Amid the official statements and many tweets that followed one of the biggest shakeups ever at Xbox, one of its creators believes Microsoft’s true plan is to bring its gaming business to an end.
Seamus Blackley co-created Xbox at Microsoft, bringing to life Microsoft’s console hardware in 2001 before leaving just a year later. He has watched his former company hit the headlines as Phil Spencer and would-be successor Sarah Bond announced their exit. And in a new interview, he revealed what he believes to be new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma's actual mission — which sounds like nothing good for Xbox fans.
Speaking to GamesBeat, Blackley said that Xbox is not a core part of Microsoft’s all-encompassing AI push, and so “is being sunsetted.” Drafting in Sharma, who Blackley points out came from Microsoft’s AI team with no gaming background, is further evidence of the company’s true strategy, he claimed. “They don’t say that, but that’s what’s happening,” he went on. “I expect that the new CEO, Asha Sharma, her job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night.”
Part of the problem here, according to Blackley, is that Microsoft head honcho Satya Nadella believes that AI will “subsume” games “like it will subsume everything,” and that spells the end for the traditional video games business, much of which Microsoft owns.
“The job of all these people is to just gently usher all of these business units into the new world of AI,” Blackley said. “That’s what you’re seeing here. Whether or not you agree with it, whether you agree with AI having the potential to do that, whether AI will be successful, is a separate matter. But that’s what we’re seeing. That is in no way surprising. It would have been shocking if they had somebody in there in a meaningful role who was passionate about games, passionate about the creator-driven business of games, because it would be in direct conflict with everything else Microsoft is doing. Microsoft is a company that is now about enabling its customers by enabling AI to drive things. That’s at odds with the auteur model of any art, but specifically of games. Microsoft doesn’t have the problem that Apple does, or that Netflix does, where they have an auteur-driven content model to manage. Games are the only place where they have a content business.”
It’s worth pointing out that Blackley's comments go against the statements released by Microsoft in its announcement of the Xbox shakeup. Sharma has promised to deliver “the return of Xbox,” and, as part of that, has vowed to reengage with core Xbox fans. There was even a promise to commit to console, which is certainly a crowd-pleasing comment at a time when so many Xbox fans feel disenfranchised with Microsoft’s shifting strategy. As for Satya Nadella, he has said he was “long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition,” which doesn’t sound like Xbox is sunsetting any time soon.
As it stands, Microsoft has a long list of video games due out this year and beyond, and the promise of a new Xbox console in the coming years. One of the big questions around recent events is whether Sharma will tear up those plans. Of course, the likes of Fable and Halo and Call of Duty will release this year, as announced. But will the next-gen Xbox fall by the wayside? Will any plans former Xbox boss Phil Spencer had for an Xbox handheld come to fruition?
And while Sharma has said she has "no tolerance for bad AI," and promised to "not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop," it seems unlikely that gaming will escape Microsoft's big AI push entirely.
IGN has much more on Sharma's arrival and the departure of Spencer, including the many farewells to him from veteran developers, Spencer's personal words to the Xbox community following his departure, and Sharma's own responses to initial concerns around her recent AI work and lack of gaming industry job experience.
Photo by David McNew/Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Ryan Coogler’s The X-Files reboot is moving forward at Hulu with Danielle Deadwyler (Carry-On, Till) as one of its two stars.
Deadline reports the sci-fi revival from the mastermind behind last year’s Sinners has finally received a pilot order at the streamer after word of its existence emerged in 2023. In addition to gaining a co-lead in Deadwyler, the site says that See, The Copenhagen Test, and Dexter writer Jennifer Yale has been brought on as showrunner.
Deadwyler will play one half of the show’s leading duo and is bringing more than 15 years of experience in movies and TV with her. In addition to appearances in shows like Atlanta and Watchmen throughout the 2010s, recent years have seen her play prominent roles in films like 2022’s Till, as well as 2024’s I Saw the TV Glow and Carry-On. Last year, she led Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Woman in the Yard.
Deadline reports the new take on a classic ‘90s program will follow “two highly decorated but vastly different FBI agents” who “form an unlikely bond when they are assigned to a long-shuttered division devoted to cases involving unexplained phenomena.” Coogler will write and direct The X-Files reboot’s pilot episode, while also serving as an executive producer with Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian via Proximity Media. Chris Carter, creator of the original show, is also involved as an executive producer, as is Yale.
