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Darkhaven is a new ARPG from ex-Blizzard devs with a fully deformable world

Moon Beast Productions today announced Darkhaven, a new action RPG that aims to return to the genre’s roots. At the same time, the game aims to push the genre forward with a fully dynamic, persistent world. Moon Beast Productions is founded by Diablo veterans Philip Shenk, Peter Hu, and Erich Schaefer. So, if you were … Continue reading Darkhaven is a new ARPG from ex-Blizzard devs with a fully deformable world

The post Darkhaven is a new ARPG from ex-Blizzard devs with a fully deformable world appeared first on DSOGaming.

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Top Deals Today: 55% Off DC Vs. Marvel Omnibus, MTG X Marvel Super Heroes, LEGO Flowers, and More

There are plenty of excellent deals you’ll want to grab today. If you need an idea for Valentine’s Day, grab this bundle of LEGO flower bouquets that’s hard not to love. Anyone with a Switch or Switch 2 will want to hop on these game savings, as we're all well aware that it's rare to get such deep discounts on Nintendo’s offerings. MTG also has tons of deals and preorders worth checking out, from TMNT and Avatar to Marvel Super Heroes. Speaking of Marvel, the DC Vs. Marvel Omnibus collection of comics is down to a new low on Amazon. Check out all the awesome deals I’ve found for today below:

DC Vs. Marvel Omnibus Comic Collection Hardcover Hits New Low Price

It’s a crossover between the greatest superheroes of all time. DC vs. Marvel Omnibus is a fantastic comic collection full of out-of-print stories. Everything from Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man to Batman vs. Captain America can be found in the hardcover book. Best of all, you can grab it for 55% off on Amazon, a new low price.

Save Big on Bundle of LEGO Botanicals Flower Bouquet + Bouquet of Roses Building Sets

Fresh flowers wilt far too quickly, so why not grab a bouquet that lasts? LEGO has a bundle deal on a bouquet of roses and a botanical bouquet for just $83.99. These LEGO sets are going for $55.58 and $48.49 individually, making this an incredible offer. Whether you build and arrange them ahead of time or let your sweetheart build the sets themselves, these bouquets make for a great (and lasting) Valentine’s Day gift.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A for Switch 2 is $14 Off at Best Buy

Pokémon Legends: Z-A for Nintendo Switch 2 is seeing a nice discount at Best Buy today, with $14 knocked off the list price. With this enhanced version of the game, you’ll get improved visuals, faster load times, and better performance overall. In our review of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, Rebekah Valentine had this to say about the game: “Pokémon Legends: Z-A finally feels like Game Freak hitting its stride in Pokémon’s 3D era, with a fun setting to explore, a well-written story, and a total battle system overhaul that works surprisingly well.”

Big Savings On A Bunch of Other Switch and Switch 2 Games

You can also grab a nice discount on the Switch version of Pokémon Legends: Z-A from Woot if you don’t care about the performance boost. In fact, Woot has tons of solid deals on both Switch and Switch 2 games that are worth checking out. You can even get the Switch version of Super Mario Bros. Wonder on sale if you don’t feel like waiting for the Switch 2 update of Super Mario Bros. Wonder. And Best Buy also dropped the cost of the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 by $14.

MTG x Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box Hits New Low Price

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box has dropped to a new low on Amazon. You can grab it for just $24.99. It’s ideal for those just dipping their toes in the MTG world, as it comes with two 20-card tutorial decks, a guide booklet, playboards, and more essentials. After you’ve mastered the basics, you can combine any of the additional eight 20-card half-decks for some real gaming.

MTG x TMNT Preorder Deals

If you’ve been waiting for the prices to drop on the MTG x TMNT preorder, now is the time to jump. The Booster Box is down to $124.99 on Amazon. In the box are 30 packs, which means each one comes out to about $4.17, which is a great deal. There’s a Bundle Box that includes 9 Play Boosters, 30 Lands, a foil alt-art promo Card, and exclusive accessories that’s on sale for just $60. Or, grab the Turtle Power! Commander Deck and Turtle Team Up Box, as they both have received solid discounts.

While these might be the lowest prices we see for the MTG x TMNT preorder, Amazon even has a nice preorder price guarantee. Whether the price goes up or down, you’re paying the lowest amount. This is the first “Universe Beyond” release of the year, and it’s set to drop on March 6th.

MTG x Marvel Super Heroes Preorder Just Dropped

Jumping further into the future, Amazon just dropped the preorder for the MTG x Marvel Super Heroes set that’s coming out on June 26th. Some things have already sold out, but you can still grab the 30-pack Booster Box for $209.70, the Commander Deck Bundle for $299.96, and more. Be sure to secure your preorder now, as this is already proving to be a popular “Universe Beyond” collab.

After you’ve secured the MTG X Marvel Super Heroes preorder, be sure to check out the MTG: Secrets of Strixhaven preorder, which also just became available on Amazon. It’s set to come out on April 24 and is selling fast.

Grab This Tiny Portable Power Bank for Cheap

For an ultra-compact and packable power bank, look no further than the Baseus Picogo 10000mAh 45W 3-Output Portable Charger. It measures just 3.47 × 2.35 × 1.06 inches but still packs a 10000mAh battery and up to 45W PD. With two 45W PD USB-C ports and one 22.5W QC USB-A port, you’ll be good to top up multiple devices simultaneously, and it even includes a built-in USB-C cable for added convenience. Right now, you can grab this versatile power bank for $17.99, and Prime Members get free shipping. The same power bank is $25 on Amazon.

$50 Off Apple AirPods Pro 3

Best Buy dropped the AirPods Pro 3 back to its lowest price last week, and Amazon and Walmart have matched it this week. You can grab Apple's latest earbuds for $50 off, bringing the price down to $199. The AirPods Pro 3 makes some solid improvements on its predecessor, offering better noise cancellation, improved sound quality, a longer battery life, and higher waterproofing. A new heart rate sensing feature is even built into the earbuds for added functionality.

My Arcade Atari Gamestation Go Hits Low Price

Bring on the nostalgia with the My Arcade Atari Gamestation Go. Rather than new stuff, this gaming handheld is packed with classics. From PAC-MAN and Asteroids to Centipede and Crystal Castles, there are over 200 retro games on this officially licensed Atari console. With a 7-inch display, integrated paddle, D-pad, trackball, and more, it’s ready to play these games with the controls they were designed for. Plus, you can always plug it into your TV via an HDMI for big-screen fun. If you’ve been considering grabbing the My Arcade Atari Gamestation Go, now’s the time, as it’s down to its lowest price ever on Amazon today.

Enjoy Nearly Half Off The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Illustrated by Alan Lee Box Set

Any Tolkien fan will want this four-book box set illustrated by Alan Lee in their collection. With it, you’ll get hardcover editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy that feature the stunning watercolor work of Lee, the conceptual designer on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Typically priced at $150, you can grab this beautiful box set for nearly half off on Amazon. It makes a wonderful addition to any collection.

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Borderlands 4 Finally Gets Photo Mode in Today's Major Update

Borderlands 4 is getting a major update today, including, among other things, the addition of the long-awaited Photo Mode that was announced prior to the game's launch, but was allegedly held due to the need to prioritize polishing other elements.

