and sci-fi themed nooks than others. The Endless Dimensions kit is a cool neon Cyberpunk-like aesthetic, and the Automobile Shop is a nice addition. The New World kit is my favorite of the bunch; it has all kinds of nautical decor, treasure, dead pirates drinking rum. What's not to like? Funpola does still have the more fantasy-leaning kits, too, if none of these catch your eye. These will set you back $50.
CCCDF Book Nooks
The CCCDF brand book nooks pay homage to some of literature's best works. The Alice Down the Rabbit Hole kit shows off the whimsical setting you'd expect from Lewis Carroll's timeless tale, and the Phantom of the Opera kit is a neat recreation of the novel as well. CCCDF also offers oversized book nooks, like the Beyond Library Max, if you're looking to fill more space or just prefer them like this. They cost a bit more than the regular kits, coming in around $60.
Cutebee Book Nooks
Cutebee book nooks offer a more storybook style, which I like. The Amazing Toys Store kit gives Pleasure Island vibes from Pinocchio, while the Darkness Common Room is surely inspired by the Slytherin common room from Harry Potter. The Rose Detective Agency would look great on the shelf next to any edition of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books. These all hover around $40, so you won't break the bank too hard if you go the Cutebee route.
Rolife Book Nooks
Rolife book nooks are a bit more minimalist than the others. The Sakura Densya is a quaint replica of a Japanese train station, and the Sunshine Town reminds me of something you'd see in a Nicholas Sparks novel. They also seem to be a bit narrower than the rest, so you should have no problem fitting these into your bookshelf. The size might also contribute to their $40 price tag.
Where to Buy Book Nooks Online
While Amazon is clearly the best bet to find these book nooks, other retailers offer them as well. Naturally, you can find the three LEGO book nooks directly on LEGO's website (and even earn points towards rewards this way), and Walmart and Target have a handful for sale. But other than Amazon, the best place to buy book nooks online is Book Nook World, a fitting title. This site carries all the other brands mentioned here and then some, so if you're looking for a themed nook not listed here, this is where I'd suggest you go.
Best Buyis offering a gaming monitor with some great specs for well under $100. Right now you can pick up a 27" AOC 27G50F 1080p gaming monitor for only $79.99 after a $60 instant discount. Shipping is free. This monitor is a perfect complement to budget PCs or laptops equipped with onboard graphics or a less powerful discrete graphics card.
27" AOC 1080p 144Hz Gaming Monitor for $79.99
The AOC 27G50F monitor boasts a 27" 1920x1080 FHD native resolution, which equates to a respectable pixel density of 82ppi. You'd think a monitor this cheap would have the most basic of specs, but that actually isn't true. It features a max refresh rate of 144Hz, 0.5ms response time, and is G-Sync compatible. It also has both HDMI and DisplayPort inputs.
This monitor pairs well with a budget gaming PC setup. The AOC's 1080p resolution is the sweet spot if your gaming PC or laptop has onboard graphics or less powerful discrete graphics like an RTX 5060 or RTX 5060 Ti GPU. You should still be able to get 60fps or higher in most games that are currently available. A higher resolution display will tax your GPU more heavily and you might not get the frame rates to play games smoothly. Also, you don't want your screen size to be too large if you're limited to 1080p. A larger monitor means lower pixel density; for a TV where you sit far away that's fine, but the blurriness is more noticeable on a monitor, especially with text.
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.
Recently, IGN sat down with Chris Barnardo, Co-Founder and Director at The Wand Company. Having co-founded the company, Barnardo is involved in each new product release. He is responsible for the mechanical design and packaging, graphical design, copywriting, and all promotional material. Some of The Wand Company's most popular releases include the Fallout Pip-Boy 3000 Mk V, Star Trek Original Series Tricorder, and Pokémon Poké Ball.
In our interview, we focused on The Wand Company's upcoming Fallout Fusion Flea Die-Cast Replica. At IGN Store, you can find an exclusive Desert Sandtrack variant of this replica, which is limited to one production run of 1,500 units. This replica features an opening canopy to view the inner cockpit and even a removable nuclear core in the never-before-seen inner workings of the Fusion Flea's inner engine. Currently set to ship in Q1 2026, now is the time to lock in your pre-order for the IGN Store exclusive Fusion Flea.
What first attracted you to the idea of creating a die-cast replica of the Fusion Flea specifically?
When I was a child I loved making kits of cars, when I was old enough to own a car I spent every weekend under the hood working on my car. I love the cars in Fallout, they are so strange and yet exciting to look at. I have a dream that one day I will scratch-build a drivable life-sized Fusion Flea, so what better way to start than by making some 1:18 scale versions. I imagined what the Fallout universe would have been like before the bombs dropped and in my mind’s eye I could see all these awesome cars scooting around. I felt that by making a range of Fusion Fleas I would be bringing the pre-war Fallout world a little closer to reality. The design is so natty and the brand building in Fallout is so awesome that it gives so much potential for a lovely range of this cute little car.
At The Wand Company, you’ve worked on a wide range of licensed proplica products. How did the Flea project differ from previous collaborations in scope or creative approach?
Most of our projects are very complex and involve a great deal of electronics development, but what I like about the Fusion Fleas is that, from an electronics point of view, they are very simple and that means that I can focus on the creative development. In a way, the Fleas are a very distilled version of an idea of how to bring in-universe concepts to life. I love the way that fans collect and treasure the Fleas and I especially enjoy designing the merchandising materials. When designing the look of the Fleas and their features, I work very closely with a great product designer called Matt Bagshaw. In addition, James Barnardo, my grown up son, is a graphic designer and he not only developed the packaging concepts, but came up with the idea that in the Fallout universe the Fleas would have been given as an employee incentive reward for the Chryslus factory workers.
When did the concept of the Desert Sandtrack Flea variant begin? And what was the spark for choosing this particular vehicle/variant?
The Desert Sandtrack Flea was designed as one of a set of three released in 2025 that further extended the concept of the original Flea design. We had previously designed a military scout Flea, which was a painted version of the basic design. For the Desert Sandtrack Flea, we wanted to push the design a lot further and take the idea of the scout Fleas into the farthest corners of the battle front. In my mind, this might have been an experimental vehicle that Chryslus created for a need that never developed, or may have seen active service. The beauty of the Fallout universe is that there are so many possibilities of events and products within the scope of the universe that we are yet to learn about. The neat thing about the design is that it takes the standard Flea body and evolves it with chunky tires up front and a caterpillar track at the back, and then chops the canopy off to make a low windshield. It looks great and is a perfect evolution of the basic design.
The fandom around Fallout is very passionate about authenticity and lore accuracy. How did you achieve the model’s fidelity?
To create the original Flea we studied the Fallout team’s original sketches. They are so detailed. Although there was no suitable reference for the engines and running gear, we designed the engine and the simple suspension to fit the look and feel of the Fallout equipment from other machines where the workings are more obvious.