Bloomberg reported on Disney’s interest in The X-Files a few years back, but Coogler has mostly kept quiet about the reboot while working on other projects. Aside from Sinners, which shook fans and critics (we gave it a 9/10) when it premiered last April and has continued to make headlines since, the Black Panther director returned to the Marvel universe as an executive producer for Ironheart last year. Now, however, it seems the wheels are fully in motion as the beloved sci-fi series attempts to bring in new and old fans.
The X-Files reboot currently has no release date, with the remainder of its cast and a potential episode count still a mystery. It’s also unclear if any of the original cast, such as David Duchovny as Fox Mulder, will play any sort of role, but Gillian Anderson, who played Dana Scully, has suggested she’s at least interested in seeing how things will shake out.
“There’s a chance [the show] will happen, whether I am involved in it is a whole other thing,” Anderson said of Coogler’s reboot in 2024. “But in his hands — I'm not saying no — because I think he is really cool. I think if he did it, it would probably be done incredibly well, and maybe I'll pop in for a little something something."
All 11 seasons of The X-Files recently started streaming and triggered a wave of new and updated rankings from fans across the internet. Viewers have been so hungry for new content that, when some mysterious black goo popped up in Ohio, they couldn’t help but wonder if it could lead to something ripped straight out of the show.
Photo by Sergi Alexander/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).
Here's a great opportunity to pick up a fully featured 3D printer for a supremely low price. AliExpress is currently offering the Anycubic Kobra 3 V2 3D Printer Combo - which also includes the Ace Pro multi-filament printing module - for just $199 with free delivery. You must sign in to see the $231 price drop to $199 (no coupon code is necessary). This is the first time I've seen this model sell for under $200. The exact same combo sells for $380 on Amazon.
You're buying it from Anycubic's official store on AliExpress. It ships free locally from the United States and arrives within 1 to 2 weeks. The Kobra 3 is an excellent option for any newcomer to 3D printing; it's easy to setup, it produces great 3D prints with minimal fiddling, there are plenty of mods available (that you can print yourself), all at a budget price.
Update: If you aren't seeing the price, try disabling any popup blockers. Don't forget to sign in.
Includes the Ace Pro Multi-Filament Printing Module (for multiple colors)
The Anycubic Kobra 3 is an open bed printer with a working space measuring approximately 10" cubed. It boasts a print speed of up to 600mm/s with 20,000mm/s² acceleration and can print a benchy in under 12 minutes. Other features include an accelerometer G-sensor that allows for auto-leveling and vibration compensation, a 200W dual PTC heating system to keep a stable temp for consistent filament drying, and easy to use touchscreen controls. Assembly is quick and easy and you should be able to make your first test print in a matter of minutes.
The Ace Pro multi-filament module fleshes out the 3D printing capabilities. It's also what makes this deal so good because it normally sells for $200 or more by itself. This add-on allows you to print using up to four different colored filaments simultaneously. It features intelligent identification filament sync, nozzle clog detection, and active heating for filament drying. It also stores the filament in a sealed container to avoid foreign contamination.
Note that this is the newer "V2" model that was released in mid 2025. Updates include:
There are plenty of other 3D printer options out there. I've personally enjoyed using a Bambu Lab 3D printer. Keep in mind, however, that none of them will offer similar features (especially the multi-color printing) for even close to the same price.
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.
Looking for a PS5 game deal in the PlayStation Direct Store sale that’s full of action? You could do a lot worse than Stellar Blade.
Shift Up’s popular 2024 title is just $39.99 right now, a clean $10 off of its Black Friday pricing from last year. That’s a great deal, and Target is even matching it if you prefer to buy from there, netting you 43% off whichever way you slice it (get it? Because it’s a blade? Never mind).
As far as technical showcases for the PlayStation 5 (or its pricier Pro sibling) go, Stellar Blade is certainly up there.
This character action title puts players in the cyber-shoes of EVE, pitting her against waves of foes and challenging boss fights, but giving her some of the flashiest combat skills in this console generation.
Our reviewer Mitchell Saltzman gave the game 7 out of 10 in his review for IGN, saying “Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre.”
If you’re here for the action, though, this saving is well worth a look. A sequel, unsurprisingly titled Stellar Blade 2, is in development at the time of writing.