The update was announced via the official Borderlands 4 website, and it isn't just a Photo Mode being added. Harlowe's Zero-Point Action skill is getting a rework, and Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode levels will now increase dedicated loot drop levels.

But Photo Mode is the crown jewel here, and it's available now by restarting your game and downloading the update. Once the update is installed, you can find Photo Mode in the Pause menu while you're playing. It'll let you adjust the camera and apply a variety of visual effects including Field of View and Depth of Field adjustments, filters, changing the time of day, and even toggling visibility of elements such as characters or even damage numbers. Entering Photo Mode will also pause the game entirely in single-player mode (sorry multiplayer folks, just doesn't work that way). There's a full guide to how to use the Photo Mode and all its settings right here.

Photo Mode was promised for Borderlands 4 way back in June of 2025, with creative director Graeme Timmins saying on social media that while it was planned, the team was prioritizing polishing other core elements, and Photo Mode thus wouldn't be around at launch.

I had us prioritize polishing some other elements, more core to the moment-to-moment experience. We've always planned for it, and had it tasked up, we just needed to spend a bit more time on things that would directly impact QoL of playing the game.

— Graeme Timmins (@ProdigyXL) June 24, 2025

Below we've pasted the full patch notes, including all the other updates to Harlowe and Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode:

Progression and Rewards

Contract Missions:

  • Patrol: Order troops: Now progresses when killing enemies
  • Trace: Scrap Core: The scrap core object is able to be interacted with consistently and the contract from Dominion can now be completed
  • Convinced the Intrusive Thoughts Vile Ripper, Deep State Phalanx, and Breaux Chambeaux Phalanx bounties to show up when a player has taken their contracts

Vault Card Challenges:

  • “Loot or Purchase 10/15 legendaries” Vault Card weekly challenge will no longer reset with a save/load
  • “Loot or Purchase Ordnance” will now increase when conditions are met
  • “Kill enemies with Torgue guns and gear” will now progress when using Torgue legendary grenade Firepot
  • “Kill X enemies with Maliwan guns and gears” and the Maliwan Challenge “Last Wan Standing” will now progress as intended

Challenges:

  • Legendary Forsaken Chaos and Legendary Midnight Defiance have been removed from the Collect All Phosphene Challenge
  • Updated Maliwan status effects to better identify what triggered the status effects, leading to better tracking on challenges

Progression and rewards

  • Addressed a reported issue that was causing travel to Dominion to be locked by a player leaving a transition area in multiplayer
  • “Potty Mouth” Mission: Objectives are no longer blocked when exiting to the main menu
  • Addressed an issue causing unlocked DLC content to be unavailable while offline
  • True Mode is now able to be consistently enabled for newly created level 30 UVHM characters
  • Added a tutorial for True Mode when the campaign is completed
  • Players creating a new character in multiplayer will now receive all intended rewards
  • Addressed a reported issue causing all equipment to be lost when quitting to the main menu during a countdown in multiplayer when switching to solo play
  • Addressed issues with the “Gourd Your Loins” cosmetic reward not being awarded with SHiFT code
    • If you were impacted by this issue the first time around, or you missed these gourd-geous heads during the Horrors of Kairos event, this SHiFT code will redeem your missing cosmetic! This code will not reward anything to those that successfully received their cosmetic rewards the first time.
    • Redeem the SHiFT code below (check out our SHiFT User Guide if you don't already know how) to get the "Gourd Your Loins" Vault Hunter Head and the "Hex Appeal" Weapon Skin!*
    • THFB3-R9XKK-CFBJW-T33BB-9R3CC
    • *Requires a copy of Borderlands 4, SHiFT Account, and Internet connection. Must redeem by December 31, 2030. One redemption per SHiFT Account. Terms apply.

Vault Hunters

  • Addressed reported issues where critical hit damage sometimes wasn't being applied to critical hits

Specializations

  • Daredevil: Action Skill Cooldown rate has been adjusted to .5% and a multiplicative Action Skill Damage bonus has been added
  • Runner: Melee Damage bonus is now a multiplicative instead of additive

Harlowe the Gravitar Skill Rework

Dev Note: We’re making several changes to Zero-Point as another step towards making this skill tree feel more satisfying and better balanced relative to Harlowe’s other trees. Because we're changing the fundamental behavior of Zero-Point to include the old Inertia Augment behavior in the base skill, we want to see how these changes balance out before doing more work in the rest of the tree.

We have our eye on a few other passives that may be candidates for some buffs, but between the recent passive buffs that were implemented several weeks ago, combined with today’s changes, we’ll revisit those in the future once we’ve gathered adequate feedback on the current changes.

Long term, we want to ensure that each Vault Hunter has plenty of build diversity, with each Action Skill having its own pros and cons. If and when we see one falling behind, we’ll continue to explore changes like today’s.

  • Zero-Point (Base Skill): Now includes the benefits of the previous "Inertia" Augment. Killing an enemy in Stasis now resets the duration, searches for a new target, and makes the duration decrease faster
  • Inertia Augment (Changed): Updated to increase Harlowe’s Slam Damage. Whenever she slams an enemy, create Mini Unstable Energy Pocket projectiles that randomly deal Cryo or Radiation damage. Additionally, she also gains increased Status Effect Damage and Status Effect Chance. This effect stacks.

Amon the Forgeknight

  • Amon now consistently deals bonus Cryo Damage when equipping Cryonic Thrum Augment in multiplayer
  • Prevented unintended increases in the number of segments in the Vault Hunter bar when Amon activates his Action Skill
  • Dragon’s Breath now applies properly to Ripper Heavy Weapons with beams
  • Firewall Forgeskill will now block Moon-Maddened Callis projectile attacks

Vex the Siren

  • Addressed the cooldown for Prismatic Ichors sometimes resetting when applying a status effect
  • Phase Pocket Passive no longer resets the Taser underbarrel magazine when using a Vladof Enhancement
  • Healing numbers now present correctly when Specters are using Ripper Legendary Sniper Rifle Tankbuster
  • Addressed Incarnate Action Skill behavior so that it continues to work while using the Vibe Check Capstone with the Legendary Class Mod Technomancer

General Gameplay:

Bloomreaper Boss Fight:

  • Falling into the fog will now consistently kill players instead of having them fall out of the map
  • The purple rift will now only appear after the boss is defeated
  • Addressed an instance of Bloomreaper keeping the Invincible health bar in the second phase
  • Addressed an exploit that would allow UVHM time trial rewards to be obtained while not in UVHM
  • Addressed an issue that would cause the chest for Platinum rewards to be empty after fulfilling the requirements
  • Disc-shooting heavy weapons will now damage Bloomreaper’s crystals
  • Vile Creeps should no longer get stuck in the air

World Events and Bosses:

  • Increased the spawn rate of world bosses in the Punitive Manufactorium area
  • Rewards will now reliably spawn when completing the Airship or The Goredello world events
  • Minister Screw is no longer able to be frozen
  • Toy Pinheads are now affected by singularity grenades
  • Idolator Sol now takes damage from Elemental Hazards created by skills while Bio Armor is broken
  • Vile Lictor’s limbs will now continue to respawn after freezing them
  • Gennifer will now remain inside the refugee even if the player is dying near the area
  • Lowered the amount of Badass enemies spawning in one spot by Electi Safe Collectable
  • Ensured that boss fights consistently reset when all players have died
  • Restored the ability to interact with Fortresses if travel was canceled by leaving a transition area in multiplayer