Walk us through the design process: from concept sketch to prototype to final production. What were key milestones or turning points?
It differs from Flea to Flea. For the Desert Sandtrack Flea the concept started with a Fallout in-universe magazine, Hot Rodder. This got us thinking about what would happen if the basic form of the Flea was evolved to make it suitable not just for suburban roads, but other harsher environments. The wonderful thing about the Flea project is that we get to let our imagination run freely, provided we follow some important in-universe rules. After the initial sketches are done, we do a very detailed 3D model of what we want. We submit the model to Bethesda, and if they approve it, we pass that to the factory. The way we work with the die-cast metal cars is different to our other projects. For all our other projects we do the 3D CAD right up to the point where the factory works on it to make the tooling CAD, but for the Fleas we send them the designer CAD and they design the actual manufacturing geometry. Once the CAD has been approved, I can then use that to design the merchandising box and the manual. I love drawing the manuals and designing the packaging, it’s a really fun part of the project; I get to imagine if the little car was real and imagine what the fan will feel when they look at the box for the first time. It’s so amazing when the first “golden sample” arrives for my approval and I see the real product for the first time… I guess this is my own personal unboxing experience. The next major milestone is the delivery to our retailers. Finally, we have the joy of hearing back from fans that have bought one to add to their collection. I think that this last step is not only the most important, but also the most rewarding part for me.
Were there any technical or design challenges unique to this particular variant?
There were two main challenges. Changing the batteries from three button cells to a single AAA and painting that wonderful camo pattern all over the bodywork. The LEDs that are used to illuminate the engine bay with that blue radiation glow need just over 5V. In previous designs, this voltage was supplied by three button cells in series, which conveniently provide more than enough voltage to drive a blue LED. The circuit is simple and only requires a single resistor and a switch to make it work. However, button cells are very dangerous if swallowed and although the Flea is not a toy, there are increasingly strict rules about how button and coin cell batteries can be packaged. As a result, for this new Flea design we decided to move to a single AAA battery. As this only produces 1.5V, some clever electronics were required to boost the voltage to make it high enough to power the LED. The camo pattern was another great challenge. Each different colour has to be applied to the bodywork multiple times to make sure that the pattern covers the surface and all fits together. It was a challenge, but the end result is stunning and totally worth it.
Tell us about the packaging and included materials. How does it tell a story for collectors?
The packaging is a fun part of the project for me. Growing up, I wanted to be a graphic illustrator. I love drawing the manuals and rendering the Fleas in different positions for the packaging and thinking up the box colour scheme to make them as collectible as possible with the other Fleas that we have created. Building the look is a lot like putting a jigsaw together, but it is a jigsaw that you are not only doing, but designing the pieces as you go along. It is as much a challenge as it is fun to do. And then of course at the end all the ideas come together and you see the finished printed parts, it is very rewarding.
What have you personally learned from working on this project that you’ll carry into future ones?
That people love these little cars and I should be making a lot more of them.
Are there any wish-list items from the Fallout universe you personally hope to tackle in the future?
Oh… there is so much to do and so little time to do it! I would love to make more cars… a Station Wagon, a Rocket 69… I have 3D designs for both of them. There are simply too many gorgeous things that need making in this wonderfully rich fantasy world of Fallout.
How do you factor in rarity when designing limited-edition items? Some Fusion Fleas have sold for thousands of dollars secondhand. Does this influence your design process?
In a word, yes. But rarity is a funny thing. There are millions of fans out there, so rarity is relative and based on how many people are actually collecting something. We have to make a minimum number of any given Flea style in order to cover the costs of tooling and doing the work to design them in the first place. At less than about 1,000 units, the project doesn't make sense for our company financially. In some cases, where we have made just a handful of Fleas for a special occasion, these are then very rare and have changed hands for many thousands of dollars. However, all the Fleas have become rare to some extent and sell in the secondhand market often for more than they cost to buy in the first place. I would like to see the demand increase, but I will always make sure that these lovely pieces are kept in high demand by only making one manufacturing run of each design, so that the rarity that fans want is there, while still given those that want to build their collections a chance at getting the ones that they want.
About IGN Store
IGN Store sells high-quality merch, collectibles, and shirts for everything you're into. It's a shop built with fans in mind: for all the geek culture and fandom you love most. Whether you're into comics, movies, anime, games, retro gaming or just want some cute plushies (who doesn't?), this store is for you!
Tired of predictable presents? Let's liven things up with some classic Nintendo merch. Whether you're on the hunt for the perfect gift for a gamer or just want to add some excitement to your own life, we've got you covered. From a new system equipped to play N64 games on 4K TVs to some of our favorite Nintendo Switch games, we've handpicked the best of the best for 2025. The IGN Deals team was excited to collaborate with some of our NVC folks (shout out to all the Ninfriendos) this week to get their own personal recommendations here, so let's take a look at the latest and greatest gifts for that Nintendo fanatic in your life, in no particular order (except for #1).
TL;DR - Best Nintendo Gift Ideas
1. Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle
Picked by: IGN Deals Team
To nobody's surprise, we have to recommend the Switch 2, especially the Mario Kart World bundle. We gave Mario Kart World an 8 out of 10 in our review, with Logan Plant saying, “Mario Kart World may not make the most convincing case that going open-world was the boost the series needed, but excellent multiplayer racing, incredible polish, and the thrilling new Knockout Tour mode still more than live up to its legacy.”
The Nintendo Switch 2 has been flying off shelves despite a lack of Black Friday deals, and then even more so after retailers finally dropped the price by $50 off and on during Cyber Week. There are more Switch 2 bundles still available that include everything from microSD Express cards to other games. Although this list is technically unordered, this is the clear winner for the best Nintendo gift you can get this year.
Nintendo launched Switch 2 this year – which brought with it a lot of excitement about the new system, controllers (who doesn’t love magnets!), and games. But it also meant we didn’t get a lot of “crazy toy maker” experiments, like alarm clocks, cardboard backpacks, or micro-sized consoles. Which is why my pick for the perfect Nintendo fan gift this year isn’t exactly something truly new: it’s the Metroid Prime 4 amiibo triple threat of Samus herself, Samus & Vi-O-La, and bounty hunter Sylux. Metallic paint amiibo are often some of the best – and I’m really liking the more aggressive stance of the standalone Samus and her shiny-red new suit and motorbike combo. Sylux himself looks a bit like an evil, blue Masterchief, rocking his trademark shoulder spikes.
The two Metroid amiibo are available now and Sylux is out now (as of December 4).