For more sale items, the PlayStation Direct sale is well worth a look for Death Stranding fans. The Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Collector’s Edition is discounted, as well as the limited edition controller commemorating the game’s 2025 launch.
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.
Nowadays it's quite difficult to find an RTX 5070 Ti prebuilt for under $2,000, but not impossible. Lenovo currently has a Legion Tower 5 RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC for just $1,859.99 after you apply two stackable coupon codes "EXTRAFIVE" and "BUYMORELENOVO". It's paired with an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and 32GB of DDR5 RAM.
Thinking of saving money by building your own DIY RTX 5070 Ti system? Think again. With the rising prices of GPUs, the RTX 5070 Ti graphics card is currently selling for at least $250 over MSRP. Other comparable options, such as the Radeon RX 9070 XT or RTX 5080, also have a steep markup.
Use stackable coupons "EXTRAFIVE" and "BUYMORELENOVO"
This Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gen 10 configuration is equipped with a liquid-cooled Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16GB GPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600MHz RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Something to note is that this PC is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU on a customized Intel HM870 mATX motherboard. The 275HX is traditionally a laptop CPU, and laptop CPUs are permanently soldered onto the motherboard. That means you won't be able to swap out the CPU for a better one in the future. If you don't intend on swapping the CPU (and let's face it, most of us who buy prebuilts probably never will), then you'll get excellent performance out of this chip.
The RTX 5070 Ti offers the best bang for your buck amongst the new Nvidia Blackwell cards in terms of 4K gaming performance. It performs neck-and-neck with the previous generation RTX 4080 Super and pulls ahead in any game that supports multi-frame generation, especially with the recent DLSS 4.5 update.
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.
The ever-reliable PlayStation Plus leaker billbil-kun has revealed the headline game for March 2026.
As reported on dealabs, PGA Tour 2K25 will be available to download from March 3 to April 7 free for all PS Plus subscribers (Essential, Extra, and Premium). Expect an announcement from Sony this Wednesday, February 25.
PS Plus is a regular stomping ground for old 2K sports games (indeed previous PGA Tour games have hit PS Plus), so the addition of PGA Tour 2K25 comes as little surprise. The golf sim launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC in February 2025, so it hits PS Plus just over a year later. A Nintendo Switch 2 version came out earlier this month.
IGN’s PGA Tour 2K25 review returned an 8/10. We said: “PGA Tour 2K25 comes back strong, with substantial changes to how it looks and plays bringing it within striking distance of the competition.”
The rest of March’s PS Plus lineup remains under wraps for now (expect the additional games to be confirmed alongside PGA Tour 2K25 on Wednesday). You’ve got until March 3 to grab February’s games before they’re rotated out of the subscription service.
While you wait, check out which game we crowned the best PlayStation game of 2025 alongside all of our other big winners of the year. And for more on what PlayStation has in store for 2026 and beyond, check out our roundup of this month's State of Play showcase.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Nothing posted an image of the Nothing Phone 4a on X today, showing off the upcoming clear-backed phone. The 4a has an updated rear design, including a new "Glyph Bar," an evolution of the Glyph notification lights feature on past Nothing Phones. Its one of a few teasing posts the company has published in recent days, ahead of a fuller reveal at 2:30AM PT on March 5th.
The Glyph Bar will be one of the most noticeable differences versus the Nothing Phone 3a. The company teased the new feature in a post last week, writing that it would feature nine individually-controllable squares of LED lights instead of the curved lightstrips that the phones have had in the past. The company says they'll be 40% brighter than its older a-series phones, and will feature "a more natural, neutral, bleed-free glow." Visually, the phone otherwise looks a lot like its predecessor.
The new phone will be powered by a Snapdragon chip, as the company posted last week, though it didn't say which one. Rumors are pointing to a Snapdragon 7 chip, as Engadget notes. That should make it a fine phone, though it won't compete with the best Android phones out there, which have generally moved on to Snapdragon 8 chipsets. Other details, like RAM, storage, display, pricing, and more remain a mystery.
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.
For this week only, Best Buy is offering an excellent deal on the 65" LG Evo C5 4K OLED TV exclusively for My Best Buy Plus and Total members. The price drops to just $1,171.99 with membership, compared to $1,399.99 for non-members. If you don't have a membership, you're luck because also for this weekly only, Best Buy is offering 50% off its Plus membership, dropping the price to only $25 for one year. Aside from exclusive discounts, the Plus membership offers free expedited 2-day shipping on thousands of items with no minimum requirement and an extended 60-day return policy.