Loot and Stations:

  • UVH levels now increase dedicated loot drop levels. The higher the level, the higher the chance of dedicated loot dropping!
  • Changed the Respawn Station outside of Umbral Foundry to a Fast Travel station to allow for easier travel to the entrance
  • Prevented loot items from dropping into unintended areas after defeating The Oppressor or killing all enemies in Ripper Drill Site Saw’s Clench
  • Red Chest in Coastal Bonescape will only unlock when all enemies are killed

Mission, Enemy and ECHO Location Updates:

  • Guns Blazing: Arjay will now consistently engage in combat against enemies
  • The Power Ballad of Rodd Vomit: Addressed enemy pathing to reach the player
  • Missions will no longer progress unexpectedly in multiplayer when switching from splitscreen to solo play
  • Radioactive Rail Liner will now attack if players are close to it
  • ECHO Location guidance improvements
  • Rift Champion icon removed from the Compass, with cleaned-up functionality for those icons in the Map

Guns & Gear

Enhancement:

  • Adjusted the Underdog enhancement to only apply to Vladof underbarrel weapons as intended. This will remove an unintended damage bonus that was happening when some guns switched their ammo or element types. We also updated Wombo Combo rockets so they now correctly count as underbarrel damage and receive this boost

Tediore:

  • Tediore Legendary Assault Rifle Chuck now throws properly when the player has over 120% gun reload speed
  • Addressed a behavior that prevented homing on the third gun spawned by Tediore reloads when specific conditions were met
  • Removed extra gun from Tediore shotguns with Ripper magazines

Maliwan:

  • Maliwan Legendary SMG Ohm I Got will no longer consume Energy Shield when Overshield is active
  • Only active element Status Effects will spread when killing an enemy with a Maliwan-licensed part with Maliwan Enhancement and Transfuser Core
  • Singularities now spawn correctly on Maliwan Sniper Rifles with Singularity Grenade Launcher underbarrels

Jakobs:

  • Addressed Jakobs ricochet damage to apply the intended amount of damage on Jakobs weapons

Torgue:

  • Torgue Legendary Pistol Hardpoint will fire as intended with Tediore licensed-part “Shooting”
  • Torgue Legendary Shield Compleation now properly triggers Segment Break armor shield augments

Order:

  • Order Legendary Sniper Rifle Rooker needle projectiles will consistently home in on enemies at a distance with the Callous augment. It will also no longer spawn unintended underbarrel projectiles with Jakobs licensed parts and a Jakob enhancement with Leaper and Bounce Pass

Ripper:

  • Ripper Legendary Shield Watts 4 Dinner will now consistently give the overshield in multiplayer from Overshield drops

CoV:

  • Weapons with CoV magazines now continue to fire when using Bullets to Spare firmware level 3 with the Ventilator enhancement

Daedalus:

  • Daedalus SMGs with the Overcharge attachment and a Ripper Magazine will now inherit the Ripper magazine charge-up time

Atlas:

  • Atlas Sure Shot perk is no longer triggered by Rafa Peacebreaker Cannons Action Skill while equipping a weapon with Atlas licensed parts and the Sure Shot enhancement
  • Updated Tracker Antenna and Trauma Bond to no longer incorrectly apply to gear without Atlas-licensed parts

Ordnance

  • Heavy Weapons now cause damage to BoomBoom Drones during the Callis boss fight

Firmware:

  • Skillcraft will now receive the proper amount of stacks when dealing skill damage to enemies
  • Deadeye 2-piece now functions as intended with intended projectiles
  • High Caliber 3-piece now functions as intended with Atlas Tracker Grenade
  • Get Throwin’ now properly increases Heavy Weapon Ordnance damage

Visual, Audio, and Animation updates to Guns and Gear:

  • Restored prefixes to Tediore Legendary Grenade UAV
  • Order Legendary Pistol Bully with Hyperion Shield enhancement now display with all parts on the item card
  • Repkit will no longer disappear when trying to heal after climbing
  • Corrected animations for Daedalus SMGs with Atlas Underbarrel attachments when switching
  • Corrected audio on the Daedalus Legendary Shotgun Missilaser
  • Maliwan Legendary Shotgun Mantra now shows the Amara Phase Fist when fired
  • Adjusted effects on Maliwan Legendary SMG Ohm I Got and Daedalus Legendary Shotgun Missilaser to be consistent throughout gameplay
  • Adjusted animation on Tediore Shotguns to prevent shell cases from appearing when using secondary fire
  • Tediore weapons no longer explode when thrown if they overlap with water
  • Tediore Assault Rifles and Pistols have consistent laser sights on gear
  • Effects for Vladof Legendary Assault Rifle Whiskey Foxtrot will now expire as intended
  • Adjusted reload animation for Ripper Shotguns with CoV magazines
  • Adjusted Ripper effects when shooting Ripper guns with Maliwan-licensed underbarrel parts
  • Ripper Grenade Transmitter effects have been restored when they are despawning
  • Adjusted missing effects of needles when using the Order Legendary Sniper Rifle Rooker

Audio & Visuals

  • Vault Hunter voices now return to normal after unequipping the Kittycopter head customization
  • Marcus now talks at the proper time
  • The second round of the Goredello will now announce the enemy type
  • Updated various sound effects to play while fighting Bloomreaper
  • Updates to various incorrect or missing VO lines
  • Damage numbers have been removed when continuing to shoot Arjay when the fight has ended
  • Corrected ECHO-4 appearance when using the ECHO-IVIV frame and Nurple paintjob customization
  • Ensured Vex the Siren's tattoos glow as intended with all skins
  • Melee animations for Rafa the Exo-Soldier will now play correctly in multiplayer
  • Characters can now climb after double jumping at the Abandoned Post Safehouse in the Coastal Bonescape
  • Resolved climbing animations not syncing in multiplayer
  • Using the grapple point by the propaganda speaker in The Howl will now take the player to the roof of the house
  • Adjusted Idolator Sol animations when buying Boss replay in multiplayer
  • Reduced the brightness of Seeker Witness’ laser effects
  • Ripsaw’s rotating blade effect will now disappear after death
  • Minister Screw's triangle effects now disappear after death
  • Ensured Bruce’s head consistently disappeared in multiplayer during Angry Mob mission
  • Addressed reported instances of NPCs performing their animations early or in the wrong locations
  • Adjusted effects on power cores during the “Powerdrop” Mission
  • Carried items will no longer become attached to a weapon after firing and reloading quickly
  • Adjusted fading distance in the intro
  • Addressed hitching with Vault Hunter saves in the main menu
  • Reduced the number of unused materials throughout the game
  • Prevented Shield Boosters from blocking the screen
  • Trees inside buildings no longer blow in the wind
  • Missing animations when destroying the grate near the Vault Fragment in Tonnage Peel have been restored
  • Unintended transition effects will no longer appear on players outside of Vile Lictor boss arena
  • Fire no longer starts popping when getting closer to Dominion
  • Prevented flickering after opening an Electi Safe
  • Haybales in The Howl no longer show glass VFX when hit
  • House now displays properly during Breeding Daisies
  • The lights on the Candlelight Catastrophe skin now flash consistently
  • Ensured the launch pad in Cuspid Climb is consistent with other launch pad areas
  • The Black Market Vending Machine will no longer have an obstructed view if spawned in Tonnage Peel
  • Lowered several floating items
  • Addressed multiple cases of lootables not being able to be opened
  • Updated various cinematics for consistency
  • Addressed clipping, missing collision, out-of-bounds access, stuck spots, and visual errors in various areas of the game