The Switch 2 Pro Controller might be the best controller Nintendo has ever produced, finally unseating the GameCube controller after more than 20 years on top. Its matte material feels fantastic in the hands (and somehow never gets grimy), the control sticks have a great level of tension, the ZL and ZR triggers fit your fingers perfectly, and the new GL and GR back buttons add extra flexibility to whatever game you’re playing. Plus, it has a headphone jack, which was easily the Switch 1 Pro Controller’s biggest weakness. And, it has fantastic battery life – I’ve only had to charge mine a handful of times since the Switch 2 launched in June. Sure, Switch 1 controllers work on Switch 2, but the hardcore Nintendo fan in your life deserves this massive upgrade.
Alarmo is an absolutely adorable throwback to Nintendo's roots as a toy maker, while also paying homage to its current success as a video game company. Characters of your choosing will watch over you while you sleep, and while that may sound creepy, it's not. They're actually collecting info on how well you're sleeping, and sharing it with you, because that's what friends do. Even if you don't use it for its intended alarm…o purposes, it's still an adorable time piece to keep on your desk. The screen is bright and crisp, and the dial on the top feels excellent to use and set. Best of all, they added Kirby with the most recent update, and who doesn't love Kirby? Don't answer that question, please. I don't want to know.
Simply put, this is the game to get for Nintendo Switch 2 this holiday season. We called Donkey Kong Bananza a 10/10 masterpiece in our review back in July, praising its destructible environments and incredible movement. It may not star Mario or Link, but this is a top-shelf first-party Nintendo game that got the Switch 2 generation off to a smashing start. It takes between 15 and 20 hours just to reach the credits, with dozens of more hours waiting for anyone that wants to see absolutely every banana tucked inside. If I were a kid, I can’t think of a game I’d have more fun with on Christmas morning than this one.
Ever since this was first announced, there's been a place inside my soul that needed it in my life. If you're the same, or know someone who is, this is probably the coolest, and most affordable, Nintendo-themed LEGO set going. Everything about the LEGO Game Boy is delightful, from the screens you can change out to reflect the game you want to show off, to the replica carts you build with it. It's roughly the same size as an actual Game Boy, too, and the buttons feel almost identical to the ones on the real deal. It only takes around an hour to put together, and then you have this super cool collectible to show off to everyone who asks, and even people who don't ask. Stop people on the street, get their opinion of it. Maybe you'll make a new friend, who knows?
I’ve been a fan of Pokémon games since I first got my own copy of Pokémon Yellow Version on the Game Boy back in the 90s. I’ve played almost every mainline entry in the series since then, and I was super excited to start playing Pokémon Legends: Z-A when it launched this year.
IGN gave the game a solid 8/10 review, and I agree that it’s a great game overall. It takes bits and pieces of Legends: Arceus and Scarlet and Violet that brought new life to the series and flat out does those things better. The entire story takes place in a single location (Luminose City), which seems so small until the game starts to unfold and you meet new people and unlock new areas. It’s the urban Pokémon game I didn’t know I needed, and I’d recommend it to any fellow Pokéfan looking for their next obsession.
This is the ultimate Nintendo 64. Preorders sold out almost instantly when it was first announced way back, and the first restock has already come and gone. Maybe, just maybe, there'll be another one and you can grab it. Whoever gets one of these will be as happy as the original Nintendo 64 kid from the home video that springs up this time of year on social media.
This isn't an emulator: it's a field-programmable gate array. What does that mean, exactly? Too complicated to get into now, but essentially this IS a Nintendo 64, it's not emulating it. It's an actual piece of futuristic technology that lets you play your N64 games on modern TVs in 4K. If you manage to score an Analogue3D this year, you will be the Hero of the Holidays. Four-player GoldenEye never looked so good.
9. Kirby Meta Knight Plushie
Picked by: IGN Deals Team
There are SO many plushies to choose from these days, but only so many unique ones for Nintendo lovers. Even across the Kirby online universe, there are several versions of cuddly Kirbys you can get. However, this Kirby Adventure Series' Meta Knight plushie is honestly way cool and stands out from the basic (but still cute) classic Kirbys out there. It seems everyone else agrees, as it has only a few left in stock!
In case this cutie goes out of stock, see additional plushies below in our additional gift idea lineup.
10. Nintendo eShop Gift Card
On the practical side, we'd be remiss not to at least mention a safe bet for gamers: a Nintendo eShop gift card. Not sure if your pal already owns a game? Not sure what to get a Nintendo lover who already has everything you can think of? Let them pick and give them the freedom (and time) to shop Nintendo games and online merch themselves. You can't go wrong with an eShop card for Christmas.
Still need MORE? Browse These Cool Nintendo Products
Below we've curated additional gift ideas across price points and age groups, with some of our favorite Nintendo merch we have available on IGN Store included. If you're looking for a more practical Nintendo-based gift or stocking stuffer, you can also consider a trusted power bank to extend Switch 2 playtime.
See More Amazing Gift Ideas for 2025
For an even broader spectrum of gift ideas that cater to various tastes and preferences, we invite you to peruse our handpicked collection of gift ideas for 2025. We have a treasure trove of diverse gift guides covering everything from tech gadgets to cozy winter essentials, ensuring you'll find the ideal presents for everyone on your list. So, for a comprehensive array of gift recommendations that span various interests and passions, explore the rest of our thoughtfully crafted guides. We hope this helped you to be well-equipped to spread Nintendo cheer and make your loved ones' spirits bright.
Welcome back, fellow bargain hunter. From karting chaos to murderous Vikings, strategy disasters to horror that’ll haunt your sleep, this idle Wednesday's deals are here to remind you that self-control is optional and retail therapy is mandatory. Grab a seat, grab a wallet, and try not to cry when I make your “just browsing” excuse fail spectacularly.
In retro news, it's somehow been 26 years since I prepared for my finest hour in Medal of Honor, a pivotal PS FPS that I still snap a salute to. After reinvigorating WWII in popular culture with Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg and DreamWorks Interactive used that beachhead to conceive, produce, and write a more kid gloves companion piece game. End result: they triggered a decades-long landslide of shooters themed on virtually every major battle undertaken by The Greatest Generation (not to mention the unintended creation of a rival Call of Duty franchise).
Personally, I adored the Nazi-blasting, disguise-wearing OSS saboteur antics of MoH. Few games of the era looked, felt, and sounded this cinematic. A true classic, and its original trailer still slaps.
Mario Kart World (-26%) - A$89 - *Low stock* Race your mates, spin out, and pretend those blue shells weren’t personal attacks. Fun, chaotic, and hilariously unfair.
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (-31%) - A$59 - Speed, loops, and chaos wrapped in blue hedgehog energy. Fast reflexes optional, screaming at friends likely.
Donkey Kong Bananza (-19%) - A$89 - Big ape stomps, barrels fly, and your thumbs hurt before the first banana is collected. Worth it for the destructo-tech alone.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land NS2 (-18%) - A$89.90 - Cute, squishy, and constantly inhaling everything in sight. Kirby never apologises, and neither will you.
Bluey: The Videogame (-27%) - A$44 - Family-friendly chaos where dogs wag, toddlers cheer, and adults pretend they’re not crying from sheer cuteness.