My Best Buy Plus member exclusive
The C5 is LG's most popular OLED TV, sitting right in between the super pricey Gallery Series (G5) and the budget B5. The C5 boasts the near-infinite black levels, near-infinite contrast ratio, and near-instantaneous response times you'd expect from any OLED TV. It's also equipped with LG's proprietary Evo panel, which is significantly brighter and offers a wider color gamut than traditional W-OLED TVs. This is the best TV for streaming 4K HDR content in its intended glory.
LG's OLED TVs have also been our favorite TVs for console gaming for three years running thanks to their outstanding image quality, low input lag, and high refresh rate. The C5 is equipped with modern gaming features, including a native 120Hz panel that can be pushed to as high as 144Hz, HDMI 2.1 inputs for running PS5 games in 4K at up to 120fps, variable refresh rate and auto low latency mode.
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.
Bungie has issued a warning to anything thinking of cheating in Marathon: you will be permanently banned from the game, and there are no second chances.
In a blog post, the Sony-owned studio said anyone found to be cheating in its extraction shooter will be permabanned from playing Marathon forever, “no second chances.”
However, Bungie acknowledged there may be flaws in its system, as there are in all systems, and so will have an appeals process in place to help with detection issues.
“Tau Ceti IV is a dangerous world where death is certain,” Bungie began. “That said, we want you to know your deaths are due to your own mistakes or enemy outplays — not because your run was compromised by network issues, cheaters, or the hardware hosting your connection to the world.
“No network or security model can guarantee perfection, but we are committed to protecting the Marathon competitive experience and ensuring everyone has their fair chance at exfiltrating with a backpack full of sweet loot.”
To that end, Marathon dedicated servers are “fully authoritative” on key combat and looting actions, Bungie explained, which should help prevent cheating. Meanwhile, the ‘Fog of War’ system limits the regions of a map that individual player clients have knowledge of, hopefully limiting the effectiveness of wall hacks, ESP cheats, and loot revealers “Product security is never fully solved and we’ll continue to invest in our game security systems," Bungie stressed.
On the crucial subject of client security, Bungie said it includes both user-mode and kernel-mode components, but kept things vague — deliberately. “Game security is a never-ending arms war with bad actors,” Bungie said. “This means sharing details about methodologies for protecting our games can inform those bad actors how to defeat them. With that in mind, we hope this high-level snapshot gives you an idea of how we are addressing client security.” There is no mention of Bungie employing Secure Boot (along with TPM 2.0), which is officially required to play the latest Call of Duty games and last year’s Battlefield 6 on PC.
Marathon will launch its ‘Server Slam’ event on February 26, during which all of Bungie’s security tools will be online. Bungie called on players to report cheaters if they encounter them. Marathon launches proper on March 5 across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S.
Bungie’s blog post on security comes as fellow extraction shooter Arc Raiders is embroiled with a war on cheaters itself — and developer Embark Studios has issued some strongly-worded statements of its own.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Embark Studios has laid out everything included in the Arc Raiders Shrouded Sky update, revealing a first look at two new Arc threats, the Surgeon Raider Deck, Dam Battleground map changes, and, yeah, you guessed it: beards.
Information about the big February update was unveiled in a blog post published on its official website. The message comes with more information about all of the new content set to be added tomorrow, February 24, and it even includes a proper trailer for the previously announced Hurricane map condition.
“Shani is blindsided by a Hurricane that engulfs the Rust Belt with ferocious speed and unrelenting force,” an official description for Shrouded Sky says. “Raiders have been caught in the howling, gnashing winds, the Tubes are at risk of flooding, and rumors quickly spread of new ARC prowling the surface among the fog.
“You are not cleared to leave in such conditions; between the low visibility, unsuitable equipment, and risk to the Tube systems, it’s just not worth the danger… but that’s just an invitation to a Raider.”
As the Hurricane blows in extra challenge for those who had just started to get comfortable with Embark’s rotating selection of Arc Raiders events, players should expect to brave more than just the weather. Two new unique Arcs, for example, can be found topside starting with Shrouded Sky: the Firefly and the Comet. The former is another drone-style enemy, but instead of firing light ammo or stun shots, this armored aerial pest spits fire from above. The latter is a ground, sphere enemy not unlike Pops and Fireballs that is said to calmly patrol the surface before smacking raiders with a “seismic boom.”