UI, Text, Localization

  • Sorting in the Customization Menu now defaults to show Unlocked Customizations first
  • Corrected an issue causing the Backpack to appear empty after filtering
  • Repkits now appear as intended in Inventory
  • Addressed a reported issue causing Vault Cards to not update or progress in multiplayer
  • Addressed a reported issue causing Vault Card progress to reset or disappear after a disconnect
  • Vault Cards will no longer carry over progress if the same challenge reappears after the daily reset
  • Updates to Vault Card UI
  • Various optimization updates to UI
  • Addressed various reported issues with scroll bar, sorting, and menu UI
  • Updated localization, various text descriptions, subtitle timings, icon visibility, and alignment across the game
  • Material thumbnails in the Customization menu now appear correctly
  • Updated Credits

Splitscreen

  • “Flip Card” functionality has been restored after level transitions
  • Corrected various scrolling issues in the Vault Cards Menu during splitscreen
  • Corrected a case of a persistent “Logging in” message when a secondary player joins splitscreen
  • The Golden Chest will no longer get stuck with the “Transaction in Progress” message when the secondary player leaves after opening
  • Both splitscreen players will now see all mission items during “Breeding Daisies” mission
  • Resolved an issue with Recent Friends not functioning as intended when a player is added to splitscreen during gameplay
  • Adjusted Vault Card UI to prevent overlapping or not displaying the entire Item Card
  • Vehicle FOV will now change for both players
  • Adjusted nameplate text sizes to scale correctly in splitscreen
  • Updated various UI elements for correct placement and to prevent overlapping

Player Experience

  • [Console Only] Several instances of incorrect gear meshes have been corrected on consoles
  • [PC Only] Adjusted default mouse sensitivity and added a setting option to disable mouse smoothing
  • Blended facial animations for better optimization
  • Visual optimizations for Jakobs Legendary Shotgun Rainbow Vomit
  • Optimizations to Mission Menu
  • Various improvements to stability and optimization

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

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God of War Show Picks Severance's Ólafur Darri Ólafsson to Play Thor

Severance star Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will play Thor in the live-action God of War show for Prime Video.

Amazon and Sony announced the cast update today, revealing who will play the Norse God of Thunder in its upcoming series adaptation of the beloved PlayStation franchise. It’s one of the biggest updates to the show yet, with Ólafsson now set to wield Mjolnir against Ryan Hurst and his portrayal of Kratos.

Ólafsson has been rumored to play Thor for quite some time, and it’s easy to see why. The actor has remained a recognizable face in shows such as Lady Dynamite and Trapped, as well as movies like The Meg and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, for years. It wasn’t until his appearance as the towering (and terrifying) Mr. Drummond in Severance Season 2, however, that fans started picturing him as a solid choice to play Thor in God of War.

Thor, who made his God of War debut as a last-minute tease in the 2018 installment before becoming a primary antagonist in 2022’s God of War Ragnarok, towers over even Kratos and is one of the most powerful beings the Ghost of Sparta has fought yet. Amazon’s official description for its version of the character calls him a “Mountain of a Man” whose “actions in a war fought long ago now haunt his waking hours.”

“Once the loyal soldier of Asgard and his father’s right hand man, Thor is now but a shadow of his former self as he drowns himself in alcohol and tries not to think of the price he paid,” the description continues. “Keeping his wife and children at arm’s length has only deepened his isolation, but the power (and danger) of the God of Thunder is still there just beneath the surface.”

In addition to Ólafsson as Thor and Hurst, who previously played Thor in Ragnarok, past casting confirmations revealed that the live-action God of War adaptation will feature Teresa Palmer as Thor’s wife, Sif, as well as Max Parker as the God of Foresight, Heimdall. Casting for characters like Mimir, Freya, and Atreus has yet to be announced.

For more, you can read up on why we think the Amazon version of this story needs to take a new approach to violence. You can also check out what game composer Bear McCreary thinks about the God of War show.

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

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).

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The SteelSeries CS2 Dragon Lore Edition Wireless Gaming Mouse Drops by 62%, Now Under $60

Check out this big price drop on a lightweight gaming mouse with no lack of flair. Starting today, Amazon has dropped the price of the SteelSeries Counter-Strike 2 Dragon Lore Limited Edition wireless gaming mouse to just $56.76 after a massive 62% off discount. Historically speaking, the price of this mouse was fixed at $150 since it first released last July... until today. The Dragon Lore Edition gets points for its gorgeous design, but it also happens to be an excellent performer for any gamer looking for a lightweight mouse with top-of-the-line accuracy and precision.

SteelSeries CS2 Dragon Lore Edition Mouse for $56.76

  • Best Buy is offering 50% off the matching mousepad.

The SteelSeries CS2 Dragon Lore Edition is based off the venerable Aerox 3 wireless mouse but with a snazzy facelift. Instead of the "holey" honeycomb pattern, the CS2 Edition is kitted with a solid shell adorned with an intricate red and gold dragon illustration that replicates the legendary rare AWP skin in Counter-Strike. Art aside, I actually prefer the solid mouse cover; mice with a bunch of holes in its shells don't feel as sturdy, naturally, and accumulate dust faster.

Despite losing the honeycomb shell, the CS2 Edition mouse is still very lightweight at 71 grams while still providing all the features you'd want in a premium gaming mouse. It can connect wirelessly two ways: over 2.4GHz WiFi with the dongle (the preferred choice for PC gaming) and Bluetooth. The PixArt co-developed 18K dpi "TrueMove Air" optical sensor offers true 1:1 tracking. The battery lasts up to 200 hours per charge. The mouse buttons are mechanical with a nice clicky sound and are rated for 80 million clicks. At under $60, this is a steal.

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.

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Magic: The Gathering's Lorwyn Eclipsed Booster Box Is Already Discounted

Magic: The Gathering has a frankly ridiculous schedule for 2026, but while the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Hobbit, Marvel heroes, and Star Trek are on their way, we’re starting the year with Lorwyn Eclipsed.

An in-universe set that’s seeing positive buzz already, thanks to being a return to a fan-favorite plane and the fact that there’s no City Pigeon or Hot Dog Cart in sight, it launched on January 23 but is getting a discount already.

Amazon is offering a Play Booster Box of 30 packs for $129.98, a 21% drop from the list price of $164.70.

Save On Magic’s Latest Set Right Now

Some quick math will show you that with this discount, you’re paying $4.63 per card. That’s a drop of almost a dollar per pack, going by the per-pack pricing of $5.49.

That’s a lot of cards, and it might even be worthwhile splitting a Play Booster Box with a friend at this price.