Mafia: The Old Country (-34%) - A$49 - Suits, cigars, and crime sprees. Kill your rivals in a more than decent revenge tale and speak with far too much hand waving.
Dishonored Def. ed. (-58%) - A$10.50 - Sneak, stab, and chaos your way through a city that absolutely hates you. Oldie but a greatie.
Unicorn Overlord Monarch ed. (-65%) - A$39.50 - Strategy with sparkle. Crush foes, rule kingdoms, and make magical ponies jealous.
XCOM 2 (-95%) - A$3.40 - Aliens, tactics, and permanent death. Your soldiers will cry, you will cry, the aliens don’t care.
Ghost of Yotei (-21%) - A$99 - Haunting, slick, and atmospheric. Perfect for when you want to swing swords and brood at the same time.
Mafia: The Old Country (-46%) - A$49 - A more intimate, non-sandbox approach to crim-simming. Meticulously detailed and I personally couldn't put it down.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 (-40%) - A$44.90 - Skate fast, grind rails, and remind everyone you used to be cool.
Gran Turismo 7 (-50%) - A$63 - Cars look better than your dreams, and driving is way more forgiving than reality. A-w-e-s-o-m-e in VR.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (-50%) - A$62.40 - Colourful, chaotic, and a bizarre gun lover’s wet dream. Warp through worlds, explode stuff, repeat.
RoboCop: Rogue City (-90%) - A$6.30 - Justice served with a side of bullets and a cocky gunslinger twirl. I'd buy this for a dollar. Six of them, too.
Blasphemous 2 (-67%) - A$14.80 - Grim, gory, and absolutely gorgeous. Pixel art with pain, basically a religious experience.
Slay the Spire (-75%) - A$9.20 - Card-based agony that somehow feels rewarding. You will lose repeatedly and love every second.
No Man's Sky (-60%) - A$35.10 - Infinite planets, procedural chaos, and hours of “why is this my life now?” exploration.
The Medium (-70%) - A$22.70 - Haunting dual-world puzzles that make you question your life choices. Perfect for when you like fear with a side of clever.
Just like I did last holiday season, I'm getting festive with the LEGO section. In Mathew Manor, my sons and I are again racing this year's batch of LEGO Advent Calendars. Basically, we open the City, Harry Potter, Minecraft, and Star Wars on the daily and compare the mini-prizes for "Awesomeness" and "Actual Xmas-ness". 2024's winner was the Lego Marvel one, but, weirdly, there's no 2025 equivalent. So it's anybody's race this year.
Here are the cheapest prices for the four calendars we're using. Score them yourself or just live vicariously through our unboxings.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
Lenovo could show off a new approach to its rollable OLED screen tech early next year: giving a laptop the ability to go ultrawide, according to Windows Latest (via The Verge). The laptop, which the outlet refers to as the Legion Pro Rollable, would be the first from Lenovo with a horizontally-rolling display.
As The Verge notes, there's precious little detail in Windows Latest's post, so we don't know anything about the refresh rate, brightness, resolution, and so on – just that it's going to have a 21:9 aspect ratio, which is way wider than any of our favorite gaming laptops. The outlet also claims to have confirmed that the laptop will have an Intel Core Ultra processor, but that would hardly be a surprise. The post also guesses the screen will have at least a 120Hz refresh rate, given that the ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 Rollable already does. Windows Latest also published what it says is an official promotional image for the laptop.
We probably won't have to wait long to hear more, as Windows Latest says it'll "likely" appear at CES in July. And yeah, that tracks. Lenovo loves to show off a wacky laptop at CES – remember the Yoga 9i and its goofy double clamshell display design? Lenovo has even announced that ThinkBook rollable model last year during the conference. If this laptop is real – and that's a big if, as Windows Latest doesn't give the slightest hint where it got this information from – it'll likely be one of the company's big showpieces and you can bet IGN will be there, reporting on it.
Wes is a freelance writer (Freelance Wes, they call him) who has covered technology, gaming, and entertainment steadily since 2020 at Gizmodo, Tom's Hardware, Hardcore Gamer, and most recently, The Verge. Inside of him there are two wolves: one that thinks it wouldn't be so bad to start collecting game consoles again, and the other who also thinks this, but more strongly.
Lenovo has dropped the price on one of its best equipped gaming laptops for the holidays. The Legion Pro 5 Gen 10 gaming laptop, featuring an OLED display, Intel Core Ultra 9 CPU, and RTX 5070 Ti GPU, is down to $1,690.99 after coupon code "EXTRAFIVE". That's about $700 off in combined savings. The RTX 5070 Ti is a powerful mobile GPU that will easily run game you throw at it, even on the display's 1600p resolution.
Lenovo Legion 5 Pro Gen 10 RTX 5070 Ti Laptop for $1,691
This particular configuration is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 16GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Both the RAM and SSD are user-upgradeable. The Legion Pro boasts solid build quality and materials with an aluminum top lid and a sturdy plastic bottom chassis. The gorgeous 16" OLED display features a 2.5K 189ppi resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, HDR 1000 True Black certification, and 100% DCI-P3 color space. This new 2025 model has also been updated with the Wi-Fi 7 standard. Connectivity options include a Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort 2.1, a USB Type-C port with up to 100W of Power Delivery, an RJ45 ethernet port, and an HDMI 2.1 port.
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a top performing CPU
The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor has 24 cores and a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz. This is the second most powerful Intel mobile CPU currently available (the Ultra 9 285HX has a slightly higher clock speed) and goes toe to toe with AMD's flagship Ryzen 9 9955HX processor. This is an excellent CPU to pair with a powerful GPU like the 5080.
The GeForce RTX 5070 Ti mobile GPU can handle the most demanding games
The RTX 5070 Ti mobile GPU is comparable in performance to the previous generation's RTX 4080 and pulls ahead of it in games that support DLSS 4. It should be able to handle even the newest and most demanding games like Ghost of Yotei, Battlefield 6, and Borderlands 4 on the native 2560x1600 resolution.
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.
Apple's previous flagship Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatch just dropped in price today. Amazon currently has select models for just $549 after a hefty $250 instant discount (retail price is $799). This is actually $50 cheaper than the best deal I saw during Black Friday, making it the lowest price of the year. The Watch Ultra 2 is the best watch in the lineup for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, thanks to its increased durability, more precise GPS, and activity specific features and apps.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Smartwatch for $549 (was $799)
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 features a titanium case that's more rugged and corrosion resistant than the softer aluminum or stainless steel casing found in the less expensive Apple Watches. Pure titanium, not titanium "coated" metal, is considerably more expensive and is probably one of the main reasons for the Ultra's price tag. This is also a larger watch with a 49mm case size compared to 42mm-46mm for the Series 11 so it looks more substantial on your wrist.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 boasts a 1.92" Retina LTPO OLED display with up to 2,000 nits of brightness. It's protected by a scratch resistant sapphire crystal face. Other features include an S9 processor with 64GB of storage, dual-frequency GPS, beam-forming triple microphone array, dual speakers, up to 36 hours of battery life, 100m of water resistance, customizable physical action button, and a built-in Oceanic+ app that literally puts a dive computer on your wrist.