Another one of the headliners for the February content drop is a map update for Dam Battlegrounds. During a conversation with IGN, Embark CEO Patrick Söderlund spoke about the map, saying, "we know from data that's the map that people seem to gravitate mostly toward, that people like the most, but there's still things in there that I think the developers feel like we can improve." He teased that "all maps are going to get, most likely, touched," but in the case of Dam Battlegrounds, today's post tells players to expect a new high-value loot area called the Controlled Access Zone.
As new Arc threats and existing enemies like the Rocketeer will no doubt continue sending Raiders back to Speranza, players should be happy to see there are some not-so-threatening additions coming in the next Arc Raiders update, too. The third Raider Deck, for example, comes with a Surgeon theme, with Embark also directing players to head to the in-game store to check out The Volare and Devotee cosmetic sets.
Those looking to dress up their survivors with a little something special will also be happy to find that facial hair has finally made its way to Speranza, too. All players can access the new Stubble cosmetic when the update launches, with a Full Beard option available to unlock via the Surgeon Deck. Stubble Beard and Thick Moustache options will also be purchasable in the store.
Arc Raiders launched October 30, 2025, and is keeping the ball rolling with smaller, weekly updates alongside the more substantial monthly updates. It’s all part of a four-month roadmap laid out by Embark that promises even more new content through April. We learned about just some of the goodies the developer has in store during our interview with Söderlund earlier this month. In addition to a sneak peek at some of the plans the studio has in store, we chatted about how the game’s success has set the team up for future success.
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).
If you’ve been waiting to buy PlayStation 5 games, accessories, and even subscriptions, there are tons of deals from PlayStation Direct. Plus, Amazon and Best Buy also have a bunch of PS5 titles discounted. That’s not all, as you can save $15 on a 12-month Xbox Game Pass Essential subscription, get Super Mario Odyssey for $30, and score the MTG: Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box for its lowest price. Check out all the top deals below:
Newegg is offering $15 off a 12-month Xbox Game Pass Essential subscription when you use the code “SSF3368” at checkout. Normally priced at $79.99, it’s just 64.99 with this promo, arriving via email. You’ll get 12 months of the most basic Game Pass membership, allowing you to play a massive library of games, stream titles, access online console multiplayer, earn up to $25 a year in rewards, and more.
PlayStation Direct launched an awesome sale on PS5 games and accessories. If you’ve been on the fence about grabbing Ghost of Yotei, it had its first major price drop since release, for a solid $20 in savings. Other notable discounts include God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West - Complete Edition, Death Stranding 2, and more. And while not from PS Direct, Astro Bot and Monster Hunter Wilds are only $20 on Amazon, or you can score Ghost of Tsushima - Director's Cut and Gran Turismo 7 for $30 from Best Buy.
Plenty of accessories are also discounted. The Death Stranding 2 - DualSense Controller is only $64, down $20, while some of the best PS5 faceplates are on sale to add a bit more flash to your console. You can even grab the PlayStation VR 2 for $100 off, matching Black Friday savings, and making for one killer deal on one of the top VR headsets.
It’s not just games and accessories that PlayStation has discounted. In celebration of the Lunar New Year, a 12-month PlayStation Plus Premium Subscription is just $99.99, down from $159.99. Everything from online multiplayer and cloud streaming to the Sony Pictures catalog, exclusive discounts, and more comes with this subscription. However, this deal is only available for new PS Plus subscribers or those upgrading to the Premium tier.
Get the Pokémon Mega Evolution - Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box for $119.99 on Amazon. Admittedly, this isn’t the best deal, but it's right around the current market price and shipped/sold by Amazon for added peace of mind. Plus, it’s actually in stock. Most other retailers require exclusive memberships, with the majority of the boxes selling out within minutes. With the Trainer Box, you get 9 Ascended Heroes booster packs, a full-art foil promo card featuring N’s Zekrom, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, 6 damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector’s box, and a player's guide.
Believe it or not, Super Mario Odyssey, which was released way back in 2017, is still Nintendo’s most recent 3D Mario platformer. Luckily, 9 years in, it still holds up, and it has received a rare $30 discount on a physical copy of the Switch title at Best Buy. This awesome adventure game follows Mario and the shape-shifting Cappy. Even earning a “Masterpiece” score during our review. There’s also a free performance upgrade for Switch 2 to make gameplay even more enjoyable.