Amazon’s been on a bit of a tear recently with Magic deals. In the last few days we’ve seen discounts on the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Play Booster Box, as well as the same product for Edge of Eternities - one of Magic’s most underrated 2025 sets.

Picking up a Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box is a great way to fill out your collection, or upgrade your Commander Decks. Speaking of which, we’ve taken a look at the new decks in our guide.

For more on Lorwyn Eclipsed, be sure to check out our list of the best chase cards in the set right now, as well as a look at all eight creature types in the new set.

Lloyd Coombes is an experienced freelancer in tech, gaming and fitness seen at Polygon, Eurogamer, Macworld, TechRadar and many more. He's a big fan of Magic: The Gathering and other collectible card games, much to his wife's dismay.

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Dell Outlet Has an Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for Just $1,650, Will Sell Out Quickly

Dell Outlet just restocked its inventory of refurbished Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Ti gaming PCs. Currently you can get one for just $1,650 with free delivery. Dell Outlet systems have the same 1 year warranty as buying brand new. They're often only available in very small quantities, so it won't be surprising if this configuration sells out quickly. With the recent RTX 5070 Ti shortage scare, prices on both GPUs and prebuilt gaming PCs have skyrocketed. This is a rare opportunity to get a complete system with warranty at a very reasonable price.

Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5070 Ti Gaming PC for $1,650

Like New: Refurbished model with 1 year Dell warranty

This Alienware Aurora R16 configuration includes an Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Alternatively, you can get an upgraded configuration with a 2TB SSD for just $75 more. Both systems are equipped with a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling system.

The RTX 5070 Ti GPU Is Our Best Reviewed Nvidia Blackwell GPU

The best "value" GPU for 4K gaming

Of all the Blackwell cards released thus far, the RTX 5070 Ti offers the best value for high-fps 4K gaming. It performs neck-and-neck with the RTX 4080 Super but with the added bonus of newer GDDR7 VRAM and multi-frame generation. If you plan on using this card for AI, the RTX 5070 Ti is a better value than the RTX 5080 since both have same amount of RAM (16GB). Compared to AMD, the RTX 5070 Ti is roughly comparable in raw performance to the AMD RX 9070 XT, but the 5070 Ti has better upscaling technology (especially with DLSS 4.5) and ray tracing performance. Check out our RTX 5070 Ti review by Jacqueline Thomas for our hands-on impressions.

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.

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Rainbow Six Siege Tease Sees Splinter Cell Meet Metal Gear Solid as Solid Snake Is Revealed as New Operator

Rainbow Six Siege is getting a Metal Gear Solid crossover, as Ubisoft is teasing that Solid Snake will appear as a new Operator in Year 11.

A 15-second clip for the tactical action game’s next roadmap lays it on thick, showing not just a faceless body wearing a familiar sneaking suit but a Metal Gear Solid 1-style Codec Call from none other than Splinter Cell star Sam Fisher. It’s the kind of crossover fans have dreamed about for decades, brought to life as Ubisoft teases a full reveal for the Year 11 roadmap that’s scheduled to take place next month, February 15, at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET on the Rainbow Six Siege Twitch page.

It’s unclear if today’s tease is just for the Solid Snake Operator or if fans should instead expect a selection of skins from Konami as well, but judging by the fanfare surrounding the reveal, it looks like Ubisoft went all out for this latest collaboration. Either way, the Solid Snake teaser marks what is likely the most exciting Operator in the last 10 years.

There were some early signs that Rainbow Six Siege could soon meet the world of Metal Gear Solid. Reputable dataminer @Shiiny77 suggested a collaboration was in the cards for Year 11 Season 1 just last week, teasing that “it is not just a skin collaboration” like fans have seen in the past. Insider Gaming later said it was able to independently verify the leak as well.

“There is so much out of this collab and the season itself, its so packed,” @Shiiny77 added at the time.

Metal Gear Solid may be one of the wildest crossovers for Rainbow Six Siege so far, but it’s far from the first. Other recent collaborations have brought the Attack on Titan and The Boys universes into the fold with various cosmetics for existing Operators. Splinter Cell didn’t launch with the game when it first launched back in 2015, but Sam Fisher did go on to get his own Operator in the form of Specialist Zero in 2020.

We’ll learn more about what this official meeting between Solid Snake has in store February 15. In the meantime, Rainbow Six Siege recently received a massive 10-year update to become Rainbow Six Siege X. You can check out why we think it’s now an 8/10 in our review.

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

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Prop Hunt Is Coming to World of Warcraft Later This Year

Yeah, you heard me. World of Warcraft is finally getting a Prop Hunt mode, or something like it, sometime later this year.

This is according to today's World of Warcraft: State of Azeroth presentation, which included a breakdown of what we can expect across both World of Warcraft: Midnight and Classic in the next several months. While the presentation contained a lot of exciting details, one thing that really stuck out was a brief moment during the post-Midnight content update roadmap section, where WoW lead Ion Hazzikostas described the new "Decor Duel" mode coming in patch 12.05, which he openly said was basically just Prop Hunt.

In Decor Duel, teams of five compete against one another in locations such as the faction Neighborhoods, or Silvermoon City. One team disguises itself as props, aka random objects, while the other team tries to track them down within a time limit. It's classic Prop Hunt.

For those who are unfamiliar, prop hunt began as a popular game mode in Garry's Mod that worked basically like WoW's version. Prop hunt has since made its way into a number of other popular games such as Call of Duty, Fornite, and Genshin Impact. It feels like an obvious pull for World of Warcraft, especially given the new freedom players have been given in Midnight to acquire and mess around with all sorts of object assets from throughout World of Warcraft via the Housing feature. It's even called "Decor" Duel, seemingly referencing that it's using Housing Decor!

Unfortunately, it does sound like this mode may end up being a temporary event similar to Plunderstorm rather than a permanent addition to the game.

Prop Hunt is far from the only thing announced today. Blizzard unveiled its World of Warcraft roadmap for the coming months, including Midnight pre-launch events, plans for housing updates including pet and mount integration, improved advanced tools, import/export builds, and more. And there was a patch roadmap too, with a standalone single-boss raid coming in 12.07, a new zone, new raid, and friends system overhaul in 12.1, and a new feature called Labyrinths alongside a new experimental event in 12.1.5.

Previously, we've spoken with Hazzikostas about the games changes to mods, or add-ons. We've also played around with the new Housing feature, and even previewed the new expansion. World of Warcraft: Midnight launches on March 2.

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

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Fans Decry Heavy Image-Sharing Restrictions for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream That Nintendo Says Are Necessary to Ensure 'Fun and Safe' Gameplay

Nintendo fans have criticized the company's decision to heavily restrict image-sharing from within Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.

Following the conclusion of today's Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream Nintendo Direct, the company posted an unusual statement to its support website announcing that "limits" would be placed on the ability to share screenshots from the upcoming social sim to ensure "the worlds players create... remain fun and safe, and that the game can be enjoyed comfortably by all players."

While Nintendo's English-language statement does not go into further detail, the company's Japanese support site has stated that this entails a block on the ability to directly share screenshots to social media or to a smartphone, though sharing gameplay via Game Chat will be allowed.