How does it compare with the newer Apple Watch Ultra 3
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 includes a few upgrades, including a faster S10 chip, newer LTPO3 OLED display, 5G compatibility, and a faster charging rate. Note, however, that the Ultra 3 currently sells for $779. These upgrades are more incremental than revolutionary, so I'd recommend saving those 230 simoleons and getting a watch that's nearly as good.
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.
To say Call of Duty is an important piece of video game history would be an understatement. It’s hard to think of first-person shooters (or action games in general) without mentioning this series, which has become one of the most successful franchises ever after revolutionizing single-player campaigns and online battles.
For decades, CoD has dominated the multiplayer scene. Apart from creating iconic characters like Captain Price and Alex Mason, the series has also introduced unexpected figures to their ranks, like Spawn, Snoop Dogg, and Lionel Messi. With Black Ops 7 on the horizon, you might want to look back on over 20 years of Call of Duty history.
With entries exploring conflicts from both our past and our possible future, here's every Call of Duty game in chronological order.
Due to quite a few subseries, a reboot, and the many studios that have worked or are working on the series, it can be a bit troublesome to determine how many Call of Duty games have been released.
If we consider only the main entries with single-player campaigns, including all the World War II titles, the Modern Warfare subseries (plus its reboot), and the Black Ops subseries, there are 20 video games in the Call of Duty franchise
Then there’s the Chinese free-to-play Call of Duty Online, released in 2015 and shut down in 2021. 2019’s Call of Duty Mobile took its place and is still running today.
The unique Zombies modes have become a staple of the series since their first inclusion in 2008’s World at War, and they have appeared in multiple entries since.
Finally, the franchise entered the battle royale and live service genres with Warzone, launched in 2020, which became a huge success. Two years later, it was replaced by Warzone 2.0, a complete overhaul of the game’s map and experience. Warzone Mobile brought the battle royale experience to iOS and Android devices in early 2024.
To avoid confusion, it’s worth mentioning that the reboot of the Modern Warfare series will be numbered with Roman numbers. Also, Black Ops 4 is not added to the list below for its lack of campaign (it’s a multiplayer-only experience).
Which Call of Duty Game Should You Play First?
For the sake of simplicity and accessibility, we recommend 2019's Modern Warfare reboot as a solid starting point for Call of Duty campaigns. Starting here creates a straightforward path through the rebooted Modern Warfare trilogy, as all three games are available on modern Xbox and PlayStation consoles, as well as PC. Plus, unlike the Black Ops subseries, each game was released within the last five years, meaning none should feel too dated.
Call of Duty Games in Chronological Order
Beware of minor spoilersfor the stories, characters, and relevant events of each game in the list below.
1. Call of Duty (2003)
The franchise's first game was developed by Infinity Ward and published in 2003. This is the first of many entries in the series focused on World War II, following the steps of other household names like Medal of Honor.
In the first Call of Duty, you play three different campaigns as different soldiers from three countries: the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union.
The North American soldier, Private Martin, starts his training in 1942 and participates in the invasion of Normandy in 1944, while the British Sergeant Evans fights in Operation Tonga that same year. Evans will later be helped by Captain Price, a recurrent name in the franchise. On the other hand, the Soviet Alexei Ivanovich Voronin’s campaign takes place in the Battle of Stalingrad.
2. Call of Duty 2 (2005)
The sequel of the original title repeats the settings and nations but with some different perspectives. Instead of three campaigns, you experience four: one from the perspective of a North American soldier, one from the Soviet Union, and two from Britain.
As Private Vasili Koslov, you have to defend Moscow from Nazi German soldiers, while North American Bill Taylor joins the army that assaults La Pointe du Hoc during the infamous D-Day. The British soldiers, Sergeant John Davis and David Welsh, participated in the conflict in North Africa. Davis is led by Captain Price.
3. Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
A few years after Call of Duty 3, the team at Treyarch came back and delivered their last entry based on the conflict the series has been breathing off since its beginnings. This time, however, the campaign was only divided into North American and Soviet forces.
You follow American Marine Private C. Miller during the Makin Island raid in 1942, and later in the Battle of Peleliu, in which American forces confronted the Japanese army. The Soviet section takes place in the Battle of Stalingrad, but this time on the Eastern Front as Private Dimitri Petrenko.
4. Call of Duty 3 (2005)
The first main game in the series not developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 3 was Treyarch’s first attempt at recreating World War II events.
Taking place in 1944, armies from Britain, Poland, the United States, Canada, and France fight against Germany's Nazi forces in the village of Chambois, France, during the Battle of Normandy.
This is the only main entry you cannot play on PC.
5. Call of Duty: WWII (2017)
Almost a decade and a half after the first game, studio Sledgehammer Games returned the franchise to World War II. This was the first time in the main series there was only one protagonist in the campaign: Ronald “Red” Daniels, accompanied by his loyal squad. As Red, you fight Nazi German forces across the European theater, from Normandy to Germany.
While WWII has some brief flashback sequences in 1940, which would set it as the first game in the series chronologically, the core of the title takes place in 1944.
6. Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
In the latest entry set in World War II, developer Sledgehammer Games tried once again to bring Call of Duty to its roots and explore this historical event from a different perspective.
Contrary to 2017’s WWII, you are presented with multiple characters on different fronts. The main objective is to learn more about Phoenix, a secret Nazi project that could change the tide of the war in favor of Nazi Germany.
Vanguard also has flashback sequences for different protagonists starting in 1941, but the majority of the campaign is set in 1945, near the end of the war.
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
Developer Treyarch changed eras with Black Ops. Going from 1961 to 1968, you’ll experience the events of the Cold War and part of the Vietnam War for the first time in the series.
The main protagonist, Alex Mason, works with the CIA and is tasked to remember events that would help find Soviet sleeper agents. These agents are around the United States, and they plan to release a dangerous chemical weapon called Nova 6.
8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
Developed by Treyarch and Raven Software, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War helps connect the original Black Ops and Black Ops 2. While the main protagonist this time is nicknamed “Bell,” you get to choose your name, gender, and other details like dialogue lines.
Set in 1981, you team up with characters from previous games, including Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Jason Hudson. Under CIA’s Russell Adler, your elite team is supposed to catch a Soviet figure that goes by “Perseus” who is planning to attack the United States.
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)
The sequel to the original Black Ops presents two timelines. On the first one, you follow Alex Mason’s footsteps several years after he and his team successfully stopped Nova 6. It’s 1986, and Jason Hudson asks Mason to aid with the search for Frank Woods, who disappeared in Cuando Cubango, Angola.