The Magic: The Gathering Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box is back down to its lowest price ever on Amazon. For just $124.98, you’ll get 30 Play Booster packs, making each about $4.16, which is a solid deal. Each pack even guarantees a foil. This is a really fun set that features creatures throwing spells; a nice departure from the most recent Universes Beyond Sets featuring Avatar, Spider-Man, and Final Fantasy.
However, if you’re interested in the upcoming Universes Beyond sets, MTG x TMNT and MTG x Marvel Super Heroes, these preorders are worth grabbing below. Amazon even has a nice preorder price guarantee. Whether the price goes up or down, you’re paying the lowest amount.
Sonic Prime is a great series for kids of all ages. Whether you’re a fan of the Blue Blur or want to introduce your family to the iconic video game character, this fun, action-packed series takes place in a multiverse of parallel worlds where Sonic is forced to reconnect with unique versions of his friends. Right now, The Complete Series Steelbook Blu-ray is down to just 17.20 when you clip the coupon.
Want a new pair of quality earbuds cheap? The Beats Powerbeat Pro wireless earbuds are only $99.99 on the Amazon-owned Woot, with Prime members even scoring free shipping. The retail price of these earbuds is $249.95, and Amazon is selling them for $190 right now, so this is some serious savings. The Beats Powerbeats Pro offers everything you want in earbuds, from a comfy fit with an earhook to keep secure during workouts and balanced, robust sound. With an Apple H1 chip, it seamlessly pairs with Apple devices, while 9 hours of battery life is impressive.
Epic Games Store is giving away free games every week. Each Thursday, new titles drop, and you can add them to your library of Mobile and PC titles at absolutely no cost to you. This week's picks are Return to Ash and STALCRAFT: X Starter Edition(which normally goes for $24.99!), with the selection changing from week to week. Even if you don’t plan to play them now, there’s literally nothing to lose by adding them to your library to play later.
Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.
In case you missed it, PlayStation’s Direct store is offering major discounts on first-party PlayStation titles, even offering PS5 games at less than third-party retailers.
One of the best deals we’ve spotted is Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, with Insomniac Games’ 2023 adventure seeing a 57% discount from its usual price - bringing it to $29.99.
The jury is out on whether Spider-Man 2 is better than its tighter, more personal predecessor or the even more focused standalone Miles Morales chapter, but it’s a fantastic showcase of the power of the PS5 as players switch between two Spider-Men almost instantly while exploring the city and coming face-to-face with the likes of Kraven, The Hunter.
In our review, Simon Cardy awarded Marvel’s Spider-Man an 8 out of 10, saying, “Its story of two Spider-Men is a great time and a Spidey fan’s dream to play through as comic book pages are brought to life, elegantly walking the tightrope between light humour and heavier themes.”
“Meanwhile, Insomniac refines a successful formula of combat and web-swinging without revolutionising either in major ways, making them comfy and familiar with just enough new tweaks and abilities to elevate them to fun new heights.”
Don’t forget, 2026 will see Insomniac suit up again, but as Wolverine for a drastically more violent take on the Marvel universe.
Elsewhere in the sale, you can find God of War Ragnarok for just $20, and big savings on Collector’s Editions for both Death Stranding 2: On the Beach and Ghost of Yotei - two of 2025’s biggest releases.
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.
Best Buy is offering a great deal this week on a powerful gaming laptop. From now until Saturday, you can pick up the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16s RTX 5070 Ti gaming laptop for just $1,549.99 with free delivery. Alternatively, you can upgrade to 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for $1,899.99, but this deal ends today. The Helios Neo boasts a gorgeous 16" 240Hz OLED display, the most powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 HX series processor, and RTX 5070 Ti mobile graphics.
The Acer Predator Helios Neo is a mid to high-end laptop featuring powerful components at a no-nonsense price. Build quality and materials are good with an aluminum top lid and a plastic composite bottom chassis. The $1,550 configuration is equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB of DDR5-6400MHz RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The $1.900 configuration adds on double the RAM and SSD storage. The gorgeous 16" OLED display features a 2.5K 189ppi resolution, 0.2ms response time, 240Hz refresh rate, HDR 500 True Black certification, and 100% DCI-P3 color space. Connectivity options include both Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1 ports and an ethernet port.