The immediate response to this decision from Nintendo fans has been negative, with many contrasting the game's ability to create quirky, unexpected and potentially very sharable social gameplay situations with Nintendo's refusal to let players actually share said gameplay socially.

"Wow they killed the game," Nintendo fan Raccoon wrote on video game forum ResetEra. "Social media was going to shoot this into the stratosphere, instead they killed it. Very disappointing." Added PlanetSmasher: "Wasn't this, like, the reason people were into Tomodachi Life last time? Like being able to share goofy images with friends? That was what made the game go viral in the first place."

Some fans have gone further, saying that were disappointed to see these restrictions applied to a game that finally allows players to customize their characters with a more diverse range of genders, voice options and dating preferences. "Sure, you can be gay and non-binary! BUT YOU BETTER NOT SHOW ANYONE!!" wrote another fan, doops.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream allows you to play as a Mii version of anyone, alongside Mii versions of anyone else — potentially people you know in real-life, celebrities, or long-dead dictators. The potential for players (and the game's systems) to create bizarre and unexpected scenarios here is huge, and it's perhaps not surprising to see Nintendo acting cautiously.

"I get why they don't want you having, like, Hitler Mii and Trump Mii hooking up and then posting that all over the internet and people getting mad at Nintendo for it because that's exactly the type of thing Nintendo hates," wrote jph139. "But that's also 99% of the appeal so not sure what they were expecting?"

"I can understand why they're being cautious," agreed PucePikmin. "The idea of making Miis of your friends and celebrities and having them do wacky things is fun, and the way it's executed in these games is innocent, but the concept of 'make avatars of other people and make them do things' is a more fraught idea in 2026 for any number of reasons."

For those intent on sharing clips of gameplay, this likely does not remove all avenues of doing so. There's no suggestion here that Nintendo has removed the ability to share screenshots saved to an SD card via PC, or the ability to use capture equipment to record gameplay. And, of course, you can just film your screen with your smartphone. Instead, Nintendo's statement suggests it is intending more to place a hurdle in place, curbing what it seems to believe is the potential for problems to occur.

"Nintendo aims to create experiences where players have the freedom to enjoy their Mii characters in their own way," the company stated today. "In Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, this freedom can sometimes lead to humorous, surprising, or unpredictable moments during gameplay. While these moments are often fun for players, we recognize that out-of-context scenes may be misunderstood or may not reflect the spirit in which the game is intended to be enjoyed.

"Nintendo is committed to creating experiences that are welcoming and enjoyable for everyone. To support this commitment, and in consideration of the unique gameplay in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, we have decided to place restrictions on certain image sharing features. These limits help to make the worlds players create in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream remain fun and safe, and that the game can be enjoyed comfortably by all players.

"We understand that some players may find these restrictions limiting. However, they reflect Nintendo’s ongoing philosophy of creating experiences that bring smiles to everyone who plays."

Earlier this week, it was confirmed that hit superhero workplace comedy Dispatch would be censored upon release for Nintendo Switch platforms, with the game's nudity covered up by large black boxes.

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

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How to Navigate the Brandon Sanderson Cosmere Series Timeline

If you consider yourself a fan of high fantasy, I would be willing to bet that there is a good chance you have at least heard the name "Brandon Sanderson" even if you have never read one of his books. Widely considered one of the most prolific fantasy authors of the modern age, Sanderson is a titan of the industry, having redefined publishing for authors, fought for better contracts for author e-book sales, brought about the conclusion of the legendary Wheel of Time series after the passing of its original author, Robert Jordan, and has basically created his own media empire with Dragonsteel (complete with his own convention). To say that he is a big deal would be underselling it a bit.

All that aside, perhaps what Brandon is best known for is the Cosmere—his universe-spanning interconnected monolith that a majority of his various books and series take place somewhere in. Picture the Marvel Cinematic Universe but as books, and all by the same writer. When a new Cosmere book is released, it's a big deal. This list will give you a basic idea of the (current) chronological order of the books in the scheme of the Cosmere itself, omitting books that we know are coming (Dragonsteel, the future Elantris Books, Mistborn eras 3 and 4, etc) but have not yet been released. With the latest news of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere universe getting picked up by Apple TV, there's never been a better time to dive into the series.

If you look at the long list of titles that currently take place in the Cosmere, it can feel like a Herculean task to get through some of the books on their own, so consider this more as a resource to help you navigate it a bit, and make connections along the way as you read through the various series. However, just be aware that these can also be enjoyed on their own as smaller self-contained series, without needing to read them in chronological order. Special thank you to the CopperMind (a Cosmere resource kept up to date by the most diehard of fans) for helping me put this list together. Just be careful when you go on there as it is really easy to accidentally spoil things for yourself (speaking from experience, even though they try to mark everything).

It should be noted that as of this writing, there is no official timeline, with Brandon having previously stated that he hopes to have one released before the second Arc of Stormlight Archive releases—tentatively planned for 2031 (no, I'm not joking). The current list was put together thanks to research and input from the Coppermind wiki, Reddit, and YouTube videos

How Many Books Exist in the Cosmere Timeline?

As it stands right now, if you want to read everything the Cosmere has to offer, you will have to work your way through a pile of graphic novels, short stories, novelas, and your standard novels. All told, you are looking at about 24 books to buy (the number gets a little wonky depending on how you count the books that count the collections of stories and such), but here is a list of all the Cosmere titles you will need to read:

  • Elantris
  • Mistborn Era 1
    • Mistborn: The Final Empire
    • The Well of Ascension
    • The Hero of Ages
  • Mistborn Era 2:
    • The Alloy of Law
    • Shadows of Self
    • The Bands of Mourning
    • The Lost Metal
  • Warbreaker
  • Stormlight Archive 1st Arc
    • The Way of Kings
    • Words of Radiance
    • Oathbringer
    • Rhythm of War
    • Wind and Truth
  • Dawnshard (Novella)
  • White Sand (Graphic Novels)
    • White Sand Vol. 1
    • White Sand Vol. 2
    • White Sand Vol. 3
  • Tress of the Emerald Sea
  • Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
  • The Sunlit Man
  • Arcanum Unbounded (Collection of Short Stories and Novellas)
    • The Emperor’s Soul
    • The Hope of Elantris (free on Brandon Sanderson’s website)
    • The Eleventh Metal
    • Allomancer Jak and the Pits of Eltania
    • Mistborn: Secret History
    • White Sand
    • Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell
    • Sixth of the Dusk
    • Edgedancer

The “Chronological” Cosmere Reading Order

While the following breakdown will take you through the Cosmere as we believe it to exist right now, it isn’t necessarily the “best” way to tackle these books. There are a number of options that people recommend, reading in Publication Order is a common one, knowing how imposing this all is, Brandon released his own “Where do I start?” list that you can check out too. I started with Mistborn Era 1 (Mistborn: The Final Empire) and then into Stormlight Archive Book 1, and had a good time.

White Sand - World: Taldain

Books:

  • White Sand Vol. 1
  • White Sand Vol. 2
  • White Sand Vol. 3

Believed to be set first chronologically, the White Sand graphic novels take place on Taldain, a desert world where individuals can be trained to become Sand Masters. Following a man named Kenton who is training to be one, the three volumes focus on him trying to get to the bottom of who was behind a surprise attack that killed many of the other Sand Masters. White Sand ran from 2016 to 2019 and is based on a manuscript that was one of Brandon’s earliest works, with an excerpt of this early writing included in the Arcanum Unbounded collection. You can expect that occasional easter egg or nod to White Sand in future books, but not as much as other entries (yet) in the Cosmere.