The second timeline is centered around David Mason, Alex’s son, who’s looking for Raul Menendez in 2025. Menendez is the leader of Cordis Die, a terrorist organization that provoked the Second Cold War.
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 takes place in the early 1990s, beginning in 1991, after the events of Black Ops 2's late-80s storyline. The story is centered around the Gulf War, wherein Frank Woods and his team of rogue agents are hunted by a shadowy group that's infiltrated the CIA.
Historical figures represented in the game include former U.S. president Bill Clinton and former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
11. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
The last entry to have a number after “Call of Duty,” Modern Warfare is the first time the series abandoned its classic Allies vs Axis conflict for something more recent.
In 2011, Yasir Al-Fulani, the president of a fictional Middle Eastern country, was executed by Khaled Al-Asad, the leader of a revolutionary party. Meanwhile, Russia is going through a civil war provoked by Imran Zakhaev, an arms dealer.
A squad commanded by Captain Price and formed by protagonist John “Soap” MacTavish have to stop an international crisis.
12. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Set five years after the events of the previous game, Modern Warfare 2 tells the story of Vladimir Makarov, an Ultranationalist who continues the work of Imran Zakhaev. It turns out this extremist party gained control of Russia, so Makarov gained the power to start committing terrorist acts against the United States.
Well-known faces like the Captain Soap and Captain Price join forces with Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson, Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley, “Nikolai”, and other agents to stop Makarov’s secret plan.
13. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
The end of the first Modern Warfare trilogy brings the pursuit of terrorist Vladimir Makarov to its climax. Captain Price’s team re-arranges itself with Yuri, an ex-Spetsnaz known by Nikolai. Captain John "Soap" MacTavish is also present for the final mission.
Makarov captures Boris Vorshevsky, the president of Russia, who was going to establish peace with the United States. After threatening the president’s daughter, Makarov acquired nuclear launch codes, becoming an international danger once again.
14. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
In 2019, Infinity Ward rebooted the successful Modern Warfare series by reusing some classic characters in a new timeline. Well-known faces like Captain Price are present in a new conflict with Russia.
Set in the same year it was released, a fictional republic called Urzikstan is invaded by a Russian army. While this attack is going on, a terrorist organization called Al-Qatala, also from Urzikstan, begins with operations against different countries in the world. Captain Price, alongside his Task Force 141 and the Urzikstan Liberation Force, try to de-escalate the conflict.
15. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
Taking place in 2022, Modern Warfare II follows the story of the MW reboot, featuring returning characters from Task Force 141 and the Urzikstan Liberation Force leader Farah Karim.
Al-Qatala is still a threat, but all eyes are on Quds Force, an Iranian revolutionary group commanded by Hassan Zyani. Zyani is supported by Al-Qatala and a Mexican cartel from the fictional city of Las Almas, and he plans terrorist acts against the United States after the assassination of General Ghorbrani, an Iranian forces leader.
16. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)
Picking up after the events of 2022's Modern Warfare II, MWIII once again stars Task Force 141, including recurring characters John Price, Simon "Ghost" Riley, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, and John "Soap" MacTavish. Ultranationalist terrorist Vladimir Makarov, the villain from 2011's Modern Warfare 3, once again serves as the antagonist.
17. Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
A standalone entry with few connections to previous titles, Call of Duty Ghosts was developed by Infinity Ward in 2013. As its name indicates, it focused on the special operation group called Ghosts, a U.S. team tasked with secret missions.
It’s 2027, and after a decade of conflicts in the Middle East and an oil crisis, a South American force called the Federation of the Americas initiated a war against the United States. Working with your new team, you have to stop Gabriel T. Rorke, the former leader of Ghosts.
18. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025)
While positioned toward the end of this list, the Black Ops 7 campaign most directly follows the events of Black Ops 6, which split across the Gulf War and modern day. And all of Black Ops, to be honest. BO7 brings back David Mason, the JCOC, and Mason's classic arch-nemesis. The game is set in 2035, over 40 years after Black Ops 6, and also brings back co-op campaigns. Seth Macy was particularly impressed with this iteration's multiplayer, which features gunplay he claims "works exactly how I want it to."
19. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
Advanced Warfare was the first entry to take place several decades beyond its release date. It was also the first game developed primarily by Sledgehammer Games.
Set in 2054, you control Jack Mitchell, a member of the United States Marine Corps who later fights in the private military corporation known as Atlas after suffering an accident. On this occasion, the enemy forces are a Chechenian separatist group called KVA led by Joseph "Hades" Chkheidze.
It was one of the first entries to feature futuristic changes in gameplay due to its setting, like the fact that soldiers now wear exoskeletons, which bring them unique abilities.
19. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015)
The end of the initial Black Ops trilogy was also set in the future. More specifically, in the year 2065, when a Third Cold War between the Common Defense Pact and the Winslow Accord is happening. Robotic drones, cyborg supersoldiers, unpiloted air forces, and other technological advancements take center stage.
A black ops team composed of you (simply referred to as “The Player”), Jacob Hendricks, and your cybernetics division will be tasked with preventing the conflict from reaching a more dangerous state. You investigate a strange event in Singapore and look out for the 54 Immortals, a crime organization.
20. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
No Call of Duty game went further into the future than Infinite Warfare. Around the 2080s, the United Nations Space Alliance was created after humans had spent all the natural resources available on Earth. Beginning the colonization and exploitation of resources on other planets, this alliance is defended by the Solar Associated Treaty Organization, a military force that battles the totalitarian regime Settlement Defense Front from Mars.
How to Play the Call of Duty Games By Release Date
Call of Duty (2003)
Call of Duty 2 (2005)
Call of Duty 3 (2006)
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
Call of Duty: World at War (2008)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012)
Call of Duty: Ghosts (2013)
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (2015)
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (2016)
Call of Duty: WWII (2017)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020)
Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024)
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (2025)
What’s Next for Call of Duty?
It's been a nice couple of months for shooters. Aside from Black Ops 7, we've seen the massive launch of Battlefield 6, stoking a potential battle between the two franchises this fall. What's next for the Call of Duty franchise? Well, only time will tell, but there's gotta be something in the pipeline.
Outside of games, Activision recently struck a deal with Paramount to produce a live-action Call of Duty movie. David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, has said he’s a big Call of Duty fan who’s put “countless” hours into the franchise. Little is known about the direction the movie will take, but Ellison did refer to Paramount's recent success with Top Gun: Maverick as a "guiding star."
Axel Bosso is a contributing freelancer for IGN, covering everything related to video games (he's behind some of the Wikis you might have used over the years)!
Sigourney Weaver may soon swing into the world of Prime Video’s next video game adaptation, as the Alien star is reportedly in talks to join the cast of the new Tomb Raider show.
A Deadline report says Weaver, who will appear in Avatar: Fire and Ash next week and The Mandalorian and Grogu in 2026, is currently in active negotiations to appear in the series in an undisclosed role. Her deal with Amazon has not yet been finalized.