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 5070 Ti.
The RTX 5070 Ti mobile GPU performs about 15%-20% better than the RTX 5070. Compared to the previous generation, it's comparable in performance to the RTX 4080 and pulls ahead of it in games that support DLSS 4.5 and multi-frame generation. It's powerful enough to run just about any game on the display's upgraded 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.
If it's time to upgrade your gaming monitor, you can't go wrong with an OLED. And if you've got the funds to get the biggest and best, LG's highest-end OLED is the 45" LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B 5K2K gaming monitor. It normally retails for a hefty $2,000, but LG has just discounted it to $1350 with free delivery. On the product page under the standar $1,599.99 price you should see "Save Big with Outlet Pricing". Select the discounted outlet price and proceed to cart.
The LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B is the first OLED monitor featuring a 5120x2160 resolution. That averages out to a pixel density of 125ppi, which is excellent for a monitor of this size. As a comparison, a 42" 4K monitor, 34" 3440x1440 monitor, and 27" QHD monitor all have an industry standard 109ppi. Since this is such a wide monitor, it features a fairly aggressive 800R curve for maximum immersion and so you can keep the screen's edge in the periphery of your vision.
The 45GX950A-B uses a true OLED panel that boasts a near-instanteous (0.03ms) response time and a near-infinite (1.5 million:1) contrast ratio with the ability to produce true blacks. OLEDs simply have the best image quality compared to any other panel type, with no smearing, no blooming, no "gray is the new black", and no uneven backlighting or haziness. This is a "dual-mode" monitor with refresh rates of up to 165Hz at 4K and 330Hz at down-scaled 1080p. The monitor also supports adaptic sync technologies including FreeSync Premium Pro and G-Sync.
Current generation connectivity specs include one DisplayPort 2.1 port and two HDMI 1.4 ports. There's also a USB Type-C port with 90W of power delivery. Rare among high end monitors, the 45GX950A-B has built-in speakers and even a 4-pole headphone jack with DTS Headphone:X spatial audio support.
Finally, the monitor comes with a 2-year warranty that includes OLED burn-in coverage.
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.
Exciting new details have been revealed by Walt Disney World for The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios, including that an Audio-Animatronics figure of Frozen's Olaf will lead a brand-new Animation Academy alongside pre-recorded drawing lessons from legendary Disney animators.
As detailed by the Disney Parks team, The Magic of Disney Animation is currently set to open in late summer, and this new Animation Academy experience will be one of the highlights. Much like he appeared in the short film Once Upon a Studio, Olaf will be sitting at an animator's desk and guiding you through the drawing adventure. And yes, Josh Gad has recorded new dialogue for the snowman to make the figure feel even more authentic.
Since Olaf can't quite draw all of these characters on his own, he is enlisting the help of Disney animators, directors, and story artists to help teach artists of all ages how to bring their favorite characters to life. While there sadly won't be in-person animators like at Disneyland's Animation Academy at Disney California Adventure Park, the list of artists they have lined up is very impressive. It includes;
Alongside the Animation Academy experience, guests will be able to visit 'Off the Page!,' an area where fan-favorite characters will leave the screen behind and enter our world. There will be different areas that are inspired by the "real animation pipeline at Walt Disney Animation Studios," and guests will be able to meet and greet with specific characters like Mulan in Story, Rapunzel in Layout, Chip n' Dale in Hand-Drawn Animation, Donald & Daisy in CG Animation, Goofy in Lighting, and Stitch in Effects.
There will also be an Enchanted Art Gallery that will feature tons of gorgeous Disney artwork that just may come alive with new animations created for this experience. To end, guests will enter the Once Upon a Studio Theater to enjoy the short film of the same name, and there may even be characters appearing within the artwork along the theater walls to make everything even more immersive.
As previously revealed, The Magic of Disney Animation will also include an Alice in Wonderland-themed playground called 'Drawn to Wonderland," and the main experience will take place in a building modeled after the real Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California, complete with Mickey's iconic Sorcerer Hat on top!
Lastly, there will be an outdoor courtyard of sorts where families will be able to "play, relax, or snack on tasty treats under lush trees."
All in all, this should be a wonderful nostalgia play for Walt Disney World, and you can check what else they have in store for 2026 and beyond right here!
You can also read all about the next-generation robotic figure of Olaf that will soon appear at World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland!
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
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