Elantris - World: Sel

Books:

  • Elantris
  • The Hope of Elantris
  • The Emperors Soul

Taking place on the world of Sel, Elantris was Sanderson's first published work, released back in 2005. Due to various factors in later books, it is assumed that Elantris takes place very early in the timeline of the Cosmere books. The story follows a few different viewpoints, including the crown prince Raoden, of a kingdom known as Arelon, his soon-to-be bride Princess Sarene, and the high priest Hrathen. The namesake of the book, 'Elantris' is the name of a city that, years before the book, a cataclysm known as the Reod robbed the Elantrians of their almost god-like powers and magic, and left them as to what could only be described as sentient zombie-like people.

Elantris plays around with the idea of what happens when a world's magic system simply breaks, and no one knows how to fix it. It is a fun read with its fair share of surprises and twists. While we know that Sanderson is planning two sequels for Elantris, as of 2025, this remains a stand-alone novel, but not the only one set in the world of Sel.

The Hope of Elantris (Arcanum Unbounded)

The Hope of Elantris takes place during the events found at the end of Elantris with an aim to fill in some gaps and moments in the story, providing further context. As such, this absolutely should not be read before finishing Elantris; instead, enjoyed as a little extra dessert afterwards. To further sweeten the deal, in addition to being included in the Arcanum Unbounded collection, you can actually read this completely for free off of Sanderson’s website!

The Emperor's Soul (Arcanum Unbounded)

Taking place on Sel, after the events of Elantris and The Hope of Elantris, but in a different nation, The Emperor’s Soul follows a thief named Shai, who has been tasked with recreating the soul of an Emperor. This book introduces new magic that had previously not been seen in the other Sel set books, and offers a more asian-inspired setting and theme. It’s a fun read, and getting a grasp on this new magical forgery trick will come in handy as you read future books. This is one of the novellas included in the Arcanum Unbounded collection.

Mistborn Era 1 (Vin and Kelsier) - World: Scadrial

Books:

  • The Eleventh Metal (Arcanum Unbounded)
  • Mistborn: The Final Empire
  • Mistborn: Secret History (Arcanum Unbounded - READ AFTER HERO OF AGES)
  • The Well of Ascension
  • Hero of Ages

The Mistborn titles, especially the first Era, are some of the most well-known and beloved of the Cosmere-connected books, and a wonderful first stop if you want to expose yourself to Sanderson's writing and style. Taking place in the world of Scadrial, era 1 focuses on the adventures and exploits of a young thief named Vin, and Kelsier, a legend in his own time, as they work to overthrow the current empire and create a new world order.

Some people of this world are able to "burn" or use a variety of metals they swallow for different effects, like pushing off of metal, altering the emotions of nearby people, and more. In the scope of the Cosmere, the events that transpire on Scardrial will prove immensely important to future books, and are a must-read for anyone to really get into this universe. There's even a Mistborn board game for fans of the series looking to head to the tabletop.

Mistborn: Secret History (Arcanum Unbounded)

Mistborn: Secret History is a tough one to discuss, as nearly everything about it will be rather spoilery. This novella takes place between the events at the end of The Final Empire and the start of Hero of Ages. Read this after finishing Mistborn Era 1, and don’t look up anything about it until then unless you want big spoilers!

The Eleventh Metal (Arcanum Unbound)

The Eleventh Metal novella serves as a prequel to the original Mistborn: The Final Empire book. It explores Kelsier's early days after receiving his allomantic abilities, as he learns from his teacher, Gemmel. This short story was initially included in the Mistborn Adventure Game, but was later included in the release of Arcanum Unbounded. While chronologically speaking, this is before the main Era 1 books, you will get more out of it, reading it after you have finished at minimum The Final Empire, if not Hero of Ages.

Warbreaker - World: Nalthis

The exact placement of Warbreaker is still a bit up for discussion, whether it takes place before Mistborn era 1 or after, but we do know for certain that it is before the Stormlight Archive. Taking place on the world of Nalthis, Warbreaker focuses on the two princesses, Vivenna and her younger sister Siri. Circumstances throw both of the sisters into situations they weren’t prepared for, Siri needing to take over in a role that was to be handled by her sister, and Vivenna needing to find a new purpose in life while also doing what she can to save her sister. Should they succeed, it may just prevent a war and prevent an invasion of their home..

As it currently stands, much like Elantris, Warbreaker is a standalone book, but Sanderson has promised a follow-up to Warbreaker sometime in the future. Warbreaker and some characters within do have a larger impact on the Cosmere and other worlds, making this a pretty important book to read, but luckily, it isn’t incredibly long, having been published relatively early in his career back in 2009. Warbreaker also has the added benefit of introducing arguably the best sentient sword in all of fantasy with Nightblood.

Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell (Arcanum Unbound) - World: Threnody

At roughly 18,000 words, Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell is a short novella that you can bust out in a sitting or two. Taking place in the world of Threnody, currently believed to be only a minor planet in the Cosmere’s story as a whole (so far), Shadows follows Silence Montane, the proprietress of a waystop in the Forests of Hell. She accepts a bounty to track down a notorious highwayman, and things quickly get rocky for Silence, which will have repercussions for her family. Inside the Arcanum Unbounded collection, Sanderson also includes a small essay that elaborates a bit more on the Threnodite system in the Cosmere. This story is a nice little palate cleanser to read between larger works.

The Stormlight Archive Arc 1 - World: Roshar

Books:

  • The Way of Kings
  • Words of Radiance
  • Edgedancer (Book 2.5 - Arcanum Unbounded & Standalone)
  • Oathbringer
  • Dawnshard (Book 3.5)
  • Rhythm of War
  • Wind and Truth

The Stormlight Archive is Brandon Sanderson's behemoth of a series, with books often spanning more than 1100 pages.. Taking place on the planet of Roshar, Stormlight Archive immediately immerses readers into the middle of a long-standing conflict between the Alethi (a kingdom of Humans) and the Parshendi, a humanoid people adorned with a carapace that grows from them. The conflict began years earlier after the assassination of the Alethi king.

This series defines the genre of "epic fantasy" more so than any other of Sanderon's work, with readers being treated to an intricate magic system, a staggering amount of lore and world building, and wonderful cast of characters that you will follow as you try to piece together what has lead to the events in these books, and what is to come. From magic knights to gods, heroes forced to rise to the occasion and a world where emotions are given shape in the form of creatures known as 'Spren', this first arc of the Stormlight Archive finds itself smack dab in the middle of the Cosmere, both chronologically speaking and as a central pillar of the universe itself.

The final book of this first part of the Archive, Wind and Truth, was released in December 2024. The next book is not expected until sometime in the early 2030s, so luckily, there is still plenty of time to dive in and get caught up. This is a must-read to get into the Cosmere, but not one that I would recommend as a jumping-in point. This entire arc takes place over the course of about two years.