Should Weaver board the latest crack at a live-action Tomb Raider adaptation, she’ll join Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner, who has been confirmed to star as Lara Croft. Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) is attached as creator, writer, and executive producer on the show, which is expected to begin production January 19, 2026. Chad Hodge is also involved as executive producer and co-showrunner, with Jonathan Van Tulleken in the mix as director and executive producer.
The Prime Video Tomb Raider series comes from Story Kitchen, Amazon MGM, and Crystal Dynamics and currently has no release date. Exact details about how the new live-action Tomb Raider show will tell a story unlike what viewers have seen in the past remain a mystery. However, in an update posted to the Story Kitchen website last week, fans learned the show aims to “reinvent the franchise on a massive scale” and interconnect the “new live-action television series and video games into a unified storytelling universe.”
The Tomb Raider universe is undeniably going through a bit of a shift as of late. The live-action show itself has been in the works since sometime in 2023, with the animated Netflix show, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, arriving to help with the wait in 2024. Season 2, its final season, will arrive this Thursday, December 11.
While the video game wing of the franchise hasn’t received a new mainline entry since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, fans have been told to expect an update at The Game Awards. A tease for the announcement, which was posted just yesterday, signaled a glimpse at Lara Croft’s future that will premiere this Thursday.
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).
Apple’s closed ecosystem and regular software updates help make your iPhone highly secure, but Apple’s strong emphasis on security shouldn’t stop you from doing more to protect your privacy. One way to do this is with a VPN, which encrypts all of the data traveling from your iPhone to the internet, securing it from prying eyes.
You’ll find plenty of VPNs for iOS but many fall short in key areas. Often this means they perform poorly in speed tests, leak identifying data, or keep extensive browsing logs that can be linked to you and your iPhone. The best VPNs for iPhone can help you avoid these issues, all of which provide your device with security and speed while still being simple to use.
TL;DR – These Are the Best VPNs For iPhone:
When you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), you connect to a VPN server in your preferred location. In doing so, your iPhone is provided with a new, temporary IP address. Not only does this let you browse and stream on your iPhone anonymously, it means you can sidestep geo-blocking, allowing you to access your usual websites and services from home even when traveling abroad.
1. NordVPN
Best VPN for iPhone
NordVPN is not only the best VPNs for iPhone, but the best VPN for gaming – and for good reason. Compatible with iOS 15.0 and later, its fast proprietary protocol NordLynx makes it easy to browse, stream, and play online games on your iPhone. It also makes light work of streaming platforms like Netflix that other VPNs struggle to access. NordVPN has significantly expanded its server network to 7,000+ servers in 118 countries – more than most VPNs.
The VPN market moves fast, as evidenced by NordVPN’s many recent additions. This includes Threat Protection which blocks ads, trackers, and malicious websites. Not only can you use NordVPN to secure your iPhone, but you can connect it on up to nine other devices at once. NordVPN has plenty of other security features that keep your iPhone safe, including specialty Double VPN servers for two layers of encryption.
2. Proton VPN
Best iPhone VPN With a Free Tier
Proton VPN is one of the best VPNs for iPhone and also topped our list of the best free VPNs for PC. Its free plan is unique in that it doesn’t impose speed or data limits and offers users access to 240 servers in five countries. Opting for a Proton VPN paid plan sees this increase to over 9,000 servers in 117 countries, which is one of the biggest VPN networks offered by any provider, and allows for 10 simultaneous device connections. Speeds are impressive too, in large part thanks to Proton VPN’s Accelerator feature which reduces latency and congestion.
When it comes to privacy protection, Proton VPN is as good as it gets. It’s headquartered in Switzerland where there are no mandatory data retention laws. Proton VPN doesn’t keep connection logs and its no-logs policy has been independently audited. There’s no shortage of extra security features either, be it Secure Core (Double VPN) servers or its NetShield ad blocker.
3. ExpressVPN
Best VPN for Streaming
ExpressVPN is strong in all areas, making it not only a great VPN for iOS, but one of the best VPNs, period. Despite the simple, user-friendly iOS app design, it’s packing impressive performance. Its proprietary Lightway protocol enables fast speeds for streaming and gaming. I’ve also found ExpressVPN to be reliable for accessing popular streaming services from abroad, Netflix included – one of the many reasons why it’s the best VPN for streaming.
You’re not short of server locations with ExpressVPN, which has roughly 3,000 servers in 105 countries. This helps to bypass geo-blocking and means there’s always a high-speed server nearby. Although ExpressVPN doesn’t offer quite as many extras as NordVPN, it has added numerous high quality extras, including a tracker blocker and password manager. All in all, it’s a great VPN for beginners, especially because its 24/7 live chat and email support is excellent.
4. Surfshark
Best VPN for Extra Features
Surfshark has far more features than most iOS VPNs and this makes its long-term subscriptions particularly good value, making our list of the best cheap VPNs. Subscriptions are priced from as little as $2.19 a month and include access to over 3,000 servers in 100 countries. As such, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding a fast server wherever you’re using your iPhone. In fact, Surfshark allows unlimited simultaneous connections so you can secure all of your devices.
Thanks to Surfshark’s use of the WireGuard protocol, you can expect very good speeds. That it’s also adept at unblocking popular streaming services makes it popular among streamers. As for security features, you’ll have access to CleanWeb which blocks ads and malicious websites, and Surfshark’s MultiHop servers for an extra layer of encryption. This is one of the few iPhone VPNs to provide split tunneling, letting you choose which traffic can bypass the VPN connection.
5. CyberGhost
Best Free Trial VPN
CyberGhost has an excellent iOS app that’s compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod for versions 13.0 and newer. If you’re also on MacOS, you can take advantage of the best free trial in the VPN market. Available for 24 hours, it provides access to all features with no need to provide a credit card. You can then try out CyberGhost’s vast server network which covers 100 countries, so it’s always easy to find a fast, low-load server in your preferred location.
Thanks to its fast speeds and streaming-optimized servers, CyberGhost is one of the best VPNs for streaming. It’s hard not to be impressed with its privacy protection too: 256-bit AES encryption hides your traffic from your ISP. CyberGhost publishes quarterly transparency reports, detailing information requests received from authorities. CyberGhost can’t comply with such requests because it simply doesn’t collect identifying data, as per its strict no-logs policy.
6. IPVanish
Best VPN for Unlimited Devices
IPVanish allows unlimited simultaneous connections, which is ideal if you have more than just your iPhone to secure. Each of your devices will benefit from IPVanish’s fast connection speeds – it uses the popular WireGuard protocol – so you can stream lag-free and play games with low ping. Its growing network stands at over 2,400 servers, some 1,400+ of which are in the U.S. It’s little wonder then that IPVanish works so well with so many U.S. streaming platforms.
The IPVanish iOS app gives you the option to favorite specific servers and even see each server’s ping and load – this isn’t something you see with every VPN for iPhone. With 256-bit AES encryption and its zero-logs policy, IPVanish lets you browse and stream anonymously. You won’t need to worry about ads and trackers either thanks to its Threat Protection feature. Newer additions to the IPVanish feature lineup include a secure browser and cloud storage.
Disclosure: IPVanish is owned by Ziff Davis, IGN's parent company.
7. Mullvad
Best VPN for Anonymity
Mullvad is one of the only VPNs that accepts cash payments. It also doesn’t require you to sign up with an email address, instead using an account number system. It’s things like this that make Mullvad the best privacy VPN, allowing for anonymous signup. Mullvad is also our best cheap VPN with a flat subscription rate of €5 a month (~$5.65).
You might think that with such a focus on privacy, Mullvad’s performance might be found lacking but it’s not. It implemented the WireGuard protocol in 2017 and is currently one of the fastest VPNs on the market. It does leave something to be desired with its unblocking, struggling to access streaming platforms compared with my top pick, ExpressVPN. Mullvad operates a strict no-logs policy and recently subjected its apps to an independent security audit.
What to Look for in a VPN for iPhone
You might be wondering why the above VPNs for iPhone made the cut (or why other VPNs didn’t). When testing VPNs for iPhone, I look at everything from how easy they are to install to how intelligible their privacy policies are. I also carry out a battery of tests including measuring server speeds and checking for DNS leaks.
During testing, I looked for iPhone VPNs that fulfill the following criteria:
User-friendly iOS app
Fast, unthrottled connections
Global server network
High level of encryption
Supports multiple VPN protocols
Absolutely no identifying logs of users
Multiple simultaneous connections
Money-back guarantee of at least 30 days
Live chat and email support
How to Use a VPN on an iPhone
First time using a VPN for iPhone? Getting a VPN set up and connected on your iOS device is super easy:
Go to the Apple App store and search for your preferred VPN.
Select Get followed by Install to download the VPN’s iOS app.
Tap on Open and follow the steps to sign up for an account.
Select Allow when prompted to add VPN configurations. Enter your passcode to confirm.
Choose the server in your preferred location and click to connect.
Best VPNs for iPhones FAQs
Why do I need a VPN for my iPhone?
It’s well known that the iPhone is a highly secure device. However, a VPN ensures that when data leaves the safe confines of your iPhone (such as when you browse the web), it’s encrypted. This prevents hackers and snoopers from seeing what you’re doing online. A VPN also helps you bypass geographic restrictions on content. This may be your favorite streaming service when on vacation, or even a news site blocked by an authoritarian government.
Does an iPhone have a built-in VPN?
No, the iPhone doesn’t have a built-in VPN, but it does provide a way for you to activate one via its settings. Although Apple introduced Private Relay, this feature is only available for iCloud+ subscribers. Like a VPN, Private Relay encrypts web traffic and hides your IP address but only protects you while in Safari browser. The best iPhone VPN encrypts all of your traffic regardless of the browser or apps you’re using.
Can I use a free VPN for my iPhone?
Free VPNs for iPhone are very limited in terms of both server locations and speed. A free VPN may not properly encrypt your iPhone’s traffic and may even log and sell your data. The best free VPNs I found in testing are the rare exceptions. Regardless, all of the best VPNs for iPhone offer money-back guarantees, so you can try them risk-free. Just remember that when purchasing a VPN via the App Store, you’ll need to request a refund from Apple.
Can I get a free trial VPN on iOS?
Yes! The good news is that you can get a seven-day free trial of all of the best VPNs for iPhone simply by downloading them via the Apple App Store. You just need to remember to cancel before the trial period is up. However, you can try out all of these iOS VPNs for even longer thanks to their very generous money-back guarantees, all of which are at least 30 days. This is risk-free but requires upfront payment.
Mark Gill is a freelance VPN writer for IGN, bringing over five years of dedicated experience from Comparitech, where he delves deep into the intricacies of VPNs.
Earlier this month, a large, demonic-looking monolith appeared in the Mojave Desert, and Geoff Keighley tweeted a photo of it. The monolith featured figures of all sorts of strange creators: skeletons, alligators, soldiers, a wolf, and more. In the time since, online gaming enthusiasts have been eagerly speculating as to what the monolith and Keighley were teasing ahead of The Game Awards. Diablo 4? The Elder Scrolls 6? God of War? Bloodborne 2? Altered Beast?
Well, the mystery may have been solved in advance of The Game Awards on Thursday. As spotted by MP1st, some newly registered trademarks reveal a game and a logo that looks essentially identical to a symbol on the monolith. And those trademarks appear to be for a new Divinity game, from Larian Studios.
How do we know? Well, let's take a look at one of the trademarks. It's for an image, and it looks like this:
Now compare that to the big symbol at the center of the statue:
Now we're getting somewhere! It's not exact, but it's quite comparable to past Divinity: Original Sin logos:
And even closer to the older Divinity games, slashed through "i" and all.
Okay, maybe it's all just a big coincidence? Sure, I guess. But there's one more clue. All three trademarks were filed by Ihde & Partner Rechtsanwälte, a legal firm that, among other things, has previously filed trademarks for Larian Studios, including past Divinity: Original Sin trademarks.
So that's pretty cut and dry. But what about that third trademark? This is where things get a bit more mysterious. This trademark is also just for an image, this one here:
What's that? I have no idea. But it's probably related, given it was filed on the same day by the same firm and is in a similar style to the other trademarks. Maybe we'll find out on Thursday.
Critically, this seems to be for a new Divinity...NOT a Divinity: Original Sin game. Director of publishing at Larian Studios Michael Douse was on Twitter/X today shutting down any rumors of a Divinity: Original Sin 3, but his language was very specific:
There aren't currently any plans for a new Divinity Original Sin 3 game but once we are ready to show what we've been working on we will 🙏
If this is indeed Divinity, that's good news for Larian fans, as Divinity: Original Sin 2 was fantastic. We gave it a 9.6/10, saying, "Divinity: Original Sin 2 may have been designed in the spirit of decades-old RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 2, but that legacy serves only as a foundation for the expansive game Larian has built on top of it."
Speaking of Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate 3 is Larian's most recent work, and that got an impressive 10/10 from us. We said, "I don't want to say every CRPG going forward should aspire to be like Baldur's Gate 3. Not everything needs to be nearly this big and ambitious, or even this dense. But it is a landmark moment in the genre, and if I had to point to one paragon that I would like everyone else making these to take inspiration from, this is absolutely it."
While some may have clamored for Larian to immediately get to work on DLC or Baldur's Gate 4, Larian explicitly said over a year ago that it wouldn't be continuing with another D&D game. However, Larian CEO Swen Vincke has been teasing a new project for a while now, and based on past timelines, this year's Game Awards would be a perfect time for an unveiling.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
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