Edgedancer

Taking place between Books 2 (Words of Radiance) and 3 (Oathbringer) of the first act of the Stormlight Archive, Edgedancer follows the character of Lift, who is first introduced in an interlude in Words of Radiance. This young thief has a decidedly unique tone and personality when compared to others on Roshar, and this novella would be best enjoyed after completing Oathbringer.

Dawnshard

Dawnshard takes place between Oathbringer and Rhythm of War, the third and fourth books of the Stormlight Archive, and follows Rysn and other notable Stormlight characters, including the beloved “The Lopen”. Moments from this book are mentioned in Rhythm of War, so you will be fine reading it beforehand, but it is just as enjoyable reading it after, to get a better handle on events mentioned in the book. Also, you get more Lopen, which is never a bad thing.

Misborn Era 2 (Wax and Wayne) - World: Scardrial

Books:

  • The Alloy of Law
  • Shadows of Self
  • The Bands of Mourning
  • The Lost Metal

The second era of the Mistborn titles picks up about 300 years after the events of The Hero of Ages on Scadrial. Whereas the first set of books took place in a more medieval society, the world of Scadrial now resembles something more akin to the American Frontier or the early Industrial Revolution. The second era follows the exploits of the mercenary allomancer lawman, Wax, and his partner Wayne, dealing with the newer threats posed by the advances of technology and also the problems caused by the events that transpired in the past. This all results in a set of stories that feels both familiar and brand new all at the same time, with some of the most beloved characters in the Cosmere.

It’s advised that you don’t tackle the Wax and Wayne books until you have completed at least the first set of Mistborn books. However, as being one of the more recent Cosmere releases, the fourth and final book, The Lost Metal, starts working in more connections with the Cosmere as a whole, so you will get more out of that last book especially, the more of the previous books of the Cosmere you have read already.

Sixth of the Dusk (Arcanum Unbounded) - World: First of the Sun

Among the entries contained within Arcanum Unbounded, Sixth of the Dusk takes place the furthest down the timeline. Set around the large island known as Patji on the planet known as First of the Sun, this short novella (clocking in just under 18,000 words) follows a trapper named Sixth of the Dusk as he tries to save his home. This book is currently believed to take place rather far ahead in the timeline of the Cosmere as it features a race of people with advanced space travel technology. It also has magic parrots.

Tress of the Emerald Sea - World: Lumar

Tress was the first of Brandon Sanderon’s Secret Project Kickstarter titles that he wrote during the pandemic, unbeknownst to anyone but his wife. A standalone novel taking place in the world of Lumar, which is home to an emerald green ocean of spores, Tress of the Emerald Sea is about a young girl who sets out to find and rescue her love. Sanderson describes his inspiration for Tress as “what if Buttercup from the Princess Bride had been more proactive.”

Currently, Tress of the Emerald Sea is believed to be somewhere in the distant future of the Cosmere, but where it precisely lands is a mystery.

The Sunlit Man - World: Canticle

Taking place on the world of Canticle, where the sunlight can melt the very stone, The Sunlit Man was the fourth book of Brandon’s Secret Projects and follows the immortal known as Nomad, who is caught in a conflict between rebels and a tyrant. Much like the other secret project novels, this is also a standalone title that takes place far in the future of the Cosmere, but its specific placement is nebulous.

Even though this is a standalone title, it’s recommended that you don’t read this until you finish the first arc of the Stormlight Archive because…reasons…

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter - World: Komashi

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter, third of the Secret Projects, takes place on Komashi, where mysticism and technology butt heads against one another. Following the characters of Painter, who works as a Nightmare Painter (someone that captures dark beings) and Yumi (a traveling priestess that can summon and command spirits). A string of events binds the two of them together, and they have to figure out why and how to get out of it.

Yumi and the Nightmare painter is standalone and feels decidedly different from other books in the Cosmere, with its setting being a mix of Japanese and Korean influences, with Brandon mentioning that the initial concept came from his exposure to the manga Hikaru no Go and other media like the anime film Your Name and Final Fantasy X. Believed to take place far in the future of the Cosmere, this can be a fun first outing to dip your toes into the Cosmere.

The Cosmere RPG

Brandon Sanderson, in collaboration with Brotherwise games, has officially released the first set of Cosmere RPG books. Here's a quick snippet of what I thought in my full Cosmere RPG review:

"The Cosmere RPG is putting a strong foot forward right out of the gate, with systems that manage to feel familiar while at the same time doing its own thing that sets it apart. I appreciate its more flexible character growth and heavier emphasis on your own personal story and incorporating it into tangible gameplay features. It remains to be seen just how well the team manages to balance and intermingle the vastly different worlds and magic systems that inhabit the Cosmere. Still, I am already chomping at the bit for the next world guides, handbooks, and what Brotherwise Games have up their sleeves."

What We know Is Coming in 2026 and Beyond

Much like our own universe, the Cosmere continues to expand. Back in December of 2024, Brandon gave his updated PLANNED release schedule up through 2031, and is as follows:

  • 2026: Cosmere TTRPG - Mistborn Campaign Setting
  • December 2026: Dark One or Isaac’s Cosmere Novel
  • February 2026: Isles of the Emberdark (Pre-order)
    • This incorporates and expands on Sixth of the Dusk
  • 2027: Dark One or Isaac’s Cosmere Novel
  • December 2028: Mistborn Era 3 - Book 1
  • Summer 2029: Elantris 2
  • December 2029: Mistborn Era 3 - Book 2
  • Summer 2030: Elantris 3
  • December 2030: Mistborn Era 3 - Book 3
  • December 2031: Stormlight Archive Book 6 (begins 2nd Arc)

The Cosmere Movie and TV Adaptations

Brandon Sanderson and Apple TV have officially solidified a deal to bring The Cosmere to the screen. There are no official release dates just yet, but reports have confirmed that Mistborn is being eyed for feature films and The Stormlight Archive is likely to become a TV series. Sanderson took to the Comsere Reddit after the announcements to tell the fans more about the deal, saying he chose Apple TV due to "the level of approvals and control" as well as their track record for high quality content.

Scott White is a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with book and tabletop game coverage. Follow him on X/Twitter or Bluesky.

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FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly Remake Gets PC Requirements, PC Demo Coming on March 5th

KOEI Tecmo has announced that a PC demo for FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly Remake will come out on March 5th. This demo will let you try the game before it comes out. Moreover, the publisher shared the game’s official PC system requirements. So, let’s dive in. FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE is a … Continue reading FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly Remake Gets PC Requirements, PC Demo Coming on March 5th

The post FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly Remake Gets PC Requirements, PC Demo Coming on March 5th appeared first on DSOGaming.

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NVIDIA GeForce 591.86 WHQL Driver Available for Download

NVIDIA has released a new driver for its graphics cards. According to the notes, the NVIDIA GeForce Game Ready 591.86 WHQL driver gives you the best performance for the new free-to-play PvP raid shooter, Highguard. Moreover, this new driver provides the best gaming experience for the latest games supporting DLSS 4, including ARC Raiders: Headwind … Continue reading NVIDIA GeForce 591.86 WHQL Driver Available for Download

The post NVIDIA GeForce 591.86 WHQL Driver Available for Download appeared first on DSOGaming.

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